Makes sense, too much sense. Only problem is the stadium. Butini has got the right idea, trying to get it downtown. MLS rightly is sick of playing in ill configured NFL stadiums.
Dream setup: -Ross becomes a hands-off investor, providing money and clout and most importantly, free rent at SunLife to begin Miami MLS life. He also supplies Dolphins marketing (be as it may) - Claure also an investor but main one, has a more hands on approach. Helps Miami MLS with International, especially latin connections -Butini is smaller investor but more importantly becomes the President of the ownership board. Think Adrian Hanauer in Seattle. Hands on from the get go. Gets stadium built ASAP downtown. -Beckham, looks pretty and smiles alot. Also meets with politicos and potential designated players. Awesome.
If they can get Butini on board. He's reported to be looking for investors, so why not just join forces???
Maybe if Ross and Becks end up as partners, Ross goes forward with a renovation of Sun Life (with or without public funding) that makes it similar to what they've done in Vancouver and what they are talking about in ATL with a "downsized" capacity for soccer (I read something like the lower and club levels of Sun Life are 33,000 seats) that seems to be acceptable for MLS.
SunLife would only work if the remodel makes the stadium like Whitecaps have it now and what Atlanta plans to do. Otherwise, you end up with a New England Revolution scenario.
With the drawings that were out there before including a roof over the seating areas...it would certainly be possible to do exactly that. Only issue is that every sketch i've seen of the proposed renovation had the video boards in the four corners of the upper deck....is 33-35,000 "too big" for MLS in Miami?
Agree. What BC Place did with the retractable roof and "secondary" screen covering the upper seating deck is pretty cool. I would imagine you could make the opening even bigger to fully support natural grass. Either way, definitely a model for what multi-role stadiums should look like. When's Gillette due for a re-model?? Built in 2000, so probably not for 20-25 years??? Revs are kinda screwed
Yea @SoccerPrime I think its a great idea to get some of the Miami Dolphins fan base to get on board with the MLS team, gaining new fans every sunday, so by the time we have a new stadium should have a bigger fanbase then from starting from scratch...
http://espnfc.com/news/story/_/id/1...-ross-linked-mls-david-beckham-source?cc=5901 Ok ESPN is reporting this, its getting closer guys. Miami will finally get back into MLS!! Lets Go Miami!!
terrible idea. if we ever get an mls team here, and see fans holding a D and a "fence" sign, im going to puke.
Sitting at the bottom of the Regionalliga Nord -- the fourth tier of German football -- Magdeburg have given their fans a collective headache this season. But their fans have employed a system to help them get out of their recent scoring drought. During a match against Berliner AK 07, a group of fans stood behind the visiting team's goal, each with a large, brightly colored arrow pointing to the net so their team would know where to shoot. And just to clarify their intentions, another group of fans held up a banner that read, "We'll show you where the goal is!"
I didn't say that at all. I said that the Phins could help with marketing, since NFL marketing budgets are a little larger than MLS. That's all.
So what happened with the FIU Stadium idea? Did MLS insist on a SSS (or renovation of Sun Life, which probably isn't viable)?
I think MLS just care about where the team will play on a permanent basis.. Temporarily they just need someplace in the area. But no doubt the stadium idea will be what makes or breakes this expansion plan.
problem with that location is its in the middle of the suburbs. not ideal. though not a bad way to start on a temporary basis. its still the last alternative in my mind.
Eh...I think a pretty significant amount of the fan base would be coming from the suburbs and it's right next to the Turnpike. I don't think a downtown location would necessarily be bad, but FIU's not inconvenient to a lot of people (personally I'm equidistant to either)
for a new franchise it will be a bit more difficult to attract attendance. its not like the miami dolphins which had an established fan base for decades before they moved in the middle of nowhere. however i have no problem if the FIU stadium is used as a temporary solution. maybe a couple of seasons while the main SSS is built somewhere in downtown.