The results are in and the voters back in Kansas defeated a proposal to develop infrastructure for a new soccer stadium and some youth fields...Wizards were quoted in their paper as saying: Robb Heineman, principal of OnGoal LLC and interim president of the Wizards professional soccer team, said he was disappointed, but remained resolute in getting a stadium built by 2009, but not necessarily in Johnson County. The last part refer to the Wizards heading our way.
Can't wait til Andy Mead finds this thread. I think its premature, to say the least, that the Wizards are now gone from KC. Although the No vote is a major setback for them.
As a huge proponent of a Philadelphia team, I am still not moved by this news. I think that while it might open a door in Garber's mind, OnGoal seems like a committed ownership group. However, the Wizards will be a terrible advertisement for the league in a high school stadium and with no concrete plans on the table. I think Andy, Ben, and Sam to name a few are disappointed in the JoCo voters who saw it as giving away land to ostensibly land the Wizards, who would have still paid for the stadium development (possibly with STAR bonds). So do you San Jose them? Let them keep the identity and records and return an expansion team to the area when OnGoal builds a stadium? Possibly, but I don't think the new ownership group could risk losing the loyalty of the few committed fans. I think the Wizards will remain in Oz and our hopes will continue to lie over the rainbow.
Funny. As soon as I read the news the first thing I did was to come to thsi forum and see what ppl in Philly were thinking about the whole elction. I believe KC might get the SJ treatment.
It's funny that you quote that part of the article and assume it means they are moving to Philly. But you completely leave out the next 2 paragraphs from that article. http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/15955884.htm
Kuhn, I agree with you which is why I posted what I did above...I think that by not Johnson County, instead of not Kansas, is very telling. It means they are thinking of other counties in the metro area.
Philly does have an advantage in having places like the Linc or Franklin Field were a MLS team could temporarily play (the Wizards will be forced out of Arrowhead starting in 2007). However, Philly has no long term solution for where a MLS will play at. At least KC still has their Overland Park stadium on the books. Philly does not. If someone in Philly announced today that they had a plan to build a stadium for soccer then there might be some legs to a relocation story, but there isn't
I have a plan...but no money to fund it. I was thinking a 25,000 seat fully roofed stands stadium with mixed use retail and hotel attached. A main street leading to the ground that included a stadium pub that could accomodate the Sons of Ben before matches. I think that the Columbus Boulevard area would be fantastic - view of Center City, waterfront and girls on poles.
That someone would have to be the ownership group, of which there is none here right now. If they relocated the wiz here, it would have to be them. they won't announce any plans to build a stadium here unless the move is official, which it is not. Any plan to build a sss here would have to include other tenants, such as the Barrage outdoor lacrosse team, or rugby or something. No way would a soccer stadium be able to pay for itself with just one soccer team as its tenant.
I think KC will look to other surrounding counties for their stadium situation. (PS - no Andy Mead yet?)
I did the same thing with regard to coming to the boards to check things out. I just think that, being November, there's little chance of this happening (a move to Philly, that is) for next season. It is a HUGE setback for the Wizards, but certainly not a deal breaker, yet. However if next season starts and things are still rocky for them, a 2008 move to Philly (or somewhere else, if 2009 Philly is a definite), is probably in the stars.
60-90 days Dillon, 60-90 days. Speaking of S.O., how's the SOB logo Would be cool to break that out this weekend.
Quakes moved to Houston on Dec. 13 2005 and 11 months later are playing in the MLS Cup. If "any" MLS team decided to move to Philly in the next month, its very doable. Will a team move in the next month? Highly doubious.
There are no current plans to locate the Wizzz anywhere other than Johnson County...that means it is just as easy to take the team elsewhere as it is to stay in KC. Look at it this way, the new owners bought the team at a discount (assumption) ostensibly because they were going to keep the Wiz in KC, build a stadium, etc. Now, the first part of their grand scheme has fallen apart by a HUGE margin - no world-class youth complex. Coincidence? (or conspiracy) I think not. The folks at OnGoal want to do what? a) keep the Wiz in KC at any cost because of civic pride, or b) make a profit? If it's b, then can't they get a better deal by moving the team and holding some other more deserving (desperate) city hostage? OnGoal, gets an enthusiastic community, new uniforms and, hence, new merchandise sales, a new stadium (that they probably don't have to pay for), suites, parking, concessions - the whole deal. And theyget it for little or no cash expense just because Philadelphia (or South Jersey, or wherever) rolls out the red carpet (tax incentives, public financing, etc) just to lure them. OnGoal can play this off straight-faced because they tried to get the stadium deal in KC, but the voters wouldn't go along. Now they have the break they wanted to move the team to somewhere, anywhere, where they can make a buck. It's shrewd really. I just wish I saw it coming before it happened and predicted this then. Watch what happens.
Its a interesting thought, but not based on fact or reality. Sorry. Using your logic, it would make more sense for the new KC owners to move the team to Rochester where there is already a SSS in place. Philly has nothing, long term, to offer. At least as of today.
Hmm. 4PM EST and still no Andy. There must be huge amounts of KC misinformation out there for him to put down today. I'm glad that sanity reigned here today.
Exactly, Prime. What I mean is that the playing field is level again. Yes, Rochester might have an inside track, but OnGoal can rationalize shopping the location now by saying that they tried...and failed. They bought the team ata discount because they were going to keep it in KC, now they are free from those promises because the people said no.