Seattle Sounders vs. Sporting KC

[jacobi]

On monday of last week my brother called me to invite me on a road trip to go watch his team (the sounders) play in a cup match against sporting KC.  It was already all paid for and I had no obligations so I went along.  I am still hoarse from cheering.  The amount of devoted following for the sounders was nuts.  They had a cannon of fight songs (about 10-12 of them, including woody guthrie's "roll on Columbia") that everyone knew.  It was so neat so see so much civic pride transplanted to another place.  Watching the cultural dynamic between well behaved polite and friendly Kansans compaired to west coast seattlites was too funny.  My conclusion from the whole thing is this: we need a pro sports team.  Really.  Going to see the drillers or the oilers is nice.  It's relaxing.  It's relatively cheap.  But there will never be the kind of hard-core fans without them being pro.

[TulsaRufnex]

Incidentally, that was a great midweek crowd in KC and the game at their new stadium was the championship for the US Open Cup, a tournament that for years couldn't draw flies.... in late 2005, it was the Kansas City team that was going to be moved to Tulsa.  

I wish I could tell you that Tulsa currently has a shot at an MLS team, but the days of owner/investors paying $10mil to $15mil for an expansion or relocated team are long gone (Montreal paid what was purported to be a $40mil expansion fee and MLS hopes the fee for an expansion team in NYC will command upwards of $100mil for the league's 20th team).  As a point of reference, Tulsans purportedly paid $6mil to $7mil to move the WNBA Shock from Detroit.

I would normally agree with anyone who thinks the last thing Tulsa needs right now is another minor league team in any sport, but there are a few reasons why I believe operating a franchise one level below MLS would be workable for Tulsa and its best chance at eventually securing a major league team other than the WNBA...

1.  5 of the last 6 cities to join Major League Soccer had successful franchise operations in the league one level below MLS.
2.  3 out of those 5 cities (Seattle Sounders, Portland Timbers, Vancouver Whitecaps) kept their old nicknames from the 70s and 80s (back when the Tulsa Roughnecks were around).
3.  In the fall of 2009, the league one level below MLS re-branded as the new North American Soccer League (http://nasl.com), and simultaneously filed to use "Roughnecks" as a soccer trademark for a future possible expansion team in Tulsa...Word Mark ROUGHNECKS-- Filing Date November 19, 2009 -- North American Soccer League, LLC http://www.uspto.gov/trademarks/index.jsp
4.  The New York team joining the league in 2013 will use their old name, the Cosmos, joining the Tampa Bay Rowdies and Ft Lauderdale Strikers as throwback franchises...

5.  The US Open Cup Championship game you attended is part of a massive, single elimination, spring/summer round-robin tournament that would give a minor league Tulsa team a great opportunity to host/play a meaningful game or games against KC or Dallas or Houston... imagine the Drillers playing in a tournament against the Royals, Rangers or Astros.... San Antonio's NASL team upset MLS's Houston Dynamo in the tourney this year... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X-dwlYCE-h4
6.  Besides... we already have a theme song....  
 

[Laramie]

Oklahoma is being looked at by MLS officials.  Tulsa definitely has a better shot at getting MLS than Oklahoma City.

Salt Lake City which mirrors Oklahoma City in some respects supports both the NBA and MLS.

Tulsa and OKC are both high in Per capita income and Metropolitan population:

Per Capita Income:  http://www.city-data.com/forum/general-u-s/314570-us-metro-areas-ranked-per-capita.html

89538 Tulsa-Bartlesville, OK (CSA)...................... $38,106 24
89416 Oklahoma City-Shawnee, OK (CSA).............$35,138 46
89482 Salt Lake City-Ogden-Clearfield, UT (CSA)...$33,058 53


Read more: http://www.city-data.com/forum/general-u-s/314570-us-metro-areas-ranked-per-capita.html#ixzz24ytz2iiJ

Metropolitan Population:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_United_States_metropolitan_statistical_areas

2011 Estimates:
43 Oklahoma City, OK MSA..... 1,278,053
48 Salt Lake City, UT MSA...... 1,145,905
54 Tulsa, OK MSA.................... 946,962


Tulsa is higher in per capita income than OKC & Salt Lake City; however, slightly smaller in metro population; Tulsa has an advantage in that OKC & SLC are both supporting NBA franchises.

Oklahoma City did leave item 10 off its MAPS 3 proposal which included a sports stadium:

"Number ten, football!  A new NFL stadium.  Well, that would be cool.  And I guess we could build one, but there wouldn't be a team to play in it.  But, seriously, about football and soccer in general, I will note that MAPS for Kids constructed a new football stadium at Douglass High School and the 2007 school bond issue has some money to improve Taft and Speegle stadia.  How about half a check mark?"

The sports stadium item will come up in 2017 when MAPS IV is put together and it will have a better chance of  getting on the ballot and passing:

http://www.okc.gov/council/mayor/state_of_city/2010/index.html

City leaders are looking at building an NFL type stadium (75,000) or possibly one which could be used to attract an MLS (30,000 range)  expansion franchise.

Tulsa definitely has a soccer rich history with the success of the Roughnecks and the income potential available to be a successful MLS city moreso than Oklahoma City since OKC is already sporting an NBA franchise.

Getting a facility built in Tulsa will be the challenge.  A facility (soccer-specific stadium) would be a plus for Tulsa.   Oklahoma City will be putting something on the 2017 MAPS IV ballot which if passed could start constructing around 2019-20.

Here are some examples of soccer specific stadiums which were built for MLS initially had grass fields and some stadiums built now have artificial turf.  

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Major_League_Soccer_stadiums



Tulsa is definitely primed for MLS!

[TulsaRufnex]

Oklahoma is being looked at by MLS officials.  Tulsa definitely has a better shot at getting MLS than Oklahoma City.

Info?  Link?

I don't believe either city has been on MLS's radar in at least five years.

The last info I saw about Oklahoma City pre-dates the Thunder... from 2006...  http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=362730&cc=5901

"I think it was in the end we didn't have an ownership group and you can't move forward without an ownership group," Abbott said by telephone Friday.
That large obstacle is the main issue keeping MLS from locating in Oklahoma. Abbott listed the league's main concerns for expansion teams as a support base, a stadium and ownership.

I'm not sure how MAPS IV enters into the equation... and any substantial state money/bonds for a suitable soccer stadium in Tulsa would come as a shock (heh-heh) to most of us here...  

That leaves the new Vision2 process... I believe the idea of a children's museum tied into youth soccer/pro soccer could be a political winner this time out... I wish the types of people who'd spend millions on designing islands in the middle of the Arkansas River or millions more for a far-fetched future Olympics bid could get behind the soccer idea with that same kind of money and enthusiasm...  

Toyota Announces Presenting Sponsorships of Morgan's Wonderland, New Scorpions Stadium
August 28, 2012
http://sanantonioscorpions.com/team-news/item/384-toyota-announces-presenting-sponsorships-of-morgans-wonderland-new-scorpions-stadium

[Laramie]

Oklahoma City\Tulsa

"The two cities in Oklahoma, in-state rivals, have both indicated a desire to host an expansion franchise. The University of Central Oklahoma in Edmond, just north of Oklahoma City, has begun work on what will eventually be a 20,000-plus-seat soccer stadium with 6,500 parking spaces. To built in phases, when completed, the facility would the necessary infrastructure to support a MLS team -- lockerrooms, training facilities, luxury boxes, press box, etc.

"Our university, its student body and the entire community are very bullish about bringing an MLS expansion team to our campus," Central Oklahoma vice president Steven Kreidler recently told local media.

One major problem is the absence, thus far, of a group with the finances to back a team. The university said it is trying to put together a local investor group, but no one has been identified yet.

Then there are questions about the depth of fan support in a small market, such as Oklahoma City, even though Tulsa was a reasonably successful franchise in the old North American Soccer League. In April, an MLS exhibition in Oklahoma City between the Dallas Burn and Kansas City Wizards drew about 6,500.

If an aggressive ownership group emerges in Oklahoma City, and if MLS decides to go into secondary markets, the community is possibly a viable contender for expansion beyond 2005."

Source:  http://www.soccertimes.com/mls/2004/may16.htm

MLS is currently in Salt Lake City which has NBA.  Tulsa doesn't have any major professional sports franchise to compete with MLS like Oklahoma City and Salt Lake City.   Tulsa would be a hotbed for an MLS franchise.

Bob Funk, who currently owns the Oklahoma City Barons of the American Hockey League (AHL) just recently sold the Oklahoma Redhawks (AAA PCL baseball); it is rumored that he may be revisit bringing an MLS franchise to Oklahoma City or Tulsa.

[TulsaRufnex]

^^^ seven+ years ago

I'd be very surprised if the post-divorce Bob Funk has any interest in MLS... unless he still thinks $10mil to $15mil is the expansion fee.   

Why did Bob Funk and Express Personnel backout of OKC team? Nov. 2006
http://www.bigsoccer.com/community/threads/why-did-bob-funk-and-express-personnel-backout-of-okc-team.436857/

[TulsaRufnex]

Peter Wilt Says Indianapolis and Milwaukee Could Be Next Pro Soccer Teams
2012 October 8
http://www.insidemnsoccer.com/2012/10/08/peter-wilts-says-indianapolis-and-milwaukee-could-be-the-next-pro-soccer-teams/

"Now I'm more interested in starting up a team or two," continued Wilt. "I'm excited for the opportunity to be involved in the launch of Indianapolis."

Wilt states that Indianapolis, Indiana has a group of businessman who are self funded and could easily meet the USSF qualifications for Division 2 soccer. He said in an interview on Monday, because the organization has MLS aspirations, he sees the NASL as the best vehicle to make that happen, pointing out other division 2 teams that have easily made the successful jump to MLS.

The Indianapolis group may very well be the Midwest location that Commissioner David Downs has mentioned several times recently and Wilt says they are close to making a decision and may be considered at the late October NASL Board of Governors meeting. However, Wilt does not think that the team would be ready to play before 2014.

That group of local Indianapolis businessmen have retained Wilt for a few months to do research and feasibility analysis. "The group is specifically interested in NASL and I tend to agree with them. That seems to be the best fit for the market."

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"There's some interesting things going on with a venue in the heart of the city that would be fantastic in integrating the social experience with the sporting experience, much like Seattle and Portland have done with their venues right downtown," Wilt said.

HIGHLIGHTS: Seattle Sounders vs Portland Timbers, October 7, 2012
With over 66,000 fans in attendance the Seattle Sounders and Portland Timbers battle for the Cascadia Cup at CenturyLink Field.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xWJaMx4Vyzs

[TulsaRufnex]

Looking for $1.5 mil under my sofa cushions.... coming up a bit short....  

October 25, 2012
In N.A.S.L., Minnesota on Road to Another Title, and Perhaps Oblivion
http://goal.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/10/25/in-n-a-s-l-minnesota-on-road-to-another-title-and-perhaps-oblivion/

The issue for the soccer team in Minnesota, one that has been around in various incarnations for the past 23 years, is that the Stars are now owned by the North American Soccer League. The owners of the league's other eight teams (nine if you count the incoming New York Cosmos) will vote on whether to continue to finance the club beyond Dec. 31. That vote is scheduled for this weekend.

"There have been other league owned and operated teams in various sports, Phoenix in the N.H.L. and New Orleans in the N.B.A.," the N.A.S.L. Commissioner David Downs said in a telephone interview from league headquarters in Miami. "This is a very unique situation and I think there are two truisms: It makes no sense for a league to own and operate a team in the long run. This was an emergency situation to ensure the league has the minimum number of teams [eight] to be the second division as established by the federation. By the same token, it is absolutely fair to say the league highly values the Minneapolis-St. Paul market. It is a top 15 market and is quite good for us to be in. With our economic model a team should thrive in a market that size with long history of support for professional soccer."

Downs, a former television executive who was also the head of the United States group that was trying to land the 2018 or 2022 World Cups, has been the league's top executive for the past two seasons, but said he planned to step down before next season and retire. The N.A.S.L. expanded this year to San Antonio and will add the Cosmos next year. Traffic, the Brazil-based sports marketing company, is a major player in the N.A.S.L., running three teams.

In Minnesota, the Stars have been seeking a local owner to buy the club, at a modest cost (the entry fee for a new franchise is only $1.5 million and the cost of buying an existing team is comparable) in the hope new management could move the team to a new urban stadium. One stumbling block has been the emergence of the N.F.L.'s Minnesota Vikings, who in negotiations with the state and city for a new stadium in Minneapolis secured the exclusive rights for five years (beginning in 2016) to an M.L.S. team.

Though the league remains the designated second division in the United States soccer pyramid, several N.A.S.L. teams — the Portland Timbers, Vancouver Whitecaps and Montreal Impact — have all graduated up the ladder to Major League Soccer. And on the horizon for the N.A.S.L. is a potential working agreement with M.L.S. to accept more players on loan or perhaps allow M.L.S. reserve teams to play in the league, as is the case in places like Germany.

[TulsaRufnex]

On monday of last week my brother called me to invite me on a road trip to go watch his team (the sounders) play in a cup match against sporting KC.  It was already all paid for and I had no obligations so I went along.  I am still hoarse from cheering.  The amount of devoted following for the sounders was nuts.  They had a cannon of fight songs (about 10-12 of them, including woody guthrie's "roll on Columbia") that everyone knew.  It was so neat so see so much civic pride transplanted to another place.  Watching the cultural dynamic between well behaved polite and friendly Kansans compaired to west coast seattlites was too funny.  My conclusion from the whole thing is this: we need a pro sports team.  Really.  Going to see the drillers or the oilers is nice.  It's relaxing.  It's relatively cheap.  But there will never be the kind of hard-core fans without them being pro.

Join us!

You won't be disappointed!

Game time is 2pm today!

We slapped around a Houston team last night... well... can't remember the final score... I lost track after we went up 4-0 and I'd consumed four beers...  

Tulsa til I die!!!

[TulsaRufnex]

On monday of last week my brother called me to invite me on a road trip to go watch his team (the sounders) play in a cup match against sporting KC.  It was already all paid for and I had no obligations so I went along.  I am still hoarse from cheering.  The amount of devoted following for the sounders was nuts.  They had a cannon of fight songs (about 10-12 of them, including woody guthrie's "roll on Columbia") that everyone knew.  It was so neat so see so much civic pride transplanted to another place.  Watching the cultural dynamic between well behaved polite and friendly Kansans compaired to west coast seattlites was too funny.  My conclusion from the whole thing is this: we need a pro sports team.  Really.  Going to see the drillers or the oilers is nice.  It's relaxing.  It's relatively cheap.  But there will never be the kind of hard-core fans without them being pro.

We incorporated a couple of Sounders chants on Sunday afternoon...

Favorite Tulsa Ultras chants overheard this weekend...

1. "Go back to club level... clap, clap, clap-clap-clap"

2. "Better call Walgreens" (after opposing team shoots ball over outfield wall and it made its way through a hole in the netting)

3. The tune of the Chicago Fire song done to a pow-wow drumbeat... amusing.

4. Chants of "magic spray" when the opposing team's medic came out... (not the classiest move on our part after the player obviously twisted something, but still pretty funny)

5. "He's big! He's Welsh! He knows nothing else!" (ironic considering Wayne's a pretty cerebral guy)
http://www.tulsahurricane.com/sports/m-soccer/mtt/farmer_wayne00.html

6. "Men take goal kicks" as a bronx cheer to the opposing keeper.

7. The ever popular, "Ziggy-zaggy-ziggy-zaggy... OI! OI! OI!"
http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=190291

8. Our take on a Sounders chant... boom-boom T boom-boom U boom-boom L boom-boom S boom-boom A....

9. Take 'em all, take 'em all
Put 'em up against a wall and shoot 'em
Short and tall, watch 'em fall
Come on boys take 'em all

Take 'em all, watch 'em fall, take 'em all, watch 'em fall...

And finally, #10.
Bury me in Tulsa
Bury me in Tulsa
Bury me in Tulsa
So I can die an A

Bury me in green and yellow
Bury me in green and yellow
Bury me in green and yellow
So I can die an A

Take me back to Tulsa
Take me bake to Tulsa
Take me back to Tulsa
If I should die away  

NPSL SOUTH REGION POINTS LEADERS JUNE 3:

1. TULSA ATHLETICS (5-0-0): 15*
2. LIVERPOOL WARRIORS (2-2-1): 8
3. RVA FC (2-1-0): 7*
4. CHATTANOOGA FC (2-1-1): 7*
5. GULF COAST TEXANS (2-0-1): 6
* DIVISION LEADERS

NPSL SOUTH REGION TOP GOALSCORERS JUNE 3:

1. COLEMAN, LEVI (TULSA ATHLETICS): 6
2. CHAVEZ, JOHNNY (TULSA ATHLETICS): 5
T3. JACKSON, DANIEL (D.C. UNITED U23 NPSL): 3
T3. GLEN, JON (JACKSONVILLE UNITED): 3
T3. ELIGWE, VCMOR (LIVERPOOL WARRIORS): 3
T3. GONSALVEZ, BLAINE (TULSA ATHLETICS): 3
T3. SCHMOKER, ADAM (TULSA ATHLETICS): 3