Don't worry footygal, we are definitely open with our potential ownership group. We don't doubt for a second that Mr. Apostolopoulos is passionate about getting an MLS team to Detroit. I have to think everything that he has wanted to explain up to this point has been divulged by the local media outlets recently. From my experience, he has no problem reaching out to the local fans. There will be more chances for you to hear from him, just wait.
*looks at phone* I have his number *looks at recent calls* Yeah I talked to him recently What do you wanna know and I will try and answer it!? Before you start asking away, there is no bid process so technically you can not "enter a bid." If MLS sees you are interested and have money and fans they will make sure what you are telling is the truth and then discussions start. Think of it as MLS is a bank and you (city/owner) want a mortgage (*team). Bank isn't going invest unless they have proven to themselves that you can repay (support/pay for) it. Then if the timing is right and you are willing to fork over a down payment that they like it goes forward. *this is all just a general idea from discussions and I can not verify this is how it actually works
Okay, here goes: "What is it that MLS wants that would, if you gave it to them, get you an expansion franchise? You have the stadium plan, that you've said they like, you have a couple of decent attendance showings in the market, you are obviously a committed potential owner, is it now just a matter of the amount of the expansion fee?"
The Don at least is also looking for a healthy media market so they don't put a team in a black hole ... not sure where Detroit is in that regard, we have struggled in KC because of it and are only now managing to get coverage of a significant and positive level.
Detroit teams have great numbers on television, except for when the Lions don't sell out games (can't watch on TV). Sports are what keep Detroiters going year-round and are very loyal!
Detroit is a very large, healthy media market and Fox Sports Detroit pays some of the highest rights fees in the country.
Anyone know what Detroit's World Cup television ratings looked like? Might be a good barometer for general soccer interest in the area.
World Cup ratings aren't really a good barometer for MLS interest (I say that not knowing how the ratings were in The D). A lot of World Cup interest is patriotic-based. In the Olympics, everyone watches track & field, but it never has great ratings when it's not an Olympic year. In the Winter Olympics, hockey ratings are quite high but that doesn't always translate to excellent ratings during the NHL season in those cities. World Cup and Olympic ratings are all about people showing their patriotism during the month or two weeks that the U.S. team is performing.
Fixed. If it was just about the USA, World Cup ratings would probably be somewhat better at predicting interest in MLS. But foreign nationals, with their already-established club loyalties, are even less likely to become fans of MLS than the USA fans who are also Eurosnobs.
OK, what are Detroit's MLS television numbers? I remember reading that Houston used to be the highest television market w/o an MLS team and this was a big reason why AEG moved the Quakes there. You might be able to say this about Mexicans living in the US, mostly because their club teams are better than most MLS teams, but many other ethnic groups who's club teams at home are not as good as MLS teams are easier to pry away.
True, around here we have lots of Salvadorenos and Hondurenos with club teams who are not as good as most mls teams. I wonder if we got a Carlos Costly or Zelaya to play here if we would have "tapped" into their market. Not expecting for them ever to drop there home team of course. Do you guys have a large central american pop.?
SE Michigan has a Mexicantown, but its big ethnic populations are Arabs, Greeks, Polish, Belgians, and a bit further north (Frankenmuth) Germans. Across the river in Windsor, there's a sizeable Asian population.
It may be tough to get any of these to love an MLS team as much or more than, or be pacient with, as there favorite team from there own country.
This is great news... I can't believe I missed it all. I have had limited computer access for about a month. Here is my go at a photoshoped silverdome image.
Nice go at it, but I don't think the club seats (i.e. silver seats) would be left intact...most likely just the blue upper section, which probably has 25,000 seats (I'm assuming 45k for lower bowl, 10k for club, 25k for upper in the current Silverdome).