[Yahoo Sports] Houston is the front runner to land the San Jose Earthquakes...

I love Futbol (soccer) but I don't know that an MLS team would be successful here in the long term. At first soccer fans will come out in droves along with casual sports fans curious about the team but after a few months, the excitement will die off. I try to follow the European leagues as much as possible but I can NOT sit there and watch an entire MLS season. Personally, the quality and style of play are lacking BIG time. I am in favor of the league because it has done wonders to develop players who some have gone to Europe and making great impact on the National team. I just don't see fans supporting an MLS team for the long term. Maybe I would become more interested in the league if we had a team here in Houston but I don't know. They need to try to lure some big names (in their prime not has beens like Valderama, and Djorkaeff) from Europe, South & central America in order to grow the sport.

 

but how is that different from any other american city?? from any other city where MLS is?

it sounds like your concern isn't for the viability of a franchise here in Houston...but, rather, for the viability of the league, in general.

 

There was talk about using the Astrodome but since the indoor hotel/mall/park proposal was accepted it seems unlikely. If they did play there it would only be temporary.

And MLS doesn't want teams sharing a stadium with a football team, which would be the case at UH, so again they may play there a season or two while something else is worked out, but not long term.

I dont' really follow MLS too much either but do try to watch games when they are on, but I think if Houston had a team I would be much more interested. Also, the only way the league will be able to get better players is with more money, they only get more money if people support the league.

If we do get a team for 2006 we'll also have a boost from the World Cup. If the US does well again it's going to generate more interest in the sport which should lead to better attendance, even more so if we have a player on the local team that's also on the national team.

 

that proposal was accepted????

 

Maybe accepted was the wrong word to use, but they agreed to pursue it futher since they had funding and aren't looking at other options at this time.

 

i wasn't being sarcastic. i just didn't know. i wasn't sure where they were in the process. thanks.

 

I think it would make more sense to use the Dome for sports if there was a team that could use it.

They don't want to share a field with a college team that plays maybe five or six games there? The soccer team thinks they need there own stadium? Oh geez.

 

I myself would be thrilled if an MLS team came to town and would definitely buy season tickets. I just hope that they build a decent stadium here for the long-term. I think 20,000 person stadiums are actually a bit too small and would hope they would build one closer to 30,000. If they were to build something like this I would be in heaven . . .

http://www.stadiumguide.com/karaiskaki.htm

not likely . . . but i can always dream right?