I first found myself coming to BigSoccer looking for info on rumors that Chivas was looking to put a team in LA. That was many many many moons ago. And look how the league is now! For those of us who suffered through AEG owning most of the league, Arrowhead Stadium, Dragon Stadium, and the constant threat of financial collapse, it's hard to imagine this league as anything but an amazing success. With the fresh announcement that MLS wants to be 24 teams, I was stuck thinking about all the defunct Expansion plans that lie strewn across the wasteland of our past. Since i haven't made a thread in what feels like a decade, I thought I'd invite old-timers to reminisce about some of our favorite Expansion plans that we were SO SURE would be the next-big-thing for the league. The big ones for me will be: ROCHESTER RHINOS - I remember a time when Rochester was brought up in almost every single expansion discussion here. They have the fan base! The Stadium! They'll be the Green Bay of MLS! SAN ANTONIO - We had our own indoor stadium, remember? ST. LOUIS - They even had a press conference with supporters outside. Very sad....
Wasn't Cleveland on the verge of getting a team? I don't remember a lot of the details of why it fell through but I think the principal died.
That's right! What's sad is that I remember more Cleveland Steamers jokes than I do the actual name of the principal I/O.
Cleveland were granted a team but Bert Wolstein died before they could get the stadium plan into gear.