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. 

(Follow link for full article.)

https://www.theguardian.com/football/2017/apr/17/america-soccer-league-npsl

US pro soccer's 50th anniversary: 'They called us communists and midgets'

Fifty years ago, professional soccer in the US took its first tentative steps with the foundation of the NPSL. The landscape was barren, but it turned into a wild ride

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http://www.tbo.com/sports/sports/2010/may/07/rowdies-were-kick-grass---and-way-life-tampa-sport-ar-44964/

Original Rowdies gave Tampa sports fans a 'kick in the grass'

TAMPA - Three words from a time capsule. Three words from a wonderfully colorful era. Three words guaranteed to bring a smile, a nod of recognition. Tampa Bay Rowdies. "What was it like?" asked Rodney Marsh, once the "Clown Prince of Soccer," who is now 65. "It was wild. I'm telling you, wild." "We captured some magic," said Mike Connell, known as "Iron Mike."

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https://medium.com/@JArnholz/mls2stpete-and-why-the-failure-of-the-mutiny-doesnt-matter-4c0c60b513a9

#MLS2StPete?—?And why the failure of the Mutiny doesn’t matter

Why should Tampa Bay get another MLS team?

The question is a fair one. Tampa Bay, of course, was part of Major League Soccer when the league first began in 1996?—?the “Tampa Bay Mutiny” were one of the 10 original MLS clubs. The Mutiny saw success early on, winning the Supporter’s Shield in ’96 on the feet of star players Carlos Valderrama and Roy Lassiter. However, the team folded in 2001. The death of the Mutiny will have many critics asking: if the first round of MLS in Tampa Bay failed, why should the area be given a second chance?

Well, basically Major League Soccer didn’t give Tampa Bay a fair shake. The Mutiny were doomed to fail almost from the beginning, arriving on unstable ground and faced with many subsequent tremors caused by the poor management of the league.

First and foremost, the league elected to create a totally new team identity for the Bay Area in the Mutiny rather than returning to the historic name Rowdies. The Rowdies were Tampa’s first professional team, and the first to begin the local tradition of using the “Tampa Bay” moniker. They won a championship in the ‘70s and had crowds of 50,000+ in Tampa Stadium to see Rodney Marsh and the Rowdies take on Pele and the New York Cosmos, arguably North America’s richest soccer rivalry. Rather than capitalize on the nostalgia and recognition of the established brand, Tampa Bay’s first MLS team was given a new name.

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https://medium.com/@AngryRedman/5-marketing-opportunities-for-the-tampa-bay-rowdies-961834a88e53

5 Marketing Opportunities for the Tampa Bay Rowdies

As the success of #MLS2StPete largely depends on having butts in the seats every night, I find myself contemplating new marketing opportunities for the club on a regular basis. Ultimately, the goal of every Rowdies fan this season has to be to push how close we come to filling the place every night.

With that in mind I offer up what I believe to be five solid marketing opportunities for the Rowdies going forward. But before you read on, realize I have no connections with the club aside from being a supporter. I’m not in tune with the day-to-day operations to say definitively whether or not these ideas have ever been considered, or are possibly already in the process of becoming reality. I am simply presenting ways the club can lure more fans and hoping that if they haven’t been discussed, they will be after this.

(Follow link for full article.)

http://www.rowdiessoccer.com/news_article/show/771880

Tampa Bay Rowdies Announce Youth Development Affiliation with Tampa Bay United

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (March 20, 2017) — The two largest soccer presences in Tampa Bay have come together, marking a significant moment for the future of the world’s game right here at home with the Tampa Bay Rowdies and Tampa Bay United announcing a milestone partnership.

(Follow link for full article.)

http://www.espnfc.com/united-soccer-leagues/0/blog/post/3103250/joe-cole-talks-tampa-bays-mls-plans-jose-mourinho-and-chelsea

Joe Cole talks Tampa Bay's MLS plans, Jose Mourinho and Chelsea

He is one of the most successful English players of his generation, winning eight major trophies during a seven-year spell at Chelsea and earning 56 England caps, but Joe Cole is now attempting to add to his list of achievements by helping Tampa Bay Rowdies secure a licence to play in Major League Soccer (MLS).

(Follow link for full article.)

http://www.uslsoccer.com/news_article/show/782615

Rowdies’ Cole Excited by Continued Growth

Arrival of former Chelsea teammate Drogba latest in high-profile additions to USL

Coming up on a year since he was unveiled as the highest-profile signing in the Tampa Bay Rowdies’ modern history, former England midfielder Joe Cole is feeling right at home in his new surroundings in downtown St. Petersburg, Fla.

A guest on USL Coast to Coast on SiriusXM FC (Ch. 85) on Monday night, Cole spoke with Michael Watts about the current chapter of his career, and the success he’s helped the Rowdies find in their first season in the USL.

“It’s a wonderful place to live and it’s a wonderful place to play football as well,” Cole said of downtown St. Petersburg. “I live a walk from the stadium, so it’s great, especially the home games. You soak up the atmosphere, everyone looks like they’re having a great time, and the fans have turned out for us. If we can keep the wins coming as well, and keep the fans coming in, it’s going to be great for all fronts.”

(Follow link for full article.)

http://sbisoccer.com/2017/03/don-garber-thrilled-with-energy-behind-rowdies-mls-expansion-bid

Don Garber thrilled with 'energy' behind Rowdies MLS expansion bid

With a board meeting looming in April to narrow down MLS expansion candidates, commissioner Don Garber seems to be excited about one market in particular.

Speaking to reporters in Orlando on Sunday, Garber was asked about an expansion bid involving the Tampa Bay Rowdies. While there is a lot of work left to determine which cities will join the league, the commissioner is pleased with what he’s seen from the Rowdies.

“There’s been a lot of energy,” said Garber. “Bill Edwards is in regular conversations with us. The mayor was up in our office. I got a call from governer Scott when they submitted their bid. They are one of the markets of the 12 that has a lot of energy behind it.

“It’s a large market, Tampa-St. Pete. It’s one of the larger markets we don’t have in our league of the 12, but we’ll see, we have a lot of work to do.”

(Follow link for full article.)

http://www.tampabay.com/news/business/for-ybor-city-a-historic-cigar-town-faces-a-cloudy-future/2317122

For Ybor City, a historic cigar town faces a cloudy future

Tampa just wouldn't be Tampa without the cigar industry," Patrick Manteiga told me. "But this history is ignored because it doesn't fit with a certain narrative. You have to understand that in the early 20th century, Tampa was just as exotic as Havana."

We sat at the Manteiga family's private table, on ornately carved wooden chairs, in a corner of La Tropicana Cafe, which for decades has been a gathering place on Seventh Avenue for Ybor City's immigrant community. Over a lunch of Spanish bean soup, Cuban sandwiches and deviled crab (a dish created by striking cigar factory workers in the 1920s), we chatted a bit about Tampa foodways and its ultimate fusion dish, crab chilau - blue-crab meat in a spicy enchilada sauce, often served over spaghetti - which perfectly represents Ybor City's cultural mix. But mostly we talked history. [ . . . ]

The Latin community's money, of course, came from cigars. Vicente Martinez Ybor was a Spaniard who'd made his fortune in Cuba but was forced to leave by Spanish colonial powers because he sympathized with Cuban independence. Ybor's partner came to Tampa looking for a source of guavas, since guava jelly had become very popular in the United States during the 1880s. Instead, they saw the potential to transform Tampa into the world's cigar capital. Ybor created modern Tampa out of a marshy backwater, and the population grew from about 700 in 1880 to more than 37,000 residents in 1910. The best cigar rollers left Cuba for Tampa by the thousands. Ybor brought an expanded port, paved roads, hundreds of new homes and businesses, streetcars, insurance companies and health clinics. "Miami was not even spit in the eye when Tampa was doing business with Havana," Manteiga said. [ . . . ]

"This is where the cigar gods reside," Reyes said, seeming to ignore the creepiness. That's because the Scientology testing area is literally where Señor Ybor's desk used to be. On one wall, amid quotes from Hubbard, is a plaque announcing that, according to legend, the first Cuban sandwich was created in this building. People in Miami might, of course, take huge issue with this, but Reyes insists it's true. He said he has documentation, a diary, that confirms Ybor's company executives invented the Cuban sandwich because they believed the cigar rollers were eating too much at lunch and they wanted to curtail the afternoon siesta.

(Follow link for full article.)

http://www.tampabay.com/news/growth/census-tampa-bay-shows-fourth-highest-population-growth-in-nation/2317626

Census: Tampa Bay shows fourth highest population growth in nation

ORLANDO — The Tampa Bay area leads the way as three metro areas in Florida were among the nation's 10 biggest gainers in the number of people moving there last year.

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http://www.tampabay.com/news/business/realestate/lay-of-the-land-radical-transformations-underway-in-florida-real-estate/2317703

Lay of the land: radical transformations underway in Florida real estate

CHAMPIONS GATE — When Dean Saunders graduated from high school in Clermont in the late 1970s, the Central Florida town had 3,200 residents and two stoplights between it and Winter Garden a dozen miles up the road.

Now there are 32,000 people and 21 stoplights.

"People are migrating to Florida, more than 1,000 a day," said Saunders, a commercial real estate broker and former state representative. "What do more people do? They provide a demand for real estate."

(Follow link for full article.)

http://www.tampabay.com/things-to-do/food/dining/two-24-hour-diners-are-opening-this-spring-in-downtown-st-petersburg/2314120

Two 24-hour diners are opening this spring in downtown St. Petersburg

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http://www.chattanoogan.com/2017/3/29/344912/Diane-Siskin-St.-Petersburg-Florida.aspx

Diane Siskin: St. Petersburg, Florida Offers A Waterfront Panorama

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http://intelligenttravel.nationalgeographic.com/2014/06/06/move-over-miami-the-best-of-st-pete/

Move Over, Miami: The Best of St. Pete

(Follow link for full article.)

http://www.coastalliving.com/travel/gulf-coast/st-petersburg-florida-travel-guide

Best Places to Live: St. Petersburg, Florida

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http://www.coastalliving.com/homes/best-coastal-real-estate-markets-2017

The Top 3 Hottest Real Estate Markets for 2017 Are in Florida

4. TAMPA-ST. PETERSBURG-CLEARWATER, FLORIDA

The Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater metro area is on the Tampa Bay, on Florida’s Gulf side. It came in at five overall but is number four for coastal areas, with great job growth and affordability.

(Follow link for full article.)

https://patch.com/florida/brandon/tampa-bay-towns-among-america-s-fastest-growing-study

Tampa Bay Towns Among America’s Fastest-Growing: Study

Brandon, Largo, Clearwater, Tampa and St. Pete are among the country’s fast-growing communities, according to a new study.

(Follow link for full article.)

http://www.tampabay.com/news/growth/census-tampa-bay-shows-fourth-highest-population-growth-in-nation/2317626

Census: Tampa Bay shows fourth highest population growth in nation

(Follow link for full article.)

http://www.tbo.com/news/report-tampa-bay-has-nations-third-fastest-growing-housing-market-20170223/

Report: Tampa Bay has nation's third fastest growing housing market

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http://www.tbo.com/news/business/study-tampa-area-fourth-fastest-growing-job-market-in-us-20160419/

Study: Tampa area fourth fastest-growing job market in U.S.

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https://www.forbes.com/sites/samanthasharf/2017/02/10/full-list-americas-fastest-growing-cities-2017/2/#4e0352225b5f

Full List: America's Fastest-Growing Cities 2017

6. North Port-Sarasota-Bradenton, FL

8. Tampa-St. Petersburg-Clearwater, FL

(Follow link for full article.)

http://www.fieldofschemes.com/2017/03/16/12227/miami-officials-to-beckham-build-stadium-or-get-off-the-pot-already/

Miami officials to Beckham: Build stadium or get off the pot already

No, David Beckham still hasn’t figured out who’s going to finance his proposed new MLS arena in Miami yet. And yes, Miami officials have noticed, and are starting to wonder how long they should be expected to wait on this stadium plan:

(Follow link for full article.)

http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/community/miami-dade/article138297438.html

Miami-Dade commissioner: How much longer are we going to wait for David Beckham?

As soccer fans continue to wait for David Beckham to announce a stadium deal, one Miami-Dade commissioner floated the idea Monday of using the county’s portion of the arena site for affordable housing instead.

“How long are we going to negotiate for the use of that [county-owned land] before we decide that maybe that ought to be made available for some affordable housing?” Commissioner Xavier Suarez asked Monday during a meeting of the county’s Housing and Social Services committee. “Are we going to wait for these folks forever before we use that property for something more?”