Cleveland awarded 2008 Expansion team?

[Old Man!]

http://www.sanjoseca.gov/clerk/Agenda/02_07_06docs/020706_09.01.pdf

According to this agenda released today regarding the future return of the Quakes to SJ, apparently Garber told San Jose City Council members that Cleveland had been awarded an expansion team for 2008.

"The Cleveland metropolitan area has been awarded an expansion team for 2008"


All this being said, however, how much stock can you put in a document that calls THE mls commisioner "Scott" Garber.

[Sempuukyaku]

Wow, that's not surprising yet it is at the same time. I didn't expect us to know about this so soon.


So we have Toronto for 2007, and then Cleveland for 2008? Cool beans.

[BenfromUSA]

mistake by the lake.

[Sempuukyaku]

Whoa! Just saw this in that report too:

"According to Commissioner Garber, the league will expand by two additional teams in 2007 and two more teams in 2008."


Hahaha! I LOVE the expansion sweepstakes :D


It said in there that San Diego and Philadelphia are two cities being looked at for consideration, but that report also says that MLS wants to have an expansion franchise in San Jose for 2007. Also, we can't forget Milwaukee either.


Speculation rules!

[BenfromUSA]

Whoa! Just saw this in that report too:

"According to Commissioner Garber, the league will expand by two additional teams in 2007 and two more teams in 2008."


Hahaha! I LOVE the expansion sweepstakes :D


It said in there that San Diego and Philadelphia are two cities being looked at for consideration, but that report also says that MLS wants to have an expansion franchise in San Jose for 2007. Also, we can't forget Milwaukee either.


Speculation rules!

Portland, Seattle, and Minnesota.

[Sempuukyaku]

Portland, Seattle, and Minnesota.


Huh? :confused:

[BenfromUSA]

Huh? :confused:


a team should be in the northwest, either seattle or portland. and Im a minnesota homer....

[Bill Archer]

Cleveland will have a team for two years before BigSoccer admits it's there.

There is a controversy about the timing right now, which is what is delaying the announcement.

MLS feels very strongly that they want Cleveland for 2007. Garofolo, heading up the ownership group, wants to come in in 2008.

There is really a lack of a suitable temporary home for se in 2007 while the stadium is being built. The propective ownership is adamant about not starting off on the wrong foot playing in Browns Stadium, Cleveland State's Krenzler field only seats 3000 and the Rubber Bowl, besides being badly located for access from Cleveland, has a gaudily painted artificial turf football field that would be atrocious.

In short, there's just no place to play.

These would be good topics to discuss in the Cleveland forum.

[Sundevil9]

Cleveland will have a team for two years before BigSoccer admits it's there.

There is a controversy about the timing right now, which is what is delaying the announcement.

MLS feels very strongly that they want Cleveland for 2007. Garofolo, heading up the ownership group, wants to come in in 2008.

There is really a lack of a suitable temporary home for se in 2007 while the stadium is being built. The propective ownership is adamant about not starting off on the wrong foot playing in Browns Stadium, Cleveland State's Krenzler field only seats 3000 and the Rubber Bowl, besides being badly located for access from Cleveland, has a gaudily painted artificial turf football field that would be atrocious.

In short, there's just no place to play.

These would be good topics to discuss in the Cleveland forum.

With Toronto becoming active in 2007, you would think that the league would want a second team to come in with them. It would make scheduling easier, and we don't need a team being idle every week.

But if there's no place to play, then there's no place to play.

But if you look to pair up a city with each of these, then we may be going into expansion just for the sake of going into expansion. And that's also not the right model that the league should be following.

[TMDSoccer]

I agree- tough to have a 13 team league. Anyone know what Cleveland paid for its buy-in fee?

[WarrenWallace]

These would be good topics to discuss in the Cleveland forum.

Bill, start a thread in the Suggestion forum about a Cleveland forum. Link this article. Then I will back it up.

[jokeefe80]

I agree- tough to have a 13 team league. Anyone know what Cleveland paid for its buy-in fee?

it would give garber a good excuse to switch to a single table format. that way he can somewhat avoid the public backlash.

[Sirk]

Cleveland will have a team for two years before BigSoccer admits it's there.

There is a controversy about the timing right now, which is what is delaying the announcement.

MLS feels very strongly that they want Cleveland for 2007. Garofolo, heading up the ownership group, wants to come in in 2008.

There is really a lack of a suitable temporary home for se in 2007 while the stadium is being built. The propective ownership is adamant about not starting off on the wrong foot playing in Browns Stadium, Cleveland State's Krenzler field only seats 3000 and the Rubber Bowl, besides being badly located for access from Cleveland, has a gaudily painted artificial turf football field that would be atrocious.

In short, there's just no place to play.

These would be good topics to discuss in the Cleveland forum.


If it's just a year at CBS, I can see MLS winning this battle. (With some financial concessions of course.) I'd imagine Cleveland is holding out as long as possible to see if a surprise viable candidate can swoop in for 2007, clearing the way for Cleveland in 2008. But if push comes to shove, I imagine MLS will force their hand.

I would agree that debuting with the stadium would be ideal, and that playing CBS could be a disaster in terms of atmosphere, first impressions, distance from the proposed stadium, distance from Akron, etc. So I think the Cleveland guys are doing the right thing if they are holding out...but if i comes down to MLS needing that 14th team and forcing their hand, then I imagine a year at Browns Stadium is in the offing.

Size/atmosphere aside, I know Bart was opposed to playing in CBS because, well, he didn't get the expansion Browns, since the whole thing seemed rigged toward Lerner. The thought of Lerner being his landlord was surely not appealing...not to mention there's no sense opening shop in someone else's stadium when you're using a team as leverage to get a stadium of your own built. Who knows if Scott W. or Garofolo hold these same opinions, but I think it's common sense to debut with the soccer stadium if at all possible.

But if the league forces it, and if the Summit stadium is already secured, I can imagine a year at CBS with the league granting some financial concessions to make it happen. (i.e. Have the league pay the rent, or some portion of the rent, etc.)

Sirk

[Joe Stoker]

You good people seen a word of this in either the PD or Leakin' Urinal? strange how this gets mention on the other side of the divide w/o a word here, especially with reporters like Bob Roberts and columnist Brown usually on top of thse things. Could it be that Garafolo/Wolstein Jr. just signed a new letter-of-intent? I did read where the original one expired.

If it's true re: actual franchise, OM!, it will be a surprise here. But, we've been here before with Bert, haven't we? That's what tempers my immediate enthusiasm.

Bill, don't forget Byers Field (12K) in Parma. Don't tell 'em NASL played there once. Just the mere mention of the grand old league seems to nauseate MLS these days. CB Stadium, despite its capacity, is much cozier than the old horseshoe. The Celtic visit proved that around 20K could work comfortably if confined to the first level.

Anything, anyplace other than the Rubble Bowl! Yecch!!! Nowheres wide enough for real soccer. Only the Burger King sports a bigger crown. Krenzler's landlocked, but lining Lee Jackson (U Akron) with temp bleachers could give Cleveland MLS about 7K, probably as much as they'd need (or draw) for starters. That or Strongsville HS couldn't be any worse than Dragon.

Evidently, Garafolo & Co. indeed have the wheels turning. Just wonder if he'll lose interest in MLS if his rumored interest in the NHL Penguins comes to something?

[AndyMead]

Cleveland will have a team for two years before BigSoccer admits it's there.

There is a controversy about the timing right now, which is what is delaying the announcement.

MLS feels very strongly that they want Cleveland for 2007. Garofolo, heading up the ownership group, wants to come in in 2008.

There is really a lack of a suitable temporary home for se in 2007 while the stadium is being built. The propective ownership is adamant about not starting off on the wrong foot playing in Browns Stadium, Cleveland State's Krenzler field only seats 3000 and the Rubber Bowl, besides being badly located for access from Cleveland, has a gaudily painted artificial turf football field that would be atrocious.

In short, there's just no place to play.

These would be good topics to discuss in the Cleveland forum.

Well, the Panther's played for one or two years in Clemson, Nashville played for a year or so in Memphis, and the Carolina Hurricanes spent two years in Greensboro - all while their own stadiums were being built.

Could a Cleveland expansion team groundshare for a season in Columbus?

[AndyMead]

it would give garber a good excuse to switch to a single table format. that way he can somewhat avoid the public backlash.

:rolleyes:

MLS will have a single table - when there are 16 and 18 teams in the league.

Then it will go back to divisions once it expands past that.

"single table" is meaningless.

[irishapple21]

Well, the Panther's played for one or two years in Clemson, Nashville played for a year or so in Memphis, and the Carolina Hurricanes spent two years in Greensboro - all while their own stadiums were being built.

Could a Cleveland expansion team groundshare for a season in Columbus?

Cleveland and Columbus are nowhere near each other. That's like saying the Buffalo Bills could play a season in East Rutherford.

[Sirk]

Well, the Panther's played for one or two years in Clemson, Nashville played for a year or so in Memphis, and the Carolina Hurricanes spent two years in Greensboro - all while their own stadiums were being built.

Could a Cleveland expansion team groundshare for a season in Columbus?

I was about to suggest that as a joke, but now it has become a serious inquiry.

Could the Browns have played in Columbus for three years instead of moving to Baltimore? Absolutely.

Can a Cleveland expansion soccer team survive a year debuting in Columbus? No way.

There are a few Clevelanders that are willing to get attached to a soccer team 2.5 hours away, and they are called Crew fans. I can't see anybody who isn't doing it already getting excited about driving 2.5 hours to watch soccer in "Cowlumbus." It just wouldn't happen.

The Panthers and Oiltans comparisons aren't realy valid, as that is the NFL. And the Oiltans didn't do so hot in Memphis anyway. And the Canes were a wreck in Greensboro. And on top of that, Clemson, Mempis and Greensboro didn't already have a team of their own.

And Columbus isn't big enough to prop up a second team while Clevelanders stay away in droves.

So all in all, it would be a catastrophe.

Sirk

[AndyMead]

Cleveland and Columbus are nowhere near each other. That's like saying the Buffalo Bills could play a season in East Rutherford.

According to Google Maps

Charlotte NC to Clemson SC -> 137 miles
Cleveland OH to Columbus OH - > 142 miles

[AndyMead]

I was about to suggest that as a joke, but now it has become a serious inquiry.

Could the Browns have played in Columbus for three years instead of moving to Baltimore? Absolutely.

The Panthers and Oiltans comparisons aren't realy valid, as that is the NFL. And the Oiltans didn't do so hot in Memphis anyway. And the Canes were a wreck in Greensboro. And on top of that, Clemson, Mempis and Greensboro didn't already have a team of their own.

And Columbus isn't big enough to prop up a second team while Clevelanders stay away in droves.

So all in all, it would be a catastrophe.

Sirk

Fair enough. Good analysis. And yes, the Canes in Greensboro were a disaster. They displaced a beloved minor league team that cost about 20% to see, and they were leaving for a different city in two years.

But yeah. 8 NFL games per season vs 16 MLS games is a huge difference.