And there are good reasons to play in a facility that isn't shared w/ MLS beyond costs. A team that is the "top dog" at a field has better positioning for getting other revenue and perks (eg a % of parking & food sales; better field & lockerroom access; better communication btwn team officials & stadium security so that supporters groups aren't harrassed & can bring in drums & banners; etc) Cost control is key right now (and in general for startups) and paying incredibly large fees to the Austrian Overlords does not help SkyBlue or WPS one bit.
I'll take that to mean that SB does get a good cut of the parking & concession revenue. Which is an excellent thing. And one of the ways sport teams make money. Just don't charge $12 for a beer. Fans don't mind paying a bit of a markup for game food/drinks but greatly resent feeling like they're being taken advantage of and gouged.
The owners of the NY/NJ MLS team, Red Bull. It is an Austrian company. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Bull_GmbH
Everything they buy they rename Red Bull. The several soccer teams, the ice hockey team, the various motor sport ventures. And while they built a really nice stadium for the MLS team, their general management of the team has been, um, less than successful on the field... I want WPS owners that are in it for the long term and focused on building WPS.
As pathetic as this will sound, and if you consider the MLS Cup Final bigger than the U.S. Open Cup Final, the team has been more successful under Red Bull than the previous owners. Sure, the team has stunk under Red Bull, but the team has always stunk. And I think RB are pretty committed to MLS. They just spend a touch of money on an arena pretty much entirely for soccer. It certainly won't get the concerts that many other soccer stadiums get. There's too many other venues in the area. All that said, it would be nice for Red Bull and Sky Blue to work something out. Soccer needs all the cooperation it can get.
Don't disagree about cooperation being nice and something to hope for. But I don't think WPS should break the bank or compromise their fiscal policies for it. And yes RedBull did make the MLS Cup but that's evidence pt 1 against having playoffs. And I want there to be playoffs.
My suggestion is start with a couple of double headers this season and hope that the rental price eventually goes down. Red Bull may want to see how the finances play out in the real world before offering anybody a break. You may also have a political card to play being a women's league, there are a ton of young women playing soccer in the NY/NJ/Conn metro area that deserve to see their team playing in the best venue built for soccer. Don't give up.
Can't you request them to waive the fee just to try it just ONCE?? Or even at a discounted rate. I meant that's better than having the stadium sit totally empty when you guys could be there. They should be interested in helping soccer however they can and we are talking about a one time exception just to see how it goes.
Dude. Let it go. The GM says they can't afford it. Said that multiple times. Do you want them to blow the budget so much that the team isn't around for Year 3? Red Bull is a multi-national corporation interested in making money for itself not the nice (but relatively poor) business down the street. What part of "10 times the cost" and "sell out Red Bull Arena to break even" did you not understand? Red Bull is a business and SkyBlue is a business. There is no compelling business reason for Red Bull to dramatically cut their asking price for their new stadium which they need to pay off to allow another team to play there. There is no compelling business reason for SB to break the bank to try to play in Red Bull Arena for one or two games. Particularly when they have a lease on another place. SB needs to be focusing their marketing & sales on increasing the number of butts in the Yurcak seats in 2010.
Have you guys raised ticket prices by even a $1 or $2 considering you won the championship last year? It would be understandable if you did and the recession has eased off and the stock market has recovered from a year ago.
How much is a day at the stadium for two people? This includes tickets, beer, food and other drinks and maybe pop corn and coffee?
Yurcak is a fine stadium built specifically for soccer/lacrosse. It fills SB needs with 5,000 grandstand seats and room in the lawn area if needed. It has a down home atmosphere rather than big city lights. The different level of tickets prices and numerous packages are enough to assure anyone can attend a game. They have a decent assortment of food availabvle and the price is not outrageous. The new beer garden is a good idea and may even end up seating some designated drivers.If I had one complaint(and this is a league rather than SB issue) I would like to see more Saturday afternnon/night games. Congratulations to Gerry and the girls for being named Team of the Year and Christie Rampone for being named Sportswoman of the Year by the New Jersey Sports Writers Association.
We are also adding our luxury suites this year - called Cabana's - they will cover the opposite side of the field grassy area and have food and beverage service available on a game by game basis. They come with 25 season tickets. Do you know anyone who is interested?
So, we are talking about how much for 2 normal human beings who eat and drink and go to general admission??????
You obviously know how to use the internet. How lazy can you be? http://www.womensprosoccer.com/Home/ny/tickets/indivdual-tickets-2010.aspx
Thanks for the link. ELVIS - we have no General Admission this year. All seats have been assigned numbers and rows.
Elvis, if you call 888-SBFCTIX, I'm sure a friendly ticket rep will be able to answer all (many? most?) of your questions relative to ticket costs and cost of food, beer, gear, parking, etc. It is what they are paid to do.
NEWS...NEWS...NEWS....Our schedule will be out next week and I had an early look. We have a date that is the same as a Red Bull game. I am meeting with Red Bull Friday to discuss the possibility of a double header. What are your thoughts on a mid-week matinee? The game would need to start at 4:30 to make it work. Would people come?