That says it all. Given the current news and the words from the Commish, where do you think it's likely United will be next year?
I think there's a good chance United won't be at RFK in 2012, if the terms of the lease are not re-negotiated. But they might still be in the local area if there's even a slight chance that a SSS can be done locally. If there is still no prospect for a (local to DC) stadium, I think they will be completely gone in 2013.
My heart says they hold on one more year at RFK and announce a stadium next season. My brain says they'll be contracted before Christmas. My gut says Chang will sell the team and we'll watch them move. My gut's usually right.
Well, what we've seen in close order is 1) a blowout sale of team merchandise at the last regular season game, 2) the MLS-commissioned poll of Baltimore residents, and 3) Garber's ultimatum/threat of mid-week to the District of Columbia and City of Baltimore. Sounds to me like United is getting out of Dodge City with the announcement coming sometime before Christmas. I really can't believe that MLS and Chang will want to play another season at RFK unless the terms are very favorable and the District gives preliminary approval to a stadium deal of some kind. And, let's face it, the D.C. Council & Mayor Gray are too incompetent and/or corrupt for that to happen. My best guess is that the United will be playing at either Byrd Stadium at the Univ. of MD or M&T Bank Stadium in the Inner Harbor in 2012 (assuming that the Maryland Stadium Authority's proposed deal moves forward), but United may well wind up in Orlando, New York or Las Vegas. The team ain't gonna be playing in the District because Chang is tired of writing big checks to the District Sports & Entertainment Commission while treading water with no stadium deal in sight.
Why is the Soccerplex still being discussed as an option? Even when Dallas played in South Lake at a high school football stadium it still held 11,000 people and they averaged 8000 fans. That proposition cannot be accomplished at the Soccerplex and to go there the team would most likely lose even more money than they lose now. Thx, Jay!
To me, a person who doesn't really know all the "why's" or "why not's", it appears on the surface that the Soccerplex would have the most short-term potential: 1) It's already there, & 2) it could conceivably be expanded, a la the Columbus Crew's (erector set) stadium. If the NIMBY's can put the kibosh on even a modest expansion, then that would also rule that out. I am still trying to cling to some shred of hope, no matter how small.
I explained my thinking at length over on the stadium thread, but for 2012 I believe United either gets a better lease at RFK, or they play somewhere around the DC metropolitan area (but not Baltimore). I think the latter is maybe the safer bet. Beyond 2012? Don't know ...
At this point (and this is the beer I've consumed tonight reasoning with me) I am just expecting the worst and saw United play for the last time against Sporting KC. Even if the rent is agreed to be lowered then what? Will it just prolong the inevitable? I've always "assumed" that a deal for a new stadium would be reached but those days have disappeared. I just don't know anymore but however much I keep telling myself that i'll be prepared for that horrific press conference, it'll be a devastating sports day in my life.
This is my scenario for DCU: I could see DCU spending next year at UMD, or splitting the games between RFK and UMD. Which unfortunately will be the last nail in the coffin for the DC area a soccer. 2012 will be spent with speculation, until a final annoucement is made (towards the end of the season), and the team is up rooted and moved...to where, I don' know. But by then it will not matter, because with poor attendance, and lackluster play on the field, the team will slowly become a thing of the past within MLS, and the DC area. Like a once great empire crumbling, or a light that slowly get dimmer and dimmer. It will be a sad end to a once great legacy.
The last two posts kind of sum up where I'm at (so well done there). I can't see anyone other locality ready to pick up a United franchise before the start of 2012 (unless there is some really quiet back channel thing going on other than Baltimore). I don't see any realistic movement or even hope of movement on a new stadium in the DC metropolitan area. Given the financial situation is untenable in the current digs, I can see United playing at RFK if a deal to lower the rent gets done or I can see United going off in a huff to somewhere nearby, but that doesn't do anything for the long term so I figure we're near or at the end unless something rather miraculous happens.
If I were MLS, I'd refuse to move any of the teams with so much history. MLB has the Yankees/Dodgers/Cardinals/Red Sox, the NHL has the Original Six, the NFL has Pittsburgh/Chicago/NY/Dallas/Skins. The point is that you need to have teams with some history, even if they are past dynasties. I would refuse to move United even if it means sacrificing Will. If he has to sell the team for a loss so be it, you took a business risk and lost, it happens in life. Tell him to sell some or all of his stake in the Giants if he needs more money, you are MLS it's his problem. Somebody will buy the team (at a major discount) knowing that he's stuck with an asset that is costing him money, one that he's stuck with since he can't relocate. Years from now nobody will remember or care about an owner who failed.
The Yankees relocated from Baltimore and the Dodgers relocated from Brooklyn. The Skins relocated from Boston and the Steelers and Eagles merged for a time during WWII. History doesn't really mean much for franchise shifts.
Bitchslapping the MLS Cup Champions in 2005 should have proven that MLS is above caring about such trivialities.
I don't know if they can sign a game to game lease ( I think they did years ago while hammering out a longterm deal) But if they can I think they stay in RFK until Byrd or whatever else opens up and then we get to watch the moving vans take them away.
Well my son would of been old enough to bring up to RFK this summer... hope this happens, because looks like this might be the final "DC" season
United will play in RFK next year. The FO is just angling for a better deal with the "leaked" discussions with UMD. Long term I think is way more realistic that United moves. I think theere will be announcement sometime before the end of next year that there is either a stadium deal in DC or we are moving to Baltimore. I would put the odds at staying in DC 35%, moving to Baltimore 60%, and moving somewhere else at 5%. I have absolutely nothing to back this up. This is just a gut feeling based on everything that has gone on the last few years.