Fort Lauderdale=MLS

DrSoFlaFan hits it out of the ballpark as usual. And American Mag, your closing sentence is the big one. But, I think it is simple, at least it is in vision, maybe not as much so in practice. The Strikers must be supported at the level we've seen for the first two games of the year, and it must be for a full year. And then it probably will tkae a second year, with an increase over this year. That's probably the boat we're in at this point thanks to the besmirched reputation the Strikers fans will have, through no fault of their own, by being unfairly linked to both Miami FC and the Fusion.

As Garber said, supporting the Strikers is going to be the only shot South Florida has at MLS. The small group of 305ers who continue to live in denial aren't going to change anything. David Beckham isn't going to come swooping into Miami with tens of millions of dollars that he'll throw into a pile and light a match to. He's not that dumb. The Strikers probably have no shot at being #20. But if we partner with Traffic to continue growing this fanbase, and we become the marquee franchise in attendance below MLS in North America, well it doesn't take a quantum physicist with a time machine to figure out who MLS will target with the next available slot after NY2.

But one thing is certain no matter what your long term interest for the Strikers is. We have to be out there continuing to help build this fanbase. Wear your Strikers gear all over town. Had some people in the grocery store just ask me yesterday about my Strikers t-shirt. "Are the Strikers playing again?" And I tell them, absolutely, next home game is May 14th against the Rowdies, come and see them in action! If you are a season ticket holder who gave away GA tickets to the Stars game, make a plan for them to get some tickets for May 14th. The people I gave mine to were ecstatic and already have their Rowdies tickets! Will we ever have a seen in Lockhart play out like what we saw on tv the other night in Portland? Who knows, and at this point I don't really care all that much. I'm far more interested in the possibility of seeing the largest crowd in a LONG time at Lockhart on May 14th to see the renewal of one of the greatest pro soccer rivalries in North American history. And I want to see a HUGE crowd there with me!

 

Is it bad that I want to skip the first part of the Deerfield Beach Relay for Life so that I can go to the Strikers/Rowdies game?

And the folks in the office need to get the merchandise situation figured out. Still no xxl stuff to buy. I might get a toon top with Hudson on the back in the mean time...

 

Just what we need. A 954 jackass that is far worse than the 305 jackassses that are fighting the Strikers rebirth in an effort to bring MLS to South Florida.

They, at least, think it possible to get a team here and have it prosper, even if their way of doing it is ridiculous. You say to not even try for one because we are certainly not worthy of one. We are South Florida, the failure of the Universe; stay away, stay away, stay away.

Thanks for nothing. I guess we should no longer wear our Striker gear about town to drum up interest in the team. Tim Robbie and the rest of the staff should just pack it in and forget about getting this team going because you, and the wondeful people like you, have given up on your community before it even has a good try at getting a team here.

Sure, we can fail at this. Certainly there are zero guarantees that our efforts will make the Strikers a viable Div 2 team, let alone a candidate for MLS, but, we are willing to take that gamble and try to make it a reality. And guess what? Even if we fail miserably we'll have at least tried to make MLS and the Strikers a going concern here, while you just give up without even trying because your hometown just isn't good enough....

Thanks for nothing. You're worse than the clowns in Miami that want the Strikers to fail in Ft Lauderdale so MLS has to go there. You want the whole thing to fail just because you are not good enough for it.

Begone. And good riddance....

 

I think that's too harsh.

While I live in 305, to be clear, I'm happily supporting a team in 954.

 

I disagree, obviously. If you'll note, I actually edited it to tone it down. The origianl post, as written, was far more harsh than the post you read.

It is one thing to want MLS in 305. It is another to say that 305, 954 and everwhere else down here is not worhty of MLS. That's what that poster, a 954 Broward resident, was saying. Any team, anywhere in South Florda is doomed to fail simply because it is in South Florida is his argument.

I was taking that individual to task for that attitude. To make it clear...if the Strikers, or some replacement for them, has to go to Miami-Dade County to get us back to MLS I'll support it 100% because it is still in South Florida and, as such, is South Florida's team. Just like the Strikers are South Florida's team...

 

Man, I'm old. When I left, all of South Florida was 305.

 

The original post is Fort Lauderdale = MLS. I have set forth reasons why Fort Lauderdale does not = MLS. If the team can't be in Fort Lauderdale, then the other market down here is Miami. As has been shown Miami is not a good market for MLS. As a result South Florida does not = MLS.

For years, this 954 jackass defended south Florida as a good but misunderstood sports market. I smartened up and accepted the truth that the general south Florida sports fan sucks. As much as you want to claim soccer is different, it is still a sport. Yes, there will be the hardcore fans but they exist in for the Marlins and the Panthers and their arenas are still 3/4 empty.

As the Miami Herald article stated, quit whining for an MLS team like it is some sort of god given right down here. Embrace the Strikers. D2 is perfect for a city like Fort Lauderdale.

 

For you D2 is the pinnacle. We feel differently. It is the attitude you have that we have to contend with. It's bad enough when it is believed by someone from out of town, it's just makes it a much larger obstacle we'll have to overcome when it's infected our own. Since you like D2 so much; have you attended a Striker game yet? Do you intend to? Or are you going to be another of those do nothing sucky general fans?

BTW, Kaufman had a column awhile back, after Garber's meeting, where she said, for the 1st time, to stop whining about not having MLS. If you want it, do what Garber said to do at the meeting. "Support The Sport" to show Garber and MLS that the fan base is here. Supporting the Strikers is his recommendation to show that support. It is our ticket to MLS. We do not need 50,000 attendance. Around 18K per MLS game will do the trick. I say that, in time, that can be done. Consistently.

Yet, as long as the Strikers are D2 I'll be their fan. If we fail to get MLS, a possibility that we all recognize, then I'll support them still. But, Garber did say that MLS would like to have a team in this market if we can show him the support is there. That gives me, and a growing group of South Floridians, hope that it can be done. We intend to give it our best shot. What if we fail and there is no MLS? Then we will do our damndest to have the best D2 team in existence. The D2 Champions trophy will have a perpetual home in the Ft Lauderdale offices of the Ft Lauderdale Strikers.

We'd love to have you join us, but I can see you've already lost that battle and given up on getting MLS on your own.

 

I get that. Since we cannot agree on everything, let's just agree to support this team as best as we can. It's the only thing we can control.

 

Absolutely! That way we either get MLS eventually somewhere down here, or we get a damn good Div 2 team. I'd love MLS & I honestly believe that South Florida can support a team, but I can live with a top of the line D2 if we've given our best shot at MLS and failed. But to just give up without trying is unacceptable. To give up without even trying because your hometown isn't good enough for MLS stuns me!....

 

Again you are making assumptions instead of reading what I am saying. I don't love being at D2 but I accept the fact that D2 is the proper level for south Florida. I would prefer if we were in a major league area and could support an MLS team. Sorry it inconveniences you that you have to deal with attitudes like mine. Attitudes like mine wouldn't exist if south Florida ever proved that it could support a sports team. But it has shown time and time again it doesn't.

Of course I attend and intend to continue to attend Strikers games since I am a season ticket holder for myself and my son. I am planning on being a season ticket holder with him for a long time. I also realize if an MLS team comes and fails there will be no team (MLS, D2) for us to support.

 

Just wish there were more 305ers with your sense Vader. It seems to be simple arrogance that keeps the few that actually care about soccer away from Lockhart, deeming it and Fort Lauderdale beneath them. Lockhart and the Strikers welcome all South Floridians to come and be a part of pro soccer. And it bears repeating again - it's the only chance we have left of pro soccer. Miami has never supported pro soccer or team's named Miami. The Strikers are the only franchise that has been able to gather the necessary support to be viable. MLS isn't going anywhere near Miami. Period. End of story. But anyway, people need to shelve the MLS talk and enjoy the rebirth of the Strikers. Any true soccer fan who cmoes out to Lockhart and feels the excitement, the atmosphere, the buzz of the tailgating and in the crowd at kickoff, you will be hooked. You will come back. You will tell your friends, family, neighbors, co-workers. You will wear your Strikers gear all over town proudly. You will call the Fort Lauderdale Strikers YOUR team.

 

I/I disagree with you completely. I believe we are a major league area, but I do concede that we are a most difficult & perplexing one. And, as an aside, you don't inconvenience me....but your attitude does baffle me.

II/ Good! This I like. Please help us spread the word that these games are the lowest cost sport ticket in South Florida with a huge amount of fun factored into the equation making it one of the best buys we have. I don't think you and I have any disagreement about that...

And, I'd also like to thank you for attending so we can show MLS that there are people that will attend soccer games here, and actually buy season tickets, too. Doing that might help convince them to consider us for expansion sometime in the future...

As an after though. If, in fact we stay at D2, what do you think of promotion / relegation as part of the structure of the sport in the USA? Is it workable? Desirable? If the Strikers should ever move up to MLS that way would you be for it? I'm not being a wise ass. Garber was asked about Promo/relegation at his meeting. He's not 100% against it.

The comment about arrogance seems to cover the problem exactly. They don't want it in an insignificant "suburb"; bring it home to the center of the universe. Their team must be located in Miami. A team in Ft Lauderdale can only be your team. Never theirs. That attitude, along with the idea that South Florida is 2nd rate, is what we, and the Strikers, have to overcome. It's going to be difficult to do, but winning will definitely help the process.

The talk of MLS could/should be shelved. For now. However, the dream will remain and some folks will continue to work & push for it. Not because we deserve it or MLS "owes" us, but because we want it and can support it.

The last part of the highlight tells the story. I doubt if anyone that has attended the last 2 games regrets it. They are probably looking forward to the next one and the rest of the season. I hope that the season is such that not only do all season ticket holders renew for next season, but that we double the number for next season. Just another stupid dream of mine, I'll admit, but look at this year as compared to last year & the years before. Using that as a basis....you've got to believe......

 

I am all for relegation and promotion. Teams in European leagues compete using vastly different budgets, and they survive and compete. Look at a team like Chievo Verona, who consistently take points off of the big teams at their home games. The Lamar Hunt Open Cup games demonstrate that USL/NASL/whatever they will be called next year teams can compete with MLS teams.

Don't understand this. At this time, only one "Miami" team plays in Miami. The Hurricanes don't even play here anymore. I will be the first to state that Lockhart is a hike and a half, but it's a small price to pay for viability. Miami FC simply wasn't viable, unfortunately. Sure Miami and Broward are comprised of different demographics, but a pissing contest gets us nowhere.

 

I slightly disagree with some points in this post (e.g. nostalgia/history to build on is easily overrated; Philadelphia & L.A have little of either, but pretty good numbers) but IMHO the bolded section is the "sweet spot" in terms of this discussion.

IMHO the key is the extent to which the population of Fort Lauderdale/Broward County has a distinct identity vis a vis Mimai, and the degree to which any separate identiy is shared by the business community in the area.

If there is, and at least some of the big companies in Broward share that - "we're based in FL/Broward NOT Miami", as opposed to "we're based in Miami, well it's FL/Broward but that's just the postcode" - then you definitely have a base. A good FO with realistic expectations can build a viable team by mobilizing civic pride/reminding the world that there's more to South Florida than Miami among the general population and allowing FL/Broward county companies to assert themselves on the national (niche market) stage alnong with the city asserting itself. It won't be a "big" in terms of marketing/perception terms as something called the Miami XYZ so will be a hurdle in marketing terms, but it is doable - in theory .

The next question is whether Garber needs a team branded as "Miami" or a team "from the Miami area" but that's the next hurdle.

 

I think that for the MLS future, the team could be called Miami Strikers, or South Florida/Florida Strikers. For D-2 FTL works perfectly. The team should still play at a renovated Lockhart, but look at the examples of the Jets and Giants, who although they play in NJ, they are called NY for marketing purposes. Also, the Marlins will be relocating to Miami and will be called the Miami Marlins. Now that the brand is established, does anyone care? No, it will still be the Marlins.


So I think a rebranding, as long as it contains the Strikers name, would be fine, as they will still be the Strikers. Doesn't matter if its FTL, Miami, or Florida

 

NO! Theres a reason the Fort Lauderdale Strikers name was chosen an is working in south florida: THE NAME IS THE TEAM! All of those name choices were carefully looked at and in a market survey, FORT LAUDERDALE STRIKERS was a resounding yes by residents of all three south florida counties! Fort Lauderdale or NOTHING!

 

NO! No! No! I am sorry Celeste4Life, this team should stay Ft. Lauderdale forever, even if it moves to MLS. I am not against a future Miami MLS team at all, but those us us who have followed this organization from the start have come too far to take a step back and give the "Miami" moniker another chance (I attended the 1st friendly in 2006). Like Freaknik said, people were asked what they wanted and they spoke! To go from an apathetic crowd of 800-1200 last year (I've seen middle school girls basketball crowds with better participation) to a raucous, vocal crowd of 4-6K is something that cannot be ignored. I'm one who thinks that had the Fusion re-branded back then, they would still be around. Those first few years wouldn't have been so lean and that awesome 2001 season would have been just icing on the cake.
The Jets & Giants are a bad example to use. Check your factual history. They both began in NEW YORK. Heck, the Jets were still playing at Shea in the early 80's. They were lured away by better stadium deals and infrastructure, just a hop skip and a jump away in the same NY/NJ metro area. A re-brand (and LLC name change for that matter) was unnecessary. I would think that if the Strikers were to move to a stadium in Deerfield Beach, they would still be called Ft. Lauderdale.

 

Yeah sorry man. Not a good idea. The using the bigger city nearby for marketing purposes thing only works if it's a Chester PA, Carson CA, Commerce City CO, etc. Fort Lauderdale is not some piddly little suburb of Miami, especially when it comes to it's soccer legacy. To change the name after a move to MLS, even if they stayed at Lockhart, would be an INCREDIBLE slap in the face of the fans and the city, maybe even worse the the Fusion debacle. If the Strikers make enough noise to move up to MLS, it will be in large part because of the Fort Lauderdale name and the fans that it has drawn. To change it would be further disrespect of the Fort Lauderdale soccer establishment, as if we haven't seen enough of that.

And I for one care about the Marlins changing their name, partially because it's disrespectful of the teams 2-time championship history as the FLORIDA Marlins, partially because the name change is part of the broader ongoing joke-ification of the franchise by Jeff Loria. But that's another discussion altogether.

And as Newtbomb said, I am not opposed to a Miami-based team at all. If MLS comes back and is in the 305, I'll be there for every game. But if a team is playing pro soccer at Lockhart Stadium, it damn sure better be called the FORT LAUDERDALE Strikers.

 

Promotion/relegation is great as a theory but it is not workable with the American structure and legal system. One reason alone is the threat of litigation. The new stadiums are built with public money for use by an MLS franchises. Relegating a team could be a violation of the lease agreement or of the terms of the bonds issued to build the stadium. While these legal arguments may hold no water, the threat of litigation would hang over each potential relegation. As talked about on IMSoccer News today, litigation of this type could lead to FIFA suspension of the national soccer federation.

Imagine this hypothetical situation, its 2018 and Houston gets relegated. Because Houston used public money to build their stadium Politician from Houston who knows or cares about soccer sues MLS to stop the relegation. FIFA threatens to suspend the US from the 2018 World Cup unless the lawsuit is dropped. Politician says to FIFA that no foreign organization can tell Texas what to do don't mess and as a result we are suspended.

So long story short, without getting into the many other flaws of promotion/relegation in the MLS structure, I view it as just a pipe dream.

 

Well, I didn't know all those facts, so I guess it doesn't make sense. And a team called Miami playing in FTL doesn't make too much sense.

For those saying that SoFla isn't a major league market though, you are CRAZY

The NBA, MLB, and NFL are NOT stupid

 

I agree that it should be Ft Lauderdale. The numbers you've posted tell the story. But, you forgot the season ticket sales from 37 to over 1,000 since the rebrand. That may be the most telling number of all.

I also agree with the comment I highlighted. IMO, if the Fusion had been the Strikers we'd not be arguing or hoping for MLS. We'd still be in it.

 

I honestly dont believe you guys ever gave Miami a chance, when Miami FC was Miami FC they never pulled out mad money to promote the shit out of the team like they did to the strikers, half of you guys posted it yourselfs.

Oh, Strikers are promoting here and promoting there!! Traffic never gave a chance to Miami FC... I understand there was a legacy back then with the strikers, and so what about that survey, could have been conducted in Ft. Lauderdale only, and obviously they are going to choose the ft, lauderdale strikers anyday. And you say otherwise, didnt they always do promotions w/ Miami FC in Downtown ft. Lauderdale. WTF!? cmon, stop this non sense of Miami FC was horrible and Ft. Lauderdale is better, give me a break, traffic still running the show.

To me it seems like it was the plan all along after maybe 2-3 years since Miami FC came out to rebrand to the strikers. I remember my very first game, someone telling me that "they want to do changes with this club in the future, but I cant say right now" this was about 3 years ago, if you do the math it was about 2009, and this Miami FC team came into fruition 2006.

It was the plan since day one, so what does traffic do drive Miami FC to the ground. You say im ignorant I say you guys are not giving Miami FC fair play.

If there was in fact an investor and a big name retired soccer star trying to bring a team to miami and advertise the shit out of it, regardless of those remarks in the beginning about foreigners making 20 a week (racist), people will come.

Dont say Cubans do not like soccer, that is a very stupid statement. I know plenty of cuban soccer players where ever I play (and yes all where playing in Miami). Hell even in school where there are plenty of cuban refugees that come to study in FIU Engineering center, all I see is them wearing soccer jersey's: Milan, Barca, Real, Hell I saw one cuban kid very american wearing a freaking REAL SALT LAKE jersey!!

Miami was a bad sports market for MLS in the first years of its existence, it was not real soccer, that was a joke. Backward clock? no ties? 3-game series? Look at the high places MLS is reaching too, the stars they are aquiring, especially the mass transfers of colombians making this league better everyday not to mention the melting pot of Real Salt Lake, and the goals they are accomplishing in CCL.

Im not saying screw ft. lauderdale, if they do get a chance to go to MLS, go ahead ill be happy from here, but dont effing dig Miami 's grave for future MLS franchises, you'd be surprised at what star power and great marketing can do (via Strikers, via Heat)

Dolphins will always only be South Florida's football team!!

 

lol yea true classico!!