"Build it Now!" Volume 4

You're more spot-on about this than you possibly realize!

Earlier today on KNBR, Gary Radnich said something to the effect of how the SF Giants likely wouldn't be selling out every game this season "if they were in third place and still playing in Candlestick Park".

He then received lots of calls agreeing with him, particularly about the "still playing in Candlestick Park" part. One guy even called in stating specifically that he wouldn't go to nearly as many Giants home games if they'd still been playing in Candlestick.

A hundred droplets of beer says that the same applies not just for the San Jose Earthquakes, but for just about every pro sports team just about everywhere these days.

GO SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES!!!


-G

 

I completely agree that it would take a stadium of at least no lesser quality and seat capacity than Livestrong Sporting Park to accomplish that for San José.

KC is probably the most accurate comparative barometer for us (minus the fact that their market thankfully hadn't been burned by relocation) since while most other MLS teams have traditionally had a higher overall attendance average over the years (at least officially) than San José, KC has actually had a lower overall attendance average over the years. So if that's what it took over there, then no less than that kind of effort by our ownership and front-office is what it'll successfully take here.

GO SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES!!!


-G

 

And Lew's beancounter says, "hmmmm, no. It's not time yet."

I swung by the site today, and I see they've filled in that giant hole from the underground tank they dug up. The backhoes are gone. It's as idle as it can be.

 

They were already getting $273m + a $30m tax rebate, but post-economic-crisis they couldn't raise their share of the money for a large development that included retail, a hotel, and office space. They asked for additional loans from the city, but didn't get it. They went somewhere else for a better deal.

Apples to apples, except Lew knows better than to ask for the loan ;-)

 

I miss Spartan field, but it was only 70 yds x 110 yds (64m x 100m). Even with that meager width, there was barely enough room to stand outside the touchline for a throw-in.

FIFA minimum width is 50 yards?? No way!

 

Though Spartan Stadium's within-the-lines playing field after the 1998 stadium renovation was officially listed at 70 yds x 110 yds, it was realistically around 68 yds x 106 yds.

In the renovation project, they kind of cheated and made the total (wall-to-wall) space about 70 yds x 110 yds. That left insanely, dangerously little room for the players between the touchlines and the walls (though not that it wasn't beforehand either).

GO SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES!!!


-G

 

I miss Spartan Stadium insofar that given the choice, I'd prefer an enclosed stadium to an open-end one. Also, its seat capacity is more of a major-league capacity.

The crowds and atmosphere were bigger at Spartan not only because of the stadium's seat capacity compared to Buck Shaw Stadium's, but also for other reasons including that the San Jose Earthquakes were the only game in town (NASL years), the relative newness of the team and league (the Clash years and even their first year back as the Earthquakes) and of course The Golden Age (2001-2005).

However, even before Spartan replaced its grass field with FieldTurf fairly recently, the two massive advantages that Buck Shaw has had over Spartan from 2008 on is the semi-permanent video scoreboard (having a video scoreboard at Spartan for more than a few games was always deemed unfeasible for whatever reason), and especially both the total and playing field size.

That last one (field size) is a huge factor, one that for me ultimately tips the balance toward Buck Shaw Stadium over Spartan Stadium despite anything else. That's what made it that much more disheartening when Frank Yallop initially chose not to utilize it to its fullest at BS the first several years and what makes it that much more gratifying that he pretty much is this season.

It's interesting to see the gradual growth of the within-the-lines soccer playing field size toward the ideal 75 x 120 yards:

• Spartan Stadium (pre-1998 renovation): I don't remember, but it obviously must've been less than 68 x 106 yards

• Spartan Stadium (1998-present): 68 x 106 yards

• Buck Shaw Stadium (2008-2009): 71 x 110 yards (except for the last few home games each season when it was lengthened to 71 x 115 yards)

• Buck Shaw Stadium (2010): 72 x 115 yards

• Buck Shaw Stadium (2011): 74 x 115 yards

Even with the home losses and the Earthquakes' players occasional mental lapses, the overall gameflow at home this season has been better than it's ever been, with hardly any congestion in the middle of the field and with a lot less plays toward the touchlines dying out prematurely (though ideally it'll be widened one more yard and lengthened five more yards next season)!


GO SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES!!!


-G

 

A cheap owner in San Jose is better than a rich owner somewhere else. Nobody knows how long it will take the league to get a decent TV deal, so can we blame him for staying within budget for the time being? More specifically, there hasn't been the demand they expected for season tickets and for sponsorship. They're still learning how to market the sport, and they're getting better. (I have seen more billboards and heard more announcements of upcoming matches on the radio than ever.)

In contrast, look at AEG. They're shopping for an NFL team to move. They don't even own one, but they want to harm the some poor city and the league as a whole for their own profit. Meanwhile, the A's and Quakes have stuck it out through some lean years. Lew is alright by me.

... I still give the stadium a 50% chance of getting built, though.