THe plan is to have PaeTec Park "MLS-ready" by opening day 2007

Forget about getting the Wizards, that outside group was from Philadelphia. Rowan's deal is almost complete and it is highly likely Philadelphia will be the destination of the Wizards for next season.

What ever happened to Rochester being in talks with Real Salt Lake?

Fixed

The only talking going on was Salt Lake's mayor.

There was never any real interest from Rochester in buying RSL.

This is the best post I've read on this thread, guys. The time is now and, if DuRoss doesn't make a serious bid or partner with another individual or group who will make it possible for Rochester to make a serious bid, Rochester's opportunity to play in the American first division will be lost -- perhaps forever.

Irrespective of the morality or the business sense of it, the Wizards seem almost certain to be headed to Philadelphia for next season. But, MLS still could use another team to avoid having to schedule an uneven season next year with Toronto coming on board. And, this ship just ain't coming around again.

MLS seems to have a pretty firm understanding with Lew Wolff, which means that the Bay Area will be getting a team in the next round of expansion if Wolff wants in. Beyond the return of the Earthquakes, there are a half-dozen or cities that are making noise about coming into the league and you have to include Kansas City in the mix if the Wizards are moved at the end of the season. And, I really think that MLS will make a strategic regional move with round of expansion leading to sixteen teams by looking seriously at putting at least one expansion team in the South or the Pacific Northwest.

After MLS reaches sixteen teams, who knows what's going to happen next? It seems that Garber is intent on shutting down expansion for a while after it gets to sixteen teams -- which means that the price of buying an expansion team is going to skyrocket as the league becomes financially viable.

I think it would be very cool to have a small city "Green Bay Packers" or "Blackburn Rovers" type of team in MLS. But, if Rochester doesn't get into the league next year, it may not happen. Maybe ever. The window of opportunity is beginning to close even as I write this. I'd be starting to panic if I was a Rochester footyball fan.

The ball is on your side of center circle Rochester. Now is the time. Miss it at your peril.

You were not mentioned by Don Garber despite a stadium. That can't be good.

There's still a chance. Garber said 13 teams as of right now. Honestly, the only place that could have an expansion team for 2007 up and running that quickly would be Rochester. All the other places would have to find places to play and clear dates in those excessively large stadia. All Rochester has to do is put some bleachers in the empty section of PaeTec.

This would not be an excessively large stadium and would be the first (temporary) home of the Philadelphia club should they start early:


http://local.live.com/default.aspx?v=2&cp=qnrg8c8r0rvr&style=o&lvl=1&scene=1923672
take the grid iron lines off the field and you have a euro or south american type atheletics stadium.
Built: 1895
Capacity: 52,593

http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&hl=en&q=S 33rd St And Spruce street, Philadelphia, PA
Philly has the stadium financing ready, we have an investor, all we need is a club.

http://www.dailypennsylvanian.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2006/06/08/44879c2c14a3c
http://www.philly.com/mld/dailynews/sports/15169066.htm
http://www.philly.com/mld/dailynews/sports/14749871.htm
"Philly soccer fans were no doubt buoyed by a report in the Kansas City Star this weekend that MLS commissioner Don Garber hinted at a franchise switch to Philadelphia. Two members of the Kansas City Wizards said Garber told the team that it might move here after this season."

Salvador, Brazil

A stadium holding roughly 53k would be the definition of excessively large for a team that's likely to draw 15-22k. It's the exact same situation as Salt Lake, which has been deemed unacceptable by the league. If the Rowan Project (or something similar) is in the bag, then it would work for a little while, but if there's any doubt, it would be better to hold off and wait until construction starts.

Rochester is not as interested in MLS as you think. Frank DuRoss has made it very clear that if the economics are not right, then Rochester is going to take a pass on trying to get in MLS. He's not a billionaire, and he's not in it to lose money. It doesn't appear that that DuRoss/Economidies is all that interested in adding on new partners, either.

Sunil Gulati was at the US Open Cup game on Wedneday and he didn't sound like someone who was overly pro-Rochester to MLS due to the size of the Rochester media market and where he sees MLS heading.

Ivan Gazidis threw out that Rochester is a natural whenever an existing franchise has issues getting a stadium built, but that sounded like pretty much like MLS just wanting to appear to keep the option open to try and scare cities like Salt Lake and KC into paying for SSSs "or else..........."

If they have no intention of joining MLS then they lied to people about why they were building PAETEC park.

Because they made it pretty clear that it was to bring an MLS team to town. If that isn't true, then maybe they should give the money back.

If lying about getting a MLS team could force people to give money back, the Rochester people would have to stand in a pretty long line. I count Seattle, Philadelphia, and lately San Francisco and there's probably a few more. I doubt that there 's been a stadium built in North America in the last 10 years where MLS hasn't been mentioned.

It's the biggest lie since "I'm gonna divorce my wife and marry you, honey."

Think you are overstating things somewhat. It's quite possible that they did not anticipate the increase in expansion fee that has taken place. I suspect the unstated belief of many in USL-D1 circles has been that MLS would have to downscale a bit eventually and that would enable a merger. A lot has happened in the past three years since Kroenke Sports became the fourth ownership group in a 10 team league:-

http://www.intermark.com/rapids/rp030923.asp

that would have seemed very optimistic if predicted when the plans were being drawn up for Paetec Park in late 2002 when agreement was reached between the Rhinos, the city of Rochester and New York State:-

http://www.rhinopit.com/ptp/rowe.shtml

So I take it most people understand his posturing about the MLS as just an attempt to gain leverage?

He is quoted as recently as earlier this year as stating that PAETEC Park is part of his larger MLS bid.

While I understand RRR is a very successful USL side, I suppose I am having trouble understanding how serious they are about entering the MLS.

No one around here seems to think to much of it anyone. But yet they keep saying, Oh ya, thats what we are going for.

(btw, I didn't realize it took that long to build the stadium, didn't come across that when i was googling about it suprisingly)

The truely funny thing is that this info has been out there forever, but people still can't help themselves with the speculation.

Unless MLS is profitable come opening day 2007 there is no way in hell this is happening.

May never happen if other big cities and owners step up, and that isn't neccessarily a bad thing.

A lot of this thread reminds me of the lead up to the cup. The writing was on the wall everywhere, but people just refused to actually believe or pay attention to basic facts. Then reality hit.

RRR to MLS ain't happening unless someone else comes in and buys DuRoss out. He makes cash and has his stadium. The price owuld be steep.

Little chance.

Yeah, it's frustrating. It's very clear what Frank's position is, but some people are intent on turning Frank into some kine of pariah on this.


It's frustrating how hard some people just do not want to get this: of course you would want to move your team up if you have a new stadium, duh. But Frank, and Chris have been clear that once the stadium is complete, the economics of making a play for MLS would then be assessed.

I do think I know why people still choose not to listen to them, though.
It goes something like this;

It's not that there are people who do not want Rochester in MLS, it's that they do not want Rochester being the ones to say "no", they want MLS to be the ones saying "no" to Rochester. It just roils some people to no end that Rochester just might be the ones turning down the chance for MLS.

It's all true what you say, The chance for Rochester may be slipping away, but what Frank is saying is that it may already have. I think most of the people in Rochester understand this now.

DuRoss has no interest in MLS. The promise was just a way to get the stadium built and have local and state support for it. He is happy where he is because he is making money. Just look at the new franchise he is starting in Cary N.C. Another USL A-League team.

DuRoss has interest in MLS IF he can make more money there than in the USL.

Now will that day ever come.....................

Here's something else that many people might not know: despite numerous promises and the two houses of the state legislature signing up, the Rhinos still haven't seen a penny of Phase II funding yet.

Seriously, if you lie to a politician, is it really lying?

Eventually yes, but at that point there won't be room for Rochester in MLS.

i would like to see some Phase II designs or renderings. I mean, if someone is going to approve funding for something, I bet there are plans out there. Dont you think?

I would like to see Rochester in MLS , it would kinda be like Westbromwich Albion in the EPL.

I'm not so sure about that.

The locations for some of these stadiums are hardly ideal... St.L looking at the Illinois side of the border... Philly way out at Rowan U... Houston? partnering with a high school for a stadium, most likely... etc, etc...

After all, one of the nicest "soccer specific" stadiums was the refurbished Lockhart in Ft Lauderdale... and it sure didn't spell success for the Fusion...

I think we're going to see that even IF (and that's a big IF) MLS teams are ALL playing in their own stadiums, there will still be teams struggling at the gate with organizations inferior to what the Rhinos have right now.

Rowan is not far from Philadelphia. Only psychologically. There will be a PATCO mass transit line there eventually.