Russell Wilson, Ciara join Seattle Sounders FC ownership group

The star of one Seattle football team now has an ownership stake in Seattle’s other football team.

It was announced on Tuesday that Seahawks QB Russell Wilson and his wife Ciara have been added to the ownership group for Major League Soccer’s Seattle Sounders FC. This is Wilson’s first investment into another pro sports team, although it’s widely known that he basically owns the Carolina Panthers.

“Seattle means so much to me and Ciara,” Wilson said in the official press release. “We’re fired up about being part of the Sounders for a long, long time, having ownership in the Sounders and continuing to build that winning culture.

“When I got here in 2012, Seattle was a place that I felt I could call home forever. And obviously because of the Seahawks, and now because of the Sounders, it makes that really come to life. We’re really excited about building that winning culture. This city is a special place. The Pacific Northwest is a place we love and we get to raise our kids here and have a lot of fun while doing it. We want to bring the best soccer players in the world right here to Seattle.

“We think this is a transformational sport. It changes peoples’ lives. It brings people together from all different countries, all different worlds, all different socio-economic statuses, all different races, all different troubles in life – it brings people together. That’s what we’re excited about for this game, this team, and what we can do in Seattle.”

I should also note that other members of this new investment group include hip-hop star Macklemore, a slew of current Microsoft executives that includes CEO Satya Nadella and CFO Amy Hood, and former FOX Sports Head of Business Operations David Nathanson. The Sounders already had Drew Carey, Adrian Hanauer, and Jody Allen as team owners prior to this announcement.

For those who don’t follow the Sounders, they have been one of MLS’ model franchises, making the playoffs every year since they entered the league in 2009. They won MLS Cup 2016 on penalties against Toronto FC, but lost 2-0 in the rematch in the following year’s final. The Sounders led the league in fan attendance from 2009-2016 before Atlanta United SC joined the fold and became #1.

Wilson and Ciara aren’t just new part-owners of the Sounders, but they are at the forefront of the push to bring a Major League Baseball team to Portland. If you ask me, there should be an effort to land an MLB team in Seattle, as I see no evidence that the city actually has one. (I kid, I kid)