So I guess it the 27 will be a very important day. Do they announce they are folding at the trophy presentation? Not that I want it to happen.
I'm torn by the effect winning the cup would have (if any) on the Stars' prospects for a next season. On the one hand, while perception might not be everything in DII soccer, it would look bad for the only champion your league has ever had to fold. On the other, it doesn't make much sense for team owners to keep piecemealing together a budget for the Stars only to go down to them in the playoffs. Of course, with next year's season structure, the Stars wouldn't have been in either of the half-season championship series. Bottom line: we need an owner, or there's egg on everybody's faces.
shouldn't there be a big, loud, colorful "Save the Stars" campaign going on across the interwebs right now? it seems like drawing a big crowd to the championship game and winning the SoccerBowl is the Stars' best and only chance to stay alive next year. but i don't see anything about it on duNord or IMS. NASL wouldn't fold the 2-time defending champions, would they? or maybe they just take Manny Lagos and the Stars' best players and move them to the Cosmos??? and didn't the Minnesota Thunder used to get like 12,000 to big games back in the day?
Someone had better get on it, if that's going to get any traction. Not sure. Couldn't hurt, obviously. But if no one has seen the value proposition to this point, they'd have to be swayed emotionally by both of the two things you just mentioned, and I'm not sure anyone who would make such a decision based on emotion is someone you'd want as an owner. Remember, it has to be someone worth $20M+. Why wouldn't they? They're funding it. It's their money. Regardless of whether the team wins or not, it's a business proposition. Does it make sense for the rest of the owners to continue to fund this team indefinitely? I don't think so. Not to mention what USSF might have to say about it. Might they keep doing it for appearances' sake until they get more expansion teams in? Sure, they could. We don't know what their thinking will be, but supposedly October 27 is the day they meet to figure all this out. Aren't there a lot of local guys on the Stars? Guys who might not necessarily want to pick up and move? I don't know, I'm asking. "Back in the day" would be the key part of that question. Been a while. I think they had the D3 record (prior to 1996) at 11k+ for a game against Milwaukee, but I'd have to check.
i'm guessing by the lack of such traction and duNord's statement that Bruce is "burnt out" maybe the people in the know have already given up on the Stars returning next year? i was trying to remember if it was Minnesota or Milwaukee. when you google "Minnesota Thunder largest soccer crowd" not much comes up...
Milwaukee could not possibly have had an 11k crowd. They've never played somewhere that was possible. I'm certain it was Minnesota in 1994 or 1995, but the actual number is at home. But here are the largest crowds of the last 11 seasons in Minnesota, that I have: 4/07/2012...Carolina RailHawks.......8,693 (Metrodome) 7/26/2002...Pittsburgh Riverhounds...7,590 7/25/2003...Portland Timbers.........7,568 7/21/2006...Montreal Impact..........6,215 5/04/2003...Cincinnati Riverhawks....5,893 (Metrodome) 9/20/2008...Montreal Impact..........5,743 8/04/2004...San Jose Earthquakes.....5,688 (Open Cup) 7/20/2005...Los Angeles Galaxy.......5,505 (Open Cup) 8/20/2006...Puerto Rico Islanders....5,451 7/27/2006...Charleston Battery.......5,276 7/24/2004...Edmonton Aviators........5,109 8/14/2004...Portland Timbers.........5,018 They also drew 20,123 for a friendly against the Galaxy (and You Know Who) at the Metrodome on 11/11/2007.
Well, well... Glad I happened to be in the neighborhood. The Thunder did set the record for highest D3 attendance in 1994 against the Milwaukee Rampage on 7/11/94 with 10,149 folks at the NSC. They broke that record almost exactly 1 year later against the self-same Rampage with 11,255 in attendance on 7/10/95. They also rang up crowds of over 9,000 three times with 9987 coming to the A-League Championship match against the Rochester Rhinos on 10/16/99, 9885 to see a friendly against the MLS Chicago Fire on 7/19/00 and 9194 on hand against the Reno Rattlers on 7/15/96. You'll note that, with the exception of the Championship against the Rhinos, all of those matches, and the majority of the club's top twenty attendances, occured during the NSC's hosting of their Schwan's USA Cup youth tournament. This includes the largest crowd all-time for a Thunder match at the NSC, 15412 to see a friendly against the L.A. Galaxy on 7/16/97. Including all home venues and all matches (league regular season and playoff, friendlies and a "Kids' Day" intra-squad match), the Thunder/Stars have had 21 match crowds of over 6,000. "Well, back to assembling my accutrements for this Saturday's championship match" beams That little old jersey collector Me "This year, if you want to win the Premiership, you are going to have to finiish above Man U." - Alan Brazil, Talksport P.S. Ken, you might want to double-check your U.S. Open Cup attendance figures. In 2005, Minnesota didn't face the Galaxy until 9/14 when they were knocked out of the tournament in LA by a 2-5 score. The match you ascribe the 5505 figure to is the Thunder v Galaxy match on 7/20/04, played at the Metrodome and won by the Thunder 1-0.
This is purely imagination, but I have a thought. It's inspired by recent events. 1) Phil Rawlins, or someone associated with him, buys Minnesota Stars from the NASL. 2) Phil Rawlins swaps the team licenses for Minnesota Stars and Orlando City. As a result, Minnesota Stars becomes a USL Pro team, and Orlando City becomes an NASL team. Minnesota would have an easier travel schedule, since the convoluted USL Pro schedule heaps some close road dates together. Plus, in 2014, USL Pro is adding a Milwaukee team, which would give Minnesota a natural rival. I also think they can reach at least Dayton, and maybe Pittsburgh, by bus. Orlando City's travel schedule would increase a bit with the dictated single-city weekends, but half our schedule for 2013 would be bus trips. And if any current D3 team can handle a move up to NASL, it's Orlando. I know, it'll never happen. But one can dream.
This is my kinda speculation! And there's no need to speculate as to whether Minnesota will/would have a rivalry with Milwaukee. I think that much is pretty much settled. We still have anti-Milwaukee cheers at games. Ah, if only ...
Just like the Rowdies already have anti-Orlando cheers. In fact, we have priority in the "We are the Rowdies" chant.
I'd like to add to our rampant speculation that Djorn Buchholz, Stars CEO, said on last weekend's du Nord podcast that he'd put his confidence in the Stars returning after this season at a 7/10. Ihopeihopeihope
Watch the post game interview of Manny Lagos (if you can, the video playback at NASL.com keeps freezing up on me). He is really fired up. Makes a very irritated reference to having no owner, but showing the league they have passion, etc. I doubt they would have broke the news to the Stars before the match, but Manny probably knows that no news, is not good news. If the owners had gotten together and voted to fund the Stars for next season, I would think they would have at least let him and the players know. I get why you don't make a public announcement either way just yet, but just going on his body language, I would have to guess they are done. This is purely a hunch. Of course they he just lost a match after 120 minutes and penalty kicks, so that could account for his frustration as well.
From CityPages Kinda surprising to see this in the CityPages but they might be the only local paper press asking questions.
Good luck stars! I really hope this happens. I wonder if the new [potential] owner gets a Cosmos 2013 T-shirt to close the deal?