Big Soccer Comments

Big Soccer comments on "historic announcement". Back in the day, Big Soccer was where all the Rowdies conversation was. Now, it's all on Facebook, and a bit on reddit. Big Soccer is a ghost town, at least for Rowdies fans. Nothing really interesting there. 

I'm not really sure what Bill Edwards' actual wealth is, but I think these guys are underestimating it. I'm sure he would want additional MLS investors but they wouldn't have to be guys necessarily richer than he is. He is an actual billionaire from what I have heard.  

Also, I think they missed Don Garber's comments in Tampa this past October 26th.  This is no longer true: "they would be kind of behind a few other areas on the pecking order". Tampa Bay area is biggest TV market without an MLS team. Orlando territorial rights would not stop the Rowdies. It's all good. It is simply a matter of Bill Edwards putting together a SSS and ownership group that meets MLS specifications.   

Also this comment seems backwards: "If he had eyes on a MLS push, why move to the USL?" Because Bill Edwards doesn't like the way NASL is being run and he can't fix it? Because going to USL smooths his path to MLS? Even if the Rowdies jump to MLS in 2018 they will still have a reserve team in USL. I think it is precisely because of his MLS ambitions that Bill Edwards moved the Rowdies to USL. NASL clusterfuckedness (is that a word? is now) helped make up his mind on the matter, I think. 

Also I hate the idea of retiring numbers in soccer. It is entirely against the history of the sport, where numbers 1-11 actually used to mean the position you played, and those numbers still mean something to a lot of players and fans. Retire the shirt (name and number combined), but not the number, IMO. 

(Follow link for full article.)

http://forums.bigsoccer.com/threads/rowdies-news-and-updates.1873744/page-48

http://forums.bigsoccer.com/threads/rowdies-news-and-updates.1873744/page-49

Big Soccer Comments

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Bluesfan,

On FB they are pimping a 'historic ' announcement on Dec 6.

Any guesses what it might be? Anything I would consider historic would be out of left field : MLS , a complete overhaul of the stadium, a new ownership member.

Please let it be Jeff Vinik taking controlling interest . Not very likely for several reasons .

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kenntomasch

Gordon Jago: Tanned, Rested and Ready.

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kenntomasch

Not moving back to Hillsborough after all the work they have done on Al Lang.

Edwards does not have MLS-level cash. And they would be kind of behind a few other areas on the pecking order. (Though with St. Louis apparently in the mix, that next wave is already underway.)

Vinik would be great, obvs, but I would imagine he would want the team to play near Amalie and that can't happen anytime soon.

Maybe they are going to re-retire the number 7 that had been retired and that they ignored at re-launch.

I don't know. Your guess is as good as mine.

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Bluesfan

Tatu going to take his shirt off as well?

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Bluesfan

I also don't see them heading across the bay as long as Edwards is calling the shots. He has strong ties to the Burg.

Somehow I doubt it is MLS . ... yet. If he had eyes on a MLS push, why move to the USL? I would love to see them in the top flight but the competition is stiff and he would need a big money man.

Vinik has a pretty full plate redeveloping nearly every desirable piece of real estate in downtown Tampa. Jeff taking a shine to the Rowdies would be a wet dream.

This could be close to the mark. Re-retiring Steve's number would fit the historic angle. So would retiring another number. I am not big on retiring numbers but it is crap that Wegerle was lost in the shuffle when they ressurectted the brand. Of course it wasn't the only thing they botched.

The only other historic type announcements I could fathom would be possibly a return to the traditional kit but they have used it on and off already so hardly worthy of the hype.

I will go out on a limb: The return of the Wowdies!

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kenntomasch

I think the "traditional" uniforms (with no place for a shirt sponsor) would be unlikely. I said in 2010 that we would all be slightly silly to think that even if they had not folded in 1993, they would not have had uniform evolution by 2010. (Hell, they did, by the 1992 final against Colorado, there were no yellow stripes to be found.) But unless a uni change has been in the works for a while, you would think they would be hard-pressed to have samples ready by now. Usually those things happen later in the offseason.

Think Edwards would sell to someone else? He would leave without winning a championship, which is a stated goal. Sternberg? That makes no sense, either.

Affiliating with someone doesn't seem press-conference worthy. (Won't be Orlando, obviously.) Wowdies doesn't seem press conference worthy. How secure is Campbell's job? (As we have seen, no one's job is really secure.)

Expanding Al Lang would seem to be overly optimistic. They don't fill the place as it is. A new yard on that site or in the parking lot at Tropicana Field would not have flown under the radar like this.

If you are making a fresh start in a fresh league, you might want to freshen some stuff up. Maybe it's new coach, new logo.

I don't know. Guess we'll find out.

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