They aren't going to play Crew games up there. This is a hallucination from overactive paranoia. Relax.
Then why in the hell did they include the below language in the Terms and Conditions that is included in my STM renewal? Each MLS season, the Team may play home matches (including but not limited to a MLS regular season match) at a stadium located outside of Columbus, Ohio, including but not limited to a stadium located in Cleveland, Ohio. No refunds of payments or deposits for tickets, or exchanges, will be made based on location of a match, even if the location of such match was not known or announced at the time of your purchase.
Messi leaves... there'll be another big-name player on down the road. If they insist on doing it, here's how I'd do it: Make it an opt-in game at a regular, non-premium rate for STMs. Include bus transportation from several points around Columbus at no additional fee. With the money they make selling thousands of seats at premium fees, they could easily afford a few charter buses.
Arace said that if we faced Miami and not the Rayados in the CCC, we would have played the home leg in Cleveland.
There's a few who used to go to every game every year who have stopped because "Columbus SC" or "USL is better" or "Apple Plus" whatever else. (That last one doesn't make sense AT all. You have a TV provider that doesn't have the RSNs, then you're gonna complain when games can be on your TV for $3/game? Really?) Sure, they were replaced by others...but you can only replace so many times.
Will the proposed field have a soccer configuration with a 75 yard wide field? Will it have a grass playing surface for all games, including the NFL or is the plan to simply install sod when required for soccer?
Another player with Messi’s draw? Who? Seriously, which singular player on an MLS team few people in Cleveland have ever heard of will fill up an NFL stadium? Especially since you’ll lose a huge chunk of the Columbus fan base who won’t or can’t make the 2.5 hour drive north. Messi is unique.
Five years from now, who knows. Ten? Twenty? For all we know, there could be some eight year old in Mexico or Japan right now who'll eventually bring 50+70k to MLS in a future era.
We were going to play Miami in Cleveland in the CCC if it happened. https://www.dispatch.com/story/spor...nter-miami-possibly-in-cleveland/74267533007/
Crew games in Cleveland would be disappointing but understandable. Columbus SC games in Cleveland would be weird. Careful what you wish for.
It's not completely crazy to have MLS games outside the team's city. There's of course, been the games played by other US sports in other countries--my Phillies played in London this season. Also, a number of years back, the NHL played regular season games around the country to promote the sport. I recall seeing the Flyers play Calgary in Cincy. I can live with this on a limited basis--as long as they don't make me pay for a ticket to it. (Do I like it? No.) Makes me wonder if other teams will do this. Betting the Union could draw a big crowd at the Linc for Messi, for one. Or NYRB at the Meadowlands. Earthquakes at the Niners' stadium. Etc.
The Phillies play 81 home games every year. Even if they put a Braves series overseas, there's still going to be another 4-6 games in Philadelphia against them. The Flyers play 41 home games every year and a game against Calgary is likelier to be an "excess inventory" game than a premium opponent like the Penguins or Rangers. Even if it is a premium divisional opponent, there's at least one other home game that year against them. MLS plays 17 MLS regular season games, each with a unique opponent. There is no second or third scheduled home date against LAFC, Cincinnati or Miami. The only way it happens is by non-guaranteed advancements through a tournament or playoffs. The Linc is still in Philly, 19 minutes from Chester. The Meadowlands is still in the NY/NJ metro, 20 minutes from Harrison. Levi's is still in the southern Bay Area, 12 minutes from PayPal Park. Cleveland Browns Stadium is 2+ hours from Columbus. The outrage would be minimal if we were talking about moving the Miami game to Ohio Stadium, which is the Columbus equivalent of those examples. These are all poor comparisons.
Difference is they aren't charging season ticket holders for those games not played at home. They aren't selling tickets for those games and then moving it after the fact and then not refunding the tickets to people who can't go to the moved game.
True, but in addition to Tracie's point, the NFL has no comparison. It's the closest thing that sports has to inflexible demand (to use a business school term). Basically, no matter how expensive it gets or how much it attempts to alienate its audience, people will still go to the games and watch on TV in unparalleled numbers. The other "major sports" aren't even close, much less MLS. And the NFL still is selective about which games they designate for international. It's never one of the premier matchups. The most common participants are teams that have struggled with attendance: Jags, Dolphins, and Raiders.
We were charged for 18 games and the T&C explicitly say no refunds or exchanges if one of those 18 is played outside of Columbus. Add in today's news stories about how they've specifically targeted a game against Miami and it's pretty cut and dry.
This season the Packers are playing the Eagles and the Vikings are playing the Jets, among other teams. And the Chiefs played in Frankfurt last year. So no. Not "never".
"Each MLS season, the Team may play home matches (including but not limited to a MLS regular season match) at a stadium located outside of Columbus, Ohio, including but not limited to a stadium located in Cleveland, Ohio. No refunds of payments or deposits for tickets, or exchanges, will be made based on location of a match, even if the location of such match was not known or announced at the time of your purchase."
I didn't read the full T&C, but does it spell out how seats are allocated? I know it's a license to even attend these games, but that term is doing a lot of work if that's the only reference to a game outside of the LDC.