http://www.stltoday.com/blogzone/fr...a-is-getting-confident/all-comments/#comments He's got it right with this quote: "Someone asked me today what my feelings were about St. Louis getting a team. Prior to the draft, I’d have said 60-40. After talking to people at the draft, it went down to 30-70, on some days even lower. Now, I’m thinking it’s about 50-50. With a month ago, I expect there to be major changes to the expansion landscape in the next few weeks. Portland and Ottawa still need to approve stadium deals and there’s still uncertainty about Miami’s proposal." I think he's onto something with the Miami proposal. Everyone is placing their bets with Miami right now because of Barca, but after the excitment of the name dies down, what is MLS left with? Best I can tell, an aging college field and an apathetic fan base (minus the 5 or so crazed lunitics on BigSoccer), and the realization that Barca's involvement in any MLS venture immediately labels the league "minor". Also, they must realize that Ottawa, with a population slightly less than my subdivision , is a marketing nightmare for any league, especially a league looking for AMERICAN television exposure. Ottawa just will not happen. And, I just don't see them going with two Northwest teams. So, I'm with Mr. T: 50/50 on STL, and slightly more upbeat about our chances. My $.02. And, that's about what the above is worth.
Latest column from 2/22/09 - Miami Expansion Bid Now In Doubt http://www.stltoday.com/blogzone/free-kicks/free-kicks/2009/02/miami-expansion-bid-now-in-doubt/ A couple tidbits: "“[The MLS bid is] very delicate and we are evaluating if the situation allows for the model planned to be implemented in Miami or not,” said Barcelona’s corporate director general Joel Oliver on the team’s Web site. Oliver added that the economic downturn could force Barcelona to delay its bid to a later date. “We want to enter the American league, but not at the cost of financial risk [to the club]” Oliver said. “The chances of us not joining are higher than when we announced our interest.”" "If Miami drops out, that’s nothing but good news for St. Louis, since I would think it unlikely the league would choose Portland and Vancouver, or Vancouver and Ottawa."
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=624502&cc=5901 Looks like Miami is out of this round for sure. I think that has to help our odds.
Monday was my birthday. Tuesday the new U2 album came out. Then, Tuesday, after three years of waiting to adopt, my wife and I were finally assigned a baby. Today, I open up my morning paper, and the front of the sports page says, "No MLS in Miami." This is the greatest week in my entire life. (P.S. The exciting events listed above are in order of occurence, not importance.)
Congrats!! We really are going to be able to make a roster of our own at this rate!! (Well, mine's nieces and nephews, but you know) Someone nominate him for VH1's Best Week Ever!! And you still have more days to come!
1. Happy belated Birthday!!! 2. I'm going to buy the U2 cd today...thanks for reminding me. 3. Awesome news on the baby. 4. Yes to St. Louis!!! No to Miami. 5. Hope more good news come your way on Thursday.
Congrat on the baby.....and more surprises on the way. Wait until you change that first diaper. You guys thought I was making a MLS reference didn't you?
Actually, we were told 18 months and it took 42, so adopting is a lot like MLS expansion. (And thanks, everybody, for the congrats.)
congrats on the baby, and i have to second the "best week ever" claim. sounds like your having a hell of a week. also timmermann put up another blog of which said much of the same. http://www.stltoday.com/blogzone/fr...009/03/cooper-do-i-feel-like-well-get-it-yes/ it does concern me a little where he said he hasn't spoken to MLS is sometime.
He hasn't heard from the MLS in a while because they've been busy trying to stop the Miami implosion.
Cooper has also been doing WPS work. Without reading all of the Portland boards, how likely is Portland to get their stadium passed? Can we fake another vote to bring us back into the news even though we've had a stadium passed for going on 2 years? I guess my question is if Portland gets the vote are they in? I would not doubt the MLS choosing Vancouver and Portland as much sense as it makes for us to choose one PNW team and St. Louis.
Off-topic, but Timmerman also reports that Chalupny is now co-captain of the USWNT. It's good to once again have an NT captain's armband on a St. Louisan.
Another new Timmermann blog today: http://www.stltoday.com/blogzone/fr.../2009/03/garber-still-committed-to-expansion/ It is pretty much exclusively focused on the Beau Dure piece in USA Today that has been posted on the main boards (http://www.usatoday.com/sports/soccer/mls/2009-03-05-mls-expansion_N.htm). Timmermann highlights a couple of Garber quotes which don't add a lot to the analysis. There is one quote in the USA Today piece that I found interesting, however: I don't really believe anything that comes out of Garber's mouth at this point, but I guess this is somewhat positive - I don't recall him saying before that they were trying to help on the investor side, but maybe I'm forgetting. While I actually hope it winds up being St. Louis and Portland, it sounds like Portland at least appears to be having last-minute issues, so maybe St. Louis will get a team by attrition - just still being around at the end.