Garber Meets Miami Ultras; Says Support NASL Strikers First
After MLS Commissioner Don Garber received an onslaught of emails for months from a limited number of Miami Ultra supporters who wanted MLS back in the South Florida market, Garber met with them last weekend to have his say. He didn’t mince words with the group.
“Miami needs to change its reputation as a market that believes in professional soccer,” said Garber to 60 Miami Ultras and other soccer supporters. “I’m telling you as a guy who’s sitting in New York and promoting soccer matches, we worry about this market. This is a risky market for international soccer. There is no reason why it should be.”
According to Christopher Harris of Major League Soccer Talk who attended the meeting and wrote a good report, Garber encouraged the Ultras to grow their numbers and support their local team, Miami FC which will be called the Strikers this season. He stated they also need to support international games when they are played in the area. The MLS chief said that by putting thousands of fans in the seats of their local team they will send a message to the league and investors that they are serious about their commitment to soccer. But Garber made it clear that for now the market is not ready for MLS.
According to Harris during the Q & A time some supporters expressed frustration over the lack of marketing and information that has come from Miami FC in the past. NASL CEO Aaron Davidson was asked by Garber to attend the meeting. He addressed the supporters and said “the message was heard loud and clear” and that he would meet with South Florida soccer fans to work together to improve attendance at Strikers games in 2011.
IMS has talked to a number of South Florida soccer supporters who have been rightly frustrated by almost no marketing for Miami FC in the past. The Blues attendance is always one of the worst in the league and last year finished second to last and averaged a measly 1,254. That could have something to do with the fickle South Florida market. However, no one would know until the team actually spent time and money marketing the team. Something that Davidson has said he is now willing to do. The NASL front man has acknowledged to IMS in the past that Traffic didn’t want to put money into a team that played in a league where the owners had no control. He also claimed that now that the NASL is running the league, this year will be different.
This is the year to prove it.
Traffic owns the team and are investing heavily in the league. South Florida residents can raise MLS’s awareness of the market by attending games. The Strikers FC (or whatever the name will be – they have yet to formally announce a name and I’m not really sure why) can benefit by supporting those soccer fans by providing a decent product on the field and actually announcing to the market through advertising that they want them to come to games. But it has to start with Traffic marketing their team and actually caring about putting fans in the seats. This isn’t Brazil where people fill up futebol stadiums because it’s practically the national religion. You have to work at it in the U.S. and as Davidson recently said, anyone who invests in soccer in this country is a philanthropist. He also said the whole idea is to eventually make money. There’s nothing wrong with that, even if Traffic is getting the money. Getting fans in the seats helps grow the game and will offset costs so perhaps someday there will be profits in soccer.
We will be watching Traffic’s Strikers and the Miami soccer supporters carefully this season to see if they both put their money where their mouth is.
Comments are closed.
Nice of Garber to make a special trip on behalf of Davidson to address soccer in Miami…. Oh wait, he was already there for the MLS combine. I would not read too much into this that Davidson was invited to attend. It is NASL’s market to win or lose, after all.
I’m pretty sure he didn’t “fly to Miami to meet them”. I’m guessing he was in Miami for other reasons and took the time to make a PR visit.
Now, now Bart, not what I heard at all. Yes, it was convenient and no the meeting was not all about the NASL. That’s my focus so I chose to write about it that aspect. But I know this meeting is something Garber had planned for months. I think he had enough of the situation in Miami and wanted to set the record straight.
I had actually heard some of the details of this event before they happened and my take is that Garber knew in advance some of the issues with Miami FC and the complaints the supporters had. I also think he was genuine in wanting to support the team they do have down there.
Andy, looking back you and Bart are most likely correct and my choice of words is poor. I will edit that. However, see my earlier comment. Thanks.
@BQ – Didn’t attend the meeting myself, but have heard some feedback from some that did. You got The Don’s message right according to what I’ve heard – MLS does want to come back to this area, but it’s up to those involved in pro soccer down here now, ie. – Traffic and the fans – to raise up and show MLS we deserve another chance. But to me, this is nothing new. It’s what I’ve been saying for awhile now. The blueprint for getting into MLS in the current climate is plain as day – Portland, Vancouver, Montreal – they all stood tall on the D2 level and showed Garber they were ready and able to take the next step.
We have that opportunity down here now, and Garber didn’t beat around the bush. Traffic is where they said they’ve wanted to be all along – in control of their direction. Look, whether Traffic has any long term thoughts at all about the Strikers moving up to MLS is irrelevant. Their business model goals mirror what MLS-craving South Florida fans should want – big crowds, team sponsorship, a strong onfield product, and being a flagship franchise in a small, but hopefully growing and stabilizing D2 league.
The only competition for sports fan dollars in this area during the Strikers season will be the Marlins. Support for that joke of a franchise has never been lower, especially in Broward and Palm Beach where the Strikers, if marketed and named properly, will draw the majority of its fanbase from. Lockhart is easy to get to from anywhere in the tri-county area. The Ft. Lauderdale Strikers playing at Lockhart in the NASL once meant a great deal to this area, and to some degree, surely enough to build on and kickstart it again, still does. And the situation could not possibly be more ripe for it to do so right now for all these reasons.
I have my season tickets. They need to get the name change done, get merchandise available, and start telling this community the team is back. There is less then three months til the opening match. It’s hard for those of us who are already on board to reach out to others when none of this is done yet. We can help. Many South Florida fans already committed to the team want to help get the word out. But the organization has to get moving soon now and do their part with local advertising, most importantly.
@Bart – What a surprise. There you are with your mindless, pointless NASL bashing comments. You want to know why Garber met with fans here? Because MLS wants to be here at some point. Did he decide to meet with fans while he was local attending an MLS function? Absolutely. Garber is not going to fly ANYWHERE just to meet with fans in a city that wants but does not currently have a team. Try not to be quite so short-sighted.
Here are the facts. MLS is enjoying a period of stability unlike any other in their history. Their most recent expansion additions have been unparalelled successes. I’ll give you 1,000 to 1 odds Portland and Vancouver will be more of the same. Montreal too. A check with enough zeroes is no longer the sole criteria for getting an MLS franchise. The league is slowly but steadily built itself to the point where it can actually push for a better then ever tv contract. And that becomes the real key to the next level of success – tv and all the corporate dollars it unlocks from Pandora’s box. Garber knows this. He also knows that eventually he is going to need the best tv markets more then he needs an extra 3,000 – 5,000 fans/game in attendance.
Miami/South Florida is, and will always be be one of the top tv markets in the country. Hell, even as putrid as the Marlins attendance is, their tv numbers aren’t really all that bad. Right now there is no huge push to get South Florida’s tv market because the tv deal is not as big a player as it should in the not too distant future grow to be. The league is building towards it though, and I can’t imagine MLS not having teams in South Florida, Tampa, and Atlanta by the 2018 – 2020 time period.
That’s a long way off. But it’s also plenty of time for all the pieces to gradually flow into place. And hey, if the Strikers rebrand turns out to be far more effective then anyone even hoped for, it could happen even sooner. Because, as I said before, even if Traffic has no desire to move a team to MLS, they certainly seem like they are the kind of organization who would be more than happy to sell the trademark to someone else to use in MLS for a profit.
I would be interested in getting BQ’s opinion on whether MLS is expanding too fast by adding two teams this year and Montreal in 2012. It also sounds like there will be another team added/announced shortly.
I do agree with the above comments that South Florida needs to show their support for soccer at the ticket booth. I do not recall specific numbers off hand, but the few matches I watched last season down in Miami suggested there were a ton of empty seats.
It is my understanding that there are still a lot of MLS teams that are not profitable (correct me if I am wrong on this), and by adding more teams, it really puts more of a strain on the few teams making money. While I think the USSF standards for D2 are tough, I do agree they will have the long-term benefit of promoting league stability. Quite frankly, every soccer fan would love to have a MLS team in their backyard, however, I would really hate to see MLS and other league decline and contract like the WPS.
Strikes Return
I don’t see how my comments were “bashing” in any way. The point is that Garber is in Miami for an MLS function, he had the opportunity to talk to fans from a PR perspective and the fact that he invited Davidson to attend should not be construed to mean that he has any “special” relationship with Davidson.
I would suspect that given the increase in the US hispanic population and their obvious interest in soccer, it is somewhat frustrating that this market is that anemic.
Nothing more, nothing less…….
@Soccerboy – MLS isn’t going to become profitable on a widespread basis in the short term without a bigger and better TV contract. That’s when the dollars will start rolling in, and with “revenue sharing” or however you want to call the league set up, that will instantly raise the value of every team. Look at baseball. Do you know why the Marlins owners are able to stuff so much cash into their pockets every year despite being a tenant with a bad deal in a stadium, and having one of the worst attendance figures in the league? Easy. They do not spend on players (the biggest drain on income) and they sit back and collect the ton of revenue sharing cash that flows into their bucket. Is this the best system? Of course not. And now that they swindled Dade County into paying for them to have a brand spanking new stadium, they’ll make even more with the same putrid team and after the stadium novelty wears off, even less fan support.
Anyway, unlike the Ultras, my main concern is not seeing our team turn into an MLS side in the next couple of years. If it does, I’ll be happy. But what I want most is for the Strikers to be able to survive and thrive in whatever league they are in so I can take my son to watch them just like my father took me to see the original Strikers. I’ll be the first to say our attendance numbers have been embarrassing and it’s a large part of the reason people scoff when anyone mentions South Florida and MLS in the same sentence. But everything is in place to turn that around this year if the right moves are made.
@Bart – You’re the only one who seems to be talking about any kind of special “relationship” between Garber and Davidson, or by proxy, MLS and the NASL. Davidson is on record as saying he and the league want very much to cultivate some kind of relationship with MLS. You’d have to be stupid not to if you were the newly sanctioned D2 league in North America. If I was Davidson, I wouldn’t have waited for an invite from the Don, I’d have just shown up anyway. Nothing wrong with a little brown-nosing at this stage of the game for NASL as far as I’m concerned. They need to pull out all stops to find a way to become a stable D2 league. Get MLS to allow you to attach even the smallest string in any way that you can.
But I still think you are missing the entire point be trying to be critical about something that didn’t even seem to be BQ’s intent in writing the piece. Garber plainly stated – support the Strikers if you want us to notice you. It’s what the last three expansion slots were based on. I know Seattle wasn’t as big in supporting D2, but certainly were better then Miami FC, so you could add them to the list even. That’s the thing to take away from this situation. I think he invited Davidson simply because this was his message, and Davidson’s club is the one in question. If I had to guess I would say Traffic probably is interested in jumping to MLS, but like The Don, needs to be convinced by fan support first – and even moreso because it would be Traffic putting up the money, at least in part you’d think, to make the jump ultimately.
Your comments about the hispanic population are a common misconception about support for soccer in our area. Yes there are a large number and a wide variety of hispanic people in South Florida. But what I’ve seen over the years has molded my opinion into this – by and large they do not take American pro soccer seriously, as they feel like it is sub-standard. Let me put it to you another way. How did most Americans feel about NFL Europe? “Second rate” football would probably be a kind way to put it. Well, that’s how I think a large portion of the hispanic community views American soccer. I think they love to come here and embrace American pro teams in other sports, because for the most part these sports are new to them, or certainly the world class of their play is right here at least. But when it comes to futbol, they have “hometown” teams of their own already, and the level of play, or at least the perception of it, keeps them from taking a larger interest. Now of course that does not apply across the board, nothing ever does. But I think it is very valid in South Florida to a significant degree.
And to finish that thought, this is why it makes even more sense that the most successful pro soccer franchise in the history of South Florida has never began its name with “Miami.” You have to target your main audience more narrowly in a sport that does not have the popularity and large scale structure already in place that the other major league sports do. Plus this is still D2 we’re talking about now. Broward and Palm Beach need to be the main targets of Traffic’s marketing efforts. That’s how this team will succeed.
“The NASL front man has acknowledged to IMS in the past that Traffic didn’t want to put money into a team that played in a league where the owners had no control. He also claimed that now that the NASL is running the league, this year will be different.”
Sure it will be. Everything’s going to be unicorns and rainbows now that the NASL is in charge.
Amazing how others put money into their teams that played in the league where the owners had no control and they had success. Imagine that! They’re in MLS now. Traffic certainly didn’t throw away a lot of money on their USL team, but I can’t for the life of me see how they’d all of a sudden open the pursestrings just because their guy is now in charge of the league, especially given that they’re now owning half the league including their own team.
Completely agree with Garber. Miami already tried and failed once in MLS; they’re not going to try again unless they’re assured of adequate support.
Now we just need to teach all of these clowns across the leagues the same thing about Vegas, since the NHL and NBA both think it’s going to be a great sports market. I’ll believe it when I see it.
@Strikers Return:
Thanks so much for explaining the very common take of many Hispanics in a lot of areas of this country when it comes to soccer here in the States. That has also been my experience. Many Hispanics embrace clubs here but many do not–even when the clubs back home are no better than the ones we have here–the style is just different, more appealing to them. Or they prefer to watch big league soccer on tv (like a lot of non-Hispanic soccer loving folks who live here and could care less about MLS or lower divisions).
I loved the NFL Europe analogy.
Rumor has it that the 16th USLPRO team is going to be based in Broward–So the Strikers are very possibly going to have some competition (which Davidson has addressed before).
Rumors also say that that 16th USLPRO club will be annoinced sometime in the next couple of weeks (which makes a lot of sense–no matter where it is because schedules need to be done).
The meeting was productive on several fronts. Not so much telling the Ultras what we didn’t already know, but giving us something tangible to sell to fans that want to see MLS come back but don’t want to help. We need people to show up to Strikers games. It looks like WPS will be playing games down here too. We need all of South Florida’s soccer fans to rally around the teams we have now.
Whether or not Traffic wants to join MLS is irrelevant. By showing up to Strikers games in large numbers, that can spur someone else to get involved and perhaps bring MLS back. Personally I do not care at this point. MLS says they want to be here, but they’d clearly rather be in NYC, which they gush over at every opportunity. Their unapologetic lust for NYC, a market no less “risky”than South Florida, while they totally ignore every other potential MLS market, even telling South Florida “we won’t be the ones leading the charge to bring a team here”, has soured me on the league.
I would be perfectly happy living the rest of my life cheering for a D2 club, provided it is a stable and well managed club akin to the Timbers, Whitecaps or Impact. The hopefully Fort Lauderdale Strikers have a unique opportunity to turn what was a disaster in Miami FC into just such an operation, by catering to an overlooked area of South Florida fans and bring the passion that was seen for soccer in the 70s and 80s back. The Strikers will be the only pro team in Broward County in the summertime, and will be cheaper for fans to go to than the Marlins at their new palace to Jeffrey Loria’s ego in Miami. And if they can make the playoffs, they’ll do something the nearby Florida Panthers haven’t been able to accomplish in a decade. The area is ripe for the picking and I hope they do things right.
One interesting to note is that it seems as though MLS and NASL will have a much closer working relationship off the bat than MLS did with USL.
Unak78, it does seem that way doesn’t it?
Yankiboy, recently I heard the 16th team was coming from the West Coast. Either way there has to be issues because this was supposed to have been done and taken care of already and the schedule announced. Somethings up.
Ultra, thanks for the comment. Love to hear from people who are in the mix of the issue and who are engaged and knowledgeable.
I’m getting over the Ultras and their no marketing complaints: they had a Miami FC billboard on a interstate where thousands drive. Also why do they think they deserve a MLS team? for example FCTB drew 8,000+ for their home opener which nearly averaged the Fusion’s attendance and that’s for a D2 team. So I agree with Garber, he can’t justify a market where fans don’t support local soccer.
Any word from Florida on the Strikers marketing? Traffic either steps up in order to make money, or lets players sales drive the league.
@KT – Uh Kenn, I didn’t hear Mr. Davidson say anything about unicorns or rainbows. Did a few beers and a Rainbow Brite marathon before you posted make things a little fuzzy for you? What do you mean you can’t see how they’ll open their pursestrings now that they are exactly where they said they wanted to be all along? Are you not really paying attention and just NASL bashing again? Traffic has poured out cash all over the place to ensure D2 has a chance! They are trying to lay a foundation. Obviously they don’t want to back the league indefinitely. They want to put in place a framework they believe will lead to a successful product long term. If they can take some steps in a positive direction in the first couple of seasons, they hope that will encourage the right investor groups to get on board. My God man, is there anything besides blind cynicsm in anything you say?
@yankiboy – Not being hispanic myself, I certainly can’t speak for the hispanic community. I was just giving my take on what I’ve seen over many years of living in an area with a large hispanic population, and what I’ve gathered from speaking with people. I think it will always be difficult to sell pro soccer in America to hispanic immigrants, especially for another generation or two at least. As for a USL franchise trying its luck in South Florida….all I can do is laugh. This isn’t San Antonio where Holt’s tactics of “flooding the market” with one more team then is supportable is going to work. No one in this area is going to watch a D3 USL team instead of the Ft. Lauderdale Strikers, it would probably not even last a full season without the league paying for it. That would be a very, very weak play by USL, and it would show even further that they are far too concerned with what NASL is doing rather than minding their own store.
Actually at this point I think USL would be smart to just stop with the 15 they have and make a schedule already. I can’t wait to see how it looks under their “new regional model.”
@ WSW – So Miami FC had one billboard. They put it up promoting the last two games of the 2009 season, when the team had already been eliminated from the playoffs. And it wasn’t near either of the stadiums(Lockhart or FIU) where those games were being held. Fun fact, that billboard is still up, faded and now promoting a team that no longer exists. Thanks to some sort of dispute between the owner of the ad space and the Seminoles who own the land, it hasn’t been changed. Free promotion? Sure. But it also makes the team look bad having the only billboard they’ve ever had promoting games that were played well over a year ago.
And for all we’ve complained, they did try to market the team the first 2-3 seasons in Miami to a decent extent. But the poor quality of the team and location didn’t lead to that being very effective. Now they have a clean slate and a chance to really do things right in Fort Lauderdale, returning our reputation for supporting soccer back to what it was in the original NASL.
Frankly if it wasn’t for Miami, South Florida might been viewed as a great domestic soccer market, perhaps still with an MLS team. But we’ve had two uninformed and egotistical ownership groups come in, mystified by the South Beach image and the Hispanic soccer base in and around Miami, and managed to screw it all up with the “Miami” Fusion and Miami FC. I’ll support any soccer team in South Florida, but I’m throwing 90% of my support behind the Strikers and Fort Lauderdale, because the only player truly interested in MLS right now is Marcelo Claure, and he’s shown no intent whatsoever of basing a potential team anywhere north of Miami proper. Every pro team that’s even been associated with Miami(Gatos/Toros, Freedom/Sharks and Miami FC, plus the Miami Fusion who played in Fort Lauderdale) was a disaster. However Fort Lauderdale, in the NASL and later the ASL/APSL, has proven to be a stable and good soccer market, unless of course you insult the local fanbase by pushing a “Miami” team in the home of the Strikers, as seen with the Fusion and 1.5 seasons of Miami FC. I can only hope with the return of the Strikers I am proven right about this market, because as I’m too young to remember either Strikers team of old, I’d like to see great crowds and an excited community for my local team once in my lifetime.
As for the mythical USL Pro team that may or may not play in Broward, I’ll believe it when I see it. Last I heard it was going to actually be the Haitian National Team, since they don’t have a place to train or play because of the earthquake. From a humanitarian standpoint, it’s a innovative idea and I applaud that. But it reeks of USL trying to sabotage the NASL by putting a team literally 15 minutes from where the Strikers play. They apparently need to line up sponsors/investors to make it happen, and I’ve heard el zilcho since the idea was first reported, so I doubt it happens. Granted, I don’t think they would threaten the Strikers at all in terms of splitting the fan base, but it still seems shady on the part of USL. Just like them partnering with the Spurs in San Antonio to potentially field a team that would challenge the NASL Scorpions, a team that happen to be backed by a philanthropist doing great things for that community.
@Strikers Return: I very much appreciated your thoughts. I think that they were very well articulated and accurate.
I never thought that you were trying to speak for the Hispanic community. I’m not Hispanic either but I can relay what I’ve heard while when talking to neighbors, and hanging out in the parks, cantinas, the street and playing futbol (before I got broken down and old) in the Hispanic leagues in the Baltimore-Washington corridor.
DC United did a great job marketing to Hispanics. Better than a lot of other MLS clubs have. You could see it in the game day experience and promotional materials. The latino focus presence is very clear. Too bad the team has gone down drain. In the DC area, the club has done a really good job of marketing to the local Hispanic community and they have been a key part of the attendance and growing the club.
Some other clubs like Houston have also done a really good job.
It is a tough sell but there are some places that have done a very good job over the years. Some others haven’t had as much success as they would have hoped for.
Based on your response about the USLPRO club, can we take it that you haven’t heard anything about one coming to the area?
Mr. Davidson spoke about it a couple months ago and stated that Strikers would be sure to distinguish themselves based on the superiority of their producty if they did face any sort of turf “invasion” by USL.
@Ultra: I love your distinct South Florida take.
I guess that the Broward thing is dead.
Maximum respect.
@BQ: Thanks for the headsup on the 16th USLPRO club. Maybe it is about time that they drop the line in all of their league press propoganda.
Wow. Out West?!? Couldn’t be any further away than the rumors that I had heard.
Enough already. We are almost half way through January… Time to sing or step away from the mic.
KT is snarky. I am beginning to think I know his alter-ego.
You can’t hide snarkiness or grumpiness.
My guess is KT is scared of certain parts of St. Paul.
impactmontreal Impact de Montréal
Des dirigeants à Baltimore au cours des prochains jours pour des meetings de la #NASL et de la #MLS/Exec. in BAL for #NASL and #MLS meetings
fast translation
NASl and MlS Representatives going to meet in Baltimore
Ultra is very much in tune with the scene down here, especially being a member of the Ultras supporters group. They’re small for now, but loud and proud from what I’ve seen. Lover the Strikers jerseys in the stands at Lockhart last year! LOL
@yankiboy – I haven’t heard anything at all about a USL Pro team in Ft. Lauderdale other then the mentions here and there Holt and Co. have made. That idea about the Haitian national team playing here as a D3 team is really the only one I could give even the slightest credence to.
Again, I must put out a disclaimer – I am not Haitian – but from what I have seen and would from it make an opinion on, was even if this was the case, you would not really be affecting the Strikers attendance at all. Maybe Ultra or another Miami FC fan who has followed the current D2 team longer then I have could chime in, but I didn’t notice too large of a haitian contingent in the crowd at Lockhart when I was there. Since the earthquake an already large local haitian population has grown even further with these poor people doing what they can to escape the sad conditions down there right now and coming here to live at least temporarily with family already here. So I’m sure that something positive like being able to see their national team playing on a regular basis would be something of great pride and a positive for their community. However, that said, you have the factor of cost involved. Truth is, I don’t know how many tickets they’d be able to sell, even if the demand from the haitian community was strong.
That’s all speculation on my part of course. Any other form of a USL Pro team attempted to be set up in this area would fall flat completely. The Ultras as well as all the soccer fans of this area will choose to spend their sports entertainment dollars on the tradition of the Ft. Lauderdale Strikers over anything else in a heartbeat. No chance a USL Pro team outside of the Haiti possibility exists here for more than one season, unless Holt and Co. decide to keep funding it just to spite NASL and so they can say they have a team in the same market. Just makes no sense at all in the end really.
@Strikers Return: Thanks for the feedback. With BQ’s intel and the good feedback from you & Ultra, I am pretty much going to bet that Broward County USLPRO ship sailed of to NEVERland…
sylvain
Of course MLS and NASL are meeting in Baltimore… so is MLS and USL and USSF and the Hush Puppy parade.
How about your boy Saputo and Garber in Baltimore, this would be a sound bite as well.
Strikers Return and Yankiboy:
Enough with the USL bashing and the NASL propaganda. Let’s see what happens in February. We need D2 in this country, but whoever it is, it needs to truly be a long term proposition.
Bart- I am having trouble finding the USL bashing on Strikers Return part. Over the months I have found his comments and thoughts to be among the most reasonable and rational.
@Bart: I am really confused. I’m not the smartest guy online so maybe you were being sarcastic and I am missing the joke.
The comment directed towards me about “USL Bashing and NASL Propoganda”.
Were you being serious or was it an attempt at humor that just went over my head.
Before I respond or know whether to take the comment seriously or not, I just want to be sure that I get where you are coming from.
Like I said, I’m not the brightest bulb in the bunch and sometimes my attempts at humor are lost on my fellow internet brethren so I would appreciate if could just shed a little light on where you were going with that comment.
(Coz it seems like you were “calling me out. lol)
Thanks a lot, Bro.
I really like the newly developing relationship between MLS and NASL.
The expansion of MLS will be fairly limited after Montreal and the next team to be announced (my guess in NY). Upon adding the team that follows Montreal MLS will be at 20 teams. Most other top leagues around the world are at 20. That makes for 38 league games. When you add the Open Cup, some friendlies, preseason, play-offs, and CCL for 1 or more teams, that brings the number of games way high.
In my opinion MLS will likely start moving teams from one market to another in order to grow.
In addition, the NASL stands to grow from this.
just my thoughts.
@Bart – In fairness I can admit that I have taken my share of shots at USL. But, I don’t blindly lob flaming balls of pitch. I try to form criticisms based on facts and past history. My words regarding USL in my last few posts all centered around their mentions of a possible expansion franchise in South Florida, specifically Ft. Lauderdale. Are you considering it “bashing” when I tell you, that as a life long soccer fan, and an individual who has lived in this area for over 35 years, a USL Pro franchise has ZERO chance of “stealing” any fans away from the Strikers?
I can be just as critical of Traffic, the owners of MY team, and the driving force behind the NASL. It has been extremely frustrating to see the absolutely putrid and embarrassing attendance figures Miami FC has had the last few years. And do you know where I lay 100% of the blame for that? Traffic. Their side of it is they didn’t want to spend the money when they had no control or say in the direction of the league. Well, that time is past. That explanation will not hold water anymore. The ball is in their court, and the fanbase down here is ready to see them follow through with the proper commitment to what is needed to make things work here. The rebirth of the Ft. Lauderdale Strikers has the potential to be very successful, but it is in Traffic’s hands. We are hopeful they do what it takes.
@thesuperrookie – Thanks for the kind words. Guys like Kenn T. who just blast away while quite often not really even making a point, frustrate me. I can be just as critical as he is about something when I feel strongly. I just think it makes sense that if you’re looking for intelligent debate on someting you’re passionate about, ALWAYS being a jerk is the quickest way to get yourself ignored, so I try not to be too harsh.
@fotbalist – The soccer realist in me wants to agree with your thoughts about stopping at 20. But the most important thing you have to remember is, MLS isn’t trying to be like the rest of FIFA’s world. Honestly, the fact that it isn’t is probably what will help it continue to gradually grow and stabilize further, and eventually allow it to move beyond 20 teams.
In theory, a D1 capped at 20 teams SHOULD actually be helpful to the growth and strengthening of D2, as any market after 20 that had the ability to support a pro soccer team SHOULD be able to start filling in the D2 level on the pyramid. However, sports investors in this country don’t seem to think along these lines. There are the Charlestons and Des Moines of the country that for whatever reason seem to really embrace “minor league” teams just as they are, with no burning desire to move up. But these are the exception, not the rule. Lots of cities would just say, you know what, if we don’t have a prayer of getting to MLS, we’re just not bothering with a team. Miami (Miami proper mind you, not all of South Florida) is just this kind of town. South Beach doesn’t do “minor leagues.” But Ft. Lauderdale already has the history and tradition of the Strikers in its past, and even at the D2 level, they can still be a big draw for Broward and Palm Beach, and even to some degree Miami-Dade.
Miami is a JOKE. Biggest bandwagon fans in all of sports who will only show up to games if it’s “fashionable” to be seen at them. Yea, that sounds like loyalty. Just ask the Heat and Marlins and they’ll tell you what’s up with their d–bag fans.
@Earth: Wow. Sounds like you don’t think to much of the Miami sports landscape, huh? Yankiboy to Earth: Please tell us how you really feel about Miami and please do NOT be so politically correct or go the Oprah route the next time. I think that some of us get the feeling that you were holding back. Take off the gloves, Playah…
Just like i said months ago Miami needs to support the lower div team first before they get an MLS team. Go Garber!!
Like I sad it before step in line strikers and wait your number other city and teams have bigger backing and bigger attendance than you let’s face fact and not fool ourselves. Tampa has a team with old NASL history that would be a perfect MLS team including Tampa attendance last season was fifth in league. ST Louise an Austin is other cities which don’t have a team but can be perfect cold starts like Philadelphia. ST Louise had a 41,252 total attendance and Austin had 55,990 total attendances plus your reputation for being a sport city is not their. Sorry Striker I just can’t see it I would like to but I can’t.
21010
Home Attendance G Total Avg.
Montreal 15 185,952 12,397
Portland 15 160,899 10,727
Rochester 15 96,965 6,464
Vancouver 15 77,237 5,149
Tampa Bay 15 57,996 3,866
Austin 15 55,990 3,733
St. Louis 15 41,252 2,750
Puerto Rico 15 35,368 2,358
Carolina 15 33,611 2,241
Minnesota 15 20,608 1,374
Miami 15 18,809 1,254
Baltimore 15 16,122 1,075