1. Charlotte’s teams have failed twice already, [Carolina] Lightnin’ and [Charlotte] Eagles. (Eagles live on as an amateur team prohibiting gay players).

The Lightnin’ existed for three years in the early 80’s, won the championship their first year in the American Soccer League and had over 20,000 fans show up to the championship game at Memorial Stadium. The league itself folded in 1984 (like many soccer leagues in the US before it and since did) and the team couldn’t continue financially continue. That sounds about right to me, doesn’t stink of a failure on the team’s or the city’s part either.

The Eagles haven’t failed because they still exist. They’ve been competitive on the field most years, including some deep runs in the US Open Cup and a few USL titles. They’ve produced some talented professional soccer players, like MLS goalkeeper Clint Irwin who just appeared in the MLS Cup final, Christian Ramirez who’s about to get paid to stay in Minnesota for their first MLS season, capped Haitian national team member Stewart Ceus, and many more. They’re also an evangelical Christian organization, spending most of their money rebuilding neighborhoods, holding programs for under-served children and taking their players overseas to hold camps. Disagree with their politics all you want (and I do), but what about that screams failure?

2. Charlottean soccer supporters (including Premier League supporters club members, bloggers, and American Outlaws) refuse to attend current professional option.

He’s talking about Charlotte Independence, the city’s professional soccer team who currently plays in a temporary stadium in Ramblewood Park south of the city. The author of the article is a founding member of the team’s supporter club, and yet there’s no supporters to speak of according to him.

I was a season ticket member for the team’s first two seasons and while the jury is still out on the 2017 season, I generally enjoyed my time watching the team play. They’ve fielded a good team, competed hard, and made the playoffs in 2016. Unfortunately, they’re close to the bottom of the league’s attendance rankings. The author doesn’t list out any specific reasons he thinks the team struggles to attract fans, instead making the assertion that soccer fans in Charlotte refuse to go to Independence games, therefore they won’t go to a MLS team’s games.

I won’t even assign blame on Independence’s struggles, though I’m sure the author and I would disagree on the specifics. But that argument is just bad logic. The difference between what a fan can get at a home Independence game experience and at a top-division sports franchise is huge. The marketing budgets would be incomparable and the excitement of a MLS team launching would minnow the launch of the Independence that I attended in an empty parking lot behind Latta Arcade.

3. Charlotte hosts outside clubs with one-time success, (International Champions Cup and Jacks v Jacks) but struggles to attract CONCACAF (minus Mexico). [Charlotte hosted two Gold Cup group games at Bank of America Stadium in July 2015].

If anything, this proves the point I’m trying to make. Charlotteans are discerning consumers — they liked the experience at ICC and Gold Cup matches and showed up for them. Independence held a friendly over the summer with EPL side Swansea City and they packed the stadium, but that game had little to no impact of their ticket sales for the last part of their regular season. Fans came and decided they didn’t want to come back. They don’t like the existing option, but they might enjoy the MLS option a whole lot more, especially if the team is closer to the city center or at least has public transit options… or is close to anything besides private homes.

Point #3 is being repeated by both of Charlotte’s potential MLS bidders because it shows that Charlotteans will show up to the big events. A MLS game is a big event. Fans of Charlotte Independence need to accept that their lower division team out in Ramblewood isn’t that.

4. Current professional club is competitive on the field and underrepresented in local media, blogs, etc. Public uninterested.

I ran a blog almost exclusively covering Independence for two years. People are interested in the team, they just aren’t interested in attending games. I’ve been able to talk with dozens of soccer fans who desperately want a team they can identify with and support, but they don’t see Independence in its current state as that. They need something more then what Independence and currently offers.

The Charlotte Post has a writer (the great Ashley Mahoney) dedicated to the team and she does a great job reporting on them. Would it be awesome if the Observer came out every game and covered their signings like they do the Panthers or the Hornets? Of course. But I think fans of the Knights and the Checkers have similar complaints and understand it comes with the territory of being seen as a lower-division team in an up-and-coming sport. How Independence are being covered in the media holds no bearing on how the media would cover a MLS team.

5. The stadium would need to be built from scratch, likely requiring state funds. HB2 has taught the area that state doesn’t support city.

Marcus Smith, the potential bidder name-dropped by MLS Commissioner Don Garber, has the money to fund stadium construction without the need for public funds and hasn’t asked for any yet. Independence has asked for $8 million from both the county and city to remodel Memorial Stadium, but in none of the discussions I’ve had with city or team officials have state funds been requested.

EDIT (1/10/17): Since this post’s original writing, Smith has approached the city and county for $50 million each. I don’t like the public funding buildings for stadiums. I still think that a renovated 18k-20k stadium in that part of the city would be an asset that the city and county could leverage, but the price tag is probably too high.

6. Sports attendance in Charlotte is already pretty mediocre including rebranded NBA and an NFL team with an MVP, 1 year since Super Bowl.

Hornets attendance is trending up in both total and average attendance since their re-rebrand. The Panthers are currently ranked #8 in average attendance in 2016. (both links accessed on 12/20/16)

7. The draw of investment won’t be in fans (attendees), or current club, but rather in market. The growth, high median income, foreign population.

Agreed that any MLS bid in Charlotte won’t be highlighting the city’s current club, but that’s because the club isn’t anything to highlight. And as I’ve said, I believe that holds no bearing on a potential MLS team, especially if that ownership group/front office isn’t involved in any way.

Charlotte as a city is its biggest draw for MLS — it has a high number of young professionals (which is a target market for the league), it’s growing at a large pace, it has multiple Fortune 500 companies headquartered here with some large foreign companies having large offices in town. Why is this a bad thing? Sounds amazing.

8. Franchises are not clubs. They aren’t connected to the community. In this case, the community isn’t connected with the club, either.

It’s true — franchises are not clubs. But we’re talking about a MLS franchise, so that isn’t a huge deal to me. I understand how sports in America works. OP isn’t wrong, any MLS team in Charlotte wouldn’t have the same grassroots feel and history as a club like the ones we get to see on TV in the mornings do.

That doesn’t make it evil though. It’s up to the team to decide how involved in the community they’re going to be. It’s up to potential players to make themselves available and make an impact in their new city. It’s up to fans to bring the team into their homes, their lives and their neighborhoods the same way that soccer clubs in other parts of the world exist.

That excites me. I hope it excites you too.

9. MLS interest is just another adolescent second-tier city desire to be taken more seriously, no different than FBS football at UNCC.

Charlotte’s my home. I don’t care if some people see it as a “second-tier city” like the author does, I love it. I wasn’t born here, but this city has my heart. I don’t think having a MLS team in Charlotte would move the city up in my “All-Time Cities Power Rankings” because its already #1. I can’t empathize with the author’s viewpoint at all here, so that’s all I’ll say.