so has it come to the point that we have to call a massive lottery ticket buying frenzy here in milwaukee so that we can use it to fund a mls team? i know i have asked it before but is there anything that we as supporters can do? i know your going to say no but its hard to just sit by and watch this team possibility go down the tubes.
peter i dunno if u've already considered this, but what about a team not based in milwaukee?...the vibe i've gotten is that the city of milwaukee doesn't want it, but how bout elsewhere?...madison? green bay? (though i'd hate the competition w/ the packers) or is it milwaukee or bust?
also...in all likelihood, we're not gonna get a team here soon. but when would be the earliest time that "negotiations" would open up again? 2009, 2010, or are we talking waaaay out there?
i've been taught never to say never, but i think the best chance now is to steal an existing team that's struggling in the future...and that's hard/impossible to do without a stadium or stadium plan in place. peter
Peter, first let me say I am grateful for your efforts in trying to procure an MLS franchise for the Milwaukee area. But, Peter, your comment is disturbing. Maybe it's a lack of understanding on my part about the MLS expansion and franchise procurement processes. But, are you saying the league would actually consider denying an expansion franchise to Milwaukee even if a qualified buyer with financing in hand presented a viable plan for an expansion franchise? Asked differently, and maybe hitting too close to home: Has a potential owner with financial viability presented a plan to the MLS for a Milwaukee franchise and been given the response you stated above?
They could deny it based on size...i mean they're even considering denying St. Louis over Philly (i don't think they will deny St.L.), because St. Louis doesn't have as many eyeballs as Philly and St. Louis' population is 2M+. We never did get a potential owner with financial viability to the stage where we could present a viable plan to MLS. In the last two years, MLS has turned 180 degrees from a buyers market to a sellers market. If we had gotten to that stage two years ago, i believe we would've been approved. Now, i'm not so sure. Market size, however, is NOT what's preventing Milwaukee from getting an MLS team right now. It's lack of a stadium and owner. My comment was to show that with Milwaukee as a questionably sized market, Green Bay and Madison are non-starters. peter
Is it the fact that Milwaukee currently supports other professional sports teams that makes it too small a market (too much of a chance at the gate) as far as the League is concerned? Or is it for lack of an investor, stadium, and plan? Both? Can you clarify? Something tells me either way we're s-o-l for a long time to come.
Well, the stadium/owner is certainly the biggest concern. The number of potential eyeballs for ESPN is the second concern. The sports competition is not as much an issue with MLS. peter
Peter, You've got to stop talking like this. Pretty soon you'll be saying things like: "We should see other people" or "It's not you, it's me". Can you at least leave us a copy of the stadium renderings at The Highbury so we can remember the good times we've had together? I remember a couple years ago when all of this started taking off. It was a great feeling. Now, those giddy feelings are gone. At least we'll always have The Highbury.
Well I'll be frank and say that's bulls***. It's clearly not the market size that matters when one looks around the league and how many fans are attendance and the microscopic TV numbers - it's how much the team connects to the city and how much interest it can generate. MLS does not need to recreate the failed NHL expansion model, I don't think anyone in soccer wants an "Atlanta Thrashers" in MLS where everyone nods their head that it's a great market, but no one in the market actually cares about the team, so nothing is gained. That sucks Peter. I'm sorry it didn't work for you. MLS would be better served with you as a controlling interest in a team, and it's their loss. I hope you are able to find another business opportunity in running another soccer operation, either MLS, USL, or maybe for a national organization. Are you planning on going any of those routes right now?
Thx. i don't want to say that the reason we're not likely to get a team is because the League thinks Milwaukee is too small. The lack of a stadium and an owner is the reason. i was just saying that the League's concerns about the market size here was an issue that needed to be overcome. A suitable stadium, owner and business model would've overcome those concerns a couple years ago...i don't know if that would be the case now. i would consider any of those career routes. If MLS doesn't work in Milwaukee, i'd like to see someone try USL1 here again and if i can provide guidance and leadership for that, i'd be happy to. i'm currently putting a lot of time into the new pro women's league and the Chicago franchise in that League. Ultimately, i would like to return to MLS in a team leadership role. peter
Allright then, so how's the women's league coming along? Is the Chicago women's team going to be a subsidiary of the Fire or an independent organization that'll rent Bridgeview?
Am at women's league meetings today and tomorrow in DC. League and Chicago team are both making good progress. i'm thrilled we pushed back one year. i can't imagine how we would have gone forward in 2008. We will be an independent organization leasing Toyota Park, but we hope to have a partnership with the Fire. We've had positive discussions regarding a resource sharing agreement, but nothing is finalized. peter
Hey Peter man, this is such a bummer. I haven't had the heart to get on here and even post until now. Effing bummer. This whole section just makes me depressed now. What would you prescribe?
your choice of following options: a) support an MLS, EPL, MFL or other pro club and follow passionately b) support your local collegiate and high school teams c) support the malt beverage brewer of your choice d) get a fantasy soccer team e) all of the above