MLS in Pittsburgh

100Caps · 09-13-2006, 04:06 PM

I'm hearing rumors that MLS is thinking about expansion into Pittsburgh. I'd like to get some insight from Salt Lake fans about what expansion has meant to your community.

Jose Luis Luviano · 09-13-2006, 04:13 PM

Pittsburgh would have natural rivalry down the I70 with the Crew.

But I am also pretty sure that Pittsburgh would be the smallest market that has both MLS and major league baseball. (Insert joke here about how the Pirates aren't really a major league baseball team)

I think that MLS in Pittsburgh would be a great thing, as long as the stadium situation is settled. Pittsburgh taxpayers have paid a lot for stadia for the Pirates & Steelers and I think that tax dollars also paid for the Penguins arena.

Balanceut · 09-13-2006, 04:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 100Caps

I'm hearing rumors that MLS is thinking about expansion into Pittsburgh. I'd like to get some insight from Salt Lake fans about what expansion has meant to your community.

Arguing and fighting. Everybody hates everybody. Fan groups hate other fan groups... it is appalling.

Besides that, it is great!

Seriously, hard to know what it has meant. On the one hand, there is less of a domination of the sports scene by the Jazz and their owner. On the other hand, it has created political friction due to conflicts over building a soccer specific stadium (pretty much essential for economic viability of a team). It has definitely 'worked' so far in terms of fan support and fun.

My wife and I love going to games together. It is just fun, even when we lose we get to yell a lot. And, watching the team rise from nowhere to some quality lately has made the bad times worthwhile.

Aerick · 09-13-2006, 04:44 PM

I love Pittsburgh! Went there for the first time last month and attended a Pirates game - fantastic! If Pittsburgh got an MLS team, I might be tempted to actually move there!

As far as what expansion has meant to Salt Lake and would that translate to Pittsburgh - I think that's impossible to tell. Pittsburgh's in a completely different situation. MLS would have to compete with the Pirates and the Steelers. That'd be tough. What's the soccer culture there like? SL definitely has a soccer culture, and with only 1 Major League franchise here - it seems like the perfect situation in many respects.

If you love soccer, I would imagine you'd enjoy having an MLS team in your home town.

Jose Luis Luviano · 09-13-2006, 04:54 PM

How close is Pittsburgh to where the Bethelam Steel team used to play?

Loyal1 · 09-13-2006, 07:26 PM

14k on a Wed. night. It means a lot.

SoccerPrime · 09-14-2006, 05:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 100Caps

I'm hearing rumors that MLS is thinking about expansion into Pittsburgh. I'd like to get some insight from Salt Lake fans about what expansion has meant to your community.

100caps, where are you hearing these rumors?

I live for expansion rumors and I haven't heard a peep about this.

Any source would be great.

As for what I think of it, as a PA native but from the Philly side of the state, I think Pitts is the armpit of the world and doesn't deserve any sports teams at all.
:D
In that light, I think P-burgh would be a great MLS town and a great rival for when Philly gets their MLS team as well!

Email me when you get a chance!

Balanceut · 09-14-2006, 08:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SoccerPrime

100caps, where are you hearing these rumors?

I live for expansion rumors and I haven't heard a peep about this.

Any source would be great.

As for what I think of it, as a PA native but from the Philly side of the state, I think Pitts is the armpit of the world and doesn't deserve any sports teams at all.
:D
In that light, I think P-burgh would be a great MLS town and a great rival for when Philly gets their MLS team as well!

Email me when you get a chance!

I agree that a source would be nice for this rumor. Philly is long rumored, but still standing at the altar. Nobody had ever heard a word about Pitt.

Pittsburgh is an interesting sports town in my experience. My most striking memory was game 7 of the 1990 MLB League Championship Series between Pittsburgh and Atlanta (I lived in Atlanta). The Braves won the night before in the 9th inning (or maybe it was extra innings, it was late in the game). Pittsburgh was never filling the stadium for these playoff games which seemed strange to me. Charters of Atlanta fans were flying up for the games. I was on a charter the next day because, clearly, Atlanta was going to take the series, and they did. I'll never forget how Three Rivers was only about 70% full with the upper deck mostly empty except for two big sections of Atlanta fans that had flown up. Left me thinking, how dedicated are the fans here?

Pirates nearly left town within the next decade, but did hold on. Great thing for all concerned, considering that it is one of the oldest, deepest tradition, MLB franchises.

Thing about adding MLS to Pittsburgh (metro area of about 3-4 million?) is that there are already *a lot* of other top level sports there: NFL, NHL, MLB. The sports market is only so big. I just wonder if it can really support another sport, especially one that runs concurrently with MLB. Are there really enough soccer fans there to make it work?