Rowdies, Orlando City rivalry ‘adds value’ to St. Pete MLS bid, says commissioner

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http://saintpetersblog.com/rowdies-orlando-city-rivalry-adds-value-st-pete-mls-bid-says-commissioner/

Rowdies, Orlando City rivalry ‘adds value’ to St. Pete MLS bid, says commissioner

Phil Ammann

Rivalry is good for soccer, and that’s good for the chances of the Tampa Bay Rowdies securing a Major League Soccer franchise.

In January, Rowdies’ owner Bill Edwards delivered the team’s expansion application to MLS headquarters, after being named one of the 11 candidates in the running for an expansion team. Tampa Bay currently is the largest media market in the U.S. without an MLS franchise.

Sports Illustrated recently hinted that Orlando City SC’s proximity also could prove a negative, “especially if City objects to an MLS team a little more than 100 miles away.”

But that may not be the case, particularly in the view of MLS Commissioner Don Garber.

In a video clip posted on Twitter by Fox13’s Kevin O’Donnell, Garber believes that the Rowdies having Orlando City nearby actually “adds to the value of its bid.”

“I think it helps,” Garber says. “I’m a big believer in ‘concentrate your teams’ and have close rivals.”

“It worked in New York and, work next year in Los Angeles,” he adds. “Rivalries are what drive our sport. I think the fact that there is a candidate not that far from here adds to the value of their bid.”

Some of the strongest parts of Edwards’ bid are extensive community support and plans for a privately-funded, $80 million expansion of Al Lang Stadium, which Patrick Brennan of Cincinnati.com says is “essentially ready-made for the expansion, which would upgrade the facility and increase capacity from 7,200-plus to about 18,000.”

Having a built -in rivalry with Orlando wouldn’t hurt, either.

Last month, the St. Petersburg City Council approved a citywide referendum May 2 for a lease expansion for Al Lang, which takes a major step in the Rowdies MLS expansion plan by signing a 25-year lease with the city to begin renovations.

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https://www.facebook.com/TampaBayRowdies/videos/10155840321603835/

Tampa Bay Rowdies

Major League Soccer (MLS) Commissioner Don Garber #MLS2StPete:

"They are one of the markets, of the 12, that has a lot of energy behind it."

(Via FOX 13 News - Tampa Bay)

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http://www.thenational.ae/business/aviation/etihad-airways-signs-for-major-league-soccer-deal-renewal

Etihad Airways signs for Major League Soccer deal renewal

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https://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Journal/Issues/2017/03/06/Marketing-and-Sponsorship/MLS-Etihad.aspx

Etihad renews MLS deal, plans content

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http://www.tyrepress.com/2017/03/continental-extends-north-american-football-sponsorship/

Continental extends North American football sponsorship

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http://ghanasoccernet.com/mls-announce-official-snacks-partnership

MLS announce official snacks partnership

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https://www.sportsbusinessdaily.com/Journal/Issues/2017/03/06/In-Depth/Main.aspx

How next expansion will change the face of Major League Soccer

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http://www.11alive.com/sports/mls-couldnt-believe-atlutds-first-game-sold-out-told-arthur-blank-to-check-the-numbers/420135102

MLS couldn't believe ATLUTD's first game sold out, told Arthur Blank to check the numbers

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http://ghanasoccernet.com/continental-tyres-continue-agreement-with-mls

Continental Tyres continue agreement with MLS

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http://www.stltoday.com/sports/football/professional/isaac-bruce-on-board-with-mls-ownership-group/article_5f5d62ab-0fd6-5aff-bf61-f98a4db9e757.html

Updated: Isaac Bruce on board with MLS ownership group

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http://blogs.voanews.com/sonny/2017/03/06/major-league-soccer-kicks-off-22nd-season-with-new-clubs-in-atlanta-and-minnesota/

Major League Soccer Kicks Off 22nd Season With New Clubs in Atlanta and Minnesota

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https://www.lawinsport.com/articles/item/how-mls-single-entity-status-works-and-its-relationship-with-antitrust-law

How MLS’ single entity status works and its relationship with antitrust law

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http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/orlando-city-stadium-opens-with-panasonic-as-official-technology-solutions-provider-and-partner-300418320.html

Orlando City Stadium Opens with Panasonic as Official Technology Solutions Provider and Partner

Orlando City hosts New York City FC in New Stadium on MLS Opening Day

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https://www.mlssoccer.com/post/2017/03/06/mls-announces-multi-year-renewal-partnership-etihad-airways

MLS announces multi-year renewal of partnership with Etihad Airways

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http://www.tirereview.com/conti-continues-mls-u-s-soccer-sponsorship/

Conti Continues MLS, U.S. Soccer Sponsorship

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http://www.eturbonews.com/77713/etihad-arways-checks-new-sponsorship-journey-major-league-soccer

Etihad Arways checks in for a new sponsorship journey with Major League Soccer

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http://www.newsobserver.com/news/local/counties/wake-county/article136783648.html

Wake leaders reach out to MLS for team

RALEIGH

County leaders are offering their help in bringing a Major League Soccer team to the area.

Wake commissioners chairman Sig Hutchinson wrote a letter offering the county government’s support for bringing an MLS team to the area, and the Board of Commissioners voted Monday to send it to league President Mark Abbott.

“On behalf of the Wake County Board of Commissioners, I offer our full support of the North Carolina Football Club’s bid to bring a Major League Soccer team to the Triangle,” Hutchinson wrote in the letter.

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http://wncn.com/2017/03/06/wake-county-officials-throw-their-support-behind-an-mls-team-in-the-triangle/

Wake County officials throw their support behind an MLS team in the Triangle

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http://www.si.com/planet-futbol/2017/03/06/mls-week-1-orlando-stadium-atlanta-minnesota-united-dempsey-rimando

The MLS XI: Atlanta's first impression, Orlando's new stadium headline opening week

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http://www.espnfc.com/major-league-soccer/19/blog/post/3076407/atlanta-united-experience-full-gamut-of-emotions-after-first-game-in-major-league-soccer

Atlanta United's first MLS game full of emotion, joy despite ending in defeat

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http://www.wcpo.com/news/insider/with-new-usl-season-looming-fc-cincinnatis-new-coach-has-to-hit-the-ground-running

With new USL season looming, FC Cincinnati's new coach has to hit the ground running

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http://finance.yahoo.com/news/orlando-city-stadium-opens-panasonic-150400640.html

Orlando City Stadium Opens with Panasonic as Official Technology Solutions Provider and Partner

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http://www.oregonlive.com/timbers/index.ssf/2017/03/mls_commissioner_don_garber.html

MLS Commissioner Don Garber takes in Timbers opening match as league begins 22nd season

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https://www.ourwindsor.ca/sports-story/7011120-major-league-soccer-made-sure-its-championship-cup-stood-out/

Major League Soccer made sure its championship cup stood out

“I wanted it to compete with other trophies around the world, like the Stanley Cup or the World Cup.”

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http://soccer.nbcsports.com/2017/03/06/mls-extends-partnership-with-etihad-airways/

MLS extends partnership with Etihad Airways

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http://finance.yahoo.com/news/mls-kickoff-soccer-seeing-incredible-012111912.html

MLS Kickoff: Soccer Seeing Incredible Growth In The United States

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http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/thegoalkeeper/Unions-cooperation-with-local-youth-soccer-power-a-model-for-MLS.html

Union's cooperation with local youth soccer power a model for MLS

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https://www.washingtonian.com/2017/03/06/how-to-be-a-dc-united-fan/

How to Be a D.C. United Fan

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http://www.fourfourtwo.com/us/features/bright-a-diamond-highlights-first-week-mls-coaching-fashion

Bright like a diamond: Highlights from the first week of MLS coaching fashion

Major League Soccer is back, and with it a new year of critiquing coaching fashion faux pas

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http://www.stltoday.com/sports/other/sports-digest-former-ram-bruce-joins-local-group-pursuing-mls/article_32d5573f-f45e-5f2a-9a82-7a12414cc18e.html

Sports digest: Former Ram Bruce joins local group pursuing MLS team

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http://www.tampabay.com/news/localgovernment/romano-rowdies-soccer-plan-sounds-great-until-you-think-about-it/2315580

Romano: It ain't my money, but MLS costs sound awfully high

John Romano, Times Columnist

Kudos to the Tampa Bay Rowdies and owner Bill Edwards.

So far, they've been spot-on in their quest to bring a Major League Soccer expansion team to the area. They've been up front about their intentions. They haven't tried to circumvent St. Pete's waterfront regulations. They intend on paying for Al Lang Stadium renovations themselves. They've even agreed to foot the bill for the May referendum on a potential 25-year lease with the city.

Near as I can tell, their plan has been flawless.

Except, maybe, for the premise.

I'm not trying to be a Rowdie pooper, but are we really sure this can work? The idea of Tampa Bay supporting an MLS team, I mean.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not against the idea of a big league soccer team in downtown St. Pete. And I certainly applaud Edwards' proposal to find private funding for everything. But just because the rollout has been graceful doesn't mean it's logical.

Before getting too caught up in the excitement of a team owner willing to spend a bunch of money, there are a few red flags that might be worth considering.

For instance, we're kind of a weak sports market.

That's not an insult, it's an observation. And one that's pretty well backed up by data. It's less an indictment of fan passion, and more a reflection of market demographics.

The same economic problems that have bedeviled the Rays — a dearth of corporations and a relatively low median income for workers — would presumably have an impact on soccer.

In the last couple of years both Forbes and the American City Business Journals identified Tampa Bay as one of the most overextended sports markets in the country. Essentially, they both suggest we might have more franchises than we can financially handle.

That doesn't mean we couldn't support the MLS, but it's worth thinking about.

Maybe you would argue that the MLS doesn't pay gazillions to players, and so its economic structure lines up better with Tampa Bay than Major League Baseball.

That's true, but with a couple of caveats. The Rays get a major infusion of cash from both national and local TV contracts that offsets their poor attendance. Soccer doesn't yet have that kind of windfall from TV, and that isn't likely to change in the near future.

Plus, and this has been overlooked to a large degree, the MLS is looking to cash in on this latest go-around of expansion teams.

Expansion fees for the two franchises expected to be announced in 2017 — and Tampa Bay's best chance is probably the following wave a year or two down the road — are $150 million each.

Compare that to Atlanta, which was awarded an expansion franchise less than three years ago for $70 million. That's a gigantic leap in price in a very short time period. Heck, the price has gone up 1,500 percent since Toronto got its franchise in 2005 for $10 million.

The point is, if Edwards' ownership group has to shell out that kind of cash — not to mention the money spent renovating Al Lang — I'll offer you pretty good odds that ticket prices and sponsorships will see a similar leap into the stratosphere. And that will lead to the same sort of problems the Rays have.

There's no question Edwards is a smarter businessman than I am. And he obviously thinks the numbers will work in the long run. I certainly hope he's right.

But I do have my doubts.

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http://www.foxsports.com.au/football/a-league/brilliant-pictures-as-orlando-city-play-first-game-at-new-stadium-in-mls/news-story/6e53991856614625c01870418d606be2

Brilliant pictures as Orlando City play first game at new stadium in MLS