February 12, 2011
The Rhinos announced this week that Sahlen's Stadium is the new name of the stadium.
Obviously this is a big part of the Western NY Flash playing their home games at the stadium and indicates that the Rhinos and Flash will be partners moving forward.
The one part of the announcement that made me uncomfortable was the mention that Sahlen's will have the chance to be 1/3 owners of the Rhinos if they move to MLS and they need one more investor to make a run at it.
Given the tease of an MLS move that the previous owners put Rhinos fans through, I wish the current management would not talk about MLS until it is a much more likely situation than it appears to be today.
If Don Garber starts talking about Rochester as an MLS market, that's one thing. If there are rumors in other cities that their team might relocate to Rochester, that's another.
But, I personally think it's way too soon to talk about MLS in Rochester at this point in time.
News & Notes:
- Per Inside Minnesota Soccer.com , It looks like the NASL will narrowly get provisional 2nd division sanctioning for 2011. And the NASL had been saying that there was no Plan B....
- This article on the rise and fall of the Carolina RailHawks was a very intersting read.
- Dema Kovalenko could be hanging up his boots.
- Abby Wambach and four members of the WNY Flash headline the USWNT Algarves Cup roster.
- The Washington Freedom have added Shannon Boxx, Lindsay Tarpley, and Christie Rampone this off season.
- MLS has released it's 2011 schedule.
- Real Salt Lake won the Cody Arnoux lottery.
- Rafa Marquez will move from d-mid to center back this season for the Red Bulls.
- The Little Fishy could be returning to MLS with the Philadelphia Union.
- This Team America idea made me laugh. How many USMNTers have European passports?
- Kenny Cooper was officially unveiled by the Portland Timbers this week. Their marketing continues to be off the chain, too. I might become a Timbers fan if I get transferred to Wilsonville, Oregon!
- Here is coach John Spencer's plan for the Timbers.
- Real Salt Lake's ads are pretty solid, too.
- And Seattle is pretty good at that marketing thing, as well.
- With Steve Cronin out for a while, Chase Harrison will likely get more of a look by DC United.
- Charlie Davies to DC United looks like it is getting closer.
- I'm surprised that Beckham isn't in LA yet....
- El Salvador got booted from a U-20 tournament for using an ineligible American player.
- Jose Mourinho may want to coach in MLS down the road.
- Here is the promo video for the Houston Dynamo stadium that broke ground recently.
- Teal Bunbury won't be leaving the USMNT scene now. I might need to get the shirt on the left there.....
- Steve Davis doesn't like the idea of MLS soccer being played in the winter.
The views and opinions expressed in this column are those of the author, and not necessarily those of the Rochester Rhinos or SoccerSam.com. Feel free to send any comments or complaints to news@soccersam.com. James promises to read (but not to respond) to all of them.
