Chicago already awarded MLL expansion?

[temporary1357]

http://www.hometownannapolis.com/cgi-bin/read/2005/07_20-02/SPO

This article is a week old and this is a quote from it.

Steinfeld confirmed earlier this month that the league will expand to include a four-team Western Division for next season with Los Angeles, Denver and Chicago set and Dallas or San Francisco vying for the other franchise.

I haven't heard anything about Chicago except that it was a likely candidate. Maybe MLL is putting the final touches in negotiations with the owner group and Jake accidently let one slip. Or did I miss something? If not, does anyone want to speculate who may be the owners and where would they play (I'm picking Bridgeview as the likely destination)?

[BuckNakedLax]

I think it would suck if they played in Bridgeview, I'd rather them play at some college that is closer to the northern part of the city. I just think that Northern IL has the strongest following, and that it would be easier for the league to get more people to come to the games if they played in that area, rather then have a majority of the fans traveling south to watch the games. Just my 2 cents...

[BuckNakedLax]

that being said... I'd still go to the games...

[enjoi]

*pelvic thrusts into the air*

AHHHH BOO YA.

[Mr. Big]

If this is true, congrats to Chicago. I think Dallas and San Fran would have been stronger selections. I hope Chicago proves me wrong.

[LymanLax28]

Awesome :thumbsup: I'm going to Chicago next May, hopefully I can catch a game.

[swordsman]

http://www.hometownannapolis.com/cgi-bin/read/2005/07_20-02/SPO

This article is a week old and this is a quote from it.

Steinfeld confirmed earlier this month that the league will expand to include a four-team Western Division for next season with Los Angeles, Denver and Chicago set and Dallas or San Francisco vying for the other franchise.

I haven't heard anything about Chicago except that it was a likely candidate. Maybe MLL is putting the final touches in negotiations with the owner group and Jake accidently let one slip. Or did I miss something? If not, does anyone want to speculate who may be the owners and where would they play (I'm picking Bridgeview as the likely destination)?

That's what the All-Star game announcers said.

[laxoholic]

*pelvic thrusts into the air*

AHHHH BOO YA.


my thoughts exactly

[temporary1357]

http://www.newsday.com/sports/lacrosse/ny-sklizards0716,0,2292760.story?coll=ny-sports-mezz

According to this month old article, franchises are expected to be granted to Chicago and Dallas. If this is true, then MLL chose the 4 cities with soccer stadiums (Dallas has Pizza Hut Park). And the MLL front office truly sucks at getting news out.

[laxoholic]

http://www.newsday.com/sports/lacrosse/ny-sklizards0716,0,2292760.story?coll=ny-sports-mezz

According to this month old article, franchises are expected to be granted to Chicago and Dallas. If this is true, then MLL chose the 4 cities with soccer stadiums (Dallas has Pizza Hut Park). And the MLL front office truly sucks at getting news out.

chicago has one wherever the fire play

[temporary1357]

chicago has one wherever the fire play
http://chicago.fire.mlsnet.com/MLS/chf/load.jsp?section=stadium&content=bridgeview_webcam

Yea, the "Bridgeview" Stadium. It's not in an ideal location (like 30 minutes south of downtown Chicago) but from the renderings, it looks like it'll even be better than the Home Depot Center.

[LFLax12]

i agree w/ enjoi, this is perfect, they shuld play up in evanston where the northwestern wildcats football stadium is, soldier field would be nice if they could play at soldier field, but idk if that'd happen, anyway, its still nice that we get a team :agree:

[temporary1357]

The reason why I suggested Bridgeview Stadium and why I think that's where this team will play is because it's a professional looking stadium that is a reasonable size (20,000 seats) that probably wouldn't cost teams too much rent. Soldier Field would be impossible unless its operators feel charitable.

[BuckNakedLax]

I agree that it may be cheper and I also think the Bridgeview stadium looks very nice, but I think that you will draw a larger audience if they played in the northern part of the city.

[lyonslax98]

will the bridgeview stadium even be ready for the season?

[temporary1357]

It's scheduled to open in June. So far, construction has been brisk and unless a tornado goes through, it'll meet the deadline. Because of the season schedules, this would mean that the Fire, the primary tenants, would have to open its season with 2 months of road games while the MLL team could open its season at home.

And the location bugs even the Chicago Fire fans. There have even been some Fire fans that say they would support an expansion MLS team in Milwaukee just because of the location. The stadium was built in Bridgeview because the city agreed to pay for the entire $70 million cost.

[HRLAXER]

yeah and some citys got NLL expansions. (portland one !! yeah) the MLL should go to oregon/washington. Lax is spreading like wildfire up here! The AD in our school hates lax becuase all the baseball players are quitting and joining lacrosse.

[Lyons Lax]

i say they play on a huge indoor feild like syracuse's, it could be whereever the Chicago rush play..

[laxrat22]

the rush place would be good if it was NLL. arena football is really small.

[temporary1357]

Remember guys, MLL just doesn't place teams in cities when they feel like it. Expansions are ALWAYS determined by potential investors, unless the league feels braindead and decides to own the teams themselves.

The Allstate Arena (home of the Rush and Depaul University) seats about 17,000, which isn't that much smaller than NBA/NHL arenas. But since it doesn't have a major league tenant, NLL would work pretty well there.

[Eclipse]

ill go to the games

[LFLax12]

i dont understand why they wouldnt play at Northwestern, it is a nice sized stadium that is also proffesional looking (for a college stadium), itd pretty much be like the bayhwaks playing at towson or boston playing at b.c.

[lyonslax98]

i dont understand why they wouldnt play at Northwestern, it is a nice sized stadium that is also proffesional looking (for a college stadium), itd pretty much be like the bayhwaks playing at towson or boston playing at b.c.

or like boston playing at boston u......*cough*

[mdawg12087]

boston plays at Boston Univeristy, Not BC.....if they were to play at BC, and get only 5k(which is what they average for fans, one of the highest in the league), the stands would look empty. At BU where the stand are only on one side, and have a nice, like common area inside the stadium where the MLL can have all there little vendors and stands outside.....Im not sure how mnay people can be held at northwestern, but in sure its alot cuase its a D1 Big Ten school....The MLL chose to play at the Home Depot Center, and not the Rose Bowl, cuase u want the stadium to cator to your attendence numbers.

[temporary1357]

If you're talking about Ryan Field at NW, the thing seats 50,000. If you're talking about the Thomas Complex, the thing doesn't even have any permanent seating. And NW is the same distance from downtown Chicago as Bridgeview is. But as someone BuckLax said, the Northern part of the city (NW) may be better than the south.

[libertyvillelax]

North Central College has a great stadium that I think would be perfect for the MML. It seats 5,500 and it's located in Naperville.

[temporary1357]

http://www.worldstadiums.com/stadium_pictures/north_america/united_states/illinois/naperville_cardinal.shtml

It's Cardinal Stadium this place looks like a gem. The picture is with 10,000 temporary seats on the track, so it's just the one big stand. But if it's in a "lacrosse-location", I don't see why not. Even the Chicago Fire played there for 2 years.

[temporary1357]

The MLL chose to play at the Home Depot Center, and not the Rose Bowl, cuase u want the stadium to cator to your attendence numbers.
A little correction, the MLL didn't choose to play at HDC. The owner of the MLL franchise, Phillip Anschutz, also owns the Home Depot Center. They'll play at either the 27,000 seater soccer stadium or the temporary bleacher seats at the track stadium.

Soccer stadium
http://www.fussballtempel.net/concacaf/USA/Home_Depot.gif
Track stadium
http://www.trackshark.com/photos/2004/images/homedepot/photo21.jpg

[ahslax18]

why would they choose a dead market like illinois, why wouldn't they take it to ohio where lacrosse is more popular

[temporary1357]

why would they choose a dead market like illinois, why wouldn't they take it to ohio where lacrosse is more popular
Remember, as it goes with all leagues, no matter how badly a league wants to expand to a market, it won't if there isn't a viable investor. There seems to be a viable investor for Chicago and not for Columbus.

[8-ball]

well as many know, columbus was very close to getting a team a couple years back. Gross said about a year after it fell through that "there will be a team in columbus". hopefully this will come in 08's expansion. im happy chicago got a team though, im still gunna drive there, even though its a 3 1/3 hour drive from here. its definately worth it.

[krazykarl35]

i think they built a lacrosse stadium in hoffman estates

[lyonslax98]

i think they built a lacrosse stadium in hoffman estates

i dunno what the status of that was but it was an arena similar to allstate for a minor league hockey team and possibly an nll team.

[BuckNakedLax]

What you are talking about is The Sears Centre and I don't know when construction will be complete, but lyonslax98 is right about it being an indoor arena. This is what it said on the Hoffman Estates city page:

Negotiations are underway with the National Lacrosse League to bring a major league franchise here.
Seating capacity for the arena ranges from 3,000 to 6,000 for theater productions; 9,500 for hockey, lacrosse and soccer games.

[laxrat22]

A little correction, the MLL didn't choose to play at HDC. The owner of the MLL franchise, Phillip Anschutz, also owns the Home Depot Center. They'll play at either the 27,000 seater soccer stadium or the temporary bleacher seats at the track stadium.

Soccer stadium
http://www.fussballtempel.net/concacaf/USA/Home_Depot.gif
Track stadium
http://www.trackshark.com/photos/2004/images/homedepot/photo21.jpg

i cant see them playing on the track field because that place was filled for the torrey pines monta vista highschool game, it would probably wouldnt be big enough

[temporary1357]

Even for NLL, 9,500 is kinda small. That's under the league average of 10,000. Plus, HE is like an hour from downtown Chicago. I hope they know what they're doing. I guess if things fall through, they have a nice theater.

[teamillinois42]

And they will be playing most likely at bendectine university in the western suburbs...

[fenwicklax89]

And they will be playing most likely at bendectine university in the western suburbs...

thats one possibility seein as they have a brand new stadium. i dunno if it owuld be big enough and able to handle somewhat large crowds. the fire's new stadium is a good place too, but farther from chicago. choice venue is soldier field. hey i can dream too.

[temporary1357]

thats one possibility seein as they have a brand new stadium. i dunno if it owuld be big enough and able to handle somewhat large crowds. the fire's new stadium is a good place too, but farther from chicago. choice venue is soldier field. hey i can dream too.
From what I'm reading, the Bene U. stadium will seat 3,000 and have a track around it. And the place is around 45 minutes from downtown Chicago, while NC College (which some suggested) is the same distance also, and Bridgeview is 30 minutes from downtown. Soldier Field is in the PERFECT location, too bad MLL would go bankrupt renting it out. Does anyone know any other options?