http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/sports/soc/3247085 This article really sounds troubling. And add to the fact that there's NO mention of a Houston SSS, just a bunch of pointy ball stadiums.
I dont understand why you think the article sounds troubling, it actually points out that the team would play in the astrodome until the SSS would be ready. Its the same situation that RSL is in where they play at U of Utah's stadium until their staduim plans are finished. But i would prefer the quakes to stay in San Jose where they have a lot of hardcore fans, I would rather see the Wizards move to Houston, especially after posting a 5k for attendance today, which is horrible and i dont think their was even 3k at that game. Move KC now and please dont let me hear any of Andy Meads bitchin.
Probably Club America will get an expansion team because Earthquakes are too Not-Mexican. I don't believe Blanco & these other dudes will mix well at all. Blanco is a nut job. The article is dreamy...what if ... this happened ... its americrap! The Astrodome sucks btw.
The Astrodome? Booyah. (Disclaimer: The above are the words of a native Houstonian who has many fond childhood memories of sporting events at the Astrodome, memories which are obscuring his realization of the fact that the place is kind of a dump these days.) Seriously, though there would be worse places for an MLS team in Houston to call home. While some might say that the heat and humidity is no big deal at night, it still couldn't hurt to have home games played in perfect 72 degree conditions.
Man, I don't get it. Are these guys clowns or what? This is like the fourth time they've gone around "bragging" that they've got the Quakes (before anything's official). Do they really like egg on their face? Does AEG intentionally lead these guys on just to see the comedy?
Did you actually read the article? There isn't one quote from anyone in it. Its just the reporter stating they were in town, meeting with Houston officials and looking at stadiums. The reporter is just connecting some dots. Its hardly Club America holding a press conference saying they own the team and then someone from AEG holding one and saying no they don't.
This is true, Club America is getting its information about where the team, stadium, and area are at before placing the flag. Its not a done deal but its something that can be done within a years time. The Astrodome is not the most horrible venue for soccer and I wonder how different field turf will feel to guys that have been playing on real grass all their lives. I for one hope this deal goes through and that club America does a smart thing and calls their club something a little different. "Club North America"? lol No but really I hate the whole Chivas "USA" thing. Its like an insult to those that play for the real Chivas in Guadalajara if the USA version ever did better than they did.
Eddie Johnson is suffering from turf toe - the man was worth five million dollars to Benfica not long ago - and a proposed Texas MLS team is considering using the Astrodome?
SJ fans hate to hear it, but Lalas left because the odds heavily favor that the team is gone next year. Lalas would rather have a great job within MLS, then be possibly looking from the outside w/new owners, new city (small chance he would be kept in Houston). Saying this doesn't change anything for SJ fans. If there is an investor/owner outthere in the bay area, they got to step up now and get the deal done.
I really want to see Houston have a team in the future, but not at the expense of the Quakes. Especially not after they showed for the umpteenth time last Saturday how much they care about their team. Unlike other markets where people stop showing up when they know the team is in danger, Quakes fans have done everything they can to keep the team in SJ. I hope CA can just wait a year or two and get an expansion team, which would also keep the team from playing in that enormous, prehistoric building for more than 2 seasons.
Turf toe has nothing to do with artificial turf. Turf toe is basically a hyperextended toe and it hurts like hell.
There's also this piece in today's Houston Chronice: Prospective MLS team eyes Dome Couple of points that should be emphasized: The Dome may only be a short-term solution until Delmar or another facility is ready. Earlier reporting about this topic had quotes from the Harris Country Sports & Convention Corp. saying that America and the county agree that having soccer in the Dome is feasible from both a financial and engineering standpoint. America hasn't claimed that it owns the Quakes. The reporting only mentions that there's an agreement in principle with AEG and that America has been scouting Quakes games. America has actually been rather quiet in the media in recent months. When they have been quoted, they've been very cautious about what they say. The fact that America is also talking to the city's Parks & Recreation Department about starting youth programs in the city is a very, very good thing. America is a huge soccer brand in Houston. They could certainly set up their own academies in whatever facilities they want and make money. The fact that they're looking to work with the city probably bodes well for their intentions regarding the youth communities here. And please, America isn't Chivas. Not even close.
I didn't get that impression from the first article. Other than one use of the word "short-term" by Davis, I got the impression this would be a semi-permanent move. Now, the second article below carries a quote from Luck to a similar effect, which is a little more to the point, but still is not a source from inside CA (and Delmar's been a bit of a pet project for Luck).
Really what this article is saying is that Club America is seriously considering using the Astrodome temporarily as a home for a Houston MLS team. It also says that MLS officials prefer SSS, like the proposed one in Delmar. I imagine that if CA gets a team in Houston (whether it's the Quakes, Wiz, or an outright expansion team) that it will be the understanding that a SSS must be in the works down the road. This seems to be similar to what RSL is doing. Rebranding an existing club or starting a new one with the Club America brand would go over well in Houston. But it would have to have its share of American players to cross-over to the non-Latino market (in other words, don't do what Chivas USA did). The Club America name would bring in lots of the Mexican-Americans who still follow the Mexican League. But you'd need some American stars to pull in the Anglos. If done right, this team could really attract a large and diverse following in Houston.
A fracture? Well, odd to say it, but that sounds better to me. Didn't Deion Sanders lose his career to turf toe?
Please bear with me for a moment. I grew up in upstate NY and have attended Syracuse basketball games at the Carrierdome (way too big for basketball)... they close off half of the stadium and the area behind the curtain is like an outdoor street festival (not that you could have a street festival in Syracuse even in the summer;-)... Why couldn't a building the size of the astrodome fit an appropriately sized soccer specific stadium AND some kind of commercial/recreational function that would add to the game experience by providing a destination before and after the game (restaurants, pubs, vending stalls, etc) like one might find in the small communities surrounding many of the stadiums in Europe or South America... it might take away from the parking lot tailgate... but tailgating amongst melting asphault in a Texas summer can't be much of a bargain;-)... I can't imagine that the footprint of a SSS would take up half of the dome (especially if it incorporates some of the existing seating on one of the sides of the stadium)... Of course, this would require artificial turf, but at least one of the objections to this (i.e., that the turf gets too hot in the summer) would not be an issue... Rand
and lack of desire, and old age, and attitude problems and a lucrative career as a half-assed TV personality.
Considering he just signed a new contract, I don't think so. You may question how effective he is, but he's still playing. Listen - I feel for Quake fans, but this is going on two years with no one stepping up to buy the franchise. They can doa great job in the stands, but that won't ensure the long-term value of the franchise there until someone pays the big bills. You can talk about AEG screwing them, but I don't see how the screw job can be one-way when no investor in the area has stepped up. It's a complicated situation to be sure, but to act like this kind of news is nothing but a tease is pretty Pollyanna.
Instead of Andy's complaining, how about some facts and ideas from me? Did anyone miss the bit where a local group has made a bid to buy the Wizards? There's so much potential here the local ownership group has put up $35K of their own money to prove the economic viability of a SSS with youth soccer field. Combine that with local city and county governments putting in more than $75K of their own money for this stadium and the case is made for this being a very viable market. Now it can be assumed governments may throw money away on dubious causes, but when respected businessmen in the community are willing to put up serious amounts of their own coin, it's a good bet there's something there. Has anyone missed any of the evidence about the fabulous job HSG has done in doing the KC market wrong? Based on the exprience of fans in Columbus and KC, HSG couldn't catch the potential of this market if that potential were a cold and Clark Hunt spent three hours in a freezing rain without a coat. Five consecutive seasons of raising attendance in KC. A market penetration number (attendance/area population) that's a lot better than some of the bigger markets. Did anyone know that BEFORE the sale announcement last fall KC was on track to be in the top half of teams in the league in terms of season ticket sales and have more season ticket sales than some much larger markets? The entire trade area that the Wizards should be covering includes the cities of Wichita, Topeka, Lawrence, and the rest of Kansas; Columbia, St. Joseph, Springfield and most of Missouri; Tulsa, Oklahoma City, and northern Oklahoma; Nebraska; and most of Iowa. Also, not to defend last night's attendance, but it was not part of the 9, 6, or 3 game packages. The only attendance Any thoughts on these matters would be greatly appreciated.
Since when is 35K considered a "serious amount"? Its a throwaway for anyone with enough money to be an MLS club I/O. And what if the viability study suggests that the project is NOT a good one? Yeah, I know, these studies are normally nothing but a green light for the proposed project, but occasionally feasibility studies show some serious flaws in the proposal. They've ignored the Dallas market for the last several years, and while we aren't exactly lighting the world on fire with attendance we get a whole lot more then 5,000 on a Wednesday night. That's a piss poor excuse.....you shouldn't need special packages to get over the 5,000 hump. Particularly when there has to be at least 4,000 season ticket holders...which means they only managed to get an extra 1,000 people there last night....including ticket giveaways. Wow...that's just horrible. Okay, but you asked for it, remember that.
I saw a show about some of the things they do in baseball. Regional preferences are very much acknowledged by teams. The Marlins have a Festival Latina before every game. In a big (but enclosed) area, they have food and music and dancing. Another team up in the colder parts prides itself on its official tailgating area. There are presumably tailgating food contests for the fans (judged by team restaurant officials?) and so on. And the point is that fans like to do these things, anyway. What you have to do as the owner of a club or whatever, is keep your ear to the ground and then start providing the opportunity for these activities to your fans. It's their lifestye - you just promise the real estate for living that lifestyle. And you let them know that their identity is a part of the team's identity. A big part. Also, it would be interesting to have a stadium with an outer ring that essentially was all food courts, restaurants, play areas, shops, and so on. Imagine watching an MLS match and then going to a gardening center that sells MLS team flower bouquets for birthdays, etc. Or another shop with MLS fuzzy dice for your car mirror. Not that these places would be run by MLS: they'd be tenants doing an ordinary business. But the chances at co-merchandising would have to be incredible.