After seeing the business report a few weeks back that implied that over 90 markets are capable of supporting an MLS team, the question is: there may be that many markets that COULD support a team, but how many of those markets actually WOULD support MLS? Would these smaller markets help in the short run and/or long run?... or would they just make MLS look "minor league"?
I have heard the argument that some smaller- and medium-sized cities could draw better than some larger cities because there is less competition for fans. I am not sure how much I agree with this argument, but there is a logic to it. Take Philadelphia, for instance, a large city with professional baseball (Phillies), football (Eagles), hockey (Flyers), and also a WUSA franchise. So, while the fan base is larger, a significant proportion is "spoken for." To use a city mentioned in the poll, Des Moines has minor league sports (baseball and hockey) and arena football, but no major league competition for fan supports. A franchise in a smaller city that has a vital soccer presence (i.e., strong youth, HS, college, etc.) and/or a significant immigrant community might draw similar fan numbers. Which raises an interesting question: Which would make MLS appear more minor league--to be fifth best in a major city, or to be tops in a smaller location?
How 'bout Toronto? Just read this in an article about McBride. Canada lacks a professional league altogether; the city of Toronto has even filed a bid with MLS to become an expansion city and field a team which the Canadian Soccer Association would run. The link: http://sports.yahoo.com/sow/news?slug=brianmcbrideftr&prov=st&type=lgns
There are a couple of threads on the subject. Let's not open up that can of worms here... I'd consider Toronto to be a major market that already has a cluttered sports market (Argos, Blue Jays, Raptors, Maple Leafs). You know, I think MLS should be in major markets even if teams in NY/NJ, Chicago and DC are losing $$$ due to stadium issues. Bring on Philly and/or Houston and/or Detroit as long as you can get a decent deal. But I'm not so sure about what I'd call "middle market" teams in traditional sports cities. Pittsburg has the Pirates, Steelers and Penguins... KC has the Royals and Chiefs... Cleveland has the Indians, Browns and Cavaliers... Indianapolis the Colts and Pacers... There are traditional sports markets that really have little to no room for a soccer team unless they're committed to build a stadium and have patient local owners/investors with deep pockets. What a city like Tulsa (I'm biased in favor) has going for it is the idea of an MLS team becoming THE major league sport in the city. This means the team gets treated as a number one attraction and front page sports coverage in the summer months. Compare this to the struggle it takes to get Fire coverage in the Chicago press. It's definitely an uphill climb. You'll see a big difference between high visibility in a smaller market like Tulsa's compared to Fire coverage that ends up comparable to what Chicago's minor league hockey team... the Wolves, gets. Good media coverage and a new soccer stadium in a few non-traditional markets could be a good boost to MLS. Some of these cities may lose interest in the long term... if so, hey... move 'em! But for now, these cities may provide the kind of high-profile media footprint MLS sadly lacks in its largest markets.
soccer must be in some very major markets (read media centers) to be taken seriously... there are a couple that still remain uncovered... however, after that, it should go where it will be the major attraction in town, with full stadia and lots of press (read Rochester, possibly OKC)... assuming, of course, that local IOs can be found... rand
These are good examples of what I was trying to get at with my earlier question. What sort of press coverage does Columbus give the Crew? That seems to be the one team with the least competition for fans from other major local sports teams. From what little I know--mostly read here on BS--the Columbus example suggests MLS would do well where the teams would be big fish in smaller ponds.
bring on the small markets I don't give a rats nose how "small" the market is. -If they have an I/O with patient, deep pockets -If they have a SSS -If they can definitely put, on average AT LEAST 16K butts in the seats, and the possiblity of more THEN I SAY WHO CARES. The Arena Football League is a prime example of a minor sport making big new in smaller markets. $HIT! This sport has TWO LEAGUES, something sickening like 40 teams or so and is now starting leagues in Australia and Germany....AND it's actually catching on there unlike the NFL. They have teams in big markets like Chicago, LA and Dallas, and small markets like Quad City, Iowa. AND THEY HAVE A HUGE TV DEAL WITH NBC!!! (granted, this is because they lost the contract with the NBA, but still...WHERE WAS MLS TO JUMP ON THAT!!!???) Bring on the markets, it make take a little while to make it huge, but bring 'em on if they can hack it. It's going to take a while anyways.
Re: bring on the small markets I agree. In fact, when you're the only game in town, I think there gets to be a greater level of attention placed on what you're doing. It's not such a bad thing to be in markets where you don't have to compete with 4 other pro sports team. Of course, you have to be in the biggest markets... Philly, Houston, Seattle. I'd love to see Rochester in the league.
Columbus has the BlueJackets and OSU football. OSU football has fanbase as devoted as any team in the NFL (and I'm being kind to the NFL here).
I understand those two loyalties, and I know college fans can be even more fanatic than pro fans. (I was in grad school at Indiana while Bobby Knight was there, and I live in Nebraska now.) I chose Columbus because it has only one major sports franchise (as opposed to Chicago with hockey,2 baseball teams, football, basketball; Colorado with baseball, football, hockey and basketball; NY/NJ with multiples in each; etc.). Thanks for bringing up the college sports aspect. Most of the cities I've heard mentioned will have strong college sentiments--Tulsa and OKC have OU, OSU and Tulsa; Des Moines has Drake, plus Iowa and Iowa State less than an hour or two away; NC cities have UNC, NC State, Duke, Wake Forest; etc. Still, I'd rather compete for fans there than in a place like Philadelphia (which has several pro fans plus those of Penn St. and Temple).