Orlando City an MLS Favorite

again. this is just stupidly delusional. if, if, if, if ... if bangor maine were bigger and in a few years and with an investor might be as worthy of an MLS team as Jax.

i am sure you and 20 of your friends like soccer and go to Jax United games ... unfortunately this city can barely get 60,000 fans to see the NFL team ... and this part of the state LOVES football ... an MLS team in 2-5 years would need to draw 15-20K to be even moderately successful ... i can guarantee that soccer is not 1/3rd or 1/4th as loved/supported/popular as football here ... so your assertion is absurd on its face

that isn't even taking into consideration that there are at least 20 other markets more deserving of an MLS team (Atlanta, Miami, Orlando, NYC2, San Diego, Las Vegas, Minneapolis, Detroit, Phoenix, San Antonio, Baltimore, St Louis, Tampa, San Francisco, Inland Empire (CA), Edmonton, Raleigh/Durham, Charlotte, Birmingham, Oklahoma City, Rochester) ... most of which aren't really viable options per se but still better options and higher on the potential expansion market list than Jacksonville.

the best fit for Jax would be a PDL team (4th) or maybe eventually a USLPro team ... but that team would still draw only 1-2K at best.

 

Great idea! Let's call the team the Bangor Kings

 

How about the Bangor Real Good

Btw, Jax Tea men averaged 9,507 and 7,160 in '81 and '82 respectively. Granted, the heyday of Soccer in this country was the late 70's, early 80's, but also keep in mind the population is significantly higher in the area now. I stand in the middle of this debate, somewhere in between the extremes taken by you two that either "Jax would be an great MLS market in a couple of years" or "The idea of of Jacksonville, FL having an MLS team makes me laugh so hard that I peed myself. Moscow, Idaho would be a better MLS Market!!!"

 

http://www.socceramerica.com/article/45742/mls-commish-to-hear-orlando-pitch.html

 

Wind? what wind? There isn't any wind in our sails.

ffs.

And ******** Don Garber. MLS ********ed Tampa Bay, they know it and it doesn't even matter any more.

You don't see Ralph's Mob crying for MLS like Orlando or Miami supporters do. We just think it absolutely ridiculous that Orlando be handed something like this on a silver platter, that's all. More power to them if they get it and we hope that in the meantime they don't take what they already have for granted, because until ownership writes a check, a very very very large check, there is no MLS in Orlando.

You might have to be satisfied with a lower division team. The horror! Or worse, your owner might decide Orlando isn't for him after all and pull up the stakes just like he did in Austin.

 

The "wind" I was referring to was the few posters that insist Tampa will have an MLS team before Orlando, despite all of the facts to the contrary. I don't have a dog in this fight myself since I am nowhere near either market. Personally, I think having all three major Florida markets would be great for the league.
At the same time, I say embrace your lower division. I only have PDL (though rumors of change are swirling again). If we ever had a chance at MLS, it was back when the league was struggling. That ship has sailed and will never return for us. Like Rochester.

 

That's a pretty useless post unless you're just looking for people to bash you. Orlando is one possibility at this point. But it doesn't have much more going for it than any other southern market that already has a pro team on some level.

 

Maybe they skip the South

http://www.mlssoccer.com/blog/post/...nd-orlando-could-minnesota-be-first-expansion

 

Could be cool to see a team in Minnesota, but I don't see how MLS would go for something like this. They got lucky with Seattle playing in an NFL size stadium, but the trend towards SSS needs to remain a focus.

 

Um, what? It has a LOT more going for it. The fact it actually has a soccer pyramid system set up, that is has a good fan base and that it is in talks with MLS makes it light years ahead of any other souther market.

 

Wilf was pursuing the suburban stadium, but the City of Minneapolis is pushing forward with other plans for a downtown stadium by the current Metrodome. Refer to my reply to you in the Minneapolis thread: https://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showthread.php?p=25235681#post25235681

 

Personally, I think that Orlando is the logical choice for #20. I've been saying that for a while now. I don't see Minnesota jumping Orlando or even Vegas at this point. I never said otherwise. So back off.
I was just pointing out that the latest Minnesota stadium news is about downtown. Personally, I think the suburban stadium makes a lot more sense for the Vikings for a variety of reasons. I cannot say how well it would work for MLS any more than you can because every market is different. The Twin Cities are especially different because they are literally two cities side by side with their own suburbs and interests.
The Revolution's failures may or may not be due to their stadium location. Kraft's crappy ownership and lack of interest in doing anything to build the team doesn't help. Stadium location probably plays a bigger role in FC Dallas' struggles. The Union are in a fairly suburban locale and it does not seem to be hurting them. Same with the Fire and RSL.

 

You know most of the people currently on the MLS Board of Governors weren't around in January 2002 when that decision was made, right?

 

So as I said, it doesn't matter any more. And if they can't read the minutes from past meetings then oh well.

Anyway, was just an angry outburst. I'm trying to be more rational these days. But every now and then I just have the urge to vomit something out here on BS

 

Probably the most important point of all is that there likely is enough room for both cities if they managed to get everything in place.

There likely is an upper limit for expansion in the near future, but that limit almost certainly is not 20.

 

Rawlins was on the MLS Extra Time Radio podcast if any of you want to check it out


http://www.mlssoccer.com/extratime

 

http://goal.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/...-the-commissioner-its-m-l-s-ready/?ref=sports

 

Orlando City put MLS ambitions
on show for Commissioner


ORLANDO, Fla. – USL club Orlando City SC is officially on the map. The MLS expansion map. “Orlando had never been on our list in the past,” MLS Commissioner Don Garber affirmed on Thursday afternoon in his first public visit to the Florida city to discuss potential expansion. "It’s on our list now."

Following a morning of introductory meetings with the city and county mayors, Garber attended a lunchtime Q&A session with fans featuring more than 200 supporters who crowded Orlando City SC’s official pub, the Mojo Bar and Grill downtown.

http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/article/2012/03/01/orlando-city-put-mls-ambitions-show-commissioner