Now I'm really worried about Yankee Stadium

Let's pass the bill so we can find out what's in it.

 

Bit of a longshot, but that one isn't in NYC proper either

 

And that's where MLS backed themselves into a corner--the constant insistence that NYC2 would have to play within the city limits. A stadium outside of the city limits would invalidate everything they've tried to force-feed the fans.

Pretty pathetic considering Garber's recent comments about how Miami doesn't get done unless a stadium is built in the city...must be nice to be able to selectively apply criteria whenever it suits your whims.

 

So I'm correct that most of the people complaining are not from NYC? What difference does it make to you where the team plays if it's not even going to be your team?

 

I don't know when people are going to realize that what Garber says, and what is reality will always be two different things. That is the role of the Commissioner in MLS, and every other sports league. Sure, he wants a stadium and ownership group in a prime location and that's what the league will push for. However, if a proposal comes along that has great potential and it's just prior to a new TV contract cycle, checkmate.
This applies to NYC2 and will also apply to Miami. If Becks can find a suitable site outside of Miami and the deal seems right, The Don will approve.

 

I also believe MLS stands a much better shot of landing a stadium now that they have a team and are selling tickets and making waves than they did before. I also believe they have an improved position next season if they are drawing solid crowds and putting up decent TV numbers. They will have their strongest position after they are proven to be successful and Yonkers, LI, and NJ start approaching the club with stadium ideas.
NYC is losing nothing if the deal is stadium or no MLS team, but if it's stadium or lose your MLS team which has a solid fan base and is creating real jobs and revenue, then the City has something to lose. I would not be surprised to hear very obvious rumblings out of the NYY camp about sharing the stadium once the team gets rolling, and would expect to hear NYY put down a concrete timeline to get out. This will put the City in a position where they will lose the team if a stadium is not built.
I believe MLS knew they stood almost no shot prior to having a team and knew the best route to a stadium in the City was this.

 

the rest of what you say makes sense but this part isn't really true, imo. they tried the location in corona park in queens and would have loved to be able to nail that down.
but going forward, yes, the best pressure on nyc to help find a solution is to launch a successful franchise that becomes desirable to the city.
i'm always struck by how many foreigners are at msg when i go to some nhl game. a soccer stadium in nyc that you could get to conveniently from midtown would be a very nice attraction.

 

I guess I should have said "MLS realized...."

 

Yup. Kinda appropriate that that's the only realistic alternative to Yankee stadium that they're left with...

Money talks but this is potentially going to be a major embarrassment for Garber and MLS

 

The team has insisted that they will play in the five boroughs.

This is not the same as Miami. Miami is a David Beckham initiative. NYC2 is a MLS imitative. They have insisted it is the five boroughs or bust. They backed themselves into a corner. I hope it crushes them.

 

Staten Island is one of the five boroughs. Just saying...

 

It's going to end up on Staten Island if it happens at all, watch.

 

only problem with that theory? they'll be playing at Yankee Stadium, which already has the Yankees 81 or more times a year. With them there, its not gonna be a great loss to the area if this team thats been here for little less the decade is threatening to move. "Oh no, now all we have is the YANKEES. what ever shall we do without those less attended 17 matches a year stimulating our economy? have a little less traffic? the horror…"

the threat of leaving has no real weight here, NYC doesn't need NYCFC for anything.

that would be frigging hilarious. thats less accessible than RBA is right off the bat. It could get done, but it would gain absolutely nothing. Its gotta be in the Bronx, Queens or Brooklyn (assuming manhattan is written out) or this is a failure of concept. despite SI being a part of the city, its no closer than harrison NJ to their target audience.

 

Maybe Yankee Stadium can be renovated to make it more palatable as a soccer stadium? If it's going to be their permanent home this may be the only solution. The Yankees shouldn't have a problem with this, they're surely more than willing to help out tenants who use the ground 17 times a year?

 

Agree with a comment above that Yankee Stadium is really something of an experiment and a year to year proposition. If things go smoothly they may be able to stay there indefinitely but if playing at the stadium has any negative impact of any kind whatsoever on the Yankees then Levine's statement several months ago comes into play and NYCFC may have to consider the unfathomable...the "Citeh" team playing outside the 5 boroughs.

However silence on the stadium front at this stage may not be bad news. The team comment that they're letting de Blasio get settled seems reasonable and after the multimillion dollar public PR fiasco at FMCP a quiet process may be in order. They may be making progress just behind the scenes.

Agree too with the idea that people make too much of Garber's lack of a consistent message on expansion initiatives. The league is saying downtown or bust in Miami because they and Beckham/Claure want to be downtown in Miami...that could all change if Beckham/Claure find a non downtown site that works in South Florida. Downtown is just about out of the question for NYCFC in New York...except for Staten Island anywhere close to a subway stop will do.

 

This is a terrible strategy for launching a professional sports team, especially soccer in the United States. Period.

 

There would still be no MLS if the league waited for every city to welcome it with open arms.

 

New York wouldn't have anything to lose, it's New York. MLS needs New York a lot more than New York needs MLS. That actually goes for pretty much any sports organization in America.

 

Maybe, but MLS is not in the same situation it was in 1996. MLS does not need to force its way into any city. There are cities beating down the doors to welcome it.

 

NYC, and the media market density there, is worth it to MLS's business.

 

Not if the team loses money and doesn't build a fan base. Will that happen...I have no idea, but they aren't starting off on a good foot.

 

Seems to me we have no idea what will happen. But it sure is fun to discuss "if's" about the future.

We can certainly see what the league (and the owners of NYC) have done to date, and we each may have different idea as to if they are getting off on a good foot.

Certainly placing a team in NYC must have done something to help MLS/SUM rake in a nice fat 8-year national television deal with ESPN/FOX/Univision.

This analysis of what is "good/best for the league" goes beyond the local concerns of is some specific team is (or will be) "losing money" or not fostering a "significant fan base" and/or playing in "an inappropriate (if even temporary) stadium."