DC Stadium news

Lets hope they get the stadium! The DC fans deserve it probably the most. Plus it's good for the league obviously.

 

Can somebody tell me whats so bad about RFK? I mean, you don't have to compete with football (the game today looked really nice without the gridiron lines! Good call MLS having the last two ESPN broadcast games on clean fields), so it's basically your stadium, right? I've been a few times, and it's not bad for soccer. But it's probably a bad lease or something, eh? Who owns it, then?

Good luck getting your own place!

 

What's wrong with RFK:

1. The sightlines aren't the best. It is a baseball stadium after all.

2. The place has a history of concrete falling onto seats. I think RFK opened in 1961, and it's the first cantilever stadium--i.e. no pillars supporting the upper deck.

3. It's huge for an MLS crowd. It holds 56+k, DC United is averaging around 15k this season, and in prior years, the highest average was 20+k. Something in the 25k-30k is closer to ideal.

4. Operating costs for the old place is huge. DC United pays a very high rent to the DC Sports and Entertainment Commission (DCSEC), and has no real pull with the stadium authority (as the only tennant, everyone finds this hard to believe), a soccer team in a soccer only stadium should get a better lease, and possibly a cut of parking/concessions.

5. The place gets used for some real big concerts and the pitch gets torn up, and somtimes it's no replaced in a timely or good manner. I don't know what RFK's pitch problem has been the last two seasons, but I think the pitch was much better a few years ago.

That said, the atmosphere at RFK is fantastic.

 

Also, DC is doing everything it can to woo a baseball team. If any baseball team comes to DC, then RFK will be their home for the first few years until a stadium is built.

Sachin

 

Hopefully Howard Dean will be the next president so this talk of baseball in DC will go away.

United and of course the nations capital deserve a state of the art soccer only stadium.

I'd love to see something like the new stadium in Manchester City in DC.

 

I read in the "WashPost" this morning that there had been a meeting between the "AEG" and the "DC sports authority" folks, but that both sides agreed to meet again in a couple of weeks.

 

Sorry guys, i think the stadium news is that DC will be hosting MLS Cup 2004 in Fedex field.

Hope i'm wrong.

 

no that isn't the stadium news...

but DC is in the running for MLS Cup 04, along with Columbus and Chicago...

 

why not?

Anyway, RFK was a great stadium, anybody who ever went to a Redskins game there back in the day can tell you how loud it can get. That said it is very old, DC United and the fans deserve better.

 

is fedex field wide enough for soccer?

i think greatscott is in the same circles as chris bergin, and chris can't say anything yet, so my guess is that greatscott can't, either. am i correct?

 

They played a WWC game there in 99. And IIRC the Champion's Tour game that was at RFK (Barca v Milan, IIRC) was origionally suppose to be at FedEx

 

Your opinion is wrong. The fans of the Dallas Burn deserve it a hell of a lot more.

that said, anything that means DC loses less money is good for everyone.

 

RFK is an okay stadium but DC United could make so much more money with their own staduim. DC united as far as I know doesn't make any money at all on parking and they pay high rent. Hopefully they will get their own staduim and control the costs, I think thats the best way to make money for DC and the league control the costs. They can have other events and make money off those as well.

 

The best thing possible would be for DC to get its own stadium and be bought by either Ted Leonsis (owns Caps, and next in line to own MCI Center and Wizards) or Daniel Snyder (owns Redskins).

 

You know what? I am really starting to like Burn fans. It seems like you guys make sense a much larger percentage of time than some of the other fans here (i won't name names). And i'm not saying that because you said we should get a stadium (And yes, i do happen to agree with you that noone deserves a stadium more than Dallas and San Jose do.) I'm saying it because you realize that what is good for the collective is good for Dallas. too many people here get caught up with the competition OFF the field between games. I was THRILLED to hear Dallas getting a stadium. i'm THRILLED that Colorado seems to be on the verge. and i'm even thrilled about the possibility of the same in Chicago and NY. This will help to keep professional soccer in the US to stay, so i will never HATE on that.

 

San Jose and Dallas Fans deserve a stadium the most...haha, thats funny to me...

I want EVERY TEAM to have a SSS...

but thats flat ridiculous to say the two teams who have the two worst attendances deserve a brand new SSS the most...(yes i know the Dallas situation and I think they have good fans, but who cares if they are in a high school stadium, show up for the ####### games, you have a new stadium coming in 05)

and San Jose is pathetic, they don't deserve anything but to have their team relocated or folded...

Chicago, Colorado, DC and the Metros DESERVE new SSS...

 

Every team deserves a SSS. Financing them is really the question. MLS investors have lost money. They understand the need for SSS for the bottom line. Yet, they want to insure they don't build a stadium that cost a ton of money. The situation in Dallas is ideal. Not only is Hunt actually getting one built, but the tab is being picked up by the local community. Once the stadium is built, the Dallas Burn will probably be in the black. For the league that is progress. I can envision a future where lesser markets like Columbus, KC and Dallas subsidizing the league as a whole.

 

If I were a DC fan, the last person I would want to own the team is Daniel Snyder. His track record of raising prices while have a mediocre product on the field is enough reason to avoid him. Ted Leonsis is a far better owner for DC.

 

no, the best possible thing would be someone new with deep pockets who loves soccer and DC United as an owner. That's pretty far out there in the realm of likelyhood, though.