While visiting my in-laws in Pittsburgh PA this Christmas, I was surprised to hear people praising Dan Rooney for opening up Heinz field to numerous High School gridiron football games. Rooney is the NFL Steelers owner and, like Mr. Kraft has a brand new stadium. Of course, based on this heresay, I get to wondering. It was interesting to me that Mr. Rooney could "routinely" open the stadium and parking for high school games while, at Gillette, it seems opening up for a REV game on a short schedule is a major burden. Here's hoping Mr. Kraft and Mr. Rooney get a chance to chat at the next NFL meeting and that Mr. Rooney convinces Mr. Kraft of the good reasoning behind opening one's stadium for low to mediocre attendance. Of course, Dan Rooney is probably "losing" money so he can build good will in a community that helped fund his stadium. Still, I wish Kraft felt the same way. CCC games at Bowditch Stadium or, worse yet a home-away series with both games at the away venue isn't something pleasant to contemplate.
Heinz has also received numerous complaints from the public and athletes that the playing surface is substandard due to overuse. I have no interest in anyone *but* the Revs using Gillette during the Revs' season. Well, other than the Pats, if they absolutely must. It is supremely annoying to me to see gridiron lines on the field of "America's first soccer-specific stadium" in Columbus--but I guess money's everything, isn't it?
I think you might find that the HS Carryball games in PA (Just like Texas and Ohio and a few other states) bring in larger crowds than many MLS matches. I agree--lets keep The Razor for NFL and MLS. George
I grew up in Pgh. and, brother, this is the truth. The A-League Riverhounds, in fact, play in a HS stadium in Bethel Park. The team is trying to build a soccer complex in SW PA in which they would be the principal tenant, but have been stymied so far.
To his credit, Kraft has done this for the US Open Cup. Also to be kept in mind, in the ocean of the rich, Kraft is a minnow.
What the hell is " carry ball " ?? Funny how we scream when others mock soccer yet are so fast to do the same to other sports No wonder the mainstream sports media thinks we are a bunch of nerds
I think soccer fans are a little too sensitive about football lines. You rarely hear complaints from football fans when soccer lines are visible during football games. Even worse, I've seen many football games with a dirt infield in the middle of the field, but they seem to muddle on. If we weren't in this discussion my first guess might be the modern NBA...
I'm a Pittsburgh native and recently had the chance to attend a Steelers game when I was on break from college and after seeing it in person with all the use from HS games, Pitt , and the Steelers playing on it the surface REALLY looks terrible. They've blamed several player injuries on the conditions and most kickers complain about having to kick on it. I would hate for any team soccer or otherwise to have to play on such a terrible surface. While it is good for the community the surface conditions really effect the quality of play.
In a sense, George, I agree, and in a sense I don't. Many soccer fans are too sensitive to perceived slights from other sports and their fans, and respond by belittling those other sports. This is a bad thing that gives soccer and soccer fans a bad image. On the other hand, we do need a term that distinguishes gridiron football from The Beautiful Game without sounding derogatory. I didn't detect any malice behind Soccer Doc's choice of the term "carryball". What would you call it? Carryball? Gridball? American Rules Football? ROTFL! Careful, though, Tim. You wouldn't want to incur The Iron Fist of George.
Well I'd call it what it is " football ". Yes I know that the rest of the world calls it ' football ' and that we call it soccer BUT when in Rome fellas, when in Rome... Using terms like ' the beautiful game ' just make us sound more like geeks and freaks to the mainstream sports media Don't you think die hard baseball, golf, curling et al fan think that their sport should be called ' the beautiful game ' ?? And soccertim - I would say that Iverson is the MVP of that modern version of the NBA. Pretty soon you won't need to dribble the ball at all.
Hmmm, I'm really good at making people miss my point. Got to communicate better. I don't want to destroy the surface at the Razor. I _DO_ wish that it would go, without question, that the REV get to use their homefield for any competition, US Open Cup, CCC, etc. for their "home" matches. If you ask the Krafts about early rounds of CCC will you find that they intend to open the Razor? I think you'll find that they are looking at "other options" like Bowditch or even giving up the homefield advantage. Maybe this is a dead issue. Maybe they really will open the razor for the REVS anytime, anyhow for homefield advantage. I grew up in Pa. where the local teams do indeed get a large turnout. Bethel Park and Upper Saint Claire (USC!) have very large stadia as I recall. I still don't think they outdraw, on average, MLS (although they might if MLS were in Pittsburgh!). Even if they did, I feel the REV should always be able to play at home. So do you think that if he were an MLS owner, Mr. Rooney would make his team play away USOC or CCC games in lieue of playing in Heinz?