Kyle has posted a new blog @ http://www.crocketteers.com/2009/05...alamome-how-the-mls-is-viable-in-san-antonio/
I'm gonna try and find inside pics of the alamdome high quality to superimpose the BC Place canopy over.. For fun!
Sorry guys - I have to disagree that the Alamodome is a viable option for anything soccer related. Bottom line, the game was never meant to be played in a dome. Inside a dome you lose all the unpredictability that the elements provide - no grass, no wind, no South Texas heat, no rain (when it rains). You would lose the second most important factor (besides a strong fan base) in home field advantage - familiarity with the local weather. Imagine the Canadian teams playing in our dome. They would be sitting pretty on a turf field in a comfortable, A.C. environment. Now imagine them trying to go 90 minutes in the middle of a South Texas summer. There's no way you would have that kind of home field advantage playing in a dome. Regardless, the roof structure of the dome is not the same as BC Place. You would have to deconstruct the permanent roof in favor of a "bubble." Our dome will always be a dome, and it should never again be considered as the home of a professional soccer team. Alamo Stadium, on the other hand, has SSS written all over it. If the yet to be determined ownership group can make a viable offer to purchase (or lease) it from SAISD, then we would have the infrastructure for a top-notch, centrally-located, and open-air stadium.
In the mean time, the Cibolo facility is looking more like an option to get the team off and running. 4,000 to 5,000 capacity looks to be about right for a USL team. http://www.mysanantonio.com/communi...rs_up_for_opening_of_new_events_facility.html By the way, I'm sure this belongs in another forum, but I thought it applied here as well.
The lower bowl of the Alamodome holds 28000. With the Texas heat the alamodome makes a great place to hold games. Not ideal but many San Antonians might feel more apt to buy a ticket for a game indoors when the temperature outdoors is 100+. Besides, of the other soccer games played in the dome the soccer atmosphere was fantastic.
I hear where you are coming from Eaashley79. A SSS will bring home field advantage in the South Texas Heat. But if an SSS is not an option and Alamo Stadium not an option, the dome with its downtown location can work if the upper bowl was hidden someway or covered like Seattle does it.
...Austin semi-pro women's team? There aren't any. There's the UT team. And rec league teams. The Aztex haven't started their women's team yet, and that's the only one that I know of. Cibolo's trying hard, but until they actually have a press box, the Spurs aren't going to even consider it. Actually, even with a press box, I expect the Spurs aren't interested. I can't help but wonder if Cibolo is wasting their money.
Interesting idea. With good FieldTurf (as opposed to crappy fieldturf) the game can be pretty good. I don't like the idea of playing in a dome. But I don't like it for football either. Football should be muddy, snowy, rainy, IMHO. But I guess I'm oldschool.
Alamodome has latest state of the art field-turf through a sweetheart agreement that gives them discounted almost-prototypical turf and the company gets to use the alamodome in promotional materials to other potential buyers.
That is funny. Especially considering that I have previously written as a proponent of tearing the Alamodome down. Ironic that I am now a defender of the facility (only for MLS of course)...
Yes......so true. I have always thought that if the city leaders of Sa Antonio REALLY wanted to have a permanent, full-time tenant at the A-dome they would ALWAYS have it from the start. The real reason we don't is because our city leaders have never had a real commitment of securing one from the day it was built. So it's time to call things by their real name: WE DO NOT NOT HAVE THE MLS OR NFL AT THE ALAMODOME BECAUSE OUR CITY GOVERNMENT HAS NEVER DONE ITS JOB TO SECURE ONE LEAGUE OR THE OTHER OR BOTH AND PREFERS TO FIND EXCUSES INSTEAD OF SOLUTIONS AND ALSO PREFERS TO POINT FINGERS TO BLAME OTHERS INSTEAD OF OFFERING COMPROMISE AND COMMITMENT AND TEAM-PLAY BETWEEN ALL INVOLVED TO FINALLY GET THE DEAL DONE In the meantime these city leaders never seem to mind to see San Antonio continue to be one giant enormous ranch.......
I like to call things like the Alamodome (Somewhat new empty stadium) "corruption gone bad" (couldn't bring the team) or "extreme corruption" (never cared whether or not they would bring a team)
The Alamodome is in real good condition with it's low utilization. So just invest in a cool way to only show the lower level and club level (with all the redone luxury suites available). It's downtown and should be considered.
Kyle's article was referenced in the May 14th edition of James Weise's news @ http://www.soccersam.com/news/weise/ Good Job Kyle!
Hey - Good for me!! Excited to at least see the city and pro soccer getting mentioned. This may motivate me to write a bit over the weekend and have a few posts ready for next week. We'll see - you guys let me know what days you'll be posting about the Aztex game and such so I don't post on a day when you already have content...