I wish the people in Atlanta realized that enough to give us another game this year. Man City didn't draw nearly as well last year as AC Milan had the year before.
Feb. 10, 2006 U.S. Men vs. Japan 3-2 W Pope, Dempsey, Twellman AT&T Park San Francisco, Calif. 37,365 The US Men played Japan in 2006 at AT&T Park. I was there. Atmosphere was fantastic. Bars after the game was so crowded it was body-to-body just going from one end to the other to get a drink. On topic -- it would be great to have a team in SF but there's no land. Putting it across the bay in Oakland wouldn't make it SF, would it? The idea is enticing because as others have mentioned, the identity of SJ and presumably the fans are different than SF. 47 miles is a long way in that area and cuts across several cities and microclimates.
I personally think it would be great to have a team in San Francisco. The trouble though is there is no plan in place to even suggest building a stadium or for that matter, anyone ever talking about building one and most importantly, there is no owner willing to come forward wanting a team. I'd love to see an Eddie DeBartolo for example, involved but I never heard him being interested in investing in a soccer franchise. The new 49ers stadium is moving down to Santa Clara right on the border of San Jose so even they are leaving SF. Eddie D and Joe Montana want to build a hotel across the street from where the stadium is going to be but still no mention anywhere about them getting involved with soccer. Its either the Quakes or an SF team in this market and I seriously doubt there will be two different franchises (one in SF & one in SJ) and as far as most of us have gathered, Lew Wolff doesn't really have much intention of building his SSS up there. Maybe I'm wrong but I don't think SF is in the cards.
San Jose football fans root mostly for the Niners. San Francisco hockey fans root for the Sharks. San Francisco soccer fans follow the Quakes. San Jose baseball fans drive to San Francisco or Oakland. Everyone in the Bay Area watches the same local TV and reads the same local newspapers. Lots of people commute from the peninsula to San Francisco or vice versa for work. And with good traffic, no part of San Francisco is more than an hour's drive from Buck Shaw. In northern California, that's not a big deal. If they ever sort out their terrible multi-system public transit mess, it'll be even easier.
Would you say area residents read the San Fran Chronicle, Oakland Tribune, or San Jose Merc News more?
Mercury News hands down. The Murk has a daily circulation of 477,000. The Chron only manages about 220,000 daily.
The Mercury News is probably most popular. The Tribune doesn't really exist any more; it's just an East Bay local edition of the Merc, like the Long Island edition of the New York Times. The Chronicle is basically a web site at this point. It's mostly read in my experience by richer Bay Area types, whether in the South Bay, the city, or the Oakland hills. And both cover all of the Bay Area sports teams. Saying San Franciscans don't have a hometown team because the Quakes play in San Jose is like saying people who live in Manhattan don't have a hometown baseball team.
If there were to be a team in San Francisco and the bay area residents REALLY want it, I'd say to move the Earthquakes. If that isn't an option (as in, they don't feel moving the Quakes is necessary), then I'd say they need to make the Earthquakes their home team and leave it be. There are other areas of the country that would benefit more from a MLS expansion team than San Francisco. If the Earthquakes can't figure out a larger stadium for their own team, how are you going to figure one out for San Francisco if there's a second bay area team?
Apparently San Mateo is the difference-maker. San Francisco proper is not as big as you think. San Jose is bigger these days. And San Mateo County between them probably tips the balance toward San Jose.
Mercury News circulation figures typically include not just the San Jose paper but a consortium of papers throughout the region owned by the same parent group. From the horse's mouth last May: "The Mercury News reported a gain in Sunday circulation and a decline in daily circulation and is now the fifth-largest newspaper in the United States. . . . The Mercury News' daily circulation of 577,665 places it behind only the Los Angeles Times, New York Times, USA Today and The Wall Street Journal. It was also in fifth place nationally in Sunday circulation, with 636,999 subscribers. "These figures are for all of the publications of the Bay Area News Group, including the Contra Costa Times, Oakland Tribune and San Mateo County Times. They also include, for the first time, the Marin Independent Journal, the Santa Cruz Sentinel, the Vallejo Times-Herald and the Vacaville Reporter." http://www.mercurynews.com/business/ci_17984446
I was in San Francisco last week on business and although I drove all over the town, I still want to know exactly where this Expansion Team's stadium will be decided on and where it will be placed? Looking at the town, unless the stadium is built on land fill, Treasure Island, the Presidio (which has toxic wastes underneath) or on Alcatraz, I don't know where else they could possibly build it.
Only 7 miles (estimated) in between--San Mateo County has a bigger area geography wise, though the population base is in and around towards San Francisco Bay. To add, as a resident of that area the "sphere" tends to be more towards San Francisco. However, because of where it's located and I will throw in Santa Clara County where Palo Alto and so forth are located--that base could be geared towards San Jose. Its location should (and ought) be attracted to a Quakes base in addition to the droves that tend to frequent San Francisco for whatever reason (namely the baseball Giants). The only possible place for the Quakes might be where AT&T Park is (as considered around 2004-2005 when Gavin Newsom was mayor). However, that area will either be reserved for a new arena or building space. Kezar is too small--and the only spot possibly is Candlestick Park but then that place is way out in the boonies and only few access roads in and out. Right now--it's an astronomical long shot for San Francisco--they want to try and keep the 49ers if they can.
On the right or left side of AT&T Park? In the water where the draw bridge is on the left or where the boats are parked on the right? I mean there defintiely is no room for parking and I can't see this thing even coming close to fruition...there just is no room down there....
True on those areas--there's nothing around unless you count the pier at Embarcadero and Bryant but that spot was never considered... This is the area I was thinking: http://maps.google.com/maps?q=China...5,-122.387094&sspn=0.005105,0.012424&t=h&z=14 The parking lot that is near the walkway (China Basin Park) and the Willie McCovey statue... Pier 49 is nearby... it would be between 3rd St and Terry Francois west to east, and China Basin Park and Mission Rock north and south... right now that's the only spot if the current or future mayor of SF wants to revive that plan. Since that proposal was last heard in 2004-2005 the current rumor is to put an arena to lure the Warriors from Oakland most likely in or around that very same spot...
Yeah I know that area. I was there last week. I must say, for a July evening, I was freezing... It would be great and all but it still sounds like a pretty far out idea, not to mention a very expensive project. 2004-2005 was a different time though. In this economy however, I don't see anyone taking on such a venture...
The Quakes would never be moving to SF. But an expansion team in MLS would be third on the list of priorities for the citizens and polls in SF. They'd only consider such a thing after failing to save the Niners in SF and an attempt to move the Warriors to an arena south of Pac Bell.
Very unlikely for the Quakes since the land has been razed and ground should be broken for the new digs soon. If in the event some kind of kink were to happen--who knows? Unless someone in San Francisco decides they want to build a SSS for either an expansion team or otherwise, but don't see that taking place. The Warriors might want to return to San Francisco and the Giants (last I heard) are considering constructing an arena on that spot to accommodate that--and to add to the baseball's team cash cow. Obviously, the 49ers are on top of the SF Mayor's list since they want to move to Santa Clara. Several years ago, when the Quakes were in danger of moving as we all know--there were places shopped around and that was the spot considered. Now, SF might as well get another USL team and play in a rec league field before aspiring again for the big leagues of MLS to speak. The last person who tried to put soccer in San Francisco, Dimitry Peterman (if I remember the name right) tried to fill a void when the Quakes were in hiatus and he literally ran the team to the ground. Someone with very deep pockets and a vision can only undertake an attempt to put MLS in San Francisco and as per--won't happen. The Quakes need to be the established team before this area can be considered a two-team market in soccer (similar to baseball and football--maybe hoops)...
Talking about an MLS expansion team in SF is like talking in a nature forum about the existence of Bigfoot.
Not that it matters .............but if an owner with cash emerged and wanted a team in CA, Sacramento and San Diego are better options than SF, even if the Quakes did not exist, for long term best game day experience: Cheaper land ( arguably, but for sure in Sac) Less entertainment competition (No need to be a constant winner to sell out) Less transient population Better weather; Zero or much less fog
Better weather in Sac? Maybe for the fans but not for the players, especially in the summer months. Forecast in Sacto for the rest of the week..... Current conditions as of 4:43 PM PDT-93° High: 91° Low: 58° High: 87° Low: 57° High: 88° Low: 59° High: 90° Low: 58° High: 88°
When you're considering how and to whom they are marketing new MLS teams, I think SF is the only place is CA you'd consider putting a team. They want exactly the type of tech-savvy young urbanites that SF has in spades. If they could get a stadium near AT&T Park, either in Mission Bay or Pier 30 as was earlier suggested, they'd be reasonably close to downtown and have all the new infrastructure built to regenerate the area. I think it'd be a massive success story.
I disagree. SF suburbanites have proven they don't care/understand soccer based on the crap attendance they got at a recent world class match in the city. They're TOO young hip urbanite to care about soccer. They're more interested in the negative impact on the environment and the financial structure of the socialist state that SF encompasses that soccer will have than they are the game itself. And those that aren't care too busy sucking the teat of the Giants to care about anything else.
I can't wait 'til American fans get over the notion that soccer is the new sushi or fixed-gear bike...