The Strikers Future

Discussion in 'Fort Lauderdale Strikers' started by Smoke & Mirrors, Sep 16, 2011.

  1. Smoke & Mirrors

    Jul 18, 2010
    Club:
    Ft Lauderdale Strikers
    Nat'l Team:
    Germany
    Wanted to start a thread and float an idea I had for discussion. I've been thinking a lot about a number of factors surrounding the team, and have come up with a scenario regarding their future. This idea is influenced by the rebrand, the gains in attendance and presence in the community for the team, the NASL, Lockhart, Traffic and the fact that it's currently backing two other clubs, and of course money.

    Don't know if any of you read my post in the Schlitterbahn thread. But for the moment I'm going to operate believing that this deal is getting done, and the Strikers, City of Ft. Lauderdale, and Schlitterbahn will work out a mutually beneficial deal for all parties. This gives the Strikers and upgraded home for the foreseeable future, and does so with someone else picking up most if not all of the bill. The idea of dual promoting Strikers games and a water park during the summer has got to be a winner.

    I think we can all agree that the rebrand has been a success so far. Triple the attendance of last year is a great start. With very little in the way of local media coverage and the team actually advertising, this was accomplished. If gains could start to be made in those two areas, I think there is room for even further improvement. Of course nothing would help as much as an NASL championship, but there is certainly something to be gained by the other two items anyway. Overall the Strikers brand has shown us that it still does carry weight here, and provides the best opportunity for pro soccer to grow in our area.

    All of the above are real positives. But speaking honestly, they're positives for the Strikers. They're only a positive from a league perspective in that it's just 1/8th of its membership. In it's current state, the league needs every team and market to be strong, and I don't think even the most ardent of NASL fans could fool themselves enough to say this is true.

    That fact brings us to Traffic. Traffic is the majority owner of three teams right now. They've said they are committed to the NASL and making it work. But when do they draw that line about supporting three teams if new investors aren't found quickly enough? What they did last offseason and through this year leads me to feel very good about their commitment to the Strikers. But how long is it fair to expect the same commitment of them for the Railhawks and Silverbacks? How much money is Traffic spending all told on the NASL this year? $10 million? Could it be more? I'm not talking losses here, just the money spent to run their teams.

    So here is my thought. If Traffic is so committed to the Strikers that they're willing to spend $10 million a season this year so they can play D2, my question is, what would it be worth for them to try and make a bid for MLS? Expansion fee, let's say $50 million. I think these people trying to say it would be more than that are getting crazy.

    If you're Traffic, here's where you're at right now. Your home stadium, which actually hosted an MLS team in it's current state, is being renovated, hopefully in the next year or so, and someone else is actually paying for it. You've resurrected a soccer brand in the market that has tradition and history, and with minimal marketing on your part, already seen its power in a tripling of your attendance. So you're committed to your team, but is there a better way you could spend your millions than to keep backing a league that could still fail even if you continued to spend so much anyway? Doing this for even just two years they could have alreayd shelled out half of an MLS expansion fee.

    Look, bottom line for me is I want to be able to watch the Ft. Lauderdale Strikers. I did it as a kid with my dad, and I'm overjoyed at being able to do it again this season with my son. I want to be able to keep doing it for the rest of my life. Traffic will not keep doing what they're doing with the NASL now. Maybe new investors will come in soon and take over those other teams and that will certainly help. But if not, given all the variables, wouldn't it just make more sense if you're Traffic to look at the stability of MLS for your franchise instead? Just some musings. Interested to hear others' perspectives.
     
  2. drSoFlaFan

    drSoFlaFan DEFEND THE FORT!

    Feb 25, 2008
    Plantation, FL
    Club:
    Ft Lauderdale Strikers
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Should the worst case scenario happen in regards to the NASL, I would think the renewed success with the Strikers would have to force Traffic to look long and hard at MLS, or even USLPro(despite their much publicized differences with USL).

    I do not think it would be hard if that scenario happened to find an additional investor or investors willing to partner up and make the move to MLS, especially considering the Lockhart renovations happening on someone else's dime(there would surely need to be additional upgrades if they went to MLS, but that would be a small fraction of the cost of a new SSS).

    Also, you have to think that of the Traffic/league controlled NASL teams, the Strikers would probably be the easiest for them to divest themselves of, being probably the most attractive to potential investors. So that's something to consider as well.

    I'm fully prepared and willing to support a D2 club for the rest of my life if need be. If that's the case I hope it's the Strikers. In time, I have no doubt they could develop into a D2 operation the caliber of what we've seen in Portland, Vancouver, Montréal, etc. 7-10K attendance on a consistent basis and that over time would improve local awareness and media coverage.

    But I also truly believe that MLS will never be complete without the Strikers and Rowdies. They royally screwed us the first time, tainting what had been known as two of the BEST pro soccer markets in the nation before they came along. Now among casual soccer fans Florida is labeled as a failure and a poor market for soccer. Things will be set right only when Fort Lauderdale and Tampa Bay return to the top tier of pro soccer in this country.
     

Share This Page