Great News Concerning The Expansion Of The Mls..breaking News..

is it great news? the league just contracted two teams. why not let the league grow up a bit before it tries to expand again.

is expansion great news or is it too soon?

 

yup, here it is on soccernet/espn

http://espn.go.com/soccer/news/2002/1009/1443626.html

 

actually, he didn't say this. he said within the next 365 days they will annouce that they're expanding. they may not actually have those two teams for a few years. difference between announcing and having.

 

its an anouncement about an anouncement, Metrostars fans are very familiar with these.

 

Where would they go anyway?

I personally don't think the fans in Florida would line up right now.

Also, didn't the MLS announce no expansion without a stadium?

 

one team will be philly...they have a stadium next year and would do well with fans. actually that's just my opinion/hope.

 

I was as die hard a Fusion fan as any that existed, spending countless dollars and emotional capital on that team for four years....and then, bammo!

I've gone from crazed fan to someone who hasn't watched one game this season. Much like that first romantic breakup, the sting and pain eventually subside, replaced by genuine indifference.

I'm not excited in the least.

 

i wrote a hypothetical thread about this a week or two ago. i'm pretty sure one team will be in seattle. this is a pretty good soccer area, and we ought to have another team out west like that. the other one will probably be in philly, b/c MLS marketers don't know how to expand the product. sure, it'll make for great rivalries, but you'll end up having 4 teams in the northeast, while other parts of the country (southeast, maybe texas, the plains, etc.) get the shaft.

 

See NEWS and Analysis forum for more.

 

Expect:

Seattle
Philly
Houston
Atlanta

Not necessarily in that order, but those are my leading candidates.

San Diego, Portland, Raleigh-Durham, Minnesota and yes maybe still Rochester are my longshots.

 

I wish people would quit mentioning San Diego or Atlanta when talking about expansion. Hotlantans are some of the most passionless and indifferent fans in the country. Again the braves failed to sell out their playoff series vs a traditional foe, the Giants. Even the tomahawk chop was blase'.

The easiest thing for MLS to do in a reduced timeframe is to promote the Sounders and Rhinos, even though I think MLS is robbing itself of money & a soccer frenzied atmosphere by not playing in Philthydelphia. A move there, however, needs to coincide w/ expansion in Pheonix or Houston.

IMHO Portland, Raleigh-Duram, & Minnesota(promote the thunder) should round out a 20 team league in the next 12-16yrs. The NASL tried to get rich on expansion fees and it crippled the league, MLS needs to grow slow but expand in favorable markets only. 4 Div:west-midwest-eastern-altantic divisions. 4 automatic bids division champs and the remaining 4 chosen based on pts reguardless of divisions and no pro/reg of course(I think the A-league and the PDL can work something out w/ MLS) The league should proposition big clubs like Bayern, AJAX, Chivas, River, Ars and ManUre to operate expansion clubs assuming single entity will fade as revenue stabilizes.

 

Please don't promote the Thunder. Milwaukee enjoys beating them too much ...

 

Stop talking about Florida........we tried that.......didn't work. Stadium or not.

 

MLS is not suporting the statement by Tim.

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/soccer/digest.htm


Although a board of governors member said Wednesday that Major League Soccer would add two teams in a year, a spokesman said it isn't likely. "We have had exploratory conversation with lots of people and communities, but that's it," MLS' Trey Fitz-Gerald said. He responded to remarks by Tim Leiweke, whose Anschutz Entertainment Group owns six of the 10 teams. Fitz-Gerald says new teams likely wouldn't play until 2004 or '05.

 

Fair enough, but that's not necessarily inconsistent with Leweike's remarks that they would announce two teams next year (which would presumably mean they would play the year after... i.e. 2004)

 

I think it is a bit pie in the sky to think expansion is anywhere near this close (2004). We still don't have owners for all of our existing teams...

Andy

 

Not to mention the depth to fill these teams with quality players. MLS should increase the rosters and/or form reserve teams before expansion.

 

Houston vrs. Dallas...finally MLS's gets what it needs

NOT holding my breath down here in Houston but I would think Reliant Stadium with its grass surface, A/C capcity and MLS specified playing width ordered per Mr. McNair (see Texans web site)...we just might be there in '04/'05.

 

This doesn't sound really promising to me.

Either one, they aren't as close as Tim suggested. Or two, they're rushing into it without real strong plans for the area (i.e. no SSS). I'm not very excited about any of the potential areas without an MLS stadium being built. Grass surface. Large playing surface. Blah blah blah... forget it. I'm wasting my breath.

 

Where in Philly? You're not talking about the Eagles new place, are you?

(A one time temp Philly guy)


P.S...."would do well with fans"...that's funny about Philly fans. Ask J.D. Drew, or Santa Claus

 

Didn't see Oklahoma on any lists.....it is a smaller market, and if they have owners and an sss approved for building, they will put one there.....

also, even though it is against what the brass has said....are you going to deny a guy like Mr.McNair in Houston a team b/c of the stadium....that is fresh $$$ coming into the league.....what is it, about $20 mil. to enter.....

I want to see all teams playing in sss, but fresh capital may sway the vote.....(just keep it in the back of your mind)....

 

didn't they boo mike schmidt? i mean ************in-aye

 

also, Tim said that MLS will be making an announcement in the next 365 days about an announcement on expansion, then they will make another announcement announcing which cities are in the final running, and that an announcement will be made 30-60 days after that announcing which cities go the teams.....

and to add to that, Nick S. will be making an announcement soon about a future anncouncement announcing that they are 30-60 days away from announcing that the MetroStars have been approved to build a stadium in Harrison....

when all is announced, it should be around 2005 when the next two teams join the league and the MetroStars break gound.....

Do the guys at AEG have a fetish with announcements????

 

MLS should go for cities that don't already have satuated sports market. Las Vegas would be a good place. They are one of the fastest growing city in US and don't have any major league sports teams. At least none I am aware of.

Minnesota is bad. There is no place to play. Law makers here don't seem to like owners of professional sports in general except Glen Taylor. Wisconsin is bad. All they care about is football, brats, and beer. I don't know where they are going to play in San Diego besides that huge football stadium.

Anyways, MLS should go for newer growing cities.