No stadium in Utah

[OMMF]

http://www.sltrib.com/ci_4039611?source=rss

Heads hung. A smattering of scarlet scarves lay limp, and an awkward silence choked the chamber.

    For Real Salt Lake fans, this defeat stung. Not only did they just lose a nail-biter vote for a Sandy stadium, they also fear they might lose something more dear: their team.

    Indeed, RSL owner Dave Checketts warned that Tuesday's 5-4 Salt Lake County Council decision - which sent the team's suburban stadium dreams into oblivion - "puts the future of the club in Utah in serious jeopardy."

full article at link above

[TBGKon]

can anybody say San Jose Earthquakes?

[DGivens87]

That sucks for RSL fans...I don't know what I'd do if my Revs packed up and left.

With that being said, I hope the City of Salt Lake finds a way to keep their club. As much as it may be beneficial for their team to move to a more "soccer hungry" market like San Jose or Rochester, I hate to see franchises move so often, as has been the case with a handful of current MLS franchises. Overall, it may be for the greater good of MLS, but I'd hate to be a fan without a team.

[STL FANATIC]

Actually this would probably be the team St. Louis has been looking for. Checketts just bought the Blues and Savvis center, and the news has already been talking about this story with Real Salt Lake.

St. Louis was a strong contender to get an expansion franchise, but we might get this one instead.

[dfwabel]

Isn't this one reason why we could say that the MLS has no idea on what is is doing? While they have former sports managers (NFL and NBA), they are still trying to rely on public sentiment for getting soccer specific facilities to be build. I think they needed guarantees for facilities to be started before they grant franchises.

[Brian in Boston]

The Salt Lake Tribune has reported that the team could potentially move to St. Louis, Portland (OR), Phoenix or Rochester. Additionally, the paper does not rule out construction of a facility in Salt Lake City proper, either at the Fairpark or downtown.

[yh]

Actually this would probably be the team St. Louis has been looking for. Checketts just bought the Blues and Savvis center, and the news has already been talking about this story with Real Salt Lake.

St. Louis was a strong contender to get an expansion franchise, but we might get this one instead.

I suppose Real Salt Lake could become Olympique St. Louis if (1) the proposed soccer-specific stadium on the East Side goes forward; and (2) a suitable temporary facility could be constructed. Hermann Stadium (home of the SLU soccer team and the 2006 NCAA Div. I finals) can only hold 7,100 (and that's with temporary bleachers to accommodate the NCAA finals). Francis Field at Washington U was the former home of the NASL's Stars (and was the site for the 1904 Olympic Games), however since those days the stadium was reduced from 19,000 to 3,000 seats and most of the parking lots are now dormitories or part of the Fontbonne campus. The Anheuser Busch Conference and Sports center has occasionally hosted international friendlies but presently holds only 6,100 fans. It would appear that temporary bleachers could be built on the north side of the exhibition field in order to boost seating by probably another 6-9000 but that would require an adjacent field to be closed. Still, that would only get the capacity up to 15,000 - probably an acceptable short-term solution for a year. I don't believe the Edward Jones Dome has sufficient floor space to put down a MLS pitch and I am not sure that MLS would go for an indoor facility, even on a temporary basis. Given the Rams' concerns regarding field conditions, it's unlikely they'd be willing to share their facility during the MLS-NFL overlap even if MLS did greenlight an indoor, truncated pitch.

St. Louis has been a great soccer town and I think that Major League Soccer might have some decent prospects here but there are some very significant facility challenges which might make things very difficult.

[Gary]

The Salt Lake Tribune has reported that the team could potentially move to St. Louis, Portland (OR), Phoenix or Rochester. Additionally, the paper does not rule out construction of a facility in Salt Lake City proper, either at the Fairpark or downtown.

I know that Jerry Moyes has been trying to get an MLS Soccer team here, my question is, would he spend the money to get the Real Salt Lake here? I could see it, Cardinals Stadium is going to be open for business and I know there is a very large Latino market that has been wanting a Futbol team. I think we could see them coming here.

[DG_ThenNowForever]

Oh please, just move it to Rochester. You guarantee sellouts for MLS games for the next ten years. And Rochester JUST completed it's brand new soccer-only stadium. Dissolve the Rhinos, make it Real Rochester and we're good.

[BloodAtFirstBite]

What a disorganised mess MLS is. Soccer is a great sport but MLS just screws it up.

[DG_ThenNowForever]

From my hometown paper:

(July 13, 2006) ? Major League Soccer commissioner Don Garber said Wednesday he expects the owners of the Rhinos and Real Salt Lake will discuss a deal that could potentially move the MLS team from Utah to Rochester and PAETEC Park.

"It's too early to say whether these discussions will take place on a serious level, let alone whether they get a deal consummated," Garber said from his office in New York City. "But I believe (Rhinos president Frank DuRoss) will engage in discussions with Real Salt Lake about some type of arrangement."

DuRoss admitted he already has had preliminary discussions with Utah officials and is "confident we'll be talking in the future."

All this comes a day after Salt Lake County Council's second rejection of a proposal that would generate $30 million for Real Salt Lake to build a soccer stadium in Sandy, Utah, and a report in Salt Lake's Deseret Morning News that named Rochester and St. Louis as potential relocation cities that are actively making bids to buy the two-year-old team.

Sounds like good news for either Rochester or St. Louis. The Rhinos could become the MLS equivalent of the Green Bay Packers if things go well or the Jacksonville Jaguars if things go poorly.

[Bleujayone]

Rochester could become the Green Bay of the MLS- small market with a great big fan base.

In addition to Rochester, it would a fan base from Buffalo to Syracuse, and would make a nice natural rival to the Toronto club. Not to mention if they ever get the ferry service back up and running again, it's only a short trip acros the lake- which would be profitable for the Toronto team if they could get rabid Rochester fans up there.

[DG_ThenNowForever]

Not to mention if they ever get the ferry service back up and running again,

HA!

That thing is D-E-D dead. Super dead. A real shame too. I moved away from Rochester a few years ago, but I would have loved the option of a $30 ride across the lake. Toronto is an awesome city and a 45-minute trip by boat sure beats a four drive.

I have no idea why more people didn't take advantage.

But on topic, I sure hope the MLS just goes for it and winds up in Rochester. It'd be the only team with guaranteed sellouts for every match.

[Bleujayone]

Not to mention if they ever get the ferry service back up and running again,

HA!

That thing is D-E-D dead. Super dead. A real shame too. I moved away from Rochester a few years ago, but I would have loved the option of a $30 ride across the lake. Toronto is an awesome city and a 45-minute trip by boat sure beats a four drive.

I have no idea why more people didn't take advantage.

But on topic, I sure hope the MLS just goes for it and winds up in Rochester. It'd be the only team with guaranteed sellouts for every match.

Even if it was the same amount of time by boat as it was to drive, it's still four hours you could be spending sleeping and not wasting fuel and time driving. It was also great for people coming up from Boston or New York City who were already beat from driving. Maybe if fuel prices and toll prices keep going up the way they are, the ferry might come back- well, one can hope anyway.

I also heard the NY Turnpike Authority is planning to possibly privatize the Turnpike- to the very same company who's done such a bang-up job on Toronto's now private Rt 407! Now instead of $13 dollars to go from one end of the state to the other (already "highway robbery") they're talking about rates as high as $40-$50! It'll be cheaper to fly!

"Who's the more foolish, the fool or the fool who follows him?"

Sorry to hijack the thread for a moment, anyway if there was a small market that earned the right to a MLS team, Rochester would be it.

[logodawg]

What the hell ever happened to team owners using their own money to build a stadium for THEIR team?

If their was any real money to be made, the RSL could get a business loan put a simple stadium and add on over time, like baseball did in the old days.

[amare32]

I offer to donate the storied name "Copper Star FC" to the franchise if MLS approves its relocation to Phoenix.

[Gary]

I offer to donate the storied name "Copper Star FC" to the franchise if MLS approves its relocation to Phoenix.

I like it although I have a feeling if they go with it they will go with _____ Phoenix FC for some reason

[winters in buffalo]

What the hell ever happened to team owners using their own money to build a stadium for THEIR team?

If their was any real money to be made, the RSL could get a business loan put a simple stadium and add on over time, like baseball did in the old days.

Preach on, my good man.

Seriously... why not build thier own? If no one is willing to finance a private stadium, that should be the first red flag that the public should avoid funding it as well.

[harperdc]

Switch out the USL team for an MLS Portland Timbers and you would have just as good a fan base as Rochester, IMO. Timbers draw really well for a USL team, have played teams in the English Championship each of the past two years (Sunderland and then last weekend Conventry City), the stadium is there and can hold about 14,000 (PLEASE convert it to all-grass though, it was done for the women's world cup and was great) and is in the city itself...

and lest we forget, it means the TIMBERS ARMY would be up in MLS. heheheheh

[MisterE]

I think Rochester should get the club, as has been mentioned. The city already has a stadium and a large fanbase and they deserve a top-tier soccer club. St. Louis is also a good option, but with the plans for the soccer-specific stadium still pending, Rochester is first in line. Once St. Louis has approved the stadium and built it, I think St. Louis would be ready for either expansion or maybe relocation of another team. And if Rochester gets the team, name it the Rhinos to stick with the city's soccer past and not any Real Rochester.