There are things to like about the stadium. I am a fan of the sight lines for one thing. The lack of people in the stadium make it so I can really stretch out my legs. However, I can't look at it and not see all the ways in which corners were cut and atmosphere sacrificed for a few extra nickels.
I think Garber was good for leagues growth from 1999 until maybe 2020. I think he came up with SUM which was pretty brilliant plan. He was also the one though who closed his eyes on the LAndy to LA deal , appointment of Alexi LALAs when he was made GM of the Quakes –NY -LA and he also oversaw the subsequent move of our franchise to Houston. For him to have gotten away with those moves is scandalous at best. Still, if he was instrumental in getting the team back, he deserves credit although it’s too bad Fisher is the owner. Anyway, he was also good for the expansion but now Garber is becoming somewhat of a dictator like Joao Havelange and Sepp Blatter or in league terms, Commissioner of the NFL Roger Goodell. I think it would be great to have someone else in charge it’s just that we need a person who can change things for the better and not the worse.
My sense is that the commissioner as just a conduit for the owner's desires. Many of the key decisions are made by the product strategy committee comprised of many of the most powerful and stingiest of the owners. Why are the stingiest owners seemingly the most powerful? I dunno.
I agree with you, but it's hard to find a ranked list of stadium where PPP is near the top. We can just assume nobody has created a proper ranking of stadiums yet.
Almost regret posting that since it led to a bunch of delusional talk about USL surpassing MLS Oh and Don Garber is the best commissioner of any American sports league... MLS only had groups of billionaires from 12 cities bidding (which means they actually get to look at the books, unlike internet experts) for their four most recent expansion slots. And sponsorships up from $183M in 2017 to $400M in 2021, 483M in 2022, to now $677M... and that's for the most recently completed season so it doesn't include the new $2.5 billion Apple TV deal. MLS has gone from $7.5 million expansion fees for RSL and Chivas USA in 2004 to LAFC being the first MLS team valued at over a billion dollars this year... They are right on the heels of NHL in sponsorship revenue: Total Sponsorship Revenue for Major U.S. Sports Leagues NFL $1.88B NBA $1.64B MLB $1.19B NHL $753M MLS $677M MLS has been gaining crazy Sponsorship growth since 2017 when it was only $183m yr. pic.twitter.com/jNXOuZFrBL— Edwin Games (@EdwinGames4) February 17, 2023 📈🏈 IEG's research shows the NFL ahead of the NBA ($1.64 billion), MLB ($1.19 billion), NHL ($753 million), & MLS ($677 million) in sponsorships. The 4% increase in sponsorship revenue is slower than the previous year's 12% due to significant gains from sports gambling. #SBLVII— Sportsfinda (@Sportsfinda) February 12, 2023 https://sponsorunited.com/mls-2022-marketing-partnerships-report/ MLS Sponsorship Deals signed just in 2022 -Avant -Catepillar -DoorDash -IHG Hotels & Resorts -IMG Arena -MOJO -Socios.com -Sorare Coors Light sponsor for Leagues Cup in multi yr multi mil deal
Do we have any way of knowing if the Quakes could promise a club owned stadium* without first moving the team? Since I'm a late comer I don't think I'll ever fully understand how disastrous it was to move the team to Houston. However MLS sorta got the end result they wanted. They probably wanted something more ambitious than what they have now though. ** I use the term "promise of a club owned stadium" because that seems to be the only MLS requirement. We know they don't require a soccer specific stadium because Atlanta doesn't have that. We know they don't require an actual stadium because NYCFC. All they seem to require is that the owner promise to own the stadium some day. Seattle seems to get a pass anyway.
I don't think USL will ever surpass MLS, but I think MLS fails when a USL club builds a bigger stadium than some MLS clubs. To me there seems to be some moral contract that if your league is closed all your clubs need to be bigger and better than all of the clubs in lower tiers. In an open league who cares- it works itself out. In reality there is no such contract. As long as the fans continue to watch MLS the league doesn't need to care if some USL club builds a bigger stadium and has a larger more passionate fan base.
The largest stadiums in pointy-ball are college stadiums. The college product is nevertheless inferior. John Harbaugh's NFL Baltimore Ravens (smaller stadium) would kick the shit out of Jim Harbaugh's NCAA Michigan Wolverines (the "Big House"). #nflexplainstheworld
Seattle does not "get a pass". Paul Allen paid for roughly 1/3 of the stadium. He was given an ownership percentage in the Sounders, which his estate still has. The rest of the stadium was funded by the public, and part of the measure that paid for it said the stadium would be allowed to host a professional soccer team. The stadium (like many sports stadiums) is owned by the public. MLS is more concerned that it's teams aren't just tenants, but have operational control of the stadium so they can host ancillary events. Paul Allen Created First & Goal to build and operate the stadium.
I think a more like for like scenario would be if the XFL* or USFL built a bigger stadium than a team in the NFL and that NFL team doesn’t sell out their smaller stadium. Obviously these leagues aren’t threatening to NFL but it does suck for them. *not sure if xfl is still around
With all that, it's still a much better soccer viewing experience at Pay Pal Park. Watching the rave green on that fake turf is eye melting.
No argument from me. I like a smaller stadium - it's convenient and you get good sight lines. Also less crowd means less standing in line for food and bathroom. However, If the team became more popular and we had to expand the stadium I'd be cool with that. Portland had to expand their stadium. They said the additional revenue will help them keep up with the league as well. Although I think it'll be years before the additional revenue just pays for the cost of the expansion.
Interesting that Toronto FC is doing so well despite sucking on the field and in the standings... #TFCLive Prez Manning: "Our commercial business, coming after 2 years of not making the playoffs, is as strong as it’s ever been. We’re at the most season tickets we’ve ever been. Since coming off the 2017 to 2018, we’ve now matched that. It will be over 23,000 season tickets.”— steve buffery (@Beezersun) February 17, 2023
That will never happen, because ultimately USSF determines and controls the ranking of leagues and have their noses firmly up Garbers pooper…. I’ll bet there’s a RICO case waiting for some DA to investigate in the incestuous relationship between the two supposedly separate organizations…
You could call this "a small league" or you could call this "why Euro clubs not in the Premier League are probably jealous of the MLS single entity structure and salary cap when Chelsea is blowing up the transfer market"... Major League Soccer and adidas Announce Landmark Multi-Year Partnership Extension Garber said on CNBC that it is for $830 million and ends after 2030 (7 years). So just between Apple and Adidas MLS will bring in 388m annually compared to 90m annually in 2015... meanwhile the salary cap was 3.49m in 2015 is 5.2m in 2023.
Interesting but sad Athletic article on how rabid fans don’t care where the money comes from “ one Newcastle fan said in response to the human rights concerns over Saudi Arabia: “I’ll care when someone is beheaded in Eldon Square (in Newcastle city centre).”
interesting idea to boost fan engagement for home games... Introducing CITY Block Party! 🏟🎡We want every matchday to feel like a festival for all of STL. 17 home games. 17 celebrations. And one incredible lineup to kick it all off on March 3. #AllforCITY Tickets go live at 2pm CST: https://t.co/JOmEsiZjlB pic.twitter.com/mXoX9nuKlu— St Louis CITY SC (@stlCITYsc) February 23, 2023