I have moved from Dallas to Columbia, SC. I am thrilled to hear that the Don is saying that MLS is interested in future expansion to Atlanta, Florida and "The Carolinas". Just looking for comments on what cities in the Carolinas might be viable. Charlotte comes to mind, as well as Charleston. Would Columbia (because it has no other pro sports), Raleigh, or any other cities have a chance if they found a deep-pocket owner/operator? What city do you think is most likely to pull this off? Garber obviously sees the need to create a geographic balance since the southeast has no representation at all.
If anywhere, I would assume Charlotte. It is a big, fast growing city with loads of diversity. It is a good central city that folks from Tennessee, SC, and Upper Georgia can come and watch games. I would really love a team in Raleigh, due to the fact that I live 1.5 hours away, but I can't see that happening. Where did you hear about being interested in the Carolinas? Really would like to read it or what not. Thanks
Charleston probably couldn't pull it off, they're too small. Charlotte, Raleigh, or Greensboro/High Point/Winston-Salem come to mind when thinking of Carolina teams. Didn't Winston-Salem apply for a team when MLS started?
It would probably be either Charlotte or Raleigh. Neither Charleston nor Columbia are big enough markets. If I were a bettin' man (I'm not, but still...), I'd say Charlotte would get the nod. Could American Legion Memorial Stadium be renovated and used? It's big enough, and wouldn't a reno be cheaper than building from scratch?
Realistic: Charlotte, Cary-Raleigh, and a small possibly of Charleston. I'd like to see Asheville, Spartanburg-Greenville, Columbia, Greensboro, and Winston-Salem all get involved in the USL though.
This article's from December, but it details MLS' interest in WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary. This venue is home to the USL's Carolina RailHawks FC.
Ah, got ya. WakeMed Soccer Park is a very, very nice complex for those who have never been. The main pitch used seats 7,130 people (10,000 with temporary seats), while there are 2 other lighted practice fields and 4 other fields. The fields are beautiful and soccer is certainly growing not only in Cary but NC. It would certainly be a great starting point: with the stadium set up (and more seats could certainly be added), practice fields, and it is in one of the fastest growing cities (Cary/Raleigh) in the country. WakeMed Soccer Park info: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WakeMed_Soccer_Park
No. The Bobcats average ~8,000 in reality, something like 12,000 in NBA numbers. Charlotte was viable until Wachovia hit the wall. Now it has 11% unemployment. NFL and NASCAR aside, Charlotte isn't a "major league city". It's big enough, and despite the unemployment, wealthy enough, but between the old loyalties held by transplants and the bitterness at professional sports held by natives, it wouldn't work.
I would say maybe 18 to 20,000 is possible, there are a lot of soccer fans in the Carolina's and I think we could draw enough to support the team and league. We can do a lot better than Dallas!!! If the team lands in Charlotte, what do you think of Queen City FC or Queen City United!?!
LOL, true that. And when I imagined a team in Charlotte, I also thought of using "Queen City" somewhere in the name. Sounds good IMHO
They have an advantage in that there's no baseball team there. Who knows? Maybe if the Eagles went USL-1 and brought in some better talent, it'd be a gage in how responsive the soccer crowd is and how well they could do with a need to draw at least twice as many. Could be a good measuring stick.
David your like a plague! Very annoying and everyone hopes to get ride of it! I'm tired of hearing your Euro CRAP! Shut up and go back to some American sport! Either that or learn to deal that people such as myself who are form England and live in America would like to see the sport take off! Name or not, football or soccer, the game is what it is. Every time someone says something European we don't need to hear your silly comments!
Charlotte/Carolina is tough one for team names...eh, I don't know about Queen City...not a big fan of city nicknames in place of actual city names...it doesn't strike me as a very accessible name...and there are other popultation centers within close distance to Charlotte. I think they should go with Carolina in the name. too bad Houston uses Dynamo, because I was fond of the old team with name Carolina Dynamo best I can come up with is the uncreative Carolina Kings I hope the Charlotte gets a team though, for some reason I have a hunch they can replicate the success of Seattle and Toronto. Eventually I would like to see MLS go for four teams in the Southeast: Charlotte, Atlanta, Miami and Nashville.
What about: Carolina Airborne (Not my idea...I heard it somewhere before, but it was worth repeating). Carolina Cardinals (state bird). Charlotte Royals. Royal Carolina F.C. (had to throw in the European name). Team colors: Airborne- Light blue and white. Cardinals: Red and Black. Royal(s): Purple and White. Red and Black are used too much though, so I prefer Royals or Airborne (their colors haven't been used by any team yet).
And I'm tired of people like you who are trying to hijack the game I grew up with, in AMERICA, and alienate the very people who are needed to make the game take off. You're doing more harm than good, and history will bear it out.
You're exactly right, I can see how a team name is going to ruin American Soccer! The game was hijacked, (What ever that means), long before you were born! I've said it before, the name of a team has nothing to do with how Football will take off. It has to do with Don and the decision's he makes with bringing in new teams, the locations, and stadiums. It will also have to with expanding the salary cap and opening up the possibility to bring in some better talent! So get off your high horse and start realizing that your view point is not everyone's! That's the great thing about America the freedom for the people to choose! TFC has the best set of fans around, The Sounders have the best fan base! Two different names, but the naming had nothing to do with the support of the fans.
If we go with a nickname, make sure it's relevant and sounds good! I think Airborne is a little childish, Cardinals and Royals are already taken by MLB teams. As far as colors go, what if we went with Carolina Blue for home games and Duke Blue for away games. Pulls in ties with local University's and makes it a little personnel. Just a thought?
Pray tell, how was the game "hijacked"* long before 1964, the year of my birth? Names do make a difference; imagine the hue and cry that would have been heard if Seattle's team had not been named the Sounders? Why did SJ go back to Earthquakes? Why are the Whitecaps and Timbers sticking with those names when they move to MLS? Because they are not only historic but also AMERICAN (USA and Canada). This is an AMERICAN league, so give the teams AMERICAN nicknames. To be fair, TO is more Eurocentric, so Toronto FC works. But for most places, Euro names would alienate more people than it would bring in. Hate to tell you, but 150-300 "supporters" won't sustain a pro soccer team twenty minutes. Names like United, Sporting, AC VfB, etc., make no sense here; Sounders, Whitecaps, Timbers, Firebirds, etc., do. The NASL went out of their way to reach out to American soccer fans by naming their teams the way other American and Canadian teams were, and it worked. Reversing the trend now would be astep backward, and would hurt MS in the end. Like I said, history will bear it out; if soccer is not allowed to be the American sport that it most certainly is, it will ultimately fail. * my definition of hijacked: a few people taking a game that is American as baseball, and trying to force European traditions (names like "Something United, FC Someplace, etc.), and running off the very bread and butter of American soccer, the family types who have bought the lion's share of the tickets since the 1960s.
Okay I hear what your saying, but you really think the names of American Football, Basketball, Baseball, etc, made the sport in the US? I really don't think so. I see the significance of keeping the game American to hit home to the American people, but not sure if names are the way. It's American with playoffs and draft etc, but names not sure. By the way I truly believe if Sounders would have stayed with Seattle FC the fans would have supported it just as much! Quick note, I don't have a problem with nicknames, I just don't like ones that sound childish! To me names like Earthquakes, Galaxy, Crew and so fourth are horrible. I like Sounders, truly wish they would have just went with Sounders FC. I love Philly Union, but keep it professional. It's all about what will bring the local fans, but not sure if team names are what brings them in. I'm from Charlotte and go to Bobcats games when I can, I hate the name beyond all belief, but their local so I still support them!