VA, while technically in the South, is more of an Atlantic region state. The two regions overlap a little.
either way you slice it, Virginia is a southeastern state. If they expanded to Virginia it would 'count' at least in the minds of MLS HQ of their expansion to the south. If VB stepped up with their 1.8M metro (larger than Charlotte and Nashville) 2 hours from another 1.2M metro both with no pro sports, a stadium already built just needs expanding, and high TV ratings...we would all have to agree that the region has potential. It may not be south enough, but it is southern and has a lot going for it.
Puerto Rico? Pop. 4 Million New Orleans? Pop. 1.2 Million San Francisco - Pop. 4.2 Million San Diego - Pop. 3 Million Las Vegas - Pop. 1.9 Million I'll second Providence and Hartford too. All are interesting possibilities. And here's a crazy idea: Boston - 4.5 Million, Dallas - 6.5 Million
Not being south enough? thats retarted. atlantas not south enough because sherman burnt it down and the yanks rebuilt it
Well if that's the game you want to play might as well throw New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Philadelphia and Denver into the mix too.
i think you missed the point. I think he was saying it wasn't south enough geographically meaning that they might miss potential regional fans. I think Atlanta fans like to make the 'capitol of the south' argument that somehow all fans in the SE will support an Atlanta team and they use the Braves as the example. They might argue that Virginia might be considered 'mid atlantic' and not south enough for regional fans. Not so much culturally or historically south as you took the point. There is no doubt that Virginia is 'the south' but how much of the southern fan base would it cover is in question. If you look at the demographics/populations/TV ratings in VB/Norfolk/Richmond it is very good. Lots of people, big soccer tv ratings, and no pro sports. In any geographical area, if you got 3M+ people in a 2 hour radius with zero pro sports, a vacant stadium, and good TV viewership I think MLS has to at least seriously consider a bid if it came in. It happening to be in the Southeast where MLS has zero footprint I think makes it a sleeper candidate.
to be honest I'm not from the South and I don't really know. I bet that the Braves (due to TBS games) draw fans from all over the south and maybe it might be easier to convert someone in lets say Alabama to be a Atlanta MLS fan instead of a Virginia MLS fan but it is really impossible to tell. If we get a city in the SE that is large enough and can support a club both in the stands and on TV then MLS should seriously consider them. I think the fact that there are 3M people between Richmond and VB, there is proven high TV ratings, and there is not a single pro sports teams leads anyone to at least consider them an option if the right ownership group steps up.
I say it will be in Tennessee, Georgia, or Alabama/Mississippi. Florida's only opportunity is if they guarantee like 15,000 season tickets will be sold for 2 straight years.
that would be very interesting if Baltimore can snatch DCU. It's distance enough to have 2 strong fanbases but close enough for significant traveling support. I dont think the same would apply with DCU in the picture.. They really are a pain in the ass aren't they?
The Soccerplex is in a difficult area to get to, especially with traffic. Old Dominion U has revamped Foreman Field in Norfolk for their college gridiron program. It's about 20 K or so, and there's some talk of expanding it. I went there a few weeks ago, and it reminded me of a Euro ground. The area is desperate for Major League anything, which is why the Soccerplex was built. I'm Norfolk-born, Virginia Beach raised. I believe the area can work for an MLS team under the right conditions. The area is Southern, BTW.
The "South" starts in Richmond, IMO -- so yeah, Va Beach is southern. Still, it won't reach into the south, and that's the issue. But if you add a team there, and Raleigh? Sounds good. Maybe MLS skips an entire area in favor of regional rivalries (Seattle-Portland-Vancouver).
yeah, but they sort of had to, because they realized what attendance and profiting they were missing out in that area.
This is an interesting thread but I see very little to no discussion about the most important piece of all - owners. Cities do not get MLS teams, owners are granted franchises. So, if you want to discuss obscure cities that may be in the running to get an MLS team, I would find out which cities have multi-millionaires or a potentional group of millions that could put together a strong bid to get a team. Without that, you will never see an MLS team in any city. Anyone have any ideas regarding that?
VB is so far from the "South" that it may as well be DC or Baltimore. It would get way less "southern" support than a team in Atlanta. I'm not even sure that people in NE North Carolina would support a team there.
That's mainly the fault of the transport network. Supposedly, US 58 from Emporia to Suffolk has improved. I haven't taken it yet. It may have changed since I lived there, but southern Chesapeake and VB were very Southern. I suspect southern Suffolk is still that way. I'd be very surprised if NE NC didn't support a Hampton Roads team, unless there was a Raleigh team.
Most of these cities are perfect for D2 or D3 teams. Another is Sioux Falls, SD. These seem to be places that we who live in them think could very easily support a team, but when you look at the logistics, it's pretty far fetched. If you look at the way that the pro sports market in the US is structured, the deck is stacked pretty heavily against most of these cities every getting a team. Here's to hoping that NASL or USL move into some of these markets. EDIT: Or back into them.
Interesting to see my hometown of Buffalo at the top of the OP. Right now? Absolutley not. In a couple decades when the city SHOULD be turning around, with the Bills most likely gone and with FC Buffalo (God Willing) in the NASL, drawing several thousand rabid fans/game? Maybe. It's an interesting situation to consider. MLS has its eyes on the big markets first (and rightly so) but we shouldn't immediately rule out these "obscure" cities. With big time sports like Football and Baseball leaving mid-sized and/or rust belt cities in the dust; MLS may have the opportunity to fill the void and command some serious loyalty from sports crazy but (currently) stagnant cities like Buffalo.
I dont think the MLS needs to necessarily rule out small markets. I think it all comes down to having a solid, committed ownership group for a particular market whether it is big or small. Kansas City is about on par with Buffalo and we have a committed ownership group doing great things and I think once the stadium opens and the team turns it around on the field, the Wizards are going to become of the league's premier franchises. I think this can happen in most markets including Buffalo given the right owners that know how the tap the market. The one drawback to Buffalo is the weather, especially if the league goes to a fall/winter schedule in the future.
the league will never go fall/winter....there is too much to go up against and too little to go up agianst in spring/fall.
I don't think it's any more a drawback than for Chicago, Toronto, Columbus, and slightly to a lesser extent, Boston and New Jersey. MLS won't go to Fall/Winter. Sepp Blatter is a moron for even suggesting it (and for myriad other reasons, of course).
If we're just throwing out cities with no justification, I'd love to see a team in San Francisco. I don't know the specifics but my impression is that not very many Earthquakes fans come from outside the South Bay, and there's a lot of soccer fans up in San Francisco. San Franciscans are pretty parochial anyway and I think a really good regional rivalry like that could help the Quakes rather than hurt them. Downsides would be will and money to build a stadium (Mission Bay is the obvious choice, though it will also create scheduling conflicts with the Giants) and potential impact on the Quakes, who don't seem to be the most stable team right now. As for potential owners, well..I'm not saying he'll do it, but I'd sure knock on Larry Ellison's door first.