And then there was one.
With Wednesday’s announcement that the City of Atlanta has been awarded an MLS expansion franchise, the league is now just one team away from reaching Commissioner Don Garber’s magic number of 24. That is, of course, assuming that David Beckham’s Miami franchise gets off the ground, which they will upon finalizing a plan for a soccer-specific stadium.
Read that “finalizing a plan for a soccer-specific stadium” part again. Do it once more.
Doesn’t sound familiar? You’re not alone.
Major League Soccer has reached an expansion crossroads. Unfortunately for fans of the beautiful game in North America, the league hasn’t just taken a wrong turn. It threw out the whole map. It’s time to get worried.
Since 2005, Major League soccer has added nine new franchises, with another four coming into the league by 2017. Expansion 1.0, from 2005-2012, was about reaching out to soccer hotbeds. These were areas with histories of dedication to the sport, owners who were invested in their franchise more than just by name, and a drive to change soccer in North America. They weren’t always the biggest markets (Portland and Salt Lake City come to mind), but they punched far above their weight.
Expansion 2.0, from 2013 to the foreseeable future, is about reaching out to the megacities. It’s about grabbing the big kids and throwing them in the water, even if they don’t know how to swim. We got a taste of it back in 1.0, with Toronto in 2007 and Philadelphia in 2010, but we are now getting the three-course meal: Atlanta, Miami, and New York. Orlando, the side that will join MLS with New York City FC in 2015, will be our last look at the old era.
Don’t get me wrong. Big cities are important for any professional sports league. Nine times out of 10 I would take Philadelphia’s expansion bid over Peoria’s. More people means more potential fans, which means more exposure and ultimately more money.
But money is power. And the power is currently in the wrong hands. Correct me if I’m wrong political science people, but when an individual has more power over the state, things get bad.
Major League Soccer has willingly put themselves at the mercy of their owners. We all know how Jorge Vergara drove Chivas USA into the ground, but owners in D.C. and New England are doing the exact same. And a quick glance at stadium situations shows the trend will continue.
Atlanta will play in a downsized football stadium with a turf field. It’s identical to the situation in Vancouver, except for the fact they won’t even consider moving out. Not good.
Miami’s stadium is currently non-existent. Not only are they fighting local government for prime waterfront real estate, but they face a taxpaying population that is still upset about Marlins Park. Hope for the best, expect far less.
New York City FC will soon announce their plan to play at Yankee Stadium for three seasons. I think I’ve made my point.
For all we know, the next expansion side could play in a cricket ground in Madagascar, so long as Mark Zuckerberg wants in. It’s not right.
The league is looking at the wrong bottom line. Fans have been ignored in favour of money. And for all we know, the money might not even be there.
Arthur Blank will own two Atlanta sports teams. He says he will spend big on both of them. I don’t buy it, especially when one of them plays in the cash cow that is the NFL.
NYCFC will be even worse. Their best and brightest will go straight to England, while England’s worst will go the other way. The latest rumours that suggest Martin Demichelis could be on his way to America are much more convincing than the Xavi Hernandez ones.
I’m in no way hoping the league fails in its latest round of expansion. I just don’t think things are going to work out. I think that MLS, having made leaps and bounds in the last decade, is heading in the wrong direction. I think that questions about the league’s chances of survival could come up if things really go poorly. I’m as scared as anybody.
I want to see a better MLS. I want to see an expansion team go to the passionate fans in San Antonio. I want to see genuine owners with legitimate stadium plans show themselves in Minneapolis and St. Louis. I want New York and Los Angeles to only have one team each and move their second clubs to more deserving cities.
I want what MLS says they want. The plan I just outlined has 24 teams, as far-reaching as possible, with a focus on sustainability.
That’s soccer-specific. And you don’t need a map to figure out how to get there.
Happy Streak: On hold at 2
Nervous Streak: 1
Until next Monday everyone…
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