Just wanted to take a moment and thank everyone who visits, subscribes and supports this blog.

Even though we are passionate about NYC and soccer, I would like to think that the meaning behind this holiday season is more important. So enjoy your time with friends and family.  Let’s hope Santa Wilpon delivers in 2008!

Merry Christmas to you and your family!

By the way, this is the actual Christmas card Mel & I sent out this year. Yep, we don’t have kids.

With Christmas only a few days away the posts are going to be a little light.

I just wanted to share some videos I found on YouTube from Nike, ESPN, and an NYU film student about New York City soccer. The videos are high quality and show the diversity the city has to offer the world of soccer and Major League Soccer.

Just goes to show that Flushing, Queens does not have a stranglehold on the city’s game.

Here are my Best XI. If you have any other ideas on to spread the word of the Bring Soccer to New York City petition please leave them in the comments area, so that others can use them. We are all in this together!

XI: Add the direct petition address to your email and forum signatures:
http://www.petitiononline.com/NYCFC/petition.html

X: At the bottom of the petition page you will find links to various social networking sites. So “Facebook” it!

IX: Do you have a website or a MySpace page? Here is the HTML code for the petition counter:
<iframe width='102' height='36' src='http://www.petitiononline.com/signatures.php?petition=NYCFC' frameborder='0' scrolling='no'></iframe>

VIII: Send out the petition to people on your email address book. It would help to explain why it is important to you.

VII: Let’s be honest, XMas is usually a slow time at work. Why not organize a petition drive during your lunch hour? Set up your work computer to the petition site and ask coworkers to sign it.

VI: Do not ignore out-of-towners, Red Bull fans, non-soccer loves and other individuals that you would think would not be interested. Look at the signatures that we already have and you will already find a diverse group of people.

V: Guys, let the ladies know. I am going to have to post about this soon, but soccer is definitely a sport that transcends gender. And ladies, we both know that you control the world, so getting a few sigs should not be that difficult.

IV: The petition link can be hard to remember. Keep it simple. When tell people orally about the petition or not being able to link it directly send potential siners to this blog. The petition link will remain on top of the left sidebar, so it will be hard to miss. Use either NewYorkCityFC.net (”New York City FC dotNet”) or NYCFC.net (”NYC FC dotNet”)

III: There are places that you can post tear-off ads. Make your own flyers with like tear-off slips with the petition URL. MS Word has a few templates online. Locations to post flyers include laundry mats, libraries and even doggie daycares. There are places you already patronize!

II: Remember that all you need is a email address and a computer. Whenever you have internet access and someone that has not signed the petition, you have a potential signature. It is that easy.

I: Tell your friends, family, and even strangers in person. Studies show that there is no better advertising than word-of-mouth. TV ads, newspaper articles, and other forms of media pale in comparison. Whether it is at the water cooler or over Christmas dinner, nothing creates a buzz like interpersonal communication. The more people hear something from a trusted source the more of an impact it will make. So if you want a New York FC, say it loud and say it proud!

I just noticed that the feed updates have not going out for the last few days. It was due to the web hosting change. I think I have fixed the issue. Expect a big feed update tonight and than a return to normal service. Let me know if any problems arise.

Because I want to give the Bring Soccer to New York City petition as much time “above the fold”, this will probably be the only post for today:

* I redid the Forums to make them more appropriate for the need. Let me know if you would like to see a specific forum added. Thanks Chris!
* You can still email me at Kubah@newyorkcityfc.net, but I added a Contact Me page that is linked on my navigation bar to make the process easier.
* The petition counter button is now on the top of the left sidebar. There is also a link on my navigation bar.

Tomorrow I’ll post the Best XI ways to spread the word about the petition. Now go out and get people to sign the petition!

So you want a New York City soccer franchise, but do not know what to do? Start making a difference by signing the “Bring Soccer to New York City” petition.

This petition will be sent to Fred Wilpon and any other parties interested in bidding on an Major League Soccer franchise for the five boroughs. Over the next few month, I hope you will help me spread the word of the petition. Once enough signatures have been collected I will forward the final petition to Mr. Wilpon and other parties.

The petition is meant to support Mr. Wilpon or any other potential NYC FC owner while showing that many New Yorkers want to see professional soccer played in the Big Apple.

This petiton is meant for New Yorkers, soccer-lovers, or anyone who sympathizes with our cause. You do not need to love soccer to help increase New York City’s reputation as a premiere entertainment destination.

I’ll be posting some ideas on how to spread the word in a few days. With a tiny effort, you can make a difference.

The petiton’s web address is www.petitiononline.com/NYCFC/petition.html

New York City FC dotNet just hit 1,000 unique visitors! That means that a thousand individuals have learned about the plight to bring Major League Soccer to New York City.

This site has only been up for about three weeks, but I have seen a steady increase in traffic and returning visitors. I think this says something about the level of interest in a NYC FC. To all that dream of seeing professional soccer in the Big Apple I have only this to say to you: YOU ARE NOT ALONE!

I would like to thank everyone that has visited and hope that you continue reading.

I might have been a little too negative yesterday with all the doom and gloom, so I would like to remind everyone some of the reason why we are here. Back in September, the Las Vegas Sun posted their odds on future MLS expansion.

Here are the results:
Seattle…………………. 3-2 (15th MLS franchise)
St. Louis………………. 4-1 (co-front runner for 16th MLS franchise)
Philadelphia…………. 6-1 (co-front runner for 16th MLS franchise)
New York…………….. 8-1
Las Vegas…………….. 10-1
Phoenix……………….. 20-1
Miami………………….. 35-1
Portland………………. 40-1
Cleveland…………….. 60-1
Vancouver…………… 70-1
Milwaukee ………….. 75-1
Atlanta………………… 100-1
San Diego…………….. 100-1

Yes, the information is a few months old. Yes, it is purely for entertainment. Yes, nothing is guaranteed. With all of that said, when the Sun made Seattle the odds-on favorite the rumors were that Portland was going to be the next MLS franchise in the West. Now we know that Seattle came out of nowhere and will start playing in 2009.

Don Garber, Major League Soccer Commissioner, has already said in his State of the League that Philly or St. Louis will be the next franchise. The Sun’s odds reflects this fact.

As long as we have Wilpon interested in being an owner of a New York FC, we have a shot. The Sun article even mentions this:

Fred Wilpon, an owner of the Mets, is exploring the venture. Might this be the second coming of the Cosmos, and might it be a New York football team that actually plays its home games in the Big Apple?

We are here because a New York FC is an attainable fantasy. Look at the odds. These odds were made with neither plans to construct a stadium nor with an ownership group. No other city on the list can say that.  We still do not have anything concrete, but we are New York City. That means something.

Just read on the Miami Herald’s website the redevelopment proposal which includes the soccer stadium is moving forward. The County Commission overrode the Miami mayor’s veto. The project still needs approval from state regulators in April 2008.

Where does this leave us? Bringing a NYC FC to the five boroughs was never going to be easy, but it looks like we have a little more competition.  There are no guarantees and there will be two expansion openings for Major League Soccer’s 2010 season.

Miami does not have an ownership group yet, so let’s hope that Santa Wilpon gives us a present soon.

Hope is alive and what does not kill us, makes us stronger.

 
/rant mode on 

I’m in a foul mood this morning.  Maybe it is because I just spend two hours fixing permalinks.  Or it could be that I have been sick for a week. To be honest, it is because I don’t want a team in Florida.

I read a Miami Herald article last night that just got to me.  It started with the news that Miami might be approving $100 million to build a soccer-specific stadium to lure Major League Soccer back to the Sunshine State and how great this was for the soccer-loving Latinos.  So far I do not have an issue with any of this.  I would be excited too if New York City was building a stadium.

What kills me about Miami, and Florida in general, is that they have failed to support the MLS before.  And the Miami Herald article ends pretty much saying thatthis will not end well:

The challenge would be convincing the area’s knowledgeable soccer aficionados to support a local team as ardently as they support teams in their home countries. Truth is, a large percentage of soccer fans in South Florida would rather spend an afternoon watching a televised European or South American match than watching MLS live. And that is a mentality MLS would have to change.

It is the same challenge the Fusion faced, and then-owner Ken Horowitz had the added obstacle of trying to draw Miami fans to Lockhart Stadium in north Fort Lauderdale after his Orange Bowl deal fell through. In their final season (2001), they drew an average crowd of 11,177 and coach Ray Hudson had created an exciting brand of soccer.

Miami FC, the United Soccer Leagues team in town, has also had trouble drawing crowds and is exploring ways to increase visibility in the area, including building a multifield training facility that could be used by visiting international teams.

Could MLS work at the Orange Bowl site? Nobody knows for sure. But it sure would be fun to try again.

“Try again”?  Is not the definition of insanity doing the same thing over and over again expecting different results? 

I do not begrudge a city with the resources and fanbase to support professional soccer.  Philadelphia, St. Louis, Portland, Vancouver and even Montreal have supporters that love soccer.  Miami has failed before and the Miami Herald writer is basically saying it will fail again.

Do you think that previous Floridian franchises, Miami Fusion and Tampa Bay Mutiny, did not try to market thier teams to EPL fans and other soccer supporters?  Even now the local USL team is struggling.  Why should the MLS do something different?  Should not Florida fans want American soccer?

People will say this time will be different, but look at the 2007 average attendance of Florida sport teams:

Tampa Bay Devil Rays… MLB: 29 out of 30 teams
Florida Marlins… MLB: 30 out of 30 teams
Miami Heat… NBA: 5 out of 30 teams
Orlando Magic… NBA: 18 out of 30 teams
Tampa Bay Lightning… NHL: 3 out of 30 teams
Florida Panthers… NHL: 18 out of 30 teams
Miami Dolphins… NFL: 9 out of 32 teams
Tampa Bay Bucs… NFL: 22 out of 32 teams
Jacksonville Jags…. NFL: 23 out of 32 teams

Out of the nine teams, only the Tamp Bay Lightning, Miami Heat and Miami Dolphins could be considered a finanical success.  Let’s take a closer look at the Heat.  They have been successful for the last few years and have done well in the box office with repeated Top 10’s in attendance.  But look at recent seasons that have not been as successful:
  
2002-03     25-57    22 out of 30 teams
2003-04     42-40    24 out of 30 teams

Tampa Bay Lightning’s attendance also showed similar drops during losing seasons.  Some will say that many cities will only support a winning team, but how does Miami explain the Dolphins who are always Top 10 in NFL attendance, even this year when they just won they first game of the season.  This is because Miami is football-first when it comes to sports.  There is no diversity among the fanbase unless a team in another sport is winning.

The fact is that any new MLS franchise is going to bomb their first few years until they build up their talent base.  We already know that a team like this will not be supported in Miami.  What if a Miami team is never successful?  How many times does the MLS have to leave Florida to figure out that it will not work?

/rant mode off

Thanks for listening… it felt good to get that off my chest.