I would think AEG would step in before letting that happen. The Boston area is too important for it not to have a team in MLS.
Amazing , I got to hand it to the owner of the Rhinos. He finally found a way for the city/county of Rochester to issue the Rhinos the final permit to build the PTP. This is a great strategy for Rhinos to move the city/county from further delaying the ground breaking, and issue the final permit ASAP, so Rhinos can begin to build PTP. Moreover, the city/county is put on notice by the Rhinos, that unless the PTP Phase 1 is ready by 08/2004, MLS will not come to town. (So issue that permit now !)
East Revs DC Metro Rochester Columbus Chicago West Goats LA San Jose Calorado Kansas City Dallas 4 interdivision matches per team = 20 2 interconference matches per team = 12 32 match season
i agree. I don't believe the Krafts are walking away. After all, why do you think New England gets all those prime international games? Because Kraft is involved with MLS. If he walked away, you would see those games moved elswhere.
Why wasn't Gillette stadium selected as one of the top 7 soccer stadium in the USA by the US soccer in 2003? BEST SOCCER STADIUM This award goes to the best overall place to watch soccer. This award incorporates everything from U.S. National Team history or success at the venue, to fan turnout/atmosphere, to quality of the field and sight lines, to unique amenities. ANYONE ANYONE.........It could be that Kraft is saying good bye to soccer. Don't tell me NEX turf surface @PGE Park is better than Gillette .
does anyone really believe this crap? Where is DuRoss going to get the $10-$15 million franchise fee? How is he going to afford doubling his salary budget? DuRoss struggled to meet his financial commitments to build the scaled down PaeTec - and now he suddenly has the dough to ante up to MLS? If MLS has waited this long for Rochester - they certainly can afford to wait another year to 2005 etc. for Rochester to build their facility, demonstrate that they can run it - and ramp up their salary budget etc. I think this is another optimistic Chris Bergen story that attracts your interest and the click - but disappoints when you get to the end and realize that it was more fluff than substance.
if rochester is brought in along with Chivas USA in order to "even out" the divisions, what would they do when Club America trys to buy its way into MLS?
The stadium is still a go, but an archeology dig has postponed ground-breaking for a couple of weeks. However, due to this and many other delays, Rochester will play most of its games next season at its present home, Frontier Field, rather than at its new SSS. http://www.democratandchronicle.com/news/1101R1281PC_Rhinos01_news.shtml
I think that's what these negotiations are mainly about and what is being kicked around until Nov. 30. Like I wrote eairler I think MLS possibly could wave the franchise fee or significantly lower it because Chivas wants in next year not in 2005, they want an even number of teams to make scheduling easier, and DuRoss and the Rhinos are a solid established group in soccer that will have an SSS built sometime in 2004. DuRoss and Rochester meet every critera that MLS put down when it started expansion talks: local commited owner, SSS, and exstablised fan base. I've read several times that the reason for the high franchise fee is so potential I/Os know the seriousness of the investment and don't go in it like owners in the NASL. I don't think you have to worry about DuRoss, he's a soccer guy that has run one of the best professional sports franchises. I raised the same questions, but now that I think about it, it's not like DuRoss is a pauper. He was part of a bid to buy the NHL Sabers. I'd venture to say that has a lot more financial commitments then MLS has right now. He has the money, but the reason he doesn't employ it in the A-League is because he doesn't need to. The players know they aren't going to get European or even MLS money when they sign up. However, even with A-League money he pays the most. That should say something. The story came from an article in Democrat and Chronicle Rochester's local newspaper with serveral quotes from DuRoss. I don't think this is just another Bergen story. Also I don't think DuRoss and the Rhinos have to prove anything about running a soccer franchise. An MLS announcement would only increase the frenzy of the new stadium among it's fans, Rochester, and the region. The one thing I am worried about is expanding faster then the talent pool allows and a drop in quality of play in MLS. Expecially if they expand 2 in 2004, then 2 more in 2005 and possibly 2 more in 2006. It means that it's even more important to keep the current talent in MLS and to stop the best from the youth Nats going to Europe to start their careers. I don't see how MLS can do this with the money they offer and the already establised, high regard leagues in Europe enticing players to play with the best in the world.
Every team still has a salary cap of $1.7 mil, they are going to get $1.7 mil of talent one way or another. I'm not worried about quality of play dropping.
While I'd love beating the Metro b/c it's great any time an upstate group of "farmers" can do something to knock the arrogance of NYC it's by no means a derby. Columbus AND NE are just as close as the swamp. Cleveland would be a much better rivalry. For those of you complaining about the "Ragin' " and the lame team emblem, the die hard fans have been complaining about the mickey mouse look for a couple of years. For those of you worried about the field turf, last I heard was that the team was looking at the same type of surface Real Madrid uses, a mix of artificial with the real stuff. It's what they have in Philly. DuRoss often answers questions directly on the Rhinos Forum if you have any. There's also a lot more of the local rumor mill there and the reporter who did the most recent article about the possibility of expansion has made appearances too.
Many hands Maybe getting four more investors in to soak up the losses until the New Yorsey, Dallas, Denver and Chitown stadia get built will help keep the Krafts in. Perky economic indicators don't hurt, either.
Except for the fact that Club America has said they want an existing team and not an expansion one, you're really onto somethinghere.
"As for the A-League, it would be a big blow for them, IMO. They would lose their signature franchise. Plus they have lost Pittsburg, El Paso, Indiana, Charlotte and Cincinnati(no big lose there) already this year. They would still have Charleston, Minn, MIL, Seattle and Portland and Atlanta is building their own park just like Blackbaud. They would have the Canadian teams, adding Edmonton and there is talk of two more in Hamilton and Ottowa in 2004 or 2005. Then I think Ajax Orlando and a SoFl team(ie Lockhart) will join in 2005 as well. My guess is the A-Leauge would hurt a little this year, but bounce back like it's always done. The big problem will come when MLS comes calling for Seattle, Minn, and MIL one day. Maybe even Atlanta or Charleston." Saw this in a post earlier. No MLS team should ever be located in Atlanta. Why other sports have teams still there baffles me. It is known as the worst sports city in the country. People have too many options there to attend sporting events. Even the Braves don't sell out playoff games and the Falcons, well they suck this year, but still, they have problems as well. I have to go with no more southern teams. The attendances always suck, and it's too bloody hot when MLS plays their season. I hope the Rhino's get in this coming year. I heard Buffalo is getting a PDL team from a pretty good source this weekend as well. I might be in heaven shortly, from reading the other posts here as well, Hamilton might get an A-league team??? That would be awesome too, and then Clevo getting a team possibly in the next expansion series. Now only if my hometown would get a PDL team, they have the freakin complex (erie, pa. family first sports park) So basically i'd finally have soccer to watch. Since my gf lives in t.o. and i'm in b'lo, i could have 2 mls teams within an afternoon drive of me, plus 2 a-league sides and a PDL side in b'lo....About freakin time. This region needs more teams.
i am not dillusional enough to call atlanta a good sports town, but the worst in the country??? you have no idea what you are talking about... NFL 2002-2003 Team Games Total Average 1 Washington 8 643,950 80,494 2 NY Giants 8 629,211 78,651 3 NY Jets 8 628,812 78,602 4 Kansas City 8 625,503 78,188 5 Denver 8 604,904 75,613 6 Cleveland 8 586,294 73,287 7 Miami 8 585,523 73,190 8 Houston 8 559,322 69,915 9 Baltimore 8 554,724 69,341 10 Atlanta 8 550,974 68,872 and a *#*#*#*#*#*# team 11 Tennessee 8 550,437 68,805 12 Buffalo 8 547,702 68,463 13 New England 8 547,488 68,436 14 Carolina 8 546,774 68,347 15 New Orleans 8 542,796 67,850 16 San Francisco 8 541,593 67,699 17 St Louis 8 528,498 66,062 18 Tampa Bay 8 525,031 65,629 19 Philadelphia 8 523,535 65,442 20 Minnesota 8 512,517 64,065 21 Green Bay 8 508,788 63,599 22 Dallas 8 504,717 63,090 23 Seattle 8 504,621 63,078 24 San Diego 8 494,973 61,872 25 Pittsburgh 8 490,274 61,284 26 Detroit 8 489,742 61,218 27 Oakland 8 485,092 60,637 28 Chicago 8 464,465 58,058 30 Indianapolis 8 453,357 56,670 31 Jacksonville 8 450,216 56,277 32 Cincinnati 8 422,235 52,779 33 Arizona 8 327,272 40,909 MLB 2002-2003 Team Games Total Average 1 NY Yankees 81 3,465,600 42,785 2 Seattle 81 3,268,509 40,351 3 San Francisco 81 3,264,898 40,307 4 Los Angeles 81 3,138,626 38,748 5 Anaheim 81 3,061,094 37,791 6 Chicago Cubs 80 2,962,630 37,032 7 St. Louis 81 2,910,386 35,930 8 Arizona 81 2,805,542 34,636 9 Boston 81 2,724,165 33,631 10 Atlanta 79 2,401,084 30,393 underachievers and perennial playoff losers 11 Baltimore 81 2,454,523 30,302 12 Houston 81 2,454,241 30,299 13 Cincinnati 81 2,355,259 29,077 14 Philadelphia 78 2,259,948 28,973 15 Colorado 81 2,334,085 28,815 16 NY Mets 76 2,140,599 28,165 17 Oakland 81 2,216,596 27,365 18 Texas 81 2,094,394 25,856 19 San Diego 81 2,030,084 25,062 20 Minnesota 81 1,946,011 24,024 21 Chicago Sox 81 1,939,524 23,944 22 Kansas City 78 1,779,895 22,819 23 Toronto 81 1,799,458 22,215 24 Cleveland 81 1,730,002 21,358 25 Milwaukee 81 1,700,354 20,992 26 Pittsburgh 78 1,636,751 20,983 27 Detroit 80 1,368,245 17,103 28 Florida 80 1,303,215 16,290 29 Tampa Bay 81 1,058,695 13,070 30 Montreal 81 1,025,639 12,662 NHL 2002-2003 Team Games Total Average 20 Florida 41 632,552 15,428 21 Boston 41 616,197 15,029 22 NY Islanders 41 612,154 14,930 23 New Jersey 41 609,218 14,858 24 Chicago 41 606,580 14,794 25 Pittsburgh 41 604,728 14,749 26 Anaheim 41 573,524 13,988 27 Buffalo 40 549,402 13,735 28 Atlanta 41 552,535 13,476they are a recent expansion team, they suck (until this year), and its hockey... in ATLANTA! 29 Phoenix 41 542,404 13,229 30 Nashville 41 542,367 13,228 NBA dead last. no money, no stars (dominique, where have you gone?), no fans, and no chance. used to draw pretty well, but years of inept ownership and losing have killed the franchise. now atlanta may be mediocre to above average, but the worst? no. that would probably be somewhere in florida or arizona. however, atlanta (or any southern city for that matter) should only be seriously considered as an mls expansion candidate when an invester appears and the league has stabilized enough. i would consider it on par with florida's chances... meaning possibly but no time soon.
First of all, where did you here this news. May be a link would be helpful. Second, if they do this it's probably for first few years. There is no way in hell that Rochester will be competitive if they only sign players from upstate NY. I don't mean that NY doesn't have players with quality, but if the players are chosen from a wider range, then there is a greater potential.
Re: Re: Rochester may enter MLS in 2004 Security, I'm getting reports of a busted Sarcasm Monitor in Sector 7. Please isolate and terminate with extreme prejudice. Sachin