Chances of a MLS team in South Florida?

Here's something interesting to consider(a visual that would go along nicely with RalphsMom's piece he linked to a few posts back).

Imagine if the South Florida metropolitan area was more accurately split up into two, Miami and Fort Lauderdale-West Palm. When you consider the cultural differences and distances involved it really makes no sense for all of Southeastern Florida to be lumped in as one market. It's the 2nd longest metro area in the country(and that's only because the NYC metro area stretches all the way from Pennsylvania to the tip of Long Island).

Broward and PBC as one separate "metro area" would be the largest in the state. Miami-Dade County as it's own metro area would be 3rd. Fort Lauderdale would therefore become the largest and highest profile city in the largest metro area in the state.



MDC is 62% Hispanic. Broward/PBC is a combined 19%. "South Florida" as one continuous market is an illusion and it's always hindered the marketing and success of pro soccer here because everyone has tried to please everyone. Has never worked in the past, won't work in the future IMO.

We all rally around our "Big 4" pro sports teams because they are in the best leagues in the world in their sports. MLS is not "Major League" soccer. "Major League" soccer is played in Europe and South America. To use an NBA analogy, LeBron James doesn't play in MLS, Juwan Howard does.

The big, flashy market teams in MLS, with the so-called "stars" everyone claims Miami would flock to come see, the Galaxy and Red Bulls, rank 11th and 16th in MLS attendance capacity % so far in 2013. Building your team around the stars of yesterday is a faulty plan from day one.

And FWIW my preferred stadium sites for the Strikers(and therefore MLS) are Sawgrass or Pompano Park. Good access for both, lots of pros and not a lot of cons for both. Lockhart and downtown FTL for me aren't worth the time/pain in the ass factor involved with approval at those locations to be worth pursuing.

 

Sawgrass by the Panthers arena would be a great spot...parking, bars/restaurants for before/after the game (though the Panthers are not big on allowing grills for tailgating). Plus Miami-Dade people are used to driving there for shopping, hockey, and concerts. Not a big fan of the Pompano Park location as it's not easy on/off for a major highway.

There is one major flaw with your "metro area" argument....and that is "media" market. Miami/Fort Lauderdale is a media market (for both tv and radio). Palm Beach County is part of a media market with the Treasure Coast (Stuart/Port St. Lucie/Vero Beach). Miami is market #16 in the country....West Palm/Fort Pierce is #38. While the tv/radio up here talk about Heat and Dolphins....they pretty much ignore the Marlins and Panthers....and the Strikers..in the three years I've lived here....have not gotten a drop of ink or a bit of air play on any media that's native to West Palm. Why is this relevant? Cost of marketing the team primarily. If you tried to divide marketing dollars/efforts across two large markets....you'd be diluting the message.

 

It's only about 2 miles from Pompano Park to both the Turnpike and I-95 on Atlantic. It's also just 5 minutes up the road from Lockhart taking Powerline or Andrews so you could access via Commercial as well. Even MLK to the north from the Turnpike.

Fair point - why I get 3 PBS channels haha. But I think they're already dividing what little marketing dollars/efforts the team has across two large markets. They're doing events and appearances from Wellington all the way down to Homestead. It's like a shotgun trying to hit everything. I think in the end if you try to appeal to everyone, you end up appealing to no one, at least when we're talking soccer.

Minor league is always gonna be tough to get coverage even locally down here, but I think if you brought in a major league team, one that's more relatable to PBC fans then the "Miami" Fusion was,(i.e. the Strikers) it could get more play in the County's media outlets. Then MLS would be capturing two media markets with one stone. They get the butts in seats that Broward/PBC fans consistently bring to the table and media play throughout the region(and probably to a certain extent the whole state - I can see a Heat/Magic or Marlins/Rays situation if we ever get two teams, with one team's games on FS Florida and the other on Sun Sports).

 

Oh...I completely agree with you on the current marketing efforts....it's great...and a curse...that they try to hit everyone...especially with youth teams, etc. However, I would draw a 20 mile circle around Lockhart and use my scarce dollars to hit those areas with paid media....maybe even direct mail or targeted cable tv. I hate to say it...but the WPB media market is not going to happen for consistent coverage...even of MLS. The Panthers receive next to no coverage here unless they are in the playoffs. I used to work in tv news here...I know how they think....in general, sports coverage gets short shrift here....and what they do focus on is high schools and "events" like the Honda Classic or Delray tennis. The Dolphins are the only team with a consistent following and the Heat are just too good to ignore.

As for stadium location....two miles from a major highway is a huge deal when planning a facility. Joe Robbie Stadium and the BB&T Center have direct access to highways from the parking lot....the AAA and Marlins Park are both 2-3 blocks from the highway (836/395). An ideal stadium location would have that...a stadium at Pompano Park, with 20,000 people trying to leave around the same time, could be a traffic nightmare. Wherever they build it though...i'll be there.

 

wow. i would hate to work where you work. Not saying the gene pool here is entirely made for Ambercrombie & Fitch...but 75%? geez...

thank god that hasnt been my experience.

 

I agree that they will go there, even though everything that S&M and DR have posted is true. Gambling, a word you used, on glitter & gloss will override history and common sense.

BTW, the meeting with Mr Claure makes me wonder where this team will wind up. During his Barca flirtation I-75 and the Turnpike Extension in far northwest M-D, nearly in Broward and far removed from downtown Miami and the mystical allure of the City of Miami Beach's fabled South Beach, was Mr Claure's preferred location for his new team, after a brief stay in his preferred temporary site, FIU Stadium. Since Mr Beckham is coming here as Mr Claure's guest I wonder if he'll be shown this location, or if Mr Claure, and any other principles that may be involved in this, now have a better site in mind.

Still, all that is being said is that David Beckham is here for a basketball game & to check out the area for any worthwhile possibilities. Nothing seems to be definite and set in stone. Hopefully, within the next week of so we'll know more about what his plans are and how they will affect us here. Like you, I am relatively certain that "Miami" is where they will go simply because of name value. We'll find out soon enough if that is what Beckham and the others want and if it will, for the 1st time, work and prosper.

 

http://wvhooligan.com/2013/05/29/16722/beckham-set-for-meetings-in-miami/

So apparently the meetings are highly exploratory and there are rumors that he is visiting other cities.

 

Hopefully Claure took Beckham to the Germany/Ecuador match so Beckham could see his future.

 

I don't see your point. Possibly you saw the game was at FAU? That is Florida Atlantic University in the City of Boca Raton, FL. Claure wants his team's temporary location to be at a stadium at Florida International University in Miami, Fl. Two different places many miles, about 60 miles, apart.

 

The game was played at 2:15 PM on a Wednesday afternoon to accommodate German TV. If this game had been played in the evening or on a weekend...they could have sold it out. They also did not publicize it very well.

 

MLS Miami rally at the Heat game was a smashing success:



Later some random Asian tourist family apparently joined them:



Becks stood them up. If he or Claure want to see some actual soccer fans in any decent number, who are passionate about a team that actually exists, they are welcome to shoot up to Lockhart Stadium on Saturday.

 

I was at the game in Boca. Great crowd considering the time. Had that been primetime for east coast US, I think they very well could have come close to selling it out.

FAU is the best stadium in SoFla for most international games. HUGE national teams or clubs like Spain or Barcelona should be all means use JRS cause they'll need the seats. But anything else should be in Boca. Real grass, brand new, good sightlines.

 

You can continue to clown on the Miami fans and hope and pray that MLS takes a sniff in Ft. Lauderdale's direction, but we all know by now which city the league is interested and it's not the one in the 954.

 

I would have been there had it been a night game. It is by far the best venue in South Florida...and if a Broward-centric MLS team comes to pass....could serve as a temp home during stadium construction. Heck...with the right owner and right partnership with FAU...it could be a permanent one.

 

Evidently the grand tour is today. Word is that one of the places they will visit is FAU stadium. The place I said wouldn't work because it is in Boca. Maybe they are actually looking at a larger view than any of us think they are? They are supposed to look and talk with people at other sites, too. None in Broward that I know of, but a couple of major sites in M-D.

If they are taking a tri-county view, and it looks like they are, I think it would be wise for South Florida's current team to invite these nice people to their office in Lockhart stadium to show them what the Strikers plans are for the stadium they want to build. Maybe, to everyone's surprise, a deal can be worked out. It probably won't happen, but, IMVHO, that is the only way that anything all fans would accept can be accomplished. I also think this give MLS in "Miami" it's best chance to succeed. YMMV, of course.

As for mocking fans. This demos the actual desire for the sport in Dade. I believe that of the 7 people shown in the 1st photo (6 in pic, 1 photographer) 2 or 3 are from Broward. The Dade contingent is not that big. The 2 principles for MLS Miami Bid and a few others. Even I expected a larger turnout than that. The folks in the 2nd photo are a group of Brits in town to watch the Heat game and some other random folks. The Miami Herald reported a group of 75 on the scene. For the sake of a very good friend that helped organize this event I wish it was the case. Basically 7 to 10 locals showed up after getting the word out to the 3,000+ "fans" that liked MLS Miami Bid on FB. With more time I'm sure they would have done better, but not last night. Kudos for those that did show. Even, or especially, for those that wore their Striker jerseys.

 

Fans mock fans of rival teams - MLS in Miami would be a rival to my team.