A More Secure 2015

With Bill Edwards hitting the ground running last year as Tampa Bay's new owner, the Rowdies' fanbase had every reason to believe that Ricky Hill would be in a position to bring more silverware to the Gulf Coast of Florida. Ultimately, that couldn't have been any farther from the truth.

Yes, Tampa Bay made some splashes in 2014's market by way of signing Brian Shriver, 2013's NASL Golden Boot winner, the versatile Anthony Wallace and Blake Wagner, and MLS veteran goalkeeper Matt Pickens. Despite such encouraging signings, many were concerned that more wasn't done to bolster the heart of the defense, and as the dust settled, with the Rowdies well outside of the top four, these concerns were justified. Tampa Bay was leaky throughout the season, and Ricky Hill was dismissed.

Carolina: Where Traffic Is Good

The phenomenon of Traffic Sports is one that has been quite well known in and inherent to the NASL landscape over the last few years. Indeed, Traffic has played a significant role in financing the league, and as of 18 months ago, still owned the Ft. Lauderdale Strikers, Carolina Railhawks, and a stake in the Atlanta Silverbacks.

Having divested themselves of their share of the Silverbacks and the Strikers, Traffic's financial obligation in the NASL has been greatly reduced, with now only Carolina remaining in their portfolio. Such a reduction of financial outlay hardly means that Traffic's influence in the league won't be felt in 2015, however. If recent off-season moves are any indication, it appears that the Railhawks and their fans will be happy beneficiaries of Traffic's streamlined NASL operations.