"So what exactly is the difference between Miami FC and Beckham's team?"
Miami FC actually exists.
(Follow link for full article.)
http://www.miaminewtimes.com/arts/miami-fc-is-not-beckhams-soccer-team-and-thats-a-good-thing-8727539
Miami FC Is Not Beckham's Soccer Team, and That's a Good Thing
Monday, August 29, 2016 at 9:05 a.m.
When I told my friends I was attending a Miami FC soccer game Saturday night, I got responses like this: “You mean Beckham’s team?”
If you tell that to the people at Miami FC, they will most likely give you a smirk and say, “Just a little friendly competition.”
It’s true – Miami FC is not Beckham’s soccer team. But that might just be a good thing.
According to its official website, Miami FC is “Miami’s sole professional soccer club, beginning to play in the North American Soccer League (NASL) in 2016.” But if you ask the team's CEO, Sean Flynn, Miami FC is so much more than just a professional soccer team (which is, by the way, now ranked fourth in its league). Rather, Miami FC is a soccer club created by and for the people of Miami.
. . .
So what exactly is the difference between Miami FC and Beckham's team? A big one, it turns out – Miami FC is in the North American Soccer League (NASL), and Beckham’s team (which we might not even see until 2018) will be a Major League Soccer (MLS) team.
Tuesday, August 30, 2016
Watershed moments that changed the American sports landscape: Is soccer finally a part of the big picture?
(Follow link for full article.)
http://www.oregonlive.com/timbers/index.ssf/2016/08/watershed_moments_that_changed.html
Watershed moments that changed the American sports landscape: Is soccer finally a part of the big picture?
By Jamie Goldberg | The Oregonian/OregonLive
on August 30, 2016 at 9:10 AM, updated August 30, 2016 at 4:19 PM
The American sports landscape is continually transforming.
For much of the 20th century, baseball was considered the indisputable American national pastime and boxing, especially in the era of Muhammad Ali, and horse racing were also among the most popular sports.
"If you look at the history of sports in this country, nothing has ever really stayed the same," Fox play-by-play announcer John Strong said. "This is something that's often forgotten. There was a time when football, particularly professional football, was way down the totem pole of what popular sports were in this country."
Now, professional football reigns supreme among sports in the United States. The "Big Four" leagues are considered to be the NFL, NBA, MLB and NHL.
But even now the landscape is changing.
http://www.oregonlive.com/timbers/index.ssf/2016/08/watershed_moments_that_changed.html
Watershed moments that changed the American sports landscape: Is soccer finally a part of the big picture?
By Jamie Goldberg | The Oregonian/OregonLive
on August 30, 2016 at 9:10 AM, updated August 30, 2016 at 4:19 PM
The American sports landscape is continually transforming.
For much of the 20th century, baseball was considered the indisputable American national pastime and boxing, especially in the era of Muhammad Ali, and horse racing were also among the most popular sports.
"If you look at the history of sports in this country, nothing has ever really stayed the same," Fox play-by-play announcer John Strong said. "This is something that's often forgotten. There was a time when football, particularly professional football, was way down the totem pole of what popular sports were in this country."
Now, professional football reigns supreme among sports in the United States. The "Big Four" leagues are considered to be the NFL, NBA, MLB and NHL.
But even now the landscape is changing.
Central Melt: A Review
(Follow link for full article.)
http://stpetersburgfoodies.com/restaurant-reviews/central-melt-a-review/
Central Melt: A Review
Central Melt is the latest addition to casual fare in the downtown St. Petersburg area. This small spot is on Central Avenue and 6th Street North (nestled next to State Theatre) and has been slinging sandwiches for about a month now. The interior has counter seating that’s perfect for a quick bite, and diners can look right into the kitchen and see sandwiches being pressed and hand-cut fries being dropped into hot oil.
The menu is a little bit limited, but that’s just fine because Central Melt isn’t destined to be a jack of all trades, and master of none. They truly know what they are doing when it comes to sandwiches, soup and fries, so hats off to them. I wouldn’t be surprised if they added more sandwich combos in the future, but don’t worry. The current menu is a crowd pleaser, and prices are good as well. Sandwiches clock in just under $8, and fries go for just under $4. If you just want a “dip” of soup for your sandwich, Central Melt hooks it up for 96 cents. Cool!
I ordered the Garden State Goddess, a delectable mozzarella sandwich perked up with avocado, arugula and cucumber on wheat bread. The ingredients blended together perfectly, but the bread was what I really loved about the sandwich. The sandwich wasn’t burned, or overly soggy. It had a crisp, buttery outside, but the bread was still easy to bite, and chew, and wasn’t dried out. I dunked the sandwich in a fresh, house-made tomato soup, and each bite was better than the last, but bittersweet. I didn’t want it to end.
http://stpetersburgfoodies.com/restaurant-reviews/central-melt-a-review/
Central Melt: A Review
Central Melt is the latest addition to casual fare in the downtown St. Petersburg area. This small spot is on Central Avenue and 6th Street North (nestled next to State Theatre) and has been slinging sandwiches for about a month now. The interior has counter seating that’s perfect for a quick bite, and diners can look right into the kitchen and see sandwiches being pressed and hand-cut fries being dropped into hot oil.
The menu is a little bit limited, but that’s just fine because Central Melt isn’t destined to be a jack of all trades, and master of none. They truly know what they are doing when it comes to sandwiches, soup and fries, so hats off to them. I wouldn’t be surprised if they added more sandwich combos in the future, but don’t worry. The current menu is a crowd pleaser, and prices are good as well. Sandwiches clock in just under $8, and fries go for just under $4. If you just want a “dip” of soup for your sandwich, Central Melt hooks it up for 96 cents. Cool!
I ordered the Garden State Goddess, a delectable mozzarella sandwich perked up with avocado, arugula and cucumber on wheat bread. The ingredients blended together perfectly, but the bread was what I really loved about the sandwich. The sandwich wasn’t burned, or overly soggy. It had a crisp, buttery outside, but the bread was still easy to bite, and chew, and wasn’t dried out. I dunked the sandwich in a fresh, house-made tomato soup, and each bite was better than the last, but bittersweet. I didn’t want it to end.
The Rowdies Please Fans with Another Win
(Follow link for full article.)
http://www.cltampa.com/arts-entertainment/sports/article/20832030/the-rowdies-please-fans-with-another-win
The Rowdies Please Fans with Another Win
A crowd rendition of Biz Markie’s “Just a Friend” topped off the night and let the team know they have just what we need. And that’s how they celebrate when the Rowdies don’t score.
Colin O'Hara
Aug. 29, 2016 3:44 p.m.
As a former coach once told me in the rain, “It’s a lovely day for football.”
I think he was right, and the Rowdies probably agreed as well.
It was a rain-soaked evening that turned into a goal-soaked evening after the Rowdies won 2-0 thanks to two goals from Joe Cole, but coach Stuart Campbell gave all the credit to the fans.
"I need to thank the fans," Campbell said. "When we missed the penalty kick in the first half, it would have been easy to sit there and think, 'Oh no. Here we go again.' But they didn't. Straightaway the fans were back at it. They galvanized the team and the players bounced back."
And here lies more proof that soccer is the greatest fan-driven sport out there:
The Rowdies have struggled to find goals in recent matches, having not scored a goal before Saturday since the 14th minute of the game on August 13. Imagine a team in another sport not scoring a single point in two-and-a-half games. Crazy. Yet 5,000 of the Bay area’s most faithful braved the weather and made their way to the match Saturday night.
Al Lang’s capacity is 7,000. Even with 5,000 fans, that’s a 71 percent capacity for a game after a rain storm, for a team that didn’t score for 317 minutes. Not bad. The Trop has a capacity of roughly 37,000 — not including the 5,000 or so seats covered by the tarp — and they average about 16,000. You can do the math on that.
After Joe Cole’s missed penalty in the first half, the stadium erupted with song to stand behind the team. A crowd rendition of Biz Markie’s “Just a Friend” topped off the night and let the team know they have just what we need. And that’s how they celebrate when the Rowdies don’t score.
Two goals later, both from Cole, were both marked with the green and yellow smoke-filled air. Flags — from all over and nearly outnumbering people — are waved to show support of the team, the city and players. I’ve been to Bucs games, Rays games and Lightning games. All fun as hell, but no other fans compare to the excitement shown when the Rowdies score a goal. This is how the world celebrates sports.
“[Ralph’s Mob] have never let me down,” Campbell said after the match. “That’s why I have to keep thanking them.”
http://www.cltampa.com/arts-entertainment/sports/article/20832030/the-rowdies-please-fans-with-another-win
The Rowdies Please Fans with Another Win
A crowd rendition of Biz Markie’s “Just a Friend” topped off the night and let the team know they have just what we need. And that’s how they celebrate when the Rowdies don’t score.
Colin O'Hara
Aug. 29, 2016 3:44 p.m.
As a former coach once told me in the rain, “It’s a lovely day for football.”
I think he was right, and the Rowdies probably agreed as well.
It was a rain-soaked evening that turned into a goal-soaked evening after the Rowdies won 2-0 thanks to two goals from Joe Cole, but coach Stuart Campbell gave all the credit to the fans.
"I need to thank the fans," Campbell said. "When we missed the penalty kick in the first half, it would have been easy to sit there and think, 'Oh no. Here we go again.' But they didn't. Straightaway the fans were back at it. They galvanized the team and the players bounced back."
And here lies more proof that soccer is the greatest fan-driven sport out there:
The Rowdies have struggled to find goals in recent matches, having not scored a goal before Saturday since the 14th minute of the game on August 13. Imagine a team in another sport not scoring a single point in two-and-a-half games. Crazy. Yet 5,000 of the Bay area’s most faithful braved the weather and made their way to the match Saturday night.
Al Lang’s capacity is 7,000. Even with 5,000 fans, that’s a 71 percent capacity for a game after a rain storm, for a team that didn’t score for 317 minutes. Not bad. The Trop has a capacity of roughly 37,000 — not including the 5,000 or so seats covered by the tarp — and they average about 16,000. You can do the math on that.
After Joe Cole’s missed penalty in the first half, the stadium erupted with song to stand behind the team. A crowd rendition of Biz Markie’s “Just a Friend” topped off the night and let the team know they have just what we need. And that’s how they celebrate when the Rowdies don’t score.
Two goals later, both from Cole, were both marked with the green and yellow smoke-filled air. Flags — from all over and nearly outnumbering people — are waved to show support of the team, the city and players. I’ve been to Bucs games, Rays games and Lightning games. All fun as hell, but no other fans compare to the excitement shown when the Rowdies score a goal. This is how the world celebrates sports.
“[Ralph’s Mob] have never let me down,” Campbell said after the match. “That’s why I have to keep thanking them.”
Monday, August 29, 2016
Game 11: Rowdies Home Attendance Thread, vs. Rayo OKC 8/27
(Follow link for full article.)
https://www.reddit.com/r/TampaBayRowdies/comments/506c4k/game_11_rowdies_home_attendance_thread_vs_rayo/
Game 11: Rowdies Home Attendance Thread, vs. Rayo OKC 8/27
A win for the good guys. Unfortunately the rain kept our attendance number down (4,935). Looked like it was going to be a good showing from the Ticketmaster pre-sales. Our average is still up over last year and we've got a hold on third place in the league with Ottawa right behind us. With summer winding down and our next home game in 3 weeks, hopefully we get into the nicer weather and better numbers...
. . .
Always worth noting with any mention of attendance, this is "sold and distributed" not the turnstile headcount. Most of the midfield reserve area was desolate, and unless it's a major game, is frequently half populated at best.
. . .
+1 and that the Rowdies, unlike some others in the league, don't give away many (or really any) freebies. Most of the time the number we see reported is a legit amount of paying customers.
. . .
I don't understand this. I'd expect the cheaper, grandstand seats to be no shows. I buy my tickets at the student $10 price point, so if I just can't go, oh well. But those seats are expensive, fam.
. . .
Me either - but from what I understand, they are seats that are purchased by sponsors - and not all of them get filled. Same goes with the parking - it'll be 5:30 and the lot has maybe 50 people in it, but the attendants are saying it's full - because none of the people who have purchased parking have shown up.
It's a 1%'er thing that I don't understand.
. . .
I guess if it's a business thing, the company doesn't really care if the seats are filled, they're paid for no matter what. And if you get free tickets, there's less incentive to go than if you paid.
. . .
I agree. I think it hurts the brand when people no show. Yeah, the team gets paid, but the optics are terrible. If those were box seats, it would be one thing, but they're on the broadcast, and it's a black hole of enthusiasm during the matches.
. . .
I was thinking the same thing about those seats being on the broadcasts. It looks so bad. I really wish, if nothing else, they'd reverse the cameras. We wouldn't necessarily see the Mob any more than we do now, but we'd at least see more asses in seats.
. . .
I think a lot of them are Corporate purchases as part of sponsorship packages. In the company I used to work for we had a block of tickets we purchased as part of our sponsorship for the Lightning and Rays and very often (particularly for the Rays) they would go unused...
. . .
God, I'd kill for those free tickets. Rays tickets are generally cheap, but Lightning tickets are getting up there in price.
https://www.reddit.com/r/TampaBayRowdies/comments/506c4k/game_11_rowdies_home_attendance_thread_vs_rayo/
Game 11: Rowdies Home Attendance Thread, vs. Rayo OKC 8/27
A win for the good guys. Unfortunately the rain kept our attendance number down (4,935). Looked like it was going to be a good showing from the Ticketmaster pre-sales. Our average is still up over last year and we've got a hold on third place in the league with Ottawa right behind us. With summer winding down and our next home game in 3 weeks, hopefully we get into the nicer weather and better numbers...
. . .
Always worth noting with any mention of attendance, this is "sold and distributed" not the turnstile headcount. Most of the midfield reserve area was desolate, and unless it's a major game, is frequently half populated at best.
. . .
+1 and that the Rowdies, unlike some others in the league, don't give away many (or really any) freebies. Most of the time the number we see reported is a legit amount of paying customers.
. . .
I don't understand this. I'd expect the cheaper, grandstand seats to be no shows. I buy my tickets at the student $10 price point, so if I just can't go, oh well. But those seats are expensive, fam.
. . .
Me either - but from what I understand, they are seats that are purchased by sponsors - and not all of them get filled. Same goes with the parking - it'll be 5:30 and the lot has maybe 50 people in it, but the attendants are saying it's full - because none of the people who have purchased parking have shown up.
It's a 1%'er thing that I don't understand.
. . .
I guess if it's a business thing, the company doesn't really care if the seats are filled, they're paid for no matter what. And if you get free tickets, there's less incentive to go than if you paid.
. . .
I agree. I think it hurts the brand when people no show. Yeah, the team gets paid, but the optics are terrible. If those were box seats, it would be one thing, but they're on the broadcast, and it's a black hole of enthusiasm during the matches.
. . .
I was thinking the same thing about those seats being on the broadcasts. It looks so bad. I really wish, if nothing else, they'd reverse the cameras. We wouldn't necessarily see the Mob any more than we do now, but we'd at least see more asses in seats.
. . .
I think a lot of them are Corporate purchases as part of sponsorship packages. In the company I used to work for we had a block of tickets we purchased as part of our sponsorship for the Lightning and Rays and very often (particularly for the Rays) they would go unused...
. . .
God, I'd kill for those free tickets. Rays tickets are generally cheap, but Lightning tickets are getting up there in price.
Duel of Suitors Yields an M.L.S. Franchise for Minnesota
(Follow link for full article.)
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/29/sports/soccer/duel-of-suitors-yields-an-mls-franchise-for-minnesota.html?_r=0
Duel of Suitors Yields an M.L.S. Franchise for Minnesota
By PAT BORZIAUG. 28, 2016
ST. PAUL — A David and Goliath story generally requires a David to root for, but neither side competing for the M.L.S. expansion franchise in Minnesota resembled a boy with a slingshot.
Instead, this one featured two Goliaths: The rich, powerful Wilf family, owner of the Minnesota Vikings and their new $1 billion fixed-roof stadium, versus a formidable soccer-centric group that included some of the richest people in the state but lacked a stadium.
William W. McGuire, the former chief executive of UnitedHealth Group and the owner of the Minnesota United of the North American Soccer League, heads the second group, and last year he outmaneuvered the Wilfs and landed the expansion franchise by promising to build an open-air soccer-specific stadium with private money — a rarity in American professional sports.
McGuire’s group committed $250 million — a $100 million M.L.S. expansion fee and $150 million for the new stadium — to bring top-level professional soccer to a state that has had five professional teams since the 1970s.
At a rally on Aug. 19 at the downtown minor league baseball stadium, about 1,400 fans watched as M.L.S. Commissioner Don Garber confirmed that Minnesota United would begin play in 2017.
“I’m glad somebody who’s strictly going to focus on soccer is going to keep a team in the Twin Cities and push it as high as it can go,” said Bruce McGuire, a Minnesota soccer blogger and scarf-wearing member of the United’s primary fan group, the Dark Clouds. “It’s thrilling,” said McGuire, who is not related to the team’s owner.
The bid by the Vikings owners, Bruce McGuire said, “scared the hell out of me.”
“The sport I love would be a second priority,” McGuire said. “The N.F.L. is a gold mine, and everything else has to be second.”
William McGuire, too, feared that the Vikings group would land the franchise.
. . .
Curiously, the Vikings’ stadium opened Aug. 3 with an International Champions Cup match between A.C. Milan and Chelsea that drew 64,101, the largest crowd to watch professional soccer in the state.
The same night, United played in the northern suburb of Blaine, timing that irritated United supporters and hurt the club’s ticket sales. The N.A.S.L. match attracted 6,101, about 2,000 below United’s league-best average.
Bill McGuire read nothing sinister or vindictive into the overlap, preferring to celebrate how 70,000 people turned out on a Wednesday night to watch professional soccer in Minnesota. (ESPN, International Champions Cup officials and the competing clubs chose the date, not the Vikings.)
“It’s unfortunate it was the day we had a home game,” McGuire said. “I don’t even know if they knew we had a game. I assume they didn’t until after the fact, and then it’s what it was.”
He added: “I think everybody’s fine. We’re all going to work together to do things to make this a better place.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/29/sports/soccer/duel-of-suitors-yields-an-mls-franchise-for-minnesota.html?_r=0
Duel of Suitors Yields an M.L.S. Franchise for Minnesota
By PAT BORZIAUG. 28, 2016
ST. PAUL — A David and Goliath story generally requires a David to root for, but neither side competing for the M.L.S. expansion franchise in Minnesota resembled a boy with a slingshot.
Instead, this one featured two Goliaths: The rich, powerful Wilf family, owner of the Minnesota Vikings and their new $1 billion fixed-roof stadium, versus a formidable soccer-centric group that included some of the richest people in the state but lacked a stadium.
William W. McGuire, the former chief executive of UnitedHealth Group and the owner of the Minnesota United of the North American Soccer League, heads the second group, and last year he outmaneuvered the Wilfs and landed the expansion franchise by promising to build an open-air soccer-specific stadium with private money — a rarity in American professional sports.
McGuire’s group committed $250 million — a $100 million M.L.S. expansion fee and $150 million for the new stadium — to bring top-level professional soccer to a state that has had five professional teams since the 1970s.
At a rally on Aug. 19 at the downtown minor league baseball stadium, about 1,400 fans watched as M.L.S. Commissioner Don Garber confirmed that Minnesota United would begin play in 2017.
“I’m glad somebody who’s strictly going to focus on soccer is going to keep a team in the Twin Cities and push it as high as it can go,” said Bruce McGuire, a Minnesota soccer blogger and scarf-wearing member of the United’s primary fan group, the Dark Clouds. “It’s thrilling,” said McGuire, who is not related to the team’s owner.
The bid by the Vikings owners, Bruce McGuire said, “scared the hell out of me.”
“The sport I love would be a second priority,” McGuire said. “The N.F.L. is a gold mine, and everything else has to be second.”
William McGuire, too, feared that the Vikings group would land the franchise.
. . .
Curiously, the Vikings’ stadium opened Aug. 3 with an International Champions Cup match between A.C. Milan and Chelsea that drew 64,101, the largest crowd to watch professional soccer in the state.
The same night, United played in the northern suburb of Blaine, timing that irritated United supporters and hurt the club’s ticket sales. The N.A.S.L. match attracted 6,101, about 2,000 below United’s league-best average.
Bill McGuire read nothing sinister or vindictive into the overlap, preferring to celebrate how 70,000 people turned out on a Wednesday night to watch professional soccer in Minnesota. (ESPN, International Champions Cup officials and the competing clubs chose the date, not the Vikings.)
“It’s unfortunate it was the day we had a home game,” McGuire said. “I don’t even know if they knew we had a game. I assume they didn’t until after the fact, and then it’s what it was.”
He added: “I think everybody’s fine. We’re all going to work together to do things to make this a better place.”
Sunday, August 28, 2016
Coffee Talk: Bill Edwards Gave Campbell, Players a Vote of Confidence Before Saturday’s Win
(Follow link for full article.)
http://www.theunsubs.com/wp/2016/08/28/coffee-talk-bill-edwards-gave-campbell-players-a-vote-of-confidence-before-saturdays-win/2242
Coffee Talk: Bill Edwards Gave Campbell, Players a Vote of Confidence Before Saturday’s Win
August 28, 2016 Jake Nutting
Heading into Saturday’s encounter with Rayo OKC, the Tampa Bay Rowdies had dropped five of their previous six matches. The poor string of results came at an interesting time, as last weekend was the one-year anniversary of Thomas Rongen and Farrukh Quraishi being dismissed.
So whether or not Rowdies owner Bill Edwards was or wasn’t aware of the coincidence, he sure picked an intriguing moment to show a vote of confidence in this year’s team and head coach Stuart Campbell.
Fresh off his two-goal shift in the win over Rayo OKC, veteran Joe Cole mentioned a meeting Edwards had with the team to express his confidence in the squad despite of the recent skid.
“I felt we played well again tonight,” said Cole. “All credit to the staff, the players, and also Bill the owner. He had a good chat with us during the week. He’s right behind us and the manager and everything we’re doing here. You can see the performances. It was pleasing to get the result to match the performance.”
Adding another bit of intrigue to Saturday’s match was the fact the manager Edwards lost confidence in last year was in the broadcast for beIN Sports (Try to imagine this kind of thing happening in a league more people cared about. The Twitter snark would never end). Understandably, Rongen said he feels the team was in a better position at the same point last year when he was let go, but he also offered praise for many of the moves made by Campbell.
Rongen’s broadcast partner suggested Campbell’s job could be on the line given the recent results. That’s not an absurd notion, although it does ignore the quality performances of the team in those losing efforts. The team has rarely looked lost, and has in fact created plenty of scoring chances in recent weeks only to be let down by their finishing.
“I’m not stupid. I know it’s a results based business, but every man and his dog can see that our performance levels have been very good,” said Campbell on Saturday night. “The effort, the application, the attitude of every single player has never been in question so it’s nice to finally get the result the performance deserved.”
On top of the promise the team continues to show, Campbell’s working relationship with Edwards is rumored to be markedly better than the one Rongen had with the owner last year. Coupled together, these two indicators suggest that Campbell’s job might be safe for the time being.
. . .
Jonathan Arnholz @JArnholz
When you don't convert a PK so you get pissed and bounce back with two goals anyway #JoeCole #COYR
http://www.theunsubs.com/wp/2016/08/28/coffee-talk-bill-edwards-gave-campbell-players-a-vote-of-confidence-before-saturdays-win/2242
Coffee Talk: Bill Edwards Gave Campbell, Players a Vote of Confidence Before Saturday’s Win
August 28, 2016 Jake Nutting
Heading into Saturday’s encounter with Rayo OKC, the Tampa Bay Rowdies had dropped five of their previous six matches. The poor string of results came at an interesting time, as last weekend was the one-year anniversary of Thomas Rongen and Farrukh Quraishi being dismissed.
So whether or not Rowdies owner Bill Edwards was or wasn’t aware of the coincidence, he sure picked an intriguing moment to show a vote of confidence in this year’s team and head coach Stuart Campbell.
Fresh off his two-goal shift in the win over Rayo OKC, veteran Joe Cole mentioned a meeting Edwards had with the team to express his confidence in the squad despite of the recent skid.
“I felt we played well again tonight,” said Cole. “All credit to the staff, the players, and also Bill the owner. He had a good chat with us during the week. He’s right behind us and the manager and everything we’re doing here. You can see the performances. It was pleasing to get the result to match the performance.”
Adding another bit of intrigue to Saturday’s match was the fact the manager Edwards lost confidence in last year was in the broadcast for beIN Sports (Try to imagine this kind of thing happening in a league more people cared about. The Twitter snark would never end). Understandably, Rongen said he feels the team was in a better position at the same point last year when he was let go, but he also offered praise for many of the moves made by Campbell.
Rongen’s broadcast partner suggested Campbell’s job could be on the line given the recent results. That’s not an absurd notion, although it does ignore the quality performances of the team in those losing efforts. The team has rarely looked lost, and has in fact created plenty of scoring chances in recent weeks only to be let down by their finishing.
“I’m not stupid. I know it’s a results based business, but every man and his dog can see that our performance levels have been very good,” said Campbell on Saturday night. “The effort, the application, the attitude of every single player has never been in question so it’s nice to finally get the result the performance deserved.”
On top of the promise the team continues to show, Campbell’s working relationship with Edwards is rumored to be markedly better than the one Rongen had with the owner last year. Coupled together, these two indicators suggest that Campbell’s job might be safe for the time being.
. . .
Jonathan Arnholz @JArnholz
When you don't convert a PK so you get pissed and bounce back with two goals anyway #JoeCole #COYR
Soccer is growing fast in the United States and the 'best days are still ahead' for MLS
(Follow link for full article.)
http://www.oregonlive.com/timbers/index.ssf/2016/08/mls_soccer_is_growing.html
Soccer is growing fast in the United States and the 'best days are still ahead' for MLS
By Jamie Goldberg | The Oregonian/OregonLive
on August 28, 2016 at 9:36 AM, updated August 28, 2016 at 1:25 PM
In November of 2001, Major League Soccer owner Lamar Hunt and his two sons, Dan and Clark, sat around a table inside Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City listening intently on a conference call as other owners talked ominously about the state of their fledging league.
MLS had lost $250 million since its inception in 1996. Two of the league's 12 franchises were in such sorry shape that they would need to fold.
By the end of the discouraging 15-minute conference call, the majority of the owners were in agreement: It was time to call the bankruptcy lawyers. The MLS experiment had failed.
Over the next 48 hours, Hunt called each owner to convince them to give the league another shot. Ultimately, three owners – Hunt, Philip Anschutz and Robert Kraft – shelled out the necessary money to take over the remaining 10 teams and keep MLS afloat.
http://www.oregonlive.com/timbers/index.ssf/2016/08/mls_soccer_is_growing.html
Soccer is growing fast in the United States and the 'best days are still ahead' for MLS
By Jamie Goldberg | The Oregonian/OregonLive
on August 28, 2016 at 9:36 AM, updated August 28, 2016 at 1:25 PM
In November of 2001, Major League Soccer owner Lamar Hunt and his two sons, Dan and Clark, sat around a table inside Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City listening intently on a conference call as other owners talked ominously about the state of their fledging league.
MLS had lost $250 million since its inception in 1996. Two of the league's 12 franchises were in such sorry shape that they would need to fold.
By the end of the discouraging 15-minute conference call, the majority of the owners were in agreement: It was time to call the bankruptcy lawyers. The MLS experiment had failed.
Over the next 48 hours, Hunt called each owner to convince them to give the league another shot. Ultimately, three owners – Hunt, Philip Anschutz and Robert Kraft – shelled out the necessary money to take over the remaining 10 teams and keep MLS afloat.
Is Portland really Soccer City, USA?
No.
(Follow link for full article.)
http://www.oregonlive.com/timbers/index.ssf/2016/08/soccer_city_usa_intro_post.html
Is Portland really Soccer City, USA?
Jamie Goldberg | The Oregonian/Oregon
on August 28, 2016 at 9:36 AM, updated August 28, 2016 at 1:48 PM
Soccer in America has come a long way over the last 20 years.
When the San Jose Clash beat DC United in Major League Soccer's inaugural game in April of 1996, soccer was still considered a fringe sport in the United States. Now, interest in the sport is rapidly growing in America.
MLS set new attendance records in 2015, and numerous cities are now competing to become the league's next expansion market. Outside of MLS, the U.S. men's and women's national teams are drawing more and more fans and have set new TV ratings records during recent World Cups. And international leagues, like the English Premier League and Liga MX, are quickly gaining fan support in America.
The Pacific Northwest is at the center of this growth, with Portland, Seattle and Vancouver forming arguably the best rivalry and biggest fanbases in MLS. Which leads us to the question on everyone's mind:
Is Portland really Soccer City, USA?
Over the next week, The Oregonian/OregonLive will publish five stories about soccer and its place in the American sports landscape, before revealing our data at the end of the week and unveiling which MLS city has earned the title of Soccer City, USA.
Here is a look at the topics that we will be focusing on:
(Follow link for full article.)
http://www.oregonlive.com/timbers/index.ssf/2016/08/soccer_city_usa_intro_post.html
Is Portland really Soccer City, USA?
Jamie Goldberg | The Oregonian/Oregon
on August 28, 2016 at 9:36 AM, updated August 28, 2016 at 1:48 PM
Soccer in America has come a long way over the last 20 years.
When the San Jose Clash beat DC United in Major League Soccer's inaugural game in April of 1996, soccer was still considered a fringe sport in the United States. Now, interest in the sport is rapidly growing in America.
MLS set new attendance records in 2015, and numerous cities are now competing to become the league's next expansion market. Outside of MLS, the U.S. men's and women's national teams are drawing more and more fans and have set new TV ratings records during recent World Cups. And international leagues, like the English Premier League and Liga MX, are quickly gaining fan support in America.
The Pacific Northwest is at the center of this growth, with Portland, Seattle and Vancouver forming arguably the best rivalry and biggest fanbases in MLS. Which leads us to the question on everyone's mind:
Is Portland really Soccer City, USA?
Over the next week, The Oregonian/OregonLive will publish five stories about soccer and its place in the American sports landscape, before revealing our data at the end of the week and unveiling which MLS city has earned the title of Soccer City, USA.
Here is a look at the topics that we will be focusing on:
Friday, August 26, 2016
Top things to do in Tampa Bay for Aug. 27
(Follow link for full article.)
http://www.tampabay.com/things-to-do/events/top-things-to-do-in-tampa-bay-for-aug-27/2291080
Top things to do in Tampa Bay for Aug. 27
Friday, August 26, 2016 11:01am
Tampa Bay Rowdies: Vs. OKC: 7:30 p.m., Al Lang Stadium, 230 First St. SE, St. Petersburg. $17-$40. Toll-free 1-877-769-3437.
http://www.tampabay.com/things-to-do/events/top-things-to-do-in-tampa-bay-for-aug-27/2291080
Top things to do in Tampa Bay for Aug. 27
Friday, August 26, 2016 11:01am
Tampa Bay Rowdies: Vs. OKC: 7:30 p.m., Al Lang Stadium, 230 First St. SE, St. Petersburg. $17-$40. Toll-free 1-877-769-3437.
NASL Week 9 Preview: Crunch Time for Bottom Half
(Follow link for full article.)
http://www.empireofsoccer.com/nasl-week-9-preview-crunch-time-for-bottom-half-52810/
NASL Week 9 Preview: Crunch Time for Bottom Half
By Jake Nutting on 08/26/2016
FC Edmonton (22 pts Fall, 39 pts Combined) and the New York Cosmos (20 pts, 38 pts) will seek to take advantage of home fixtures as they look to solidify their positions at the top of the Fall Season and Combined standings. Meanwhile, Indy Eleven (19 pts, 37 pts) will look to get back in the mix for the top spot against a vulnerable Ottawa Fury FC after stumbling last week.
As the top three jostle positions, the time is fast approaching for the majority of the teams in the NASL to make their move if they hope to clinch a playoff spot. If the season were to end as it stands now, the Cosmos and Minnesota United FC (15 pts, 31 pts) would occupy the third and fourth seeds in The Championship, the NASL’s four-team postseason tournament. The next few weeks will be crucial to see if any of the teams chasing four the fourth spot — the Fort Lauderdale Strikers (11 pts, 26 pts), Carolina RailHawks (12 pts, 26 pts), Rayo OKC (13 pts, 25 pts), or Tampa Bay Rowdies (8 pts, 24 pts) — can gain any ground and stay in the hunt.
. . .
Tampa Bay Rowdies host Rayo OKC, Saturday August 27, 7:30 p.m. ET
Following their bitter loss to Edmonton at home last week, the Rowdies will be eager to get back on track on Saturday. Despite dominating in nearly every aspect over the Eddies, the Rowdies still fell 1-0 to drop their fifth match out of their last six. With one of the highest payrolls in the league, pressure is mounting on the coaching staff to find a way into the playoff picture.
Since battling to earn the first point on the road against the Cosmos this year, Rayo OKC has lost two straight closely contested matches. Working in the expansion side’s favor is the resurgence of attackers Georgios Samaras and Billy Forbes. The two have looked markedly more dangerous and active since interim head coach Gerard Nus took over for Alen Marcina several weeks ago.
http://www.empireofsoccer.com/nasl-week-9-preview-crunch-time-for-bottom-half-52810/
NASL Week 9 Preview: Crunch Time for Bottom Half
By Jake Nutting on 08/26/2016
FC Edmonton (22 pts Fall, 39 pts Combined) and the New York Cosmos (20 pts, 38 pts) will seek to take advantage of home fixtures as they look to solidify their positions at the top of the Fall Season and Combined standings. Meanwhile, Indy Eleven (19 pts, 37 pts) will look to get back in the mix for the top spot against a vulnerable Ottawa Fury FC after stumbling last week.
As the top three jostle positions, the time is fast approaching for the majority of the teams in the NASL to make their move if they hope to clinch a playoff spot. If the season were to end as it stands now, the Cosmos and Minnesota United FC (15 pts, 31 pts) would occupy the third and fourth seeds in The Championship, the NASL’s four-team postseason tournament. The next few weeks will be crucial to see if any of the teams chasing four the fourth spot — the Fort Lauderdale Strikers (11 pts, 26 pts), Carolina RailHawks (12 pts, 26 pts), Rayo OKC (13 pts, 25 pts), or Tampa Bay Rowdies (8 pts, 24 pts) — can gain any ground and stay in the hunt.
. . .
Tampa Bay Rowdies host Rayo OKC, Saturday August 27, 7:30 p.m. ET
Following their bitter loss to Edmonton at home last week, the Rowdies will be eager to get back on track on Saturday. Despite dominating in nearly every aspect over the Eddies, the Rowdies still fell 1-0 to drop their fifth match out of their last six. With one of the highest payrolls in the league, pressure is mounting on the coaching staff to find a way into the playoff picture.
Since battling to earn the first point on the road against the Cosmos this year, Rayo OKC has lost two straight closely contested matches. Working in the expansion side’s favor is the resurgence of attackers Georgios Samaras and Billy Forbes. The two have looked markedly more dangerous and active since interim head coach Gerard Nus took over for Alen Marcina several weeks ago.
Puzzling Rowdies seek scoring touch tonight
(Follow link for full article.)
http://www.tampabay.com/sports/soccer/puzzling-rowdies-seek-scoring-touch-tonight/2291166
Puzzling Rowdies seek scoring touch tonight
By Darek Sharp, Times Correspondent
Friday, August 26, 2016 8:21pm
T. PETERSBURG — It would almost be easier if they weren't playing well.
That, at least, would give the Rowdies an easy-to-accept frame for why they are suffering through their roughest patch of the season.
Tampa Bay has lost three straight, five of six and has tasted victory just twice through 10 games of the NASL's fall season.
Last week the Rowdies dominated league-leading Edmonton, consistently breaking down a defense that has allowed just 10 goals in 19 games, nine fewer than anyone else. Tampa Bay made 21 shots on goal to just nine for Edmonton but lost 1-0.
Even Edmonton coach Colin Miller had to admit how "fortunate" his team was last Saturday to endure a constant Tampa Bay attack, and praise how strong a club the Rowdies are.
"Hearing the coach compliment us, how we're the best team they've played. … that just made it worse," Rowdies coach Stuart Campbell said.
With a dozen games remaining, the Rowdies hope their fortunes start to flip tonight at Al Lang Stadium as Tampa Bay hosts Rayo OKC (3-3-4) at 7:30.
http://www.tampabay.com/sports/soccer/puzzling-rowdies-seek-scoring-touch-tonight/2291166
Puzzling Rowdies seek scoring touch tonight
By Darek Sharp, Times Correspondent
Friday, August 26, 2016 8:21pm
T. PETERSBURG — It would almost be easier if they weren't playing well.
That, at least, would give the Rowdies an easy-to-accept frame for why they are suffering through their roughest patch of the season.
Tampa Bay has lost three straight, five of six and has tasted victory just twice through 10 games of the NASL's fall season.
Last week the Rowdies dominated league-leading Edmonton, consistently breaking down a defense that has allowed just 10 goals in 19 games, nine fewer than anyone else. Tampa Bay made 21 shots on goal to just nine for Edmonton but lost 1-0.
Even Edmonton coach Colin Miller had to admit how "fortunate" his team was last Saturday to endure a constant Tampa Bay attack, and praise how strong a club the Rowdies are.
"Hearing the coach compliment us, how we're the best team they've played. … that just made it worse," Rowdies coach Stuart Campbell said.
With a dozen games remaining, the Rowdies hope their fortunes start to flip tonight at Al Lang Stadium as Tampa Bay hosts Rayo OKC (3-3-4) at 7:30.
How soccer-specific stadiums have (and haven’t) transformed MLS
(Follow link for full article.)
http://sports.yahoo.com/news/how-soccer-specific-stadiums-have-and-havent-transformed-mls-111337263.html
How soccer-specific stadiums have (and haven’t) transformed MLS
Henry Bushnell
FC Yahoo•Aug 26, 2016, 7:13 AM
LOS ANGELES — When Don Garber took over as Major League Soccer commissioner on Aug. 4, 1999, his league had 12 teams. One, the Columbus Crew, had just built its own stadium. The majority of the other 11 were desperately hanging on to the coattails of NFL teams or colleges. The New York Metrostars played at the Meadowlands; the Colorado Rapids played at Mile High; the Chicago Fire played at Soldier Field; the Kansas City Wizards played at Arrowhead; and so on.
“When the original business came together, there was no plan for soccer stadiums,” Garber says. “They thought that MLS would play in everybody else’s large buildings as a secondary tenant.”
As Garber speaks now, 17 years later, he peers through big round sunglasses towards a stage, some dirt, more than a dozen black and gold shovels, and more than a dozen men posing for photos. Magic Johnson and Will Ferrell are among them. Behind them is a rendering of Los Angeles Football Club’s new $250 million stadium, which will be entirely privately funded.
When Garber took over at the league’s helm, he quickly recognized that the secondary tenant model was less than ideal. It prevented MLS clubs from controlling revenue streams. It preempted any warmth or intimate feel among fans. It led to swaths of empty seats and a forgettable gameday experience.
http://sports.yahoo.com/news/how-soccer-specific-stadiums-have-and-havent-transformed-mls-111337263.html
How soccer-specific stadiums have (and haven’t) transformed MLS
Henry Bushnell
FC Yahoo•Aug 26, 2016, 7:13 AM
LOS ANGELES — When Don Garber took over as Major League Soccer commissioner on Aug. 4, 1999, his league had 12 teams. One, the Columbus Crew, had just built its own stadium. The majority of the other 11 were desperately hanging on to the coattails of NFL teams or colleges. The New York Metrostars played at the Meadowlands; the Colorado Rapids played at Mile High; the Chicago Fire played at Soldier Field; the Kansas City Wizards played at Arrowhead; and so on.
“When the original business came together, there was no plan for soccer stadiums,” Garber says. “They thought that MLS would play in everybody else’s large buildings as a secondary tenant.”
As Garber speaks now, 17 years later, he peers through big round sunglasses towards a stage, some dirt, more than a dozen black and gold shovels, and more than a dozen men posing for photos. Magic Johnson and Will Ferrell are among them. Behind them is a rendering of Los Angeles Football Club’s new $250 million stadium, which will be entirely privately funded.
When Garber took over at the league’s helm, he quickly recognized that the secondary tenant model was less than ideal. It prevented MLS clubs from controlling revenue streams. It preempted any warmth or intimate feel among fans. It led to swaths of empty seats and a forgettable gameday experience.
LA 2024 welcomes groundbreaking of new Banc of California soccer stadium as boost for Olympic bid
(Follow link for full article.)
http://aroundtherings.com/site/A__57222/Title__LA-2024-welcomes-groundbreaking-of-new-Banc-of-California-soccer-stadium-as-boost-for-Olympic-bid/292/Articles
LA 2024 welcomes groundbreaking of new Banc of California soccer stadium as boost for Olympic bid
08/25/16
LA 2024 today welcomed the groundbreaking of Los Angeles Football Club's (LAFC) new 22,000-seat Banc of California Stadium in the heart of downtown LA, hailing the new venue as a major boost for the bid’s plans to host the Games in the United States for the first time in 28 years. Set to open in 2018 to accommodate the City of Angels’ newest Major League Soccer (MLS) franchise, the stadium will be located next to the iconic Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum at the site of the former LA Sports Arena.
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti joined hundreds of supporters and LAFC leadership, including co-owners, NBA legend and LA 2024 vice chair Earvin “Magic” Johnson, actor and comedian Will Ferrell, inspirational life coach and entrepreneur Tony Robbins, entertainment and sports legend Peter Guber, business leader and LAFC Lead Managing Owner Larry Berg, Co-Managing Owners Bennett Rosenthal and Brandon Beck, and LAFC President Tom Penn, in celebrating the landmark occasion.
The new stadium will host soccer and be located in LA 2024’s proposed downtown cluster, the beating heart of the LA 2024 Games Plan which could host over 40 percent of the Olympic competition in iconic venues such as the LA Memorial Coliseum, Staples Center, Galen Center, Microsoft Theater and USC’s Dedeaux Field. All Downtown venues are conveniently served by Los Angeles' growing light rail system, allowing fans to avoid traffic to get to the Games.
http://aroundtherings.com/site/A__57222/Title__LA-2024-welcomes-groundbreaking-of-new-Banc-of-California-soccer-stadium-as-boost-for-Olympic-bid/292/Articles
LA 2024 welcomes groundbreaking of new Banc of California soccer stadium as boost for Olympic bid
08/25/16
LA 2024 today welcomed the groundbreaking of Los Angeles Football Club's (LAFC) new 22,000-seat Banc of California Stadium in the heart of downtown LA, hailing the new venue as a major boost for the bid’s plans to host the Games in the United States for the first time in 28 years. Set to open in 2018 to accommodate the City of Angels’ newest Major League Soccer (MLS) franchise, the stadium will be located next to the iconic Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum at the site of the former LA Sports Arena.
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti joined hundreds of supporters and LAFC leadership, including co-owners, NBA legend and LA 2024 vice chair Earvin “Magic” Johnson, actor and comedian Will Ferrell, inspirational life coach and entrepreneur Tony Robbins, entertainment and sports legend Peter Guber, business leader and LAFC Lead Managing Owner Larry Berg, Co-Managing Owners Bennett Rosenthal and Brandon Beck, and LAFC President Tom Penn, in celebrating the landmark occasion.
The new stadium will host soccer and be located in LA 2024’s proposed downtown cluster, the beating heart of the LA 2024 Games Plan which could host over 40 percent of the Olympic competition in iconic venues such as the LA Memorial Coliseum, Staples Center, Galen Center, Microsoft Theater and USC’s Dedeaux Field. All Downtown venues are conveniently served by Los Angeles' growing light rail system, allowing fans to avoid traffic to get to the Games.
'Expandable' soccer stadium in St. Louis?
(Follow link for full article.)
http://www.stltoday.com/sports/expandable-soccer-stadium-in-st-louis/article_f32bc981-664a-5a0b-9f37-5a95711d4fbe.html
'Expandable' soccer stadium in St. Louis?
Aug 24, 2016
QUESTION: Have you heard if the new soccer stadium would be "expandable" in the unlikely chance an NFL team would relocate to St. Louis?
ORTIZ: I haven't heard of a new stadium at all. I cannot imagine that you can build and MLS stadium for $100 million to $200 million, which is what most MLS stadiums cost, and be able to expand it to 70,000 or so for an NFL. I've seen some MLS stadiums built for 22,000 seats with the potential to expand to 30,000 or so, but not to 70,000 seats.
http://www.stltoday.com/sports/expandable-soccer-stadium-in-st-louis/article_f32bc981-664a-5a0b-9f37-5a95711d4fbe.html
'Expandable' soccer stadium in St. Louis?
Aug 24, 2016
QUESTION: Have you heard if the new soccer stadium would be "expandable" in the unlikely chance an NFL team would relocate to St. Louis?
ORTIZ: I haven't heard of a new stadium at all. I cannot imagine that you can build and MLS stadium for $100 million to $200 million, which is what most MLS stadiums cost, and be able to expand it to 70,000 or so for an NFL. I've seen some MLS stadiums built for 22,000 seats with the potential to expand to 30,000 or so, but not to 70,000 seats.
Georgi Hristov Honored to Be Part of Rowdies History
(Follow link for full article.)
http://www.theunsubs.com/wp/2016/08/26/georgi-hristov-honored-to-be-part-of-rowdies-history/2231
Georgi Hristov Honored to Be Part of Rowdies History
August 26, 2016 Jake Nutting
After winning two scoring titles, a league title and Player of the Year honors in the top division of his native Bulgaria, Georgi Hristov was looking for a new challenge at the start of 2013.
As he inched closer to 30, Hristov was getting the itch to test the waters abroad that many players get at some point. With his solid resume from his time in Bulgaria, there were plenty of quality offers from other countries in Eastern Europe, but there was just something alluring to the striker about giving America a shot.
“I had already had a career of like 10, 11 years over there,” Hristov says. “At that point I felt I needed a big change because in Bulgaria I had won everything at that time, individually, with the team, everything. At the age of 28 you have to start to think about doing something and where you’re going.”
With a solid resume from his time in Bulgaria, there were plenty of quality offers from other countries in Eastern Europe, but there was just something alluring to the striker about giving America a shot.
“I kinda wanted to achieve more for myself and my future family,” he explains. “I had offers from places like Romania, Russia, Turkey, but I kinda just felt that I wanted to try it here. I don’t know why. I guess it was about getting away and finding a new adventure.”
Four seasons and over 100 appearances for the Tampa Bay Rowdies later and Hristov has cemented his reputation as one the best and most revered players to suit up for the reincarnated Rowdies. His 100th match for the green and gold came on a Wednesday night in Minnesota, but he only had to wait a few days to be honored by the supporters at Al Lang Stadium.
http://www.theunsubs.com/wp/2016/08/26/georgi-hristov-honored-to-be-part-of-rowdies-history/2231
Georgi Hristov Honored to Be Part of Rowdies History
August 26, 2016 Jake Nutting
After winning two scoring titles, a league title and Player of the Year honors in the top division of his native Bulgaria, Georgi Hristov was looking for a new challenge at the start of 2013.
As he inched closer to 30, Hristov was getting the itch to test the waters abroad that many players get at some point. With his solid resume from his time in Bulgaria, there were plenty of quality offers from other countries in Eastern Europe, but there was just something alluring to the striker about giving America a shot.
“I had already had a career of like 10, 11 years over there,” Hristov says. “At that point I felt I needed a big change because in Bulgaria I had won everything at that time, individually, with the team, everything. At the age of 28 you have to start to think about doing something and where you’re going.”
With a solid resume from his time in Bulgaria, there were plenty of quality offers from other countries in Eastern Europe, but there was just something alluring to the striker about giving America a shot.
“I kinda wanted to achieve more for myself and my future family,” he explains. “I had offers from places like Romania, Russia, Turkey, but I kinda just felt that I wanted to try it here. I don’t know why. I guess it was about getting away and finding a new adventure.”
Four seasons and over 100 appearances for the Tampa Bay Rowdies later and Hristov has cemented his reputation as one the best and most revered players to suit up for the reincarnated Rowdies. His 100th match for the green and gold came on a Wednesday night in Minnesota, but he only had to wait a few days to be honored by the supporters at Al Lang Stadium.
Wednesday, August 24, 2016
Game 10: Rowdies Home Attendance Thread (vs. FC Edmonton, 8/20)
(Follow link for full article.)
https://www.reddit.com/r/TampaBayRowdies/comments/4z8ap4/game_10_rowdies_home_attendance_thread_vs_fc/
Game 10: Rowdies Home Attendance Thread (vs. FC Edmonton, 8/20)
Our second to worst attendance performance of the season...(against Edmonton in the Spring was our worst). Perhaps afternoon rains, perhaps peak Florida August, perhaps recent results. Still up against our average last year and 3rd in the league, but hopefully the downward trend of the last couple games turns around.
On a total side note, this was the only game this season where mid afternoon rains gave us pitch problems...maybe we couldn't get the tarp on in time. I was driving to Tampa at the time and it came on quickly, rained really hard and stopped just as quickly...
https://www.reddit.com/r/TampaBayRowdies/comments/4z8ap4/game_10_rowdies_home_attendance_thread_vs_fc/
Game 10: Rowdies Home Attendance Thread (vs. FC Edmonton, 8/20)
Our second to worst attendance performance of the season...(against Edmonton in the Spring was our worst). Perhaps afternoon rains, perhaps peak Florida August, perhaps recent results. Still up against our average last year and 3rd in the league, but hopefully the downward trend of the last couple games turns around.
On a total side note, this was the only game this season where mid afternoon rains gave us pitch problems...maybe we couldn't get the tarp on in time. I was driving to Tampa at the time and it came on quickly, rained really hard and stopped just as quickly...
Tuesday, August 23, 2016
So maybe a word of explanation or two about why I started this blog.
So maybe a word of explanation or two about why I started this blog.
I have been conducting a small letter writing campaign over the past year urging the Miami Beckham United group to consider teaming up with Bill Edwards and the Tampa Bay Rowdies, to use their "Beckham discount" to take the Tampa Bay Rowdies to MLS, if MBU's efforts to secure a soccer specific stadium (SSS) in the Miami area prove fruitless.
MBU has been at it for over two years now; they are on their fourth site. The first two were premium sites on the Miami waterfront; local players nixed both sites. Then they tried the site next to the new Marlins Park, which Miami city officials had been pushing, but were unable to secure enough land. Fourth site is in an economically depressed area in Overtown with no parking, six blocks away from the nearest public transit; some land was acquired but talks with Miami-Dade County for additional land have broken down early this year.
MBU also needs a bigger investor to come on board and help pay for the SSS and other MLS expenses; they were in talks with PSG (Paris-St. Germain) ownership group earlier this year which ended without success. Two months ago there was a brief news article saying they were talking to a local railway investor, but no news since then. No news in this case is probably not good news for MBU; if they actually had a big new investor on board they would have announced it by now, I think.
So, MBU needs a SSS, and a billionaire investor, otherwise they are dead in the water, MLS discount or no. MLS won't allow this situation to go on forever; this situation has been dragging on for two and a half years; the plan was to get Miami into MLS for the 2018 season and time is running out.
Well, conveniently, there is a stadium on a harbor, in Florida, a downtown, urban waterfront stadium, about a four hour drive north-west from Miami: Al Lang Stadium in St. Petersburg. The Tampa Bay Rowdies play there. The Rowdies have a 41+ year history and have name recognition worldwide amongst soccer fans of a certain age. Owner Bill Edwards is a local St. Pete real estate developer who is also active in the entertainment business and may actually already (or at least potentially) have some contacts through his entertainment business with David Beckham and Beckham's business partner Simon Fuller.
There's also a certain little bird who has told me (and other Mobsters/Rowdies fans) that Bill Edwards is considering moving the Rowdies to USL next year, with an eye towards moving to MLS later. Now Bill Edwards doesn't need to move the Rowdies to USL in order to move them to MLS; Minnesota United is going straight from NASL to MLS next year, for example. But there are other reasons why USL might be preferable to Bill Edwards, which I can speculate on later, but I won't do that now as I am trying to keep this brief. I have no idea how true this rumor is or not; also I don't want to get into the whole USL vs. NASL war as the subject is tiresome and fruitless. I just want to see the Tampa Bay Rowdies back on top of USA pro soccer, which means MLS. No, I don't think NASL is ever going to get to that level. It is not realistic.
So anyway I started this blog partly to chronicle this little project of mine, and also to blog about soccer and other stuff and whathaveyou. I grew tired long ago of pointless "debates" with people on Big Soccer, Facebook, and elsewhere. I know there are some out there who are anti-MLS or have other issues with what I am proposing here; not really my purpose to start an argument with them here.
I'm not even that concerned with whether this blog gets any traffic or readership or not; mostly this is just here to chronicle my own thoughts and highlight interesting news items. I don't particularly want to deal with debating people in the comment sections; this is just here for my own purposes to put down my thoughts into some kind of permanent form and then move on. Possibly this will change later.
--"Ralph"
I have been conducting a small letter writing campaign over the past year urging the Miami Beckham United group to consider teaming up with Bill Edwards and the Tampa Bay Rowdies, to use their "Beckham discount" to take the Tampa Bay Rowdies to MLS, if MBU's efforts to secure a soccer specific stadium (SSS) in the Miami area prove fruitless.
MBU has been at it for over two years now; they are on their fourth site. The first two were premium sites on the Miami waterfront; local players nixed both sites. Then they tried the site next to the new Marlins Park, which Miami city officials had been pushing, but were unable to secure enough land. Fourth site is in an economically depressed area in Overtown with no parking, six blocks away from the nearest public transit; some land was acquired but talks with Miami-Dade County for additional land have broken down early this year.
MBU also needs a bigger investor to come on board and help pay for the SSS and other MLS expenses; they were in talks with PSG (Paris-St. Germain) ownership group earlier this year which ended without success. Two months ago there was a brief news article saying they were talking to a local railway investor, but no news since then. No news in this case is probably not good news for MBU; if they actually had a big new investor on board they would have announced it by now, I think.
So, MBU needs a SSS, and a billionaire investor, otherwise they are dead in the water, MLS discount or no. MLS won't allow this situation to go on forever; this situation has been dragging on for two and a half years; the plan was to get Miami into MLS for the 2018 season and time is running out.
Well, conveniently, there is a stadium on a harbor, in Florida, a downtown, urban waterfront stadium, about a four hour drive north-west from Miami: Al Lang Stadium in St. Petersburg. The Tampa Bay Rowdies play there. The Rowdies have a 41+ year history and have name recognition worldwide amongst soccer fans of a certain age. Owner Bill Edwards is a local St. Pete real estate developer who is also active in the entertainment business and may actually already (or at least potentially) have some contacts through his entertainment business with David Beckham and Beckham's business partner Simon Fuller.
There's also a certain little bird who has told me (and other Mobsters/Rowdies fans) that Bill Edwards is considering moving the Rowdies to USL next year, with an eye towards moving to MLS later. Now Bill Edwards doesn't need to move the Rowdies to USL in order to move them to MLS; Minnesota United is going straight from NASL to MLS next year, for example. But there are other reasons why USL might be preferable to Bill Edwards, which I can speculate on later, but I won't do that now as I am trying to keep this brief. I have no idea how true this rumor is or not; also I don't want to get into the whole USL vs. NASL war as the subject is tiresome and fruitless. I just want to see the Tampa Bay Rowdies back on top of USA pro soccer, which means MLS. No, I don't think NASL is ever going to get to that level. It is not realistic.
So anyway I started this blog partly to chronicle this little project of mine, and also to blog about soccer and other stuff and whathaveyou. I grew tired long ago of pointless "debates" with people on Big Soccer, Facebook, and elsewhere. I know there are some out there who are anti-MLS or have other issues with what I am proposing here; not really my purpose to start an argument with them here.
I'm not even that concerned with whether this blog gets any traffic or readership or not; mostly this is just here to chronicle my own thoughts and highlight interesting news items. I don't particularly want to deal with debating people in the comment sections; this is just here for my own purposes to put down my thoughts into some kind of permanent form and then move on. Possibly this will change later.
--"Ralph"
How can Major League Soccer become one of the best leagues by 2020?
(Follow link for full article.)
http://www.espnfc.com/major-league-soccer/19/blog/post/2930659/major-league-soccer-roundtable-can-the-league-become-one-of-the-top-world-leagues-by-2020
How can Major League Soccer become one of the best leagues by 2020?
By Noah Davis
Major League Soccer wants to be one of the best leagues in the world by 2020. Can it achieve that goal?
ESPN FC spoke with seven American soccer experts from a variety of backgrounds about where the league needs to improve and how it can do so. A couple of themes repeated themselves. Most panelists agree that MLS has made massive strides since it launched 20 years ago and, at least in some areas, can already claim to be one of the top leagues in the world. But the level of play needs to improve and the revenue needs to grow.
How that happens, however, is clearly up for debate.
http://www.espnfc.com/major-league-soccer/19/blog/post/2930659/major-league-soccer-roundtable-can-the-league-become-one-of-the-top-world-leagues-by-2020
How can Major League Soccer become one of the best leagues by 2020?
By Noah Davis
Major League Soccer wants to be one of the best leagues in the world by 2020. Can it achieve that goal?
ESPN FC spoke with seven American soccer experts from a variety of backgrounds about where the league needs to improve and how it can do so. A couple of themes repeated themselves. Most panelists agree that MLS has made massive strides since it launched 20 years ago and, at least in some areas, can already claim to be one of the top leagues in the world. But the level of play needs to improve and the revenue needs to grow.
How that happens, however, is clearly up for debate.
Do all first-division dreams go through MLS?
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http://www.fourfourtwo.com/us/features/can-nasl-be-first-division-us-soccer-indy-eleven
Do all first-division dreams go through MLS?
23 August 2016
Scott French
Not necessarily, says Indy Eleven. As Scott French reports, the NASL's spring-season champion still looks toward a day when its league can be "the highest level."
Minnesota United's dream of playing first-division soccer comes true next year, following Friday's announcement that the NASL club, accepted last year for Major League Soccer expansion, will begin play in the country's top league next year.
It’s not the first team to make the jump to MLS, and they're not the only one with first-division desires. The New York Cosmos have made it clear that they harbor big-time aspirations, and Miami FC looks like it wants to be at the top level. MLS probably isn't going to be an option for either, and with only so many slots available as a league aiming for 28 teams, it doesn't look good for most of the rest of the NASL, either.
That doesn't mean anybody is giving up on the dream. There's more than one way to make it to the top. Just ask Peter Wilt.
“During my time [with the NASL’s Indy Eleven], the feeling among everyone in the organization was that we want to compete at the highest level,” said Wilt, who founded fall season-leading club and served as its general manager through last spring's campaign. “The preference is that the North American Soccer League would be that highest level. ... The progress of the NASL has been such that there's reason for optimism, that achieving first-division status in Indianapolis and playing at the highest level in North America in Indianapolis is possible within the North American Soccer League.”
If so, it's a ways off. The NASL, in name a successor to the celebrated league that lured Pelé, Johan Cruyff, Franz Beckenbauer and other international stars to North America in the 1970s, has grown immensely since stepping onto the field in 2011, but, Wilt said, “it's not where it needs to be to be a first-division league, which is an aspiration of most if not all of its owners.”
http://www.fourfourtwo.com/us/features/can-nasl-be-first-division-us-soccer-indy-eleven
Do all first-division dreams go through MLS?
23 August 2016
Scott French
Not necessarily, says Indy Eleven. As Scott French reports, the NASL's spring-season champion still looks toward a day when its league can be "the highest level."
Minnesota United's dream of playing first-division soccer comes true next year, following Friday's announcement that the NASL club, accepted last year for Major League Soccer expansion, will begin play in the country's top league next year.
It’s not the first team to make the jump to MLS, and they're not the only one with first-division desires. The New York Cosmos have made it clear that they harbor big-time aspirations, and Miami FC looks like it wants to be at the top level. MLS probably isn't going to be an option for either, and with only so many slots available as a league aiming for 28 teams, it doesn't look good for most of the rest of the NASL, either.
That doesn't mean anybody is giving up on the dream. There's more than one way to make it to the top. Just ask Peter Wilt.
“During my time [with the NASL’s Indy Eleven], the feeling among everyone in the organization was that we want to compete at the highest level,” said Wilt, who founded fall season-leading club and served as its general manager through last spring's campaign. “The preference is that the North American Soccer League would be that highest level. ... The progress of the NASL has been such that there's reason for optimism, that achieving first-division status in Indianapolis and playing at the highest level in North America in Indianapolis is possible within the North American Soccer League.”
If so, it's a ways off. The NASL, in name a successor to the celebrated league that lured Pelé, Johan Cruyff, Franz Beckenbauer and other international stars to North America in the 1970s, has grown immensely since stepping onto the field in 2011, but, Wilt said, “it's not where it needs to be to be a first-division league, which is an aspiration of most if not all of its owners.”
Forget MLS - the second tier of football in North America is seeing benefit of familiar names
(Follow link for full article.)
http://www.the42.ie/nasl-players-2944232-Aug2016/
Forget MLS - the second tier of football in North America is seeing benefit of familiar names
The likes of Joe Cole and former Juventus striker Amauri have rediscovered their form in the US.
A LOT HAS been made about the standard of Major League Soccer constantly improving. It’s inevitable, given the calibre of players being signed by various franchises.
Last weekend, you had Andrea Pirlo, Frank Lampard, David Villa, Steven Gerrard, Robbie Keane, Nigel de Jong, Giovani dos Santos and Ashley Cole all on the same pitch as New York City FC got the better of the LA Galaxy.
The league can also boast talent like Didier Drogba, Kaka, Sebastian Giovinco, Tim Howard, Clint Dempsey and Ireland’s own Kevin Doyle but even the second tier of football in North America is benefiting from the arrival of experienced talent.
Miami, who are coached by Italian icon Alessandro Nesta, brought in former Ajax striker Dario Cvitanich and he’s proved the side’s key attacker in a difficult debut campaign.
But elsewhere, sides have struck gold.
Joe Cole has rediscovered a rich vein of form in a supporting role up front for the Tampa Bay Rowdies, scoring five times in his 13 appearances for the club, including a magnificent bicycle kick against Puerto Rico FC. It’s good enough to make him the Rowdies’ joint top-scorer – and he’s also added four assists.
He’s been included in the NASL Team of the Week four times since arriving in the league in May.
http://www.the42.ie/nasl-players-2944232-Aug2016/
Forget MLS - the second tier of football in North America is seeing benefit of familiar names
The likes of Joe Cole and former Juventus striker Amauri have rediscovered their form in the US.
A LOT HAS been made about the standard of Major League Soccer constantly improving. It’s inevitable, given the calibre of players being signed by various franchises.
Last weekend, you had Andrea Pirlo, Frank Lampard, David Villa, Steven Gerrard, Robbie Keane, Nigel de Jong, Giovani dos Santos and Ashley Cole all on the same pitch as New York City FC got the better of the LA Galaxy.
The league can also boast talent like Didier Drogba, Kaka, Sebastian Giovinco, Tim Howard, Clint Dempsey and Ireland’s own Kevin Doyle but even the second tier of football in North America is benefiting from the arrival of experienced talent.
Miami, who are coached by Italian icon Alessandro Nesta, brought in former Ajax striker Dario Cvitanich and he’s proved the side’s key attacker in a difficult debut campaign.
But elsewhere, sides have struck gold.
Joe Cole has rediscovered a rich vein of form in a supporting role up front for the Tampa Bay Rowdies, scoring five times in his 13 appearances for the club, including a magnificent bicycle kick against Puerto Rico FC. It’s good enough to make him the Rowdies’ joint top-scorer – and he’s also added four assists.
He’s been included in the NASL Team of the Week four times since arriving in the league in May.
Joe Cole, Big Sam and why US Division two soccer is thriving
(Follow link for full article.)
https://medium.com/@garethckelly/joe-cole-big-sam-and-why-us-division-two-soccer-is-thriving-8fc9d2bd18f4#.lwrvpr5x6
Joe Cole, Big Sam and why US Division two soccer is thriving
By Gareth Kelly
“I, I believe. I believe that. I believe that we will win,” chant the crowd with what has become the default song heard all over soccer games in the United States. And they do. On a warm, yet humid evening, my wife and I attended the Tampa Bay Rowdies versus Jacksonville Armada FC soccer game at the 7,500 capacity Al Lang Stadium in downtown St Petersburg, Florida.
The ‘Rowdies’ play in the North American Soccer League or NASL. The league once made famous in the late 70’s and early 80’s by Pele, Best, Beckenbauer and new England manager Sam Allardyce who himself played 11 games for the Tampa based team in 1983.
Located next to a Salvador Dali museum and feet from an Indy car Race Track, the Rowdies are one of the original NASL teams from those past glory years. Below all the MLS’ franchises these more ‘homely’ clubs are in effect North America Division two.
In an aging but quaint and connected stadium, this former baseball field has become a caldron of families, songs, drums, banter and even flares. ‘Ralph’s Mob’ the official supporters club of the home team occupy a large section of the terraces behind the goal. A bearded chap wearing a funeral directors hat beats loudly on a large bass drum emblazoned with team livery. Huge billowing flags are waved above in a sight probably more common in the San Siro than Old Trafford.
. . .
Not long after the players depart the field, the gates are opened and people run out onto the pitch. The kids love this. Being able to run, leap and tumble onto the same field they just watched their hero’s play on, clearly magical in their minds.
The fireworks were rather anemic with people mainly staying to see Mr. Rida. He doesn’t disappoint and plays for about an hour. His classics, “My House, Wild Ones and GDFR”, popular with the crowd. Many families and now a larger following of teens (where have the been?) get up close and personal to the 100 million record selling singer wearing a personalized Rowdies jersey.
This is what makes division two of U.S. football so special. This is real football. The kind we grew up hearing about as kids, or at least the type of experience we romanticized about. The players still connected to the fans. Many of those same fans probably make as much if not more than most of the players (Cole is probably an exception).
I’ve lived in the U.S. for the past 15 years and in that time one thing is abundantly clear. Americans don’t like football. Americans LOVE football. Every age range, every race and every income bracket loves football in America. With tickets starting at $23 (18 pounds) for adults what’s not to love?
They get it now. The power of football, the world’s game. Like the rest of us, Americans now have it in their blood. Its brilliant, its fun and its up close and personal.
https://medium.com/@garethckelly/joe-cole-big-sam-and-why-us-division-two-soccer-is-thriving-8fc9d2bd18f4#.lwrvpr5x6
Joe Cole, Big Sam and why US Division two soccer is thriving
By Gareth Kelly
“I, I believe. I believe that. I believe that we will win,” chant the crowd with what has become the default song heard all over soccer games in the United States. And they do. On a warm, yet humid evening, my wife and I attended the Tampa Bay Rowdies versus Jacksonville Armada FC soccer game at the 7,500 capacity Al Lang Stadium in downtown St Petersburg, Florida.
The ‘Rowdies’ play in the North American Soccer League or NASL. The league once made famous in the late 70’s and early 80’s by Pele, Best, Beckenbauer and new England manager Sam Allardyce who himself played 11 games for the Tampa based team in 1983.
Located next to a Salvador Dali museum and feet from an Indy car Race Track, the Rowdies are one of the original NASL teams from those past glory years. Below all the MLS’ franchises these more ‘homely’ clubs are in effect North America Division two.
In an aging but quaint and connected stadium, this former baseball field has become a caldron of families, songs, drums, banter and even flares. ‘Ralph’s Mob’ the official supporters club of the home team occupy a large section of the terraces behind the goal. A bearded chap wearing a funeral directors hat beats loudly on a large bass drum emblazoned with team livery. Huge billowing flags are waved above in a sight probably more common in the San Siro than Old Trafford.
. . .
Not long after the players depart the field, the gates are opened and people run out onto the pitch. The kids love this. Being able to run, leap and tumble onto the same field they just watched their hero’s play on, clearly magical in their minds.
The fireworks were rather anemic with people mainly staying to see Mr. Rida. He doesn’t disappoint and plays for about an hour. His classics, “My House, Wild Ones and GDFR”, popular with the crowd. Many families and now a larger following of teens (where have the been?) get up close and personal to the 100 million record selling singer wearing a personalized Rowdies jersey.
This is what makes division two of U.S. football so special. This is real football. The kind we grew up hearing about as kids, or at least the type of experience we romanticized about. The players still connected to the fans. Many of those same fans probably make as much if not more than most of the players (Cole is probably an exception).
I’ve lived in the U.S. for the past 15 years and in that time one thing is abundantly clear. Americans don’t like football. Americans LOVE football. Every age range, every race and every income bracket loves football in America. With tickets starting at $23 (18 pounds) for adults what’s not to love?
They get it now. The power of football, the world’s game. Like the rest of us, Americans now have it in their blood. Its brilliant, its fun and its up close and personal.
Miami and Boston stadium news
Miami and Boston stadium news: I heard Jason Davis talk about this last week on his "United States of Soccer" show on Sirius XM Channel 85. I don't get a chance to listen often so this was interesting to me.
Yes the newly renovated and variously named Miami Dolphins stadium, now named Hard Rock Stadium, does look a lot more like a European soccer stadium now, with a roof. And this is clearly aimed in part at attracting international soccer friendlies to the stadium, which is a money maker. But the stadium is far too big for MLS so there's no angle to this story for Beckham's Miami MLS bid, as far as I can see at the moment. The situation is not like Seattle or Atlanta, where you have NFL owners with an MLS team with an urban centrally located stadium. Hard Rock Stadium is not in downtown Miami, and the Miami Dolphins owners have shown no interest in Miami Beckham United. Lots of money to be made in Miami with international soccer friendlies; however, Miami has yet to demonstrate that it can support a local pro soccer club, which is a completely different animal from international soccer friendlies. Far too many of these investor types say "Miami is a gateway to Latin America" but have no idea about the actual local pro soccer club scene/history in Miami (which is not too good). That's not an issue that Hard Rock International has to worry about; but it is an issue of concern for both MLS and Miami Beckham United.
As to Boston and the Fenway improvements, this is also clearly aimed in part at the international soccer friendly money making potential. I don't see any advantage to moving the Revs into Fenway, as that would alienate the current fanbase that drives to Gillette, to put them into an uncomfortable stadium not built for soccer with lousy viewing angles, which you can't easily drive to and park. The ideal new Revs stadium would have easy access both to a major Boston area public transit line, and also easy access to a major highway and parking. The proposed Dorchester site fits the bill, but we are a long way from seeing that happen and this search has been dragging on for a decade. The Revs are drawing okay at Gillette in spite of playing rather poorly; I don't see any move from Gillette until a new Revs SSS is built elsewhere, and/or new ownership buys the Revs from the Krafts, neither of which seems likely to happen any time soon.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(Follow link for full article.)
http://www.miamiherald.com/sports/nfl/miami-dolphins/article96181627.html
August 17, 2016 2:05 PM
Dolphins’ deal with Hard Rock worth quarter of a billion
Hard Rock International chairman Jim Allen said the company had been approached about stadium naming rights deals in other markets but “this was the only one of interest to us, because of the location, the tribe being here, and Miami is a gateway to Latin America.”
Garfinkel announced that the Brazilian national soccer team will play six or seven games at Hard Rock Stadium over the next “several years,” and Real Madrid will play there against an undetermined opponent in the opener of the 2017 International Champions Cup.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(Follow link for full article.)
http://www.bostonherald.com/business/business_markets/2016/08/red_sox_owners_pitch_fenway_renovations
Red Sox owners pitch Fenway renovations
Plans call for $4M in upgrades
Donna Goodison, Bob McGovern Thursday, August 18, 2016
Owners of the Boston Red Sox are again eyeing an expansion at historic Fenway Park, with an estimated $4 million of plans for more dugout-area seating for fans, new suites, a right-field grandstand bar and a removable bullpen field wall so the park can fit regulation FIFA soccer and college football games.
Fenway Park’s existing stationary bullpen field wall would be replaced with a new removable wall to accommodate the regulation Federation Internationale de Football Association soccer pitch and college football field.
Red Sox principal owner John Henry also owns England’s Liverpool Football Club, a Premier League team. Fenway Park has hosted “friendly” exhibition matches featuring Liverpool and other European soccer giants.
The plans for a regulation FIFA pitch raise the question of whether Fenway’s owners could be open to hosting New England Revolution soccer games. The Kraft Group-owned Major League Soccer team is in a similar situation to the New York City Football Club, also an MLS team. Both are looking for new stadiums in their respective cities, and both have had problems finding a suitable place to break ground and build.
NYCFC currently plays at Yankee Stadium — the team is partly owned by New York Yankees owner Yankee Global Enterprises — while the Revolution play home games at the Kraft Group’s Gillette Stadium in Foxboro.
The Revs are looking at the Boston market, and conceivably home games at a newly expanded Fenway would give the team an opportunity to introduce itself to the very market it seeks to join.
Yes the newly renovated and variously named Miami Dolphins stadium, now named Hard Rock Stadium, does look a lot more like a European soccer stadium now, with a roof. And this is clearly aimed in part at attracting international soccer friendlies to the stadium, which is a money maker. But the stadium is far too big for MLS so there's no angle to this story for Beckham's Miami MLS bid, as far as I can see at the moment. The situation is not like Seattle or Atlanta, where you have NFL owners with an MLS team with an urban centrally located stadium. Hard Rock Stadium is not in downtown Miami, and the Miami Dolphins owners have shown no interest in Miami Beckham United. Lots of money to be made in Miami with international soccer friendlies; however, Miami has yet to demonstrate that it can support a local pro soccer club, which is a completely different animal from international soccer friendlies. Far too many of these investor types say "Miami is a gateway to Latin America" but have no idea about the actual local pro soccer club scene/history in Miami (which is not too good). That's not an issue that Hard Rock International has to worry about; but it is an issue of concern for both MLS and Miami Beckham United.
As to Boston and the Fenway improvements, this is also clearly aimed in part at the international soccer friendly money making potential. I don't see any advantage to moving the Revs into Fenway, as that would alienate the current fanbase that drives to Gillette, to put them into an uncomfortable stadium not built for soccer with lousy viewing angles, which you can't easily drive to and park. The ideal new Revs stadium would have easy access both to a major Boston area public transit line, and also easy access to a major highway and parking. The proposed Dorchester site fits the bill, but we are a long way from seeing that happen and this search has been dragging on for a decade. The Revs are drawing okay at Gillette in spite of playing rather poorly; I don't see any move from Gillette until a new Revs SSS is built elsewhere, and/or new ownership buys the Revs from the Krafts, neither of which seems likely to happen any time soon.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(Follow link for full article.)
http://www.miamiherald.com/sports/nfl/miami-dolphins/article96181627.html
August 17, 2016 2:05 PM
Dolphins’ deal with Hard Rock worth quarter of a billion
Hard Rock International chairman Jim Allen said the company had been approached about stadium naming rights deals in other markets but “this was the only one of interest to us, because of the location, the tribe being here, and Miami is a gateway to Latin America.”
Garfinkel announced that the Brazilian national soccer team will play six or seven games at Hard Rock Stadium over the next “several years,” and Real Madrid will play there against an undetermined opponent in the opener of the 2017 International Champions Cup.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(Follow link for full article.)
http://www.bostonherald.com/business/business_markets/2016/08/red_sox_owners_pitch_fenway_renovations
Red Sox owners pitch Fenway renovations
Plans call for $4M in upgrades
Donna Goodison, Bob McGovern Thursday, August 18, 2016
Owners of the Boston Red Sox are again eyeing an expansion at historic Fenway Park, with an estimated $4 million of plans for more dugout-area seating for fans, new suites, a right-field grandstand bar and a removable bullpen field wall so the park can fit regulation FIFA soccer and college football games.
Fenway Park’s existing stationary bullpen field wall would be replaced with a new removable wall to accommodate the regulation Federation Internationale de Football Association soccer pitch and college football field.
Red Sox principal owner John Henry also owns England’s Liverpool Football Club, a Premier League team. Fenway Park has hosted “friendly” exhibition matches featuring Liverpool and other European soccer giants.
The plans for a regulation FIFA pitch raise the question of whether Fenway’s owners could be open to hosting New England Revolution soccer games. The Kraft Group-owned Major League Soccer team is in a similar situation to the New York City Football Club, also an MLS team. Both are looking for new stadiums in their respective cities, and both have had problems finding a suitable place to break ground and build.
NYCFC currently plays at Yankee Stadium — the team is partly owned by New York Yankees owner Yankee Global Enterprises — while the Revolution play home games at the Kraft Group’s Gillette Stadium in Foxboro.
The Revs are looking at the Boston market, and conceivably home games at a newly expanded Fenway would give the team an opportunity to introduce itself to the very market it seeks to join.
Monday, August 22, 2016
Plans unfold for huge art museum in downtown St. Petersburg
(Follow link for full article.)
http://www.tampabay.com/features/plans-unfolding-for-huge-new-art-museum-in-downtown-st-petersburg/2186247
Plans unfold for huge art museum in downtown St. Petersburg
Lennie Bennett, Times Art Critic
Friday, June 27, 2014 11:07am
ST. PETERSBURG — It was an astonishing announcement, made in November 2013, that for some reason didn't draw the astonishment it should have.
The Museum of the American Arts and Crafts Movement would rise on a downtown St. Petersburg site with a multimillion-dollar permanent collection in a four-story, 90,000-square-foot building designed at a cost of more than $35 million by Alfonso Architects of Tampa. It would also have a two-story parking garage.
Since that first announcement, collector Rudy Ciccarello, the museum's founder, has increased the size to a five-story museum with 110,000 square feet and a four-story, 300-car garage.
"We wanted to have enough space from the beginning," he said this month of the enlargement.
To put this museum's size in context: None of the three biggest Tampa Bay area art museums — the Dalí Museum, the Museum of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg and the Tampa Museum of Art — has more than 70,000 square feet. Gallery space at the new museum is expected to total more than 60,000 square feet. None of the three existing museums has more than 20,000.
To add to the astonishment, this museum, unlike most, doesn't have financial conditions attached to its creation, such as a fundraising campaign with a minimum goal or the expectation of public money.
There is no "if" for Ciccarello. Only "when."
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(Follow link for full article.)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Museum_of_the_American_Arts_and_Crafts_Movement
Museum of the American Arts and Crafts Movement
Museum of the American Arts and Crafts Movement (MAACM) is a 110,000-square-foot museum under development in St. Petersburg, Florida. Designed by Alfonso Architects, the museum, which completed construction on its parking garage facility in late 2015, is scheduled to open in 2018.[1][2][3][4][5] The Two Red Roses Foundation, endowed by art collector, businessman and philanthropist Rudy Ciccarello is funding the Museum, which will display the Foundation's collection of fine and decorative arts of the Arts and Crafts Movement period.[1] The building is reported to cost $40 million.[1][2]
. . .
The collection includes work by Gustav Stickley, Charles Rohlfs, Frank Lloyd Wright, the artists of Byrdcliffe Colony, Greene and Greene, Dirk van Erp, Roycroft, William Grueby, Newcomb Pottery, and Arthur Wesley Dow.[1] Images and descriptions of some of the work to be displayed in the museum can be found on the website of the Two Red Roses Foundation.[1]
Kent Lydecker, director of the Museum of Fine Arts (St. Petersburg, Florida), describes the Ciccarello collection as, "one of the most important collections of American Arts and Crafts, in all media, in private hands."[6]
http://www.tampabay.com/features/plans-unfolding-for-huge-new-art-museum-in-downtown-st-petersburg/2186247
Plans unfold for huge art museum in downtown St. Petersburg
Lennie Bennett, Times Art Critic
Friday, June 27, 2014 11:07am
ST. PETERSBURG — It was an astonishing announcement, made in November 2013, that for some reason didn't draw the astonishment it should have.
The Museum of the American Arts and Crafts Movement would rise on a downtown St. Petersburg site with a multimillion-dollar permanent collection in a four-story, 90,000-square-foot building designed at a cost of more than $35 million by Alfonso Architects of Tampa. It would also have a two-story parking garage.
Since that first announcement, collector Rudy Ciccarello, the museum's founder, has increased the size to a five-story museum with 110,000 square feet and a four-story, 300-car garage.
"We wanted to have enough space from the beginning," he said this month of the enlargement.
To put this museum's size in context: None of the three biggest Tampa Bay area art museums — the Dalí Museum, the Museum of Fine Arts, St. Petersburg and the Tampa Museum of Art — has more than 70,000 square feet. Gallery space at the new museum is expected to total more than 60,000 square feet. None of the three existing museums has more than 20,000.
To add to the astonishment, this museum, unlike most, doesn't have financial conditions attached to its creation, such as a fundraising campaign with a minimum goal or the expectation of public money.
There is no "if" for Ciccarello. Only "when."
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
(Follow link for full article.)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Museum_of_the_American_Arts_and_Crafts_Movement
Museum of the American Arts and Crafts Movement
Museum of the American Arts and Crafts Movement (MAACM) is a 110,000-square-foot museum under development in St. Petersburg, Florida. Designed by Alfonso Architects, the museum, which completed construction on its parking garage facility in late 2015, is scheduled to open in 2018.[1][2][3][4][5] The Two Red Roses Foundation, endowed by art collector, businessman and philanthropist Rudy Ciccarello is funding the Museum, which will display the Foundation's collection of fine and decorative arts of the Arts and Crafts Movement period.[1] The building is reported to cost $40 million.[1][2]
. . .
The collection includes work by Gustav Stickley, Charles Rohlfs, Frank Lloyd Wright, the artists of Byrdcliffe Colony, Greene and Greene, Dirk van Erp, Roycroft, William Grueby, Newcomb Pottery, and Arthur Wesley Dow.[1] Images and descriptions of some of the work to be displayed in the museum can be found on the website of the Two Red Roses Foundation.[1]
Kent Lydecker, director of the Museum of Fine Arts (St. Petersburg, Florida), describes the Ciccarello collection as, "one of the most important collections of American Arts and Crafts, in all media, in private hands."[6]
Future Tropicana Field site vision now has a model
(Follow link for full article.)
http://www.bizjournals.com/tampabay/news/2016/08/22/future-tropicana-field-site-vision-now-has-a-model.html
Future Tropicana Field site vision now has a model
Aug 22, 2016, 9:22pm EDT Updated Aug 22, 2016, 9:29pm EDT
The architecture firm tasked by the city of St. Petersburg to create a redevelopment master plan for the 86-acre Tropicana Field site has a tangible vision of what it could look like, without the iconic dome that’s graced the skyline along Interstate 275 for more than two decades.
A small-scale model shows a would-be site with an open-air baseball stadium in the northeast corner of the site near where a U-Haul building is currently located.
The rest of the site blends retail, office, housing and park space into a concept that shuts down artificial borders now created by a giant stadium and a sea of asphalt.
At the center of HKS Architecture’s preliminary plan is expanded transportation and transit access in what project manager Randy Morton describes as “maybe the most important” component of the redevelopment plan.
“The first idea is about knitting the city back together,” Morton said.
http://www.bizjournals.com/tampabay/news/2016/08/22/future-tropicana-field-site-vision-now-has-a-model.html
Future Tropicana Field site vision now has a model
Aug 22, 2016, 9:22pm EDT Updated Aug 22, 2016, 9:29pm EDT
The architecture firm tasked by the city of St. Petersburg to create a redevelopment master plan for the 86-acre Tropicana Field site has a tangible vision of what it could look like, without the iconic dome that’s graced the skyline along Interstate 275 for more than two decades.
A small-scale model shows a would-be site with an open-air baseball stadium in the northeast corner of the site near where a U-Haul building is currently located.
The rest of the site blends retail, office, housing and park space into a concept that shuts down artificial borders now created by a giant stadium and a sea of asphalt.
At the center of HKS Architecture’s preliminary plan is expanded transportation and transit access in what project manager Randy Morton describes as “maybe the most important” component of the redevelopment plan.
“The first idea is about knitting the city back together,” Morton said.
How did St. Paul score pro soccer’s newest franchise? It wasn't by playing Minnesota nice
(Follow link for full article.)
https://www.minnpost.com/politics-policy/2016/08/how-did-st-paul-score-pro-soccer-s-newest-franchise-it-wasnt-playing-minneso
How did St. Paul score pro soccer’s newest franchise? It wasn't by playing Minnesota nice
By Peter Callaghan | 11:23 am
On Friday, at St. Paul’s CHS Field, a few thousand soccer fans fought through rush hour traffic, light rail disruptions and the threat of rain to hear what they’d been waiting for for nearly two years. Not only would Major League Soccer finally award a franchise to the Twin Cities, but that the team would begin play in 2017.
Those fans also heard another bit of welcome news: that the league had relented and agreed to let the franchise keep the name it has been using in the lower-level North American Soccer League: Minnesota United. This came despite there already being two teams using the “United” name in MLS.
“We are United,” McGuire said to applause and chants from supporter groups.
Amid the announcements, what might be the biggest piece of news got somewhat lost. The team was moving ahead with stadium construction, and not waiting for the next session of Minnesota Legislature to adopt a property tax exemption. The failure of talks by Gov. Mark Dayton and legislative leaders to agree to a special session this summer was not, it turned out, the disaster to the stadium plans that some had feared. Ownership thinks the tax breaks will come eventually, and have decided to move ahead on that belief.
The politicians who took the stage gave credit to one another for making the team — and the stadium project — come together.
But St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman also gave much of the credit to his senior city staff. “I could spend the rest of the evening naming people,” Coleman said. “But here’s what I want to say about that. A lot of people give bad raps to people who are public employees. But if you knew how hard the city of St. Paul worked to make this happen, they would never say a bad word about city employees ever again.”
Left unsaid, but revealed in a newly released set of documents, was how much of that hard work was done even as city officials were publicly pledging not to interfere with the team's first choice for a home: Minneapolis.
https://www.minnpost.com/politics-policy/2016/08/how-did-st-paul-score-pro-soccer-s-newest-franchise-it-wasnt-playing-minneso
How did St. Paul score pro soccer’s newest franchise? It wasn't by playing Minnesota nice
By Peter Callaghan | 11:23 am
On Friday, at St. Paul’s CHS Field, a few thousand soccer fans fought through rush hour traffic, light rail disruptions and the threat of rain to hear what they’d been waiting for for nearly two years. Not only would Major League Soccer finally award a franchise to the Twin Cities, but that the team would begin play in 2017.
Those fans also heard another bit of welcome news: that the league had relented and agreed to let the franchise keep the name it has been using in the lower-level North American Soccer League: Minnesota United. This came despite there already being two teams using the “United” name in MLS.
“We are United,” McGuire said to applause and chants from supporter groups.
Amid the announcements, what might be the biggest piece of news got somewhat lost. The team was moving ahead with stadium construction, and not waiting for the next session of Minnesota Legislature to adopt a property tax exemption. The failure of talks by Gov. Mark Dayton and legislative leaders to agree to a special session this summer was not, it turned out, the disaster to the stadium plans that some had feared. Ownership thinks the tax breaks will come eventually, and have decided to move ahead on that belief.
The politicians who took the stage gave credit to one another for making the team — and the stadium project — come together.
But St. Paul Mayor Chris Coleman also gave much of the credit to his senior city staff. “I could spend the rest of the evening naming people,” Coleman said. “But here’s what I want to say about that. A lot of people give bad raps to people who are public employees. But if you knew how hard the city of St. Paul worked to make this happen, they would never say a bad word about city employees ever again.”
Left unsaid, but revealed in a newly released set of documents, was how much of that hard work was done even as city officials were publicly pledging not to interfere with the team's first choice for a home: Minneapolis.
LAFC Unveil new Stadium Renderings
(Follow link for full article.)
http://www.soccerbible.com/design/miscellaneous/lafc-unveil-new-stadium-renderings/
LAFC Unveil new Stadium Renderings
Art and Illustration Monday 22 August 2016 @ 13:56
Offering a glimpse into the future home of Los Angeles Football Club, the group that champion the importance of building a true culture of the game have released this new stadium Rendering.
Progressive by nature and creative by spirit, Los Angeles is a place that has to usher in cool. Fitting right on in to the future, this rendering is a visual statement as to what fans can expect to call home. A stadium that has already been teased as a true football sanctuary, this aesthetic looks to passionately personify that. A 22,000 seater that is purely dedicated to football, it's most certainly one that shines in the spotlight and will no doubt welcome in the stars.
http://www.soccerbible.com/design/miscellaneous/lafc-unveil-new-stadium-renderings/
LAFC Unveil new Stadium Renderings
Art and Illustration Monday 22 August 2016 @ 13:56
Offering a glimpse into the future home of Los Angeles Football Club, the group that champion the importance of building a true culture of the game have released this new stadium Rendering.
Progressive by nature and creative by spirit, Los Angeles is a place that has to usher in cool. Fitting right on in to the future, this rendering is a visual statement as to what fans can expect to call home. A stadium that has already been teased as a true football sanctuary, this aesthetic looks to passionately personify that. A 22,000 seater that is purely dedicated to football, it's most certainly one that shines in the spotlight and will no doubt welcome in the stars.
Sunday, August 21, 2016
August 8, 2016
August 8, 2016
Hello all. This is another in a series of open letters
urging David Beckham & Co. to team up with Bill Edwards & Co. to take
the Tampa Bay Rowdies to MLS, should the Miami Beckham United bid to secure a
stadium in the Miami area fail. The Al Lang stadium location on the waterfront
in downtown St. Petersburg is the kind of ideal urban location that MLS and Don
Garber are looking for in new MLS Soccer Specific Stadia (SSS). Time is running
out for Miami Beckham United to make a stadium deal in Miami; please consider
the Tampa Bay Rowdies as your backup plan. As I am sure most of these
letters/emails are not read I won’t be doing many more of these letters and
will be instead blogging about this and other topics here:
Others (for instance the Kartik Krishnaiyer articles that I
linked to in my last letter) have dealt with the topic of why the Tampa Bay
area is still the leading region for youth soccer in Florida and the Southeast
and why it still has a better history of supporting pro soccer than Miami, not
to mention it is the largest TV market in Florida. MLS should recall why they
put a team in the Tampa Bay area in 1996 in the first place, in spite of not
having an owner for the team. The Tampa Bay Rowdies were not just the second
most popular team after the Cosmos in the original NASL, but they soldiered on
for years after the collapse of the original NASL, keeping the flame of pro
soccer in the USA alive in the 1980s and early 1990s, something they are never
given credit for. For example:
Meet long-time Tampa Bay Rowdies owner Cornelia Corbett!
By Bob Andelman (Originally published in Florida Business/Tampa Bay,
1989)
Before her, Cornelia Corbett’s team, the Tampa Bay Rowdies.
Behind her, a few thousand exuberant soccer fans who haven’t given up
the dream.
There isn’t much to cheer on this overcast Sunday night at Tampa
Stadium except that the rain has stopped. Despite the Rowdies having advanced
to this American Soccer League playoff game against the Boston Bolts, only
5,000 people have come out to support the team. Even their loudest screams echo
as but a whisper in the cavernous bowl, where 67,000 seats both end zones and
the entire north side of the field are empty. Even the concession stands are
against the Rowdies tonight; they ran out of hot dogs before halftime.
Still, Cornelia Corbett is unswayed. Watching the entire game in her
now familiar position on one end of the bench beside head coach/general manager
Rodney Marsh, the owner of the Rowdies concentrates her energies on the field.
She winces each time the Bolts score and claps enthusiastically when the
Rowdies engineer an elegant pass or steal.
It is this legacy which makes the Tampa Bay Rowdies such an
important and iconic American soccer brand, well known still worldwide, and why
it still has a strong reservoir of support in the Tampa Bay (Tampa-St.
Pete-Clearwater) area. The Rowdies currently suffer from a catch-22: they are not
going to get the media attention and fan support they need playing in a lower
league, because the Tampa Bay area soccer fan base is a sophisticated soccer
fan base that isn’t going to support something perceived to be minor league,
and which does not live up to the memory of the original 1970s Rowdies; but the
perception is also that the Tampa Bay Rowdies can’t get to MLS without more fan
support. A David Beckham and Bill Edwards partnership to take the Rowdies to
MLS would shatter that barrier and renew the original 1975 Rowdies spirit. That
“Spirit of 1975” however does still live on today with the new Tampa Bay
Rowdies and their fans:
Mary and Dieter Karnstedt are Rowdies' royal couple
The only time the couple have missed a Rowdies game was when Dieter
spent a short time in the hospital last year. He began attending Rowdies games
in 1976.
“Because I love football,” he said very matter-of-factly. “Not soccer.
Football. Let’s get that straightened out.”
He played professionally in Germany and caught his future bride’s
attention while cheering like a maniac in the stands decades later
.
“He was sitting this far away and he was purple. He’s screaming at the
linesman,” recalled Mary. “I said to my girlfriend, ‘That guy’s going to have a
heart attack.' I didn’t meet him until two years later.”
They wed in 1983. He took her to see the World Cup qualifying matches
in Orlando and she was hooked on soccer – ahem – football.
Apart from the MLS contraction in Tampa Bay, the other thing
people often mention against the idea of moving the Tampa Bay Rowdies to MLS is
the Al Lang location in St. Petersburg. While a downtown location in Tampa
would be perfect, the Al Lang location is still almost perfect, and is less
than half an hour drive from downtown Tampa; traffic would only be a problem on
weeknights, which is a problem for MLB with its much more frequent weeknight
baseball games but much less of a problem for MLS which is mostly played on
weekends when traffic is not an issue. People also have this outdated idea of
St. Pete as a city of retirees; but the green benches are long gone and St.
Pete (and Clearwater and Tampa as well) is looking much more like a hipster
burg, like Portland Oregon, than like a retiree city. For instance on my recent
trip to St. Pete I discovered newly opened Central Melt on Central Avenue, and
what is more hipster than artisanal grilled cheese sandwiches?
New offerings in St. Petersburg: gourmet food to grilled cheese, Boho
chic to high-end bongs
ST. PETERSBURG — More than a dozen new businesses are open, or in the
works, along four blocks of Central Avenue on the edge of downtown.
Central Melt is going in at 685 Central Ave. on the east side of the
State Theater in the space formerly occupied by Schoolyard Skateshop and, many
years before that, a soda fountain. Owner Ed Allen plans to keep the Sealtest
logo painted across the outside of the shop. He won't sell ice cream, but
something almost as decadent: grilled cheese sandwiches.
I had the Notorious P.I.G. (BBQ Pork, Red Onion and Bacon
Jam, White Cheddar Cheese, White American Cheese on Sourdough Bread). I have no
idea how those hipsters manage to wiggle their way into their skinny jeans
after eating that. Central Avenue and the area around it has lots of bars,
restaurants, pubs, boutique shops, art galleries, and the like. Nearby is the
Sundial (formerly Baywalk) owned by Bill Edwards with lots of high end shops
and restaurants. Al Lang Stadium is next to the Mahaffey Theater, and next to
that is the Salvador Dali Museum, on the site of the former Bayfront Center
where the Rowdies played their first (indoor) soccer game on St. Valentine’s
Day, 1975. North of Al Lang is the Museum of Fine Arts. Shortly there will be
another museum in the area:
Philanthropists Tom and Mary James unveil plans for new St. Petersburg
museum
ST. PETERSBURG — Looking for spectacular? Philanthropists Tom and Mary
James are bringing it to downtown with a new museum that will make a commanding
architectural statement and be filled with works from their vast art
collection.
Plans for the grand project came one step closer to reality Thursday
when the Jameses revealed their vision and never-before-seen details to St.
Petersburg's City Council. The $55 million Tom and Mary James Museum of Western
and Wildlife Art will be at 100 Central Ave. Their desire, said Tom James,
executive chairman of Raymond James Financial, "is to create a real arts
destination in St. Pete with another high-quality museum."
St. Petersburg is definitely growing and Al Lang would be an
ideal location for an MLS SSS, hosting the Tampa Bay Rowdies who have, like the
three Cascadian clubs (Portland Timbers, Seattle Sounders, Vancouver Whitecaps)
a 41+ year history and tradition to uphold, which should be a part of MLS,
playing at the highest level of US soccer where they belong. But with so many cities now vying for MLS
expansion slots, time is running out. A possible failure of Miami Beckham
United to secure a stadium in Miami presents a unique opportunity for the Tampa
Bay Rowdies, and a potential win-win solution for Bill Edwards & Co. and
David Beckham & Co. There is David Beckham’s discount to consider:
MLS franchise fees may hit $200m, Beckham’s Miami dream looks good
business
August 5 –David Beckham’s Major League Soccer (MLS) franchise option of
$25 million looks very cheap with league officials indicating earlier this week
that they were preparing to double franchise fees to $200 million.
Indeed, Bill Edwards and David Beckham may have already met,
or at least been in the same room at the same time, if I am reading this
article from February 2012 correctly, which states that David Beckham was one
of the celebrities in attendance at an event organized by Bill Edwards in Las
Vegas:
Bill Edwards Knocks Muhammad Ali Out in Vegas
St. Petersburg's own Bill Edwards may just be the busiest man in show
business. He's got his recording studio. He's managing the Mahaffey Theater.
He's got big plans to renovate BayWalk. And his company, Bill Edwards Presents,
just finished throwing the birthday bash of the century for 70-year old boxing
icon, Muhammad Ali.
Bill Edwards is involved in the mix of sports,
entertainment, and real estate that would make for an ideal MLS owner. In
combination with the David Beckham brand and the Tampa Bay Rowdies brand, they
would be a winning team. As I suggested in my previous letter, other local
investors (Vinik, Sternberg, the Glazers, the Steinbrenners, etc.) would also
be useful additions to the Tampa Bay Rowdies MLS ownership consortium. If they
had use of the Raymond James stadium in Tampa while Al Lang was being expanded
or rebuilt, they could even launch the MLS version of the Tampa Bay Rowdies in
2018, right on time, if the Miami situation does not work out. There is still
time.
On my recent trip to St. Pete to watch the Rowdies play at
Al Lang, I got to see Joe Cole perform a bicycle kick goal. This goal was
replayed on ESPN and lots of other places and I had people who never talk to me
about soccer mention it to me. For me, it was worth the 1,370 mile trip.
Joe Cole Scores Stunning Bicycle Kick
Published on Jul 16, 2016
The Tampa Bay Rowdies midfielder provided some magic in the club's win
over Puerto Rico FC.
After the game I got into the elevator at the St. Pete
Bayfront Hilton and a man, noticing my Rowdies hat, scarf, and socks, told me
“good result tonight” in a British accent; he was from London visiting and had
also been at the game. St. Pete is an international city, and the Rowdies in
MLS would add to that international appeal. Last year when I was visiting the
Salvador Dali Museum I also noticed a lot of European tourists. St. Pete is not
the provincial retiree city some people still think it is. It is every bit as
international as Orlando or Miami; it is just that outsiders don’t seem to
realize it. You see it in the tourism shows on cable TV: the European host
visiting America blasts through Florida with visits to Orlando and Miami, but
never mentions the Tampa Bay area which is the biggest area with some of the
oldest and most interesting history in the state (apart from St. Augustine of
course).
Everyone knows about the Cuban connection in Miami, but the
Cuban connection in Tampa is older (due to the location of cigar factories in
Tampa in the late 1800s which attracted Cuban, as well as Italian, cigar
factory workers). Yes, Tampa invented the Cuban sandwich, not Miami! Tampa and
the surrounding cities (St. Pete, Clearwater, etc.) have their own distinct
cultural and culinary identity which is not well known nationwide or
internationally. For instance there is the deviled crab:
Deviled crab was originated in Tampa, Florida where it was established
by the Spanish, Cuban and Italian immigrant community of Ybor City. The dish is
traditionally made with blue crab. The seasoning uses a unique Cuban-style
enchilada / sofrito sauce (locally known as "chilau")[2] whose
spiciness lends the "devil'" moniker to the dish's English name.
Deviled crab is meant to be eaten with one hand. It was developed during a
cigar workers strike in the 1920s and is still popular in the Tampa area.
Or crab chilau:
The waters of Tampa Bay teemed with blue crab back then, making it a
staple in local recipes. If the deviled crab was Tampa’s signature street food
— portable and quick — crab enchilado was a homey crowd pleaser that brought
family and friends together for long, steamy afternoons. Every major ethnic
group in Tampa ate it, and though they called it chilau or shelah it always
meant the same thing: blue crabs simmered in a slightly spicy tomato sauce and
served over pasta. This simple description doesn’t do the dish justice — it is
more than the sum of its parts. The tomato sauce is light enough to let the
crab play lead, substantial enough to cling to the pasta, and spicy enough to
keep it all interesting.
Or scachatta:
Tampa scachatta is one of those culinary-linguistic conundrums, sharing
a similar name and heritage to various pizza-like breads on both side of the
Atlantic, but with a murky origin that’s hard to pinpoint. On my tour of
Tampa’s Cuban and Italian bakeries, I saw it spelled scachatta, scacciata, and
at the more Spanish and Cuban-leaning establishments, escachata. An old article
from the Tampa Tribune in the 1950s (the earliest reference I could find to
American scachatta) spells it scaciata and scaciato, and it describes a recipe
that calls for oregano, chorizo, and Worcestershire sauce. In Sicily,
scacciatta (not to be confused with scaccia or sfincione pizza) is a
double-crust baked pie that’s more calzone-like than the Tampa version, where
farther north in Italy, schiaciatta usually refers to a denser focaccia or
flatbread with various toppings.
Tampa scachatta (I’m sticking with the Italian-American spelling to
differentiate from the above Italian specialties) is more like Philadelphia
tomato pie or Rhode Island pizza strips, sauce-based with a lighter dough and
served at room temperature. You’ll find it almost exclusively at Cuban-Italian
hybrid bakeries, side by side with Cuban bread, guava pastries, and cannolis.
But even within one region there are variations; some of the more Cuban-leaning
scachatta goes heavier on the spices, and possibly even includes corn or
cassava flour in the dough.
Hmmm…I seem to have gotten sidetracked by food. Well, know
the food, know the people, know the place. The Tampa Bay area suffers from a
lot of misconceptions people have about it which are not true; it is not just a
place for retirees. It has a history and culture of its own; Orlando and Miami
do not represent Florida by themselves. The Tampa Bay area, and the Tampa Bay
Rowdies, and Al Lang Stadium in St. Pete, are the whole package: a great soccer
legacy, a great potential for the future; they are what MLS needs. If Miami
does not work out for David Beckham, and time is running out for getting into
MLS, please consider the Tampa Bay Rowdies.
COYR!
May 27, 2016
May 27, 2016
Hello all; here is another in my continuing series of open letters urging David Beckham & Co. to team up with Bill Edwards & Co. and move the Tampa Bay Rowdies to MLS!
Some goons discuss the Miami situation…
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http://forums.somethingawful.com/
The Something Awful Forums › Discussion
Discussion › Sports Argument Stadium
Sports Argument Stadium › The Ray Parlour
The Ray Parlour › USA/Canada lower leagues 2016: You've tried the best, now try the rest!
http://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3762847&pagenumber=4
(Quoting an article by Chris Green)
Sports Opinion: MLS This Could Be Us But…
http://www.southdadenewsleader.com/sports/sports-opinion-mls-this-could-be-us-but/article_f7b16ace-1ead-11e6-ab5c-8f2ba28ab1c4.html
Just imagine the possibilities. A team playing in front of a capacity crowd. The most loyal supporters club marching through downtown on their way to the stadium for the evening’s match. The entirety of the game’s attendees standing at once and singing their support for the soccer team on the field, led by a three-time English Premier League champion who has played in multiple World Cups for England. Sound’s like David Beckham’s Miami dreamland? Well imagine my surprise when I realized this exists already, and it’s name is the Tampa Bay Rowdies.
During a recent trip to Saint Petersburg, Florida, I had the opportunity to attend a Rowdies game at Al Lang Stadium, a former minor-league baseball field that has been turned into a soccer mesa for the Tampa Bay area, complete with affordable concessions, roaring capacity crowds, and a beautiful view with Tampa Bay quite literally across the street from the stadium’s eastern sideline.
Do over Ham:
This is what I keep telling Beckham via my psychic mind control powers but he hasn't succumbed yet. Al Lang is perfect. Screw Miami and its crooked politicians, Becks. Tampa Bay Rowdies is what you want.
King of False Promises:
It's really shocking that, after all the troubles trying to get stadium land, they've not gone with this.
Do over Ham:
It's literally staring them in the face. Florida, downtown urban waterfront stadium, with no NIMBY problems and with a city government quite eager to attract sports investors (due to the Rays inevitable move when their lease is up), with an already established soccer team using the facility (the Tampa Bay Rowdies with an established 41 year old brand name that is well known worldwide especially in Britain) and an already established and proven fan base (which Miami has yet to demonstrate that it has).
After their second or third failure to get a site in Miami I have to believe that the Beckham group started to look at other cities as a backup plan. Becks was in Las Vegas recently so the assumption is that he'll use Las Vegas as his backup plan but they have potentially got the same kinds of problems in Las Vegas as they do in Miami, with none of the pluses that the Tampa Bay Rowdies have. And they have the gambling stigma in Las Vegas as well; maybe not something that Beckham would worry about but he really should try to think of some cities that aren't just "glamour and glitter" cities for a change.
Also Bill Edwards and the Rowdies are really ready for MLS now if they had the Beckham group on board: unlike Las Vegas you would not have to wait for a stadium to get built you could expand Al Lang as is during the off season; and/or use the Ray Jay if necessary (and like Orlando they could probably fill an NFL-sized stadium, while Al Lang was being expanded, especially with the Beckham brand attached to the Rowdies brand). It's win-win idea, and just what the Rowdies need to break through the "but it isn't going to be as good as the original 1970s era Rowdies, so why bother" stigma/catch-22 that we are currently suffering from.
What are they, on their fourth site in Miami, now? And Miami is trying to impose all kinds of unreasonable conditions on Beckham's group? Time to look elsewhere. I keep sending Beckham letters, urging him to look at the Rowdies, so now I just feel like a stalker.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
But who listens to goons, eh?
I certainly don’t want credit if this should come to pass; if I can think of this I am sure anyone else can as well. I just want to see my Rowdies back in the top league in USA soccer, where they belong. Here’s a very old piece which illustrates some of the historical legacy that the Rowdies name still carries:
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Mmm, love that détente
http://www.si.com/vault/1977/03/14/560862/mmm-love-that-dtente
March 14, 1977
When Leningrad Zenit came to Tampa, the Rowdies improved foreign relations
By J. D. Reed
A West Indian band played, the palm trees rustled just like the Florida brochures promise and the Tampa sunshine did its job to the tune of 78° last Friday as 16 Soviet soccer players—the Zenit team of Leningrad—looked wide-eyed at a buffet of barbecued ribs, corn on the cob and Budweiser in an elegant dining room at Busch Gardens, the brewery's huge recreation and entertainment park. Media types, pretty girls, soccer officials and one baseball notable, Yankee owner George Steinbrenner, circulated as the Soviets listened attentively to translations of welcoming speeches. In Tampa for outdoor/indoor matches with the Tampa Bay Rowdies of the North American Soccer League, the Zenits seemed to be wondering if all this opulence and hospitality was a capitalist plot to psych them out of playing a good game. If that was the case, it didn't work. On Saturday night Zenit won the opening outdoor game 1-0.
The Soviets were right, however, in sensing that what they were seeing was really high-powered capitalism in high gear. The Tampa Bay Rowdies are one of the most financially successful teams in the league—which means they lost less money last year than most of the other 19 franchises—and they have a reputation for front-office savvy. Indeed, they are regarded as one of the slickest little organizations in all of pro sports.
Declared Steinbrenner, pushing away his plate of rib bones, "If anyone asked me how to start and operate any kind of franchise, I'd tell them to study the Rowdies. It is simply the best marketing in sports. From the top on down, it's a group of geniuses that have put it together. They have done the one thing that most teams fail at in all sports—in Tampa, they've made going to the soccer game the thing to do."
The Rowdies won the NASL championship in 1975, their first year, and made it to the semifinals in the playoffs last season. But they do a good deal more than play just fine soccer in their slightly comic, Victorian-looking uniforms of sunshine-yellow and grass-green stripes.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Some commentary from Kartik Krishnaiyer, about the MLS Miami situation:
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Time for MLS to look beyond Miami for second Florida soccer team
http://worldsoccertalk.com/2015/03/11/time-for-mls-to-look-beyond-miami-for-second-florida-soccer-team/
Kartik Krishnaiyer
March 11, 2015
The idea of reentering the Miami market was based largely around television, and the size of the local TV market. Jacksonville, whose new NASL entry is already in many ways further ahead of where Orlando City was in 2011, would be among the smallest TV markets in MLS. Tampa Bay, on the other hand, is a larger TV market than Miami and has a history of supporting pro soccer.
Many will point to the folding of the Tampa Bay Mutiny in 2001 as a reason MLS should not return to Tampa/St Petersburg but the plug being pulled on the Mutiny has little relevance today. The Tampa Bay area boasts the best youth soccer infrastructure in the state of Florida, and a second division club that has a richly unique history and local brand recognition. The Tampa Bay Rowdies are a local institution, but when MLS began play in 1996, they were reluctant to embrace any portion of the original NASL’s legacy.
The Rowdies recent success owes itself to Bill Edwards’ ownership and a full embrace of the 1970’s and early 1980’s legacy that made the Rowdies the second best supported soccer club in the United States at the time. Elevating Tampa Bay Rowdies to MLS would mirror the NASL legacy clubs from the Pacific Northwest that have joined the top division and could have a similar local galvanizing effect.
The Tampa Bay area and Orlando are separated by about an hour of interstate and the rivalry between the two clubs sets of fans is about as intense as it gets in US soccer. This would give MLS yet another big localized rivalry, something that can help the league grow.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Time for MLS to pull the plug on Miami debacle
http://worldsoccertalk.com/2015/03/19/time-for-mls-to-pull-the-plug-on-miami-debacle/
Kartik Krishnaiyer
March 19, 2015
On the subject of local rivalries, internet buzz has begun to circulate about the Tampa Bay Rowdies and the potential of the minor club who shares the name of one of the great professional clubs of a previous era in American soccer to move to MLS.
It is important to note while arguments can be made for Miami as an MLS franchise, the Tampa/St Petersburg TV market is actually larger than Miami/Fort Lauderdale. It is also critical to note that between 1975 and 2014, the Tampa Bay area and Miami/Fort Lauderdale areas have had pro teams in the same soccer leagues for 23 seasons. In that period only three times did the southeast Florida team boast higher attendance than the Tampa Bay-based one. This includes four seasons in Major League Soccer (1998-2001), where Tampa Bay led Miami in attendance three of the years, and nine seasons in the NASL (1975-1983) when Tampa Bay led Miami or Fort Lauderdale every single season.
Miami is more of a global branding opportunity than a soccer-crazed market. Major League Soccer has survived for years without a Miami team, and now is thriving despite the debacle taking place under the palm trees in southern Florida. While I, as a local, would like to see MLS return to southeast Florida, the club in Orlando is close enough to me that my need for MLS in Miami has been minimized. Furthermore, it is important that the health of MLS and US Soccer be considered – MLS does not need another Chivas USA debacle or a club limping along in a huge metropolitan area without any real tangible market penetration like the Chicago Fire. Chances are quite high that a Miami team would represent either another Chivas or Chicago, and either scenario is unacceptable for MLS and the health of the game in the United States.
While the Tampa Bay market “failed” once before in MLS, that was a different time. A fear about cannibalization of the audience from Orlando which is nearby could be real, but the rivalry implications (Orlando City and the Tampa Bay Rowdies already have a robust rivalry fostered at the lower-division and US Open Cup level) probably offset those concerns. A “war on I-4” rivalry would be far bigger for MLS then an organic club like Orlando City battling a manufactured and largely plastic club like Beckham’s Miami entry promises to be.
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Indeed we had some shenanigans with some of the Orlando ultras a few years back that got them ejected from Al Lang; the potential for a local rivalry between the Tampa Bay Rowdies and Orlando City SC in MLS would be huge.
As an aside, anyone wanting to do some basic research on the current Rowdies fan base should check them out on Facebook. The following are some Facebook pages or groups of interest: Tampa Bay Rowdies, Tampa Bay Rowdies Alumni Group, Tampa Bay Rowdies UK, Tampa Bay Soccer, Tampa Bay Soccer Supporters Alliance, Inc., Cigar City Soccer, Ralph's Mob, Support Al Lang, The Hooped Sleeve, The Unused Substitutes.
Bill Edwards earlier this year talked about expanding Al Lang to 18,500 seats, for $70 million dollars. It makes far more sense to do this with an eye to moving to MLS, rather than staying in the NASL. An Orlando City SC official later stated that the Tampa/St. Pete area is part of Orlando’s MLS territory; Orlando City SC has MLS territorial rights which he claims he can use to prevent the Rowdies from moving to MLS. This is an obvious attempt by Orlando City SC to poison the well for the Rowdies in any potential attempt to move the Rowdies to MLS. But the Tampa/St. Pete TV market is a different, and bigger, TV market than the Orlando TV market. If there is a serious proposal to have the Tampa Bay Rowdies join MLS, no one believes Orlando City SC can stop it; it makes no sense to believe otherwise. Tampa/St. Pete is not part of the Orlando market in any reasonable universe. Tampa/St. Pete: 13th largest TV market in the USA. Miami-Ft. Lauderdale: 16th. Orlando-Daytona Beach-Melbourne: 19th.
Ideally there would be a good sized, deep pocketed ownership consortium to move the Rowdies to MLS. In addition to the current Bill Edwards Rowdies ownership group and the David Beckham group, it would be nice if other local owners joined the consortium. Tampa Bay Lightning owner Jeffrey Vinik has been frequently mentioned by Rowdies fans as one potential co-owner. The Glazers, with their control of the Raymond James Stadium, would be useful co-owners to have as well, as the Rowdies could use Raymond James Stadium for games where the larger capacity would be needed, and for when Al Lang might be unavailable due to new construction to expand it. The Glazers also own Manchester United and thus have a connection that way to David Beckham. Stuart Sternberg and other Tampa Bay Rays owners might also be interested as the Rays future plans in St. Pete and the Tampa Bay area may prove important to the Rowdies overall plans. The Steinbrenners are long time Tampa residents and Rowdies fans who might also be interested in co-ownership (they also already have a stake in MLS in New York City FC via their Yankees ownership). Landon Donovan has been mentioned in news articles as working with potential MLS ownership groups so I will send him a copy of this letter as well; feel free to mention the Tampa Bay Rowdies to anyone you talk to about potential MLS ownership, Landon!
Some people have expressed some skepticism about the growth of pro soccer in the USA. As an older person myself (I turned nine the year Pele joined the Cosmos and the Rowdies won the Soccer Bowl, in 1975) I have seen a lot of this skepticism from people whose impressions of pro soccer in the USA seem to be permanently stuck in the year 1985. Things are changing and changing rapidly; see for instance this Economist article for one example; the Tampa Bay area really needs to jump on the MLS train while it is still in the station; it will be harder to get on board the longer they wait:
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Kick turn
http://www.economist.com/news/united-states/21699484-more-and-more-americans-watching-people-kick-round-balls-kick-turn
More and more Americans like watching people kick round balls
May 28th 2016
Partly as a result, average attendances at MLS games have grown by 56% since 2001. In the past five years they have risen 29%. More people go to MLS games than go to an NBA games or National Hockey League ones (though both basketball and hockey are played in smaller stadiums with higher ticket prices).
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That’s all I have for now. David Beckham and Bill Edwards and everyone in Tampa and St. Pete and everywhere else, help move the Tampa Bay Rowdies up to MLS! COYR!
Regards,
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