Union chief business officer Tim McDermott’s roots in the Philadelphia region run deep. He grew up here, and still believes deeply in what he calls the “blue-collar, tough-as-nails passion” of local sports fans. He doesn’t hesitate to cast his city and his team as underdogs.
McDermott also knows that Major League Soccer has built its core fan base on creative-class young professionals who revel in soccer’s standing as the global game.
How does McDermott square those two views of the landscape?
“It’s really interesting what has happened, because you are seeing a movement here, and there is a new Philadelphia here,” he said.