Oh, the weather I knew about, and would love to go back to. On the issue of the tarps, good deal. I wish I could have seen a game with 20k in attendance to know precisely what it looks like, but I fell like it could be fairly decent. Not as good as RFK, but a lot better than Arrowhead or Giants Stadium.
Really. As far as the City of San Antonio government goes, they don't really have many choices on the Alamodome. And the nay sayers on this deal know it. There is NO NFL. There is NO NBA returning. There is NO NHL. The SA Rampage ain't moving from the SBC Center. And you would have to do drastic changes for baseball and MLB ain't a-knocking. So. No NFL, NHL, MLB, or NBA for Alamodome. That leaves only SA with one choice....yes...MLS. A key addition between MLS and let's say the Rampage is that an MLS deal would have the addition of SUM/INTERLIGA games AND FIFA/USNAT/Tri games. So. SA does have a wider revenue stream with those three venues.
They are pursuing another option, privatization: http://www.woai.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=77C24809-6660-448B-8F12-C301FDFC15C7 But this really just shows you how much of a non-option the other option is. Talk about privatizing the stadium doesn't make much mention of what it would be used for, which is the central quesiton. I mean, unless you have a profitable use for it, who do you think you'll sell it to? And then there's this: Suddenly the $6.4 Million MLS wants doesn't look so bad.
Well. The key question here is....how much are they going to sell it for if they do go that route. Now. The article states: What would be interesting to know is, what did the report conclude? Even the guy who is gun-ho about privatizing it (the Senior VP to SBC....hmmm...SBC Center...SBC... ) readilly admits the following" And there the rub....Sure. They can sell it...but..at wut $$$. Then it goes on to say: Hmmmm. It sounds to me a bit like the current agreement with MLS, but asking for mo' $$$. That also caught my eyes. Wow. Now I know why NFL hasn't been knocking the doors down.
Hey....what a coinsidence!! As soon as few people in San Anton start talking about soccer for the Alamodome, almost inmediately there were few naysayers that brough NFL future plans of privatization for San Anton ? what a coinsidence.....Why this azzholles never talk about it before....? Oh...he Mexican national soccer team already disecrate sacred territories....Oh there are more Mexican coming and they have some goats!!! Lets bring NFL to save us .....
Dang....I was about to post the same thing.....Are you spying on me....? You got it right to the penny, and if MLS/USSF fook this one I will be the first in line to storm their offices, I really hope they have somebody with a huge imagination to run this chit, this deal seems to have the potential to make MUCHO PINCHE DINERO for our beloved soccer ....
Guys....I live in Houston Texas and visit San Anton every year and what have people soccer crazy in San Anton was the huge success of the Mexican national team game few months ago, Hotels, and turist industry saw a spike on sales and they have the idea that having a soccer team on the city could provide what the city is really needing, and right across the border are two of the most popular soccer teams in the north of Mexico...Monterrey and Los Tigres, hey the potential is there and the mayor of San Anton is ready for a showdown what is to loose but the AZZ
Hey...."Texas is like a whole different country" ....Seriously Texas demography can easily support 3 soccer teams and the Mexican national soccer team really cause a good impression on the city in its qualifiying game in the Alamodome 'A SOLD OUT' beside this deal could be a cornertone for USA soccer I hope that MSL/USSF does not screw this opportunity ....
If you have a team in the the nation's biggest market but 99% of the market doesn't know/care that it exists, does it really matter? As for this San Antonio deal, I'd go for it if I was MLS. As was previously mentioned- has any city gone to these lengths before to get a team? However you have to wonder how much having Ed Garza around impacts this. Isn't he up for re-election?
I agree with this wholeheartedly. Illinois - 1 NBA basketball team Texas - 3 NBA basketball teams - All of them very successful. The Spurs, in the smallest market, the juggurnaut. I think the key issue is that San Antonio is starved for big league exposure. The Spurs whet their appetite ever time they win. The problem is there is just not the corporate money in SA to support an NFL or MLB team. MLS is a perfect solution for them. And now is the perfect time.
Well, I do happen to live here, but here's some reasons why: -There is only one top level sports team, the Spurs. Although it may seem like they have a strong fan base, the majority of fans are pretty fair-weather, if you ask me. Before '99, when they weren't as good, they had very little support, and we weren't confident we could keep them. -We have a AA baseball team, the Missions. Their stadium (which isn't huge), hardly ever fills up, and support is relatively lax. Now compare that with the team up in Round Rock (which actually moved UP to AAA this past year), which gets excellent support in a much smaller metropolitan area. The truth is, it is very difficult to get support for any professional sports franchise here, one of the 10 largest cities in the nation.
San Antonio--Gosh! $100 million for this NFL Ford 2005 Mustang!!!!.....wow...errrr..anything more economical? Salesman--Well.....er....let's step over here....hmmm....how about this family car???....the MLS Ford Neon. No power windows...but goog a/c. Very economical... San Antonio--[thinking to itself]]Dang...will I get me laid with the MLS Ford Neon? Think. Think.
First division teams/major stadia that use artificial turf Partial list, correct me if I made any errors/omissions Luzhniki/Olympic, Russia Hearts, Scotland Isa Town Stadium, Bahrain Saprissa, Costa Rica Frank Clair Stadium (Canadian national Stadium)
--What is the average attendance for SA Spurs? At least it seems that it can maintain a sports franchise of the level of NBA. But. It is able to this moment support several minor league franchises such hockey, baseball, wnba, etc. Also you gotta take into account that they will not only be marketing/supporting an MLS franchise, but also SUM and USMNT/TRI games.
The WNBA franchise is hanging on by a thread. It wouldn't be so bad if SA were smaller, but it's one of the largest cities in the U.S.
The Alamodome even LOOKS like a European Stadium (roof, few seats in the corners, if any). I think that this could be a great chance for MLS to not only establish itself in a market that has shown loyalty to its home teams, but also to set up regional rivalries with FC Dallas and CA Houston. Not to mention the fact that if you can get a nice and loud group in a building with a roof, you'll create a solid home-field advantage, something that we have not really seen in the architecture of our stadiums. I have been in a crowd of 40,000 at open-air Soldier Field, and a crowd of 20,000 at roofed RFK. I would consider them about equal in noise and atmosphere
i don't count the top 10 for SA so I wouldn't count it against SA. It's about comparing fairly abritrary political lines. Mostly useless IMO. If you look at DMA or TV viewership areas (#37) http://www.nielsenmedia.com/DMAs.html then SA is a borderline major league market, so expecting "top 10" support doesn't make much sense to me.
They can fill up 90% of the SBC Center (which is like 18,000) easy. But before they won the championship, the Alamodome was a morgue.