News: FC Barcelona receives draft of contract for Miami Franchise

Re: FC Barcelona receives daft of contract for Miami Franchise

Seattle's USL attendance numbers were mediocre at best. 3,000 to 4,000 were not good numbers. Several factors for why they were that low but the 19,000 season tickets shows that there were always fans of soccer here.

 

USL average for 2008:

http://www.soccercityusa.com/2008uslatt.html

 

Please list one MLS city where USL attendance has been relevant.

Thanks

 

Right, and if you look at the 2008 average for Seattle it was about 3,400. That first number (10,000ish) was the Portland game at Qwest.

 

None of the MLS teams are from USL.....

If Montreal had a team????but you have got to look at the average . Miami has 1,000 in USL and will probably have 10,000 in MLS as far as attendance.

So tell me why Seattle, Portland, Montreal and Vancouver have such a great fanbase?

 

Yes there are questions regarding Miami's willingness to support a team, but the one good thing (probably only good thing) is Barcelona. If they get involved its for the long run. I personally would prefer to see St. louis and Portland admitted first, but if Miami gets in on the Barca clip, i would not be upset. More big spenders and name recognition to raise the level of the league. If beckham brought a smidge of credibility to league as a player, Barca as team will bring loads because they already have a great reputation. I can't see this hurting MLS in the long run. Plus the GolTV guys who are in Miami seem to think that this will be successfull, i think they might have a better idea about this then all of us who don't live in SoFlo. Turf field has to go though, or definately no day games. imagine a 12 pm game on field turf in august. They players feet would melt off.

 

Boo to the mod who changed the thread title. I was feeling the "daft contract", baby.

 

and you think this is good for the league? MLS/International?

 

Re: FC Barcelona receives daft of contract for Miami Franchise

Look.

There's a reason why flights to Ft. Lauderdale are significantly less expensive than flights to Miami: ppl in Miami proper don't go there.

It's like San Franciscans and Oakland/Berkeley: they have their backs to the East Bay.

Or like ppl on the West Side of LA: don't cross the 405 freeway [/spit]. Or Manhattanites and Queens or some other burroughs.

So no. Miami ain't done had no team before.

Um.

Already addressed, but...

Dodgers. Angels. Lakers. Kings. Ducks. GALAXY.

 

You know what I mean.

Why post USL attendance? It has no relevance whatsoever to MLS attendance.

None.

 

Once we lost Rabbi Ribbie Findley, we needed to be less daft in here anyway.

 

I think anything that raises the credibilty of the league, brings more media attention, and brings in well funded and committed ownership is a welcome developement at this point in MLS' developement.

 

good point. but I think identity is the most important factor in any sports club. I'm glad all the USL teams have their own identity except for a couple in USL-2, but what's next ManU Tampa, Arsenal Vegas, Deportivo Detroit, it's starting to get ridiculous.

 

Somebody rep this man. The rep Nazis have struck again!

 

so TFC didn't have crap attendance prior to having great numbers in MLS?

so you agree that we shouldn't expand any more into canada? nip that whole "international" idea in the bud?

 

Re: FC Barcelona receives daft of contract for Miami Franchise

$15. There's a $30 difference between $45 and $15.

Toronto's attendance in USL sucked and look at em now.

There is no way Miami averages 10,000 considering it has 2,000 STH's before even having a team

 

NAME THE TEAM CONTEST: http://www.miamifcb.com/EN/contest.htm

That has been on the website since it was launched late October. And since then, Marcelo Claure has stated, on several occasions, that the team would have it's own identity. If/when the team is awarded, they'll launch a contest to name the team. Can we drop the fear of "Barcelona USA" already?

Yes, in various articles, and even on the official website of the potential team, it has been referred to as "FCB Miami", or "Barça-Miami" etc. etc., however this is for one of two reasons IMO. Number one, it's the easiest way to describe a team that does not yet exist and will be backed by FCB and will play in Miami. Number two, since Claure himself has said, and the name the team section on their website confirms, this team will have it's own identity(name, logos, kits), I'm sure Barça want to use their name recognition to draw people in beforehand as much possible before the team has an official name.

Plus, let's use common sense here people. Who in their right mind would look at what Chivas USA has done in terms of branding and say "hey, that's a good idea, let's do that!"? A good part of Barça's brand and image is respectability and class, and putting a team on the field called "Barcelona Miami/USA/whatever" will only tarnish that image.

 

The fact the team won't be playing in Ft. Lauderdale but instead in Miami ought to give it a much better chance of succeeding.

It sounds like Claure is a very deep pocket man as well. Horowitz didn't have enough jack for MLS at the beginning, so that ought to help too.

 

Re: FC Barcelona receives daft of contract for Miami Franchise

Tickets prices will be affordable. Specially for FIU students.

 

I don't think we can. Barca has stated that the sole purpose of their involvement is to expand their brand. You had said before that this will be some form of the Coke to Sprite relationship. It seems more likely we'll end up with Coke to Coke Zero. "Come see Barca Miami! Just like regular Barca, only without all that pesky talent." In some form or another, Barca is going to have to have their name tied into it. Otherwise, they don't gain anything. You can't have it both ways.


ps. If you do get to pick the name, I'd go with FIU Panthers. It'd save you a fortune on signs around the stadium.

 

Don't forget. Chivas is also rivaling Galaxy for fans since they play in the same area. Miami has no top level pro soccer team, and so they have no competition for the the local fans.

 

That's good because Miami doesn't have too many fans to start with.

 

Re: FC Barcelona receives daft of contract for Miami Franchise

Well, that makes me feel a bit better.

On the positive side, I don't like the league admitting failure in any market.

So the Fusion fans (those who where there for all 4 years) will get a team back, so that is a good thing.

Though, I'd prefer a team in Tampa, there appears to be no owners.

Still, I think this is about demographics. MLS has no presence in the South whatsoever, and Miami is a major market.

 

I disagree. If they run a good franchise, and turn a profit, and they'll make money, regardless of what the team's name is. What they gain is a permanent revenue source in the expanding US pro soccer market(at little to no cost to FCB itself at first), and if they follow through on their intentions to build it, eventually a stadium that they (partially)own and can gain more money from in addition to MLS games(by hosting friendlies, CCL and possibly WC games).

And they can still promote the FC Barcelona name plenty without naming the team after themselves. Owning the MLS team will provide them with plenty of advertising opportunities at the stadium, on TV and in the papers. Naming the team "Barcelona USA" etc. will do more to hurt their brand and image then help. Simply taking a look at the almost total disapproval of such a scenario from these boards is proof enough of that.

 

Yes, I've become a big fan of FC Barcelona because of their history, politics, club/ownership and because they have never put ads on their jersey. I thought they stood up against crass commercialization that has invaded seemingly every other major team in the sport. I was even thinking of becoming a cules (dues paying club member) and forming a Penya here in Chicago.
But if they pull some Chivas USA style naming convention, then ******** all that. They're no different than Red Bull(company not the team) as far as I'm concerned. I thought "Mas que un Club" stood for something, that it wasn't just a lifestyle brand.

Also, the product on the field won't be anything like Barcelona, it will just be another MLS team. Which is fine, if you're honest about it. But that's not what these cats are about, they're pumping out the propaganda. Like they will be the second coming of the Cosmos and take over the league with Barca Brand attacking futbol(tm) with some 2nd rate academy kids and over the hill stars just like Vergara thought. But you can't put lipstick on a pig.

It will just be giant moving advertisement/altar for the "real" Barcelona. It will not at it's core represent American soccer, MLS or even the city and people of Miami. It's supporters will resemble nothing more than a pathetic cargo cult pining for the real thing in some far off land.

Because if they truly believed and had confidence in the American product and its fans, they wouldn't be rushing to emblazon every piece of literature and press release with the "brand" and imagery. They would simply call it FC Miami and quietly slink off into the background. They honestly think we're stupid and gullible and starved for "proper" teams, whatever those are. I dunno, guessing from recent Miami posters, they might be right.
But that's just a sad statement on the status of the game right now. I read someone describe MLS as being "the culmination of Modern Football and commercialization". Which is true, it's probably why Arsenal took our best exec and leagues from around the world are studying are business plans. *rollsyes* I guess that MLS's biggest contribution to the game.

I guess I could live with F.C.B. Miami or something like that though without my blood boiling and having a bonfire party for all my jerseys and t-shirts.