San Jose Earthquakes Stadium - 2015 Can't Come Soon Enough!

We know this guy spent some time out at a Buck Shaw in the 90's. He can tell his friend Seppy Blatts all it has to offer.

 

How high are you?

Maybe, maybe we'll get Gerber when our NEW Stadium opens, or maybe someone else from MLS HQ. But there's no way that Gerber, much less Bladder will show up to Buck Shaw for our opening match.

Too bad too.

GO QUAKES!!
& Happy New Year!

- Mark

 

Been calling him Seppy Blatts since I saw that video.

 

Is construction underway? I was trying to find a construction cam somewhere on the Internet.

 

I think Stevie spent more time at The Hut than Buck Shaw, which may go further in terms of explaining this video .

 

No construction yet. Probably not until March. There should be more demolition coming up though.

GO QUAKES!!

- Mark

 

Here's another one from Soccer America:

Thursday, Jan. 3, 2013​

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An ungrateful FIFA president



By Paul Kennedy

FIFA President Sepp Blatter's recent comments to Al-Jazeera about MLS certainly struck a nerve.

“There is no very strong professional league," he told interviewer Marwan Bishara. "They have just the MLS but they have no professional leagues which are recognized by the American society.”

MLS Commissioner Don Garbertold SI.com he was "a bit surprised" by Blatter's remarks, while a petition asking U.S. Soccer to retract its support of the FIFA president has been started and already has more than 1,000 signatures.

The accuracy of Blatter's statement depends on your definition of "strong" or "recognized."

It's a classic half-empty, half-full look.

No, MLS does not have the standing on the American sports scene that, say, the EPL has in England or the Bundesliga has in Germany or La Liga has in Spain.

But can you name any other league in the world that has doubled its annual total attendance in the last decade like MLS has?

If the argument means television ratings, then Blatter has a point. For all the progress MLS has made in its 17 seasons, it has made no significant in-roads in terms of drawing a national television following.

Blatter framed his disappointment with MLS's lack of progress in the context of FIFA's decision to hold the 1994 World Cup in the United States.

"It's been 18 years, it should have been done now," he said. "But they are still struggling."

There's a couple of ways to frame the decision to bring the 1994 World Cup to the United States:

1) U.S. soccer promoters needed for the World Cup to be held in the United States to jumpstart the creation of a pro league.

2) FIFA needed to organize the World Cup in the United States to develop a heretofore untapped market.

And here's the rub: MLS owners might not have made a pile of money in the U.S. market but FIFA certainly has.

In the 18 years since the 1994 World Cup -- indeed in the last decade -- World Cup television rights in the United States have gone from being worthless to being most lucrative in the world.

As a technical matter, FIFA owes MLS owners for making that all possible. In 2002, they created SUM to buy the English-language television rights to the 2002 and 2006 World Cups that had otherwise gone unsold following the collapse of ISL, FIFA's marketing arm.

On a broader level, MLS owners have invested millions of dollars in the promotion of soccer in the United States.

Their hope, of course, has been that investment would pay for itself in terms of increased ticket sales at MLS games, increased sales of the products and services sold by MLS sponsors and increased rights fees for the broadcast of MLS games. If anyone else benefited along the way from that investment in heightening interest in soccer, so be it.

So who owes whom?

No, MLS would not exist but for FIFA's decision to bring the World Cup to the United States in 1994.

But no, FIFA would not have a gold mine in the United States but for the continued investment of MLS owners.

And for that Sepp Blatter is ungrateful.

Post your response to the public Soccer America Confidential blog.

See what others are saying on the Soccer America Confidential blog.

Thursday, Jan. 3, 2013​

 

Drove by yesterday and didn't see anyone there.

 

No way in HELL Garber would bring him here of all venue options, and I don't blame him. It would only reaffirm Blatter's ignorant impression of the league. Blatter sees only money - not attendance, not financial stability, not marketing or perception of the league. He sees the US//Canada as a huge money cow that MLS officials are failing to bloat and squeeze dry.

 

I kind of touched on this in the analysis thread. When I lived there and would mention I was from California and most young people under the age of 30s face lit up as they all wanted to come and live here. They still think soccer has a long way to go though but again, they never watched the games and have no clue about the league or the atmosphere at MLS matches.

Kaka might not do much for the league and I know it won't happen but I really wonder what would happen if the owners would somehow get together and sign a 20 something Messi and/or a Ronaldo? I definitely think that would change the world's view of MLS. If an over 33 Beckham came here and did what he did to the league, I can only imagine what a player the caliber of those guys would do. Again, I'm dreaming sadly but its worth a thought.

 

I'd say Buck Shaw's gotta be in his top three, especially since he likes the chants that occur there, and he's a big Q fan. Besides, the Quakes were the best team in MLS last year. Why wouldn't Garbs want to show Seppy the best?

 

Cool, but please don't quote a whole long post if you're not going to dissect it. And whoever posted that shouldn't have posted the whole article either.

We're getting sloppy folks! Come on! It might be the "Silly Season," but we're better than this!

GO QUAKES!!
GO QUAKESFANS!!

- Mark

 

It's all about image, man. </Cheech Marin>

We ought to be in his top three, and I get your sarcasm, but seriously, Buck Shaw is the worst stadium in all of MLS. Heck, Rochester has a better stadium than us. San Antonio are building their own stadium. Ft. Lauderdale might build their own stadium, or improve and expand Lockhart. The Puerto Rico Islanders have a better stadium than we do!

So were I in Donny Gerber's shoes (which I'm sure are way too small for me), I wouldn't take Seppy to Buck Shaw either. But once the new Epicenter is up? Oh yeah!

GO QUAKES!!!

- Mark

 

I wonder if Garber will complained if this happen ?

 

I cannot strecht enough how important to sign this petition is, please sign and and ask your friends to do the same.

 

Thank you! I'll be sure and watch it next time!

 

It's not important, and it will do nothing, as withdrawing support will harm us more than it harms Blatter.

A more worthwhile petition would be to get Blatter into an educational seminar about MLS and soccer in America, since he seems to be ignorant of the facts and state of things. He looks at MLS as if its still 10 or 15 years ago. But I understand; it's time consuming making all of those backroom deals like with the Qataris.

 

Sign the petition, everybody. I did about ten minutes ago.

 

I knew you'd say that. There's a place for your comments, so put them in.

 

That one is good.

 

As interesting as the Blatter stuff is, this thread is the stadium thread. When I got my seats they said that we should see the building go up in March. Does that mean the steel will start going in, or just when we should expect to see the first bulldozers? If the former, shouldn't we expect to see more serious work begin really soon?

I know we keep hearing that they are finalizing the plans, but can't they start clearing the site and grading it now? That work has to happen regardless of the style of the stadium skin or the number of bathrooms.

 

By God, that would show him our professionalism!

 

I have heard the FO and Kaval say that we should start to see the "structure" go up by March. So, we should assume that any remaining demo and grading should happen prior to that.