I love Baltimore. The place has character, something of which Washington sometimes has a surfeit. Sure, some parts of it aren't the best, as highlighted by one of the greatest television shows of all time, but that's no reason to discount the charm of Charm City.


I've long held the believe that Baltimore could be a great professional soccer market if things were done right.


Because of that, I was happy to see that there's push for MLS in Baltimore thanks to a new a group calling themselves the "Lords of Baltimore" (thanks to The Original Winger for the heads up). The group's stated raison d'etre is "to show the MD Stadium Authority that they should build the stadium and that the team will be well supported by the soccer community in the Greater Baltimore Area." With the Stadium Authority moving forward on a feasibility study for a 17-20k stadium in the city of Baltimore, perhaps to lure DC United their way, I suppose it makes sense for such a group to exist.


While DC drags its feet on a stadium deal for United, and the surrounding jurisdictions have yet to step up in the city's stead, Baltimore might be a viable alternative for the MLS franchise. No one, at least south of the burbs that are more DC metro than Baltimore metro, wants United to move, but it would be naive to think that there's some real pull there for Will Chang and his partners. Go where you're wanted.


Except that Baltimore already has a professional soccer club, the NASL's Crystal Palace Baltimore. CP Baltimore is looking to build their own 7-10k stadium, is moving up to the Division II level this year, and despite the financial troubles of its English namesake, appears headed in the right direction. So why not just support them?


Don't get me wrong, I'm not arguing that the Lords of Baltimore are doing anything wrong. I realize the MLS is the top flight with the big pull, and that soccer fans want their city to be involved with the biggest league out there. And hell, the LoBs even have a CP Baltimore ticket package teased on their website. So is the aim to try and lift CPB into MLS, the way that Seattle, Portland, and Vancouver did with their DII clubs? It's hard to know for sure, since the group's website speaks only of proving to the Stadium Authority that support for the game exists in the area.


I wish the Lords of Baltimore the best of luck, no matter what their aim. I would just give them the advice that it might be better to support the club your city already has rather than dream about "stealing" another's.

The Team Owners Association announced today that they have added Crystal Palace Baltimore and the Tampa Bay Rowdies to their new league. The two clubs brings the TOA's total up to nine, putting to rest the question of a special dispensation from US Soccer if they had hope to form a league with less than the eight requisite teams.


Tampa Bay, originally a member of the TOA and then back in the fold with USL as recently as a few weeks ago, will play their first season next year. Crystal Palace Baltimore was also believed to be a solid member of USL's future first divisions setup; the club played in USL-2 last year. Both ownership groups were represented at the USL's first division meeting in Oregon earlier this month.


The TOA release, courtesy of Inside Minnesota Soccer:

TAMPA, BALTIMORE TO JOIN NEW PROFESSIONAL SOCCER LEAGUE
Expansion brings new league to nine teams

Nov. 20, 2009 – The Tampa Bay Rowdies and Crystal Palace Baltimore have joined the new professional soccer league announced last week, beginning play in the United States and Canada in April 2010.

The addition of Tampa Bay and Baltimore brings the new league to nine teams, as they join the owners of the Atlanta Silverbacks, Carolina Railhawks, Miami FC, Minnesota Thunder, Montreal Impact, St. Louis Soccer United and Vancouver Whitecaps.

A name for the new league will be announced next week. The new league is also active in its search for a full-time commissioner and will introduce an extensive marketing campaign in the coming months.

“Tampa and Baltimore joining our efforts is a testament to our game plan, our current ownership strength and our promise for the future. The ownership groups of both teams share our vision for soccer in North America and we are thrilled to welcome them to our new league,” said Joey Saputo, Chairman of the Board of Governors and President of the Montreal Impact.

“As we start a new team and build a strong franchise in Tampa, it’s important that our group of team owners learn from past mistakes in North American soccer and focus on building a strong league, as well,” said Andrew Nestor, owner and president of the Tampa Bay Rowdies. “With this new team-owned and controlled league which consists of some of the most established teams in North American soccer, we are excited about our team and collective future.”

“Crystal Palace Baltimore is pleased and honored to join and be a part of what we see as the future of North American soccer. We are particularly excited about the structure of a team-controlled and owned league, especially when you look at the quality of owners that we have in this league and the impressive history of the clubs,” said Pete Medd, co-owner of Crystal Palace Baltimore. “We are proud to be one of the founding members and believe it’s the right league at the right time for us and for soccer in North America.”

TEAM AND OWNERSHIP BACKGROUND:

Tampa Bay Rowdies
The Tampa Bay Rowdies are owned by TBR Holdings, founded by Andrew Nestor and Hinds Howard. Nestor and Howard are the Managing Partners of Citrus Ventures, a venture firm and advisory merchant bank with operations in Boston, Houston and Tampa. Citrus Venture’s main portfolio companies are TBR Holdings and Curbstone Group, a unique money management firm. Tampa Bay’s ownership group also includes David Laxer, owner of the legendary Bern’s Steak House, voted number one steak house in the US in 2009 by Rachael Ray Magazine.

Rounding out Tampa’s ownership group is Don Kendall, founder of Houston-based hedge fund Kenmont Investments, and Jeff MacDonald, former professional soccer player and managing director at First Reserve Corporation, a multi-billion dollar private equity firm. The Tampa Bay Rowdies were Tampa’s first professional sports franchise originally founded in 1975 in the North American Soccer League and is recognized internationally as a significant part of soccer’s birth in the US.

Crystal Palace Baltimore
Crystal Palace FC USA was founded in 2006 with the help and guidance of the world-renowned Crystal Palace Football Club in the UK, one of the founding members of the Premier League, the richest sporting league in the world. Crystal Palace USA is the first professional soccer team in the USA with a direct link to a professional English football (soccer) team. Crystal Palace Football Club (UK) is a professional soccer club founded in 1905 in south London. Crystal Palace UK chairman, Simon Jordan, saw an opportunity not only to develop the footprint of Crystal Palace worldwide, but more specifically to tap into the under-appreciated pool of American soccer talent. Several senior and youth players from Crystal Palace USA have spent time training in London with the English team.

Founded in 2007, the club’s senior professional team competed under the name Crystal Palace Baltimore in the 10-team Second Division of the United Soccer Leagues. CPFC made the semifinals in just their second year of existence in 2008. It was also 2008 when CPFC reached the Quarterfinals of the US Open Cup in just their second year, putting them in the top eight of all soccer teams in America for 2008. Along the way, CPFC USA defeated Major League Soccer’s (MLS) New York Red Bulls (who later went on to finish in 2nd place in MLS) 2-0 and tied MLS Champion and league leading New England Revolution 1-1, only to lose a heartbreaking penalty shootout to just miss out on the semifinals.

Crystal Palace USA is owned by: Randall Medd, Chairman of Crystal Palace USA. Currently a real estate investor and successful options trader. Randall resides in Delray Beach, FL

Pete Medd Former professional soccer player, Pete has his degree in Economics and has been an entrepreneur in real estate, the mortgage industry, and internet marketing. Pete has coached at the senior college, junior college, youth and professional levels for 12 years. Pete was the youngest member of the USL Executive Committee.

Jim Cherneski Professional soccer player for 10+ years, Jim is the founder of Crystal Palace FC USA. Jim is the head scout for North America for Crystal Palace UK as well as manages the first team in America while overseeing all the youth development for the American side.

Randall, Pete and Jim have teamed up on other soccer tour ventures in the past including bringing Sporting Lisbon and Crystal Palace FC to America.

Cue Broadway Joe saying that the USL is doomed...