From San Diego Sockers facebook post The San Diego SOckers have scheduled a major press conference for Tuesday, 11:30am at the Valley View Casino Center's Arena Room. Apparently they really are going back to the sports arena?
http://www.nctimes.com/sports/socce...cle_7fd02979-6c55-5f13-a2f1-630f26372ec0.html SOCCER: San Diego Sockers leaving Del Mar to return to old Sports Arena 13 hours ago • By BRIAN HIRO bhiro@nctimes.com The San Diego Sockers are returning to their roots. The indoor soccer team with a storied history in San Diego will announce today that it's moving from the Del Mar Arena to the Valley View Casino Center for its 2012-13 season, a source with knowledge of the situation said. The Valley View Casino Center, formerly the San Diego Sports Arena, was the Sockers' home when they won 10 indoor soccer championships from 1982-92. The team last played in the facility in 2004, when it was a franchise in the Major Indoor Soccer League before folding. The Sockers returned in 2009 as a member of the Professional Arena Soccer League Pro, and the team has been wildly successful on the field, winning three consecutive league titles and building a streak of 37 straight victories that it will carry into this season. The Sockers, however, had an average attendance of only 2,197 at the 4,000-seat Del Mar Arena last season, a decline of 16 percent from 2010-11. Team officials had concerns about the open ends of the facility ---- in each of the first two seasons, a strong rainstorm caused part of the field to be soaked ---- and the fact that the Del Mar Fairgrounds didn't share revenue from parking or concessions, a source said. Del Mar also had geographic limitations, and the Sockers believe that a move back to San Diego will expose the product to more of the county, including the soccer-crazy South Bay area. The Sockers chose the Del Mar location originally because the Valley View Casino Center was asking for too much money, but the issue was apparently resolved in recent negotiating sessions between Sockers general manager John Kentera and Ernie Hahn, the arena's senior vice president and CEO. The Valley View Casino Center can be configured for between 10,000 and 15,000 seats depending on the event, according to the facility's website.
Good for the Sockers. It can only help them being that much closer to the core of the city. And also cool they're going back to their original home. I think the only thing that gives me pause is the fact they're leaving behind a 35-0 record at the Del Mar Arena and 3 straight league titles. It's not often a sports team will screw with success like that. But hopefully this is a first step in a further expansion of the team, maybe even into a year round summer outdoor/winter indoor team.
If you knew Del Mar Arena, you'd also know it's the truth. Del Mar was graciously called an arena by the Sockers, but it's really more of a barn. They have to be the only team that could move into the Valley View Casino Center and have it be not just an upgrade for them, but a huge upgrade. Hell it's so much of an upgrade that my wife went from not even wanting to come to games with me at Del Mar to wanting to get season tickets.
I know the place. I also know the Spectrum in Philly was far superior for watching sports then the fabulous 1st Mariner Arena.
By the time I first saw the Spectrum, I was amazed at how small and dark the place was. Sitting in the press box, I thought, "They had NBA Finals in this place? They had Stanley Cup Finals in this place?" Was pretty depressing. But I can see how it could have been a better viewing experience than FMA. Selfishly, I always loved the broadcast position in Baltimore, high above everything, you couldn't miss a thing that happened on the field.
How did the Spectrum compare to the old Garden in Boston? Never visited the Spectrum but I was always shocked by how small and poorly designed for hockey, basketball and crowds of any size that the Boston Garden was...
Some new ones weren't either. I'm not a small guy buy any measure, but I'm also not huge and I was shocked recently going up to Honda Center in Anaheim this winter to see the Sharks play the Ducks by how small the seats were. I felt like one of those morbidly obese people trying to get on Southwest Airlines when I sat down. That's one thing I'll give the SD Sports Arena, at least the seats are decent sized despite its age.
Wasn't that place built in like 1996? I remember seeing the Splash play there in '97, I think the building was fairly new then. I have heard Staples Center is not very attendee-friendly, either, but I've not been there. The Sports Arena has its charms, no question. It's not a bad hockey building, either. Market Square Arena was like that. THAT was a great hockey/indoor soccer building.
Honda Center is a 1993 vintage I believe. Same age as the HP Pavilion in San Jose, but the two are night and day in terms of seating comfort and viewing height on the upper level. And you're right about the Staples Center. Went up there for a Clippers game last year. While the seats are better in and of themselves, their location if you're on the upper level is even more pathetic than Anaheim. If you superimposed the Staples Center or the Honda Center over the SD Arena the upper level would be outside the SD Arena at both. Which means at both Staples or the Pond you either pay through the nose to sit close, or bring your binoculars. I've found the difference between the two is most apparent during MMA/UFC fights. I've taken in fights at both Anaheim and the Sports Arena, and you end up watching the video boards in Anaheim defeating the purpose of even going to the fight because you're so far from the action. It's given me a soft spot over the years for the Sports Arena. It's old and a bit run down, but the views are good, seats are comfortable, concessions are reasonably priced, and access has never been a problem for me. Plus in recent years I always hit that Chick-fil-a out front for a tasty bite to eat before events. Can't wait for the first Sockers game there this year. Now if only they'd bring the Gulls back.
Unless you are a personal friend of Donald Sterling, plan to pay through the nose next time and you will find the lower bowl is actually pretty cool at Staples. Club seats have private bar -- this was VERY helpful two years ago when the Clippers were a laughingstock on the court! You are right about the 300 level -- very similar to Cellular Field in Chicago before they beheaded the top 14 rows... it towered over old Comiskey in a similar fashion as you described.
Depends on what week your there. Last time I was there for the Fair Beerfest it had a dirt floor. But then I also didn't care because the place was loaded with great beers.
Shot from my Sockers season seats at sports arena tonight. Floor wasn't installed yet but the arena put there old boards for seat selection. They will be putting the benches and penalty boxes back into there original positions. The Sockers said the city will decide if they need to put glass up all the way around the rink. Also the penalty boxes will get glass no matter what. side note* Growing up in Bmore with the Blast it feels somewhat strange to have season tix to the Sockers! Excited for the season to start
Not to mention emergency evacuations... thank God no one ever dropped a match in the Chicago Stadium balconies!
