http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/06/08/AR2005060802346.html That's great news, what I am wondering is about the phrase "possible soccer-only stadium".
With all the news that's been going on as of late, Mr. Garber's state of the league address next month should be quite interesting indeed.
I have some comfort in knowing that the group includes Kevin Payne. His involvement in the group just signifies a good chance for successful ownership and management.
That's funny, I was thinking the EXACT same thing last night. There's something about the resoluteness of Garbers statement to San Antonio which makes me think that they've got something else lined up. Maybe.
Not really a huge surprise. Kevin Payne has been linked with trying to put together a local ownership group for a while. But being down here in DC for the summer on an internship, I really wonder about putting stadiums in Southeast Washington. Not exactly the best part of town, though it is near I-295, Pennsylvania Ave., and the Green Line, and within 10-20 minutes of downtown, the Beltway and Alexandria.
RFK is in southeast. When you are with 5,000 people going to the stadium on the metro, nothing bad is going to happen to you.
Until the ground is broken and they start building an SSS at PP, I won't hold my breath. But this does sound positive. As for fan safety, I wouldn't worry to much about it. Fans getting mugged is bad for business and as was said above, with fans moving enmasse from the metro & the stadium, I think it will be ok. Isn't the baseball stadium going to be built in the same area?? Kind of side by side with the river seperating them?
What would most likely happen is a complete renovation of the area to make the best part of town. They (whoever "they" is) wouldn't just build a stadium and hope the fans will come, "they" would have to improve the area, make it nicer for fans, etc. "They" don't want fans to come to a game and then just leave. It would be in their best interest to provide many other services and forms of entertainment to ensure that the fans come early and stay late, or even come on down on a non-game day. This is all just my opinion, however, and I have no first hand knowledge of what is on the drawing board.
I heard rumors that George Steinbruner son is a soccer fan and a few years back rumor had it that he would help his son get the rights to the Cosmos name and bring a team in NY. I just wonder any truth to that.
I figure as much and that IS how it seemed when I went to a Nats game on Memorial Day (via Metro). Being next door to the new Nationals stadium would probably help.
I'm sorry, did you just ask Sachin whether there were any women left in India for him to marry? Inferring that you don't think he should have married a white/American woman? If so, that's desperately wrong...racist, even. If I've misinterpreted, please, carry on. But I can't tell what other meaning your last sentence might have.
This makes a great deal of sense; it seems to be the plan for Harrison, and a similar idea is being proposed for the future stadium in SLC, in which ever of the 3 municipalities fighting for the stadium wins the deal. Since every team can't be a winner, something more than results are needed to weld fans to 'their' team. In Europe, loyality to the club goes deep, but we don't anything like the club histories that include generations of fans. Your team could be a small club in the nationwide or lower division, but it's yours. By providing a wider experience for fans -- more reasons to come to the stadium and its amenities than the game alone -- the MLS teams might hope to secure a fairly large and steady fan base, one that can ride out the lack of success, and stick around for better days to come. One must hope for more than a simple choice of a game or shopping to bring people to gather at the grounds.
They have been remaking DC for years with this area being one of the last to be upgraded. The only thing of note in the area has been The USMC Barricks at 8th and I with it's sunset parades in the summer. Add a major sports complex and things could change rapidly. As to this being a dangerous area---rhere is no part of DC (including right outside the Capitol) where you are not at risk to be mugged. Of course we could talk about the dangers to visiting fans from some of the DCU faithful