Possible Cleveland expansion team mentioned in PD

[ToffeeCrew]

The Cleveland Plain Dealer has finally brought up the possibility of a Cleveland expansion team. If you did not catch it, it was in the Brown's Town section. It was ONE whole sentence, saying that if the city gets an expansion team don't expect them to play in Cleveland Browns Stadium. Yeah, no one thought that anyways. Did anyone else catch something in the Cleveland PD(or News-Herald etc) that I missed talking about a possible expansion? I've been trying to keep an eye out in the Metro section hoping to see an article about the possible(man I'm using that word a lot) re-development of the Randall Mall, turning the land into a SSS. Again I have not seen one.

There was some speculation that Bart Wolstein a Cleveland real estate developer was going to buy/had bought the Mall and become the owner/operator, but I'm not sure that he is involved with the Mall. I was able to find an article on cleveland.com that stated that the Mall had recently been purchased by the Farbman Group of Southfield, IL. So I'm not sure what's going on.

[BennyDee19]

I heard that Wolstein bought Randall Park and was going to turn it into a SSS....and that he wanted an MLS team...If your from Ctown I know you have heard the name Ali Kazemani....I know he is planning to start a PDL team in Cleveland next season....they might play there....I dunno, we'll see....

-PB20

[BennyDee19]

How would you feel about an expansion team in Cleveland anyways??? Just a thought, just wondering, since your from Ctown....

-PB20

[FootyMundo]

you're = you are. your = a the possessive form of you.

[SankaCofie]

Originally posted by FootyMundo
you're = you are. your = a the possessive form of you.

how many of your 1200+ posts are correcting minor spelling errors?

if you keep correcting ppls spelling the terrorists win.

[dawgpound2]

I was born and raised in Cleveland, and just came out to LA about 4 years ago. I will always be a Galaxy fan, but I would root for Cleveland if they ever got a team as my second choice. However, I don;t think Cleveland will support an MLS team for the long haul.

Too much love for the Browns and Indians.

[BennyDee19]

My thoughts as well.... I remember when Sweeney brought in the Caps and they failed miserably.....I dunno we'll see....A lot of people from Cleveland bleed the Crew's black and gold however.....The Cleveland Force only draw maybe 4,000 est. per game....not a huge fan base....

-PB20

.....Mie bad aboot the splling mistaces, shuld hav gotan hukd on Phonix......

[MtMike]

bad spellers of the world, untie!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[dawgpound2]

One other thing about my beloved Cleveland. There would be a lot of the 'eurosnobs" and "I will only follow the teams if a guy from my country plays" people. Won't support the club over all.

[ToffeeCrew]

Yeah I know all about Ali Kazemani. A lot of people in Cleveland don't like him because since he's involved in a ton of different soccer programs he never will get back to you. Some people don't like him cause he an ass. That's what they say, not me. I have never personally talked to him, but I know a lot of people who have and they are mixed on their reactions. He seems like he has the best intentions in mind but he just does too much. He has indoor soccer venues, coaches a college team, coaches a traveling team, and now possibly a PDL team. That's crazy.

I would like to have a team in Cleveland but like a lot of other people I am already a Crew fan. I try to make as many games as possible, about 6 a season. It would be nice to drive 20 minutes to a game instead of 2 hours though. I too question the support for the team. I cannot see 20,000 people turning out for every game, but I don't think that Force attendance is a good measure of the fan base. A lot of outdoor fans just don't like indoor, me included. I have not been to a Force/Crunch game in a couple years. There may be a exhibition match featuring the Crew vs. somebody(I think the Wizards were mentioned) in a undisclosed location in Cleveland in March to determine the possible fan base. But that is not a sure thing because appearently they don't want it to be at Browns Stadium and there are not many really good soccer venues, without playing at a high school field(yes I know that the Burn are playing at a high school field next year). I think that they should have it a Krenzler Field at Cleveland State. It is right in the middle of downtown and it would seat about 5,000. I mean how many people do you really think are gonna show up for a Crew exhibition game??

I'm not sure that people would only go an watch if their nationality, aka german/italian, was on the team, but a couple good Croatians couldn't hurt the attendance figures. Plus no one can rely on a "traditional" soccer fans, meaning someone from Europe or of Hispanic descent to support the team solely. I think that Miami taught us that. We need to attract soccer mom and soccer dad to bring along soccer kids. I know that they don't create the best atmosphere, aka crying babies, cotton candy everywhere, but they buy tickets and spend money.

All this could be trumped by a motivated rich owner/operator, Bart Wolstein, and the promise of a SSS, maybe... Bart's thinking about it.... hopefully.

What does anyone else think?

[Mimir19]

Question: What travelling team is Kazemani affiliated with?

[FlashMan]

Originally posted by Mimir19
Question: What travelling team is Kazemani affiliated with?

for some reason, after reading this whole thread, this post made me laugh. :eek:

[Bill Archer]

Kaz works with Mentor Impact.

[superdave]

Originally posted by ToffeeCrew
I cannot see 20,000 people turning out for every game
That's an unrealistic standard anyway. Maybe with the Gals' new stadium, they'll meet that standard, but no team in MLS has yet.

[ButlerBob]

Originally posted by ToffeeCrew
Yeah I know all about Ali Kazemani. A lot of people in Cleveland don't like him because since he's involved in a ton of different soccer programs he never will get back to you. Some people don't like him cause he an ass. That's what they say, not me. I have never personally talked to him, but I know a lot of people who have and they are mixed on their reactions. He seems like he has the best intentions in mind but he just does too much. He has indoor soccer venues, coaches a college team, coaches a traveling team, and now possibly a PDL team. That's crazy.



I've met Ali a few times and he alwasy seemed pretty friendly. I first met him when I had a internship with the origianl Force and he was a player. He was a heck of alot friendlier the Kia or Craig Allen.

I don't think that the Caps are a good example to gauge intrest in pro soccer. Their first season the drew well because they were at one location. The second year they playd at 4 -5 different sites. If they could add more stands, I think that Cleveland State would be a good location for a PDL team. It's a nice pitch, centrall located and there is a parking garage just across the street.

[Dave Brull]

It appears now that Cleveland needs to beat out Minneapolis and Seattle as the two sites for future expansion, according to the smallest of blurbs in the Plain D. I think I read that MLS is naming expansion cities soon? I was suprised by that, so don't quote me.

Anyway, all expansion conjecture lies with a group, possibly led by Big Bart Wolstein, king of the convention center, and a pro stadium in Strongsville. and If Cleveland got a team, that would be my team.

Does Ali K. sleep?

Holding my breath for a Cleveland MLS team in perpetuity.

DB

[ToffeeCrew]

Again I have not personally talked to him, and if you have had good expiriences then maybe I'm wrong. And no I doubt that he would ever have any time to sleep. Can't image what his wife says. He has and is a great influence on soccer in the Cleveland area so he should get some props. So big ups to him.

I don't know if a PDL team would get much support. No "minor league" franchises ever seem to do well here, meaning: Cleveland Caps(folded, heard the owner was being screwed by USISL somehow), Lumberjacks(folded, I think... but they might have re-located), Barons(attendance worst in the league). With that said a ton of people seem very interested in the new Indians minor league team in Eastlake, so maybe there's hope.

I am really hoping that Roger Brown drops us some more late breaking news about the possible expansion team in his next Brown's Town column. I mean another single sentance about it would really continue to clear up all the rumors. Seriously, why didn't he just make those two blurbs into one short paragraph. Plus, BS posters knew all that info he gave about 3 months ago. We gotta get him a BS premium membership.

[Crew14]

Originally posted by Dave Brull
and a pro stadium in Strongsville.

Where in Strongsville would they put it?

C14

[Dave Brull]

Don't know where they'd put it. I've not yet been to Stongsville, though I will be catching some games at a bar there. Brown has been quiet since his two sentence foray into the world of soccer last week.

How bout the Cleveland Plain Dealers?

[dawgpound2]

I would love to see Cleveland Rangers