Re: Some Other Questions That's not garbage. In your post, alongside a reasonable analysis of the role of the fan as customer vis-a-vis ownership are a few flights of fanciful fiction. 1. Everyone outside of a very few people at select companies (contractors, OnGoal) who has ever seen renderings of a potential Trails stadium has seen both ends roofless. This is certainly the case for me, and it's the case for all those who joined in the stadium discussions at the training facility several months ago. I would also note that it is not my understanding that the stadium is anything like 100% publicly financed...I'd have to check the numbers on that. 2. I'm not sure where you get the idea about everyone speaking with one mind about the necessity of roofing an end stand. It's been a matter of quite open discussion for many months, publicly and privately, as anyone involved with the discussions can tell you (including the folks who were at the meeting in question). 3. Robb Heineman doesn't work for any Fortune 500 companies, and, to the best of my knowledge, never has; his career has been mostly in private investment. He certainly hasn't worked for (or with) Cerner, at any rate. He has been involved with real estate and sporting ventures involving Messrs. Illig and Patterson, but not having anything to do with medical software.
Re: Some Other Questions OF COURSE THE STADIUM IS GOING TO HAVE A ROOF (two of them in fact)! The plans have shown it since day one. Why would I ever take that bet. I've seen the renderings. Now, the question in this thread is whether or not the Cauldron end is going to have a roof. I don't know the answer to that question. And after talking with Robb this week about this thread, I know he doesn't know the answer to that question either. He knows very roughly what it would cost to put a roof over the cauldron, which is why he posted the question here... to see what the consensus was among Cauldronites to see if having that roof would be worth paying more per ticket. And like Sam said earlier, I've NEVER seen a rendering of our future stadium with a roof over either endline stand (where the Cauldron is located). A roof, yes. Over the sidelines. A roof over the Cauldron, no. You need to separate the two. The sideline roofs are going to be there, regardless. The Cauldron roof is the question here. Again... separate the Cauldron roof with the sideline roofs. If you can find me a quote from Robb, or anybody high up in the FO/ownership group where they talk about a roof planned over the Cauldron, then you might have a point... But you won't find it. Because since day one of the Bannister site, the plans and renderings have called for two roofs on the sidelines. Only recently is a roof over the Cauldron being discussed.
I love this discussion going on here. Especially about the importance of sound projection. I don't know that many other MLS clubs ever think about such things--besides Red Bull. It's gratifying to know the Wizards FO seems to be in tune with the various effects of a roof. One thing, though, that I haven't seen mentioned so far is what kind of grade would the north end rise up at? If it has a steep grade, then there's less space for sound to dissipate to, and thus I'd think the bounce-back effect would be stronger, as well as having a roof to aid in such cause.
I'm assuming this is sarcasm, but in the slight chance it isn't, LOL stands for laugh out loud. I don't have a teenager, however I was one 4 years ago, and it's, without a doubt, "laugh out loud."* *-I will accept a 10% commission from whoever won the bet for helping in solving it.
Re: Some Other Questions I can vouch for this as well, at least based on the initial renderings shown at the meeting. There was a roof in those renderings over both of the sidelines, but nothing over either end. That was rendering at that point in time, and I am certain it has changed since then.
Re: Some Other Questions My mistake, I thought he was also a Cerner guy. I had posted such statements before and until now wasn't corrected. Mr. H will have to live with highly successful and educated... 2. From Robb's original post in which he admittedly was not clear. I missed his clarification post somehow. Also, I had been in conversations with FO guys who said bluntly a roof would be part of any and all configurations. 1. Regardless of 100% or some other very high number even as low as 25%. The well over $100M coming in for stadium proper and complex should provide ample ability for a roofed Cauldron well within a $15 ticket. Further, the Cauldron deserves to be at least on the edge of a sideline over anything on an end. Anyone can defend it however they wish. This thread is, at it's core, a barely vailed (sp?) cash grab. One goal of Cauldron leadership should be to step up and get as close as possible to say guaranteeing a 400 person block in 2010 in exchange for, say $12 seats under a roof. OnGoal is obviously spending time looking at the economics, maybe the Cauldron leaders should as well. Individually, it seems to be worth at a minimum $6500 today dollars per season ticket. Instead of focusing on a benign detail in error because it's fun to be right, why not focus on more malignant things like being gouged for tickets? Sam and Chad certainly have a secure place here, however today they are connnected to the organizion. Their interests are not precisely in line with interests of individuals in the Cauldron, though their hearts may well be. If other solutions or suggestions are needed here's three our leadership can suggest to the FO in lieu of the $5 per seat "Ardent Supporter" permanent tax on the Cauldron for a roof that should be there anyway: 1) Cut amenities from the youth fields in favor of a fan roof that everyone wants. 2) Ask parents of kids who actually use those fields to pay more instead of possibly Wizards' fans. We all love kids, but many of us have made an equally valid decision not to expand the population as of yet and shouldn't be penalized for it. 3) Adjust the time table and, for lack of a better phrase, the greed factor for the entire complex; thus requiring less immediate capital ergo less gouging of The Cauldron and other fans.
Re: Some Other Questions So you know what everyone wants now? How are you being penalized for not having kids that would use those fields if you have to pay an extra $5 a seat? You're paying to "use" the stadium, they're paying to using the fields. You could go the exact opposite way and ask why should parents of kids who use the fields (which will be used for more than soccer) have to pay more so that the soccer fans can have a roof? I could be wrong, but I believe the time table is set the way it is so that the clawback clause from the state doesn't come into affect.
Re: Some Other Questions If it ever got out that that the parents had to pay more so a bunch of drunk soccer fans could have a roof, it would be a public relations nightmare.
I won the bet. I always thought it was "Laugh Out Loud," but I had a guy tell me that it was "Lots Of Laughs." I figured he was wrong, but who knows. I'm not up to date on all the ways that teenagers are slowly screwing up the American language. Next up: What does WTF mean? Is it, "What The F-ck?," or "Who Totally Farted?"
Re: Some Other Questions We'll get right on this....as it is exactly the kind of thing the Cauldron Leadership has control over
That's why we go with the fold-up bleacher seats. We can have them up for our games, then have them down for possible WCQ.
I'm indifferent either way, but I would figure that there's gotta be some engineering break-through that allows for "non-bleacher-type" seating to be removable. I know it would cost more, but if the FO is worried about damaged seats, that might be something to look at.
If that's something we could do (I'm not sure we're allowed to having "standing only" sections in the US), then we'd need to copy the Germans on this. They still have terraces but they have seats that slide out so they can host internationals and Europe league games.
^ Germany. ^ Houston has standing only sections here in the US to guard against damage to UH's seats.
How about we get bleachers that we can take out and piece together to make a roof for Wizards games, and then can be put back in as bleachers for WCQ? Two birds with one stone!
How about this.. Don't be a douche and break the stadium seats.. This whole US fan trying to grab bizarre parts of "Supporter Culture" and make it their own really is getting old.. I am super-stoked for you guys, but I am at a breaking point with our supporters.. Between RSL and their lame smoke bombs and the wannabes in NY trying to fight rivals, we have to draw some lines between supporting and being wannabe hoolies.. Your stadium looks great.. I am jealous I don't live in a town with MLS and what appears to be the best management team since Wilt in Chicago.. Enjoy it boys (and girls)..