I think it's really great to talk expansion again since 1998 even though Miami is done and one of the original 10 of MLS in Tampa Bay is no longer with us. It's really tough because we all know that some of the cities that already have A-League clubs deserve to get promoted to MLS A-la Rochester that gives monster support to the Rhinos, as we know. If MLS is really going to a 20 table format that would be awesome, but if they decide to stay 10 to the East & 10 to the West you really have to think clearly who would want and which cities should get a Division I US Soccer club. Here are my picks, if there is a problem go ahead and let me have it, but let me say that I think there would be great rivalries if they exist. MLS East 1. Chicago, 2. Columbus, 3. DC Utd, 4. Metro, 5. New England| MLS East Additions 1. Philadelphia, 2. Rochester, 3. Birmingham, Alabama, 4. North Carolina, 5. Miami or Orlando. My reasons for Birmingham Alabama was the USA friendly against Ecuador. I thought the crowd sounded great, They filled up the joint, even though they closed off the other side of the stadium where the players benches are, That stadium was filled to the hilt. It would make a nice little rivalry in the south with both a club somewhere in North Carolina and return a club to Florida. I still think the Sunshine State can still produce a club, but it's not going to be in Tampa Bay. I think that market is totally used up and there won't be a return. Miami looked to be on the up before their last season ended, but the original Miami owner messed that up real nice and he had to point the finger at the wrong people, the paying crowd. I think that Miami can support a club again, but if they decide not to go to South Florida, then I believe Orlando should get a club. Nothing is more universal than Central Florida with alot of european tourists coming over to Disney and to see a football club. They could play at the Citrus Bowl till a new stadium can be built, either on the Disney property at the Wide World Of Sports Complex, or where the abandonded minor league baseball stadium that's behind the Citrus Bowl. Tinker Field is no longer being used because the Tampa Bay Devil Rays wanted a new updated Minor League Ballpark for their (AA) affiliate Orlando Rays. The mayor said no and the D-Rays moved their minor league club to the spring trainning stadium at the Wide World of Sports complex in Disney. The right ownership can go to work and knock out the minor league ballpark and build a brand spanking new soccer stadium. They might have to knock out a couple of trees here and there, but I think it can work. I have been to Orlando, I have lived there a while. I went to the Citrus Bowl when the Bucaneers had a pre-season game against the NY Jets. North Carolina is a hotbed for Soccer, where ever they want to put the club is fine by me. Raleigh, Charlotte, Cary, or where the Courage play I think it can work. Rochester is a given, we all know about them. Promote them already when they get their new stadium ready. MLS West 1. Colorado, 2. Dallas, 3. Kansas City, 4. Los Angeles, 5. San Jose. MLS West Additions 1. St. Louis, 2. Seattle, 3. Oklahoma City, 4. Portland, 5. Milwaukee The Mid-West is busy and they are hungry for a Division I US Soccer Club. There is great support in St. Louis for the Cardinals when it's Baseball season, but I also heard about the passion for the U of Saint Louis games in Soccer. The big Mid-West with St. Louis, Kansas City, Oklahoma City & possibly Milwaukee. They could be jawing away at each other in no time. Seattle because of the big crowd at Safeco Field for the USA friendly against Honduras and they have a history with the old NASL as well with the current A-League Sounders. By the way congrats to the Sounders for getting to play inside the new Seahawks Stadium. First A-League club to play in a major stadium. Portland, Oregon to me always seems ready whenever the USA Men or Women come to play a friendly. They always fill it up for them. Besides California already has the Galaxy & E-Quakes they don't need another club. Those are my opinions like I said go ahead and let me have it if you don't like the choices I gave. Still I think it looks spread out pretty good. Who knows. Philadelphia we all know they are an All-American Town thank goodness for Ben Franklin. They would probably play at the new Eagles Stadium.
GIO17 SE Florida, WP Beach to Miami, under good management would be one of the better MLS markets around. And, with 11,000 fans last year, we could of have lots more out there this year, the word of mouth was getting out. Orlando, I dont think it will work, and Tampa does not have the growth potential of S E coast of Florida. Lockhart was cheap, it is a great soccer stadium, and centraly located in this market, very accessible, and has plenty of real estate around it for facility expantion. All is needed is a investor and good management. Orlando, based on tourists ticket sales ???? no will not work out... MLS needs season ticket holders, lots of them..
Minneapolis-St. Paul in, Milwaukee out? Minneapolis has a baseball team that nearly got contracted and a football team that could be the next NFL team in Los Angeles. Not to mention that craphole of a stadium those two teams share. I think Minneapolis has bigger concerns with the teams they have than trying to lure a Major League Soccer team and build them a soccer-specific stadium.
You're kidding, right? Of course one could also argue that Milwaukee doesn't deserve a team because it couldn't even get an NHL team or an NFL team, and its baseball team plays in front of less than spectacular crowds in an almost brand new stadium.
I would love to have a team in Milwaukee, but you got to be serious here. The Twin Cities would be a better option to get a team if they can get a stadium built downtown. Putting a team up in Blaine will make the possible franchise in about as good as shape as Milwaukee. Not that good. I think that both cities should get a shot, but with Minnesota getting the first chance.
Dude, We could go back and forth all day with Wisconsin vs. Minnesota banter. But, to be honest, that's counterproductive. I think we can both agree that the Twin Cities and Milwaukee deserve teams over places such as Birmingham, Orlando, Oklahoma City and, ugh, Atlanta.
Upper midwest representing!!!! Let's all hope that eventually both fine states can get a MLS franchise.
I wouldn't mind the following for rivalry purposes: Milwaukee (for Chicago) Philadelphia (for NJ or DC) Although, I don't think Philly is a good choice. I lived in PA for a long time, too. So, it's not any bias against the state. I just don't feel convinced it could support the sport. And, Milwaukee seems dead. Investor not financially capable? Other than that? I don't know anymore. Rochester would have been good. Played out. Miami has a nice stadium, but, alienated people. Anything in Oklahoma makes me uneasy right now. Seattle and Portland? Not convinced of support. New York. But, when will that happen? Atlanta? Charlotte? Winston-Salem? Whatever... Houston? Rivarly for Dallas? NOT. Too far. I think the reason I'm not too excited about expansion is the likelyhood that it will be into some lame a$$ football stadium or poor convert. In my opinion, I want nothing less than what places like Milwaukee proposed. Like Rochester proposed. Like North Carolina proposed.
In defense of Milwaukee (I can't believe I'm even saying that), I don't remember them ever trying to get an NFL team. Why would they? The entire state is Packer-crazy. Now, that said, I don't think an MLS team would be good there right now.
First, Oklahoma and Missouri don't even begin to register on Wisconsin's radar. Second, Milwaukee should only get a team if the Rampage are promoted -- as they DESERVE for being the 2002 A-League champion. Milwaukee should not have a team granted to some third-rate, carpet-bagging scam artist ...
One good data point does not make Philadelphia a soccer town. Especially if you subtract the family members of the players. It's just tough to crack the Philadelphia sports market.....it took the Flyers years to get talked about in the same breath as the Phils and Eagles....the FLYERS for cryin' out loud. The Fury and Atoms struggled for attendance in the old days. Somehow a Philadelphia team would need to connect with the people.....and fill a huge stadium in Lincoln whatever it is (Eagles stadium). Though it would be good for DC United and Metro fans, I think Seattle and Twin Cities or Rochester should get the nod over Philly.
You're kidding, right? They're only 200 miles apart. The second a Houston expansion team comes into MLS, they'll already be rivals with the Burn. Dallas and Houston don't like each other. Period.
Re: Re: Re: My picks who should get expansion very true. Why should we care about a state that is best know for cheese?
I should restate my Orlando pick Not because of the international Tourist, but there are alot of people who have moved from Europe, & Asia, who use to work in Disney World at EPCOT that are now living in the Orlando Area. So I would believe that there could be a good market for an MLS expansion in Florida, but if Miami can reestablish themselves, then that would be good as well. I believe that Tampa Bay is used up and done, not even worth a mention.
Re: Re: Re: Re: My picks who should get expansion You're joking, right? I mean, come on. How can you NOT care about a state best known for cheese? The state's best known for CHEESE!
Re: I should restate my Orlando pick Actually I've had an idea that Orlando could work under the right conditions. (This is what happens when your wife knows as much about The Disney Company as you know about soccer). Disney has the Wide World of Sports complex at Walt Disney World. Nobody goes there. The Atlanta Braves do their spring training there, but other than those 3 months of the season nothing happens there except for the occasional rare sporting event (MLS All-Star festivities were there when the game was in Orlando). There's an All-Star Sports Cafe, a couple of shops, and the baseball stadium. Disney has had ongoing problems making this a viable destiantion for visitors to Walt Disney World. If MLS can get Disney to buy in (Hard, since Eisner is the one that pushed Disney to buy the Angels and Mighty Ducks, and now they are trying to unload him and rumors have Eisner on a serious hot seat right now) put the team at the Wide World of Sports and get Disney to build a 15K-20K stadium there for them. Possibly include full training facilities. MLS gets a new team in a new soccer-specifc stadium. Disney gets a tenant for Wide World of Sports all summer, and can promote this tenant to all the European visitors (My last trip to Walt Disney World I counted no less than 2 dozen different European kits being worn by vistors, from Rangers to Juventus) they get. Maybe even include game tickets as part of some of their vacation packages. If they include the training facilities there as well, that gives people a reason to go out there during the middle of the week as well. Obviously the big problem with this idea is getting Disney to plunk down the $40 million or so it would take to buy a team and build a stadium, but I think that it's a good enough PR move that if there was interest MLS should cut the expansion cost down for Disney so that they can use the money for the stadium.
Unfortunately for your Disney plans (which would be great in getting the company to lean on ABC/ESPN) Disney has said that they want out of the sports biz. Both the Angels and Ducks are up for sale.
Yeah, I kind of mentioned that: Edited because I realized that I typed unload him and not unload them in my original post. Changes the meaning of what I meant to say...
You are fooling yourself if you don't realize that many of those fans were from the supposed sports wasteland of Atlanta. It is only a 90 minute drive, and you have tons of Nats fans in these parts. Essentially, the crowd was so good because you put a growing city like B-Ham and its soccer fans with a big city like Atlanta and its fans. I think you just want Birmingham because it has the same name as a city in England. If it helps, we can add another "a" to Atlanta. Atalanta anyone??
Eric 515 said: I think you just want Birmingham because it has the same name as a city in England. If it helps, we can add another "a" to Atlanta. Atalanta anyone?? ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Eric how stupid are you? If you think I would choose Birmingham, Alabama, because of Birmingham, England then you must be a real shmuck. I based my opinion on National Team friendly matches as well as support for A-League cities. So maybe if I was in Manchester, New Hampshire, or Manchester, Vermont. There should be a Manchester club there. Be serious please. Don't think up this stupid crap.
Re: Re: Re: My picks who should get expansion What, you don't have cheese in Oklahoma? Edited to say, damn, everybody beat me to the cheese joke.