Re: AEG: Odds of Quakes Move 50-50 No, he's probably an "agent" for some of his favorite Hooters Girls.
Re: AEG: Odds of Quakes Move 50-50 1) You do know that the Yankees were threatening to move out to New Jersey back in the bad old Whitson/Mell Hall Days and Georgie was crying about the crime rate around the Bronx stunting attednence (which was MLSian). Never say "Never" ii) All Payne said was he'd move the team out of the city. Never said he'd move it far away. i.e if DC didn't put up and he could do it in Southern Maryland or Northern Va, so be it. c) San Jose needs an I/O and an SSS. If they can't acquire either one, they are gone. If they do , they stay. Right now, it's 50-50. Attendence means very little in the scheme of things. I fail to see why this is such a ********ing difficult concept to comprehend?
Re: AEG: Odds of Quakes Move 50-50 Now, I'm all into Smurf-Smack as a past-time (4-2 F.U.!!, but I digress ) But actually, if SJ were to have a decent, brand new stadium, they would probably average 18K. They'd have more control over their dates. They'd be able to schedule 4th of July games. International double-headers would be more appealing and more frequent. A key thing is that the stability w/ a stadium would speak volumes to the community, and SJ tickets would be more of a commodity. In short, instead of packing the East sideline (celui qui fait que "It looks like more on t.v.") w/ the 2nd cheapest tix in the house ($15 or $16, can't remember), they would be able to get legit prices for more of the house. $15 for 50 yard line!! That limits revenue. One other thing is that a potential Club America Houston is worth a truckload more WITH a SJ franchise. Chivas USA currently makes SJ that much more valuable b/c they will bring in 10K plus per season in SJ alone. CA would do prolly a lil' more than that b/c the Bay Area is more CA country than Chivas, or so I'm told. Then factor in playoffs.
Re: AEG: Odds of Quakes Move 50-50 Are you saying the Crew aren't making money after being assessed their share of league costs (which I can believe) or that Lamar loses money on the Crew and the stadium (which I cannot)?
Re: AEG: Odds of Quakes Move 50-50 SpartanShops does not own Spartan Stadium. They are just contractors to SJ State University. If the University were to award the contract to the MLS team operator, instead of another entity that keeps all the parking and most of concession revenues, there could be a deal.
Re: AEG: Odds of Quakes Move 50-50 While I wholeheartedly agree that "controlling revenue streams" and "keeping all the money" is the best-case scenario for any pro sports franchise, I'm not quite sure how they play a role in the better financial condition that Revolution executives told you their team is now enjoying. After all, Revolution ownership (the Kraft family) has always controlled revenue streams, both at Foxboro Stadium and Gillette Stadium. Bob Kraft purchased Foxboro Stadium out of bankruptcy in 1988. He bought out James Busch Orthwein as the Patriots' owner in 1994. He launched the Revolution as one of Major League Soccer's inaugural season franchises in 1996. In other words, since buying the franchises the Kraft family has always controlled the revenue streams for both teams at both stadiums. I would suspect that the Revolution being "better off financially now" is simply part and parcel of the Kraft's overall sports empire being more finacially sound - driven by the rise of the Patriots as a perennial Super Bowl-winning NFL power.
Re: AEG: Odds of Quakes Move 50-50 The thing is that one of the crippling factors for a public university, and the reason why they farm this out, is that any employee would be a state/university employee and be eligible for the stellar fringe benefits. By the university collecting a predictable fee, that guarantees income for the university w/o the risk of hiring an 18 year old to sell pretzels and keeping the job for decades. More than likely, AEG or MLS would be a more suitable operator b/c of their connections w/in the soccer world. I'd imagine that they would get a better deal than spartan shops. [/SPIT]
Re: AEG: Odds of Quakes Move 50-50 As Shaydee posted on page 1: http://washington.smartceo.com/cover.html (Emphasis mine.) Now, I don't doubt that this is a negotiating ploy, but Payne said it and it is within the realm of possibility because of what you said in your third point.
Re: AEG: Odds of Quakes Move 50-50 Good luck Quake fans. You deserve to keep your team,especially with those great attendances at the end of the regular season.
Re: AEG: Odds of Quakes Move 50-50 UM no, the Ft Lauderdale strikers were for a few years and the Seattle Sounders are still in exsistence, but go ahead and bleieve that if it makes you feel and better the turd
Re: AEG: Odds of Quakes Move 50-50 He'll believe that because he's right. The Strikers were in Ft. Lauderdale in 1977-1983 and moved to Minnesota for 1984. The NASL Sounders' last season was 1983. The current Sounders was a brand-new team that started in 1994. On the other hand, the NASL Earthquakes continued playing after the NASL's collapse until 1988, though the franchise legally stayed in existence until 1990. -G
Re: AEG: Odds of Quakes Move 50-50 The Earthquakes played in the Western Soccer Alliance for four years after the NASL folded. Not a high level, but better than anything else going on at the time, and as I said, the only NASL club to remain in the outdoor soccer business after 1984. 1988 was their last season, and their spot in the league was given to the San Francisco Bay Blackhawks, who lasted through 1992. The WSA became part of the APSL, precursor to the A-League/USL-1.
Re: AEG: Odds of Quakes Move 50-50 The Blackhawks had players such as current head and assistant coaches Dominic Kinnear and John Doyle as well as players who would later become part of the MLS San Jose Clash such as Paul Bravo, Eric Wynalda, Troy Dayak, Lawrence Lozzano and Paul Hollocher.
Re: AEG: Odds of Quakes Move 50-50 After leaving the APSL following the 1992 season, the San Francisco Bay Blackhawks played one season in the USISL (1993) as the San Jose Hawks. Later on, the Hawks morphed into the San Jose Clash (as explained in the 1994 and 1995 entries here, though I only got the info about the USISL Hawks after posting that timeline). -G
Re: AEG: Odds of Quakes Move 50-50 A couple of points. First DC, they will most likely get a stadium because the guy that bought them is a real estate developer and I'm sure knows how to grease the right palms in government to make it happen. Thats his whole business. I wouldnt worry too much there as it almost seemed like he bought DC as much as a pawn to develop the area where the stadium will be as anything. If it doesnt happen they are definately a candidate to move regardless of winning. Its business at the end of the day. As far as SJ goes, I've always thought AEG actually saved them rather than aquired them in 2001. I dont think they ever wanted the team. I think they did it as much for the sake of MLS as anything. As Tim L. says I think all they ever wanted was LA,Chi, and NY. The developments of the next month should be very interesting.
Re: AEG: Odds of Quakes Move 50-50 Actually, AEG co-ran SJ in 2002 and saved/acquired them in 2003 (technically, in December 2002). SVS&E ran the Quakes in 2001 and only left altogether several months after the San Jose Sharks were sold to new owners in March 2002. -G
Re: AEG: Odds of Quakes Move 50-50 AEG know whats in store for san jose they just wont make any firm staement so they put out this 50 50 crap..... i asure you this deal is all but done and AEG and who ever have sealed the deal and will leave it to MLS o break the news at MLS Cup or a few weeks after