Gilbert and Gores may be teaming up to bring MLS team to Detroit

Submitted by ypsituckyboy on

Some Twitter banter between Cavs owner/Quicken Loans owner/Detroit overlord Dan Gilbert and Pistons owner Tom Gores suggests (not-so-subtly) that the two are teaming up to bring an MLS team to Detroit. Any name suggestions?

I don't know what the current status is at the jail site but there was some scuttlebutt in the past that Gilbert wanted to put a soccer stadium there. 

As a side note, the Detroit urban planner responsible for that may be the worst in the history of urban planners. "Hey, everybody, I've got an idea. You know piece of land that connects a growing/popular area of downtown with another growing/popular area in Eastern Market? Let's put a giant, scary looking jail there!"

MRJ2di

April 26th, 2016 at 1:28 PM ^

That would finally kindle my interest in MLS. The goofy aspects of MLS (unbalanced schedule, draft, season timing, playoffs, etc.) notwithstanding.

BursleyBaitsBus

April 26th, 2016 at 1:34 PM ^

Yep. In Philadelphia, we have the god awful Union MLS team. The play is absurdly bad. 

Rather just wake up early on weekends to watch Europe. MLS couldn't crack Europe's top 10 domestic leagues if it tried. 

State Street

April 26th, 2016 at 2:34 PM ^

If you don't wanna support your local team because they're not up to European standards then I honestly feel bad for you.  The Union stink at the moment but they brought in Earnie Stewart who is well respected and seems to be turning the team around.  Sorry the quality of play may not be "beautiful" enough for your liking, but if you'd rather wake up at 7AM on a Sunday morning and watch teams in Newcastle, England and Turin, Italy in lieu of watching a team that you could have a personal, geographic connection with then that's your loss.

I have never understood Eurosnob mentality.  If your NFL team stinks and are terrible to watch do you just stop being a fan?  If that was the case Lions fans wouldn't exist.

BursleyBaitsBus

April 26th, 2016 at 2:40 PM ^

American soccer development is just bad as it is now. Maybe that'll change with more investments down the road. Who knows. 

As for now if you like watching the Sugarland Skeeters over the Detroit Tigers, be my guest. 

The Detroit Lions still play in the top tier league for football in the world. The Philly Union play in the X tier league in the world for soccer. 

Your comparison makes no sense. 

 

State Street

April 26th, 2016 at 6:01 PM ^

This is not analogous at all.  Grand Rapids is certainly close to Detroit, and there are plenty of Detroit Tigers fans there.  They also are not equivalent squads: the Tigers are major league, while the other is a minor league team.

The Istanbul example is better.  Eurosnobs are obsessed with putting down MLS because the quality of play isn't up to their tastes (see: http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Eurosnob).  

mgobaran

April 26th, 2016 at 1:31 PM ^

CBS Detroit Link

That's a leak to a CBS Detroit article on the tweets. In case the board wanted to see the tweets themselves.

 

I for one, would be estatic to bring an MLS team to (back to? didn't we have one in the 90s?) Detroit. Soccer fandom is unlike any other in my opinion. You get drunk and support your guys not matter what. Singing songs and rocking houses. Plus the MLS has a lot of USMNT talent in it right now. Would be great to be able to see those guys play in Detroit more often. Even if not all at once!

 

Yo_Blue

April 26th, 2016 at 1:33 PM ^

The Detroit City FC is gaining some traction and has develped a decent following the past several years.  They play their games at Cass Tech and go by "Le Rouge".  There is a decent chance that an MLS team can make it here. Gilbert and Gores would most likely do it right and not try to "cheap" their way into MLS.

theicon77

April 26th, 2016 at 1:44 PM ^

to one of the Detroit FC games two seasons ago and had a great time. The fans are really into it and it was a great atmosphere. I'm not a huge soccer fan (mostly World Cup and the qualifying tournaments) and still had a great time.  If I am not mistaken they moved away from Cass Tech this year to Hamtramck. 

Rickett88

April 26th, 2016 at 1:33 PM ^

Another great site might be at Beck and 5 mile right by Compuare Arena. Tear down the old jails that are there for parking and a stadium at either of of those locations (there are 2 seperate buildings) and you have a great soccer base with Northville/Livonia/Plymouth/Novi/Ann Arbor/Brighton all within 20 min and M14 drops you off right there too.

Could that work?

Bigku22

April 26th, 2016 at 1:33 PM ^

The 4th tier NPSL club has done very well in the city. Sold out season tickets, passionate fanbase. Factor in local diversity, centralized downtown location (if they use the jail site) and the fact soccer specific stadiums are usually only 15-20k, I think MLS could definitely succeed here. Also the buying/branding/advertising of Gilbert and his presence downtown.

HimJarbaugh

April 26th, 2016 at 1:33 PM ^

I like it. IIRC, MLS stadiums have to be soccer-specific unless the owner has control of the other team (i.e. Arthur Blank owns the Falcons and will bring an MLS team to play in the same stadium).  If that is the case, it would be another $50-100mm in construction and once the new Wings arena is finished, Detroit will have some of the newest pro facilities in the country.

Bryan

April 26th, 2016 at 1:34 PM ^

The jail made sense there due to the proximity of FMHJ. That said, yea, not smart for planning.

While the site isn't huge, I think you could fit an MLS stadium there. Makes sense having it next to Greektown with Gilbert's ownership.

I would vote to bring back the Detroit Drive as a name.

iforaneye

April 26th, 2016 at 1:49 PM ^

They could just name the team Detroit. Detroit City. I don't know, I never really understood the point behind team names, especially in professional sports where there is normally only one team in a city/area. Like Los Angeles Galaxy. Stupid name. New York Red Bulls. Why is the team named after the sponser/owner of the club? That would be like calling Man U the Manchester Glazers, or Manchester General Motors (their current shirt sponser). I know they have their own nickname (Red Devils) but that isn't what they're called on the calendar or anything. You don't see Red Devils vs Foxes on the schedule for this weekend, you see Manchester United vs Leicester. I just went on a stupid tangent/rant and for that I apologize. I still think they should just be Detroit. Or Detroit FC. Or Detroit SC. Something simple. If it ever happens. Side note; the NPSL team has the right idea (Detroit City FC).

iforaneye

April 26th, 2016 at 2:54 PM ^

FC=Football Club. I know some teams like Bayern Munich also have other sports in their larger sports club organizations so I think they used it back in the day to denote the football team.

 

Edit: After some light research it seems that, interestingly, FC Bayern Munich is the full name of the entire sports club, so for instance their professional basketball team might actually go by the same name? I don't know. Real Madrid C.F. (club de futbol) is also the blanket name for the Real Madrid organization as well, so it might be that football is their most popular and most financially viable of the sports so they go with that.

Jack Hammer

April 26th, 2016 at 4:20 PM ^

So I get that.  But why does every soccer team seem to arbitrarily throw "Football Club" after their name when there are no other teams/organizations by that name?  For instance: Seattle Sounders FC.  There are no other teams named "Seattle Sounders."  So why add "FC?"