NLL and MLS

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agibson95
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NLL and MLS

Post by agibson95 »

I have heard from a couple sources that Major League Lacrosse and Soccer teams have shown interest in Omaha. Apparently First National bank of Omaha is a big sponser of the Major League Lacrosse league, also their star used to play at UNO.

Also these teams could play at the new stadium.
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Brad
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Post by Brad »

Somewhere on this forum there was talk about MLS at the CU soccer stadium?
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Big E
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Post by Big E »

Hmmm, lacrosse hadn't even crossed my mind.  

Bet few realize that the NCAA lacrosse "final four" is at M&T Bank (Ravens) Stadium in Baltimore every year, and they draw some pretty huge crowds.  Of course, lacrosse is a much bigger deal in that part of the country, but still an interesting thought.
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Post by thenewguy »

i think that'd be cool.  It'd be a good usage of the stadium, and something new to the area.  I say go for it.
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Post by Choleric »

I'd hope for soccer over lacrosse. At least soccer already has an established base here, and lacrosse is a terrible sport, bunch of elitist daddys boys who were not good at any other sport.
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Post by Stargazer »

I think they'd have better luck putting ice in the middle of the new stadium and having a season of 'hockey classics'.
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Big E
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Post by Big E »

Choleric wrote:I'd hope for soccer over lacrosse. At least soccer already has an established base here
It does?
Choleric wrote:and lacrosse is a terrible sport, bunch of elitist daddys boys who were not good at any other sport.
Which makes it soccer with sticks. :;):

Tell Jim Brown that to his face, BTW.
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Post by Brad »

Big E wrote:
Choleric wrote:and lacrosse is a terrible sport, bunch of elitist daddys boys who were not good at any other sport.
Which makes it soccer with sticks. :;):
I heard it called hockey on grass.  While I have never watched, people have told me that since I like Hockey, I would like it.
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Big E
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Post by Big E »

Brad wrote:I heard it called hockey on grass.
Or polo without horses.

I think it is mildly entertaining.  Another one of those sports that is a blast to play but boring as all get out to watch.  Basically everything but football falls into that category for me, though, so take that for what it is worth.

Either way, fill the stadium and get people in businesses down there and I don't care what it is.
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Post by almighty_tuna »

Brad wrote:
Big E wrote:
Choleric wrote:and lacrosse is a terrible sport, bunch of elitist daddys boys who were not good at any other sport.
Which makes it soccer with sticks. :;):
I heard it called hockey on grass.  While I have never watched, people have told me that since I like Hockey, I would like it.
Lacrosse can be pretty brutal - like Brad said, hockey on grass.
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Post by DTO Luv »

almighty_tuna wrote:
Lacrosse can be pretty brutal - like Brad said, hockey on grass.
If they're on grass how can they be brutal? Seems like it would be pretty mellow to me. :;):
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Post by Coyote »

No bleachers - those who are watching are on grass.
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Post by Brad »

DTO Luv wrote:
almighty_tuna wrote:
Lacrosse can be pretty brutal - like Brad said, hockey on grass.
If they're on grass how can they be brutal? Seems like it would be pretty mellow to me. :;):
Not quite, check this video out:
[youtube][/youtube]
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Post by DTO Luv »

Do you understand humor?
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Post by lnkS »

DTO Luv wrote:Do you understand humor?
 :lol:

Also, I think USL would be much more probably than an actual MLS franchise.  I know that Lincoln had a team years ago (10+?), but I don't think that it was Division 1, which Omaha would hopefully get.  Either way, I don't know how probably either are, but I doubt that Omaha would be granted a MLS franchise over cities that have been fighting to get one with already established plans and donor groups (St. Louis, a NYC team that actually plays in NYC and not NJ, etc).

While I might be one of the few that would actually find such a team interesting, I don't know much about the USL, as it plays second fiddle to the MLS - where the level of soccer is already questionable, compared to that of the European leagues.  Until the MLS consistently competes and beats sides from Europe, I don't think the level of play will be such of that to garner too much national interest, as the sport already is at a disadvantage in this football (American) dominated country; although continued immigration might serve to change this a little.
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Post by Choleric »

Big E wrote:
Choleric wrote:I'd hope for soccer over lacrosse. At least soccer already has an established base here
It does?

Choleric wrote:and lacrosse is a terrible sport, bunch of elitist daddys boys who were not good at any other sport.
Which makes it soccer with sticks. :;):

Tell Jim Brown that to his face, BTW.
Except soccer is an international sport that can and is played for FREE by millions of people all over the globe.

Lacrosse costs thousands of dollars just to start playing it. There's a reason why only the Millard  schools, prep, westside, and burke have highschool lacrosse clubs.
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Post by Big E »

Wow...  Get a little testy about the greatest game ever which no one in the US gives a flying flip about, don't we?
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Post by Choleric »

Big E wrote:Wow...  Get a little testy about the greatest game ever which no one in the US gives a flying flip about, don't we?
Never said it was the greatest game ever, I dont even like it. I just like lacrosse less. And I would think it is safe to assume soccer has a larger more established base here than lacrosse ever will. heck even rugby has a bigger base here than lacrosse.
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Post by nebport5 »

Omaha may have the right pitch for MLS franchise


Omaha World Herald wrote:Citing attendance of about 23,000 at the first two Omaha Nighthawks games at Rosenblatt Stadium, Suttle said Omaha should be considered for an expansion MLS franchise.

Omaha World Herald wrote:Suttle said the city, to his knowledge, has had no formal talks with MLS officials.
Omaha World Herald wrote:Suttle said the unfinished TD Ameritrade Park would be the perfect home for an MLS franchise. The new home of the College World Series will seat 24,000, which is comparable to some of the top soccer-specific stadiums in the United States, including the 25,000-seat Red Bull Stadium in Harrison, N.J.
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Post by Stargazer »

I was wrong about the Nighthawks... I guess I'd probably be wrong about MLS in Omaha... although I'd be a little surprised to see an expansion team come here given we're in the shadow's of KC (and their Wizards franchise).   I do think selling out a baseball park for a 4 game minor league football season may be a little easier than putting up anything close to what the MLS expects over a -14- home game season (MLS is averaging over 16,000 now).

I actually think a REAL 'AFL' arena football franchise would do better in Omaha... with the likes of Des Moines and KC both in the league... and there are lower attendance expectations than MLS currently has.
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Post by nebport5 »

Stargazer wrote:I was wrong about the Nighthawks... I guess I'd probably be wrong about MLS in Omaha... although I'd be a little surprised to see an expansion team come here given we're in the shadow's of KC (and their Wizards franchise).   I do think selling out a baseball park for a 4 game minor league football season may be a little easier than putting up anything close to what the MLS expects over a -14- home game season (MLS is averaging over 16,000 now).

I actually think a REAL 'AFL' arena football franchise would do better in Omaha... with the likes of Des Moines and KC both in the league... and there are lower attendance expectations than MLS currently has.


Don't forget about Creighton's great soccer program that is well regularly well attended.  The US Women's exhibition with Sweden this summer (as seen on ESPN) had a great turnout as well.
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Post by OmahaBen »

Brad wrote:
Big E wrote:
Choleric wrote:and lacrosse is a terrible sport, bunch of elitist daddys boys who were not good at any other sport.
Which makes it soccer with sticks. :;):
I heard it called hockey on grass.  While I have never watched, people have told me that since I like Hockey, I would like it.
Yes and no. indoor lacrosse is a lot like hockey on turf, with higher scores and slightly less full fledged hitting (but much more stickwork, as in clubbing the other guy with the stick). Outdoor lacrosse is less exciting because it's too specialized - only so many people from each team on each half of the field, teams swap players based on offense/defense specialties, no real shot clock at the college level, so there's a lot of time of running around and passing the ball with no obvious signs of intent to attack the net.

I agree that it'd be fun to play, but I never got into it as a spectator sport, even when I lived in Baltimore for a year and even though I'm an avid hockey fan. I think that's mainly in that while it borrows plenty of the good aspects from hockey, it also borrows some of the bad aspects from football (player specialization) and soccer (lots of time wasted on the perimeter).

Also, women's lacrosse is flat out a disaster. It's freeze tag with sticks and a completely different game than the men's game. Never know for sure which sport I dislike more, women's lacrosse or field hockey.
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Post by OmahaJaysCU »

OmahaBen wrote:Also, women's lacrosse is flat out a disaster. It's freeze tag with sticks and a completely different game than the men's game.
Which is pretty easy to say for most women's sports, such as Basketball, given that it is essentially nothing more than 10- 15 ft jump shots and underhand layups.
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Post by iamjacobm »

MLS said they want to get add 4 teams to get to 24 by 2020.  Not that we are going to get a team, but off all major sports this might be the best shot.
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Post by Coyote »

According to the league's website, potential expansion sites could include Miami, Orlando, Atlanta, Minneapolis, Detroit and Sacramento.
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Post by MadMartin8 »

Coyote wrote:
According to the league's website, potential expansion sites could include Miami, Orlando, Atlanta, Minneapolis, Detroit and Sacramento.

I could see Orlando, Miami, Sacremento...MAYBE Minneapolis... Not Detroit


For MLS to happen here they'd need to expand Morrison to like 18,000 or 20k and of course make an agreement with Creighton, or build another stadium. Sadly none of those things are ever happening :( it'd be nice, though, as I am a huge soccer fan.
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Re: NLL and MLS

Post by iamjacobm »

Not sure how I missed this...

http://www.wowt.com/news/headlines/Effo ... 32502.html
"I would say the chances are 85% of bringing in a team within the next four years," said Jame Bilodeau, President Omaha Pro Soccer Project in an interview with WOWT 6 News. "We have 390 people who have signed in as interested supporters."

A pro soccer team would not be new to the area. The Omaha Vipers played one season in the Major Indoor Soccer League in 2010-2011.

"They averaged 2700 fans a game which for professional soccer would be enough," said Bilodeau.

The Vipers were set to move to a new indoor league after their initial season but it fell through.

The new hope is to bring in an outdoor team that would be serve as a minor league feeder team to Major League Soccer.
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Re: NLL and MLS

Post by iamjacobm »

It would be a USL Pro team which is the third division in American soccer behind the MLS and NASL. These teams often pair up with a MLS team to be used as a minor league team. Sporting KC is currently attached to OKC's USL team.
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Re: NLL and MLS

Post by Greg S »

With UNO going big into soccer and Creighton already having a strong tradition, is there really a market for this? Would this be more attractive than those two?

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Re: NLL and MLS

Post by Greg S »

With UNO going big into soccer and Creighton already having a strong tradition, is there really a market for this? Would this be more attractive than those two?

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Re: NLL and MLS

Post by iamjacobm »

I think so. Their season is mostly in the spring/summer so there is little overlap in September.
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Re: NLL and MLS

Post by ricko »

Greg S wrote:With UNO going big into soccer and Creighton already having  a strong tradition, is there really a market for this?  Would this be more attractive than those two?

Greg
A market for Lacrosse? No. Lacrosse is a niche sport even in the center of the lacrosse world (Baltimore/DC area). All the high schools have teams here, but it's still kind of a country club sport, even on the college level. I've never met anyone who's played or whose kids have played, and I've never met anyone who's attended a game. Soccer would make much more sense, and I think Omaha could pull it off since it has fairly large immigrant communities from Latin America and Africa.
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Re: NLL and MLS

Post by MadMartin8 »

Greg S wrote:With UNO going big into soccer and Creighton already having  a strong tradition, is there really a market for this?  Would this be more attractive than those two?

Greg
There is actually a bigger than you'd expect following of Soccer here in Omaha. It's really fed off of the boom that is Sporting KC.

A USL or NASL team would do pretty well here....

well, providing they have a place to play.
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Re: NLL and MLS

Post by E_L_Cut »

Greg S wrote:With UNO going big into soccer and Creighton already having  a strong tradition, is there really a market for this?  Would this be more attractive than those two?

Greg
Excellent point. People in the Omaha don't really know that we have 2 of THE best college soccer facilities in the country (admittedly a somewhat low bar). Creighton has a head start in setting up a fan base but I think UNO (I've gone to all of their home games this year) has done a good job of building a following thus far.

While I'm afraid of the competition that a USL Pro team would poise to these 2 collegiate programs I think it might actually help them. The seasons don't overlap that much and the additional exposure of soccer within Omaha (not to mention Omaha as a rising soccer city) created by a USL Pro franchise might make for a complementary situation.
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Re: NLL and MLS

Post by Greg S »

I saw where the Chivas LA team folded. Sounds like they are trying to add a team again in a few years in LA.

Trivia, when is the last time a team in the NHL, NBA, MLB or NFL folded? I assuming it was NHL. Maybe the Seals from San Fran/Oakland in the 70's?

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Re: NLL and MLS

Post by E_L_Cut »

Greg S wrote:I saw where the Chivas LA team folded. Sounds like they are trying to add a team again in a few years in LA.

Trivia, when is the last time a team in the NHL, NBA, MLB or NFL folded? I assuming it was NHL. Maybe the Seals from San Fran/Oakland in the 70's?

Greg
Fold? Doesn't happen very often if you don't include relocation in disgrace (a la the Montreal Expos).

I think that Chivas USA is a somewhat unique situation, though. The club was, at best, an afterthought to its owners. They put all of their efforts (and money) into Chivas de Guadalajara (of Liga MX) and all but ignored Chivas USA. All of the current MLS franchises seem to be in good shape, financially speaking.
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