I have written another article supporting MLS expansion to Orlando. My blog Bleacher Report Generally I think MLS would be more worthwhile than Armando Gutierrez's pursuit of MLB.
Tampa and Orlando: Expanding Together? I need to edit the title of the thread, because I have a new thought. Orlando might be announced today for Division 2 in 2011. The team is apparently to be owned by the same people who own the Orlando Titans lacrosse team. This gives me an interesting thought. Tampa Bay and Orlando, also known as the War on I-4, is a combination that works well. In fact, it practically held the original Arena Football League together, and will be a premier feature of the new AFL this year. Does anybody think that, if the Rowdies and whatever team ends up in Orlando are both successful, that there would be any possibility both cities might be lined up for MLS franchises? This of course depends on a lot of factors, including the composition of D-II in 2011.
in 1990 Finally, how good are Orlando's chances to land the World Cup? Well, recently, the Sentinel's Central Florida Business section reported the following item: "DISTANT THIRD. The World Cup Soccer Committee . . . made a presentation . . . regarding efforts to bring the world-class sporting event to Orlando. But insiders . . . say Orlando has only a slim chance. As a market, Orlando lacks a strong ethnic base in 1992 Forced to choose between Tampa Bay and Orlando, the U.S. World Cup organizing committee and the Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) picked the home of Walt Disney World as one of the nine sites for the 1994 World Cup. "I told you the problem that developed in Miami as a result of the expansion of major-league baseball (all stadiums with baseball teams were eliminated)," [Alan] Rothenberg said. "Then it was Tampa and Orlando. We viewed them as a single market, and it was a very, very close call and we decided on Orlando." Jim Clark, executive director of the Tampa/Hillsborough Convention and Visitors Association, said Orlando's proximity (a 1 1/2-hour drive from Tampa) still will allow the Tampa Bay area to attract World Cup tourists. But it could be for one-day trips to the beaches or Busch Gardens, not overnight stays
Nice find. Of course, in the end, the proof was in the pudding: Not one game under 60,000 fans. Sadly, we were passed up for the 2018/2022 bid, and rightfully so considering how bad a shape the Citrus Bowl is in PLUS the fact they're installing artificial turf.
Re: Tampa and Orlando: Expanding Together? As much as I'd like to see MLS teams in both of those cities eventually I doubt it would happen, unless MLS decides to go towards 30 or so teams. The most Florida would be lucky to have is 2 teams in MLS, probably 1 in South Florida and 1 in either TB or Orlando. Realistically I think 1 MLS team and 2 D2 teams is probably the best case scenario for the foreseeable future, and MLS could wind up in any of the 3 markets IMO.
Re: Tampa and Orlando: Expanding Together? Who knows. No one would have guessed that LA would have two teams in the same city - in the same stadium even - and yet Chivas made it happen. Given sufficiently rich ownership anything can happen. I'd give the edge to Tampa Bay over Orlando, given Tampa Bay's history of pro soccer, assuming deep pocketed ownership arrives. Hank Steinbrenner (who went to Rowdies games as a youth) is already on the Rowdies advisory board, he could easily become a Rowdies MLS investor. And as we have noticed recently, Garber has been heavily lobbying EPL ownership, which includes the Glazers (apparently Malcolm Glazer was once a Rowdies season ticket holder). With a successful USA bid for WC 2022 and continued MLS growth there's going to be lots of interest by potential investors. Orlando could get a deep pocketed investor that MLS would want, but it's more likely that Tampa Bay will. When Florida gets back into MLS it will probably be in the same markets that were contracted: Tampa Bay and Miami/South Florida. If Traffic takes over Lockhart and turns the surrounding baseball facilities into soccer facilities and rebrands as the Ft. Lauderdale Strikers, they would be an especially attractive expansion team for MLS, especially with additional investors (such as Marcelo Claure). Ft. Lauderdale and Lockhart Stadium already have a strong tradition of hosting US national and international soccer and MLS events. It would be hard for MLS to ignore. Also hard for MLS to ignore are the importance of regional rivalries in fostering an enduring MLS fanbase. When all three Pacific Northwest teams come on line next year, this will be very obvious. Having at least two teams in Florida is better for MLS than just having one team in Florida. As MLS grows beyond 16 teams (warning: wild tangent alert!), I think MLS should rethink its structure. Right now it is following the path of MLB/NFL/NBA/NHL in having a "national" league with lots of cross country air travel and unbalanced schedules. Instead of following this model, MLS should embrace the fact that it is a "feeder league" for Europe, and instead adopt something of the college football, college basketball and minor league baseball mentality: think local, build local and regional rivalries, avoid excessive travel. So maybe when MLS gets to 24, have three leagues/conferences of 8 teams each, no inter-league/conference play (except as friendlies, as in college football scheduling, and in post-season playoffs), with three single tables, balanced schedules within those tables, home and away x2 (home and away in spring, and home and away again in the fall), ie 4 x 7 for a 28 game schedule, taking time off to honor the FIFA calendar (ie pretty much the same schedule MLS has now but starting a bit earlier in spring and ending later in the fall, to allow for no play during FIFA international breaks, etc). MLS Cup as a playoff after the season for the champions of each 8-team "league". That way you get intense local and regional rivalries, plus cheaper travel costs. MLS doesn't have to imitate MLB/NFL/NBA/NHL to be successful: there are other models besides MLB/NFL/NBA/NHL on the one hand, and EPL/Europe/South America on the other, which MLS could learn from. Sorry, I've gone off on a tangent....so anyway my hunch is Tampa Bay and Ft. Lauderdale into MLS some time during the expansion from 18-24 teams. And maybe Orlando as a third Florida team some time during the expansion from 24-32 teams (and I see no reason why MLS can't grow that big, but it's a long way off yet). But that's just my hunch.
That is Tampa Bay's problem: the lack of deep pockets. (At least who are willing to make the investment. *eyes the Glazers*) Orlando just got a very deep pocket. Ill-gotten, maybe, but deep nonetheless. (What is it with us and ill-gotten gains? We have the founder of the world's biggest legal ponzi scheme in Rich DeVos, and someone who made nine figures on insider trading and turned state's evidence to keep it in Gary Rosenbach.) What I would love to see is Orlando forming an SoB-like supporters group. 100 to the All-Star Game, 500 or so to the MLS Cup. And as for MLS structure, I myself would like to see it split into Western and Eastern conferences that only play within their geographical limits, with an MLS Cup between East and West.
Re: Tampa and Orlando: Expanding Together? Fwiw, I've hashed through these discussions a hundred times in the past several years on BS, and no matter how many times it seems like there's the tiniest piece of a shred of a shadow of a chance that this, that, or the other city will get a team in MLS, the only thing that is as certain as the sun coming up in the morning is this: Even before the market tanked and rattled the economy with it, this statement was true. When the league was only a few years old, and there were two teams in Florida, this statement was true. To restate the obvious, it was precisely because this scenario did not exist in Tampa for the Mutiny or Miami for Fusion, that they were contracted. Thus, even now, in year 16 of MLS, with all the bits of growth and success here and there, it's as true now as it was in the spring of '96: the first law of MLS gravity is money, lots of it, and the willingness to shovel it away. For all intents and purposes, when the stars align and these things happen, a team might, too, no matter where the location.
Re: Tampa and Orlando: Expanding Together? DrJ, you know better than that. ; ) You'd better go ahead and share some proof. Thanks.
Re: Tampa and Orlando: Expanding Together? I would LOVE to see Orlando get an MLS team but truth be told unless Disney decides that they suddenly love the idea of soccer in Central Florida it s nothing short of a pipe dream. FWIW, I think an MLS team would do very well in Orlando.
That's the only way I'll become interested in the MLS besides Thierry Henry's matches ofcourse. I want my team to be that of my local city...and Orlando has to be it. The MLS has a huge future. I hope the USA get the 2018 World Cup...that'd be awesome. USA are also getting better. Hopefully, the MLS actually start competing in the Champions League and beat those South American teams.
Our best path to an MLS team is to strongly support the USL team we are going to get. Otherwise, we stand no chance.
Question? Um beat South American teams? Meaning from Copa Libertadores? Or you mean Central American, Carribean and Mexican teams in the Concacaf Champions League? Ok so Orlando wants a team and they dont even know what region they in? Anyways Disney does have the money for an MLS team and the diversity in the city to have great attendance and success in MLS.. What would disney call your team? Mickey Mouse FC, Orlando FC, FC Disney, Orlando Athletics, or Orlando Millionares...
^^^ Really, I have no clue about MLS format etc. I"m a Premier League supporter from day one...that is my league and Arsenal are my team. Surely the MLS competes in some sort of Champions League format that have an avenue to get to the Fifa Club World Championships.
Naw but you should start folloeing MLS, its not that bad... there is alot of great games every week... Why dont u tune in to the ESP MLS thuruday night game tonight?? Its the philadelphia Union vs Colombus Crew, its a good game tonight Union at home and the Crew which has schelotto, gaven, and lenhart.. I like watching the UNION home matches the crowd makes it a nice soccer atmosphere.. just watch especially because the EPL is not going on now..
NEW YORK – The Austin Aztex of the USSF D-2 have announced they will be relocating to Orlando, Fla., and on Monday, management made clear its goal of joining Major League Soccer in the near future. The Aztex, founded by Stoke City owner and director Phil Rawlins, have been sold to a new British investor group, Orlando Sports Holdings, and will play in the USL Pro League next season as Orlando City. Rawlins will be the majority owner of OSH and is joined by the likes of Brendan Flood, an owner in former English Premier League club Burnley FC. “The new investors made it very difficult for us to turn down their offer,” Rawlins said on the official site of the Aztex. “Their goal is to build up the soccer operations so that we can pursue an MLS franchise in the next few years.” Rawlins cited the lack of local investors and the challenges of revenue generating opportunities at the Austin stadium facility as the main factors for the club’s move. The relocation was a condition of the new investors coming on board. http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/article/investors-targeting-mls-club-orlando
Congrats Orlando, now things are really heating up in the florida for MLS/D-2 supremacy all I know is that Orlando and Tampa big rivalry bigger than Miami-Tampa. I say Miami and Ft, Lauderdale should do the same, it would be huge Because me being from Miami always had a thing against broward and Im sure broward would have a thing against Miami since they are overshadowed by Miami, when in reality Broward isnt that bad but its still not Miami though.....
Re: Tampa and Orlando: Expanding Together? Yes, it six months later. Look at Orlando City SC will be MLS in Orlando in next 3-5 years boy.