MLS Expansion? - Page 3

kq76 · 11-22-2008, 04:20 AM

Montreal withdraws MLS bid - Sportsnet.ca

Montreal withdraws its bid due to economic factors. While this may increase the chances of Vancouver getting a team, it makes me sad to see Montreal walk away because it sounds like it's a very multi-cultural city and would therefore likely support an MLS team pretty well.

birddogg · 11-22-2008, 07:34 AM

Not a huge soccer fan here... But i did pick up the latest Football manager 2009 , and i really have to say i enjoy the sport more than i thought i could .

Once i understood the game a little better through the game i probably find myself watching more MLS games in the future.Any chance on getting one of those teams in the southeast

?

Antonin · 11-22-2008, 04:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kq76

Montreal withdraws MLS bid - Sportsnet.ca

Montreal withdraws its bid due to economic factors. While this may increase the chances of Vancouver getting a team, it makes me sad to see Montreal walk away because it sounds like it's a very multi-cultural city and would therefore likely support an MLS team pretty well.

That's very unfortunate. There was some talk a couple of years ago about my city, Cleveland, Ohio, getting an MLS franchise, but it newver happened because I think the people involved wanted the taxpayers to help finance a stadium.

As much as I love soccer/football, I just couldn't see that happening in Cleveland, which was in a near-recession long before the current economic crisis.

We do, however, have a USL Division 2 team, the Cleveland City Stars. This summer we won the division championship!

I was at the game and it was huge, huge fun. The team tries very hard to make every game a fun, safe, family-oriented night out.

Of course anything soccer-related gets almost no attention in the local media, but a local cable TV channel owned by the Cleveland Indians televises City Stars games. Otherwise I would never have known we have a soccer team.

darkenigma510 · 11-23-2008, 11:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kq76

Montreal withdraws MLS bid - Sportsnet.ca

Montreal withdraws its bid due to economic factors. While this may increase the chances of Vancouver getting a team, it makes me sad to see Montreal walk away because it sounds like it's a very multi-cultural city and would therefore likely support an MLS team pretty well.

Why would economics play a factor? Is the economy in Montreal really slowing down that much?

Erik W. · 11-23-2008, 01:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by darkenigma510

Why would economics play a factor? Is the economy in Montreal really slowing down that much?

No. It was about the ownership group's capital, not the area's economy.

Long_Long_Name · 11-23-2008, 05:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kq76

Montreal withdraws MLS bid - Sportsnet.ca

Montreal withdraws its bid due to economic factors. While this may increase the chances of Vancouver getting a team, it makes me sad to see Montreal walk away because it sounds like it's a very multi-cultural city and would therefore likely support an MLS team pretty well.

As it says on the left, I'm a Montréaler currently living in Vancouver. It seems to me that football is much, much, much bigger in Montréal. I remember the Impact outdrawing the Expos most of the time when they played concurrently, even if the level of play was much lower in the A-league than in MLB.

mgom27 · 11-23-2008, 09:42 PM

Albert Pujols has joined the group that's wants to bring a team to St. Louis.

rudel.dietrich · 11-23-2008, 10:42 PM

I think it is probably well known by now but unless I missed it I did not see it in this thread.
USL side Seattle Sounders are joining the MLS next season (March 2009)

Their designated player is Swedish international and former Aresenal star Fredrik Ljungberg

dsvitak · 11-24-2008, 01:16 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by The Professor

St. Louis and the St. Louis area used to be one of the major hotbeds of soccer passion in the United States. It could be that dried up with the demise of the NASL and/or the end of college soccer 'dynasties' at SLU and SIUE. Nevertheless, there has always been a fairly strong push for an MLS franchise as long as that league has existed...

High school and collegiate soccer are HUGE here in the St. Louis area.

Plus, there are a ton of immigrants in this area...Bosnians, hispanics, and quite a few others.

I am thinking that St. Louis is the best remaining American city that doesn't currently have a team.

I would absolutely buy tickets to go see a little footie action.

kq76 · 11-24-2008, 08:01 PM

It seems the commissioner may not have been telling the truth the other day regarding the Montreal bid. Apparently the MLS wants 40M$ (!) for this expansion when it only wanted 10M$ from Toronto. That's a bit of a jump. What I don't get is the Impact president said they were willing to pay the price yet the bid was still rejected. Is it that the minimum MLS wants is 40M$ and since Montreal offered as low as possible they were dropped? Whatever the reason, it doesn't look good for this ownership group getting an MLS franchise now with this public squabbling. It's too bad too because from everything I hear, the other owner, George Gillett has been a great owner of other sports franchises including the Habs.

Regarding what I said the other day about economic factors, I said that because the commissioner said, "I'm not sure they were able to come to terms in this economic environment.", which leads me to believe that he felt that the reason why they couldn't raise the capital was due to the credit crunch. That, and he questioned whether there'd be enough public support, I guess, because of the global economic downturn. Sure, it should effect every group, but everyone has their own line they draw in the sand.

Perhaps more interesting, however, is this report that the MLS might just announce 4 new teams instead of two, but with the other two coming in slightly down the road. If that happens, I predict Vancouver, Ottawa, St. Louis and Portland.

canadiancreed · 11-24-2008, 10:28 PM

Wow get a glimmer of hope and they start getting greedy. Sad. Montreal IMO is the superior choice. Ottawa can't keep anything alive outside of a hockey team and they have to build a stadium from stratch. Wonder if Melnyk will balk at the 300% raise in enterence fee.

rudel.dietrich · 11-24-2008, 10:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kq76

It seems the commissioner may not have been telling the truth the other day regarding the Montreal bid. Apparently the MLS wants 40M$ (!) for this expansion when it only wanted 10M$ from Toronto. That's a bit of a jump. What I don't get is the Impact president said they were willing to pay the price yet the bid was still rejected. Is it that the minimum MLS wants is 40M$ and since Montreal offered as low as possible they were dropped? Whatever the reason, it doesn't look good for this ownership group getting an MLS franchise now with this public squabbling. It's too bad too because from everything I hear, the other owner, George Gillett has been a great owner of other sports franchises including the Habs.

Regarding what I said the other day about economic factors, I said that because the commissioner said, "I'm not sure they were able to come to terms in this economic environment.", which leads me to believe that he felt that the reason why they couldn't raise the capital was due to the credit crunch. That, and he questioned whether there'd be enough public support, I guess, because of the global economic downturn. Sure, it should effect every group, but everyone has their own line they draw in the sand.

Perhaps more interesting, however, is this report that the MLS might just announce 4 new teams instead of two, but with the other two coming in slightly down the road. If that happens, I predict Vancouver, Ottawa, St. Louis and Portland.

Seattle paid 40 million so that is not really the MLS pulling a # out of their ass.

Also many European teams are the ones funding expasion. Maybe in the future a team like PSG or Lyon would put in some money towards a Montreal expansion

Long_Long_Name · 11-24-2008, 10:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fallschirmjager

Also many European teams are the ones funding expasion. Maybe in the future a team like PSG or Lyon would put in some money towards a Montreal expansion

Am I missing something, or is it just because... they're French?

By the way, one of the prime backers of Montréal's bid is George Gillett, who currently still owns Liverpool FC. I suspect that if he holds on to that, it's much more likely that Liverpool has anything to do with a Montréal bid than any French team.

rudel.dietrich · 11-24-2008, 10:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Long_Long_Name

Am I missing something, or is it just because... they're French?

By the way, one of the prime backers of Montréal's bid is George Gillett, who currently still owns Liverpool FC. I suspect that if he holds on to that, it's much more likely that Liverpool has anything to do with a Montréal bid than any French team.

Because they are French
Spanish club Barcelona is interested in putting a team into Miami because of the spanish speaking tie in and that it would be a good American recruiting zone for them

Long_Long_Name · 11-25-2008, 02:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Fallschirmjager

Because they are French
Spanish club Barcelona is interested in putting a team into Miami because of the spanish speaking tie in and that it would be a good American recruiting zone for them

Ah. I see.

French pro football is not very popular in Montréal. The English, Spanish and Italian Leagues are much more popular. No one cares about the French outside of international play. So, yeah.

mlyons · 11-25-2008, 07:43 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Long_Long_Name

Ah. I see.

French pro football is not very popular in Montréal. The English, Spanish and Italian Leagues are much more popular. No one cares about the French outside of international play. So, yeah.

Which would be a good reason for a Ligue 1 team to try to establish some sort of presence there, no? The French league has been seeing its prestige slowly slip away for years and needs to build up some international popularity to reestablish a fan base. A French-speaking region would seem to be a good fit, regardless of how far apart it's drifted culturally.

Long_Long_Name · 11-25-2008, 02:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mlyons

Which would be a good reason for a Ligue 1 team to try to establish some sort of presence there, no? The French league has been seeing its prestige slowly slip away for years and needs to build up some international popularity to reestablish a fan base. A French-speaking region would seem to be a good fit, regardless of how far apart it's drifted culturally.

Yeah, you're right. I meant that there isn't any kind of fan base at the moment. But, yeah, you do make a point. It would be a gamble, of course, but yeah

.

Michael Hopcroft · 03-09-2009, 05:30 PM

Portland's bid has apparently gained some traction: Mayor Sam Adams and Commisioner Randy Leonard have negotiated out a plan with Timbers owner Merritt Paulson to remodel PGE Park into a soccer-only facility and build a new park for the AAA Beavers.

It still has to pass muster with the rest of the City Council, requiring one more vote out of five total. And Adams, who has been embattled since being caught in a sex scandal less than a month into his term, may not have the political capital to pull it off -- especially in a rapidly souring economy.

mgom27 · 03-09-2009, 07:17 PM

Miami backed out.

rudel.dietrich · 03-09-2009, 10:43 PM

Miami was never good idea in the first place. They rank at the bottom or near the bottom almost every USL season.
Rochester believe it or not is almost always at the top. Perhaps expand there?

11-22-2008, 04:20 AM	#41
kq76 Global Moderator Join Date: Nov 2002 Posts: 12,111	Montreal withdraws MLS bid - Sportsnet.ca Montreal withdraws its bid due to economic factors. While this may increase the chances of Vancouver getting a team, it makes me sad to see Montreal walk away because it sounds like it's a very multi-cultural city and would therefore likely support an MLS team pretty well. __________________ My OOTP Wishlist \| My FAQ List OOTP Wiki \| Your Recommended Team Nicknames, By City (A Crowdsourced Project) For Beta/Devs: Full screen (1920x1080)

11-23-2008, 09:42 PM	#47
mgom27 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 3,536	Albert Pujols has joined the group that's wants to bring a team to St. Louis. __________________ Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!

11-24-2008, 08:01 PM	#50
kq76 Global Moderator Join Date: Nov 2002 Posts: 12,111	It seems the commissioner may not have been telling the truth the other day regarding the Montreal bid. Apparently the MLS wants 40M$ (!) for this expansion when it only wanted 10M$ from Toronto. That's a bit of a jump. What I don't get is the Impact president said they were willing to pay the price yet the bid was still rejected. Is it that the minimum MLS wants is 40M$ and since Montreal offered as low as possible they were dropped? Whatever the reason, it doesn't look good for this ownership group getting an MLS franchise now with this public squabbling. It's too bad too because from everything I hear, the other owner, George Gillett has been a great owner of other sports franchises including the Habs. Regarding what I said the other day about economic factors, I said that because the commissioner said, "I'm not sure they were able to come to terms in this economic environment.", which leads me to believe that he felt that the reason why they couldn't raise the capital was due to the credit crunch. That, and he questioned whether there'd be enough public support, I guess, because of the global economic downturn. Sure, it should effect every group, but everyone has their own line they draw in the sand. Perhaps more interesting, however, is this report that the MLS might just announce 4 new teams instead of two, but with the other two coming in slightly down the road. If that happens, I predict Vancouver, Ottawa, St. Louis and Portland. __________________ My OOTP Wishlist \| My FAQ List OOTP Wiki \| Your Recommended Team Nicknames, By City (A Crowdsourced Project) For Beta/Devs: Full screen (1920x1080)

03-09-2009, 07:17 PM	#59
mgom27 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jul 2006 Posts: 3,536	Miami backed out. __________________ Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!!

11-22-2008, 07:34 AM	#42
birddogg Minors (Rookie Ball) Join Date: May 2008 Posts: 40	Not a huge soccer fan here... But i did pick up the latest Football manager 2009 , and i really have to say i enjoy the sport more than i thought i could . Once i understood the game a little better through the game i probably find myself watching more MLS games in the future.Any chance on getting one of those teams in the southeast ?

11-23-2008, 10:42 PM	#48
rudel.dietrich Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Zürich, Switzerland Posts: 8,608	I think it is probably well known by now but unless I missed it I did not see it in this thread. USL side Seattle Sounders are joining the MLS next season (March 2009) Their designated player is Swedish international and former Aresenal star Fredrik Ljungberg

11-24-2008, 10:28 PM	#51
canadiancreed Hall Of Famer Join Date: Aug 2004 Posts: 11,660	Wow get a glimmer of hope and they start getting greedy. Sad. Montreal IMO is the superior choice. Ottawa can't keep anything alive outside of a hockey team and they have to build a stadium from stratch. Wonder if Melnyk will balk at the 300% raise in enterence fee.

03-09-2009, 05:30 PM	#58
Michael Hopcroft Major Leagues Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Portland, OR USA Posts: 487	Portland's bid has apparently gained some traction: Mayor Sam Adams and Commisioner Randy Leonard have negotiated out a plan with Timbers owner Merritt Paulson to remodel PGE Park into a soccer-only facility and build a new park for the AAA Beavers. It still has to pass muster with the rest of the City Council, requiring one more vote out of five total. And Adams, who has been embattled since being caught in a sex scandal less than a month into his term, may not have the political capital to pull it off -- especially in a rapidly souring economy.

03-09-2009, 10:43 PM	#60
rudel.dietrich Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Zürich, Switzerland Posts: 8,608	Miami was never good idea in the first place. They rank at the bottom or near the bottom almost every USL season. Rochester believe it or not is almost always at the top. Perhaps expand there?