Now with the Crew staying in Columbus, how would you feel about the Fire moving to Austin? Possibility? Thoughts?
No. With Joe Mansueto buying half the team, I doubt that would happen at this point. 6 months ago, it could have been a possibility. Not now.
No. I think Precourt might be out in the river without a boat since Austin's reviewing the stadium deal again.
Mansueto gets the whole team. Fire builds a training facility in the city. League owners buy out Toyota Park lease. Fire moves back to Soldier Field. Seatgeek converts Toyota Park to primarily a concert venue. Fire cuts the USL short and ultimately moves to Lincoln Park. There are some details I’m forgetting but I believe that’s the high level plan.
I sure hope the Fire play at the very least if in the city somewhere where I only have to take one train to downtown. And F Austin and Precourt.
USL would be dead in the water at Bridgeview with an MLS franchise playing downtown ( and really dead with a well run one downtown)
True, I was thinking more of a USL-level Fire-2 team*, ala Galaxy II, Slope Park Rangers, Toronto FC II, etc. *Yes, it would be difficult for people in Bridgeview telling the difference between the current Fire team and a USL-level team.
This would be great if it's true! Glad there wouldn't be a chance for an Austin move. As disappointed as I was this year. Last year was so fun. I'm a recent fan. Got on board in '13 when Magee was MVP. Same thing happened to me in '98 with the Cubs and have been a die hard since.
Ben, How does the Fire move to Lincoln Park if that's owned by Ricketts? And when does Mansueto get the whole team? At the close of this season?
No, no, no. The Fire stay in Bridgeview and Chicago II skips USL and goes straight to MLS. It’s bull spit that NY and LA get 2 MLS squads and we get stuck with... well, I mean technically we have one, but we’ve all seen the product trotted out there the past decade or so...
MLS is too preoccupied with this rampant expansion to pay attention to the weak sisters. What happened to slow growth? This is reckless. Once expansion pauses, the league office can start looking at the markets it sucks in. I’m principally thinking of Chicago, Colorado, San Jose, Dallas, Philadelphia, New England and Columbus. (Maybe Houston and Montreal) MLS needs to get its house in order!
Since Columbus isn't moving and Precourt is getting an expansion team in Austin. Maybe we need to change the title to Fire move to Las Vegas?
MLS isn't leaving the Chicago market. The only way the Fire moves would be as part of a more elaborate plan to get better ownership and get the team back downtown. Speaking of ownership, I don't follow closely enough to know this, (and the Fire are not in the news unless you go out to try to find them), but what is up with the new guy? Has he made any public statements or has he been out front with his thoughts/visions for the club? As to Old Man's comment above, I see the point, but I'm not sure I agree. It's hard to call MLS expansion "reckless" when virtually every expansion team in the last 10 years has been a success. All of the teams you list that need attention are original clubs or early expansion clubs. I agree that they all need something to generate excitement in their markets similar to the more recent expansion teams, but none of that is critical right now. At least not from a league perspective. Supporters in those cities may disagree. "Reckless" involves leagues like the old NASL driving by, and slowing the car down enough to through a franchise agreement out the window for anyone to sign while then driving onto the next town. MLS has gathered together an incredible roster of wealthy owners that rivals any league in the country. Of course, there are a few exceptions. . . .
If he hasn't said anything by February, then we have an issue. I expect he'll do something in January.
Not all new franchises are successful. Orlando which was the league darling is bad as the Fire. Minnesota is a joke.
True in the short term. Even so, Minnesota finished 5th in attendance, and Orlando 6th. Minnesota is moving to a stunning new stadium next year, and Orlando just announced a fantastic new training facility. They may have sucked this year, but both are taking major strides, organizationally, towards getting better.