2. Garber mentioned MLS looking to expand to 28 teams. Sacramento, Las Vegas, San Antonio, and many others were mentioned. Miami didn't sound definite.
3. Audience question was asked about Orlando having a hold of this market. Garber said Tampa Bay is doing great things and is a prime market.
4. Don Garber also mentioned that it is pivotal that the St. Pete Mayor (Kriseman) and the other governmental bodies get behind bringing MLS to St Pete.
5. Garber mentioned Bill Edwards by name a couple of times during the discussion. As soon as the discussion finished and everyone began to mingle, Edwards was the first person Garber spoke to. Garber acknowledged the large media market we have here in Tampa Bay. He also mentioned that if Tampa had an MLS team that Orlando City's TV rights could be changed.
(Follow link for full article.)
https://np.reddit.com/r/MLS/comments/59luz2/soundbites_from_don_garber_at_tampa_bay_sports/
Soundbites from Don Garber at Tampa Bay Sports Business Event at USF (x-post from r/TampaBayRowdies) (reddit.com)
phat7deuce
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Korv13
People often forget it but Tampa Bay is the biggest TV market without a MLS team (yes, just before Phoenix and Detroit) and that it is the 5th biggest metropolitan area without a MLS team (behind Detroit, Phoenix, San Diego, St. Louis).
If Garber has good words for the market (he said it's a PRIME market), goes out of his way to speak about the stadium and is clearly inviting the political bodies to weight in for MLS expansion, it proves that, at least, MLS has a certain interest in Tampa Bay.
Now, the next times Garber will talk about expansion, let's see if he mentions Tampa Bay. If he does, it will be time for Rowdies fans to buy some tickets for the MLS expansion hype train.
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arm0redturkey
PLUS. The league is really focused on close proximity rivalries (cascadia, Ny +NYC, LA + LA2)
Giving Orlando a strong rivalry (or hell, lets see what happens with Miami, maybe 2) might really help the league cut into NFL domination of Florida. After all, its not like the jags, bucs, or dolphins have much to boast these days. These are fertile grounds.
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phat7deuce
jags, bucs, or dolphins
You could make a case that the NFL could learn a thing or two here...place these 3 in the same division with Atlanta and create some better pro football interest in Florida...
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phat7deuce
If he does, it will be time for Rowdies fans to buy some tickets for the MLS expansion hype train.
CHOO-CHOOOOOOOOOOO!!!
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dietrich14
WOOOOOOTTTT.... Woot, WoooOOOOOTTT
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UCFWayne
As an OCSC fan, I hate the Rowdies. However, I would absolutely love to see them move up to MLS. IF Beckham were ever able to get his crap together, we would have one hell of a 3 way FL rivalry. It would certainly rival the cascadia rivalry. This would only help to grow MLS.
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LionBull
I grew up a Rowdies fan. I now live in Orlando and am an OCSC STH. I am starting to hate this iteration of the Rowdies, but mostly because of the fan interaction between the two groups. I would hope that the Rowdies will eventually get into the MLS and the supporter groups will grow up so we can have a great rivalry that is mature and safe.
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phat7deuce
the supporter groups will grow up so we can have a great rivalry that is mature and safe
Agreed...I think it is calming though. As a Mob member I hate Orlando...like I hate the Cosmos or Strikers, but like with the Cosmos or Strikers supporters I'd rather be able to drink a beer before and after with Orlando supporters and just hate for the 90 minutes on the pitch.
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LionBull
So it is really strange because the Orlando groups are very easy going and very friendly with all the other MLS team supporters groups. I think the reality is that a few of the youngest members of each group drank a little too much before one of the games and started getting into it during one of the tailgates. And, as young men influenced by alcohol will sometimes do, it just sort of escalated for no other reason than each group felt threatened by the other due to the perceived "rivalry". No reason the two groups can't just have a great pre-game tailgate and trash talk each other good naturedly just like both groups do with everyone else. Well, no reason other than testosterone and alcohol.
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Gordon13ombay
Outside observer here, but what's up with the supporters groups down there?
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dietrich14
It's a looonnnggg story, involving fire, cussing and crossing lines between sections which started a fight. Both groups are bettet at policing their own now. Icsuspect this winters expansion of Al Lang will create an opportunity to keep supporters seperated throughout the match instead of 5 sections over.
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Gordon13ombay
Wow. Were these SG's supporting the same club or problems caused when a rival visited?
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howdjadoo
Things blew up the last time Orlando came to St. Pete. ILF and Ralph's Mob do not get along unfortunately.
Also, RM is the only Rowdies SG.
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Mike-Taylor
Maybe Beckham can take a look at the Rowdies as a possibility and leave Miami to the NASL.
(My comment: that's what this blog is for.)
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phat7deuce
I imagine, just because of the pattern of how the Rowdies make announcements, that we'll have a press/supporter event sometime after the NASL season ends to talk more about the direction of the club.
On Twitter I joked that David Beckham would descend from the ceiling at that event...WWE style.
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Arkin_Longinus
No chance Miami is vastly more valuable than Tampa. They're excluding Miami because of Beckham in the article.
(My comment: this comment above makes no sense, but is typical of a certain type. Miami is not "vastly more valuable than Tampa". The Tampa Bay area is a bigger TV market than the Miami market. Miami is only "vastly more valuable" to people who don't know anything about Florida except that Miami and Orlando (Disney World) are in Florida, and that's it. It's a sexy city to foreigners who don't know anything much about Florida or the USA.
This also is utterly false and/or incoherent: "They're excluding Miami because of Beckham in the article." There is no article. Miami isn't being excluded. There is a series of tweets from someone at the Garber lecture. "They" aren't excluding Miami; Garber is indicating in his talk (see first hand accounts published here, on reddit, on Facebook, and elsewhere) that Miami doesn't look likely to happen; this is the first time that Garber hasn't made rote talk about Miami "coming along fine". Miami isn't fine. Miami isn't happening. No SSS, no billionaire investor that Beckham needs, no news. Nothing.
Miami is going to lose its place as MLS team number 24; so what does Beckham do then? He can keep trying to make something work in Miami, but if he can't do it in 3 years, he is unlikely to do it in 4 or 5 years. If Bill Edwards puts together a team of investors and a solid plan for a SSS at Al Lang together with the Mayor of St. Petersburg, he could get the Rowdies in as team number 24 in time to play in 2018 in MLS. This is possible if you read between the lines of what Garber said. Tampa Bay area is the biggest TV market that does not currently have an MLS team. Tampa Bay is an easy switch if Miami doesn't happen, as Tampa Bay is, like Miami, in Florida and in the Southeast so it builds the national footprint for MLS just as well as Miami does, if not better.
Beckham could try to wait and see if Las Vegas builds a stadium for the Raiders, but Las Vegas is a much smaller market, with poorer demographics, than the Tampa Bay area. Tampa Bay Rowdies are a team with a 41 year old brand name and are still well known in the UK. If Miami doesn't happen, as seems likely now, it would make a lot of sense for Beckham to jump on the Bill Edwards/Tampa Bay Rowdies bandwagon, assuming it is going to MLS - which seems likely now. It's simply a matter of waiting for the pieces to fall into place now. Watch.)
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dietrich14
I tread carfully on this subject, best to leave it be. It's still pretty hot all these years later. For background just search "Orlando Rowdies" on YouTube.
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arm0redturkey
Meh, I dont think theres as much hate as people bill it.
Orlando Did have a problem with fans for a while, but the organization and fanbase rose to the challenge and have built something wonderful.
Rowdies FO also made some rookie mistakes in dealing with the incident at Al Lang. All and all its just some organizational maturing.
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