A local group of investors says New Orleans is ripe for a Major League Soccer team, and a study is under way to see if the people of this city can support it. Right now the city hosts the New Orleans Shell Shockers. That's the soccer equivelant to a Double-A baseball team. Kenny Farrell, the Shell Shockers Head Coach, is one of the leaders trying to bring a team to New Orleans. Organizers say the growing Hispanic population and the popularity of the game as a whole here make it right to try and lure a M-L-S team to New Orleans. Attorney Cesar Burgos says, "We're setting the stage the region is ready for something like this....a franchise of that kind." Farrell says one of the requirements would be a 20-thousand seat stadium. He said the group has it sights on two locations: Algiers and City Park. Right now Farrell said the stadium would be privately funded.
I know they did a bunch of work at Tad Gormley (the Tad? ) about 15 years ago to make it a premier track and field venue, but they could maybe use it as a temp, or else take out the track and use it for a while. It'd be cool, but I doubt it'd happen. The did try to get some World Cup games, I remember.
Shell Shockers aren't the equivalent of Double-A baseball team, unless your baseball team plays for free. The Shockers are a amatuer, non-professional PDL team. Nice idea, of course, but mostly full of it.
What's the current population of the New Orleans metro area? I know it had dropped quite a bit in the decade or so leading up to Katrina. Can New Orleans support an MLS team on top of the incumbant NFL and NBA franchises? Honestly, I don't know, I'm just asking. I'd love an excuse to go to New Orleans.
Great town, lots of fun for obvious reasons...need to ask and I hope this dos't come out the wrong way...but what does a growing hispanic population have to do with anything??? Canada couldn't support hockey in several locations...South Florida could't support soccer and look at their demographics...Chivas USA...What's the african-american population in cities like Kasas City, Vancouver, San Diego, etc, none of these towns could support the NBA...I think ethncity is over-rated in some of these discussions...put an exciting product in a decent venue and they "should" come, regardless of race...
only the inner city schools dont have stadiums so THEY use Tad but other than that all other schools have stadiums, i think they can use the newly built Chalmette Stadium or other stadiums like the one in Vanderbilt or Houma or Tad Yenni stadium in Metairie, but most likely Pan Am stadium in the west bank.
It's roughly 1,000,000 -- about 250,000 in the N.O. city limits, 450,000 in adjoining Jefferson Parish (which might as well be in the city), and the rest in St. Tammany, St. Bernard, etc. Before the hurricane I believe it was around 1.2 million in the metro area. But "metro area" is loosely defined -- it's a fairly populous region, even if the cities aren't that big. The advantage of New Orleans is that the Baton Rouge metro area is about 50 minutes away from the N.O. metro area (700,000 or so), and places like Biloxi, MS and Hammond are also within easy driving distance. For example, Saints fans come from Baton Rouge and the Mississippi gulf coast, as well as the metro area. So it's very capable of supporting sports teams - the question is whether or not they'll support a soccer team.
Isn't Pan Am just off of the 610, going out to Metarie? I know Memtsas(sp?) Stadium is on the West Back (Marerro?). It's been 17 years since I've been to NO (spent a year at NOBTS), so my memory is kinda foggy.
TheNOLAregion could make it happen. Don't forget that Kenny helped organizethe new BR team too. The stadium issue is the biggie. Plenty of places to play for a temporary time including Marrero, Metarie, West Bank, etc...A joint venture of stadium development with the Saints, Hornets or Zephyers could haapen.
I just went to New Orleans for the NCAA Tournament first round and I mean no offense to anyone from New Orleans, but there is no way this should happen because that city is dead except for the French Quarter. The city that needs and deserves expansion is Atlanta. It is the most diverse city not utilized by the MLS
I disagree. Sorry your weekend wasn't that eventful, but the big easy has seen better days and bigger events than the first round. Stick around and you begin to feel a pulse. The 20k stadium Kenny wants will not be built or filled soon, but a smaller venue (12-18k) would have a great fill and might look good on tv. In fact I think MLS should play up the advantages to a smaller venue. Atlanta is a class act, i will grant you that.
A better example is people would have said "no way" about Salt Lake city all of a few months before it happened.
I went back home about a month ago for a visit and the roads were clogged with traffic, more than Pre-K. The French Quarter isn't as happening as it was pre-K yet, but it's getting better. Unlike when I was there last June, the parking spaces in the quarter were a lot harder to find. So, it is picking up. Mardi Gras this year had nearly a million visitors, much closer to Pre-K levels. More and more conventions are being booked for the city all the time. Tourism is picking up. The city is coming back. And a little over a year ago they thought New Orleans could no longer support the Saints. Instead, last year they sold out the Dome for the whole season. They've sold over 68,000 season tickets for next year. I heard David Stern say that they are pleased with the number of season ticket sales so far for the Hornets return. The Arena team averages over 15,000 a game. When the US Open Cup semis were held in New Orleans about a decade ago, they had an attendance of 6,000. Not great, but better than what Columbus had for the LA-Columbus game for the US Open Cup this past week. When the US Women played in Tad Gormley several years ago the women were very happy about the support they had and said that they should have more USWNT games there. The hispanic population has doubled in New Orleans since Katrina. So, there's another upside.
Milwaukee isn't far beind interms of diversity (shameless plug). I'd like to see NOLA get a club, but I don't see it happening. I spent a week or so down there over the summer doing cleanup and the city doesn't seem ready for it.
It's changed a lot since the summer. It's not anywhere near where we'd like it, but things are picking up. Convention business has picked up. Attendance at events like Jazz Fest and Mardi Gras are up (in Mardi Gras' case it was up nearly three-fold). As I pointed out above, there's more traffic in the city than June of last year, there's fewer parking spaces available, all of which indicates that the city is getting more business and that residents are returning. I remember in June of last year you could literally park anywhere. When I went back last March you actually had to fight for parking spaces. The French Market was much busier. I even saw a few street musicians. These are small signs, but things that are important to guaging the city's economic health as so much relies on the tourism industry. However, I think New Orleans should aim for 2012 and try to be the seventeenth or eighteenth team in the league.
suprising but Shell Shockers vs. NewEngland Revolution game in Tad Gomely Stadium was sold out every row filled no spaces so think of a team higher then Shell Shockers, i think if they will sell out for a Revolution game against local Shell Shockers juss think of an MLS team.
Are you sure about that? I'm not in New Orleans so I have no way of knowing, but Tad Gormley seats 27,000 people and if an MLS exhibition with a PDL team sold out a 27,000 seat stadium in New Orleans, I think Don Garber might be talking a bit more about New Orleans as an expansion site.
The Olympia game was supposedly a sellout. If I remember correctly, The NOLA V. Revs game drew between 6-8k. I'll find links in the morning.
I visited New Orleans not so long ago and I think it is a great place for a major league soccer team. If the MLS is smart they will put a team in New Orleans.
Curious why this thread was bumped today, but I had to check it out. 1997 New Orleans Gamblers v Dallas Burn - 6,700 on a rainy, stormy Wednesday night for a US Open Cup match. Typical 7 days to prepare. 1998 - MLS doubleheader US Open Cup - more rain and only 5 days to prepare, 6,500 plus on a Tuesday night. I don't see MLS going to NOLA unless a) Hornets move b) Rita Benson Leblanc falls in love with Beckham and buys a team.