It's official, Orlando to the MLS in 2015!! [Archive]

__wowza

11-19-2013, 08:23 PM

http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/article/2013/11/19/major-league-soccer-names-orlando-city-21st-franchise-set-2015-debut

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iTQXFqIkeCI

some quick points:

they're going to open their MLS season in the citrus bowl, before moving to a new 18,000k stadium.
orlando health with be their shirt sponsor.
co-owner rawlins owns EPL club stoke city.
this will be the 4th time two clubs have joined the league at the same time (the last being 2011 with portland and vancouver)

related media:
http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/article/2013/11/19/get-know-orlando-city-sc-21st-franchise-major-league-soccer
http://www.mlssoccer.com/video/2013/11/20/orlando-city-sc-owners-looking-world-recognized-dp
http://www.mlssoccer.com/sideline/news/article/2013/11/19/insta-tweet-reactions-twitter-reacts-orlando-city-scs-introduction-21st-mls-
http://www.reddit.com/r/MLS/comments/1r0sn0/orlando_city_sc_officially_named_as_the_21st_mls/

Suds

11-19-2013, 08:30 PM

What's betting odds on us making the playoffs before they do? g:D

Road trip in 2015??

nascarguy

11-19-2013, 08:55 PM

What's betting odds on us making the playoffs before they do? g:D

Road trip in 2015??not good

nascarguy

11-19-2013, 08:57 PM

we got to go to that bar

BuSaPuNk

11-19-2013, 09:23 PM

Do I sense a road trip?

prizby

11-19-2013, 09:26 PM

worst kept secret

prizby

11-19-2013, 09:27 PM

co-owner rawlins owns EPL club stoke city.

explains why stoke has 4 or 5 americans

Initial B

11-19-2013, 11:06 PM

So Orlando FC will be a feeder club for Stoke?

Looks like the other co-owner is saying Kaka is going to be their first DP.

Man, is it wrong for me to be jealous of for them having a Front Office that knows what its doing right out of the gate?

prizby

11-20-2013, 12:38 AM

habstfc

11-20-2013, 01:46 AM

Orlando won't work, anybody that's been there knows why. It's a small city and is a tourist town. Wages are below national average.

Redcoe15

11-20-2013, 01:46 AM

Fuck, there goes the neighbourhood! Horrible mistake adding that shitty city, IMO!

Yohan

11-20-2013, 02:24 AM

Orlando won't work, anybody that's been there knows why. It's a small city and is a tourist town. Wages are below national average.
Metropolitan Orlando has 2.2 mil in population

prizby

11-20-2013, 03:12 AM

Orlando won't work, anybody that's been there knows why. It's a small city and is a tourist town. Wages are below national average.

pretty sure they top attendance of all NASL/USL-PRO teams

mdc 77

11-20-2013, 08:19 AM

pretty sure they top attendance of all NASL/USL-PRO teams

They do, but I'm skeptical as well. Orlando is a very spread out city, obviously very tourist oriented...two things that don't add up well for pro sports. Can't really argue much that Orlando, and the state of Florida for that matter is not a good place for pro sports.

Back to them leading the USL/NASL/Whatever its called...8,000/match is fantastic but is that all they can ever do? They need to double that now. Is that sustainable in Orlando? I have strong doubts.

brad

11-20-2013, 08:23 AM

pretty sure they top attendance of all NASL/USL-PRO teams

Smaller markets often have an advantage here due to less competition for your time and money.

Saskatchewan Roughriders are a prime example.

bones

11-20-2013, 08:29 AM

this will be the 4th time two clubs have joined the league at the same time (the last being 2011 with portland and vancouver)

Oh great just as we're making our cup run we'll get stripped of a few players ;)

Bones...

Dreadlocks

11-20-2013, 09:08 AM

I don't get this need to expand the league ffs. There are not enough players here to keep the standard of play high. Unless the cap is increased substantially the level of play will drop.

Hell, I remember when the NHL and NBA last expanded; there were concerns of this for those leagues.

Does Garber not think this will impact the MLS?

Ultra & Proud

11-20-2013, 09:23 AM

helps a lot when you have been running a team at the lower division since 2007

I thought that's what we've been doing :D

Areathrasher

11-20-2013, 09:31 AM

explains why stoke has 4 or 5 americans

Rawlins is a minority owner at Stoke. Peter Coates who owns Bet365 is the majority owner.

Canary10

11-20-2013, 09:35 AM

It'll be nice to have a purple team in MLS.

brad

11-20-2013, 09:54 AM

I don't get this need to expand the league ffs.

It's all about the expansion fees.

BuSaPuNk

11-20-2013, 10:21 AM

It's all about the expansion fees.

Agreed. Garber is just looking at capital gains when it comes to expansion fees. However these are one time fees and the teams have to sustain some type of financial profitability to make it even out that's what's really in doubt.

Having a new team is all and good. However this might give the leverage to the players in the up coming labour contract with the leauge. I would expect salaries and cap to get a pretty good raise. Atleast we all should hope so.

cmonyoureds

11-20-2013, 10:38 AM

If Chivas still exists, through funny numbers/MLS help/witchcraft, then Orlando will be able to survive as well.
As a "single entity" as long as the New Yorks/Seattle's/Toronto's (allegedly) keep pulling in $'s they can prop up the league.

brad

11-20-2013, 11:14 AM

Agreed. Garber is just looking at capital gains when it comes to expansion fees. However these are one time fees and the teams have to sustain some type of financial profitability to make it even out that's what's really in doubt.

Having a new team is all and good. However this might give the leverage to the players in the up coming labour contract with the leauge. I would expect salaries and cap to get a pretty good raise. Atleast we all should hope so.

NYCFC might be the exception here - it's not secret that the NY market is soft for the MLS, and it's the largest market in the US.

JamboAl

11-20-2013, 11:38 AM

I think it'll be a transient following...tourists will make up a larger proportion of the attendance than any place else especially as the place is so popular with the British and Brazilian tourists. But how is the population base in Orlando any worse than Salt Lake or Columbus or the second team in LA. I think the upside potential is quite high.

prizby

11-20-2013, 12:02 PM

They do, but I'm skeptical as well. Orlando is a very spread out city, obviously very tourist oriented...two things that don't add up well for pro sports. Can't really argue much that Orlando, and the state of Florida for that matter is not a good place for pro sports.

Back to them leading the USL/NASL/Whatever its called...8,000/match is fantastic but is that all they can ever do? They need to double that now. Is that sustainable in Orlando? I have strong doubts.

TFC fans are pretty spread out too; there are many that travel far distances, from down to Niagara from out west as far as Guelph/KW/London from up from Newmarket or even Barrie from out east as far as Oshawa, Port Hope/Coburg, more than even Jays/Raptors/Leafs fans...and that isn't counting the couple handful of people I know that come from Buffalo/Detroit/Chatam etc...I think if you are a fan of the sport, distance does not matter as much as it does with other NA sports for SSH

Can't be worse than Colorado or Clownbus or Salt Lake or eventually Montreal when they have a losing season

Smaller markets often have an advantage here due to less competition for your time and money.

Saskatchewan Roughriders are a prime example.

College market is a tough one to crack; luckily UCF isn't that good most years in football/bball although they are improving, got new stadiums etc.

Rawlins is a minority owner at Stoke. Peter Coates who owns Bet365 is the majority owner.

are you suggesting that Rawlins would have 0 influence over signings though?

Joe Kool

11-20-2013, 12:30 PM

Funny how the MLS video montage they showed didn't have BMO Field or TFC really except for an Earnshaw flip. Guess that is all we contributed last year as far as they are concerned....

Initial B

11-20-2013, 12:38 PM

They did have a cross from Plata and him celebrating...

But what gets me is that there were no TFC supporter shots at all. Have we really fallen that far?

BuSaPuNk

11-20-2013, 01:06 PM

NYCFC might be the exception here - it's not secret that the NY market is soft for the MLS, and it's the largest market in the US.

Agreed but big pocket owners that probably don't care about the overall dollars being made by NYCFC.

They'll probably make more by cross marketing the team with Man City. That's where the true money will come from.

TOBOR !

11-20-2013, 01:18 PM

I thought that's what we've been doing :D

http://i.imgur.com/s3AoP.gif

Haddy

11-20-2013, 01:38 PM

Funny how the MLS video montage they showed didn't have BMO Field or TFC really except for an Earnshaw flip. Guess that is all we contributed last year as far as they are concerned....

They used shots from folks who support successful clubs...you know, the ones who have something to cheer for ;)

All joking aside, they stuck to the trendy groups and teams. As flashy as they could manage. Can't blame them, it's called a sizzle real for a reason.

OgtheDim

11-20-2013, 05:46 PM

Smaller markets often have an advantage here due to less competition for your time and money.

Saskatchewan Roughriders are a prime example.

The Riders have no competitors at a level above junior hockey. And decades of history.

Yohan

11-20-2013, 07:27 PM

Areathrasher

11-20-2013, 07:59 PM

TFC fans are pretty spread out too; there are many that travel far distances, from down to Niagara from out west as far as Guelph/KW/London from up from Newmarket or even Barrie from out east as far as Oshawa, Port Hope/Coburg, more than even Jays/Raptors/Leafs fans...and that isn't counting the couple handful of people I know that come from Buffalo/Detroit/Chatam etc...I think if you are a fan of the sport, distance does not matter as much as it does with other NA sports for SSH

Can't be worse than Colorado or Clownbus or Salt Lake or eventually Montreal when they have a losing season

College market is a tough one to crack; luckily UCF isn't that good most years in football/bball although they are improving, got new stadiums etc.

are you suggesting that Rawlins would have 0 influence over signings though?
What?At Orlando? No.

I'm saying that Rawlins is a minority owner at Stoke and that whole connection is being overblown.

Coates is the main man there.

Brooker

11-20-2013, 08:47 PM

Here come Tony Pulis and Super Johnny Walters...

GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOARN!

Red CB Toronto

11-20-2013, 10:12 PM

It will all be about Kaka.

jazzy

11-20-2013, 11:21 PM

Orlando won't work, anybody that's been there knows why. It's a small city and is a tourist town. Wages are below national average.
big fish in a small pond , exactly why it will work....right up MLS's alley.......they can't do big time especially with their small cap . All the smaller cities love the subsidies from the league . Shame . Guess we'll never see a high cap .

habstfc

11-21-2013, 12:25 AM

pretty sure they top attendance of all NASL/USL-PRO teams It's going to double the average ticket price compared to their nasl team.

habstfc

11-21-2013, 12:27 AM

big fish in a small pond , exactly why it will work....right up MLS's alley.......they can't do big time especially with their small cap . All the smaller cities love the subsidies from the league . Shame . Guess we'll never see a high cap . In the short term yes but with that logic the blue jackets and hurricanes would sell out every game.

habstfc

11-21-2013, 12:41 AM

Metropolitan Orlando has 2.2 mil in population If you compare it to Toronto's metro population it really has about 500k people. I think that number is more like the gta which is a totally different number. I've flown over Orlando in a helicopter and there is no way it is anywhere near the size of metro Toronto. When the team debuts it will no doubt be successful but it's at the 3 or 4 year mark where these teams will have trouble when the novelty wears off and the team isn't winning.

prizby

11-21-2013, 01:14 AM

What?At Orlando? No.

I'm saying that Rawlins is a minority owner at Stoke and that whole connection is being overblown.

Coates is the main man there.

what i meant was that rawlins wouldn't say hey, if there are good american's available, lets get some (stoke)...i don't think that is overblown.

prizby

11-21-2013, 01:17 AM

It's going to double the average ticket price compared to their nasl team.

where do you make this stuff up??

well their supporters section tix are $248 and they get 15 games for that, so i don't see how they could possibly be "doubling" the average price

habstfc

11-21-2013, 02:11 AM

where do you make this stuff up??

well their supporters section tix are $248 and they get 15 games for that, so i don't see how they could possibly be "doubling" the average price All teams entering a higher league charge more for tickets, not making anything up friend. The bread and butter of any sports team isn't their lowest costing ticket its their more expensive tickets. I don't think a city like Orlando can sustain people paying nba like prices for soccer.

prizby

11-21-2013, 03:30 AM

All teams entering a higher league charge more for tickets, not making anything up friend. The bread and butter of any sports team isn't their lowest costing ticket its their more expensive tickets. I don't think a city like Orlando can sustain people paying nba like prices for soccer.

big difference between 'more' and double; i highly doubt Orlando will be charging $500 for supporters section tickets; they already charge more than what TFC does despite not being a first division team

Initial B

11-21-2013, 02:01 PM

It's going to double the average ticket price compared to their nasl team.
Just for comparison's sake, I'm going to be buys Fury Season Tickets for about $379 each at Frank Clair Stadium for the equivalent of the BMO Dark Greys. Supporter Tickets cost the same, but that's because they've moved them to just ahead of the goal line. Personally I feel the location is better than where they've put the supporters at BMO. The Fury had originally placed the supporter's section at the farthest section of seating, which was WAY too far from the field (thanks, CFL dimensions), but the supporters raised a ruckus and the Fury saw the light and made the change. Compared to what I'm hearing about the TFC front office, these guys seem to, well, get it. The worst seats in the house go for about $279 per seat. And you can buy Youth Season Tickets (U17) for any seat (except the supporters) at about 2/3s the cost of a normal seat.

habstfc

11-21-2013, 02:56 PM

big difference between 'more' and double; i highly doubt Orlando will be charging $500 for supporters section tickets; they already charge more than what TFC does despite not being a first division team I am talking about the AVERAGE ticket price not supporters tickets.

ensco

11-21-2013, 06:08 PM

Yohan

11-21-2013, 06:15 PM

I think this team might succeed. There is nothing to do in Orlando, if you live in Orlando.

This may mean Miami is coming soon (in 2016?). Maybe Atlanta too. Doubt they would do Orlando as a one off in the southeast.
Miami is a sure in. Even the hint of Beckham and LeBron teaming up for a Miami team has earned MLS so much publicity. Any half decent plan will get Miami in. (Supposedly in 2017-18 time frame)

prizby

11-22-2013, 12:36 AM

I am talking about the AVERAGE ticket price not supporters tickets.

maybe so, but that won't be a problem when you look at what season tickets cost to other types of sports

orlando are ahead of the game; they already have a kit sponsor; there are some teams still out there without one

habstfc

11-22-2013, 01:24 AM

maybe so, but that won't be a problem when you look at what season tickets cost to other types of sports

orlando are ahead of the game; they already have a kit sponsor; there are some teams still out there without one Kit sponsorships aside, asking people to come out and pay money to watch a sport they aren't used to watching is what will determine their success. In my opinion Orlando could be a disaster waiting to happen from what I see in that city.

JamboAl

11-22-2013, 10:04 AM

habstfc

11-22-2013, 03:00 PM

I spend a bit of time in Orlando as my brother lives in Tampa (about 1 1/2 hr on I-4). It is a surprisingly diverse city with a large Hispanic population and there is a decent sized financial services industry. It won't be worse than some markets in MLS and it is the only game in town in the summer months. If they are smart, they can probably get a few thousand tourists into the stadium for a home game. I never understood the argument about a city's Hispanic population. L.A. has a massive Hispanic population and chivas USA is a disaster. Tourists want to spend their dollars on something they like not to experiment on whether they will like soccer if they go to a game, especially since most tourists are on some sort of budget.

Yohan

11-22-2013, 03:15 PM

I never understood the argument about a city's Hispanic population. L.A. has a massive Hispanic population and chivas USA is a disaster. Tourists want to spend their dollars on something they like not to experiment on whether they will like soccer if they go to a game, especially since most tourists are on some sort of budget.
Chivas USA doesn't appeal to hispanic communities, because it is associated with Chivas Guadalajara.

prizby

11-22-2013, 05:54 PM

Kit sponsorships aside, asking people to come out and pay money to watch a sport they aren't used to watching is what will determine their success. In my opinion Orlando could be a disaster waiting to happen from what I see in that city.

nearly 25% of people in Orlando speak a different language other than English at home. Over 65% of those that speak a different language at home speak Spanish; I don't know many Spanish speaking countries that have a national sport other than football (soccer). I think it is pretty safe to say there are plenty of people that are used to watching soccer

to the bolded part, i think that can be pretty much said about most of America...yet many places seem to be doing just fine...look at Sporting Kansas City

in fact, over 100,000 youths play soccer in the state of florida

http://www.fysa.com/about/about/

I guess parents don't watch their kids play...right?

over 20,000 came out to watch the USWNT just two weeks ago...

prizby

11-22-2013, 05:55 PM

I never understood the argument about a city's Hispanic population. L.A. has a massive Hispanic population and chivas USA is a disaster. Tourists want to spend their dollars on something they like not to experiment on whether they will like soccer if they go to a game, especially since most tourists are on some sort of budget.

if i am a mexican or mexican-american who supporters club america or monterrey or pumas or cruz azul etc...why the hell would i want to support and Americanized version of Chivas

habstfc

11-22-2013, 07:23 PM

nearly 25% of people in Orlando speak a different language other than English at home. Over 65% of those that speak a different language at home speak Spanish; I don't know many Spanish speaking countries that have a national sport other than football (soccer). I think it is pretty safe to say there are plenty of people that are used to watching soccer

to the bolded part, i think that can be pretty much said about most of America...yet many places seem to be doing just fine...look at Sporting Kansas City

in fact, over 100,000 youths play soccer in the state of florida

http://www.fysa.com/about/about/

I guess parents don't watch their kids play...right?

over 20,000 came out to watch the USWNT just two weeks ago... History has shown that in florida soccer has not been successful. Time will tell.

OgtheDim

11-22-2013, 07:33 PM

How many of those Spanish speaking people in Orlando are Cubans?

prizby

11-23-2013, 01:25 PM

History has shown that in florida soccer has not been successful. Time will tell.

when was it not successful? when they had different rules to the game like shootouts to decides games.

MLS has changed massively since then; based on the way things were then, San Jose and Kansas City should have folded, but instead, they now have or are getting brand new stadiums

Haddy

11-23-2013, 04:39 PM

ESPN blog - Note to MLS: Expansion isn't always a sure thing

http://espnfc.com/blog/_/name/soccerusa/id/3728?cc=5901

Over the past 13 years, the Magic have finished in the bottom seven of the NBA in attendance seven times (three of those lean years in the bottom three). And that's with having some of the highest-profile players in the NBA: Shaquille O'Neal, Steve Francis, Dwight Howard, Grant Hill and Tracy McGrady.

It is easy to see Orlando City thriving in its first year regardless of the team's regular-season record, but a major second- or third-year slump could be in the making. After all, Orlando isn't exactly a hot-ticket destination for young, affluent athletes despite having a lenient tax structure. The Magic have seen several stars leave out of practical boredom, with superstar O'Neal describing the city as a "giant strip mall" as he packed his bags for Los Angeles in 1996. Attracting athletes to the city could be tough despite Orlando City's well-known interest in AC Milan star Kaka.