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MLS in Charlotte - 2021


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1 hour ago, dylansukkert said:

The Independence are announcing a friendly with a “championship winning club” tomorrow. But unfortunately it will be at the Sportsplex in Mathews, which personally is a terrible place to put a professional soccer team.

Not arguing that the Sportsplex is drawing fans (it isn't).  I will say that Matthews is an increasing cool city (check out the main drag on Friday nights) and the actual complex isn't terrible (way better than Ramblewood).  If people would go to games, it could become a happening thing.  I believe they still run shuttles from downtown Matthews to the stadium before and after games.  I don't think there is a better option until Memorial is renovated.

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2 minutes ago, JBS said:

Not arguing that the Sportsplex is drawing fans (it isn't).  I will say that Matthews is an increasing cool city (check out the main drag on Friday nights) and the actual complex isn't terrible (way better than Ramblewood).  If people would go to games, it could become a happening thing.  I believe they still run shuttles from downtown Matthews to the stadium before and after games.  I don't think there is a better option until Memorial is renovated.

Didn’t know they ran shuttles for games. That makes me a tad bit more likely to go to game out there. Once they move to Memorial I will go to games regularly and a good amount of my soccer friends feel the same way, but to be fair we all live in the uptown/southend area. Maybe this Friendly is the best chance to check out the complex over there. 

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Sadly no shuttles  They started off strong with it but when that wasn't drawing any more fans than usual they probably figured no sense in bothering.  Our best nights are the ones they designate for fireworks and we'll get a little under 3,000 I think was the last time they did that.

We sold out Ramblewood on a Wednesday for Swansea in 2016, I'd have to think we could at least do the same in Matthews for what I assume to be a Liga MX opponent.  The stadium itself is great, much better than anything else we've had to date.

If Matthews is too far at least come out and meet some folks at Jack's House for away game watch parties!  Never too early to get into the local team

Edited by SouthEndCLT811
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17 minutes ago, SouthEndCLT811 said:

Sadly no shuttles  They started off strong with it but when that wasn't drawing any more fans than usual they probably figured no sense in bothering.  Our best nights are the ones they designate for fireworks and we'll get a little under 3,000 I think was the last time they did that.

We sold out Ramblewood on a Wednesday for Swansea in 2016, I'd have to think we could at least do the same in Matthews for what I assume to be a Liga MX opponent.  The stadium itself is great, much better than anything else we've had to date.

If Matthews is too far at least come out and meet some folks at Jack's House for away game watch parties!  Never too early to get into the local team

I know some of the guys, I frequent hooligans quiet often, actually went to a few games out at ramblewood, next away Saturday night game I may just have to stop by. Anyone know if there is a time table on moving to Memorial? 

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I want MLS here as much as the next guy but if taxpayer money is used to help fund expansion here, should it maybe go to a better cause as far as the economics are concerned because it might not have a good return building the stadium and whatnot?

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2 minutes ago, TheOneRJ said:

BoA Stadium doesn’t need remodeled, it needs demolished. It looks like a college football stadium compared to the new NFL stadiums of 2018. 

I like it.  If you are going to watch a game, it is perfectly fine.  If you are entertaining in a luxury box, it's great for that also.  I see no reason why that stadium (with minor enhancements) can't work for another 15-20 years.  Just my opinion.

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1 hour ago, JBS said:

I like it.  If you are going to watch a game, it is perfectly fine.  If you are entertaining in a luxury box, it's great for that also.  I see no reason why that stadium (with minor enhancements) can't work for another 15-20 years.  Just my opinion.

Plus the eventual move of the team offices,traing facilities etc will open more room to add fan based ammenties including the current practice fields that the Panthers could generate more revenue from.

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^ I agree. Seems clear that Tepper wants MLS as a tool for maximizing his ROI and MLS really wants more big-league (meaning deep pockets) owners like Tepper. Coupled with Atlanta’s attendance, its a match made in heaven (completly unlike the Smith bid).

Unfortunately its gonna be us (the city) who pays for the new stadium that is likely to be required to make this happen. I will give Tepper credit for discussing public subsidy gracefully (e.g. he should get a portion of the new revenue he brings in) but he has been able to avoid the nitty gritty so far (possible blowback from relocating the practice facility to SC).

Edited by kermit
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46 minutes ago, go_vertical said:

Sounds like to me that this is Tepper's deal to screw up. Clearly MLS really wants a team here and they are just waiting for a competent person to step up with a realistic proposal. 

I hope you are right... In our conversations last year, concerning the Smith bid, I heard from very good sources that MLS leadership spoke openly of needing/wanting a natural rival for Atlanta in the Southeast. That was before Nashville got awarded a franchise. Just a few years ago there were no MLS teams in the Southeast, now effectively there is Miami, Orlando, Atlanta, and Nashville. 

I think a Tepper led group would be extremely attractive to MLS, and get Charlotte back on the short list with Detroit, Sacramento, San Antonio, and Phoenix, but there is little doubt that Nashville has now made Charlotte’s chances smaller than it otherwise would have been. 

 

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37 minutes ago, kermit said:

^ I agree. Seems clear that Tepper wants MLS as a tool for maximizing his ROI and MLS really wants more big-league (meaning deep pockets) owners like Tepper. Coupled with Atlanta’s attendance, its a match made in heaven (completly unlike the Smith bid).

Unfortunately its gonna be us (the city) who pays for the new stadium that is likely to be required to make this happen. I will give Tepper credit for discussing public subsidy gracefully (e.g. he should get a portion of the new revenue he brings in) but he has been able to avoid the nitty gritty so far (possible blowback from relocating the practice facility to SC).

You could be right.  He definitely wants money from the city/state since he made the point that it could be justified by adding MLS.  However, I definitely had the impression that he intends to further renovate the current stadium instead of building a new one.  I'd personally still prefer MLS at Memorial (by a lot) but I suspect he will have both teams play at BOA.

Moving the practice fields to SC border in a mixed use project isn't likely to bother anyone (except maybe the players who live close to Uptown) and it will likely be a great FA recruiting tool.  Plus, keeps SC engaged.  

Everyone could be right about MLS being swayed by Tepper and his billions (it seems that way and I hope it's true).   Tom Gores and Dan Gilbert have a combined net worth of $10+ billion and plan to play at Ford Field and thus far that's been a non-starter for Garber.

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18 hours ago, JBS said:

Moving the practice fields to SC border in a mixed use project isn't likely to bother anyone (except maybe the players who live close to Uptown) and it will likely be a great FA recruiting tool.  Plus, keeps SC engaged.  

You may be right about this. My concern was a practice facility move to SC would change the tax domicile for the team and some players. I would think that such a shift would change the public subsidy discussion (but I am not an expert)

Edited by kermit
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I can't help but think that Atlanta's massive success can only be favorable for us. If continuously breaking attendance records doesn't tell MLS execs that the southeast is an untapped market I don't know what will. I'm expecting Nashville's program to start off with a bang as well. Not quite 72,000 butts in the seats but I feel MLS will be very pleased. A menage a trois rivalry would be pretty sweet.

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If you want mls in Charlotte then you should pray for Nashville's commercial success. If they have even half the success of Atlanta's team then the argument would be great for the chances of Charlotte (or Raleigh even). Charlotte is a better sell in the fact that it's able to claim both Carolinas like they do for the Panthers. NC by itself is a huge market. Much bigger than Tennessee. And if you're able to present a Charlotte bid as both NC and SC then it really paints things in a positive light.

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Atlanta is just mind boggling.  Arthur Blank and even Carl Lindner of Cincy should be required to mentor any new franchise owner in MLS on how to do things.  In Atlanta everywhere you go you see their branding, going from Buckhead to Little Five Points in an uber through neighborhoods no lie almost every other or ever 3-4 houses had an ATL UTD flag outside their house.  Logos on their bcycle program and drop off spots.   They got the word out and got the whole city to buy in.

Edited by SouthEndCLT811
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^ all of which is made even more remarkable by the fact that Atlanta is the worst sports town on earth*. The Braves couldn't even sell out their World Series games back in the mid 90s!

* for everything that is not SEC football

Edited by kermit
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