MLS commissioner Don Garber is dropping by St. Louis today to check out the city’s NFL stadium plans in person, and you know what that means: Lots of news reporting that Ohmygosh the MLS commissioner is coming to town we’re gonna get a team we’re gonna get a team! The St. Louis Post-Dispatch’s Bernie Miklasz actually wrote two articles about Garber’s visit, one a more straight-news rendition, the other a hyperventilating ode to the awesome depth of St. Louis’s soccer fandom:
Given the obvious hunger for the beautiful game in a city with a prestigious and celebrated soccer heritage, there’s little doubt St. Louis would embrace an MLS expansion franchise. The immense network of fans spans generations, with an enduring identity cultivated by amateur soccer and decades of participation and passion.
Total number of home games played to date by the minor-league Saint Louis F.C. franchise in its entire history: three. But those 15,000 people really like soccer. And lots of people went to indoor soccer games in the 1980s before the Steamers folded!
St. Louis actually probably has as good a shot as any city of getting an MLS franchise, less because of its rich soccer history than because Garber has already pretty much signaled that every city that can come up with a stadium and $100 million for an expansion fee is going to get one eventually. A new Rams stadium certainly wouldn’t hurt the city’s chances, but then it would depend on Rams owner Stan Kroenke wanting to cough up the $100 million expansion fee for a team (Garber don’t want no renters in his league), so it’s all still very much a ways down the road. Not that that should stop people from spinning theories about how Kroenke will sell the Rams and/or St. Louis stadium czar Dave Peacock will end up owning an MLS team himself, because the Internet, you know.
“A new Rams stadium certainly wouldn’t hurt the city’s chances”
A new NFL stadium helped Atlanta, but did nothing for Minnesota. The MLS makes no sense.
So the Lou might be home to the Best Fans in Futbol, on top of the Best Fans in Baseball? Oy vey.
If it makes you feel better the USL is going to push for them to get a new soccer stadium regardless of whether or not they get a MLS team (or the NFL gets a new stadium)
http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/article/2015/05/13/usl-league-announces-intention-house-all-24-teams-soccer-specific-stadiums-2
“A new Rams stadium certainly wouldn’t hurt the city’s chances, but then it would depend on Rams owner Stan Kroenke wanting to cough up the $100 million expansion fee for a team”
Kroenke would also need to do something with his ownership stake in the Colorado Rapids, I believe. MLS has been pretty adamant about getting rid of owners with multiple teams- I think AEG, with the LA Galaxy and a small piece of the Houston Dynamo, is the only one left.
How soon they forget. . .
http://www.ac-stlouis.com/history/
AC St. Louis was going to prove how much St. Louis deserved a MLS team (given several St. Louis leading lights said that there was “no way” the MLS would reject the 2009 St. Louis bid).
FMS: Exactly. St Louis has had all kinds of chances to ‘demonstrate’ it’s love for and great history with the game as being current.
So far? Zippo.
Garber, like all other sports commissioners, is in the business of selling the impression that space is limited, yet uniquely accessible at this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. IF you don’t rush in with pails full of money right now, they may not be able to take your money later…
The longer I live the more I come to the conclusion that our entire civilization is based not on human innovation and ingenuity, but on human stupidity.
Rams are leaving for LA ( the stadium you can’t afford St Louis most likely will not be built and Kroenke just doesn’t like you any more ) MLS is being kind but you would need a soccer stadium……good luck!
@harrylee773
“I think AEG, with the LA Galaxy and a small piece of the Houston Dynamo, is the only one left.”
AEG are still majority owners of the Dynamo. But you are correct, they are the only one left.
If the Rams leave could the soccer team use the Rams (whatever the corporate name is) dome?