Expansion Rumors Megathread
- Thread starter MagnusPax
- Start date
It was my understanding that the NFL was just granting them permission. They still needed official approval for the stadium, and could still theoretically work with Oakland or any other market if LV had any issues. It does look official, but may still not happen? Not sure I got that right or not.
Very true, similar to Las Vegas voters against an MLS stadium and thus MLS not expansion to Vegas, the NFL will have to deal with a similar prospect.
I just hope they all remember the ordeal of the 2007 NBA All Star Weekend in Las Vegas and how shit that was.
Good analysis, and if Miami falls away, that helps Tampa's prospects, although I still have doubts that the league will put teams in both cities. Every other league is either/or.
Which is pretty dumb because the Soccer City guys are leaving room for an NFL stadium on the plot.
I still believe San Diego and St. Louis are the top two options for MLS.
I'm not sure Vegas is the best option anymore. It's a larger market than most think, but it's not *that* large, and competing with NFL is never easy. No baseball, but still.
Vegas is about 40% the size of Phoenix. It is about the same size as San Antonio (not counting nearby Austin) and San Antonio only has NBA to compete with. It's close, but I might put San Antonio above Phoenix, and Phoenix above Las Vegas. (Assuming the other two have stadium plans, but I believe they do.)
"Who knows" sums it up well. But I have a feeling Miami is dead, and so is his discount. If he wants in, he can be a figurehead of another bid, like Donovan is. Sacramento will get his spot, I hope.
It is becoming increasingly clear that the league is only going to add one extra team next year, LAFC.
Minnesota is terrible, and much of that is blamed on the notion that they didn't have enough time to get ready. Well, they were awarded the franchise on March 25, 2015, or just under 2 years before their first game.* Atlanta was awarded a franchise on April 14, 2014, or nearly one year earlier. LAFC, which starts next year, was awarded a franchise on October 30, 2014, or 3 years and 4 months before it will first play.
Well, if Miami were to get its act together and sign a stadium deal today, they would have less than one year to get ready for 2018. Miami have not signed a player, or a coach, or a GM or anything.
* - worth noting that both we and Orlando were awarded franchises less than 2 years before starting as well.
Minnesota is terrible, and much of that is blamed on the notion that they didn't have enough time to get ready. Well, they were awarded the franchise on March 25, 2015, or just under 2 years before their first game.* Atlanta was awarded a franchise on April 14, 2014, or nearly one year earlier. LAFC, which starts next year, was awarded a franchise on October 30, 2014, or 3 years and 4 months before it will first play.
Well, if Miami were to get its act together and sign a stadium deal today, they would have less than one year to get ready for 2018. Miami have not signed a player, or a coach, or a GM or anything.
* - worth noting that both we and Orlando were awarded franchises less than 2 years before starting as well.
You may very well be correct, but just because Minnesota Utd fcked up their transition to MLS doesn't mean another team playing in the USL/NASL would be as short-sighted regarding player acquisition. The quality of players is the only issue they have (perhaps also quality of coach, but that shouldn't be an issue for expansion) because they refused to spend money out of the gate. The most important factor is having a FO structure in place and running successfully. Signing players takes less time, and with the massive gaffe of Minn, the new GM would have a blueprint of what not to do (don't keep purse strings tied).
If anything, the shorter timeframe would help a USL/NASL leapfrog a from-scratch club for the second spot.
Just because everyone is beating up on MNU, I'll be a contrarian and say that there is no team in a better position to get better quicker than MNU. They should be relatively loaded with allocation money they haven't spent yet, plus they have all 3 DP spots. Two TAM CBs and a DP midfielder and a DP striker, and they're a team. Wayyy easier said than done, but doable.
Still doesn't change the fact they fcked up their transition.
As we experienced, it's a lot harder to identify/sign a quality TAM CB then it is to write about it.
MNU signed a lot of international players, many from northern Europe, and only kept a handful of their NASL players. Apart from the DPs (and hopefully the cap space necessary to fit their base salary) they might not have a lot of money left, including their TAM and GAM grants. I think it is more of a case that they spent poorly rather than did not spend (again, except for the DP dollars).
I agree that Minnesota should have done better, but I don't see how any team can go from zero to full MLS in 11 months or less.
A start from scratch team probably could not. A successful Tapped-up team from a lower league possibly could: They have an infrastructure already in place from FO, to fan base, to contracted training facilities.
TODAY is the day that decides the fate of #MLS2STL
http://www.foxsports.com/soccer/story/mls-expansion-st-louis-soccer-stadium-vote-040417
http://www.foxsports.com/soccer/story/mls-expansion-st-louis-soccer-stadium-vote-040417
When will we know? Tomorrow morning?
Also in the news, San Diego's proposal will go to a citizen vote in November, and MLS has said it will wait on the vote before it makes a decision. (I'd link, but can't access Twitter at work.) If nothing else, this definitely indicates that MLS sees San Diego as a front-runner and won't make a decision without them. Based on the San Diego data, I also think there will be a lot of "yes" votes down there from both soccer fans and SDSU fans that want a new football stadium.
Search for Proposition 1. Proposition 2 is just below it. Absentee ballots are in which are less than 1% of the vote. Yes for 1. No for 2. It's going to be a long night for St. Louis and MLS.
http://graphics.stltoday.com/apps/elections/
http://graphics.stltoday.com/apps/elections/
ferrarinycfc
Registered
I think MLS should take stock of where its at and award expansion slots to teams that have their ducks lined up, rather than hoping something might get done in cities that they prefer.
I think that for the most part, MLS has stipulated an ownership group must have a plan/ducks lined up before being considered. St. Louis is a special case as it's a massive soccer hotbed in an area underserved by MLS, so if there was a chance to have the pieces fall into place to make it happen, they were willing to work with the city. Kind of a chicken/egg situation. City would not consider the zoning/financing without being assured it wasn't going for naught, and MLS would award without knowing the city was backing the bid.
San Diego is a bit similar. Another massive sports and soccer hotbed underserved. It'd be a mini-coup for MLS to be the flagship sport (not counting the Padres because baseball is closer to golf than an action sport) in that city.
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