Detroit’s bid to enter MLS took a big step in the right direction on Tuesday.
According to the Detroit Free Press, Tom Gores — owner of the NBA’s Detroit Pistons — and Cleveland Cavaliers majority owner Dan Gilbert are teaming up in an attempt to bring an MLS franchise to the Motor City. The two NBA franchise owners also hinted at the partnership on their personal Twitter accounts.
Hey @TomGores, you know what's great about sports? One moment you're rivals & the next day, you can be rooting for the same team…
— Dan Gilbert (@cavsdan) April 26, 2016
https://twitter.com/TomGores/status/725003613299318785
Less than a week ago, MLS Commissioner Don Garber revealed that Detroit was just behind Sacramento and St. Louis — the “front-runners” — for MLS expansion.
Garber has expressed his interest in expanding to 28 teams, as MLS currently has 20. Four teams are expected to join the league in the coming years, including Atlanta United FC, Minnesota United FC, Los Angeles FC and a David Beckham-backed club in Miami.
The Michigan city currently has a team, Detroit City FC, that plays in the National Premier Soccer League.
What do you think of this development? Think Gores and Gilbert will succeed in bringing an MLS team to Detroit?
Share your thoughts below.
You have to know that it’s not that simple. U.S. Soccer controls the Division I standards. U.S. Soccer created MLS. Don Garber sits on the U.S. Soccer board. U.S. Soccer made him its representative at the FIFA elections. Garber’s company, SUM, handles all marketing for U.S. Soccer. This is the reason why NASL is considering a lawsuit against U.S. Soccer – because it has shifted the Division I standards to exclude their league (and severely limit the ability of small markets to be part of the top division).
Under its current regime, there is no chance that U.S. Soccer would ever allow a league other than MLS to get Division I standing.
But for the sake of argument, let’s assume it was at least possible. You’d be asking people to invest in a club on the off-chance that, down the road, once they’ve invested millions of dollars, maybe, U.S. Soccer would stick to the Division I standards as they currently exist, go against the strong wishes of some board members, including a person (Garber) with such prestige that he represents U.S. Soccer in front of FIFA, and grant your new league Division I standing. And you’d have to bank on about 20 other ownership groups making the same gamble. That’s just not realistic.
Make the teams earn it on the field. If Dan Gilbert and Tom Gores want a Division I soccer team, start in the lower divisions and prove you can build a winning club.
I’m not from Detroit, but this move would typify what’s wrong with American soccer. Detroit already has a team that’s developing organically. Investment in that club has a ceiling because it can’t reach the top division. So if MLS puts a team in Detroit, with sole access to the first division, Detroit City can’t compete. No matter what Detroit City does, it can’t be successful enough to reach the first division. And no matter how bad the MLS team is, it would remain in the top division. So an organic club is smothered. Plus, we don’t get to find out who in Detroit can produce the best soccer club, with the best development system, the best fan support, the most ambition, etc. This scenario plays out across the country, and it limits investment in game.
There is no sole access to Division 1. Any group of owners that start a league and meet USSF Division One requirements they are D1. Detroit City can do this and if you are right and fans will support them because they are “organic” then they should blow the MLS franchise out of the water right? There is no ceiling for DCFC. They have no salary cap, no limit on what they spend on youth development and they can build a $1 billion stadium. How could a MLS compete with that?
You have to know that it’s not that simple. U.S. Soccer controls the Division I standards. U.S. Soccer created MLS. Don Garber sits on the U.S. Soccer board. U.S. Soccer made him its representative at the FIFA elections. Garber’s company, SUM, handles all marketing for U.S. Soccer. This is the reason why NASL is considering a lawsuit against U.S. Soccer – because it has shifted the Division I standards to exclude their league (and severely limit the ability of small markets to be part of the top division).
Under its current regime, there is no chance that U.S. Soccer would ever allow a league other than MLS to get Division I standing.
But for the sake of argument, let’s assume it was at least possible. You’d be asking people to invest in a club on the off-chance that, down the road, once they’ve invested millions of dollars, maybe, U.S. Soccer would stick to the Division I standards as they currently exist, go against the strong wishes of some board members, including a person (Garber) with such prestige that he represents U.S. Soccer in front of FIFA, and grant your new league Division I standing. And you’d have to bank on about 20 other ownership groups making the same gamble. That’s just not realistic.
Make the teams earn it on the field. If Dan Gilbert and Tom Gores want a Division I soccer team, start in the lower divisions and prove you can build a winning club.
This KC fan likes it. In fact I like it much more than Miami Beckham FC.
Seems like the only people excited are people from Detroit, and no one else really seems to understand why this is a good idea. Best of luck, I hope they are able to use the Detroit City name and logo. They are pretty cool even if the supporter section looks like Gryffindor at a quidditch match.
Haters gonna hate. Let’s see if this actually happens first but the vast majority of people seem to like the idea. Outside of you of course.
I found 3 people who support it, and Scott who seems to be making fun of Detroit with his cheap property value comment, and a KISS fan. I’m not sure that qualifies as a vast majority of people. I don’t hate Detroit and I really don’t care if they get a soccer team or not. To be fair I don’t know of too many people outside of San Diego, San Antonio, or St. Louis that are excited about their expansion chances either.
Wow!
As someone who has grown up in the area I couldn’t think of 2 better owners to start up a franchise. Sounds like they want to get a stadium downtown in the city too. If they can accomplish this, it’s a total no brainer.
Detroit is huge and is an incredible sports town, always has been. The fact that the league has this many teams and no presense in the area has always seemed very odd to me. Here’s to hoping Gilbert and Gores can make this happen.
Join the party Detroit. You’ll effing love it.
Property value is cheap in Detroit. Stadium could be below 10m.
With apologies to Motor City USA and Motown FC, this team has to be named Detroit Rock City. It just has to. Someone call Gene Simmons.
There is money out there. And the money is flowing to MLS investments.
Yes yes we all want to make money off of soccer..
This guy has a hairstyle that Giorgio A. Tsoukalos would be envious of.
https://memegenerator.net/instance2/5496762
I get Detroit is a huge TV market and they have a great Semi-Pro team, but its a city that despite an effort to turn things around and become hipster cool is still shrinking. By the time expansion in Detroit would occur it most likely won’t be in the top 30 for population. It is the only US city in the top 40 by population that has a declining population and is the fasting declining population of any US city by over two percent.
Detroit City has a great supporter group and a cool logo, but they’re still drawing just enough to fill a high school field. They are getting a few hundred people to their games in the Summer are you going to get thousands to sit outside in Michigan in March?
Sorry “fastest declining population”
The Metro Detroit area is not seeing the greatest population decline. The city is. Historically, soccer has always been pretty popular in the Detroit area.
There is a potential for great rivalries with Toronto, Chicago and Columbus.
5th lowest population growth by any US Metropolitan area in the top 50, just beating out Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Hartford, and Buffalo. Detroit would be 10th worst growth in the top 100 Metro areas.
Then you have the stadium location issue do you put it in the suburbs where the people live or downtown where its centrally located. Also, hard to keep the Detroit City brand if you are playing in Auburn Hills or Pontiac
Also, hard to keep the Detroit City brand if you are playing in Auburn Hills or Pontiac
Almost 1/2 of MLS clubs play outside the city of which they’re named after.
OId School- If you name it Detroit City would you then move to the suburbs? Citrus Bowl is in the downtown area. NYCFC is currently in the Bronx I believe not the suburbs, although I’m not sure if Flushing Meadows would count as New York City proper or if Flushing is still on the table.
OId School- If you name it Detroit City would you then move to the suburbs?
Hasn’t stopped any other MLS club playing outside the city it’s actually named. We even have clubs playing outside the actual state of which they’re named.
Detroit’s a hockey town make no mistake about that..
But this is an excellent development..
MLS needs the major Metropolitan markets in this country.. A move into the Detroit area could demonstrate the league’s commitment to competing with the four major sports leagues for casual recognition..
The inclusion of interests from Lake Erie can only benefit the idea of professional soccer in the region..
The energy at the Palace during the Pistons’ heyday was fantastic.. Combine that with a possible rivalry with Toronto FC maybe even Chicago and could prove to be a great move..