News: Chicago Fire Officially Announce Team is Leaving Bridgeview at the end of the season

.....NRod was dispatced by MLS HQ to clean up the Chivas USA mess.....seems quite reasonable that HQ sent him to Chicago next to assess the situation, and start moving the chess pieces to clean up another mess........NRod isn't there to make friends with SG's, he's there as a caretaker and fixer on behalf of MLS HQ.

Make no mistake, SG's are acquaintances with MLS and vice versa. They're not married, nor do they see one another as friends much less as potential partners in marriage. The league keeps SG's at arms length, as they largely make up a small (albeit passionate and vocal) percentage of the fan bases.

 

It’s worth noting that the Dignity has had regular multi million $ upgrades in many of the off seasons over its 16 year life. Off the top of my head:
- permanent bars built in many area of stadium
-a better luxury area on the suite side
-big upgrade on the Jumbotron
- underground bar and player walk out area
- permanent tailgating area for both supporters groups
-they are currently building a massive two story bar on the upper deck side.


not to mention the chargers related items (new seats in corners and berm and replacing many benches with seats, new LED ribbon boards)

So the Galaxy stadium really has been invested in. Not sure if that’s true of other SSS around the league.

 

Yes and it was not made obsolete by SeatGeak stadium even before these upgrades.

 

“Exact same” attendance? I work downtown, I would’ve absolutely considered a game at Soldier Field Wednesday night against the Revs. Bridgeview? No thanks.

Yes, the ownership sucks and has treated the fan base like complete ass and that has absolutely contributed to the attendance sucking. Also, the location freaking sucks and that has absolutely contributed to the attendance sucking. The two statements are not mutually exclusive nor collectively exhaustive- there are plenty of reasons why attendance sucks and those are just a few of them.

 

There may be some issues with the site of the Michael Reese Hospital.

http://www.lynnbecker.com/repeat/reese/city_trashing_history_aGropius_at_Michael_Reese.htm


Then again, didn't the hospital get demolished a few years ago?

 

It seems to me that to make this move to soldier field work out long time for the Fire, it has to be paired with a concrete announcement of a new, permanent, downtown SSS for them that they will move into in the next 2-4 years.

I think fans will flock back and attend soldier field games if its an opportunity to get in on the ground floor of the new stadium. I have to think that this concept is part of what is made Minnesota a successful attendance story the last 2 years and also Cincinnati this year. It makes a big difference psychologically for the fan, especially in a situation where the team has been around for 20+ years (not the case in expansion markets).

If the Fire move to soldier field with nothing concrete for their future, I really can't see this working out. What would motivate the Fire fan to dive back in and buy season tickets? Nothing, they'll just assume as they always do that tickets will always be available whenever they want and probably at a steep discount.

 

Not sure about Minnesota, but Cincinnati's successful attendance predates any decision on their future stadium or even their elevation to MLS.

 

I was wondering if this might be a solution for exactly those MLS 1.0s that did leap first to build a stadium, albeit in a location that was where they could make it work at that time.

Another somewhat related trend is building a stadium for USL teams owned outright by the MLS club in the same metro area. Miami's plan for Ft. Lauderdale after they move to their permanent stadium is one. Also RSL has Zions Bank with the Monarchs, DC United will open the Loudoun United stadium this year, and Seattle's Tacoma Defiance should have their stadium in a couple years.

I wonder if Bridgeview, Frisco, or Commerce City may be the future homes of USL-C or USL-1 teams? I'm not quite clear on whether Chester, PA - or Stade Saputo in Montreal - would be in this group or not.

 

Dignity Health is an NFL stadium now I don't think any other SSS can say that! (I don't mean that in any kind of negative way at all. It's amazing that an MLS stadium was deemed good enough for the biggest league in the world)

 

What is it like inside your head?
You are the same person that just the other day said SeatGeek made Dignity Health "obsolete."

PS. I suggest we all just call these stadiums by the name of the MLS team playing in them because this constant sponsor/name changing is exhausting. I can't keep up with it. Not to mention the multiple Toyota something stadium/fields/parks there have been. I understand in the media they have to call them their sponsor/legal name, but they don't control us

 

Reading comprehension has been a HUGE problem of yours since the day you joined. I said PEOPLE have said that it makes "Galaxy Stadium" obsolete. I never agreed. The Diggity (Galaxy Stadium) is still the flagship of MLS SSS imo, given all the renovations and history that has now taken place there.

 

You have still yet to prove this. I have been around since then and never once heard anyone say this. Anybody can make claims like this with no proof.
Backing up what you say has always been a huge problem of yours. MBS no world cup games eh

 

That's my prediction. What's yours?

 

There was a poster either in this thread or the other Chicago thread who said he felt that the stadium formerly known as Toyota Field was more soccer specific than the stadium formerly known as Home Depot Center, and that he was very excited about this at the time. Perhaps using the word "obsolete" was a mistake on my part.

 

MBS will absolutely 100% host 2026 world cup game(s). AT&T also. No question about it. It is listed as a semifinal location.
Hopefully we will all be around and I can take a selfie at MBS while watching a World Cup game and tag you in a post.

 

That is one person not PEOPLE (to put it in all caps like you did).
Edit: You said "Plenty of people" and you said it was when Chicago Fire stadium was built.
Now you say one person and it happened in this thread.
Here you are back tracking. It has been a constant problem with you.

 

I am just making an example of one person who admits to feeling the way I described at that time. How do you want me to dig up 15 year old history? It's not important enough to go into internet archaeology. What are you trying to prove anyway? My point all along was that it's sad that instead of becoming an MLS flagship stadium, Bridgeview became a miserable failure costing the team tens of millions just to exit. This is so offensive to you that you are on this weird campaign against me?

 

Sigh. big deal. Move on. This nitpicking is pathetic.

 

So, I guess my question in all of this is whether there are actual plans for a new SSS, or even relatively reasonably reliable rumors?

I know the general thought is build a new SSS, but at $250 million plus land costs, that can be well over $25 million a year in debt servicing for 20k seat stadium. At that point, I start to question the economics of building a stadium vs. using Soldier Field long term.

 

Depends on the deal they get from Soldier Field, or the alternate use they get out of the new SSS. Lots of variables.

 

Maybe the one person was a really, really big dude.

 

"being"?
"now"?