I understand the reasons why he did it, I guess, but Malik moving NCFC down a tier probably killed any chance of MLS dead for the foreseeable future.
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I’m wondering why Tampa gets a second shot with MLS after Tampa Bay Mutiny folded back in the day when there’s other more deserving markets out there (cough cough Raleigh cough cough)…
Right now there’s 14 Eastern Conference teams and 13 Western Conference teams in the MLS. Adding in Charlotte (assuming East), St. Louis (assuming West), and most likely another Western Conference team. My gut says Sacramento is probably at the front of the line (whenever they get their ducks re-aligned in a row), but MLS would love another team in a big Western metro like Phoenix IMO.
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I am hearing uncomfortable rumors that certain city council/wake county commissioners are ‘meddling’ a bit too much in the DTSouth project and that they are trying to help certain friends & family members in a way that is becoming increasingly frustrating for Malik/Kane…to the point that it is risking the entire project.
I don’t know what would be worse here…getting a watered down version of a DTS (a la fancier WakeMed soccer park) or everyone just walking away and no one attempts to do anything for another decade or so.
Both scenarios would be very bad for the City…all because of political graft
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Interesting! I’m guessing it’s regarding construction or design/engineering contracts? Or something else? If you’re not at liberty to say, just smile and nod.
You would figure by now Kane would know whose wheels he needs to grease…
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Kane knows what he’s doing but this area has another layer to it that North Hills did not apparently…sounds like a case of political pressure to ‘give’ individuals who have no qualifications whatsoever nor any ability to provide real financing or expertise to the project, some sort of backroom ‘cut’ of the DTSouth project
I will just ‘smile & nod’ otherwise…
Not necessarily the merger they had hinted at but an expanded Leagues Cup will start in 2023 featuring all 47 MLS and Liga MX teams.
In response to earlier those are the cities that have been mentioned all along, I wouldn’t use that list as the end all be all. If we put forth a good enough bid, we’ll eventually have a team.
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Will Raleigh ever get a team in another Big 5 sport? Or are we fated to punch well below our weight and be saddled with just the Canes? What are we doing wrong?
We are the perfect market for MLS, and yet MLS hates us. Can we just hope someone buys a team and relocates it here since that seems to be the one way Raleigh can even get a team?
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Why does MLS “hate us”? Raleigh has yet to submit a bid for a franchise.
This said, note my comments earlier in this thread and my concern that certain politicians could royally F UP the DTS deal if they keep trying to shakedown Kane/Malik so “their cousin” gets a cut of the action.
I ask you what qualifications Levelle Moton has in real estate development? Better yet, what qualifications does his 3rd cousin removed have?
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In more positive Raleigh-area sporting news, N&O reporting the Hurricanes hosting an outdoor game is back on. Either December '22, January '23, or February '23.
https://www.newsobserver.com/sports/nhl/carolina-hurricanes/article254413088.html
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Remember what I was hinting at earlier this week?
Well once I got past the myriad typos and repeat paragraphs in the article, nothing came as a shock. This is in a much more economically sensitive neighborhood than North Hills, so it makes sense that the community is going to want more concessions.
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I still would be fine with this development not happening and instead have Kane focus all his efforts on the core of downtown 
.
Was all in for DT South when Raleigh was in the running for MLS…but now it seems like this would just halt developments downtown if it were to start.
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The “community” does not own the property….any of it.
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They sure don’t, but if they’ve got the ear of someone who can make life way more difficult for Kane/Malik, then it doesn’t really matter.
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That was my concern earlier in this thread. The politicians who are trying to grease the palms of the surrounding “neighborhood” are coming close to scuttling the entire project.
My sources said Malik has told the Mayor that he “ is done” and very close to walking way altogether. Rumor is he is now in talks with Cary to upgrade WakeMed soccer park.
There seems to be a disconnect between what the media is reporting and what the rumors on here are. Things like affordable housing, workforce development, etc. don’t seem like dealbreakers in my opinion. Is it that stuff, or is there more going on that isn’t getting leaked to the media?
It’s really is the NIMBYs doing this they’re really holding us back from the better future if Raleigh.
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The recent visit of WWE was such a resounding success, they banned saying the word “Raleigh”. You cannot make this up at all.
Your move, AEW.
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