Out of sight, out of mind. Dec. 2011 post

http://www.usldiscussions.com/ubbthreads/ubbthreads.php/topics/276836/2

Page 2

Ladies and Gentlemen, JW7 called it!

Or something...

I'm just posting a link to the video mentioned in the post above jackass.

I take this as a term of endearment.

Just as I took your comment.

Or something...

I am not going to get on the bandwagon and be doom and gloom about the Cosmos getting into the NASL and bumping the Stars out. Quite frankly, I think the NASL needs the Stars more than ever.

Let's think about it. Ottawa has been lined up for over a year to enter the league in April 2013. If the league was going to bump the Stars out, that would have been their chance as they would still have the minimum team requirement for teams. (The requirement for USSF sanctioning only requires American teams and has nothing to do with nationality. Yes folks, even though they play the "Puerto Rican National Anthem," PR is a US possession and all Puerto Ricans are US citizens.

The Cosmos entering the NASL in my opinion only strengthens the need for the Stars. Kicking the Stars out leaves the NASL with one team in the central time zone, and increases the costs for teams like the Scorpions and Eddies (or any team for that matter) to do business.

I also remain skeptical of the financial stability of the Cosmos. Seriously, this is similar back to when Tom Clancy tried to buy the Vikings. Everyone was running around thinking Tom was loaded because he wrote some great books. Once the pencil pushers from the NFL and the former ownership group started looking through Clancy's finances, we found out the guy was no richer than your average Minnesotan who did not have the last name of Taylor or Pohlad. (Remember, he lost a bunch of his money when he traded in his first wife for a younger, sexier model?)

In sum, the Stars do have troubles. However, I am not going to lose any sleep over the Stars not being around next year. I am living in the now, and not worrying about the future.

As for the Cosmos group, it is not going to surprise me when they get vetted on the money thing...

No Ottawa until 2014.
via their link from the NASL page:
"Ottawa has been awarded a North American Soccer League (NASL) franchise that will commence play upon completion of the Lansdowne stadium project (2014)."

I don't know if having a team in Minnesota helps San Antonio's finances any more than flying to NYC or Orlando.

Hate to say it, but it comes down to money. A 9 team league does zero favors for the stars as it would force one team to be idle. I think there is a better chance of the stars continuing as a 10 team league.

If I was an owner of another team and I could free up some cash on supporting a team with middling attendance and a knack for winning the championship from my team...out they go.

I wonder if this was pushed out a year. I swear I saw 2014 at one point. I guess if the Stars leave, I can alwasy support the new USL PRO in Arizona. My parents have a pad down there, although I am not sure I want to watch home matches in 100+ degree dry heat every Saturday night.

Ottawa was pushed back to 2014 last winter at some point. I had it up on the site and originally got the news from Steven Sandor at The11.ca . It's nothing new and has to do with Ottawa waiting for their stadium renovations which will be funded from the Women's WC which will be held in Canada in 2015 with Ottawa being one of the venues.

Also, you had every reason to doubt the financial stability of the old Cosmos with Paul Kemsley which was nothing more than a publicity stunt. The new ownership group of Seamus O'Brien and Sela Sports has a ton of money behind it.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2012/writers/grant_wahl/07/13/new-york-cosmos/index.html