Garber's comments

[Benedict XVI]

"This weekend, we have a contingent of interested investors joining us from Tulsa, Oklahoma and Cleveland, Ohio. In the past months, we have visited several new potential new MLS markets, including Toronto, Detroit, and San Antonio. We will not be expanding the League in 2003. We are hopeful to expand in 2004, though we have no specific dates in place. "

[WarrenWallace]

This is the first that I have heard of Cleveland and Detroit. And Toronto? I don't think that FIFA will let this idea fly.

[Benedict XVI]

I don't think he'd mention it if they hadn't already approached FIFA about the possibility.

[BhoysFC1995]

and from .........
---------------------------
There is an interview today at www.sportsbusinessdaily.com of Don Garber, it is a pay site but you can get a trial membership, some excerpts:

on expansion:
"We need to be bigger than a ten-team league. Expansion is not going to happen next year; we are looking at it for 2004."
--------------------------

[Benedict XVI]

this quote is from mlsnet, by the way.

http://www.mlsnet.com/special/as02/as0802sotl.html

[Paul Nasta]

Yeah, I wouldn't discount the possibility of FIFA approving MLS expansion into Canada. I think the chances of there ever being a truly 1st division pro league in Canada are slim; the best hope for Canada is probably MLS.

It would be great to have Toronto in the league; I wonder who the potential investors from Tulsa and Cleveland are.

[Chris_Bailey]

Cleveland surely has money, and would make a great rivalry with Columbus. Cleveland also has plenty of room within its city limits to build a fairly large stadium.


Detroit's been discussed before, this is nothing new.

[FootyMundo]

Originally posted by Mike Segroves


So far, no investor has surfaced in Tulsa.

Just OKC/Edmond.

I guess this means that the Commissioner is either wrong or lying about the location of the interested investor.

[CanuckFan]

Rumours afloat that the parties interested in an MLS franchise from Toronto would be looking to revive the Toronto Blizzard.
Slight problem with their interest is that there is NO stadium in Toronto remotely close to supporting an MLS squad (they tore down the only large facility - historic Varsity Stadium this summer).

[feuerfex]

Originally posted by CanuckFan
Slight problem with their interest is that there is NO stadium in Toronto remotely close to supporting an MLS squad (they tore down the only large facility - historic Varsity Stadium this summer). Bummer. Are there plans to replace it? What happened to the Lynx? (Sorry, I obviously missed a bunch.)

[Testudo]

No to Toronto. Let Canada build its own first division. Terrible idea. Kick Toronto, Vancouver, and Montreal out of the A League, too. What does the "A" stand for, anyway? Those fried ham eating puckheads can start their own Eh League.

[dmets]

IIRC - Canada already has a 1st division declared with FIFA: the A-League. If Toronto wanted to join MLS it is my understanding that it would be just fine - MLS could simply be the Div 2 of Canada. Or they could swap A-League and MLS as Div 1. This isn't impossible.

Dustin

[Paul Schmidt]

Hmmm, Toronto...

Wasn't the owner of the CFL Argonauts trying to find an alternative to SkyDome? Wasn't he looking at something similar to Montreal's home Molson Stadium? Wasn't there actually something available?

Of course, said owner is supposedly a real tool, but I can't verify that opinion.

I suspect that the CFL venture probably has a potential tie to MLS, provided this option even exists.

[benine]

Originally posted by Mike Segroves


So far, no investor has surfaced in Tulsa.

Just OKC/Edmond.


Mike:
I left this concept alone for awhile and upon revisiting it, I think I know with near 100% certainty who the I/O is for Tulsa: Warren (The Warren Clinic, St Francis HSP, etc...) and Mike Case are probably putting it together with the political backing of LaFortune AND Boren/Boren's pals (e.g. Don McCorkel). Pure speculation, but from knowing the way these people think, its a very good possibility that this is the braintrust behind the push.

And not to reopen this pissing match, but could it be that Lund has been told by MLS that OKC is not an option for the league so he's switched focus? It has been an very silent week in both cities, you never know...

[NACIONAL]

i think that garber words are a little vague... well everyone here says that the expansion is Possible for 2004 (not even garber said that it was a sure year for expansion...), and the posibiltyies for investors are in every citie in USA... but i don't think that Real good nice soccer-loving investors are there just wasting their money... well i'll just wait until something really good happens...

[JaxxNate25]

I agree....No to Toronto or any other Canadian team for that matter.

[Benedict XVI]

Canadian teams make the league bigger and stronger without needed to weaken the American talent pool. How to expand without hurting the level of play? Add a couple of Canadian teams.

I always put the kibosh on talk of Canada because I know the FIFA rules and whatnot, but if the commish is talking Canada, Canada must be a possibility. I don't doubt FIFA's making an exception - especially since there is precedent for the canon lawyers to justify the move.

Although I think that, at the most, there are only 3 cities (Vancouver, Toronto, Montreal) that could have an MLS team.

I think it might be better for Canada to develop their own league, but it might be better for us to have a few Canadian MLS teams. Of course, having a few teams in MLS and a few in the A-League is better for Canadian soccer than having no teams at all.