North American Pro Soccer 2019

[FiddySicks]

I have no idea what you are talking about Ron Burke is our brave and handsome leader who represents all things good he is our muse our flame and our great protector all hail the glorious Ron Burkle! 

 

 

[Looks around nervously, begins to sweat profusely] 

[GDAWG]

 

[Gothamite]

17 hours ago, dfwabel said:

Before the misogyny train leaves the station and Mods fly in, both Meg Whitman and Carly Fiorina were terrible tech CEO's but their stock options gave them wealth to do their post C-Suite activities. 

 

That’s not a woman thing, it’s a Silicon Valley thing.  Or even a CEO thing in general. Incompetence is too-often rewarded with a fabulous parting gift. 

 

[Brian in Boston]

It appears that next Monday will see State of Rhode Island and City of Pawtucket officials announce that professional soccer will play a role in the redevelopment of McCoy Stadium and the municipality's downtown.

According to a meeting notice, the McCoy Stadium & Pawtucket Downtown RFP Review Committee is scheduled to convene at 12:00 PM on Monday in order to "consider" the six proposals for redevelopment that were submitted in April of this year. An invitation that's been circulating in Rhode Island claims that a "special economic development announcement" is set to be made at the Blackstone Valley Visitor Center in Pawtucket just 30 minutes after said meeting commences.

Of the six bids received in response to the RFP, two call for soccer to play a role in the revitalization of McCoy Stadium and Pawtucket's downtown. One, from AJAX Advisors, seeks to "bring professional sports to Pawtucket with independent professional soccer in a new stadium in Downtown Pawtucket and the conversion of McCoy into light industrial use." The other, from Fortuitous Partners principal and Phoenix Rising FC co-chairman Brett Johnson, would bring a United Soccer League franchise to a riverfront stadium in downtown Pawtucket, construct ancillary development surrounding said facility, and repurpose the McCoy Stadium site as a recreational park featuring six multipurpose fields that can be used for soccer, lacrosse, or football.

In September, an entity dubbed Rhode Island Riptide FC hired state house lobbyists Peter Baptista, Daniel Connors, and Michael Sweeney to advocate on its behalf. Shortly thereafter, Rhode Island Commerce Corporation spokesman Matt Sheaff confirmed that Rhode Island Riptide FC was linked to one of the six groups that had responded to the RFP in April, but wouldn't say which one. Earlier this month, The Boston Globe reported that RiptideFC.com was redirecting to Phoenix Rising FC's website.

Both in late October and earlier this month, The Valley Breeze newspaper reported that it appeared one of the soccer proposals would ultimately be selected in Pawtucket, going so far as to run a piece - including an artist's rendering - on the $400 million plan put forth by Fortuitous Partners.

So, it certainly looks alt though pro soccer is headed to Pawtucket, Rhode Island, with the team most likely being a USL franchise. Additionally, it seems that Rhode Island Riptide FC is under consideration to be the side's name.






 

[Brian in Boston]

For what it's worth, I can't say that I'm crazy about the Rhode Island Riptide FC identity. It sounds like something a semi-pro outfit would trot out.

 

[Brian in Boston]

While it's gridiron football, it appears that a semi-pro Rhode Island Riptide does already exist. 

[GDAWG]

 

[Digby]

 

So Nashville is going to the West and Miami to the East.

 

A little bizarre to have NSH like that and too bad they won't have two games a year against other southeast rivals, but I guess it beats jerking Chicago between conferences again. My prognostication now is that 2021 will see teams added in each conference (Austin to West, let's assume Charlotte to East), and then 2022 has two teams that'll be natural fits for the West so maybe Nashville gets bumped East at that point. Though that also means Chicago won't be in the same conference as St. Louis.

[Brian in Boston]

So, Brett Johnson of Fortuitous Partners - and co-chairman of Phoenix Rising FC - is bringing a USL Championship franchise to Pawtucket, Rhode Island in time for the 2022  season.

 

As part of the $400 million Tidewater Landing mixed-use development, said team would play its home matches at a 7,500-seat stadium on the west bank of the Seekonk River in downtown Pawtucket. Adjacent to the stadium would be a riverwalk park, restaurant and retail outlets, and parking. Across the river, reachable by a new cable-stayed pedestrian bridge and situated north of the City of Pawtucket's Festival Pier, would be a mix of just over 200 units of housing, further restaurant and retail development, and another riverwalk park. Finally, at the so-called Apex site on Main Street, development would include an indoor sports center, a 200-room hotel, and commercial office space.

The plan calls for Fortuitous Partners to invest between $310 million and $330 million of the project's total price tag, with the public sector's contribution targeted to be between $70 million and $90 million in infrastructure improvements (construction of the pedestrian bridge, streetscaping improvements, and development of the riverwalk parks).

Fortuitous Partners and officials with the State of Rhode Island and City of Pawtucket will spend the next four months finalizing details of the project.      

Tidewater Landing

Rhode Island Unveils 7,500-Seat Soccer-Specific Stadium Anchored by USL Championship Club     

[GDAWG]

58 minutes ago, Brian in Boston said:

So, Brett Johnson of Fortuitous Partners - and co-chairman of Phoenix Rising FC - is bringing a USL Championship franchise to Pawtucket, Rhode Island in time for the 2022  season.

 

As part of the $400 million Tidewater Landing mixed-use development, said team would play its home matches at a 7,500-seat stadium on the west bank of the Seekonk River in downtown Pawtucket. Adjacent to the stadium would be a riverwalk park, restaurant and retail outlets, and parking. Across the river, reachable by a new cable-stayed pedestrian bridge and situated north of the City of Pawtucket's Festival Pier, would be a mix of just over 200 units of housing, further restaurant and retail development, and another riverwalk park. Finally, at the so-called Apex site on Main Street, development would include an indoor sports center, a 200-room hotel, and commercial office space.

The plan calls for Fortuitous Partners to invest between $310 million and $330 million of the project's total price tag, with the public sector's contribution targeted to be between $70 million and $90 million in infrastructure improvements (construction of the pedestrian bridge, streetscaping improvements, and development of the riverwalk parks).

Fortuitous Partners and officials with the State of Rhode Island and City of Pawtucket will spend the next four months finalizing details of the project.      

Tidewater Landing

Rhode Island Unveils 7,500-Seat Soccer-Specific Stadium Anchored by USL Championship Club     

 

Isn't he part of the ownership for Phoenix Rising?  He would probably have to sell to one of Phoenix's 200 other owners I would think. 

[Brian in Boston]

43 minutes ago, GDAWG said:

Isn't he part of the ownership for Phoenix Rising?  He would probably have to sell to one of Phoenix's 200 other owners I would think. 

Yes, Brett Johnson bought a minority share of the team in 2016, when it was still known as Arizona United SC. He is currently listed as a Co-Chairman of the team on the Phoenix Rising FC website.

In addition to Johnson, two other members of Fortuitous Partners also hold stakes in Phoenix Rising FC: Berke Bakay (Principal with Fortuitous Partners; Club Governor with Phoenix Rising FC) and Mark Detmer (Advisor with Fortuitous Partners; Co-Owner and Board Member with Phoenix Rising FC).

I suspect that until the Pawtucket, Rhode Island-based USL Championship team is set to actually kick a ball in competition, the suits at USL headquarters aren't likely to force Johnson, Bakay and Detmer to divest themselves of their interests in Phoenix Rising FC. Obviously, that could change once the Rhode Island team is closer to actually engaging in day-to-day player assessment, acquisition and/or development.

Another wrinkle in all of this is that Phoenix Rising FC ownership is actively pursuing a Major League Soccer expansion franchise. This begs the question of whether MLS officials would want Johnson, Bakay and Detmer to divest their interest in the USL franchise should Phoenix Rising's MLS aspirations be realized. I suppose that a Pawtucket-based USL Championship side could serve as a developmental side for a Major League Soccer Phoenix Rising FC, but that seems unlikely, as the two cities are geographically distant from one another and MLS2 sides increasingly seem to be moving to USL League One.

Time will tell.      

[GDAWG]

24 minutes ago, Brian in Boston said:

Yes, Brett Johnson bought a minority share of the team in 2016, when it was still known as Arizona United SC. He is currently listed as a Co-Chairman of the team on the Phoenix Rising FC website.

In addition to Johnson, two other members of Fortuitous Partners also hold stakes in Phoenix Rising FC: Berke Bakay (Principal with Fortuitous Partners; Club Governor with Phoenix Rising FC) and Mark Detmer (Advisor with Fortuitous Partners; Co-Owner and Board Member with Phoenix Rising FC).

I suspect that until the Pawtucket, Rhode Island-based USL Championship team is set to actually kick a ball in competition, the suits at USL headquarters aren't likely to force Johnson, Bakay and Detmer to divest themselves of their interests in Phoenix Rising FC. Obviously, that could change once the Rhode Island team is closer to actually engaging in day-to-day player assessment, acquisition and/or development.

Another wrinkle in all of this is that Phoenix Rising FC ownership is actively pursuing a Major League Soccer expansion franchise. This begs the question of whether MLS officials would want Johnson, Bakay and Detmer to divest their interest in the USL franchise should Phoenix Rising's MLS aspirations be realized. I suppose that a Pawtucket-based USL Championship side could serve as a developmental side for a Major League Soccer Phoenix Rising FC, but that seems unlikely, as the two cities are geographically distant from one another and MLS2 sides increasingly seem to be moving to USL League One.

Time will tell.      

 

If they make the move to MLS, I would think that they would keep FC Tucson as a developmental team for Phoenix Rising FC. 

 

Is Didier Drogba still a part owner of the group?

[Digby]

I don't know what sort of demand a Pawtucket soccer team will have as long as the Revs play in Foxboro, which is what, 20 minutes up the highway on a Saturday? Now if the Revs ever actually move to Boston or an immediate suburb, that would change things. But it's a soccer-friendly area and it would be a nice little development to hopefully make Pawtucket nice, so fingers crossed for them.

[Brian in Boston]

7 minutes ago, GDAWG said:

 

If they make the move to MLS, I would think that they would keep FC Tucson as a developmental team for Phoenix Rising FC. 

 

Is Didier Drogba still a part owner of the group?

 

I agree that maintaining ties to FC Tucson as a USL developmental team would make the most sense for a Phoenix Rising FC operating in Major League Soccer.

As for Drogba's involvement with Phoenix Rising FC, his photo is not included amongst those of 15 owners so identified on the team's website. That said, a General Information section on said website does say, "The club is owned by legendary Chelsea and Ivory Coast striker, Didier Drogba...". 

[Brian in Boston]

6 hours ago, Digby said:

I don't know what sort of demand a Pawtucket soccer team will have as long as the Revs play in Foxboro, which is what, 20 minutes up the highway on a Saturday?

Based upon the commitment that they've made to putting a dynamic team on the pitch as part of the ownership group at Phoenix Rising FC, I have no reason to believe that Brett Johnson and his Fortuitous Partners compatriots would deviate from that path as stewards of a Pawtucket-based USL Championship side. So, there's every reason to believe that their goal will be to build an on-field product of the same caliber in Rhode Island. So long as the team plays an attractive, entertaining style of soccer and is competitive in their league, that should fuel demand.   

 

Further, the Fortuitous Partners pitch calls for the Pawtucket USL franchise to play in a 7,500-seat, riverside soccer-specific stadium. There are some who would argue that the atmosphere in such a right-sized facility would be every bit as good as that of 20,000 New England Revolution fans rattling around in 65,878-seat Gillette Stadium. Knowing that their club is the primary tenant in a stadium purpose-built for them - coupled with the fact that such an intimate home can only accommodate so many supporters - should fuel demand,

Finally, there are going to be some people who, when given the choice between driving "20 minutes up the highway" to Foxboro, or "5 minutes down the street" to the east bank of the Seekonk River in Pawtucket, are going to choose the shorter trip. I have friends who live in Middletown and Newport who pride themselves on how seldom they leave Aquidneck Island. Truth be told, most Rhode Islanders I know are loath to drive a block more than they have to. They look at the 1,045 square miles of the Ocean State as though it was the 5,100,000 square mile expanse of Siberia... so, don't get them started on actually leaving them state. Yes, even the Ocean State's parochialism should fuel demand.

 

 

 

[AnPheitseog]

USL is not a developmental league. USL-C is an independent league whose sole priority is to make money, not develop players. Sure, are there 2 teams that exist in the league who have that as their sole purpose? For now, yes.

 

Doesnt change that theyre an independent league. Cant wait until MLS2 teams are told to get competitive and care about marketing or get out

[MJWalker45]

29 minutes ago, DiePerske said:

USL is not a developmental league. USL-C is an independent league whose sole priority is to make money, not develop players. Sure, are there 2 teams that exist in the league who have that as their sole purpose? For now, yes.

 

Doesnt change that theyre an independent league. Cant wait until MLS2 teams are told to get competitive and care about marketing or get out

Haven't they already been told that by kicking some of them down to USL 2? 

[Gothamite]

1 hour ago, DiePerske said:

USL is not a developmental league. USL-C is an independent league whose sole priority is to make money, not develop players.

 

And one of the ways they can make money is to sign, develop, and sell players. 

 

[Digby]

IT FINALLY HAPPENED: Following this Pawtucket news, I had to explain that USL-1 is actually the 3rd division and there's a USL-C in between.

[GDAWG]

Formerly the Tulsa Roughnecks: