Seahawks quarterback Wilson joins Sounders ownership group

[August 14, 2019]    (Reuters) - Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson and his Grammy Award winning wife Ciara have become part owners of MLS's Seattle Sounders, they said on Tuesday, adding their names to the star-studded ownership group.

 Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson (3) signs autographs following a training camp practice at the Virginia Mason Athletic Center. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports/File Photo

"We are fired up about the Seattle Sounders because it's our home. It's the place we get to raise our kids and the place we are forever connected to," the couple said in a joint statement.

"We want to have the world's best soccer players play here in Seattle and win championships!"

The Sounders won the MLS Cup in 2016 and led the league in attendance for eight consecutive seasons from 2009 to 2016 while playing at CenturyLink Field, which is also home to the Seahawks.

The move is the latest effort by Wilson to get involved in pro sports team ownership in the region.

The 2014 Super Bowl champion is part of a group working to bring NBA basketball back to Seattle and he has invested in an effort to bring MLB baseball to Portland.

The newly announced group of investors is led by former Microsoft executive Terry Myerson and his wife Katie Myerson and includes Seattle-bred hip hop artist Macklemore and his wife.

Adrian Hanauer is the majority owner of the team, which is currently in second place in the Western Conference.

(Reporting by Rory Carroll, editing by Ed Osmond)

[© 2019 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved.]

Copyright 2019 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.  Thompson Reuters is solely responsible for this content.