MLS in Charlotte - 2021

[CLT704]

Already changed!

[CTiger]

Off-topic, but I wonder if MLS can use Tepper's expansion fee funds to buy the domain MLS.com to replace MLSSoccer.com.  Did anyone over there mention that saying MLS Soccer is the same as saying Major League Soccer Soccer before making that their website?

[#1Son]

2 hours ago, CTiger said:

Off-topic, but I wonder if MLS can use Tepper's expansion fee funds to buy the domain MLS.com to replace MLSSoccer.com.  Did anyone over there mention that saying MLS Soccer is the same as saying Major League Soccer Soccer before making that their website?

Some how I don't think "MLS.com" will be for sale anytime soon  

https://www.nar.realtor/nar-doj-settlement/multiple-listing-service-mls-what-is-it

 

[videtur quam contuor]

Welcome Son#1. Post #1.

[csweet]

Does anyone have the link to put a down payment on season tix? Or know how much they will be in total yet?

[DMann]

Perhaps RDF could help with this.  We know that Duke will be leaving the concrete bunker on Church Street.  What if Tepper could convince the Duke Garage to be torn down, realign Graham Street  to cut through that space and some of the Duke space giving more space for the stadium to be rebuilt as a dome?  Seems to me that the Charlotte Pipe and Tube space would be too disconnected from downtown and a real logistical nightmare for traffic.

If Graham could be realigned, and the Duke Power station relocated, that entertainment district would be easy to materialize.

[SouthEndCLT811]

17 minutes ago, csweet said:

Does anyone have the link to put a down payment on season tix? Or know how much they will be in total yet?

charlottemls2021.com

No official pricing announced yet.  Most news outlets look to other clubs like Atlanta for comparison.  Those for reference are around $500/ticket in the supporters section (~$30 a game) to $150 a game at the club level which would make it about $2,500 per ticket each season

Edited December 19, 2019 by SouthEndCLT811

[Tyrone Wiggum]

Deleted

Edited December 19, 2019 by Tyrone Wiggum
Geography; how does it work?

[Tyrone Wiggum]

41 minutes ago, SouthEndCLT811 said:

Those for reference are around $500/ticket in the supporters section (~$30 a game) to $150 a game at the club level which would make it about $2,500 per ticket each season

This is insane.  For $2,500 one can sit in at mid court in the lower mezzanine of the United Center for the season to watch the best in the world do it.  Pub League Soccer for $2,500?  Hard pass.

[SouthEndCLT811]

Forgot about the FNB Tower in your quick stadium move

And yeah I won't be buying season tickets/club tickets but I have a friend who put down a deposit for two club seats that include some food and drink options.  I'll be happy to tag along for that when I can haha

[Tyrone Wiggum]

1 minute ago, SouthEndCLT811 said:

And yeah I won't be buying season tickets/club tickets but I have a friend who put down a deposit for two club seats that include some food and drink options.  I'll be happy to tag along for that when I can haha

Doh!

 

[go_vertical]

They're taking deposits to be put on a contact list for seats at the moment, no actual seats are being sold right now. There are three tiers with two of them requiring a $50 buy in and the third costs $100. This is only a one time, refundable deposit regardless of how many seats you are looking to buy. For example, I placed a $100 deposit to be put on the first-come-first-served list to be contacted about the two tix I plan on getting. 

[Madison Parkitect]

1 hour ago, Tyrone Wiggum said:

This is insane.  For $2,500 one can sit in at mid court in the lower mezzanine of the United Center for the season to watch the best in the world do it.  Pub League Soccer for $2,500?  Hard pass.

I don't know if I'd call the Bulls "the best in the world" at this point, but... 

If I'm doing the math right your $2500 would work out to $61 per home game for the Bulls, which according to their pricing chart puts you in the 300 Level in the corners, not mid court in the lower mezzanine. If you mean the Blackhawks, then the same $61 per game actually puts you even higher up in the 300 Level. Am I doing the math wrong?

[Tyrone Wiggum]

54 minutes ago, Madison Parkitect said:

I don't know if I'd call the Bulls "the best in the world" at this point, but... 

If I'm doing the math right your $2500 would work out to $61 per home game for the Bulls, which according to their pricing chart puts you in the 300 Level in the corners, not mid court in the lower mezzanine. If you mean the Blackhawks, then the same $61 per game actually puts you even higher up in the 300 Level. Am I doing the math wrong?

So, a few things:

1) Talking about the other teams' players, natch;

2) I took the liberty of halving for the number of games; last time I was a regular at Bulls games it was just over $5k for the seats I referenced, but over twice as many games as MLS (and I judged the number of games for MLS wrong too);

3) It's been a rough morning for me, clearly.  I think I've had enough internet for today....

 

 

Edited December 19, 2019 by Tyrone Wiggum
Terribulls

[Guest]

2 hours ago, DMann said:

Perhaps RDF could help with this.  We know that Duke will be leaving the concrete bunker on Church Street.  What if Tepper could convince the Duke Garage to be torn down, realign Graham Street  to cut through that space and some of the Duke space giving more space for the stadium to be rebuilt as a dome?  Seems to me that the Charlotte Pipe and Tube space would be too disconnected from downtown and a real logistical nightmare for traffic.

If Graham could be realigned, and the Duke Power station relocated, that entertainment district would be easy to materialize.

actually been working on a "How I'd fix the grid once the stadium is gone" its no where near finished but here you go. I don't think Pipe & Foundry would be a nightmare, you just have to bring uptown to Pipe & Foundry. I'd realign Graham through, straighten Mint, Create a linear park in front of Legacy Union, reconnect Third Ward under the train tracks. So many things can be done. 

[Madison Parkitect]

Sources have told The Athletic that Charlotte's first hire is Marc Nichols as the director of their Academy and no. 2 under the eventual GM/Sporting Director. That's a STRONG hire, he was the Sounders Academy director and that academy has consistently produced trophy-winning youth teams and national team players.

Nichols is apparently from here and Charlotte was able to talk him into coming back, I guess. Sources also say that the eventual GM will be hired from "abroad." https://theathletic.com/1475139/2019/12/19/sources-charlotte-makes-first-hire-cincinnati-to-add-three-dps-atlanta-re-evaluating-gressel-stance/ (paywall)

Very good first move for Charlotte! I also wonder if this means anything for the Independence re: them being a USL feeder for the MLS team, since the Independence currently run the largest youth system here. Seems like it would be a smooth transition for the MLS team to just take over the entire operation.

[SouthEndCLT811]

59 minutes ago, Madison Parkitect said:

Sources have told The Athletic that Charlotte's first hire is Marc Nichols as the director of their Academy and no. 2 under the eventual GM/Sporting Director. That's a STRONG hire, he was the Sounders Academy director and that academy has consistently produced trophy-winning youth teams and national team players.

Nichols is apparently from here and Charlotte was able to talk him into coming back, I guess. Sources also say that the eventual GM will be hired from "abroad." https://theathletic.com/1475139/2019/12/19/sources-charlotte-makes-first-hire-cincinnati-to-add-three-dps-atlanta-re-evaluating-gressel-stance/ (paywall)

Very good first move for Charlotte! I also wonder if this means anything for the Independence re: them being a USL feeder for the MLS team, since the Independence currently run the largest youth system here. Seems like it would be a smooth transition for the MLS team to just take over the entire operation.

Being a "Day 0" Independence fan   when I saw this I was searching if this hire has any past connection to the folks at the top of the Independence academy.  Marc Nicholls was big in the Carolina Dynamo academy that's supposedly one of the best in the region, definitely sounds like a good first hire.  I think it'll be between CSA and the Independence as to what the MLS team will acquire to start their academy.  Selfishly I hope it's the Independence so that they have a way out of this that doesn't include the pro teams folding.  Not only do they have an academy but also the USL Championship and USL2 franchises which I'd imagine the new MLS team would set up on their own anyway.  I'd have to think that's a given the two would merge

[urbanlover568]

Judging by the comments on facebook, it's going to be a tough sell politically for tax incentives leading up to the 2020 elections....

 

[Hushpuppy321]

On 12/21/2019 at 8:48 PM, mpretori said:

Judging by the comments on facebook, it's going to be a tough sell politically for tax incentives leading up to the 2020 elections....

 

My hope is that by the time a new stadium is under construction (2029/2030) that Tepper is willing to put up more of his own money.  Hell - he’s worth 11/12 Billion now and could be well worth up to 15/20 Billion by then so what’s wrong with him paying 1.5 Billion towards a New Stadium.  I could see the City/County/State could pitching in $500 Million Reasonably.  I’m sure most Stadiums at that point will all cost $2 Billion each.

If the areas around the new stadium (Pipe & Foundry), areas along Cedar St. and the old BOA Stadium land redevelop densely and entertainment oriented it could be more than worth the public $500 Million investment.  Remember also that the Silver Line  would also be under construction throughout this area too at that time.  

I could see Charlotte hosting the Superbowl & Final Four & the College Football Playoff all within the first 10 years (and probably twice each within 20 years) of a new Stadium & Lightrail coming together in 3rd Ward.   Not to mention hosting another NBA All Star Game (maybe at Spectrum or New Stadium) and also hosting another Major Political (democratic) Convention .

Charlotte could permanently be on regular rotation for hosting major events with the likes of the following who have Domed Stadiums:

Arlington, TX

Glendale, AZ

New Orleans, LA

Minneapolis, MN

Indianapolis, IN

Atlanta, GA

Edited December 30, 2019 by Hushpuppy321

[TheOneRJ]

Just because Tepper is worth billions doesn’t mean he has billions in the bank to spend.  

[urbanlover568]

15 minutes ago, TheOneRJ said:

Just because Tepper is worth billions doesn’t mean he has billions in the bank to spend.  

You're more than welcome to give your hard earned money to billionaire tepper. 

[eastsider]

8 hours ago, Hushpuppy321 said:

My hope is that by the time a new stadium is under construction (2029/2030) that Tepper is willing to put up more of his own money.  Hell - he’s worth 11/12 Billion now and could be well worth up to 15/20 Billion by then so what’s wrong with him paying 1.5 Billion towards a New Stadium.  I could see the City/County/State could pitching in $500 Million Reasonably.  I’m sure most Stadiums at that point will all cost $2 Billion each.

If the areas around the new stadium (Pipe & Foundry), areas along Cedar St. and the old BOA Stadium land redevelop densely and entertainment oriented it could be more than worth the public $500 Million investment.  Remember also that the Silver Line  would also be under construction throughout this area too at that time.  

I could see Charlotte hosting the Superbowl & Final Four & the College Football Playoff all within the first 10 years (and probably twice each within 20 years) of a new Stadium & Lightrail coming together in 3rd Ward.   Not to mention hosting another NBA All Star Game (maybe at Spectrum or New Stadium) and also hosting another Major Political (democratic) Convention .

Charlotte could permanently be on regular rotation for hosting major events with the likes of the following who have Domed Stadiums:

Arlington, TX

Glendale, AZ

New Orleans, LA

Minneapolis, MN

Indianapolis, IN

Atlanta, GA

Left Houston off and next year you're going to have to add Los Angeles and Las Vegas to the list. If you're talking Superbowl then Miami and Tampa will always remain in the mix.  If a new domed stadium is build then Charlotte will get one token SuperBowl like New York did. Might get one or two final fours, not sure about college playoffs... maybe if it expands by four more teams. 

[cltbwimob]

1 hour ago, TheOneRJ said:

Just because Tepper is worth billions doesn’t mean he has billions in the bank to spend.  

He is a hedge fund manager who essentially wrote a $2.2+billon check for the Panthers. In fact, even though he was not the highest bidder he won the bidding war because he essentially came to the table with cash whereas other bidders were going to have to finance some portion of the purchase.  Something tells me the guy’s wealth is primarily in fairly liquid assets.  
 

However, even if he is not very liquid, the argument that if his personal wealth is in less liquid assets he should be entitled to the use of public  funds for a stadium is not a good one.  If he has a 7-10 year horizon on this “investment” then  that should be plenty of time for him to move his assets out of illiquid classes into more liquid ones in order to provide him with the cash he needs to pay for it himself.  
 

Separately, the city is in a position where it currently does not have the money in the bank to fund a new stadium and its liquidity position with respect to the funds it does have and/or the revenues that it can raise via new cash streams is probably much more limited vis-a-vis David Tepper.  The tourism tax dollars he wants to use to help pay for his vanity project are maxed out in terms of obligations based on current tax rates.  And any increase in tourism taxes will have to be approved by the NC legislature who, just a few years ago, shot that notion down when the ask was much much lower than what it will be for a new stadium.  Plus, per state law only one revenue stream within the tourism tax is eligible for use in financing stadiums.  Judging by all this, my guess is that he is and can be a lot more mobile with his capital than the city can with theirs. Therefore, the city, ostensibly in a less liquid position, should not be expected to cover down for a more liquid “partner” due to a perceived lack of liquidity on his part.

12 minutes ago, eastsider said:

Might get one or two final fours, not sure about college playoffs... maybe if it expands by four more teams. 

Probably one or two CFB Championship games, but there is virtually zero chance we’d have one of the semifinal games year in and year out.  My guess is that in the scenario that the CFB playoff structure expands to 8 teams, then the quarterfinals and the semifinals will consist of the New Years 6 bowl games (I.e. Rose, Sugar, Cotton, Peach, Fiesta, Orange) and will stay in their respective home cities.  As such, the only part Charlotte will ever play in the CFB playoffs is if/when the actual championship game comes to town.

[dylansukkert]

Anyone that put down deposits on season tickets heard anything from the team? Kind of surprised we haven’t heard much yet... the team plays its first game in about 13 months. Really not that far away with so much to do. 

[SentioVenia]

2 hours ago, dylansukkert said:

Anyone that put down deposits on season tickets heard anything from the team? Kind of surprised we haven’t heard much yet... the team plays its first game in about 13 months. Really not that far away with so much to do. 

I put down a deposit on 4...haven't heard a thing.