Why just why should we give Tampa another shot at an MLS team? My thought is whatever the reason they could not make MLS work, there are many many other cities that want and deserve a team before someone like Tampa deserves getting another team.
Completely different time. Back when The mutiny were folded, the sport was still struggling to catch on in the US and the club was league owned.. Since then the popularity of the sport has grown by leaps and bounds.. the addition of Orlando and Miami should also do wonders with regards to natural rivals...
Natural rivals to the erstwhile Miami team and to Orlando. History that predates the Mutiny. And a stadium plan that is ready to go. Not to say that Nashville or Cincy or some other town can't get in ahead of them if they get the stadium sorted out, but they are in position right now.
Good question, and it is worth exploring answers to that question. I'll take a crack. 1. Tampa and Miami were folded out of convenience (league controlled) and not because they were the most deserving at the time. 2. A lot has changed since then. There were no local groups willing to take ownership over the Mutiny. The Glazers were approached and declined. There is solid local ownership that controls the Rowdies. 3. Florida is the third most populous state in the country and still growing. Having three teams in Florida is not unreasonable. Particularly since the sport thrives off having clusters of teams which can be rivals. Orlando City and the Rowdies are a perfect fit for this. Miami too. Miami's inclusion shouldn't disqualify the Rowdies bid. The market is very big for TV purposes. 4. The stadium is privately funded and it sits on a beautiful waterfront tract of land with a hundred years of sporting history. 5. The bid is for St. Pete, not Tampa. St. Pete has changed dramatically over the past decade and the downtown is currently experiencing a renaissance which would be a good place for an MLS team to land. 6. The Rowdies are an established and historic brand and stuff like that matters to a lot of people for optics. I'm not suggesting that the Rowdies are hands down one of the top four bids, but it is a good bid. The area shouldn't be disqualified just because they were one of the lambs sacrificed for the good of the league at a time when any number of teams could have been folded for the greater good. There are lots of good reasons why a team would do wonderfully in St Pete. But a team would do well in Nashville, Cincinnati, Sacramento, San Diego, San Antonio, Detroit, St. Louis, and Raleigh too. This is going to be a tough decision which I'm glad I don't have to make. If the Rowdies aren't chosen I hope that the continue to operate as a USL side at their current stadium.
I think the argument that MLS would weigh most heavily towards Tampa Bay is the media market. The Tampa Bay area has a larger population than either Nashville or Cincy, St Pete has a revitalized downtown (though not as nice as Nashville), and it has become a big draw for millennials. I can see three teams in Florida given that there are two in NYC and two in LA; but obviously question if it is best for the growth of the sport to leave certain other large markets under served.