Some random comments about Miami and MLS, and the Tampa Bay Rowdies and MLS. I will probably be adding more comments here later as they occur to me. This will be a place holder page for comments on this topic.
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https://supportyourlocalfootballclub.blogspot.com/2018/02/musical-chairs-or-great-mls-sss-nimby.html
Musical chairs; or the great MLS SSS NIMBY relocation/expansion swap meet, flea market, fish fry, bbq, gossip roundup & sewing circle.
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https://supportyourlocalfootballclub.blogspot.com/2018/01/it-finally-happened-david-beckham.html
So it finally happened; that gets the Miami situation out the way, at least.
Now Bill Edwards really, really, REALLY needs to get more, bigger investors involved to take the Tampa Bay Rowdies to MLS.
Reading below however even though they say they want to start Miami in 2020, a lot of hurdles remain.
I would not be surprised if Miami in MLS gets pushed back to 2021 (when the TV deal is going to be renegotiated anyway) simply because playing in multiple, ill-suited stadia in 2020 is not a good way to launch this new club (whatever it will be called).
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https://supportyourlocalfootballclub.blogspot.com/2017/12/mls-expansion-is-coming-to-nashville.html
Tampa Bay Area will be left out in the cold, soccer-wise, AGAIN, unless Bill Edwards can get additional MLS investors, and soon.
Miami is still uncertain, because despite the new investors nothing has been announced yet. After the last addition of a new investor earlier this year we were told things would be wrapped up by August, then nothing happened. Now we are being told that things will be wrapped up by January, or before the start of MLS 2018 season (March) at the latest. We shall see. The zoning hearings will be interesting; if NIMBYism strikes that is where and when it will strike.
Also lol at comments from people about expansion "diluting" MLS talent. Have they not been paying attention these past 10-15 years? As MLS has expanded it has gotten better. More investment in the league means better players. It's a worldwide market for soccer talent, and MLS is a minor league in global terms. Dilution is a worry for NFL/MLB/NBA/NHL, not for MLS.
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This is new and different:
Finding a local owner to join Beckham's group was also crucial, Garber said.
"We've been working hard on trying to find a local owner for David Beckham. I feel confident that it will come together," he said. "I continue to say that we want Miami in the league.As the internet meme goes: "wat"?
Isn't Marcelo Claure a local investor? They need more local investors for some reason, which they didn't need six months ago?
I thought the addition of Todd Boehly earlier this year solved all of Miami Beckham United's investor problems?
I thought the addition of Todd Boehly earlier this year solved all of Miami Beckham United's investor problems?
Now all of a sudden they need more, and local, investors?
Something here doesn't add up, but the reporters seem to be too clueless to ask obvious follow up questions about this.
Also, Garber indicates that some of the new expansion teams could jump ahead of Miami as Miami is obviously not going to be ready for 2019 or even 2020. No surprise there.
I really wish MLS would give up on Miami for now and choose the Tampa Bay Rowdies, instead, obviously; I hope they (and Beckham, too!) come to this realization soon and don't drag this Miami situation out for another two or three years.
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https://supportyourlocalfootballclub.blogspot.com/2017/12/wrap-up-your-rowdies-season-tickets.html
One more open letter, just mailed them out today. No idea if these are having any effect, but why not put these ideas out there.
I don't like seeing people write off our chances for MLS. While I think we should be in MLS no matter what, Miami not working out would certainly help our cause a lot.
It is hard to say if Tim Leiweke's comments were simply made out of frustration without any deeper meaning, or if he in fact knows something about the Miami situation which hasn't come out yet which may delay or kill the stadium deal altogether.
Certainly the MLS owners wouldn't be sad to see some other market pay full price for Miami's expansion slot rather than give Beckham his discount, but they also would like to see Beckham be involved in MLS ownership. At this point Beckham's stake in an MLS team will be so diluted with other, larger owners that it is kind of silly to think of MBU as Beckham's team, or why the other MBU owners should benefit from the Beckham discount given Beckham is going to be a minority owner.
If MLS really wanted Miami to happen, they would have allowed MBU to launch next year alongside LAFC, but playing in a temporary stadium, until their SSS issues could be worked out, much as they allowed NYCFC to do. But MLS isn't allowing that to happen in Miami. MBU either gets this current SSS deal done next year or it isn't happening at all, IMHO.
Parsing Tim Leiweke's comments is very interesting, and shows some potential for the Tampa Bay Rowdies and Bill Edwards teaming up with the MBU ownership group, in my humble but obviously biased opinion:
“I’m helping any way I can with David,” Leiweke told the Sun. “I hope it gets done, but it’s not done. I have my fears as to whether it’s going to get done because things like this that drag on this long that’s always tough on a process. But for David I hope he lands somewhere.”...But for David I hope he lands...somewhere...
“It would be unfortunate for the league to not honour the job he did and the decision he made,” Leiweke added. “His best work would still be ahead of us if we could figure out a way to get him involved with a franchise.
“But our company has a lot of different projects. I haven’t spent a lot of time on Miami lately so I’m not sure if that gets done. I hope it does for David’s sake.”
...if we could figure out a way to get him involved with...a...franchise...
Interesting choice of words, no?
But in any case whether MBU joining the TBR ownership group does or doesn't happen, we still need to get more local Tampa Bay Area owners on board the TBR ownership group alongside Bill Edwards.
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https://supportyourlocalfootballclub.blogspot.com/2017/09/tampa.html
Tampa?
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https://supportyourlocalfootballclub.blogspot.com/2017/08/new-anti-beckham-stadium-campaign.html
I was wondering when that other shoe was going to drop.
First the lawsuit, now this.
I have no idea if this is going to stop or delay the MBU MLS stadium in Overtown, but from the looks of it things are not quite as clear sailing for the stadium as MBU would like us believe.
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https://supportyourlocalfootballclub.blogspot.com/2017/08/jones-not-sure-mls-odds-are-in-rowdies.html
Lots of misinformation and FUD out there right now about the Tampa Bay Rowdies bid for an MLS expansion spot. Really wish Bill Edwards would make a major announcement about his additional MLS investors soon. [ . . . ]
That's, uh, relegation, not delegation.....
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https://supportyourlocalfootballclub.blogspot.com/2017/07/what-if-they-werent-sounders.html
I myself, I am proud to say, "stuffed the ballot" multiple times with the Seattle Sounders name as the write-in option, and I encouraged others to do likewise. I've only visited Seattle once and I don't support the Sounders, but as a Rowdies supporter since 1975, it was my sacred duty to help keep another old North American soccer brand name alive.
Wisely, the owners listened to the fans and picked the Sounders name, but we should never have been forced to write the name in, in the first place. It should have been the automatic name choice without a ballot, and the fact that it wasn't even on the ballot was the final insult. Decades of soccer history and legacy potentially washed down the drain as though it were worth nothing!
I should not have to explain why something like this is important to USA soccer in general and to Rowdies fans in particular. [ . . . ]
This story below is somewhat related to the above story; I don't have a problem with choosing names that "sound European" or whatever if it's a brand new American soccer team with no existing history or identity; or if it's a new-ish American soccer team with a truly awful name (ie, Dallas Burn); but trashing old, existing, legacy-intensive American soccer identities for the latest flavor of the month Euro-poseur names is an entirely different matter, IMO (ie, I was okay with changing the Dallas Burn name, but not the Kansas City Wizards name, for instance):
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https://supportyourlocalfootballclub.blogspot.com/2017/07/stephen-ross-doubts-mls-in-miami-is.html
Stephen Ross makes big money from international friendlies like the recent El Clasico in Miami; he is not on board with the idea of MLS in Miami. Another "hmmm..." story.
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https://supportyourlocalfootballclub.blogspot.com/2017/07/two-new-asian-eateries-makes-three-in.html
So I tried this new restaurant when walking down Central Avenue in downtown St. Pete before the Rowdies game last week against Charleston Battery: Pin Wok & Bowl. I had a very yummy poke bowl and pork dumplings. This place does not seem to have a website or Facebook page yet so I link this story below. This place must have just opened because the story below says they open this August and it is still July. [ . . . ]
Pork Dumplings: [ . . . ]
"Spicy Lava Flow" Poke Bowl (cubed ahi tuna, cucumber, mango, seaweed salad, jalapeno, sweet onion, masago and roasted seaweed with spicy house sauce), served on a bed of sushi rice:
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https://supportyourlocalfootballclub.blogspot.com/2017/07/matheson-lawsuit-seeks-to-block-beckham.html
So I am back from my annual July vacation which included trips to Orlando and St. Pete to watch the Rowdies; I won't have time to catch up on all the news of the past two or three weeks, but the below story is worth highlighting.
Will this kill the Miami MLS Overtown stadium, and thus kill or at least delay the Miami Beckham United project? I have no idea. We shall have to wait and see.
Edit to add below story, which, oddly, though published a week or more after the above stories, does not even mention the Bruce Matheson lawsuit, which is extremely relevant to this topic; the writer says the Miami Beckham MLS project "now faces little opposition"; does he not know about the lawsuit?
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http://supportyourlocalfootballclub.blogspot.com/2017/06/source-rowdies-in-top-4-for-mls.html
I am probably sperging out, linking two unrelated comments in two unrelated articles, but I cannot help but notice this:
Source: Rowdies in ‘Top 4’ for MLS Expansion
Stadium Plans
- Completing the renovations and expansion of the stadium in time for 2019 season. This is a minor issue where the team could begin it’s first season in MLS with a long road trip to allow for full completion of the stadium.And this:
Orlando wants to host the 2019 Major League Soccer All Star Game
The hope remains that Orlando will be able to make their bid for the MLS All Star Game in 2019. Soccer fans throughout the state hope that Orlando gets the game and the league has been impressed with the success of Orlando FC, one of the leagues true success stories.
It is possible by that time the Tampa Bay Rowdies could be in the MLS along with Orlando FC making the game even sweeter in 2019.This is odd. Both writers mention the Rowdies being in MLS in 2019 as a possibility, whereas everything I had read said that the two MLS expansion teams chosen this year (and this does not include Miami) would be joining MLS in 2020.
The one writer speculates about Al Lang Stadium expansion being completed in time for the 2019 MLS season, and the other writer speculates about Orlando City hosting the MLS All Star game in 2019 in time to play with the Tampa Bay Rowdies in MLS, and not with Beckham's Miami MLS club.
Is this significant? Does this mean something new is going on that we don't know about? I have no idea! Weird.
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http://supportyourlocalfootballclub.blogspot.com/2017/05/david-beckham-group-unveils-new-miami.html
When you've got MBU's lawyer/lobbyist using buzzwords like "paradigm shift" and talking about expecting people in South Florida to change their travel habits in order to sell your stadium plan, alarm bells should be going off. No parking, expecting people in South Florida to use public transit and to walk through a rather dicey neighborhood, to an MLS stadium? And this doesn't sound like a bad idea to anyone?
The county seems pretty set on making this happen quickly, however. Where is the due diligence? The traffic and parking impact studies? The public transit use impact studies? Will there be actual local opposition beyond just a few complaints at a public meeting?
Well we shall see. Who knows, it might work out okay. But I wouldn't want to be risking my own money on a "paradigm shift" in a place like Overtown, though. I guess that's why Beckham & friends wanted an outsider investor/billionaire to take most of the financial risk.
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http://supportyourlocalfootballclub.blogspot.com/2017/05/david-beckham-ready-to-buy-last-parcel.html
So if the below is correct, Miami Beckham United (MBU) is close to buying the land in Overtown that they need for their MLS soccer specific stadium (SSS).
However, there will be a hearing next month. Local politician is making “I’ve got to see what my community says" noises, and thus forces a community hearing next month, so this won't be quickly rubber stamped by Miami-Dade County.
This may mean nothing more than a bit of political posturing, followed by a quick rubber stamped approval; or, local activists and NIMBYs (or whatever one calls NIMBYs in "underpriviledged" neighborhoods) might actually throw a monkey wrench into the works. We shall see.
As far as I know, since MBU bought land in Overtown over a year ago, MBU hasn't done anything to cultivate and win over the local neighborhood groups, businesses, and others in Overtown, like was done in, say, previously, in Orlando, and currently, in St. Petersburg. And no, I'm not talking about holding a town hall meeting.
If locals in Overtown somehow torpedo the stadium deal, this lack of attention to these kinds of local details could bite MBU in the ass, so to speak. But we shall see.
Also, below, Phil Rawlins is out at Orlando City, but will remain on the MLS expansion committee, if I am reading between the lines correctly.
Finally, below, excellent video essay about the Tampa Bay Rowdies and the Tampa Bay Mutiny.
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http://supportyourlocalfootballclub.blogspot.com/2017/05/30-days.html
I'm not going to bother posting links to every MLS and lower league soccer story that interests me here anymore; it was getting to be a bit too much. I shall just post a few things that directly interest me as long as it is related to the Tampa Bay Rowdies (or if there is ever anything of interest to my current local football club, the New England Revolution, which is almost never).
So it's been a week and a half and no real news about the Miami situation; however a few rumors and chatter. Everyone seems convinced that Miami is going to happen now; we shall see. I am skeptical, but I have nothing valid to back that hunch up with at the moment, really.
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http://supportyourlocalfootballclub.blogspot.com/2017/05/mls2stpete-referendum-passes-in-st.html
#MLS2StPete Referendum passes in St. Petersburg with 87% 'yes' vote. Tampa Bay Rowdies inch closer to MLS.
Vote totals below:
City of St. Petersburg Referendum Question
93 of 93 Precincts Reporting
Percent Votes
Yes 87.14% 24,589
No 12.86% 3,628
This is good news, and an even better percentage of the 'yes' vote than was initially predicted.
It does not guarantee that the Tampa Bay Rowdies will get into MLS as an expansion team, but it is a necessary first step. I am slightly irritated, however, by the many loud and skeptical voices counter-signalling this victory by claiming that the Rowdies are still not in the likely group of potential MLS expansion teams. Most of the reasons cited against the Rowdies chances are bogus.
Pros:
1) Tampa/St. Pete is largest (#11) TV market not yet in MLS. MLS is not going to want to ignore the big, unrepresented TV markets for much longer (Tampa/St. Pete #11, Phoenix #12, Detroit #13).
2) Tampa Bay Area is fastest growing market of the 13 markets (including Miami) currently trying to get into MLS.
3) Tampa Bay Area has a long history of supporting pro soccer (much more so than Miami).
4) Tampa Bay Rowdies are an iconic brand with a 42 year history, still recognized internationally. This helps in many ways that can't be quantified; ask the San Jose Earthquakes, Seattle Sounders, Portland Timbers, and Vancouver Whitecaps about that.
5) Tampa Bay Area in general, and St. Pete in particular, is rapidly growing with the young Millennial demographic that is particularly desired by MLS. St. Petersburg, over the past 10 years, has become a hipster-burg comparable in many ways (except for the weather) to Portland and Seattle.
6) Al Lang Stadium is located in the heart of downtown St. Petersburg, within easy walking distance from a huge selection of bars, restaurants, shops, cinemas, theaters, music venues, museums, and other recreation and nightlife. This is EXACTLY the type of downtown, walkable, urban soccer stadium situation that MLS has been trying to get in many other cities (and often failing miserably; see for instance Miami and New England).
7) With this vote, and the soon to be negotiated extended lease agreed to by the Rowdies and St. Pete government (which WILL happen; St. Pete city government has shown itself entirely on the side of #MLS2StPete), Tampa Bay Rowdies will join Sacramento Republic as the only teams in the MLS expansion race to have both stadium situation and financing all lined up; i.e. both are shovel ready and ready to go as soon as MLS gives the word. There are a few other markets that may be close to doing this, but they are not quite there yet; at the moment, only Tampa Bay and Sacramento are.
8) Bill Edwards has not yet announced who his additional investors are, but they will be big and they will enhance his case for #MLS2StPete.
9) The Tampa Bay Rowdies #MLS2StPete project has the overwhelming support of local St. Pete politicians, neighborhood groups, local businesses, the chamber of commerce, local corporate sponsors, and politicians and businesses and corporate sponsors from other Tampa Bay Area cities such as Tampa and Clearwater. Like Sacramento, political and business support for the local MLS bid is overwhelming and unequivocal. That's more than you can say for a lot of the other MLS bids.
Anti-Cons:
1) Bill Edwards' negatives aren't going to stop #MLS2StPete any more than the negatives of Joey Saputo (Montreal Impact), Bill McGuire (Minnesota United), or City Football Group/Abu Dhabi United Group/China Media Capital/CITIC Capital (New York City FC) stopped those teams from joining MLS. If you don't know what those negatives are, Google it. When Bill Edwards announces his additional #MLS2StPete investors, who may very well be extremely wealthy and respectable, I think people will finally realize that this is another non-issue.
2) Don Garber has made it very clear that Orlando City's MLS territorial rights are not going to stop the Rowdies from joining MLS, and the proximity of the two markets is a plus, not a minus, for Garber.
3) Florida is still, even if Miami gets into MLS, a very much underrepresented state, for its size, in MLS. Tampa Bay Rowdies would not make "too many Florida teams" in MLS.
4) The Al Lang Stadium expansion plans meet every USSF D1 and MLS requirement for professional soccer stadiums, period, full stop, end of discussion. You fan boys constantly whinging and complaining that you don't like the oddball configuration of the stadium, are clueless. This is not a valid concern and it is not a real issue.
5) Being located in St. Pete is not a negative; MLB baseball attendance for the Rays in St. Pete is not an apples-to-apples comparison to soccer due to the many weeknight games MLB plays (this is a problem for the Rays due to weeknight rush hour traffic over the bay bridges). This is an objection only raised by people who don't know the Tampa Bay Area and/or who don't seem to understand the many differences between soccer fandom and baseball fandom (demographically, culturally, etc.) in the USA in general and in Florida in particular.
6) The 2001 MLS contraction of the Florida teams has absolutely nothing to do with the current MLS expansion process, and it is simply irrelevant to what is currently going on with MLS expansion. The Tampa Bay Mutiny were NOT contracted due to poor attendance, and if you believe that they were, you are too badly misinformed to have an opinion worth listening to on this subject.
7) Gut-level feelings about which bids are "stronger" and which bids are less strong are not "objective" and MLS expansion race pundits have been proven wrong so many times you would think that they would have learned this lesson by now, but, no, apparently not.
I have no idea how things will turn out, but the Tampa Bay Rowdies case for MLS is very strong. The Miami situation is fouling things up, however, and if it drags on it could delay the MLS expansion announcements until late this year. So we probably have a lot more waiting to do.
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http://supportyourlocalfootballclub.blogspot.com/2017/04/david-beckhams-miami-investment-group.html
David Beckham's Miami investment group adds Todd Boehly - sources
This announcement is obviously as a result of the MLS meeting this week. We've known that MBU were in talks with potential investors. MLS wanted an update on the status of MBU, so MBU had to say who they were talking to. Now we know who, too: Todd Boehly.
Does this really mean anything? Does this change anything? Is Todd Boehly likely to say 'yes' in regards to the same situation with MBU at Overtown, that at least three other potential investors, that we know about (and possibly many more that we don't know about), all said 'no' to?
It seems unlikely to me, but who knows. If announcements and agreements start being made public soon and work appears to be getting done, maybe this time is different. But if this is followed up with months of more silence, then not good for MBU.
This story says Todd Boehly has been added to the MBU investment group, but nothing official from either MBU or Todd Boehly has stated that yet. I would think if this were true they will want to get it on the record very soon.
We shall see.
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http://supportyourlocalfootballclub.blogspot.com/2017/04/things-coming-to-head-very-soon.html
Things coming to a head very soon.
A time to sum up where I am with this project so far, and how I see things going.
This week MLS is having an annual meeting. Unofficially, the fate of Miami Beckham United may be decided soon by MLS. The St. Pete referendum vote on Al Lang is coming up in another week. Assuming a yes vote on #MLS2StPete, I think #Rowies2MLS is all but assured, especially if MBU is effectively dead, which seems likely at this point.
I feel I may have one more open letter to write after the May 2nd vote; after that things will be in the hands of MLS and we shall see what happens. The letter writing campaign is getting a bit tedious for me as the number of letters that have to be printed up and envelopes addressed and postage paid for, etc., is getting a bit large, at just over one hundred addresses. It will be time to conclude this.
Until then, link dump below.
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http://supportyourlocalfootballclub.blogspot.com/2017/03/tampa-bay-rowdies-will-kick-off-first.html
The below is fairly typical of news articles which completely discount the Tampa Bay Rowdies chances of making it to MLS. It has outdated and incorrect information, reinforcing a certain tired and predictable anti-Tampa Bay narrative.
For instance, Tampa/St. Pete is the 11th largest TV market, NOT the 13th; Tampa/St. Pete is the largest TV market not currently in MLS; it is also the fastest growing market of the 12/13 currently trying to get in to MLS.
The Tampa/St. Pete TV market IS NOT part of the Orlando TV market, never has been, never will be. Orlando City claims territorial rights due to asinine MLS rules, but Orlando City has no media presence in the Tampa Bay Area worth talking about.
The Tampa Bay Area DOES NOT share any significant part of its fan base with Orlando. That's just ignorant. A few people in the Tampa Bay Area may travel to Orlando occasionally to watch a game as Orlando City is the closest MLS team, but the Tampa Bay Area is not a significant factor in Orlando's fan base.
People who whine about having to drive half an hour over the bridge to watch a Ray's game (on weekends; weeknights are another matter due to traffic) are not going to be driving in significant numbers for an hour and a half to watch Orlando City.
And unless I've missed it, stadium plans ARE NOT in place in Cincinnati yet, not even close. No idea where the writer is getting that from.
And of course, for some reason the close proximity of Cincinnati to Columbus (or San Diego to LAG, or Sacramento to San Jose) is never seen as a negative for their MLS bids, the way proximity to Orlando is used as a reason to discount the Rowdies chances.
. . .
Again with the lazy writing from this writer.
First, it's Tampa Bay, NOT Tampa. Tampa is just one city in the Tampa Bay Area. The Tampa Bay Rowdies, both in USL and hopefully soon in MLS, play in St. Petersburg. #MLS2StPete
Second, the Tampa Bay Area IS NOT the same market as Orlando. Look at a Goddamned map. Jesus Fucking Christ.
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http://supportyourlocalfootballclub.blogspot.com/2017/03/mls2stpeteand-why-failure-of-mutiny.html
#MLS2StPete — And why the failure of the Mutiny doesn’t matter
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http://supportyourlocalfootballclub.blogspot.com/2017/03/miami-beckham-united-is-100-committed.html
No one really believes that Miami Beckham United is actually going to happen. Some people say that it will happen, but these people all "happen to be" people who are in the employ of MBU or MLS. They are paid to say what they say.
Even Garber was expressing some skepticism about Miami this past October; however there seems to have been some kind of behind the scenes agreement between MLS and MBU this past November/December. MBU is now operating against a hard deadline (allegedly) but we don't know when that deadline is.
In exchange, MLS and MBU continue their happy talk, in public, i.e. the talk about the "real soon now" success of MBU doing a deal to get Miami into MLS. Ergo, things like the tweet below. We shall see what happens.
Based on past experience I expect nothing to happen: no new billionaire investors, no deal with Miami-Dade County for the remaining property in Overtown. If so, then at some point the MLS deadline kicks in and we will see how things fall out.
MBU really should talk to TBR and Bill Edwards. It's the reason I created this blog and letter writing campaign in the first place. Come on David Beckham, Simon Fuller, etc.; say it with me: #MLS2StPete.
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http://supportyourlocalfootballclub.blogspot.com/2017/02/forbes-americas-fastest-growing-cities.html
Not only is the Tampa Bay area (Tampa-St. Pete-Clearwater) the largest TV market that does not have an MLS team (#11), it is also the fastest growing market that is currently attempting to gain entry into MLS (#8). Also, North Port-Sarasota-Bradenton is effectively part of the Tampa Bay area, and it is #6 fastest growing. So not only is the Tampa Bay area market the biggest TV market not yet in MLS, it is still growing and getting bigger. MLS expansion committee needs to pay attention to this.
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http://supportyourlocalfootballclub.blogspot.com/2017/02/is-st-pete-too-close-to-orlando-to-let.html
Is St. Pete too close to Orlando to let the Tampa Bay Rowdies into MLS? Let's look at the numbers.
Edit: 2017-02-21, to add Cincinnati to Columbus comparison.
Edit: 2017-02-08, to add San Diego to Los Angeles comparison.
https://www.mapquest.com/directions/from/us/florida/orlando/32805-2207/655-w-church-st-28.540160,-81.388408/to/us/fl/saint-petersburg/33701-4343/230-1st-st-se-27.768764,-82.633987
From:
655 W Church St, Orlando, FL 32805-2207 (Orlando City SC's new stadium in Orlando.)
To:
230 1st St SE, Saint Petersburg, FL 33701-4343 (Tampa Bay Rowdies, Al Lang Stadium in St. Petersburg.)
Result:
1hr 42min 107mi
https://www.mapquest.com/directions/from/us/ca/san-jose/95110-1104/1123-coleman-ave-37.352732,-121.924720/to/us/california/sacramento/95814-2308/401-i-st-38.583540,-121.501038
From:
1123 Coleman Ave, San Jose, CA 95110-1104 (San Jose Earthquakes, Avaya Stadium in San Jose.)
To:
401 I St, Sacramento, CA 95814-2308 (Sacramento (Republic?), Sacramento Amtrak Station, near the Sacramento Railyards Project where the Sacramento MLS stadium is planned to be built.)
Result:
1hr 50min 116mi
Edit to add San Diego to LA:
https://www.mapquest.com/directions/from/us/ca/san-diego/92108-1718/9449-friars-rd-32.787208,-117.118296/to/us/ca/carson/90746-2135/18400-avalon-blvd-33.863048,-118.266006
From:
9449 Friars Rd, San Diego, CA 92108-1718 (San Diego proposed MLS stadium site, currently Qualcomm Stadium.)
To:
18400 Avalon Blvd, Carson, CA 90746-2135 (Los Angeles Galaxy, StubHub Center, greater Los Angeles area.)
1hr 46min 111mi
Edit to add Cincinnati to Columbus:
https://www.mapquest.com/directions/from/us/oh/cincinnati/45219/174-w-corry-st-39.129690,-84.516228/to/us/oh/columbus/43211-2091/1-black-and-gold-blvd-40.007512,-82.991593
From:
174 W Corry St, Cincinnati, OH 45219 (FC Cincinnati, Nippert Stadium.)
To:
1 Black and Gold Blvd, Columbus, OH 43211-2091 (Columbus Crew, Mapfre Stadium.)
Result:
1hr 47min 110mi
So, there's your difference. The Rowdies would be 9 miles, or 8 minutes, closer to Orlando than the distance from San Jose to Sacramento (or 4 miles, or 4 minutes, closer than San Diego to LA). Now the shortest route in Northern California goes through a lot more developed areas than the route from Orlando to St. Pete, so there's more potential for traffic delays in Northern California than in Central Florida, but that's not really an issue on weekends when traffic is light - which is also why the whole "hurr durr, MLB, Rays can't draw fans in St. Pete, so you can't put MLS in St. Pete", non-argument, does not apply to the situation for MLS in St. Pete, where most games will be on weekends.
Notice we hear absolutely nothing about how Sacramento (or San Diego) can't get into MLS because it's too close to San Jose (or LA). In fact most people were giving Sacramento Republic (or San Diego) the best chances of getting into MLS of the 12 markets applying for MLS expansion, before the recent kerfuffle over the ownership group, which may be resolved in any case. So apparently that extra 9 miles (or 4 miles) difference is decisive because reasons.
Also note that the travel times will vary by a few minutes, depending on who/where you are on the internet and at what time you are asking, etc.; but the mileage doesn't change, assuming that the route doesn't change, which it should not; Mapquest picked the shortest route via major highways.
Edit to add: and San Diego to LA Galaxy home stadium is even closer than Sacramento to San Jose, only 4 miles (or 4 minutes) further, than Orlando to St. Pete. So that's two cities almost as close to each other in major league sports, as Orlando and St. Pete are, not counting multi-team cities like NYC, Chicago, or LA, or cross-bay rivals San Francisco and Oakland. Proximity really isn't the issue here; this is only an objection that comes up when Tampa Bay Rowdies to MLS is mentioned as a possibility.
Edit to add: and Cincinnati to Columbus is only 3 miles further than St. Pete to Orlando. Columbus has voiced objections to Cincinnati though; hopefully that won't be a factor in the decision process. So contra my last comment above, this isn't just an objection to the Rowdies going to MLS; but it is a fanboy objection you hear mostly against the Rowdies.
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http://supportyourlocalfootballclub.blogspot.com/2017/01/my-mls-expansion-predictionsguesses.html
My MLS expansion predictions/guesses circa 2016-01-30:
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http://supportyourlocalfootballclub.blogspot.com/2017/01/rowdies-put-on-show-with-mls-expansion.html
Tampa Bay Rowdies definitely putting on the biggest show with their MLS expansion bid presentation today; deadline is tomorrow (Jan. 31st.).
Detroit is talking again about buying land for stadium. If this actually happens that changes my MLS expansion calculations a bit.
And in last minute move, Indy Eleven announces that they are submitting a bid for MLS expansion. This makes 12 teams now; 13 if you count Miami. I don't know if this bid should count as a serious bid or not, as Indy Eleven were not one of the original 10 expansion markets that MLS announced, nor were they invited by MLS to submit a bid at the last minute as was done with Phoenix Rising. So, not sure what to make of this and whether Indy Eleven changes the MLS expansion race or not.
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http://supportyourlocalfootballclub.blogspot.com/2017/01/orlando-miami-and-tampa-in-different.html
Tampa Bay Rowdies hire youth development coach as part of strengthening their MLS bid (below).
Also below, an Orlando take on the Miami and Tampa Bay MLS bids.
"Multiple reports say Beckham is close to working everything out and the team may begin playing in 2019." Who? Where are these sources? What reports? All I hear is Don Garber saying that MLS in Miami is real close to happening any time now; no specifics. There's your "multiple reports": multiple people repeating what Garber said. Not actual reports from multiple primary source; one primary source only.
And out of Miami Beckham United: nothing. Not a word. Last November Tim Leiweke said that MBU would have a big announcement by the end of the year; November and December came and went: nothing. Now we are getting this line from Garber that Miami will put something together real soon. I don't believe it.
This coming February 5th will be MBU's three year anniversary. Three years and nothing to show for it. Garber had better not delay approval of new MLS expansion sides while waiting on MBU to get its act together. Time to give up on Miami for now and give its spot to another market that has its act together. Like the Tampa Bay Rowdies for instance.
This comment is beyond absurd:
“Tampa so far, is very premature,” Lions CEO Alex Leitão told the Orlando Sentinel. “I mean, this whole expansion conversation you always try to defer to the league. It’s a lot of information here and there, but I think it’s very premature. Do I have any problem with there being a team in Tampa? Maybe not, but of course we have some protections and then if the moment comes, we’ll have to sit down and discuss those protections and see how that goes.”Yeah, "premature", and "defer to the league" and "information here and there" and "premature" again. Translation: "we don't know what's going on, we can't stop it, but you can be sure we'll have something to say about our 'rights' if the Tampa Bay Rowdies get into MLS". It's all bluster. The decision is in the hands of Don Garber and the MLS expansion committee. Phil Rawlins is on the MLS expansion committee, but he's effectively been kicked out of Orlando City SC. He's got no reason to shill for the current Orlando City majority ownership and its officials.
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http://supportyourlocalfootballclub.blogspot.com/2017/01/tampa-bay-rowdies-put-up-digital.html
More good news on the Tampa Bay Rowdies to MLS, #MLS2StPete front: Bill Edwards puts video advertisement in Times Square near MLS headquarters in New York City; St. Pete Mayor Rick Kriseman meets with MLS commissioner Don Garber also in New York City. Deadline coming up quick on January 31st to apply for MLS expansion.
Also coming up quick: 3rd year anniversary of Miami Beckham United (MBU) on this upcoming February 5th. Garber still insisting that MLS in Miami is going to happen, but we have no evidence of anything happening, whatsoever. MBU were supposed to have a big announcement before the end of the year: nothing happened. Quiet as the grave. Three years of nothing. Four different stadium sites, nothing. At least three different potential investment groups courted by MBU that we know of, all failures. No reason at all to think that any new investors are going to suddenly appear and say "yes" to the Overtown stadium location and to MBU's business plans. Garber really needs to put an end to this; supposedly there is a hard deadline now but it has not been made public.
Phoenix Rising FC has just been added as 11th team for MLS expansion. Clever name; but not as clever as my idea: Phoenix XI. "Phoenix Eleven" in Roman Numerals. Get it? Phoen-i-x-X-I? No? Nevermind.
Also no sign of a Las Vegas application to MLS before the January 31st deadline. I would think if Oakland Raiders owners and/or Sheldon Adelson were interested in having an MLS team to share their Las Vegas NFL stadium with, they would have put in the necessary legwork by now. I don't think they are interested. If so, then they aren't going to be a backup plan for Beckham if Miami does not work out, either. IMO.
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http://supportyourlocalfootballclub.blogspot.com/2017/01/sports-illustrated-handicaps-nashvilles.html
Bloody typical. Below. Writer talks about every MLS candidate market EXCEPT for Tampa/St. Pete/Tampa Bay Rowdies! Everyone automatically writes us off. Largest TV market not in MLS. Not a single mention! UN-F_CKING BELIEVABLE!!!
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http://supportyourlocalfootballclub.blogspot.com/2017/01/is-it-fc-cincy-vs-silent-assassins-for.html
So many good news articles today; all my secret hopes and dreams bubbling up to the surface. Of course the actual chances of David Beckham joining the Tampa Bay Rowdies MLS ownership group is still small; but it isn't unthinkable and now we have official word that Bill Edwards has extended an invitation to talk. So that's good. But so far silence from Beckham and other partners of Miami Beckham United (MBU).
Also the article below about FC Cincy vs. "Silent Assassins" aka the Tampa Bay Rowdies is very good. I think as a partisan source the writer has to put FC Cincy chances of getting into MLS as very high, but, really, without their own SSS, FC Cincy isn't getting into MLS, no matter how well they draw in USL.
But the writer does at least recognize the Tampa Bay Rowdies as a big favorite for getting into MLS, which is a first, coming from a non-Tampa Bay area source, I think. Most writers simply ignore or dismiss or minimize the Tampa Bay Rowdies chances of getting into MLS, based on a number of assumptions and prejudices that simply don't apply anymore, if they ever did. The writer is quite correct to realize that Bill Edwards has been working quietly at this for several years now, and has everything he needs (SSS in a good location, deep pocketed ownership group, large media market) to make it to MLS.
Based on what I know at the moment, I'd have to favor Tampa Bay Rowdies, Sacramento Republic, and San Antonio FC as likely to make it to MLS, simply because they have their SSS plans ready and on track. St. Louis and Detroit are also likely, if they can put a SSS plan together, as they are large markets that MLS would like to have. Las Vegas is a small market with bad demographics and would only likely happen as part of an NFL stadium deal, which is several years away from happening, if it happens, and by then MLS expansion should be done and capped at 28 teams for the near future.
It is nice to see that Bill Edwards has put the kibosh on the silly "St. Pete Rowdies" name change idea.
Also nice to see further confirmation that Bill Edwards is putting together an MLS consortium ownership group based on potential investors who live in the Tampa Bay area. This is very good indeed. I'd like to know who they are; we all have made suggestions as to possible investors but we'll just have to wait and see what actually happens with the MLS bid. I imagine the full ownership group won't be announced until the MLS bid is officially approved.
The recent addition of the two former Orlando City executives Forrest Eber and Brett Lashbrook to the Tampa Bay Rowdies executive team is more positive news that Bill Edwards is serious about taking the Tampa Bay Rowdies to MLS and will take every necessary step to make it happen. These two know the ropes and succeeded in Orlando; no reason why they can't do the same in Tampa/St. Pete.
Also it is nice to see that someone (Rocco B. Commisso) apparently is saving the New York Cosmos from a second death. I hope that works out.
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http://supportyourlocalfootballclub.blogspot.com/2017/01/rowdies-add-key-former-orlando-execs.html
This is interesting:
The Rowdies already have one strong selling point as one of the largest media markets without an MLS team. The fact that Edwards also controls his home stadium and has plans to privately fund expansion certainly helps as well. With discussions ongoing with brokerage companies and a handful of wealthy local investors, Edwards is confident he has enough options on the table to convince MLS he has the capability of pulling things off.So, "a handful of wealthy local investors," unnamed, as mentioned also in the recent articles about the December 6th announcement. I wonder who these unnamed local investors might be? Time will tell I suppose.
The signing of these two former Orlando City SC executives is very good news, also. Their experience with the MLS expansion process and their contacts with key MLS executives will do a lot to smooth the Tampa Bay Rowdies transition into MLS. It doesn't hurt that they already have several years experience working in pro sports in central Florida, as well.
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http://supportyourlocalfootballclub.blogspot.com/2016/12/tampa-bay-rowdies-are-ready-to-join.html
Things moving along nicely; early vote in St. Pete this spring on the Al Lang Stadium lease. However, message to Darden Rice: get your political hands off of our Tampa Bay Rowdies team name. This is not up for negotiation.
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http://supportyourlocalfootballclub.blogspot.com/2016/12/st-petersburgs-mls-bid-winner.html
Speaking of Kartik Krishnaiyer, his recent tweets on the topic of the Rowdies to MLS are interesting reading:
https://twitter.com/kkfla737Kartik K
@kkfla737
If MLS is serious about downtown stadiums, rewarding soccer fans and promoting clubs they'd drop Miami for St Pete/Tampa in a heartbeat.
@joedratnol long history of supporting American club soccer at all levels (unlike Miami). Bigger TV market. Willing owner. Better stadium.
I've long said the Tampa Bay market deserves MLS more than Miami. More American soccer fans, better support. MLS has a choice to make.
It's an exciting night in Florida with @TampaBayRowdies MLS and stadium plans. It would be great to have a second MLS club in Florida.
I'm all for MLS in St pete. Just not sure how Hillsborough County folks feel. Any thoughts Tampa contingent?
I can hardly take the suspense!
But what makes an MLS-ready market? It's not soccer infrastructure and support necessarily but other factors.
Exciting day in Florida soccer as a big @TampaBayRowdies announcement is coming tonight!
The line for those seeking an #MLS team has grown longer...it will grow even longer tonight here in Florida!Thomas Rongen agrees with Kartik:
https://twitter.com/trongen-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Thomas Rongen
@TRongen
@kkfla737: "I've long said the Tampa Bay market deserves MLS more than Miami. More American soccer fans, better support. MLS has a choice to make."Having been in both as a player and coach, I have to admit with a heavy heart that I agree
http://supportyourlocalfootballclub.blogspot.com/2016/12/rowdies-launch-mls2stpete-campaign-to.html
We had the big announcement tonight. It was not the MLS announcement I was hoping for, but it was a good strong case for moving the Rowdies to MLS and expanding Al Lang Stadium. These comments below are interesting:
He said he's had preliminary discussions with the MLS and league commissioner Don Garber on bringing a team to St. Pete, and he expects to continue those conversations in a meeting with Garber in early January. Edwards said Garber has said positive things about the Tampa Bay region as a potential MLS market, most recently at an appearance at the University of South Florida in October.
Garber said during that speech that while Orlando City Soccer controls the MLS territory and TV rights to this region, "it's something that can be worked out," a spokeswoman for Edwards said.
Edwards said he has "a good investment group" but declined to identify any investors or discuss any potential ownership structures of a MLS team. The league intends to raise franchise fees and could charge $200 million for the next expansion team.
“Major League Soccer has met with Bill Edwards and is aware of the Rowdies’ campaign to bring an MLS expansion team to the Tampa/St. Petersburg market,” MLS Executive Vice President Dan Courtemanche said in a statement. “There is a rich tradition of professional soccer in the area dating back more than 40 years, and we are impressed with their vision and plans for a world-class soccer stadium on the downtown waterfront in St. Petersburg. We look forward to learning more about their plans in the coming months.”
So we still might hear something definite about the Rowdies going to MLS in the next few months; it is being talked about and things sound encouraging. St. Pete officials are on board, which is something Don Garber had mentioned as being necessary in his comments back on October 26th. We have a mention from Edwards that he has "a good investment group" which sounds like he has some new investors, but no word yet on who they might be. Something to watch closely in the next few months.
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http://supportyourlocalfootballclub.blogspot.com/2016/12/romano-how-complicated-can-building.html
This is a good summary of the pieces of the puzzle that Bill Edwards has to put together to get the Tampa Bay Rowdies into MLS. One correction: there is no "territorial fee" issue with Orlando City; Don Garber addressed that issue on October 26th. If MLS wants the Rowdies, they're in. Orlando City's territorial rights will be adjusted accordingly. If there is any compensation for Orlando City due to this, it is an internal MLS matter which won't affect the Rowdies.
If the December 6th announcement is that the Rowdies are in as the 24th MLS team, then all of these pieces of the puzzle suddenly fit together very nicely. Even more so if David Beckham is involved as a Rowdies investor. As long as the Rowdies owners are paying for the stadium, a St. Pete referendum on the lease should pass. The Rowdies just need somewhere to play in 2018 and 2019 while a SSS is being built on the Al Lang site; I am hoping Bill Edwards has secured Raymond James Stadium for that purpose.
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http://supportyourlocalfootballclub.blogspot.com/2016/12/miami.html
Hmmm. Absolute silence out of Miami Beckham United but these articles about Beckham reps looking at a house on Star Island. I'm sure Beckham has reps looking at houses all over the place, but that doesn't mean Miami MLS is going to happen. Also who knows if Nesta's Miami FC will exist next year.
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http://supportyourlocalfootballclub.blogspot.com/2016/12/tampa-bay-rowdies.html
Interesting, the "historic announcement" on December 6th, has changed to "biggest announcement in team history". Hmmmm. Has something happened? Even more good news? We shall see.
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http://supportyourlocalfootballclub.blogspot.com/2016/11/financier-and-philanthropist-bill.html
So I am digesting some of the comments on Facebook and elsewhere, reacting to this (my speculation about the seemingly coordinated timing regarding the December 6th "historic announcement"):
http://supportyourlocalfootballclub.blogspot.com/2016/11/sacramentos-soccer-future-could-soon.html
I can understand the feeling of skepticism about my theory that the Tampa Bay Rowdies will be announced as an expansion team for MLS on December 6th. I share this feeling; we have been disappointed so many times before that we don't want to get our hopes up again only to see them dashed.
However, I think that this time there is something happening, something big. I can't prove it, but some of the people reacting skeptically don't seem to have digested all of the news coming out over the past month or two.
Consider:
http://supportyourlocalfootballclub.blogspot.com/2016/11/open-letter-november-4-2016.html
http://supportyourlocalfootballclub.blogspot.com/2016/10/summary-of-garbers-comments-about-tampa.html
1. Garber said that MLS recognizes that the Tampa Bay region is the largest market without a team in MLS, in the country.
2. Markets with two teams are incredibly successful. Garber pointed to LA and NYC; he was implying that Tampa and Orlando are so close that it would encourage an intense rivalry.
3. Garber was skeptical of Miami making it happen (Garber DID NOT mention Beckham).
4. MLS will probably not grow beyond 28 teams in the foreseeable future.
5. Garber implied that Orlando City ownership group would not stop MLS from expanding to Tampa Bay.
http://supportyourlocalfootballclub.blogspot.com/2016/10/soundbites-from-don-garber-at-tampa-bay.html
1. Don Garber was extremely complimentary regarding the Tampa Bay market and Al Lang stadium. Garber did go out of his way to mention the beauty of Al Lang's waterfront view.
2. Garber mentioned MLS looking to expand to 28 teams. Sacramento, Las Vegas, San Antonio, and many others were mentioned. Miami didn't sound definite.
3. Audience question was asked about Orlando having a hold of this market. Garber said Tampa Bay is doing great things and is a prime market.
4. Don Garber also mentioned that it is pivotal that the St. Pete Mayor (Kriseman) and the other governmental bodies get behind bringing MLS to St Pete.
5. Garber mentioned Bill Edwards by name a couple of times during the discussion. As soon as the discussion finished and everyone began to mingle, Edwards was the first person Garber spoke to. Garber acknowledged the large media market we have here in Tampa Bay. He also mentioned that if Tampa had an MLS team that Orlando City's TV rights could be changed.
We have the argument that Bill Edwards does not have "MLS money"; I don't know what his actual wealth is, I have been told that he is a billionaire. Even if he has "MLS money" (and how much is that, truly?), he will still want other investors, though, to share the expense and to spread out the risk; hence my letter writing campaign to David Beckham and others as potential Tampa Bay Rowdies co-owners. Bill Edwards could very well have already recruited other potential minority investors for a Tampa Bay Rowdies MLS bid; we would not have heard about this yet, if he has; only Don Garber and the MLS expansion committee would have been informed.
We also hear the argument that an MLS stadium "must" be in Hillsborough County, preferably in downtown Tampa, but as we see from Don Garber's comments on October 26th, this simply isn't true at all. Garber likes the Al Lang Stadium location. As long as St. Pete city officials are on board with the MLS project, we're all good. The only question is where to play temporarily while the Al Lang SSS is being built, and as I outlined in my last open letter, the Rowdies in MLS could play at Raymond James Stadium or Tropicana Field for their first year or two, while Al Lang was unavailable (similar to how Orlando City used Camping World Stadium/Citrus Bowl while their SSS was being built). If the Glazers were minority co-owners of the Rowdies, that would smooth the way towards use of Raymond James Stadium. Ditto Sternberg and Tropicana Field. Bill Edwards has options; if he has been recruiting these people, or others, as co-owners, he would not be letting that information get out into the news media yet.
With Miami putting off their entry into MLS until 2019 (and frankly, probably giving up entirely if they can't land their big investor by the end of the year), that 24th spot in 2018 is wide open. Read or reread the article on Sacramento in the first link above; the writer times the MLS expansion committee meetings to the second week in November, followed by a Don Garber announcement/state of the league talk on December 6th or 7th. Is Sacramento Republic having a big "historic announcement" on December 6th or 7th? Is anyone else? Not that I am aware of. But the Rowdies are. If that doesn't make you go "hmmmmm...." you aren't paying enough attention.
Now I could be wrong. I am often wrong, and I am usually no good at predictions. But I really haven't seen any good arguments yet why I am wrong, this time. The best I have seen is that the timing of the announcement could just be a coincidence, which is true. But, it's a pretty big coincidence. Also, any other news would not have needed a two or three week delay. If it were just "we're expanding Al Lang" or "we really, really, really want to go to MLS some day", that could have been announced last week. Why wait until December 6th, and why that date precisely?
Much of the skepticism is due to that fact that Don Garber hasn't officially mentioned Tampa Bay as an expansion possibility yet, but, people who say this also discount his comments about the Tampa Bay market that he made on October 26th. They discount the possibility that these things can move really fast. Who knew that Minnesota United were going to MLS, before it was announced March of last year? I knew, but only because a certain Minnesota United fan leaked the info two weeks beforehand on a certain web forum. Prior to March 2015, it simply wasn't "in the air"; I don't recall anyone discussing it, as best I can remember. And yet, suddenly, Minnesota United were in MLS. I think Tampa Bay Rowdies may be in a similar situation.
Note that through his recording studio/entertainment business, Bill Edwards potentially has links to both David Beckham and Simon Fuller, see for instance this:
http://supportyourlocalfootballclub.blogspot.com/2016/08/bill-edwards-knocks-muhammad-ali-out-in.html
http://supportyourlocalfootballclub.blogspot.com/2016/11/bill-edwards-presents-power-of-love.html
Also, in the article below about Bill Edwards, note this sentence: "An American Idol runner-up is coming in to record soon." So, another potential link to Simon Fuller.
I know it is a very long shot, but, it is still quite possible that a frustrated Miami Beckham United group could close up shop in Miami, and then pivot to St. Pete and become co-owners with Bill Edwards (and others) in an MLS Tampa Bay Rowdies team. It is still possible. While I think it likely that Rowdies to MLS will be announced on December 6th, the possibility of Beckham joining the Rowdies as a co-owner has to be a much, much lower possibility. I have no idea what is actually happening. But, something is happening. We will know for sure what it is on December 6th.
Anyway, below are some links to a wiki on Bill Edwards, and an article about him from about five and a half years ago. Neither indicates whether Bill Edwards has "MLS money" or not. But he has a lot of money, and he does a lot of deals with people in real estate and in entertainment, and he works closely with St. Pete city government. So if he pulls off a big surprise announcement on December 6th, should we really be that surprised?
(Follow link for full article.)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Edwards_%28businessman%29
http://www.tampabay.com/features/humaninterest/financier-and-philanthropist-bill-edwards-amps-up-entertainment-empire/1163468
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http://supportyourlocalfootballclub.blogspot.com/2016/11/mls-cup-should-be-on-day-after.html
(Not Rowdies related, but MLS related, so posting this here.)
"MLS Cup should be on the day after Thanksgiving, every year"
No, it should not, because reasons.
Longer version: thanks to constant interruptions due to the FIFA calendar, it simply isn't possible to end the MLS season this early, especially with the interruptions that have come during the MLS playoffs (for instance BMO field this year had to schedule around both the CFL Grey Cup final and Toronto FC being in the MLS playoffs). And even if it were possible, playing the MLS Cup final on Black Friday isn't really going to increase its media exposure.
(Maybe they could play the USSF Open Cup final on Black Friday; that might work.)
I mean, if you're going to start the season earlier so as to finish with the MLS Cup final on Black Friday, you're going to have to start the season so early that you'll be playing games in February or March in Chicago, Toronto, Montreal, etc.
Or maybe we could go with my idea of giving every cold weather MLS SSS an ETFE roof or dome and we could play a fall-spring season with a winter break, or other crazy ideas I have. Ask me; I got dozens.
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http://supportyourlocalfootballclub.blogspot.com/2016/11/the-miami-connection.html
Given the current situation, this is a good read, or re-read, about the big silent (too silent) partner in the Miami Beckham United ownership consortium: Marcelo Claure.
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http://supportyourlocalfootballclub.blogspot.com/2016/11/sacramentos-soccer-future-could-soon.html
So I was Googling, trying to figure out when this year's MLS Board of Governors was meeting, when I stumbled upon this article. Very interesting timing; this was published three days before Garber give his talk in Tampa this past October.
So: "a committee of MLS team owners exploring expansion is scheduled to meet in New York the second week of November".
Third week in November: Thursday, November 17, Ralph's Mob president and vice-president post very odd, cryptic comments on Facebook and post that they are in a meeting with Bill Edwards. Coincidence?
So: "Garber is then scheduled to make a “state of the league” address either Dec. 6 or 7 – and it’s possible he could have something to announce. And if the expansion issue isn’t settled by then, all of the league’s owners have scheduled a Board of Governors meeting Dec. 15 in New York at which they are expected to talk more about expansion."
The following Monday after the Ralph's Mob cryptic comments, November 21, we have the announcement from the Rowdies about their "historic announcement" upcoming on December 6. Coincidence?
The timing of the Rowdies "historic announcement" on the night of December 6 is highly suggestive, but so far no one in the media or fandom (apart from me) seems to have noticed.
Could Garber be at the "historic announcement" in St. Petersburg on December 6 to announce the Rowdies are joining MLS in 2018? Or could he remotely announce it from New York on the night of December 6, and officially explain it to the general media the following day, December 7, as part of his “state of the league” address? That would be quite a coup and would take everyone by surprise (I can already hear the complaining from the usual suspects).
Suggestive, but not conclusive, information. We shall see what happens.
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"Historic Announcement" to be held in St. Pete, on Tuesday, December 6th, 2016, regarding the Tampa Bay Rowdies future.
Coincidentally, I believe that the MLS Board of Governors meeting is held in early December; probably the Saturday before this announcement, I think.
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http://supportyourlocalfootballclub.blogspot.com/2016/11/more-big-soccer-comments.html
More Big Soccer comments. I hope for option 3: expanded ownership group (maybe with David Beckham? hence this blog) and Tampa Bay Rowdies to MLS (hopefully in 2018).
Rowdies to MLS does require a stadium solution, but provided the Rowdies ownership group doesn't require government funding, then the Rays situation doesn't matter. The St. Pete mayor is on board; no reason why Al Lang could not be the stadium solution, provided the Rowdies ownership can pay for it.
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http://supportyourlocalfootballclub.blogspot.com/2016/11/historic-announcement-regarding-clubs.html
Redditors comment on "historic announcement". Similar feel to Facebook comments. Lots of deprecation and down-playing of the announcement. No one wants to think about MLS. Best they can suggest is expanding Al Lang, but really, expanding to 10,000 isn't much, and there really isn't room for much more. If we do go to MLS, a complete tear down of Al Lang, reorientation of the field, and a properly designed and built SSS is the only solution.
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http://supportyourlocalfootballclub.blogspot.com/2016/11/big-soccer-comments.html
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.
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http://supportyourlocalfootballclub.blogspot.com/2016/11/bill-edwards-presents-power-of-love.html
Given current news about Miami Beckham United, David Beckham's attempt to get an MLS team in Miami, and given the recent news of a "historic announcement" by the Tampa Bay Rowdies this coming December 6th, another reminder about a slight possible connection between Rowdies owner Bill Edwards and David Beckham, from an event back in 2012. Just something that makes me go "hmmmm...".
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http://supportyourlocalfootballclub.blogspot.com/2016/11/david-beckham-group-tries-to-jump-start.html
Not sure why I didn't see this article earlier. This confirms my assumption that Wesley Edens is no longer a potential MBU investor; they are talking to a completely new set of potential investors.
Why does MBU keep failing to attract the investor it needs to secure the deal? Is it, as some have suggested, that Beckham and/or Fuller want someone else to pay for the majority ownership of the team while they still call the shots as to how the team is run? I doubt that they are that obtuse.
Is it because the land in Overtown simply is a bad location, and no investor thinks that a stadium will work there?
Or is it that Miami-Dade is making unreasonable demands as condition for sale of the remaining land? They did say talks with Miami-Dade and MBU broke down earlier this year over this issue. If MBU can't reach an agreement with Miami-Dade, what are the chances that the new potential investors will?
It seems unlikely but we shall see.
Edit to add: also, the media keeps referring to Marcelo Claure as a billionaire, and reading his bio on wiki, he probably is; so why do MBU need additional investors? Isn't Claure willing to put up the money needed for the stadium? He seems to be an extremely passive partner within MBU, just as he was in the previous attempt by FC Barcelona to launch a Miami MLS side.
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http://supportyourlocalfootballclub.blogspot.com/2016/11/potential-investors-meet-with-beckham.html
Interesting. Article does not mention who these "potential investors" are, but they are from "out of town".
Reading between the lines: this is new potential investor(s) that MBU has lined up in a "hail mary pass" to try to get a deal done by the end of the year.
No mention of Wesley Edens, who was mentioned as being in talks with MBU back in June, but about whom nothing has been heard of since. If he were still interested in investing in MBU, I would think that he would have come to an agreement by now, and would not need a meeting with Miami officials at this late date.
So this is what Tim Leiweke meant with his talk of a big announcement by the end of the year. But supposing that these new potential investors say "no" just like the previous potential investors? What then?
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http://supportyourlocalfootballclub.blogspot.com/2016/11/1000-days-after-david-beckhams-mls-team.html
(My comment: precisely the problem with Beckham choosing Miami. It's a sexy city that a foreigner would choose. It's not the best potential new market for MLS, but foreign players would like it, certainly.)
(My comment: it does seem that the Overtown location is the worst site of the four sites considered so far, by far. I have to think that any potential billionaire investor looking into MBU's proposal, would immediately reject it because of the Overtown location. No idea why MBU are hanging on to it; but it is their last hope I guess. It is never a good idea to build a stadium in a bad area with the notion that it is going to help turn that area around economically.)
(My comment: I don't get where the writer gets the notion that Beckham has any kind of legal recourse if he can't work a deal in Miami. MLS would have written all kinds of opt out clauses into its contract precisely to ensure that they would not be on the hook forever if Beckham can't work things out. MLS would not have stayed in business for 20 years if it was in the habit of writing blank checks.)
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http://supportyourlocalfootballclub.blogspot.com/2016/11/after-1000-days-where-do-things-stand.html
So, now MBU says they want to join MLS in 2019. Which means they don't think they can get it done in the next 6-10 months, ie, too late for 2018. It will be three years in February; what, does MBU want four years to get this done? How about five or six?
Grant says Sacramento isn't ready for 2018 either, and MLS will go with an uneven number of teams in 2018. Based on his comments below Grant either has not heard about Garber's recent comments in Tampa, or he has not properly digested them yet.
I suggest if Bill Edwards and St. Pete put together a deal quickly, they could take the 24th spot in MLS in 2018. They could play at Raymond James Stadium in 2018-19 while Al Lang Stadium is being rebuilt. That's my hope at the moment anyway.
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http://supportyourlocalfootballclub.blogspot.com/2016/11/mls-expansion-update-st-louis.html
Writer still has no consideration for Tampa Bay Rowdies to MLS; these types making predictions will not notice what is going on until Don Garber specifically mentions Tampa Bay as a candidate market.
Writer is still also assuming that Miami has an actual plan in place that is close to happening. No real reason why we should assume that at this point. Miami begging off until 2019 is not a good sign.
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http://supportyourlocalfootballclub.blogspot.com/2016/10/mls-expansion-update-san-diego-st-louis.html
As usual, Tampa Bay Rowdies nowhere mentioned in these MLS expansion speculation articles. People who write these kind of articles are always "looking forward" by looking backwards with 20/20 vision. They don't see what they don't look at; therefore what Bill Edwards is doing right now, mostly quietly and privately, does not show up on their radar.
Also I don't know where this guy gets the notion that Miami is doing well; "they have to be first until some really bad news comes out" isn't true at all; no news is not good news. It is going on two and a half, to three years now, and they still don't have a SSS or even a billionaire investor to help pay for everything. There's been plenty of bad news: three potential sites so far shot down; the fourth site effectively dead; one potential investor pulled out (PSG) and another potential investor mentioned in one news article with no details, back in June, and never mentioned since. This is not good for MBU. They will need to have a lot of good news, and soon, to be on target for joining MLS in 2018. Of course Garber is going to say that things are going well in Miami; that's called PR. What he actually knows and thinks in private is another matter entirely.
Don't underestimate Bill Edwards. He is the kind of billionaire investor that MLS wants (it helps too that he is a real estate guy who is also in the entertainment business), and he controls the Al Lang Stadium site that is suitable for a downtown, urban, waterfront SSS, the kind that MLS would like to have, and he is on good terms with St. Pete city government. It is a perfect situation for MLS.
While the fan boys rehash the obvious candidates making the most noise, the real players will make their moves out of sight, in private.
As for Las Vegas, they have terrible demographics for MLS. Not enough soccer moms and dads, not enough hipsters; not enough people with good jobs and plenty of spending money. Vegas is a one industry town (gambling); a service industry that doesn't pay that well for most; lots of low income recent arrivals with no sense of civic identity. You could build an NFL stadium in any city in the USA and be sure of plenty of local NFL fan support; not true for MLS yet. For MLS, a big NFL stadium downtown works for Seattle and it looks like it will work for Atlanta; I doubt very much it will work in Las Vegas. Bad idea.
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