Okay, I've knocked the USL for awhile now... lets turn to Harriburg Website still looks like crap, less than 3 mos before your season starts and you have no coach, players, promotions, a facebook page with 280 fans (that will barely fill the front 2 rows at the Poop Palace) .... I see a recipe for disaster. The Heat will be 1 and done at the Farm Show... if they even make it this year- GUARANTEED You've had all summer to promote- if a few local players would have been signed (maybe even a few familiar names even if they cannot play anymore) they could have done camps to build interest. FREE Ticket for all campers.. with a paying adult Good Lord Grimaldi what the hell are you doing up there?
I have mixed feelings about Harrisburg. First off, I hate that they are playing in the PASL. I'd go up and see a game if they were playing in the MISL. But I refuse to travel all the way up their to see them play another PASL team at MISL prices. It's got the whole low budget thing to it. Even if they turned out to be a decent team, I'd still be watching them play a low budget team. I'm glad to see they got the Farm Show arena. I don't think it deserves to be called "Poop Palace" because it really has the best atmosphere for indoor soccer - by that, I mean MISL. They probably will only get a few hundred in the PASL and after one season it will fold. Then there will be no hope for there ever being a MISL team at the Farm Show anymore. Have they even signed any players yet? At least Dallas made a statement about signing Tatu and Sagu. They don't appear to be as low budget as the other PASL teams.
FIFA I'm going to go out on a limb. I dont think the Heat will play this season. I have no knowledge other than a couple conversations over the last 30 days. Grimaldi and the pasl announced Harrisburg with the intent to push Rotwitt and the Kixx back into playing. The hope was that with 2 teams close by each other, it would reduce expenses + play each other 4 or 6 times total out 16 games. A curve ball was then thown - with Louisville and Cincinnati all folding puts the Heat on a island by themself, that they can't afford from a travel budget standpoint. I hope this isn't the case, I want Harrisburg and Grimaldi to succeed I want a 20 team national league in 2 years. But I have a feeling some negative stuff is going to come out soon. I
Spin Man- you are probably 100% right. Harrisburg should be in the MISL, and would have if not for the asinine $125,000 franchise fee, not to mention the $40,000 annual League dues. (which pays for those fools doing nothing in Tampa) Sorry- we are going to have to agree to disagree on this one. I feel the USL is doing nothing to grow the game. TV? New markets? Marketing the game? nothing Harrisburg could have played 3 teams within driving distance, and made only 2 flights. KC/WICH and Milwaukee/CHI. Actually could have bused it to Chicago and Milwaukee. Would have a great renewed rivalry with Baltimore, and started 2 with Syracuse and Rochester Not to mention Baltimore would have brought 200-400 fans to away games in Harrisburg BUT the USL is standing firm on their requirements and you have what you get... BTW- I know for a fact Norfolk DID NOT pay the huge fee to get in... and Rochester and Syracuse came in at only $50,000 each....$125,000 and they both would have been in the PASL and the MISL would have folded so any NEW team gets hit with the hefty tag.. and you have CHICAGO
Not sure about the Cincy Kings being gone there Spinman. The website is up, twitter is going .I think this is the MISL's best chance to 'poach' a team from the PASL. They make regional sense, they seem to have their stuff together, I'd like to see them in the MISL in 2013-14...
If you like the Harrisburg Heat on facebook, you have the chance to win a pair of tickets when they hit the wholloping 300 fans mark. (I just hope this isn't an indicator of what their season opener is going to be like.)