2018 Rowdies Kickoff Party: "Don't miss out on our special guest, who will be revealed as we inch closer to the event!" – SPECULATION THREAD (i.imgur.com)

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https://www.reddit.com/r/TampaBayRowdies/comments/837m5e/2018_rowdies_kickoff_party_dont_miss_out_on_our/

2018 Rowdies Kickoff Party: "Don't miss out on our special guest, who will be revealed as we inch closer to the event!" – SPECULATION THREAD (i.imgur.com)

Rowan Atkinson introduced as our newest player

Tampa Bay Rowdies to rebrand as Tampa Bay Beanies.

Drive around USL in a tiny car

New mascot to be Mr. Teddy

Who you got?

Player (kind of late, but possible?), new part of the ownership group (maybe?), celebrity-like person (Rob Stone?)...

We didn't sign Schafer until March 1st so not to late? I would hope it's a new investor to be announced

Really hoping for new investor - for MLS push or just to take over as the majority USL owner...we'll see...

Major new investor(s) would be nice, but that would only be likely if the timing worked out perfectly for that, since they were going to have this pre-season kickoff party regardless.

While we know that Edwards is engaged in talks with potential new investors, thanks to last month's announcement, we have no way of knowing how these negotiations are going, so they could have reached a deal and are holding off on announcing it at the annual season kickoff party, or not.

And if not, we'll have to keep waiting.

"Special guest" could of course mean anything - new MLS investor, new corporate sponsor, new business or sporting partner of some kind, new player, etc.

Rodney Marsh

https://i.imgur.com/3aMDso2.png

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https://www.reddit.com/r/TampaBayRowdies/comments/838e7v/unused_substitutes_offseason_roundtable_favorite/

Unused Substitutes Off-season Roundtable: Favorite Moves (theunsubs.com)

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http://www.theunsubs.com/wp/2018/03/09/unused-substitutes-off-season-roundtable/3489

Unused Substitutes Off-season Roundtable

With a week left to go in the preseason and the Tampa Bay Rowdies roster locked in (probably, you never know with this team), now seems as good a time as any to have the Unused Substitute staff sound off on our favorite moves or signings the team has made ahead of their second season in the United Soccer League.

Some names pop up more than once, but there are plenty to choose from. So, let us know if you agree or disagree with our picks, but also be sure to say who you’d rank at the top of the list of off-season moves.

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https://www.reddit.com/r/TampaBayRowdies/comments/82tris/from_the_pitch_episode_xviii_with_neill_collins/

From the Pitch – "Episode XVIII" with Neill Collins (uslsoccer.com)

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https://www.uslsoccer.com/news_article/show/894929

From the Pitch – "Episode XVIII"

Rowdies veteran Collins reflects on motivation entering 18th season

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https://www.reddit.com/r/MLS/comments/8318u7/on_this_day_in_1975_portland_timbers_name_is/

On this day in 1975: Portland Timbers Name is Chosen (portland.daveknows.org)

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http://portland.daveknows.org/2011/03/08/march-8-1975-portland-timbers-name-is-chosen/

March 8, 1975: Portland Timbers Name is Chosen

The stockholders of Portland’s nascent North American Soccer League franchise selected the team name Timbers on March 8, 1975 (Source: The Sunday Oregonian, 9-March-1975).

The name was chosen from over 3000 submitted entries. Pioneers, with 157, had the most entries, but was rejected since Lewis and Clark College already used the name for its athletic teams. Some of the other finalists included Trappers, RainDrops, Stealheaders, Oregonians, and Volcanos. The Timbers name was submitted 12 times.

Below is a copy of the entry form that appeared in The Oregonian from February 23rd through the 25th, 1975.

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https://www.reddit.com/r/MLS/comments/82xz4q/remembering_the_atlanta_chiefs_50_years_after/

Remembering the Atlanta Chiefs, 50 Years After they Won it All | AJC (Hummer) (myajc.com)

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https://www.myajc.com/sports/remembering-soccer-chiefs-years-after-they-won-all/QcPx8jFq9TnXfGG89NEXQO/

Remembering soccer’s Chiefs, 50 years after they won it all

It was a busy late-September Saturday in 1968, the day Atlanta won its first professional championship.

Both Georgia Tech and Georgia had home dates in football, Bud Carson’s boys tangling with a ranked Miami down the road at The Flats. And the Braves were putting the bow on their third season in town – a break-even, 81-win campaign – with a matinee at what was then called simply Atlanta Stadium. They lost to the Dodgers and some pitcher named Don Sutton that day, in front of an intimate gathering of 6,095.

“If the Braves had gone into extra innings, we would have been in big trouble,” remembered Bob Hope, whose baseball job came with the bonus of hyping up a subsidiary of the Braves, the Atlanta Chiefs of the first-year North American Soccer League.

He had come to that task eminently unprepared. “I thought s-o-c-c-e-r spelled saucer,” Hope said with a chuckle. “I had no idea what soccer was, which was pretty typical for Atlanta at the time.”

Quickly, the home of the Braves and the American Pastime was transformed into a soccer pitch. The mound was shaved. The stands were cleared. A crowd a fraction of what their heirs, Atlanta United, would draw a half century later took up the Chiefs cause as they played the San Diego Toros for the NASL title. Still, a better draw at least than the Braves that day, nearly 15,000 watched the Chiefs win 3-nil.  

Those Chiefs introduced an emerging Atlanta to the world’s game. And this championship broke all the bounds of provincialism. Scoring those three goals and showing the way to the kind of victory still so elusive to a city fully grown were a Northern Irishman (Peter McParland, a decade removed from World Cup stardom back home), a Jamaican (Delroy Scott) and a South African (Kaizer “Boy-Boy” Motaung, the Chiefs star and league’s rookie of the year that season).   

Here it is, the 50th anniversary of a championship that is seldom remembered for a team that existed but 10 seasons in two different incarnations (1967-73 and 1979-81). Yet, in light of the civic stir created by Atlanta United as it begins its second MLS season, how can you not reach back to these beginnings and appreciate the Chiefs as a spark that lit a very slow-burning fire? 

Dick Cecil, the former Braves executive and Chiefs VP who was charged with keeping the stadium filled with all kinds of amusements, including soccer, gets downright insistent on the topic of the Chiefs place in Atlanta’s sporting history.

“This is the first professional championship in Atlanta. I’ve been to things that they just talk about the (Braves 1995) World Series. Well, excuse me. I always want to underscore that (the Chiefs) paid their dues, they did a hell of a job and they are really responsible for Atlanta’s soccer scene. They were the base. And Atlanta United exploded on top of that,” he said.

It is worth noting that the Braves owned the Chiefs, so, in essence rather than argue which team produced the first “real” championship, it can be said that one franchise can just go ahead and claim both.

“(The Chiefs) opened the door. Every journey has to begin with a first step,” added Elliott Levitas, a state representative of that era who was among those drawn to the foreign concept of soccer as practiced by the Chiefs.

To look back on that time is to recognize how much foundational concrete had to be poured before a phenomenon like Atlanta United could stand. 

Born in 1967 as a member of the renegade National Professional Soccer League, the Chiefs were folded into the new NASL a year later. 

Soccer was a counter-culture game for a counter-culture time. And it proved to be another avenue for an ambitious city, one that was just adding pro baseball, football and basketball, to show how cosmopolitan it could be. Those doubting a southern city’s ability to pay the slightest attention to soccer included many in the NASL itself.

“People in the league said we were crazy,” Cecil said. “But it was the right time to introduce soccer.” 

From Cecil’s perspective, he had never witnessed a soccer match before signing on to add the game to the stadium’s menu of events. He had, though, read accounts of the thrilling 1966 World Cup, won in extra time by host England. And eventually became enchanted by the personalities involved while traveling the world with Chiefs player-manager Phil Woosnam to stock the new team with players.

Like any good missionary, the Chiefs invested heavily in proselytizing. Spreading the new word of soccer was a large part of the players’ responsibilities, and they were thrown to a curious, if sometimes skeptical, community.

“There was a great deal of interest if, for nothing else, you were an Englishman and you were different,” said then-midfielder John Cocking, one of the few former Chiefs who settled in Atlanta – veering into banking after his playing days.

“I used to tell them, ‘Soccer is played in more countries in the world than those where Coca-Cola is sold.’ And even that often times had little to no effect,” he said.

And, like any good propagandist, the Chiefs realized they had to sell their ideas to the children. Arriving at a landscape nearly devoid of youth soccer, the team went to work developing programs from scratch. According to a 1968 report by the Chiefs, there were fewer than 150 souls playing organized soccer the year they arrived.

And, by mid-1968, the report stated, “nearly 16,000 Atlantans are playing soccer on amateur teams in the area.

“Where there were only six high schools fielding varsity teams in 1966, 42 teams with more than 2,000 players competed for the Georgia High School Associate state championship last winter.” The team purported to have held 390 clinics around the state.

The 1968 season-ending NASL report lauded Atlanta: “Where soccer was virtually unheard of and unknown before 1967, the interest among youngsters has been one of the amazing stories of the year. Thousands of new fans have been created virtually overnight.”

Atlanta United drew 67,000 to its one home playoff game last season. It set a MLS season and single-game attendance records. In advance of Sunday’s home opener, season ticket sales for Year 2 were approaching 40,000. Two generations after the Chiefs began sowing seeds, that is the harvest.

The ’68 Chiefs in particular were the model for how to sell pro soccer to the hesitant American consumer of that era. They were winning, and that, as United proved, is always vital in this market. In Woosnam – whose off-field gifts were such that he eventually rose to rank of commissioner in the NASL – the Chiefs had an able and willing pitchman.

The wacky promotional gimmick was always in play, like the time in advance of an international exhibition game against Coventry, the team commissioned an attractive young woman to ride horseback down Peachtree Street. The intent was to recreate, in a slightly more modest way, the ride through the streets of Coventry of another famed equestrian, Lady Godiva.

And, by the time Santos of Brazil, and a 28-year-old Pele arrived in Atlanta for another exhibition, the Chiefs had built him up so that “these people who a month before had never really heard of Pele mobbed him at the end of the game,” Hope remembered.

In what many considered a larger accomplishment than winning the first NASL title, the Chiefs not once, but twice, beat English First Division champion Manchester City in exhibition matches. It didn’t hurt that Man City was winding down from its season and that the canny Woosnam made sure to wine and dine and entertain his guests in the midday southern sun as much as possible before the game. But the wins still resonated even across the pond, and long before the arrival of the Summer Olympics, Atlanta enjoyed a smidge of international cachet.

“I like to say back in 1967-68 there were five things Atlanta was known for internationally: Coca-Cola, Dr. (Martin Luther) King (Jr.), Lockheed, ‘Gone with the Wind,’ and the Atlanta Chiefs,” Cecil said.

Atlanta still owes its first champion a victory parade. The Chiefs, through Levitas, got a nice proclamation from the Georgia Legislature, but little other fuss was made. Cocking remembers receiving a championship ring, but somewhere through the years he lost it.

While the NASL enjoyed some serious ownership – like Lamar Hunt in Dallas and William Clay Ford in Detroit and Jack Kent Cooke in Los Angeles – it expired as America’s premier pro league in 1984, outliving the Chiefs by four years. While stimulating a certain amount of interest in soccer, the Chiefs could not transform that into a profit.

They would not fade, however, before commanding a page in the skinny pamphlet that is the history of Atlanta professional championships.

Fifty years is ancient history in a world of manic change and flighty tastes. Atlanta United very much owns the moment. Who has time to think about the Chiefs much anymore? There’s chanting and drinking and a bit of reclamation to be done after United’s blowout loss to the Houston Dynamo on Saturday.

But, that’s OK.

“I see us very much as pioneers,” Cocking said. “I do take pride in that, yes, I do.

“I don’t bother reminding people about (winning a title). I’m very proud of it, it’s part of my life, but it doesn’t have to be part of anyone else’s life. I don’t have to try to sell it to people. I’m happy with what I accomplished here and the life I’ve lived here.

“I don’t have to say, ‘Remember 1968, when the Chiefs won the championship?’”

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https://www.reddit.com/r/MLS/comments/82yeg2/rocco_comisso_was_interviewed_in_siriusxm_this/

Rocco Comisso was interviewed in SiriusXM this morning. Topics include: Pro/Rel, USL, NASL, NYCFC. Here’s a summary from SocTakes twitter (self.MLS)

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https://twitter.com/soctakes/status/971740467942641664?s=21

Soc Takes
‏
@SocTakes

Rocco Commisso on @SiriusXMFC right now speaking with Charlie Stillitano and Ray Hudson:

5:32 AM - 8 Mar 2018

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http://awfulannouncing.com/fox/aa-qa-rob-stone-fox-sports-talks-world-cup-ratings-covering-russia-2026-world-cup-bid.html

AA Q&A: Rob Stone of Fox Sports talks World Cup ratings, covering Russia, and the 2026 World Cup bid

Fox Sports soccer host Rob Stone talked with AA about covering the 2018 World Cup, the North American bid in 2026, and the start of the new MLS season.

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https://www.reddit.com/r/MLS/comments/82qcvo/detroit_city_fc_npsl_to_host_german_club_fc_st/

Detroit City FC (NPSL) to host German club FC St. Pauli for 2018 international match (detcityfc.com)

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http://www.detcityfc.com/news_article/show/894628?referrer_id=1533258

DCFC to host German club FC St. Pauli for 2018 international match

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https://www.reddit.com/r/MLS/comments/838sm7/austin_has_everything_but_pro_sports_give/

Austin has everything but pro sports. Give Precourt a try (mystatesman.com)

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https://www.mystatesman.com/news/opinion/commentary-austin-has-everything-but-pro-sports-give-precourt-try/8YHCjBbrfxAplQJc2xakmM/amp.html?__twitter_impression=true

Commentary: Austin has everything but pro sports. Give Precourt a try

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https://www.reddit.com/r/MLS/comments/82pt42/evolution_of_the_concacaf_logoemblem_19612018/

Evolution of the CONCACAF Logo/Emblem (1961-2018) (i.imgur.com)

https://i.imgur.com/mRe0kir.png

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https://www.reddit.com/r/MLS/comments/82p2ju/new_concacaf_logo_released/

Official New Concacaf Logo released (concacaf.com)

http://www.concacaf.com/

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https://www.reddit.com/r/MLS/comments/82qlj3/move_to_block_crew_relocation_raises_many_legal/

Move to block Crew relocation raises many legal questions (thisweeknews.com)

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http://www.thisweeknews.com/business/20180307/move-to-block-crew-relocation-raises-many-legal-questions

Move to block Crew relocation raises many legal questions

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https://www.reddit.com/r/MLS/comments/82r0vv/wahl_reasons_for_usa_joint_world_cup_bid_chairman/

Wahl: Reasons for USA Joint World Cup Bid Chairman Change (si.com)

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https://www.si.com/soccer/2018/03/07/2026-world-cup-usa-mexico-canada-morocco-juventus-gianluigi-buffon

Insider Notes: Reasons for USA Joint World Cup Bid Chairman Change; Buffon's Future

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https://www.reddit.com/r/MLS/comments/82ngil/fc_cincinnati_wants_stadium_site_selected_by/

FC Cincinnati wants stadium site selected by month's end (wlwt.com)

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http://www.wlwt.com/article/fc-cincinnati-wants-stadium-site-selected-by-months-end/19141508

FC Cincinnati wants stadium site selected by month's end

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https://www.reddit.com/r/MLS/comments/82jyqa/andrew_erickson_new_joint_statement_from_mls_and/

#SaveTheCrew [Andrew Erickson] NEW joint statement from MLS and PSV on the #SaveTheCrew suit (twitter.com)

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https://twitter.com/AEricksonCD/status/971175837490929664

Andrew Erickson
‏
@AEricksonCD

NEW joint statement from MLS and PSV on the #SaveTheCrew suit: #CrewSC #MLS2ATX

4:08 PM - 6 Mar 2018

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https://www.reddit.com/r/MLS/comments/82kb3t/precourt_hits_the_panic_button_panic_button_hits/

Precourt Hits the Panic Button, Panic Button Hits Him Back (bigsoccer.com)

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http://www.bigsoccer.com/threads/precourt-hits-the-panic-button-panic-button-hits-him-back.2081708/

Precourt Hits the Panic Button, Panic Button Hits Him Back

How bad have things gotten for MLS' favorite arrogant, clueless and incompetent "owner" in his quest to move the league's original team to Austin?

Well, aside from all the "Precourt Out!" and "End Corporate Greed" demonstrators, the airplane sign circling over downtown telling him he should use "Daddy's Money" if he wants land, a slew of articles like the one currently up on msn.com entitled "Anthony Precourt is a Monorail Salesman Masquerading as a Pro Sports Owner" and the decisions by local authorities to block him from both of the stadium sites he wanted, yesterday he got some even worse news:

The Attorney General of Ohio is suing him and the league (ie. his partners) for attempting to smuggle the team out of town in violation of state law.

It's gotten so bad that Precourt now says he's seriously considering moving the Columbus Crew to a 22 acre toxic waste site 11 miles from downtown Austin, a site which his chief stooge, Dave Greeley, was unable to locate even though some locals helpfully told him it was in the warehouse district behind the tire store right next to a couple Mexican food trucks and no, I am not making that up.

(Fratboy McTrustfund calls this site "a viable option" that he gets "excited about", although he admits that "some remediation" of deadly chemical waste residue will be necessary. I'm sure his fellow owners can't wait for a tour.)

Precourt's statement, which one journalist characterized as "reeking of desperation and delusion" (not to mention self-pity and grammar which would embarrass a tenth grader) was of course posted on one of the "oafish" astroturf sites PSV runs out of the Crew offices in Columbus.

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https://www.reddit.com/r/MLS/comments/82k1um/columbus_crew_inside_lawsuit_trying_to_save_team/

#SaveTheCrew Columbus Crew: Inside lawsuit trying to save team from Austin move (si.com)

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https://www.si.com/soccer/2018/03/06/columbus-crew-lawsuit-austin-texas-relocation-precourt-mls-ohio-modell-law

Can a Lawsuit vs. Anthony Precourt and MLS Save the Crew for Columbus?

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https://www.reddit.com/r/MLS/comments/82iq1d/ussf_removes_sunil_gulati_is_as_chairman_of_2026/

Official USSF removes Sunil Gulati is as chairman of 2026 bid, will remain on the Board of Directors. (united2026.com)

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http://www.united2026.com/newsletter/unitedbid/english

Our United Bid to host the 2026 FIFA World Cup™

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https://www.bizjournals.com/tampabay/news/2018/03/09/super-fans-face-off-with-tampa-bay-sports-execs-to.html

Super fans face off with Tampa Bay sports execs to address what works and what doesn't

For the super fans, it starts with a love for the live event, especially interaction.

When Tampa Bay Buccaneers super fan Keith “Big Nasty” Kunzig faced off with team COO Brian Ford last week, he had a big concern to volley.

"Bring back my cotton candy! We've been losing since they gave up the cotton candy," Kunzig said.

While it may seem minimal to some, Kunzig's suggestion, and those of other super fans at the Tampa Bay Business Journal's Business of Sports event, are often heard and acted upon by local team executives.

Ford's answer? “Every year we look at the offerings and we try to change stuff up. We'll have it back.”

It was a rare sight to see the top operational executives for all four Tampa Bay professional sports franchises on one stage together. Their face-off with fans was moderated by Sports Business Journal Executive Editor Abe Madkour. It served as a reminder that this is a sports-passionate region, with a base of fans that, when fully engaged, can act not only as ambassadors for the brands but activate others to spend time and money with the clubs over long periods of time. All customer-facing businesses can learn how listening carefully to your best customers can grow the bottom line.

For the super fans, it starts with a love for live events and the interaction.

“Throughout the years, we have been fortunate enough to be acquainted with these guys — anybody from a bullpen coach or catcher to guys that are out in right field and they acknowledge us every game,” said Jennifer McKenney, a Tampa Bay Rays super fan who, with her dad, has a collection of signed baseballs for every Rays player in history. "That [connection] is not something you get sitting at home — the recently[traded] Steven Souza waving to you, acknowledging you. It's not just like watching a game. You are watching your family."

Buccaneers season ticket holder Kunzig has been donning face paint and revving up fans for decades now, leaning into more than 500 pictures a game with other fans, he said.

“The camaraderie with the fans makes it a lot better being at the live event than sitting at home, being depressed, looking like this, watching the boob tube,” he said.

The setting at Al Lang Stadium in St. Petersburg is a draw for Tampa Bay Rowdies super fan Dan Endonino, who drives an hour or more from Pasco County for games.

“You have the sun setting on the Bay and the water, on top of the relationship with the people that work there, the players and the staff and 7,000 friends,” he said.

Michael Tully started Sticks of Fire, a Tampa Bay Lightning fan group that sits together in the upper deck at Amalie Arena, chanting, cheering and connecting.

“I've been to quite a few weddings of people who met through the group and now are having kids,” he said. “It's also having the energy in the building especially when you have a winning team. Nothing beats it.”

Lightning CEO Steve Griggs said the organization is fortunate with a team playing well, but that means now is the time its leadership needs to understand research and identify future pain points.

“We have a $3.5 billion district built around our building coming and we need to be ahead, not wait for people to complain,” he said. “We know that we are going to have ingress and egress issues with traffic and with roadway realignment with parking going offline.”

The Lightning is constantly pulling customer experience data from single games but also season ticket and suite holders, so it can stay ahead of complaints.

“Because when you start to lose, that's when a lot of issues permeate,” Griggs said.

Complaints provide an opportunity for the Rays, and a chance to know something has gone wrong, Co-President Matt Silverman said.

“Some of our best fan ambassadors are ones who have had a complaint, we've addressed it, brought them back in and showed them the other side of it and then they are evangelists for our organization,” he said. “My inbox is filled right now with complaints about player transactions so I am happy to get to the season where complaints will be about security or parking.”

“The only thing that stands out to me is the level of noise,” said McKenney about her most recent Tropicana Field Rays game experiences. 

2018 Business of Sports

Good timing, said Silverman.

“We are overhauling our in-game experience. That was one of the things that we heard from a number of fans. There was too much music and too much noise,” he said. The speaker system at the Trop makes it difficult to distribute sound. “I think you'll notice this year it's a little bit quieter, a little more of the traditional baseball feel as opposed to the NBA arena feel to the games.”

Over the course of the discussion, it was clear that game day annoyances are quick to hit the executives’ radar. “Bill, is it news to you that the lines at restrooms are an issue at your games?” Madkour asked Rowdies owner Bill Edwards.

“I've heard it a lot so I try to put a lot of TVs as possible out there so you don't miss any of the game,” he said. “We are in a stadium that was built in 1970 so we have remodeled it and done a lot to it, and created new concessions, but you can only do so many things with a 50-year-old stadium.”

The Buccaneers are in the fourth phase of a $150 million renovation project, said COO Ford.

“Our ownership group the Glazers are fans first,” he said. “We can't control what's on the field but we can control the customer service aspect of it and each of those renovation projects were about how we can improve the game day experience for our fans.”

Kunzig gave another suggestion to help his game day experience, relating to the cotton candy.

“Make it the colors of the opposing team, so that way, when I stick out my tongue, they know we are eating up the competition," he said, eliciting a wave of audience laughter.

(Follow link for full article.)

http://wfla.com/2018/03/09/tampa-bay-rowdies-getting-ready-for-the-season/

Tampa Bay Rowdies getting ready for the season

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (WFLA) — The Tampa Bay Rowdies season begins March 17, and the first home game is Saturday, March 24 at 7:30 p.m.

Center Back Neill Collins with the Tampa Bay Rowdies wants everyone to come cheer them on. “We have the best fans in the league. It sounds corny, but they’re very rowdy, very noisy,” he said.

While the Rowdies are in pre-season and training, WFLA’s Gayle Guyardo and Leigh Spann went out to Al Lang Stadium in St. Petersburg to learn a few soccer moves from the professionals.

Collins explains a few of the basics of footwork. “When the ball comes, stop it with the sole of our cleat and then pass it with the inside,” explained Collins

He also enjoys meeting and teaching young soccer fans. “I remember when I was a young kid getting to meet professionals. It was a fantastic experience. You remember, you look up to these guys, you want to try to give back to these young players,” said Collins.

After the half hour lesson from Collins, Guyardo and Spann were able to pass back and forth and even make a goal. In complete transparency, there was no goalie.

“Your passing was pretty accurate, and you didn’t even miss the goal. The goal’s pretty big, but I’ve seen professional miss it,” said Collins.

(Follow link for full article.)

https://www.uslsoccer.com/news_article/show/895383?referrer_id=2349190

Preseason Notes – Kings' Cup Wraps Up Preseason

Fresno, Tampa Bay reveal unique beers; Lasso settles in Cincinnati

BEER HERE: Beer and soccer go together like peanut butter and jelly, and two teams made their fans very happy this week as they announced beer partnerships, and exclusive beers for the new season.

Expansion team Fresno FC announced a partnership with Tioga-Sequoia Brewing Company to brew “Zorro Especial”, a one-of-a-kind Mexican lager that will be available at the brewery's downtown location south of Fresno’s Chukchansi Park. Tioga-Sequoia Brewing Company will also serve as the official pre- and post-match destination for fans over the next two seasons.

“We’re delighted to bring Tioga-Sequoia Brewing Co. on board as an official partner of Fresno Football Club. They’ve been long-time supporters of downtown Fresno and local soccer, and we believe the venue will brew a perfect atmosphere for our fans, both before and after Zorros’ home matches” said Fresno FC General Manager Frank Yallop.

There was also beer news for the Tampa Bay Rowdies, who extended their partnership with Big Storm Brewing Company. Big Storm brews a unique pilsner for the club called “Kick in the Grass”, and the continuation of the partnership has also brought added availability of the beer locally away from game day.

In addition to being available on draft at Al Lang Stadium as before, Kick in the Grass will also be sold in 16 oz. cans at the stadium and in four-packs at select Tampa Bay retailers.

“Few things are more authentically St. Petersburg than taking in a Rowdies game at Al Lang Stadium. We’re proud to continue sharing in that excitement and being part of a fan experience like no other,” said Big Storm co-owner L.J. Govoni.  “Our special brew celebrates everything that’s awesome about the team and the community it represents.”

(Follow link for full article.)

http://www.givemesport.com/1272100-roy-hodgsons-team-for-his-only-liverpoolman-utd-game-where-are-they-now

Roy Hodgson's team for his only Liverpool-Man Utd game: where are they now?

LM | Joe Cole

It took Cole just 45 minutes of his first Premier League game for Liverpool before he picked up a red card and that pretty much summed up his time with the club. Justly offloaded in 2013 and now plays for the Tampa Bay Rowdies, via West Ham, Aston Villa and Coventry City.

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https://www.brewbound.com/news/big-storm-brewing-opens-new-taproom

Big Storm Brewing Opens New Taproom

CLEARWATER, Fla. — Big Storm Brewing Co.will hold a grand opening for its third Florida taproom on Saturday, March 10th in Cape Coral.  With the expansion into Southwest Florida, Big Storm becomes the first independent craft brewer in the state with more than two locations.

Big Storm is an official partner of both the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Tampa Bay Rowdies.  The brewery also recently unveiled a collaboration with William Dean Chocolates, the company that made the chocolates featured in the Hunger Games movies, to produce a chocolate toffee stout beer called Cocoa Convergence.

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http://gkmen.com/2018/03/09/david-moyes-hopes-west-ham-home-form-will-prevent-relegation/

David Moyes hopes West Ham home form will prevent relegation

"Tomorrow [against Burnley] is the first of them". However, that hasn't stopped the former Chelsea man and he still plays for U.S. side Tampa Bay Rowdies in the second tier of the USA league and he has already started working on the future.

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http://www.tampabay.com/sports/2018/03/09/how-the-grand-prix-of-st-petersburg-became-one-of-indycars-crown-jewels/

How the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg became one of IndyCar’s crown jewels

ST. PETERSBURG — Ask drivers why they enjoy the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, and they'll start with stories away from the track.

"It's walking around," four-time IndyCar Series champion Scott Dixon said. "Going to these restaurants, they're all talking about the race. They're happy that it's here. Some of the venues are not like that."

And that, as much as anything, is why the Grand Prix has become a landmark event for North America's top open-wheel series.

Only three of IndyCar's 17 races have been around longer than the Grand Prix, which will run Sunday for the 14th consecutive year. Its TV audience trailed only the iconic Indianapolis 500 last season and is up 61 percent over the last four years. Race officials claimed record crowds in 2016-17, and drivers rank it alongside the series' other crown jewels — the Indy 500 and the Grand Prix of Long Beach — and compare it to Formula One's most famous event.

"This is our Monaco," IndyCar veteran Tony Kanaan said.

To grasp how remarkable it is to go from start-up to series staple, you have to understand the risky nature of motorsports, where events like this come and go.

Cars whizzed past Baltimore's Camden Yards from 2011-13 before scheduling and sponsorship trouble caused its cancelation. IndyCar raced double-headers on Houston's streets from 2013-14 but hasn't returned. A Boston race scheduled in 2016 never even happened because of infighting between city and race officials.

St. Petersburg's Grand Prix has been filled with roadblocks, too, dating to 1990. The first three iterations featured a federal lawsuit over the noise, a promoter going broke, sponsorship problems and a sanctioning body filing for bankruptcy. None lasted longer than six years.

The fourth, finally, took off. Although TV ratings peaked in 2011, last year's race drew almost 1.2 million viewers. That's triple the audience from 2005.

The race doesn't release official attendance figures but said attendance jumped 24 percent from 2013-17. Crowd estimates for the three-day weekend have more than doubled since 2005.

Can't beat the scenery

Participants and organizers cite many reasons for the Grand Prix's success, starting with its location.

Downtown provides beautiful waterfront shots for ABC's national telecast, which city officials consider a three-hour commercial for St. Petersburg. Drivers appreciate the well-maintained streets and ample passing opportunities along the 1.8-mile, 14-turn course that create compelling racing.

"We always have a lot of fun," 2008 Grand Prix winner Graham Rahal said. "How can you not when you're going to race downtown, right on the water?"

Especially considering the warm weather, which Midwest-based teams and fans are eager to experience after a winter up north (it snowed Wednesday in Indianapolis). Those out-of-town visitors help make an estimated economic impact of $48 million, according to a 2015 city study.

Drivers and city officials also credit the Grand Prix's growth to race owners Kim Green and Kevin Savoree, two motorsports veterans who also run events in Toronto, Mid-Ohio and Portland. The fact that the race has been the series opener for eight years in a row boosts its prominence, too.

All of those positives have helped the Grand Prix navigate potholes that derailed similar events elsewhere.

In 2013, Honda surprised organizers by ending its title sponsorship after nine seasons. The race was already well established by then, so Firestone signed on a month later and will be the top sponsor for at least two more years.

"When we came on board at the time, we had something that was proven," said Lisa Boggs, the director of Bridgestone Americas Motorsports. "Since then in the last five years, it's just gotten better and better and better."

An established community event

Some of that improvement traces back to another potential problem the Grand Prix faced in 2015: The city council wasn't happy. Although it eventually extended the race through 2020, members questioned whether the city was getting the best deal it could. One even suggested that St. Petersburg had outgrown the event.

"Whenever you have a strong partnership as we have with the city, when those kinds of things come up, you listen," Savoree said.

His company quickly went from listening to acting.

Businesses near the track wanted the Grand Prix's concrete barriers and fences to be built later and taken down sooner; the race trimmed a week off its construction time this year.

The Dali Museum and Mahaffey Theater wanted established schedules to help plan other events around the Grand Prix; on Thursday, the race announced its dates for 2019 (March 8-10) and 2020 (March 13-15).

"The relationship between the Grand Prix and The Dali Museum has evolved into a wonderful partnership," said Beth Bell, the museum's marketing director.

The Grand Prix tried to evolve its partnership with the rest of the city by expanding its offerings. It holds a 5K race on the track and a movie screening (Cars 3) Friday night at North Straub Park. It began giving race gear and free tickets to downtown businesses.

"The biggest difference to me is the relationship between the race and the community," Mayor Rick Kriseman said.

Kriseman knows that directly. When he was a city councilman in 2005, he heard complaints in "big numbers" from neighbors unhappy about the noise or stores who said it was killing their business. Now?

"Those have really gone away," Kriseman said.

They've gone away because the race is no longer a novelty. It's part of the community.

Residents and businesses know it's coming, and they've learned how to plan for it. Courigan's Irish Pub next to the track accepts a little less foot traffic before the event in exchange for an influx of patrons over the weekend. Sundial welcomes fans with checkered flag pennants hanging from shops.

"They embrace the race and find a way to fit it into their business plan and capitalize on that," said the Rev. Canon Katie Churchwell, a priest at the Cathedral Church of St. Peter and the president of the Downtown Business Association.

IndyCar drivers notice all of that. Dixon heard grumblings about road closures during the failed venture in Baltimore. That doesn't happen here.

Instead, drivers feel supported. Three-time Grand Prix winner Helio Castroneves remembers a cab ride a few years ago when the driver said he loves race weekend because business booms.

"People not involved in the race embrace it," said Castroneves, this year's grand marshal. "That's what you notice. That's why we enjoy it."

Grand Prix of St. Petersburg

Friday-Sunday, downtown streets. Race is 12:30 p.m. Sunday.

Tickets: $20 (Friday and Saturday general admission, ages 12 and under) to $135 (all three days, adult, upper rows). Paddock passes extra. See gpstpete.com or call 1-877-725-8849.

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http://www.tbreporter.com/special-interest/events/start-engines-st-pete/

Start Your Engines in St. Pete

The Firestone Grand Prix revs up for three days of auto racing in downtown St. Pete.

ST. PETERSBURG – The air in St. Pete has been alive this week with the roaring and whining sound of car engines as they prepare for this weekend’s Firestone Grand Prix.

This is the fourth year for the Firestone Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, which is run on a 1.8-mile, 14-turn waterfront circuit that includes a combination of adjacent downtown streets circling Pioneer Park, the Duke Energy Center for the Arts, and the Dali Museum. The course extends onto the runways at Albert Whitted Airport. The event serves as the opening race for the Verizon IndyCar Series season.

The week leading up to this weekend’s races included a kart race between several Tampa Bay area mayors. The winner was St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Kriseman.

For information about the Grand Prix, go to gpstpete.com.

Photo shows St. Petersburg Mayor Rick Kriseman on his way to winning a friendly kart race over other Tampa Bay area mayors. It also shows Kriseman wearing a Safety Helmet and the Grand Prix Flag that flies over St. Pete City Hall for the Duration of the event. photos courtesy of the city of St. Petersburg.

Firestone Grand Prix | St. Petersburg | Rick Kriseman | Sports | Tmapabay News

#FirestoneGrandPrix #StPetersburg #RickKriseman #Sports #TmapabayNews

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https://www.frontrowsoccer.com/2018/03/08/tough-to-watch-savarese-sad-to-see-cosmos-struggling/

TOUGH TO WATCH: Savarese sad to see Cosmos struggling

Giovanni Savarese: “Not being able to continue in the NASL is something you don’t want to see. So many people had done so much and put in so much effort.” (Photo by Joy Rubenstein)

He may be some 3,000 or so miles away these days, but in many ways Giovanni Savarese’s heart is still in New York.

And what he has seen happen to his former club, the Cosmos, has left him with a heavy heart.

The Cosmos won’t play this year as the North American Soccer League announced it won’t hold its 2018 seasonin the wake of the U.S. Soccer Federation’s decision to rescind its Division Two status.

“There is no doubt there is a level of sadness because of everything we lived with the Cosmos,” the Portland Timbers head coach said by telephone Wednesday night. “Not being able to continue in the NASL is something you don’t want to see. So many people had done so much and put in so much effort.”

Savarese then mentioned the names of the team’s three owners — Paul Kemsley, Seamus O’Brien and Rocco B. Commisso, the current boss, saying they “have tried to make sure the club survived and continues that it’s competitive.”

“We had so many great moments and so many difficult moments as well, but you never want to see a place where you had so many good experiences finishing the way right now or going through right now. Hopefully, there’s a positive future, hopefully, there is something they can figure out. But they always will have a special part in my heart for the time that I was there.”

During his five-year Cosmos tenure, the club captured the NASL championship three times and reached the 2017 final before losing to the San Francisco Deltas. Savarese left the team to coach the Timbers during the offseason.

So, not surprisingly, he took away countless good times and memories from the club.

“Wow! There’s so many,” said Savarese, who returns to the metropolitan area to coach against the Red Bulls at Red Bull Arena Saturday night. “I don’t think I can say there was one that better than another. There were so many great moments. How can you say that one is better than the other?

“How can you say having dinner with Carlos Alberto and he’s telling you the story of his life in soccer is better than sitting down with Pele and talking about his experiences with the Cosmos? And how can that be better than traveling to Dubai with the whole team to play matches and going to Qatar to convince Raul to come to New York. And seeing some players to go through the Comsos and continue to be successful. There’s great memories, so many good things we went through. Of course, I always have to throw in some difficulties as well because not everything was easy. But there’s so many, many great memories.”

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https://www.frontrowsoccer.com/2018/03/08/offside-remarks-carlos-mendes-would-be-the-perfect-man-to-coach-cosmos-b/

OFFSIDE REMARKS: Carlos Mendes would be the perfect man to coach Cosmos B

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https://www.cincinnati.com/story/sports/soccer/fc-cincinnati/2018/03/09/mls-expansion-rivals-meet-saturday-when-fc-cincinnati-hosts-sacramento-republic/411387002/

MLS expansion rivals meet Saturday when FC Cincinnati hosts Sacramento Republic

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https://www.bizjournals.com/sanantonio/news/2018/03/09/sa-and-austin-hispanic-chambers-join-i-35-mls.html

SA and Austin Hispanic chambers join I-35 MLS battle

A native San Antonian who now heads Austin's Hispanic Chamber has put the group's support behind that city's push for an MLS team.

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https://www.centerlinesoccer.com/2018/3/9/17102336/san-jose-earthquakes-academy-praise-mls-commissioner-don-garber-christian-pulisic-gilbert-fuentes

San Jose Earthquakes Academy garners praise from MLS commissioner Don Garber

Garber notes that Quakes beat out Christian Pulisic’s Borussia Dortmund for Homegrown player Gilbert Fuentes

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http://www.wtsp.com/article/news/local/14-years-strong-firestone-grand-prix-has-become-a-defining-moment-for-st-pete/67-527420006

14 years strong: Firestone Grand Prix has become a defining moment for St. Pete

The Firestone Grand Prix kicked off Friday, marking the 14th year the race has been held in St Pete and while some used to dread it, mainly because of the traffic, the noise and the massive amount of people.

Now there’s a change in the atmosphere. The city is now welcoming it with open arms, and it’s also being considered a defining moment for the city of St. Pete -- one of Indy Car’s crown jewels.

St. Pete Mayor Rick Kriseman says it’s the event grows every year.

“No question it’s gotten better every year. This year the suites and the boat slips sold out. The best thing is, this community is so jazzed for this race. People and businesses are excited.”

Kriseman says the Firestone Grand Prix is a huge economic boon for the area.

“According to estimates a couple years ago, the event brought in more than $50 million. It’s gotten bigger since then, so the impact on the city is tremendous”

Eric Jacky and his family came to St. Pete for the weekend from Orlando. “For us, it’s a yearly event. We bring the kids to see the race cars. I just sent a text to my wife saying we really need to live here.”

Tim and Lina Ruskell live in the area, “We think the races coming to St. Pete is fantastic,” Tim said. “It highlights this great city, the beach and the water, and all the activities around here.”

Race co-owner Kevin Savoree says you don’t have to be racing fan to take part in the weekend festivities.

“What we try to do is create a family fun environment. Whether it's rock wall climbing, a mechanical alligator, a slide, or the great food or the races, there is something for everyone,” he said.

Marketing and communications manager Steve Bidlack says it taken event organizers a year to prepare. “The preparations begin once the race ends. To build the track itself, it's about 28 days. It takes about two weeks to tear it down.”

The Indy cars will drive about 180 mph through the 1.8-mile, 14-turn course.

Bidlack says St. Pete is a perfect location to kick off the Verizon Indy Car series.

“St. Pete is often the Monaco of America. It’s beautiful, the waterfront, the palm trees. Why not St. Pete?” he said.

The weekend is more than Indy Cars. Many sports car drivers are participating in other races throughout the weekend.

Driver Toby Grahovec says St. Pete is among the best race sites in the U.S.

“It’s pretty cool to race out here and see all the fans. It's right on the water and it’s awesome. I’m really looking forward to the next two days of racing.”

Expect heavy traffic in Downtown St. Pete for the race. For a full list of street closures click here.

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https://www.soccerwire.com/notes/d-c-united-richmond-kickers-extend-affiliation-agreement-for-2018/

D.C. United, Richmond Kickers extend affiliation agreement for 2018

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https://www.uslsoccer.com/news_article/show/895727?referrer_id=2333971

Kickers, D.C. Continue Partnership

Agreement between two historic clubs enters sixth season

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https://www.frontrowsoccer.com/2018/03/09/from-captain-to-coach-cosmos-b-names-carlos-mendes-coach/

FROM CAPTAIN TO COACH: Cosmos B names Carlos Mendes coach

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https://twitter.com/CFlanaganFFT/status/971788331389476866

Chris Flanagan

‏Verified account

@CFlanaganFFT

Had a nice chat with Joe Cole for the new issue of @FourFourTwo about life at Tampa Bay, plus his plans to go into coaching or management. "I've got plenty of steps to take - but if you love football, you'd love to be manager of England, Chelsea or West Ham."

8:42 AM - 8 Mar 2018

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https://twitter.com/TampaBayRowdies/status/972137350062067712

Tampa Bay Rowdies

‏Verified account

@TampaBayRowdies

@BigStormBrewing

7:49 AM - 9 Mar 2018

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https://twitter.com/TampaBayRowdies/status/972140324536582145

Tampa Bay Rowdies

‏Verified account @TampaBayRowdies

.@RowdiesPete is hard at work this morning over at @BigStormBrewing!

8:01 AM - 9 Mar 2018

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https://twitter.com/thestevenmuncie/status/972308885129351169

steven muncie
‏
@thestevenmuncie

The @TampaBayRowdies won 5-2 against @USFMSOC earlier tonight. (📸 for http://GarySheltonSports.com )

7:11 PM - 9 Mar 2018