From today's Ledger: http://www.nj.com/business/ledger/index.ssf?/base/business-2/1028193016107341.xml Can soccer save the Sports Authority? Sports Authority Chief Executive George Zoffinger is scrambling to close a $6 million budget gap for next year, when Gov. James E. McGreevey plans to eliminate the state's cash subsidy to the agency. Zoffinger already has laid off 22 percent of his staff. Now he's on the hunt for new revenue, and the man who helped bring the World Cup to New Jersey in 1994 wants to host five major international soccer matches. He said the matches, beginning with an Aug. 8 game between Roma and Real Madrid, could produce as much as $1.5 million annually. "People around the world know Giants Stadium," Zoffinger said last week. "I think we can get 50,000 people for some of these games. That remains to be seen. International doubleheaders the MetroStars have hosted rarely attract more than 30,000 people. Nick Sakiewicz, the team's general manager, said the proliferation of competitive soccer on television has hurt the market for international exhibition matches. The MetroStars have sued the Sports Authority to assert control over international soccer at Giants Stadium because the games help the MetroStars attract fans to its games, but Sakiewicz said the team never plans on getting a crowd of 50,000. "I think George is being little unrealistic," Sakiewicz said. "George remembers his involvement with the 1994 World Cup, which is the biggest sporting event in the world. A blind squirrel could manage a World Cup game and get 50,000."
Things have got to be pretty desperate for the Sports Authority if they're trying to break a contract with the Metro in order to get their budget balanced. A rat would be a more appropriate symbol than a squirrel.
Anyone else notice that the PA announcer never announced dates for upcoming Metros games but the Roma v. Real Madrid promo was on the big screen every ten minutes or so?
i think they'll get a good crowd for this game, and if it was played on a saturday, they'd get 50k easy.