Next Move Or Expansion

[Rockstar Matt]

Arden Hills gets Vikings stadium look

There is some slight promise with this. It's located by major highways and is up for government auction this year. The best quote is at the bottom of the article:

"It's a non-election year. This is the year we need to get it done."

Vikings' officials have been meeting more and more about this site, and also have a couple more sites they have been meeting about.

I have a feeling with the latest press conference in Los Angeles, they're probably desperately trying to come up with a plan. For what it's worth, I think that the Chargers are a slam-dunk to go to Los Angeles, and not the Vikings. Plus, while the Twin Cities aren't Southern California, I think the talk of "they have a team in Jacksonville, but not Minneapolis-St. Paul" to surface shortly after a move. Plus, you got an established fan-base in Southern California, and the Vikings has more of a fan-base than either the Chargers or Jaguars.

The Vikings wouldn't be moving because of a lack of fan support, they'd be moving because their stadium is literally falling apart.

I know that. But if the Vikings were to relocate to Los Angeles, it would create another outcry, much like the way the Cleveland Browns and Seattle Supersonics move did. Personally, I believe the Chargers are pretty much a done deal, and the Jaguars will pretty much be the teams to relocate.

Yes, the St. Louis Rams could move back to Los Angeles, that's always a possibility. But I think the Gateway to the West and the Twin Cities will pull out their respective situations.

Plus, I think two teams in Los Angeles would be a bit too excessive, when the means two other large markets in San Diego and Minneapolis would be without professional football. Not to mention, the two-team deal didn't work out in Los Angeles before, so what makes them think it'll work now, in a much lesser economy.

The Vikings belong in Minnesota. The Chargers belong in San Diego. The Rams belong in Los Angeles. St. Louis never deserved the Rams. That awful woman Frontarie or whatever her name was, stole the Rams from us. The Rams probably lost close to or more than 1 or 2 million fans out here, and I'm not even kidding. My mom was a die-hard Rams fan. But, ever since they moved, she's hated them. She always told me that once that woman died she'd root for them again, but since she's hated them for so long, she'll never like them again. And, my mom isn't the only one who feels like this out here in LA.

Drakonius, you must live on the East Coast, or something, don't you? Los Angeles needs a NFL team. We're craving it. We have the Trojans and Bruins, but that's not pro ball. Los Angeles is a perfect market for two teams. Say both the Rams and Jaguars move out here. Rams take Farmers Field as their home stadium, and the Jags take the City of Industry stadium as their home field. Both distinct home fields, and in two separate areas. It could, and will work. The only thing is: in order for any NFL to work out here, you have to market the hell out of them. Al Davis never did it, and it resulted in a half-empty stadiums on game day. And, the other thing is LA loves winners. So you have to be a winner to really be successful out here, but even more so, you just have to promote them and don't overprice the tickets. For example: Laker games would be extremely loud if they let more of the true fans in. The ones who never sit and are loud all game. But, tickets are over priced. So, only rich people can get in and they're quiet.

Don't overprice tickets, promote the hell out of the teams locally, and the NFL will have two successful franchises here in Los Angeles.

[Drakonius26]

Arden Hills gets Vikings stadium look

There is some slight promise with this. It's located by major highways and is up for government auction this year. The best quote is at the bottom of the article:

"It's a non-election year. This is the year we need to get it done."

Vikings' officials have been meeting more and more about this site, and also have a couple more sites they have been meeting about.

I have a feeling with the latest press conference in Los Angeles, they're probably desperately trying to come up with a plan. For what it's worth, I think that the Chargers are a slam-dunk to go to Los Angeles, and not the Vikings. Plus, while the Twin Cities aren't Southern California, I think the talk of "they have a team in Jacksonville, but not Minneapolis-St. Paul" to surface shortly after a move. Plus, you got an established fan-base in Southern California, and the Vikings has more of a fan-base than either the Chargers or Jaguars.

The Vikings wouldn't be moving because of a lack of fan support, they'd be moving because their stadium is literally falling apart.

I know that. But if the Vikings were to relocate to Los Angeles, it would create another outcry, much like the way the Cleveland Browns and Seattle Supersonics move did. Personally, I believe the Chargers are pretty much a done deal, and the Jaguars will pretty much be the teams to relocate.

Yes, the St. Louis Rams could move back to Los Angeles, that's always a possibility. But I think the Gateway to the West and the Twin Cities will pull out their respective situations.

Plus, I think two teams in Los Angeles would be a bit too excessive, when the means two other large markets in San Diego and Minneapolis would be without professional football. Not to mention, the two-team deal didn't work out in Los Angeles before, so what makes them think it'll work now, in a much lesser economy.

The Vikings belong in Minnesota. The Chargers belong in San Diego. The Rams belong in Los Angeles. St. Louis never deserved the Rams. That awful woman Frontarie or whatever her name was, stole the Rams from us. The Rams probably lost close to or more than 1 or 2 million fans out here, and I'm not even kidding. My mom was a die-hard Rams fan. But, ever since they moved, she's hated them. She always told me that once that woman died she'd root for them again, but since she's hated them for so long, she'll never like them again. And, my mom isn't the only one who feels like this out here in LA.

Drakonius, you must live on the East Coast, or something, don't you? Los Angeles needs a NFL team. We're craving it. We have the Trojans and Bruins, but that's not pro ball. Los Angeles is a perfect market for two teams. Say both the Rams and Jaguars move out here. Rams take Farmers Field as their home stadium, and the Jags take the City of Industry stadium as their home field. Both distinct home fields, and in two separate areas. It could, and will work. The only thing is: in order for any NFL to work out here, you have to market the hell out of them. Al Davis never did it, and it resulted in a half-empty stadiums on game day. And, the other thing is LA loves winners. So you have to be a winner to really be successful out here, but even more so, you just have to promote them and don't overprice the tickets. For example: Laker games would be extremely loud if they let more of the true fans in. The ones who never sit and are loud all game. But, tickets are over priced. So, only rich people can get in and they're quiet.

Don't overprice tickets, promote the hell out of the teams locally, and the NFL will have two successful franchises here in Los Angeles.

Wow... that was a rant if I've ever seen one on a comment I made about Minnesota and St. Louis working their stadium situations out. It wasn't made as a slam towards Los Angeles or the West Coast at all, so let me break it down for you. Once again, I'm not trying to talk down to you, but I figure you deserve an explanation on my thoughts about relocation since you didn't resort to getting too personal on your comments.

Yes, a lot of my favorite teams are on the East Coast or Midwest, because I grew up in the former and have family in the latter, but I was born in San Antonio. Despite my own distaste of professional basketball and David Stern sometimes, which I'm not going to get into in this thread. I do know what it's like to be born and grow up for a while in a one-team town, or a fan-base that passionately supports one team among many. I don't believe in relocation at all, and you're talking to a person, despite being born in 1983, wishes that the Baltimore Colts, original Cleveland Browns, Los Angeles Rams, as well as Oakland Raiders never moved from their cities. I don't want to see anyone lose their team, and I've lost one of my own in the Seattle Supersonics, who I can't root for in their current incarnation as the Oklahoma City Thunder, because of the fact it was our team at one time. I know it's a business and simply a branch of the entertainment industry, but in my personal opinion, it doesn't make it right, at least not to me. If I had my way, you'd have the Rams back, and only the Rams, while the other moves would be reversed and expansion teams would be given and/or swapped with cities like Indianapolis and St. Louis just to name a few.

Yes, corporations have taken the passion out of most sporting events, where the actual stadium is now located in one's living room, with their closest friends, and it will be that way until the end of time probably. Los Angeles deserves a team, not two, not three, just one. Though because I say that, I know that some city will lose their team and that's unfortunate, because even though I harp on the Jacksonville Jaguars for existing. I'm sure there a kid there who loves them and doesn't want to see them move.

That's my actual opinion, and if you wish to think I live in the East Coast and only recognize their sports franchises, that's fine. But in reality, it's not the case.

[McCall]

Arden Hills gets Vikings stadium look

There is some slight promise with this. It's located by major highways and is up for government auction this year. The best quote is at the bottom of the article:

"It's a non-election year. This is the year we need to get it done."

Vikings' officials have been meeting more and more about this site, and also have a couple more sites they have been meeting about.

I have a feeling with the latest press conference in Los Angeles, they're probably desperately trying to come up with a plan. For what it's worth, I think that the Chargers are a slam-dunk to go to Los Angeles, and not the Vikings. Plus, while the Twin Cities aren't Southern California, I think the talk of "they have a team in Jacksonville, but not Minneapolis-St. Paul" to surface shortly after a move. Plus, you got an established fan-base in Southern California, and the Vikings has more of a fan-base than either the Chargers or Jaguars.

The Vikings wouldn't be moving because of a lack of fan support, they'd be moving because their stadium is literally falling apart.

I know that. But if the Vikings were to relocate to Los Angeles, it would create another outcry, much like the way the Cleveland Browns and Seattle Supersonics move did. Personally, I believe the Chargers are pretty much a done deal, and the Jaguars will pretty much be the teams to relocate.

Yes, the St. Louis Rams could move back to Los Angeles, that's always a possibility. But I think the Gateway to the West and the Twin Cities will pull out their respective situations.

Plus, I think two teams in Los Angeles would be a bit too excessive, when the means two other large markets in San Diego and Minneapolis would be without professional football. Not to mention, the two-team deal didn't work out in Los Angeles before, so what makes them think it'll work now, in a much lesser economy.

The Vikings belong in Minnesota. The Chargers belong in San Diego. The Rams belong in Los Angeles. St. Louis never deserved the Rams. That awful woman Frontarie or whatever her name was, stole the Rams from us. The Rams probably lost close to or more than 1 or 2 million fans out here, and I'm not even kidding. My mom was a die-hard Rams fan. But, ever since they moved, she's hated them. She always told me that once that woman died she'd root for them again, but since she's hated them for so long, she'll never like them again. And, my mom isn't the only one who feels like this out here in LA.

Drakonius, you must live on the East Coast, or something, don't you? Los Angeles needs a NFL team. We're craving it. We have the Trojans and Bruins, but that's not pro ball. Los Angeles is a perfect market for two teams. Say both the Rams and Jaguars move out here. Rams take Farmers Field as their home stadium, and the Jags take the City of Industry stadium as their home field. Both distinct home fields, and in two separate areas. It could, and will work. The only thing is: in order for any NFL to work out here, you have to market the hell out of them. Al Davis never did it, and it resulted in a half-empty stadiums on game day. And, the other thing is LA loves winners. So you have to be a winner to really be successful out here, but even more so, you just have to promote them and don't overprice the tickets. For example: Laker games would be extremely loud if they let more of the true fans in. The ones who never sit and are loud all game. But, tickets are over priced. So, only rich people can get in and they're quiet.

Don't overprice tickets, promote the hell out of the teams locally, and the NFL will have two successful franchises here in Los Angeles.

Wow... that was a rant if I've ever seen one on a comment I made about Minnesota and St. Louis working their stadium situations out. It wasn't made as a slam towards Los Angeles or the West Coast at all, so let me break it down for you. Once again, I'm not trying to talk down to you, but I figure you deserve an explanation on my thoughts about relocation since you didn't resort to getting too personal on your comments.

Yes, a lot of my favorite teams are on the East Coast or Midwest, because I grew up in the former and have family in the latter, but I was born in San Antonio. Despite my own distaste of professional basketball and David Stern sometimes, which I'm not going to get into in this thread. I do know what it's like to be born and grow up for a while in a one-team town, or a fan-base that passionately supports one team among many. I don't believe in relocation at all, and you're talking to a person, despite being born in 1983, wishes that the Baltimore Colts, original Cleveland Browns, Los Angeles Rams, as well as Oakland Raiders never moved from their cities. I don't want to see anyone lose their team, and I've lost one of my own in the Seattle Supersonics, who I can't root for in their current incarnation as the Oklahoma City Thunder, because of the fact it was our team at one time. I know it's a business and simply a branch of the entertainment industry, but in my personal opinion, it doesn't make it right, at least not to me. If I had my way, you'd have the Rams back, and only the Rams, while the other moves would be reversed and expansion teams would be given and/or swapped with cities like Indianapolis and St. Louis just to name a few.

Yes, corporations have taken the passion out of most sporting events, where the actual stadium is now located in one's living room, with their closest friends, and it will be that way until the end of time probably. Los Angeles deserves a team, not two, not three, just one. Though because I say that, I know that some city will lose their team and that's unfortunate, because even though I harp on the Jacksonville Jaguars for existing. I'm sure there a kid there who loves them and doesn't want to see them move.

That's my actual opinion, and if you wish to think I live in the East Coast and only recognize their sports franchises, that's fine. But in reality, it's not the case.

Per your take on reloc(ion, the Chargers should've never left LA in the first place. So how would the work with your "only needs one team" theory. (Not talking down to you btw) Chargers are the most probable. If they want a second team, it really does seem like the Jaguars are the next in line.

[Drakonius26]

I'm obviously not going to reply directly to your post, because I don't need my reply, signature and quote length included, taking up half the page, but comparing the Los Angeles Chargers situation to the Los Angeles Rams is apples and oranges. The AFL was just starting out, and one could say that franchise rebranding/relocation was to be expected. Plus, with only their inaugural season in Los Angeles and 50 seasons in San Diego, it's fair to say that the Chargers are definitely more San Diego's and not Los Angeles' team. I'm sure I could get technical and say that the Rams belong back in Cleveland, and the Cardinals in Chicago, but it wouldn't be realistic, due to the fact that those cities couldn't support two football teams. Not to mention, nobody identifies them with those cities, partially due to the fact that they lacked fan support, so they had to concede those markets to simply survive as a professional sports franchise (the Dallas Texans' had to do the same thing when becoming the Kansas City Chiefs). You can't say that the Colts, original Browns, Rams, and Raiders lacked support when they moved from their cities.

[The_Admiral]

You could argue that no team should've moved after the merger, because legally speaking, no team was allowed to move after the merger. Part of the reason the NFL was granted an anti-trust exemption was that they promised they wouldn't take a city off their map and leave them without pro football. Al Davis was able to scuttle that one. I don't remember how he won in court, but he did, and it paved the way for brilliance like replacing Los Angeles and Houston with St. Louis and Nashville-via-Memphis, or moving the Cardinals from St. Louis to Phoenix, where they were even more of a half-assed afterthought than they already were. Wearing LA Raiders gear was kinda badass, though.

[Brian in Boston]

Rams take Farmers Field as their home stadium, and the Jags take the City of Industry stadium as their home field. Both distinct home fields, and in two separate areas. It could, and will work.

Ed Roski, the developer behind the City of Industry stadium plan, can argue all he likes to the contrary, but there won't be a need for two NFL-calibre stadiums - each playing host to a different NFL franchise - in Greater Los Angeles.

Part of the reason that NFL executives and owners reportedly prefer AEG's downtown plan is that sources of revenue-generation are increased by having the facility double as both a stadium and part of the adjacent Los Angeles Convention Center. Similarly, by having said stadium house two NFL teams, it immediately goes from hosting at least eight regular-season games a season to hosting 16. Revenues are again increased.

Bottom line? If AEG gets Farmers built, Roski's City of Industry plan is dead-in-the-water. Done Kaput. Finis.

[McCall]

The only way I see Roski's working is if he's able to buy part of the Jaguars and move them into there. I don't believe any of the other teams are gonna sell him a portion or settle for his stadium. Even if they were sold to any other LA group, they would rather share downtown. And even that Jaguars scenario would be a low probability.

[Gothamite]

Bottom line? If AEG gets Farmers built, Roski's City of Industry plan is dead-in-the-water. Done Kaput. Finis.

That is absolutely true. But Roski's stadium is much closer to completion, AEG's naming rights deal notwithstanding. There's no guarantee that AEG gets the environmental waivers, and if they don't the new NFL team will be playing in Industry.

[Drakonius26]

I think we should turn this into a poll. What will come to fruition first: the Los Angeles NFL Team(s), or the Winnipeg Jets 2.0?

[IceCap]

LA gets two NFL teams. If only due to Gary Bettman's inability to grasp the concepts of "guaranteed money" and "deadlines."

[Brian in Boston]

But Roski's stadium is much closer to completion, AEG's naming rights deal notwithstanding.

I wouldn't go that far.

There's this perception - largely fueled by Roski and his second-in-command on the project, John Semcken - that Majestic Realty's City of Industry stadium project is ready to be built. That's simply not so. While schematics exist for the stadium, there are no completed advanced design drawings. Such drawings can cost upwards of $10-to-15 million dollars and, in order to be created in an expeditious manner, would require a team of dozens of architects to work on them simultaneously. Most importantly, without design drawings prepared by an architectural firm there's really no way to put the project out to bid. Bottom line? Without those drawings, Roski's a minimum of a year away from being able to start nuts-and-bolts construction of anything.

Further, word on the street is that AEG's plan has quietly garnered the favor of a majority of NFL owners and Commissioner Roger Goodell. In addition to simply preferring the synergy that comes with having an NFL franchise playing in a stadium adjacent to the Staples Center, LA Live! and the Los Angeles Convention Center downtown, said owners and executives are also impressed by AEG's ability to close a $700 million naming rights deal for the facility before it breaks ground. Given that the New Meadowlands Stadium and Cowboys Stadium still don't have naming rights deals in place, that is recognized - and respected - as no easy feat. Additionally, NFL bigwigs have supposedly been rubbed the wrong way by the highly critical remarks that Semcken, as well as Majestic Realty's PR people and lobbyists, have aimed at the AEG plan. Rather than trumpet their own strengths, Majestic chose to badmouth AEG's plan. That's apparently backfired.

At the end of the day, Majestic's Ed Roski owns the City of Industry land and has environmental waivers in hand... but AEG has negotiated a $700 million naming rights deal, enjoys the status of being one of the globe's leading sports-and-entertainment development/marketing/management firms and - perhaps most importantly - has Roger Goodell and the bulk of the NFL's owners in their corner. The latter are the folks making the decision. So long as they're in AEG's corner, AEG's plan has the inside track.

Put it this way: Roski-and-Company watched Super Bowl XLV from the stands at Cowboys Stadium. Tim Leiweke of AEG? He was in Jerry Jones' suite. That tells you all that you need to know.

There's no guarantee that AEG gets the environmental waivers...

The odds are that they'll get the environmental waivers. A precedent was set in granting them to Roski, both Democratic and Republican leaders in the California legislature have indicated that they're inclined to grant AEG the same help that Roski received, and Jerry Brown has so much to accomplish politically in order to get the State of California's finances in order that he's not going to waste political capital drawing a line in the sand over this issue.

Roski's scrambling because he can read the writing on the wall.

[Drakonius26]

You could argue that no team should've moved after the merger, because legally speaking, no team was allowed to move after the merger. Part of the reason the NFL was granted an anti-trust exemption was that they promised they wouldn't take a city off their map and leave them without pro football. Al Davis was able to scuttle that one. I don't remember how he won in court, but he did, and it paved the way for brilliance like replacing Los Angeles and Houston with St. Louis and Nashville-via-Memphis, or moving the Cardinals from St. Louis to Phoenix, where they were even more of a half-assed afterthought than they already were. Wearing LA Raiders gear was kinda badass, though.

This could probably explain the 1982 relocation settlement, better than I ever could.

[Gothamite]

There's no guarantee that AEG gets the environmental waivers...

The odds are that they'll get the environmental waivers. A precedent was set in granting them to Roski' date=' both Democratic and Republican leaders in the California legislature have indicated that they're inclined to grant AEG the same help that Roski received, and Jerry Brown has so much to accomplish politically in order to get the State of California's finances in order that he's not going to waste political capital drawing a line in the sand over this issue.

[/quote']

Don't get me wrong - I'd prefer a downtown stadium, but Jerry Brown very well might gain political capital by drawing an environmental line in the sand. If AEG gets a waiver, then the green laws have been officially gutted. Once is bad enough, but once can be an exception. Multiple exceptions mean that the law is useless, which won't necessarily play well in California.

As much as Roski is exaggerating when indicating that his shovels are ready to go, so too are AEG's supporters when they claim the environmental waivers are automatic.

[bosrs1]

Phoenix Coyotes returning as the Winnipeg Jets

Atlanta Thrashers to Quebec City

...one can only wish though

And as a fan of the Coyotes, I wish that never happens.

MLB seems likely to expand soon.

Disagree. MLB still has two teams that are far from settled in their current locations. And while contraction will never happen in MLB, because of the MLBPA, so too for the same reason you won't see expansion any time soon either.

[bosrs1]

To answer the original question, I think we're coming into a time not unlike the late 50's when several teams are going to be moving all at once.

NFL

San Diego Chargers -> Los Angeles Chargers (This one I think is already signed sealed and delivered pending AEG building their palace in LA)

St. Louis Rams/Minnesota Vikings/Jacksonville -> Los Angeles ??? (This will become a simple matter of who gets their first depending on failure of local attempts to keep them etc...)

MLB

Oakland A's -> San Jose A's (While Oakland is currently scrambling to keep the A's they have one gaping hole in their plans that San Jose doesn't, they have no funding in Oakland and the owner doesn't want to build there.)

NBA

Sacramento Kings -> Anaheim/San Jose/Las Vegas/KC/Kentucky (The Kings will end up wherever there happens to be an existing or then planned arena but they won't be in Sac 5 years from now. I list Anaheim first since they've reportedly been meeting with Anaheim officials about a move to the point where the Ducks owner has offered to help fund a move.)

New Orleans Hornets -> Seattle (This one I don't think is as likely to happen just because Seattle doesn't have an arena yet and the NBA doesn't necessarily want to be the league that screwed Katrina ravaged New Orleans. If it happens they'll wait for a bit more distance to be placed between Katrina and the present)

NHL

Phoenix Coyotes -> Winnipeg Jets (With Phoenix struggling to sell the bonds to keep the team (and no one in Phoenix seemingly caring they have an NHL team anyway) I think this one is just a matter of time)

Thrashers and/or Panthers -> Quebec City/Hamilton (This will be a matter of who gets where first depending on the cities finishing their arenas)

MLS

Montreal Expansion (this is already coming for 2012)

New York Expansion (this one is something the league really wants but the Wilpon's financial disaster could kill it short term. But the league will add a 20th team sooner rather than later to even out the divisions.)

[Gothamite]

New York Expansion (this one is something the league really wants but the Wilpon's financial disaster could kill it short term. But the league will add a 20th team sooner rather than later to even out the divisions.)

The Wilpons' financial and legal troubles shouldn't have any impact on the Cosmos - their affiliation was largely in terms of building a SSS in the Citi Field parking lot.

[bosrs1]

New York Expansion (this one is something the league really wants but the Wilpon's financial disaster could kill it short term. But the league will add a 20th team sooner rather than later to even out the divisions.)

The Wilpons' financial and legal troubles shouldn't have any impact on the Cosmos - their affiliation was largely in terms of building a SSS in the Citi Field parking lot.

True, but no new SSS, no MLS team.

[Brian in Boston]

Don't get me wrong - I'd prefer a downtown stadium, but Jerry Brown very well might gain political capital by drawing an environmental line in the sand.

Not enough capital to advance his primary agenda.

If AEG gets a waiver, then the green laws have been officially gutted. Once is bad enough, but once can be an exception. Multiple exceptions mean that the law is useless, which won't necessarily play well in California.

There would be no quid pro quo exchange between the environmental lobby and the legislative coalition Brown is going to need to push through his belt-tightening economic reform. He might gain the admiration of the environmental lobby by coming down against granting AEG the waivers, but said admiration isn't going to translate into the sort of widespread bipartisan support he's going to need to advance his primary agenda.

As much as Roski is exaggerating when indicating that his shovels are ready to go, so too are AEG's supporters when they claim the environmental waivers are automatic.

I haven't heard anyone claim that the environmental waivers for AEG are automatic. Anschutz, Leiweke and Company are going to have to work the California Legislature, just as Roski did. That said, AEG has been lobbying the powers-that-be in Scaramento - laying the groundwork for this stadium effort - for several months now.

Bottom line? From what I'm hearing from friends and associates in Sacramento and elsewhere, AEG faces an easier task in winning over Governor Brown and the California Legislature than Roski-and-Company do in convincing the NFL power-elite of the merits of setting-up shop in City of Industry.

[Brian in Boston]

The Wilpons' financial and legal troubles shouldn't have any impact on the Cosmos - their affiliation was largely in terms of building a SSS in the Citi Field parking lot.

Unfortunately, without partnering with the Wilpons on such a soccer-specific facility, the new Cosmos are a train-wreck.

* Paul Kemsley. He who has defaulted on numerous loans, been implicated in shady financial transactions, and was hauled into bankruptcy court within the last year, yet claims to have "financing lined up" for construction of a soccer-specific stadium.

* Terry Byrne. David Beckham's ball-washer.

* Giorgio Chinaglia. Bat- crazy "international soccer ambassador".

* Eric Cantona. The new Cosmos' "director of soccer". A result, no doubt, of his track-record as manager of the French National Beach Soccer Team.

* Pele. Geriatric soccer superstar who is having his name and image exploited by Kemsley for PR purposes.

* Cobi Jones. A younger, American, less superstar version of Pele, employed by Kemsley for the exact same reason as the old Brazilian.

THIS is the "organization" that is going to resurrect the New York Cosmos as part of Major League Soccer?

[Gothamite]

New York Expansion (this one is something the league really wants but the Wilpon's financial disaster could kill it short term. But the league will add a 20th team sooner rather than later to even out the divisions.)

The Wilpons' financial and legal troubles shouldn't have any impact on the Cosmos - their affiliation was largely in terms of building a SSS in the Citi Field parking lot.

True, but no new SSS, no MLS team.

Agreed, but Wilpon's involvement was primarily to grease the wheels, as it were. The city actually owns the parking lot as well as the land under Shea Stadium, so while his participation would have helped, in the end it's not necessary.