Commissioner Call -April 2 2007 - expansion

[Sport Billy]

Garber mentioned these cities: (including but not limited to)
Atlanta, Cleveland, Miami, Milwaukee, Philadelphia, San Diego, San Jose, St. Louis, and receint very active discussions in the Pacific NW.

-??? No mention of Phoenix ???

He said they hope to announce the 14th team "hopefully within the next 6 months or so." - so I would say Christmas/New Years.

16 teams by 2010.

[sirfallsalot_2000]

Lets see....I will comment on the following(Correct me if I am wrong, which I probably am):

Atlanta: Good market, SSS for USL, but Atlanta has a terrible history of supporting sports teams (Braves in the playoffs)
Cleveland: SSS deal hit a roadblock, I've heard no word since.
Miami: What makes anyone think south Florida will do better this time? They support football and basketball but not much else, other markets deserve a chance.
San Diego: Doesn't LA have 2 teams? I hadn't heard SD in any talks, they must have something way under the radar.
Milwakee: The interest is there, and ownership group is there, but from what I can tell there hasn't been any movement on a stadium.
Pacific NW Succesful USL teams, and an untapped market. I believe they will get a team in the next wave of expansion.

This leaves me with the 3 favorites:
St. Louis: Ownership group, stadium site(s), just waiting on the consultation group to say if this will fly. I like our chances.
Philly: Well, they have a stadium site and an ownership group. from what I can tell they are just deciding on which site to use. They have, however, had a stadium announcement, albeit like 2 years ago. I like their chances.
San Jose: This looks like the 2008 team. They almost have their stadium, and have a facility for 2008. Why they get a second chance I don't know. But this looks like a slam dunk.

I once had hopes of a STL team for 2009, but if they aren't announceing the 2008 team for 6 months, it is realistic to have to wait until 2010.

[Sport Billy]

By the way - each reporter got to ask 1 question + 1 followup. Now I have to say Timmerman usually does a good job reporting on soccer.
But in this case, he dropped the ball.
He asked if St. Louis was the "front runner." No way in hell MLS is answering that question - they gave a canned answer of "Well, there is no front runner, blah blah blah."

He follows up with a question on if the next expansion will be for 2008 or 2009. - They had already said that they were still looking for a possible 2008 expansion.

Like I said - Tom does a great job - everyone is entitled to an off day.

I just thought you might like to know his questions.

sirfallsalot - nice breakdown.

[ChiCleveSoccer]

Lets see....I will comment on the following(Correct me if I am wrong, which I probably am):

Atlanta: Good market, SSS for USL, but Atlanta has a terrible history of supporting sports teams (Braves in the playoffs)
Cleveland: SSS deal hit a roadblock, I've heard no word since.
Miami: What makes anyone think south Florida will do better this time? They support football and basketball but not much else, other markets deserve a chance.
San Diego: Doesn't LA have 2 teams? I hadn't heard SD in any talks, they must have something way under the radar.
Milwakee: The interest is there, and ownership group is there, but from what I can tell there hasn't been any movement on a stadium.
Pacific NW Succesful USL teams, and an untapped market. I believe they will get a team in the next wave of expansion.

This leaves me with the 3 favorites:
St. Louis: Ownership group, stadium site(s), just waiting on the consultation group to say if this will fly. I like our chances.
Philly: Well, they have a stadium site and an ownership group. from what I can tell they are just deciding on which site to use. They have, however, had a stadium announcement, albeit like 2 years ago. I like their chances.
San Jose: This looks like the 2008 team. They almost have their stadium, and have a facility for 2008. Why they get a second chance I don't know. But this looks like a slam dunk.

I once had hopes of a STL team for 2009, but if they aren't announceing the 2008 team for 6 months, it is realistic to have to wait until 2010.


This is a great breakdown of each market's chances of landing an expansion team. Sadly, I think Cleveland is slowly fading from this list, as it has not even been mentioned in the local media since January.

[sirfallsalot_2000]

Sadly, I think Cleveland is slowly fading from this list, as it has not even been mentioned in the local media since January.

In today's news, Cleveland investors say they are still looking at a stadium plan, and that Don Garber still has them on his radar. This is good news for Cleveland, although I still think Philly and STL are ahead of them.

Also, although Phoenix wasn't mentioned, I think they will be in the league by the time we have 18 teams, whenever that is.

[Sport Billy]

Prior to the DC v. Rapids game the announcer said we hope to here something from the Bay Area in the next few months. :(

[sirfallsalot_2000]

just saw an interview with Don Garber, he said Bay Area ASAP, Philly and then rattled off like 6 cities: Pacific NW, San Diego, Atlanta, NY, blah blah blah.......

No St. Louis mention.

I am either worried, or annoyed. Annoyed that Garber throws out that many names each time just to keep people intrigued. Worried that St. Louis has fallen that far off the map.....

[McGinty]

I wouldn't worry. The league has actually actively worked to get back into SJ/Bay Area since the beginning of 2006. The return of the Earthquakes has been in the cards for the past 6 months, and frankly, its good for the league.

[Sport Billy]

and frankly, its good for the league.

I don't know about that. The league is getting very "coast heavy." Both East & West

[ChiCleveSoccer]

I don't know about that. The league is getting very "coast heavy." Both East & West



I agree. You may have seen my recent posts in one of the Tampa/Miami strings.

Personally, I feel that any new MLS markets should be just that...NEW MLS markets, not places where the League has already failed...for whatever the reason.

I seem to be in the minority in having this opinion, however! :D

[McGinty]

San Jose's main problem was the Spartan Stadium issue, and an ownership group that didn't want to deal with it (and was never enthusiastic about operating the Quakes in the first place).

The Clash/Quakes were just awful from 96-2000, and it also hurt that the franchise was just passed around from owner to owner. I never believed they were a hopeless failure at any point. Plus, their attendance in 2005 was respectable, which was mostly a result of grassroots efforts by SSV.

Plus, I think getting San Jose back in the league brings back a large number of soccer fans to the league, and it also helps the image of the league's viability ("It wasn't the market or the product that was the problem; it was an ownership/stadium issue").

[Sport Billy]

("It wasn't the market or the product that was the problem; it was an ownership/stadium issue").

But why risk it. It didn't work once. Let someone else have a shot.

I know, MLS is a business and I'm thinking with my heart.
Apparently, business and heart don't mix.

SJ is a huge market and the MLS wants it. :(

[sirfallsalot_2000]

Markets are over-rated. Fan base and attendance are underated. Miami and Tampa and San Jose were all great markets who do not have a team, while Columbus is still going strong. Other leagues have faced this as well:

NFL: Now, owners have something to do with this, but cities like Houston and freakin' LA have lost teams for a variety of reasons. In LA's case, many people didn't notice they were missing the Rams. St. Louis, Nashville have done great with the teams since.

NBA: Canada was an untapped market. Toronto worked out, but Vancover didnt and moved to Memphis. Shoot, when NO had its hurricane, I bet we could come up with 20 different cities to host the Hornets before we get to OK city, but their fan base has done it.

One league defies the odds. The NHL took many Canadien teams and expansion teams and stuck them in hot weather markets, and there has been some success. But isnt our forum's mantra "We are not the NHL?" :D

[DotMPP]

But why risk it. It didn't work once. Let someone else have a shot.

I know, MLS is a business and I'm thinking with my heart.
Apparently, business and heart don't mix.

SJ is a huge market and the MLS wants it. :(
The only reason MLS in now interested in San Jose is because of a decent Stadium/Owner situation. San Jose was a huge market before AEG skipped out and MLS didn't seem to want it then.

If it weren't for Lew Wolff, San Jose would not be on any expansion list. Oh and he seems to be trying to tell everyone 2009.

I lived in Kansas City for 6 years in the early '80s and went to school in Rolla. I thought the K.C. / St. Louis rivalry in the MISL was pretty intense back then and to this day it seems strange that St. Louis is not in MLS yet considering the support that seemed to come from there. It sure was stronger than anything I saw in K.C. (Talk about business and heart not mixing! Hunt should have put his team in St. Louis, but then where would they play?)

That said, try to name another rivalry in the league close to the one between S.J. / L.A? Rivalries give a league character. Something MLS is still lacking since the season still has almost no meaning. They are so desperate for it they try to invent them: Dallas/Houston, Houston/L.A., L.A./Goats... (I've heard there is one between Dallas and Chicago, but only from Tino Palace)

I'll bet a St. Louis / K.C. rivalry would be real. I hope something does come your way.

[DotMPP]

Markets are over-rated. Fan base and attendance are underated. Miami and Tampa and San Jose were all great markets who do not have a team, while Columbus is still going strong. Other leagues have faced this as well:
Columbus has a stadium, the others don't.

Markets, Fan base and attendance are overrated. Stadiums are the primary target. Preferably ones that have a stage at one end. (Of course Columbus doesn't actually fit that description, but then again, Hunt was the only owner who actually cared about soccer, Uncle Phil wants concert venues, and the less he has to pay, the better).

[McGinty]

But why risk it. It didn't work once. Let someone else have a shot.

I think that as long as Wolff is committed to the Bay Area, he has secured a decent deal with Spartan Stadium, and he has solid, if not definite plans for a stadium, then there really isn't a big risk because the issues that sunk the Quakes will have been resolved.

I also think that the return of the Quakes has little, if any effect on the St. Louis' expansion hopes.

[krudmonk]

I don't know about that. The league is getting very "coast heavy." Both East & West
MLS has three teams on the east coast and two teams on the west coast (both in the same city). That's five of thirteen teams, which is obviously not even half the league. So...what are you talking about?

[McGinty]

Now, there's a story in the San Jose papers about Wolff and SJSU being far apart on stadium issues.

Just another example on how any expansion bid or team sale is full of ups and downs.

[Atarian]

MLS has three teams on the east coast and two teams on the west coast (both in the same city). That's five of thirteen teams, which is obviously not even half the league. So...what are you talking about?

You forgot Houston on the south coast lol :D

[soccertom]

Like I said - Tom does a great job

If by great job you mean the least talented reporter in the history of forever then yes I agree...