MLS to expand to 30 teams. $200 Million expansion fee.

I would say they have, only the perspective is skewed because the NASL skipped 'rapidly' and went straight to . . . ludicrous speed. But of the established and still-existing leagues, it's on the high end, alongside the NHL's rapid expansion. (Fair to note with that one that their rapid expansion period came from a starting point of only 6 teams. They had an expansion that doubled the size of the league, but that was still only to 12.)

This is somewhat of a recent phenomenon, though, and it was driven by the changes of the 1990s--the Premier League breakaway corporation formed, Bosman Ruling, Champions League. The latter particularly brings in a lot of money from outside the league, money which generally lands at the feet of only the already successful clubs. There's an 'invisible division' in European football between the teams that regularly qualify for the CL group stage and those that don't. After you go below this division, the competitive imbalances are not actually that high. The top team after the Big 6 last year was Wolves. Then Leicester was two spots down in 9th.

 

Here's an interesting article on just this:
https://www.independent.co.uk/sport...two-championship-miguel-delaney-a8926126.html

 

Pull quote (emphasis added):

 

Then there is Red bull, they seem to do it right with their sports team conglomerate.

 

The NFL was faster, going from 12 teams in 1959 to 26 in 1970. It wasn't all traditional expansion, but all 14 new teams started from scratch within a 9-year period (1960-68). Once the NHL started expanding it took 14 years to add 14 (actually 15) new teams. Post-contraction MLS has taken 15 years to get a net increase of 14 teams.

 

Every league goes through a period of rapid expansion, it just tends to be related to a rival league springing up. The NBA had the ABA, the NHL had the WHL, and the NFL had the AFL. MLS had had a prolonged period of expansion, but nothing all that unprecedented.

 

I would also add that with MLS the expansion push has been largely demand driven.

Except in the very odd case of Austin TX, where 3 or 4 years ago the city fathers were secretly approached by the league out of the blue (the mayor says he told them "we don't have anything or anyone in place for something like that" and says he was told "don't worry about it"), the demand for new teams is coming from prospective owners who want in.

Part of it is because there's just so much money sloshing around out there right now, and part of it is that this is likely the last chance forever to get into a professional sport on the ground floor. Unless you see major league lacrosse becoming a thing, soccer is it.

I've been saying for several years now that MLS has made a serious mistake; not in selling new teams but in selling them way too cheaply. Arthur Blank paid $80 million for ATL. It's easily worth $400 million three years later,

Even the newest expansion teams, at $150 million, is a ridiculous bargain. Some people are aghast at the proposed $200 million price tag beyond team # 28, but I think that should have been the price four years ago.

200 or even 250 would not have stopped Blank, would not have stopped Lindner, would not have stopped McGuire, would not have stopped Ingram/Wilf and would not have stopped Haslam. Every single one of them can be reasonably confident that their MLS investment will be worth half a billion or more in less in the not too distant future.

Should have stuck it to them.

 

Bottom line, Europe is much more likely to adopt a system somewhat like ours long before we adopt theirs.

MLS owners know these facts as well as anybody, and they have zero interest in committing suicide. This constant "take off the training wheels" garbage is just so much nonsense.

Forget the legal and structural roadblocks which are largely insurmountable; even if they could, why in the world would they?

 

I think CFG may have seen the light in season 1 when a couple of Man City players were introduced and roundly booed. Just walking around the stadium you'll see fans of all the major European clubs wearing their jerseys. Identifying the club too strongly with Man City would probably drive customers away.

 

As I keep saying, the system is working as designed. There are no "training wheels". There are no reins to release.

 

Sure. If your league doesn't experience a brief period of inflationary expansion, you end up with too many magnetic monopoles once it's matured.

 

Ok, so its illegal and a terrible idea.

Other than that, why are you against it?

 

And there are people in the expansion forum threads thinking someone in Oklahoma City will pay half a billion expansion fee and build a new SSS.

Anyhow, teams 28-30 are $200 million. Teams 31&32 will be much more. And, MLS is going to 40 like some think.

 

Are you confused? We are talking about a franchise not being punished. That's the reason New Englands and Rapids can exist.

 

And yet here the Revs and Rapids are (per your example).

 

I miss having access to the Recycle Bin. In fact, I enjoyed posting to threads there despite no longer being a stupidface moderator. That is, I enjoyed it until Segroves started posting as well. Mike Segroves is why I can't have nice things.

 

Both of which have fired their coach in the last month. Seems like they know the urgency to get better. You can't force somebody to be good at it though.

 

I'm just happy I can block the worst troll on BS despite the fact that he's inexplicably still allowed to post in the grownup area.