Major League Soccer is on the verge of announcing an expansion team into Seattle in time for the 2009 season. Now, I am not a soccer fan per se, though I find it interesting to watch as a change of pace when the other local sports are not going well, and worked the Sounders games at the Q when it was first opened. This team will also share playing space at the Q with the Seahawks and the concerts and other events that take place there.
Seahawks owner Paul Allen will also own part of the MLS team, as well, garnering more income (does he really need it??) for both the venue and himself; making him a three sport owner (NBA, NFL and MLS).
This cannot be BAD for Seattle, as there is quite a lively soccer community here, what with our very diverse population.
There is also talk of trying to lure an NHL team into town to become natural rivals with the Canucks a few hours north, be it an expansion team or one that already exists and is struggling in its current venue. Few people know that the Seattle Metropolitans won the Stanley Cup some seventy-ish years ago, and that we have two good WHL hockey teams within 30 miles of each other in the Seattle Metro area now, both of which enjoy good fan support, and both of which usually make it into the playoffs at season's end. The T-Birds will be playing in their new arena next season, as well, down in Kent (south of Seattle).
In short, will we miss the Sonics when "Cash Us Clay" (copyright Jim Caple of ESPN's Second Page....) and the commish drag them off to Oklahoma City? Well, yes, at least I and some of my friends will, but.......don't write Seattle off as a sports town just because they go to a smaller venue where Herr Bennett already says that the Ford Center needs to be refurbished and/or another new arena built Sooner than later (pun intended.
In the immortal words of Gloria ####nor from the disco era "I (We) Will Survive. And quite nicely, too.
sleepless'
All you need to go along with that little escapade. Is for a multi millionaire soccer star willing to ply his trade in the Northwest to make this idea appealing to the fans.
Can't say that I'm holding out much hope for that little scenario to arise. Are you ?
I've a new post up titled I's Got's Mine's Whose Got Your's ? Let me know what you think as to the merits of the piece's content ?
Ak: How does MLS do its expansion teams? Is it like the other sports where the new team gets the rosters of all of the other teams and gets to pick from them, or do they just have to go out and sign players from elsewhere? You might be surprised at how well it might do. The Sounders always do well, but of course they make it to the playoffs pretty regularly, too (won the championship this year).
i have a very good example ok!!! a leaque called the IBL the international basketball leaque is from april---june eugene has had them, just finshed their 2nd year here... the eugene chargers... the trouble with this is the lack on their part of marketing them ..... its been a joke!!!! not many people go to see their games!!! i announce the games (PA) also the trouble is to many other things going on!!! oregon is still in track season , the schools arent out yet and activties are still going on!! so who would want to go see basketball??? and if?? they are back this year i am not going to be the announcer???WHY?? you aske?? im not being payed!!!!! and its SEMI PRO BALLL!!!!! all teh people conected with the eugene emeralds our minor leaque baseball team are PAYED!!!!
Kelly: There is no question that marketing is important. The Sonics are marketing themselves crazy (even offering decent seats for $10 per just to pad the attendance), and they are having some pretty decent crowds, but those crowds are restless and letting ownership know that they are dismayed.
PF: And I'm sure that you will end up with a few more. It's only three hours down to PDX from SEA after all, though it would be better were the I-6 rivalry to survive...
Seattle will not get a NHL team for one simple reason and that reason is the same as why the Sonic are going to leave, no place to play. The present Key arena is not designed for a major hockey site, seating is not set up right to accommodate 17K seats or so. So we are back to building a new arena and that is not going to happen. I don't know what the seating for the arena in Kent will be, but fairly sure not enough to support a major league hockey team.
MLS was played in Seattle years ago but I believe the league folded for reasons I don't remember. But playing in Memorial Stadium or Renton Stadium is not pratical because they are to small to support the large salaries MSL player will want. Again Seattle elite will not support building a new stadium using tax payers money.
Taxpayers after footing the bill for the Mariners and Seahawks will not support the idea of building another house for the wealthy to play in. Besides I don't think MLS will ever gain the popularity in the state as in other parts of the world. To many competing sports in the states.
Last edited by antiqutiy on November 9th at 9:12 PM.
Antiquity: MLS will be playing at QWest Field, plenty large enough to hold 70K people (not that they will ever attract THAT many to matches other than the ones between FIFA teams that are played there annually--such as the game between Celtic and Man U that was played to a full house a couple of years back).
As for hockey, I don't know how large the facility in Kent is going to be, either. I'm guessing about the same as the Everett Events Center, where the Silvertips play.
It was said Daniel Stern has been to ####singleonline to date with a white girl,which cause many comments. OMG! is it true? May be i need to check it...
Beacon: MLS is to announce the new team on Tuesday next, so it is a done deal. The city trying to get an NHL team has been on the "hot stove" for a long time. I think they would need to find a team that wants to move, rather than an expansion team, given the state of the league.
Hi Sleepless, you have to look no further than your own city's history to see what a great sports town Seattle can be if given the chance.
The Seattle Pilots spent one year in town before fleeing to become the Milwaukee Brewers. One year! That's not enough time to know whether a team will be able to draw or not, not even close. Then Seattle got a chance with another team and has supported the Mariners well....
Half: Good to hear from you, my friend, and how right you are.
I think the big issue now is just how tired everyone here is of this entire pile of nonsense. If they go, they go (but hopefully not until the end of their lease, so that they have to fulfill their financial obligations to the city (who is the leaseholder)). I DO, however, think that they should be forced to leave behind the Supersonics name, history, and everything that has characterized the team for its entire 40+ year history in Seattle. Why should the carpetbagging new owners get the benefit of that? Let them start off anew as the OKC "whatevers" and develop their own history for however long they last there before Herr Bennett discovers that he probably would have made more money had he listened to some of the offers to help him privately finance a new arena here and/or accepted the offer to buy the team back last week.....
Last edited by sleeplessinseattle on November 10th at 2:10 PM.
sis - the MLS franchise is a done deal
But what will the name be?
The Sounders have a long history in Seattle but will the new Franchise use that name or pick one of the more traditional football names?
Last edited by craigy_f on November 10th at 10:22 PM.
Hmmm...MLS fever, take a nap.
Seattle loves football and baseball. They've had little to cheer for in the NBA world. Soccer will appeal to a much smaller market. Add the time zone and the small media coverage will skip the west coast soccer games.
Craigy: There has not been any decision made on the name as yet, as I understand it. The possibility exists that they will keep the Sounders name. Maybe they will say something at the news conference on Tuesday.
Husker: I can't argue with anything you say. About the only time there is any extended coverage of soccer is when it comes time for the championships. We do have a large ex-pat community here, so our local FSN outlet will probably cover at least some of the games.
Swapping the NBA for the NHL might not be a bad deal. I had not thought of the tie in with Vancouver, but that could be a good thing for the league as well.
What the NBA is doing in Seattle is really ugly. Stern comes off as a real villain. He says you won't get another team, but they will have to find some place to move the Bobcats after they go under.
Dud: I don't know about the other owners, but I'm sure that Paul Allen will take Seattle's side in the vote by the board of governors, for obvious reasons. I think that moving a team from the 14th largest media market in the country to the 53rd is a little silly on their part, considering that they are all about money and profit (the league and the other owners), but, hey, who am I to say, right? A lot of people in OKC (the ones who really care) would rather see the Hornets moved there than the Sonics, because they already have a history with that team.
And, there is also an element in OKC that doesn't like Mr. Clay "I'm spending my wife's money" Bennett too much either. Jim Caple, who is a SEA resident, as well as ESPN columnist has dubbed him "Cash Us Clay", and the name fits...
I guess we'll just have to wait and see what happens.
I am a 50 something health care professional transplanted to Seattle from SoCal in 2001 (and, before you ask, no, I don't want to go back). My tastes in sports are pretty eclectic, but in order of preference, I guess they would be baseball, hockey, basketball, football--col lege and pro/men and women alike. Teams I "HATE": USC (I went to UCLA); University of Michigan (born and raised in Columbus OH to a large family of OSU alumni/alumna e), and--probably most of all--the d***ed Yankees. I have worked in a variety of capacities at the MLB, NBA and NFL venues here in Seattle and at UW (hey, what true sports fan could pass up the possibility of getting paid to do something you would have done anyway (and had to pay for it)?)
