MLS Expansion

[ZooCougar]

Next month his highness Don Garber will announce the next two teams. The four finalists are Sacramento, Cincy, Nashville and Detroit.

Pretty certain the two will be Cincy and Nashville.

Nashville is a lock, they have public funding for a 28,000 seat stadium ready to go.

Cincy has big crowds and a stadium deal in place. They are pretty close to a lock.

Sacramento used to be a shoe in, but they are too close to San Jose and they may not have the cash to compete in the near future.

Detroit has some billionaire backers who know nothing about soccer. Detroit is also perceived as kind of a loser sports town.

 

[UConnTrumbull]

Has to be cincy with the crew likely moving

 

[LIuconn]

What a racket

 

[ZooCougar]

What a racket

Amazing that something that gets worse ratings than bass fishing is worth so much.

 

[Da_Aisijimo_Gou]

Amazing that something that gets worse ratings than bass fishing is worth so much.

Quasi-ponzi scheme?

 

[Waquoit]

Quasi-ponzi scheme?

Or a pump and dump.

 

[Da_Aisijimo_Gou]

Has to be cincy with the crew likely moving

FWIW, the Crew owners' contractual obligations with Columbus purportedly preclude moving the franchise anywhere except Austin. In other words, they stay in Columbus or move to Austin.

 

[upstater]

Columbus is the heart of soccer in Ohio. More clubs, more premier clubs, more interested parents. There's a reason why Nike has been holding the biggest premier tourney in the midwest in Columbus every year.

 

[ZooCougar]

That club is so gone from Columbus. This is a revenue sharing league and that market hasn’t kept up.

Not that the owner did a whole lot to develop it.

 

[upstater]

If Columbus can't cut it, I have low hopes for Cincinnati.

 

[ZooCougar]

If Columbus can't cut it, I have low hopes for Cincinnati.

They already get better attendance than Columbus. And they will end up with a better stadium.

 

[Adios]

FC Cincinnati to join MLS as expansion team

 

[ZooCougar]

FC Cincinnati to join MLS as expansion team

They won't be getting those big crowds once tickets cost more than 10 bucks. I think MLS is shooting for 40 teams. This league is already too big.

 

[ZooCougar]

So USL is plopping a Division 3 team in Chattanooga on top of a really popular Chattanooga NPSL team that already draws good crowds.

I’m all for competition in the marketplace but it seems dumb and counterproductive to the advancement of the game.

MLS is still trying to move Columbus to Austin and USL announced a new independent USL club in Austin. Austin is the biggest city in America without a pro sports team so there might be room for both but this seems like overkill.

 

[upstater]

So USL is plopping a Division 3 team in Chattanooga on top of a really popular Chattanooga NPSL team that already draws good crowds.

I’m all for competition in the marketplace but it seems dumb and counterproductive to the advancement of the game.

MLS is still trying to move Columbus to Austin and USL announced a new independent USL club in Austin. Austin is the biggest city in America without a pro sports team so there might be room for both but this seems like overkill.

I went to a Columbus game in April and I had a great time. Stadium is easy to get to, I liked it, and there was plenty to do on the stadium grounds as well. Something is really wrong with them looking to move.

 

[ZooCougar]

I went to a Columbus game in April and I had a great time. Stadium is easy to get to, I liked it, and there was plenty to do on the stadium grounds as well. Something is really wrong with them looking to move.

It’s not on par with what the rest of the league has is what they are saying. But I think it would be great if they sold it to local group and let Precourt have a team in Austin without asking for another Franchise fee. Contractually they have to let Precourt move the team to Austin.

 

[upstater]

It’s not on par with what the rest of the league has is what they are saying. But I think it would be great if they sold it to local group and let Precourt have a team in Austin without asking for another Franchise fee. Contractually they have to let Precourt move the team to Austin.

I really wonder if that's the truth, that it's not on par.

I regularly go to Toronto games, and I've been to see the Revs, Red Bulls, Montreal, & Philadelphia. I put Columbus over Toronto, Montreal and Philadelphia for stadium and game experience. That being said, nothing really beats taking the trolley to a Toronto game, full of psyched fans, and Toronto is centrally located in the city, unlike the Revs, Red Bulls, Montreal & Philly stadiums. The big highlight in New England is the reasonably priced craft beer.

 

[ZooCougar]

I really wonder if that's the truth, that it's not on par.

I regularly go to Toronto games, and I've seen the Revs, Red Bulls, Montreal, & Philadelphia. I put Columbus over Toronto, Montreal and Philadelphia for stadium and game experience. That being said, nothing really beats taking the trolley to a Toronto game, full of psyched fans, and Toronto is centrally located in the city, unlike the Revs, Red Bulls, Montreal & Philly. The big highlight in New England is the reasonably priced craft beer.

I think in terms of market and revenue generation they are lagging.

MLS wants a league full of Atlanta, LAFC, Seattle, Portland, KC etc.

It’s a weird league that relies on sharing revenue to keep growing. I guess Columbus is holding them back somehow.

Which is also kind of dumb because Precourt hasn’t really put in a good faith effort. Considering that when he bought the franchise he had it written in that he could move to Austin, that ought to indicate why.

I don’t know how New England gets away with it.

 

[Da_Aisijimo_Gou]

I don’t know how New England gets away with it.

How many original MLS team owners still exist? Not too many, but somehow Kraft appears to have grandfathered NE into we'll do what we want when we want status.

 

[DarthGrumpy]

How many original MLS team owners still exist? Not too many, but somehow Kraft appears to have grandfathered NE into we'll do what we want when we want status.

He's still sulking because he decided that Somerville and Revere who were begging to be a home to the Revs and have direct subway access did not have enough money for him to mooch off of, and then he failed to get the US Olympic Committee to build a stadium for him and the last year, the UMass system pulled out from yet another fleecing. I'm waiting for hm to try to wrangle the stadium out of the 2016 United bid now. Afterall, how can he be a billionaire if he has to spend his own money?

As for why MLS does not do anything about the Revs, is because 1) he is scared and 2) he knows where Wondo keeps those pictures that kept him on the USMNT for the last decade.

 

[upstater]

He's still sulking because he decided that Somerville and Revere who were begging to be a home to the Revs and have direct subway access did not have enough money for him to mooch off of, and then he failed to get the US Olympic Committee to build a stadium for him and the last year, the UMass system pulled out from yet another fleecing. I'm waiting for hm to try to wrangle the stadium out of the 2016 United bid now. Afterall, how can he be a billionaire if he has to spend his own money?

As for why MLS does not do anything about the Revs, is because 1) he is scared and 2) he knows where Wondo keeps those pictures that kept him on the USMNT for the last decade.

You do realize though that he paid for the entire stadium himself, and that he didn't even charge PCLs.

 

[Waquoit]

You do realize though that he paid for the entire stadium himself, and that he didn't even charge PCLs.

Really? But what about the great deal he got by using the State of Connecticut?

 

[meyers7]

Really? But what about the great deal he got by using the State of Connecticut?

Wasn't P.T. from Connecticut???

 

[upstater]

Really? But what about the great deal he got by using the State of Connecticut?

What great deal? He got no deal.

The most the state did was they widened Route 1, what they would have done anyway.

 

[Chuck]

I think in terms of market and revenue generation they are lagging.

MLS wants a league full of Atlanta, LAFC, Seattle, Portland, KC etc.

It’s a weird league that relies on sharing revenue to keep growing. I guess Columbus is holding them back somehow.

Which is also kind of dumb because Precourt hasn’t really put in a good faith effort. Considering that when he bought the franchise he had it written in that he could move to Austin, that ought to indicate why.

I don’t know how New England gets away with it.

As a casual MLS observer, I find that the quality of play has gone up over the past 3 years. I'm surprised that they keep expanding. If it was a well run league I would say that they are expanding on an equal playing field (all MLS) until they hit a tipping point of a relegation set-up. That would allow each club to get a following based on being at the premier level, and then let the cards fall where they will. But my understanding is that the league is not well run and expansion is probably just a money grab, or trying to block other leagues from planting strong roots in as many markets as possible.

Re New England, I'd counter with NYCFC. I don't care about the stands. That's the team's and fans' problem. The size of that field is a joke though, and they should be forced to move as quickly as possible. I can't believe that my 12 year olds are going to be playing on the same size (maybe bigger) field this fall.

 

[whaler11]

I think in terms of market and revenue generation they are lagging.

MLS wants a league full of Atlanta, LAFC, Seattle, Portland, KC etc.

It’s a weird league that relies on sharing revenue to keep growing. I guess Columbus is holding them back somehow.

Which is also kind of dumb because Precourt hasn’t really put in a good faith effort. Considering that when he bought the franchise he had it written in that he could move to Austin, that ought to indicate why.

I don’t know how New England gets away with it.

I remember when Arena Football was a big deal. Now they have 4 teams - a 2-10 won the title and both teams in the Arena Bowl are owned by the same guy.

Hopefully when MLS imploed from
stupidity something valid rises in it’s place.

 

[DarthGrumpy]

I remember when Arena Football was a big deal. Now they have 4 teams - a 2-10 won the title and both teams in the Arena Bowl are owned by the same guy.

Hopefully when MLS imploed from
stupidity something valid rises in it’s place.

The two biggest money problems in my opinion with MLS is that 1) the league is living on Expansion fees, and 2) transfer fees are not use to help play for youth development programs such as they are in Europe, i.e. pay to play.

A couple of fixes -First, require that a % of any external transfer fee must must go back to the teams that helped develop said player. Second, if MLS wants to keep expanding, fine; but, cap the league to 24 teams and let the new owners start a team at a lower level and then earn their way up to the top flight like the rest of the world does, i.e. regulation. It adds incentives to owners to spend money on players and adds excitement to games at the end-of-the season involving bottom tier teams (nothing like watching a top flight Premiership team trying to rest in advance of a CL or Europa match having to deal with a desperate team trying to stave-off regulation).

As for stadiums, both NYC and New England needs stadiums now. If their owners are now willing to figure it out, i.e. invest their own money, then get new owners.

 

[UCFBfan]

MLS is crap, plain and simple. That transition from watching Prem soccer and having it end in May, then switching to MLS because I want to watch more, is awful.

They are trying to fit an American playoff system into a sport that doesn't need it. What it needs is pro/rel and it will never happen. There's no incentive for teams to get better because if you stink, you aren't going anywhere. EPL is exciting because even at the end of the season lots of teams have something to play for.

 

[upstater]

I keep reading this idea that in Europe there is no pay-to-play.

Talk to a current or former Euro soccer pro lately?

NEWSFLASH: there is pay-to-play.

In fact, one could argue it's just as expensive.

Average Spanish family earns $20k a year.

Year's tuition at a soccer club in Spain? $850.

If you're really good, and are identified, only then does your club sign you, and you play for free. But there are only a handful of such players per big club. The smaller clubs don't do that at all.

 

[ZooCougar]

I keep reading this idea that in Europe there is no pay-to-play.

Talk to a current or former Euro soccer pro lately?

NEWSFLASH: there is pay-to-play.

In fact, one could argue it's just as expensive.

Average Spanish family earns $20k a year.

Year's tuition at a soccer club in Spain? $850.

If you're really good, and are identified, only then does your club sign you, and you play for free. But there are only a handful of such players per big club. The smaller clubs don't do that at all.

Yeah, not really.

Far more opportunities exist to not pay than over here. American parents are basically suckers.