Deal has Thunder stars looking to Mutiny; The affiliation between the Thunder and Tampa Bay of MLS benefits both teams.(SPORTS) From: Star Tribune (Minneapolis, MN) | Date: July 22, 2000| Author: Rand, Michael | COPYRIGHT 2000 Star Tribune Co. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan.  All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group.Copyright information

When Bill Manning left his job as Thunder general manager in February to take the same job with Major League Soccer's Tampa Bay Mutiny, he knew he wanted to keep tabs on the team he helped make last year's A-League champion.

So one of Manning's first moves was to ask MLS to let the Thunder become one of Tampa Bay's A-League affiliates. The league agreed, allowing the Mutiny to drop Tennessee and pick up Minnesota. The Thunder, already affiliated with Chicago, dropped Col...