With regards to the marlins, I would also like to say the reason for the name change wasnt to try attracting more fans in dade or anything. It was part of the agreement the team made for the new stadium, location and the fact that Miami residents were the only ones ponying up the cash. As for the dude running the mls miami page...poor guy. Hes still in denial.
Makes sense. It still should have been the teams name from the beginning. Do I detect a note of sarcasm from "futbol in miami"? I wonder who's hiding behind that name? Or, he's simply determined to get what he wants. To his credit, in some ways it seems to work. He, at the very least, seems to have the attention of the MLS FO. Mr Claure, too. Since the Strikers had a preseason game against Mr Claure's Bolivian teams U-19s, we'll see how it all this MLS madness works out. For those that haven't listened to the Ultras Alive podcast #41, go to miamiultras dot com to hear what Tim Robbie thinks of MLS coming to South Florida - and his views of the other team his family founded, the farce that is the Miami Dolphins....
Antique, We'll just agree to disagree on the Marlins. Personally I'm not a fan of theirs anyway, so my opinion is from the outside looking in. While it annoys me to no end that it is now far more hassle than it's worth to me to be able to see my beloved Cubs a couple times a year anymore, that's the extent of the effect of moving the team to a crap location and changing the name has on me personally. I still contend the newness factor will wear off fast and they'll be hosting the same putrid crowds in that shiny new stadium that they did at Joe Robbie. But then, it's no sweat for the owner. He's proven now that he doesn't care how good the team is or how many fans show up, because he's able to finagle the bottom line to still fill his pockets. Within the last week or so, I've had my posts erased from the MLS Miami Bid FB page, and had myself blocked there and on their Twitter account because I choose to debate that one individual you're speaking about in a public forum about the facts and potential of pro soccer in South Florida. The fact that he cannot handle an honest debate on the subject, instead choosing to pretend his opinion is the only one, is pretty pathetic. What kind of coward invites public commentary on what he's doing by creating a facebook page and a twitter account, only to wipe out anything that isn't along the lines of "hooray Miami rules all, everyone else are losers, and so what if no one shares my opinion, I'll still get Garber to listen!"??? As Red Foreman would say, "What a dumbass." He has no clue, and he'll get no traction. If he somehow manages all be his lonesome to convince Claure to try and make another bid for a Miami MLS franchise, it'll fail, and we'll be better off, because if Claure has no better sense than to listen to this dope, he's not someone we want invovled in pro soccer in our market anyway. I don't see how the Strikers supporter that is involved there can stand to put up with that idiot. The Ultras and whoever else gets involved in trying to bring MLS here would be far better served to distance themselves from that clown and focus on what all of us rational thinking SoFla soccer fans know, which is promoting the Strikers. I'm telling you, all it will take is for this fanbase to build to 8,000 - 10,000. Someone will take a chance on bidding for MLS with the Strikers if they see this.
I do disagree with you about Broward/Palm Beach people not driving to Miami. I know Palm Beach County people who drive regularly to Heat games...plus plenty that drove to the Dolphins and Canes at the OB. The difference for me is I could get season tix at Lockhart....probably a bit too far in Miami. That would be more like 5-10 games. I wish the Strikers had not scheduled their home opener the same night as the Panthers reg. season finale.
I have to agree. I live in Boca, and would love Lockhart. However, if we end up in Miami (Even way out in Doral at FIU) I would be a season ticket holder.
Actually Garber, Phil Schoen and Michelle Kaufman have all said the fiendlies DO MATTER. By the way, it is convenient to say Soccer has never worked in Dade, disregard the huge attendances of the friendlies and fail to mention pro Soccer has not been tried in Dade in decades, before the influx of latin people. Yes the Gatos failed, before Best and Hudson came. The Strikers - even with Hudson and Best...even in a league with Pele...never came in the top 5 in NASL attendance and only once averaged over 14,000. So Ft Lauderdale has never really succeeded either. The Strikers attendance this season is declining on a weekly basis by the way. Nice try but your argument does not include any facts, just your ignorance and bias. oh and by the way, why did the Fusion's two games at the Orange Bowl draw much more than the average at Lockhart? Yes one was a double header but even the other game against the Crew drew 4,000 above the Lockhart average.
You're doing a great job of twisting things to fit your point of view. Difference between you and me is I simply state the facts, as they speak for themselves. People believe what they want to believe. Garber and Schoen have both said that, yeah, there is a little something to the fact that Miami comes out to see an event like Barcelona coming to town. But you've forgotten to mention that they've both also said that does not correlate to support for an American pro soccer club. Garber has IN FACT said, the best things soccer fans in South Florida can do to further the cause of MLS expansion here is to SUPPORT WHAT YOU HAVE - THE STRIKERS. This cannot be debated. He actually said it. Look it up. And Kaufman, in her interview with the Ultras reiterated all of this. Then she gave her opinion that she thought Miami could, under the perfect set of circumstances, be the better alternative. Well hooray! Let's declare it so because she said it! And you're still getting facts wrong. There was not a large hispanic community in Dade County prior to the mid 70's??? Huh??? Are you insane?!? You know what, it's just not worth the effort anymore to argue with like three people in Dade with your attitude. The ignorance and bias is coming from down there, not up here. We're not the ones turning up our noses at the only pro soccer team in our community. Any true soccer fan who actually cared about the game in this market and wanted it to stay long term would be at Lockhart Stadium every single game. This is the only way to support American club soccer in our area, and supporting the only product we have in our area is the only way to show people with the desire and $$$ for MLS that we're willing to hold up our end. This FO is making mistakes this year that are costing them at the gate. No doubt. True fans will be the first to admit it. Advertising is non-existent. Until someone consistently (over the course of years) advertises and markets the club, the attendance will only get so high based on word of mouth. Traffic is gone in all but name. Tim Robbie is the ideal person to build pro soccer in this community, he just needs money behind him to get it off the ground.