Glassboro (Rowan)???

Discussion in 'Philadelphia Union' started by Rickster, Mar 16, 2006.

  1. CyphaPSU

    CyphaPSU Member+

    Mar 16, 2003
    Not Far
    Club:
    Philadelphia Union
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I've been out of the news for 24 hours, so I feel so behind the times...

    My first reaction to the Glassboro news seems a bit suspicious to me. 17 miles from Center City doesn't seem all that bad, but it really depends in which direction you are talking about. For people living in the north and west suburbs of Philly (which comprise a great deal of the Philly market), 17 miles due south of CENTER City in Jersey will not be an appitizing prospect to travel. Interested sports fans in these areas who do drive to South Philly for our teams could face up to a 40-mile drive or so.

    It doesn't seem to make sense. And people were complaining about possibly putting an MLS team in Lower Bucks County (immediately adjacent to the city) for concerns of it not being a central enough location...
     
  2. n4100

    n4100 Member

    Dec 10, 2003
    Philadelphia
    Ethan, almost everything I've seen has this being basically the press release and the AP, not much of anything else. There's also nothing on MLSnet concerning an announcement from them on Monday.

    I'm in two different mind-sets on this: one saying this isn't even PA let alone Philly, and another saying that its a soccer team, just go with it.
     
  3. SoccerPrime

    SoccerPrime Moderator
    Staff Member

    All of them
    Apr 14, 2003
    Club:
    Real Salt Lake
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I've spoken to Rowans University and to one of the reporters who broke the story today. My take is that Rowans wants this badly and MLS wants the Philly market bad enough that they are willing to step out of PA to get into that market some how.

    I've been told that "everything" will be expained on Monday. Wait and see... :rolleyes:
     
  4. LMoroney

    LMoroney Member

    Jan 28, 1999
    First, I'm making an assumption that all this is true, and not just a rumor, and that an MLS team is coming to the greater Philly / South Joisey area in 2009.

    Congratulations. And yes, I'm dead jealous :)

    The economic reality is that the MLS is not the NFL. They cannot afford to put stadia in down town areas in the middle of major metropoli (metropolises, metropola?) such as Philly, and thus they have to go to suburban areas nearby. It's either that or watching another cities' team on TV.

    Obviously if a team goes to the suburbs or to a nearby area, then it isn't convenient for everyone. If it's to the east of the city, it's hardly local for the fans who live on the west of the city, etc. Unfortunately, that's a harsh reality.

    Some cities, like Philly, New York, Kansas city etc are built on state lines. As such the suburbs may be in different states. There's nothing wrong with a team being put in one of these suburbs, and still taking the name of the major nearby city. Again, I'd say better that than no team at all.

    So, Philly, I know this place isn't Philly city center, and heck it's not even in Penn, but it could be YOUR team. YOUR players, YOUR name, YOUR new heritage. It's not ideal -- but it wants to be YOURS.

    Congratulations!
    Laurence
     
  5. CrewSchmack

    CrewSchmack Member

    Columbus Crew SC
    United States
    Mar 3, 1999
    Delaware, OH
    According to their "Master Plan" documents online they're projecting for 15,000 undergrad.
     
  6. PeddieJV

    PeddieJV New Member

    May 4, 2003
    EHT NJ, PGH PA
    I just picked up the Friday Sports section of the Atlantic City Press and the MLS story was given the lead spot (well, next to the NCAAs).

    The AC press ussually has great coverage of the PDL South Jersey Barons, who play in Ocean City, always givening them a spot on the front page after a game.

    They also have pretty solid coverage of soccer in general, but ussually more on Europe, High Schools, and Stockton College than MLS.

    I went to a Barons game last year and they had a pretty decent crowd for pdl, filling up one side of a normal high school stadium:

    [​IMG]

    I guess the South Jersey Barons could become the name of the new team, as it has some recognition around here.
     
  7. CrewSchmack

    CrewSchmack Member

    Columbus Crew SC
    United States
    Mar 3, 1999
    Delaware, OH
    It makes perfect sense if the Rowan Division I aspriations I'm theroizing about are true. (I've no inside knowledge about this at all...)

    Rowan needs to build facilities to make that jump. With MLS offering 16 dates a year, it makes the state more likely to offer some coin into the pot since the facility would be used all year.

    As far as supporting the club goes...I think this location will be fine. Yes it's a pain to get to, but so is everything. Instead of trying to draw fans from Reading, they'll try to draw from Egg Harbor.
     
  8. edogg

    edogg Member

    Jul 7, 2004
    Philadelphia
    Club:
    Real Madrid
    Nat'l Team:
    Croatia
    You name them that and no one from Philly will support it or even care about it
     
  9. SoccerPrime

    SoccerPrime Moderator
    Staff Member

    All of them
    Apr 14, 2003
    Club:
    Real Salt Lake
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I think this is your article:
    MLS looking at Rowan
    http://www.pressofatlanticcity.com/sports/local/story/6034743p-6007379c.html
     
  10. chapulincolorado

    Jul 14, 1999
    McAllen, Texas
    Club:
    FC Dallas
    Nat'l Team:
    Mexico
    Everything...everything?

    [Garber]Yes..one more question.....[/Garber]

    [Reporter]...Hi...Mr. Gaber..Here from The Monitor...what's in Spam?[/reporter]

    :D
     
  11. Adam Zebrowski

    Adam Zebrowski New Member

    May 28, 1999
    well, the details are supposed to be made public on monday.....

    don't forget there'sa ton of folk living in south jersey, just as affluent as trhe phily, PA suburbs...

    we shall see if this is a team who's moving, or an expansion one...

    first move, well if arena ceases to be usmnt coach, make a move....

    i bet peter vermes will be the coach though...
     
  12. Owls Head

    Owls Head Member

    Feb 10, 2006
    Montgomeryville, PA
    Club:
    Philadelphia Union
    Nat'l Team:
    United States


    I said I did not see anything.....! I did not say the Inqy was not mainstream, because clearly it is as is the DN... I did not get a chance to glance at either paper today that is all...
    so there goes our Philly team... in south jersey... don't like it...
     
  13. Sundevil9

    Sundevil9 Member

    Nov 23, 1999
    Reston, VA
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Just as there's a divide at the river, there's also a north/south divide in the Philly metro area. I don't know the northern bit too much, having grown up in Gloucester County and having family in Delaware County, but do folks find it to be too much of a hassle to head down to Flyers, Phillies, or Sixers games?
     
  14. Owls Head

    Owls Head Member

    Feb 10, 2006
    Montgomeryville, PA
    Club:
    Philadelphia Union
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Here is my commute time via mapquest from Montgomeryville, Pa.


    Total Est. Time: 1 hour, 12 minutes Total Est. Distance: 56.49 miles


    That is a bit far....

    :confused:
     
  15. Sundevil9

    Sundevil9 Member

    Nov 23, 1999
    Reston, VA
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States

    Well, maybe the next team will be in your backyard.
     
  16. SoccerPrime

    SoccerPrime Moderator
    Staff Member

    All of them
    Apr 14, 2003
    Club:
    Real Salt Lake
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Again, lets not just give up on a PA-side Philly MLS team here. Glassboro very well might happen, but I think we'll find out on Monday that all Glassboro has at this point is Rowans Unversity with a lot of land and lots of good intentions.
    I want to hear there is an Investor-Operator for this NJ team before we change www.phillysoccer.com to www.sortofalmostphillysoccer.com
     
  17. n4100

    n4100 Member

    Dec 10, 2003
    Philadelphia
    Any comparison is moot as those teams as they have for at least the past 30 years been down at the sports complex, so there's a precedent (and for the Sixers, who the hell is going?). Also, I know of plenty of people from the suburbs who will drive to Fern Rock or some other transit point before catching the subway down to Pattison Ave. None of those options are available, nor will they be for quite some time in terms of Glassboro.
     
  18. Sundevil9

    Sundevil9 Member

    Nov 23, 1999
    Reston, VA
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States

    I don't think it's totally moot.

    If the big four don't draw as well from the northern suburbs, then an MLS team in southern Gloucester County shoulndn't count on those fans.
     
  19. Owls Head

    Owls Head Member

    Feb 10, 2006
    Montgomeryville, PA
    Club:
    Philadelphia Union
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    That would be nice...

    Temple University Ambler Campus is not far from me, go battle Rowan, Temple, for a SSS...

    :)
     
  20. Pangloss

    Pangloss New Member

    Nov 3, 2004
    NYC
    The soccer fans of NYC feel your pain. ;) Seems like most of the people from Philly and the western suburbs think this is a bad idea. When considering things like this I always go with the locals. The northeast is not like much of the rest of the country where everything is wide open and people drive constantly and everywhere. Public transport is big and even in the suburbs things are very close together. You're also dealing with relatively old cities that have not benefitted from urban planning as much as a lot of other places have. I really don't see what MLS is thinking here, but we'll see what they say on monday. Boy they're certainly pissing a lot of people off this year. :D
     
  21. Sundevil9

    Sundevil9 Member

    Nov 23, 1999
    Reston, VA
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I see opportunity for MLS. And it keys off of your statements about how tough it is to move around the older larger cities.

    MLS is an arena type league, looking for 15k-20k attendence figures. Coudn't the NY metropolitan area really support three of these teams? It can support 3 NHL teams (well, two and the Islanders ;) ). The same can be said of Philadelphia. Why not leave the opportunity to place another team to the North and West of the city? The league should use these natural transportation dividers to its advantage. This would create true cross-town rivalries (not like LA).
     
  22. Pangloss

    Pangloss New Member

    Nov 3, 2004
    NYC
    Points taken and you're right that true local rivalries would help the league flourish. My only question is how many people are actually going to support the South Jersey team in the first place? Theres not much to a rivalry if only one side of it has any real fan base. But regardless I hope i'm wrong and the team does very well. I have my doubts though and I certainly feel for people from Philly that wanted a team within the city limits.
     
  23. All the nay sayers are nuts. 15 miles from downtown Philadelphia to this location? I live in what is considered a close-in suburb of Chicago and it's close to 25 miles to the city center. The new Fire stadium is at least that far for me to drive and it will take less time than the old Soldier Field did. MLS must build these stadia where opportunities present themselves. They have been very good about negotiating shuttle buses, etc. from major transit hubs to their games. Also, with their own stadia, most games will be on Saturday night or afternoon or on Sunday afternoon or evening, making traffic much less of an issue. This is great and I'm sure most soccer fans in Philadelphia welcome a team. Let the rivalries begin!
     
  24. Sundevil9

    Sundevil9 Member

    Nov 23, 1999
    Reston, VA
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I think the way to look at it as this team would tap very well into half of the Philly market and there would be instant rivalries with NY and DC. There's a ton of people and money in South Jersey, they just get too overshadowed by Philadelphia and PA.

    Plopping second teams into NY and Philly would only solidify the entire NE US market.
     
  25. n4100

    n4100 Member

    Dec 10, 2003
    Philadelphia
    I don't think MLS needs to solidify the NE, but instead needs to stretch out into untapped markets, if they will support a franchise (NW, SE, S).
     

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