I completely agree with Jossed when it comes to how FL can get a MLS team now. Money, stadium, money. However, the lack of a owner in Tampa and the lack of a competent owner in S. FL is EXACTLY why MLS failed in Florida. Back in 2001/2002, MLS as a league were lucky to just not go completely the way of the XFL. It was only because AEG/Hunt and friends that its still alive today. And Fusion and Mutiny were not on their list of teams, hence why they were dropped. As I have said before, both FL MLS teams were just giant targets for the axe when it fell. No brainer.
Here's Fifa's probably response to this whole going beyond 22-team league:"so when the lower divisions have as many teams as the upper division then we'll talk about going beyond 22." What does 2nd div have? 9 teams? And the 3rd just lost 3 or 4 non-US teams. Fifa will allow the US to go beyond 20, but probably only with the caveat that Canada break off. And no US cannot do anything it wants w/out there being ramifications. As for the argument that FIFa will anything US wants to get that dollar, well our currency isnt as strong as it used to be and other places can now pay/bribe/cover losses to a means that satisfies that governing body.
It never fails. We have seen it in every expansion forum. Every time. We (insert city here) blame MLS for why we don't have an MLS team because they did, this, that or the other. Facts? Never relevant.
Yup, put those red and yellow bumble be unis on, keep the old name, and fly Gerd Muller over for a promo (he needs the cash if you don't know), and that would have solved it all. Got ya.
Whoever posted money, stadium, money is the winner. That's it. That's always it. Hope Orlando continues to shine.
Grats on proving you aren't worth taking seriously with a single post. Good work, that isn't easy. Even on Bigsoccer.
Hmmm. Not worth taking seriously, but worth responding to. If it didn't strike a chord why respond at all? Isn't that the true test of not taking someone seriously? The post I responded to was factually incorrect and repetitive, and my response can be proven factually correct on BS...over many threads on expansion. I'll take my facts, you proving my post was serious (thank you BTW), and thank the poster who responded to his simplicity (very well I might add). All in all, as my son would say...epic fail on your part. Nice try, but weak nonetheless. Advice....again, a lack of response proves a post isn't serious or worthwhile. Also, a post that can be proven to be true (which mine can), isn't one to be "christened" as one who can't be taken seriously, along with any future posts ever by that poster!!!! Talk about self imposed arrogance and desperation. Kind of makes it hard to take you seriously. Very typical for BS BTW. A single post so strongly attempted to be brushed aside, and all future posts of that poster should be also -! hehe - , usually show just how much that poster has hit a mark and struck a chord. Sorry. I have taken your post seriously because you clearly took mine that seriously. Thank you. Since I do take you so seriously you can get the last word in to feel better as we know you need it.
Personally I didn't think Zoidberg was worth responding to, so I'll let you two slapfight amongst yourselves til they close the thread.
This FIFA meme needs to die. FIFA will not do anything about MLS going over 20/22/24 teams. It'll just be happy to see football thriving in the States and parts of Canada. This whole league limits things comes solely from a failed attempt to get leagues capped at 18 teams to have more international matches. The clubs said sod off, the English League was especially vocal, Serie A actually expanded from 18 clubs to 20 the year after the idea was floated. Most recently Rumenigge (of Bayern Munich) has been very vocal in stating the number of international matches should be reduced given the FIFA/club teams agreement ends in 2014. The EPL is still clinging to it's 39th game idea although it's on the backburner. Needless to say MLS will reach 24 at least. I'd be prepared to bet my house on it. There will more than likely be a pause at #20 unless some knock out bids emerge around the same time as #20 enters but in the long run the league is destined to expand outward to at least 24, possibly as high as the other American leagues.
Is that why you guys have so few supporters? You hold tryouts to see who can sing in tune and not enough people make the cut?
Don't mind Quick. He's confused by the fact that The Ruckus, the Iron Lions and the Rhythm Section are each the same size as Ralph's Mob.
Orlando Rays, Let's assume OCSC is eventually moving to MLS.... What do you think it would take the OCSC ownership to move to the NASL as a stepping stone to MLS? Or do you think they will never move to the NASL?
Honestly, I don't have a clue. Steve Donner's departure was not acrimonious from my own understanding of the situation, so that probably would have no sway in it. I think I'll have to find and talk with Phil Rawlins about it. He wasn't hard to track down during the season (he was at all our home games, and several of our away watch parties), but the offseason is an unknown quantity at the moment. Perhaps the NASL brass needs to try to find him as well if they really want Orlando City.
This recent quote from NASL commish Downs might be interesting to Orlando. He was talking about being happy that Montreal is going to MLS. But the exit fee idea is something I never heard before from the NASL. It was brought up by the USL a couple of years ago. Francisco Marcos, who hated losing teams to MLS and foolishly at the time still wanted the USL-1 to compete with MLS, also brought up having an exit fee for USL teams if they left for MLS. It was not well received and the talk ended when the USL-1 collapsed. So I am surprised Downs would bring it up. An exit fee seems counter productive to Down's own goal of producing teams for MLS. NASL Down's pro MLS views are quite different than USL's Marcos and Tim Holt who seemed somewhat hostile to teams leaving the USL and kept a silly fantasy of competing with MLS one day. Now if you were Orlando, and your only goal is MLS, would you want to join a league that doesn't really offer you anything and wants to charge you a fee to leave? You are already are having to pay MLS to join. Again, that is if NASL ever has an exit fee. I don't see it happening.
That is why I can't stand that SOAB, he only talks about expansion and exit fees Clearly he has NO love for soccer, only for money And by the way, isn't the USL fail rate like 75% ?
You can't collect a fee on a team that's not under contract. That's how you circumvent that. Year to year, the fail rate is not that high.
no, I am not saying year to year take a look at the 1999 season, lots of D2 and D3 teams, how many of these teams are still alive ?
The D2 A-League in 1999 not counting MLS Pro 40. Atlanta Silverbacks - NASL (D2) Cincinnati Riverhawks - Dead Boston Bulldogs - Dead El Paso Patriots - PDL (D4) Charleston Battery - USL-Pro (D3) Indiana Blast - Dead Connecticut Wolves - Dead Milwaukee Rampage - Dead Hampton Roads Mariners - Dead Minnesota Thunder - Dead Hershey Wildcats - Dead New Orleans Storm - Dead Jacksonville Cyclones - Dead Orange County Zodiac(Blue Star) - PDL (D4) Long Island Rough Riders - Dead Sacramento Geckos - Dead Lehigh Valley Stream - Dead San Diego Flash - NPSL (D4) Maryland Mania - Dead San Francisco Bay Seals - Dead Pittsburgh Riverhounds - USL-Pro (D3) Seattle Sounders - MLS Raleigh Capital Express - Dead Tennessee Rhythm(Metros) - PDL (D4) Richmond Kickers - USL-Pro (D3) Vancouver 86ers(Whitecaps) - MLS Rochester Rhinos - USL-Pro (D3) Staten Island Vipers - Dead Toronto Lynx - PDL (D4) Of the 29 teams, 17 are dead. 5 are amateur teams. 4 are in D3. 1 is in D2. And 2 are in MLS.
Which one? The Downs quote? http://goal.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/10/01/q-and-a-n-a-s-l-commissioner-david-downs/ The Marcos quote? From Nov 2008 http://www.potomacsoccerwire.com/news/458/4562
Of course Downs, why would we give a crap what Marcos said years ago? It was bonk then and bonk now. Now as to the Downs comment, its weird, its like he just said it at the end for some effect. Huh? Why even say it after you just said your proud? Bizzaro.