(03-26-2015 04:24 PM)green Wrote:  

(03-26-2015 02:40 PM)chess Wrote:  Miami may not be a good market. Consider the Marlins, their success, and their fan support. Beckham should have joined LAFC's ownership group.

http://worldsoccertalk.com/2015/03/26/mi...er+Talk%29

“I was hanging out at Jennifer Lopez’s house. [Ding!] Marc Anthony is a friend of mine. [Ding!] He was her husband. This was out in L.A. The producer Simon Fuller [Ding!] dropped by because he was working with Jennifer on something to do with American Idol. We got to talking about soccer. He brings up David Beckham [Ding?] and says we should get together to talk about Miami. He gives me his phone number. I call him.”

“He’d never been to Miami before the day we met,” Marcelo Claure CEO of Sprint explained. “As I was driving over to his hotel to pick him up, I was so nervous. I didn’t know anything about the guy, what he was like. He could have been an a_ _hole, you know? But right away, we clicked. I took him to a Miami Heat game. We went for sushi. We went out to clubs on Miami Beach. Every club! We talked about everything: girls, life. At the end of the night, we shook hands and said, ‘Let’s do this!’”

Beckham, who theoretically could have placed his franchise anywhere, had clearly targeted only Miami. What other city would he have chosen? “Miami has a beach and nightclubs and soft weather and restaurants crowded with celebrities from around the world. Albuquerque? St. Louis? Edmonton? Not very Posh.”

Claure told me Beckham green-lighted Miami as his city of choice after only one night clubbing on South Beach.

Again, what city without a Major League Soccer team best helps grow David Beckham’s brand? Baltimore? Minneapolis? El Paso?
-- Robert Andrew Powell

Miami is a sophisticated metropolis that appreciates the business of sport: winning
U win, we show ...
U don't, we won't ...
it's not terribly complicated ...
there's too much competition here for the entertainment dollar to blend in with the crowd ...

BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND

As a former Boca Raton resident, season ticket holder for the Marlins and Heat, and big time fan of the U, the only thing that would have made this post better would have been to incorporate "bling" around the "ding". One may need to have lived in So FL to get the intended humor.

(03-25-2015 10:59 PM)goofus Wrote:  This may seen like a dumb question, but why not just play the MLS games at TCF Bank stadium where the Gophers play. Its fairly new and good enough for a temporary home for the Vikings and at 54k seating capacity, not over-sized.

i mean after the Twins, Gophers, and Vikings new stadiuns, how many new stadiums does Minneapolis really need?

The only way MLS teams have proven to be profitable (excluding Seattle) has been when they control their own stadium.

Not to mention, I don't think the dimensions of TCF are the right size for a standard soccer field. Also, 54K is still over sized for the MLS. Just looking at recent stadiums, the "right size" is 18-25K.

(03-27-2015 03:21 PM)NoDak Wrote:  A DIII, NAIA, or former JC can't move to DI without spending time (5yrs I think) in DII.

Belmont, Lipscomb, Houston Baptist, Utah Valley etc couldnt directly transition to DI from those organizations any more.

Macalester, Carleton, and St Olaf have almost twice St Thomas' endowment, but with smaller enrollments.

The proposed stadium is just west of I94 in downtown Mpls, just across from Target Field.

Yes, I know where the proposed stadium is located.

Carleton and St. Olaf are obviously not in a position (literally) to play football in downtown Mpls.

MAC is a "brainy" school that doesn't play football in the MIAC. I doubt they'd ever have interest in financially emphasizing athletics. UST on the other hand, I think might.


What you say might be true, but I don't think it would really matter that much. If there was an FCS conference in need of a member and had an agreement with UST to move up directly, I have no doubt the NCAA would grant a waiver.

Afterall, what happens below FBS really doesn't matter to anyone.

So then, the only question is if UST is willing and if there is an FCS conference that would like to have them. Like say the MVFC, if several teams left. Or if the Summit League started their own conference and wanted more members in the north.

Kick ball is exactly that. Kick ball

(03-28-2015 04:47 PM)MplsBison Wrote:  

(03-27-2015 03:21 PM)NoDak Wrote:  A DIII, NAIA, or former JC can't move to DI without spending time (5yrs I think) in DII.

Belmont, Lipscomb, Houston Baptist, Utah Valley etc couldnt directly transition to DI from those organizations any more.

Macalester, Carleton, and St Olaf have almost twice St Thomas' endowment, but with smaller enrollments.

The proposed stadium is just west of I94 in downtown Mpls, just across from Target Field.

Yes, I know where the proposed stadium is located.

Carleton and St. Olaf are obviously not in a position (literally) to play football in downtown Mpls.

MAC is a "brainy" school that doesn't play football in the MIAC. I doubt they'd ever have interest in financially emphasizing athletics. UST on the other hand, I think might.


What you say might be true, but I don't think it would really matter that much. If there was an FCS conference in need of a member and had an agreement with UST to move up directly, I have no doubt the NCAA would grant a waiver.

Afterall, what happens below FBS really doesn't matter to anyone.

So then, the only question is if UST is willing and if there is an FCS conference that would like to have them. Like say the MVFC, if several teams left. Or if the Summit League started their own conference and wanted more members in the north.

I think the first question you have to ask is, would MN United even let them use the stadium? Football tears a field up pretty bad and high level soccer needs a high level field. Also, the seasons of the two would significantly overlap. The MLS season runs from March to the end of October with playoffs extending into December. This schedule would be a burden for both parties, with MN United trying to quickly remove stripes and repair the field and UST trying to schedule practices and games around MN United matches.

Finally, there is no reason compelling the club to allow UST to play there. The only reason the Dynamo share their field with Texas Southern is because TSU was tied in to get public funding.

(03-27-2015 08:44 AM)arkstfan Wrote:  Honestly if I were Beckham, I'd find someone in San Antonio or Sacramento or where ever willing to fork out $100 million for an MLS team. Tell them they can have mine for $100 million. Plop down the $25 million at the MLS offices, go to the press conference hang around for a few games collect my $100 million from the new owner and ride into the sunset.

Beckham was awarded the option to acquire an MLS expansion franchise when he joined the fledgling league in 2007. He exercised the option a year ago at a price tag of $25 million—a nice discount with the average franchise valued at more than $100 million. MLS granted the franchise with one caveat: Beckham finalize an agreement with Miami for a downtown stadium.

Beckham’s option stipulates a downtown Miami location and is not transferable to another city as it is currently written
-- Forbes 3/11/2015

Neither Beckham’s group nor MLS have publicly set any deadlines for announcing a stadium location.
-- Miami Herald 2/4/15

We're pretty close to announcing certain things and then the stadium will come after that. You can't build a stadium overnight, so finding the right site, finding the right place in Miami is important for us. But it will all start coming together pretty quickly and everything will start happening pretty soon. I'm really excited about that. Being an ex soccer player to have my own team, I'm excited about that. ... it doesn't get much better than that.
-- David Beckham 1/29/15

MIAMI VISE

(03-26-2015 11:16 AM)green Wrote:  

(03-25-2015 11:21 PM)Frank the Tank Wrote:  The MLS is like every other pro sports league where the franchise is being awarded with the promise that a new soccer-only stadium is getting built. This franchise had been earmarked for a David Beckham-led group in Miami

http://www.miamiherald.com/news/local/co...77331.html

The Marlins Park option has been a favorite for political leaders since last year’s botched efforts to bring Major League Soccer to PortMiami or downtown Miami’s waterfront. Miami already owns parking garages that serve the baseball park built where the Orange Bowl used to stand, and the city also owns parcels surrounding the stadium that could be part of an assemblage for soccer.

Marlins Park also would bring the potential for Beckham’s team to sign the University of Miami as a partner, with the soccer stadium doubling as a football field for the private school. When the football program left the Orange Bowl for a new home in Sun Life Stadium, fans largely booed the move and UM was in talks with the Beckham group about moving football to the soccer stadium if it landed downtown.
-- Miami Herald 3/24/15

YOU'RE BATTING A THOUSAND

And where is this being anything more than talk (similar to the dozens of LA NFL stadium proposals in the past)? The primary point stands: until Miami can actually build a soccer-specific stadium, there won't be a team placed there. We can say that about any other market, too.

Now, to be fair, I completely understand the desire for MLS and David Beckham to have a Miami franchise. MLS wants the presence in the de facto financial center for Latin American businesses that are so crucial for the future of soccer and, let's face it, the international uber-celebrities Beckham and his wife Posh Spice aren't interested in spending time their free time wining and dining people as owners in San Antonio, St. Louis or other locales even if those are very good potential pro soccer markets. Miami completely fits the Beckham "brand" in a way that any place other than NYC and LA couldn't ever fit.

So, I don't doubt the desire of both MLS and Beckham to get a Miami franchise finalized. However, I very much doubt the political and public support for a brand new Miami stadium so soon after the Marlins Park financing debacle.

(03-30-2015 12:13 PM)Frank the Tank Wrote:  I completely understand the desire for MLS and David Beckham to have a Miami franchise. MLS wants the presence in the de facto financial center for Latin American businesses that are so crucial for the future of soccer

http://www.forbes.com/sites/kurtbadenhau...5-million/

Our metro area is now the 11th largest metro economy in the US; 47th largest in the world.
-- former mayor manny diaz 3/27/15

HUBBA HUBBA

(03-30-2015 12:13 PM)Frank the Tank Wrote:  So, I don't doubt the desire of both MLS and Beckham to get a Miami franchise finalized. However, I very much doubt the political and public support for a brand new Miami stadium so soon after the Marlins Park financing debacle.

http://www.fieldofschemes.com/2015/03/31...his-shirt/

there’s so much bad blood about the Marlins stadium deal that everyone involved is now calling it the “Orange Bowl site"

According to the Miami Herald:
- Beckham wants access to city land without paying market rate rent.
- Miami-Dade County would likely be asked to take over ownership of the land, to exempt Beckham from paying property taxes.
- Bruno Barreiro, the county commissioner pushing for a soccer stadium on the Marlins site, wants to create a “special taxing district” around the stadium to pay for expanding monorail service to the site, though the Herald isn’t clear whether this would be a tax surcharge or redirection of existing taxes.
-- fieldofschemes.com

UM athletic director Blake James has maintained occasional contact with David Beckham’s group and James said that group remains “interested in seeing if something makes sense for them and makes sense for us” with a new stadium.

Beckham is now strongly considering a site adjacent to Marlins Park, which would appeal to UM because of location and the Orange Bowl history.

“If it’s a win for our program, we would be interested,” said James, who wouldn’t consider any stadium seating less than 40,000.
-- Miami Herald 4/1/15

MLS failed miserably here before ...
why the redo ...
you see, by associating with the entrenched Hurricanes -- established in 1926 ...
U assuage the conscience of timid commissioners ...
and U ensure the viability of a risky venture ...
cue U to the rescue ...

THE SALVATION ARMY

(03-29-2015 12:21 AM)mufanatehc Wrote:  I think the first question you have to ask is, would MN United even let them use the stadium? Football tears a field up pretty bad and high level soccer needs a high level field. Also, the seasons of the two would significantly overlap. The MLS season runs from March to the end of October with playoffs extending into December. This schedule would be a burden for both parties, with MN United trying to quickly remove stripes and repair the field and UST trying to schedule practices and games around MN United matches.

Finally, there is no reason compelling the club to allow UST to play there. The only reason the Dynamo share their field with Texas Southern is because TSU was tied in to get public funding.

UST has their own practice field and for that matter, they have their own stadium which they play in currently. But it only seats 5k. Hence, they'd use the new MLS stadium only for six or seven games a year.

And yes a football game can tear up the turf. And then there are line shadows.

A potential solution would be to lay down artificial turn over the natural grass for the football games. Then you could have just football lines and wouldn't hurt the grass.

Probably a far-fetched and expensive solution.


And of course you're correct. However, there isn't a financing package for the Mpls MLS stadium yet. Not a public one, anyway. So maybe getting a MN college to play there would open the door to some (limited) public funds, after all?