http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2008617058_stadium12m.html Yea, at least 6 more throwball games could be played there in 2010. This would make it much harder to remove the lines in time for MLS matches.
Re: This might suck.... If the Hawks and Huskies both play on the same weekend it won't be an issue, since the Sounders couldn't get scheduled then anyway. What could happen is Sounders could get forced to a Sunday afternoon game (when the Seahawks are out of town) so the Huskies could play on Saturday. Not sure if that is enough time to scrub the field. And I think historically, Saturday night games have been better attended in MLS than Sunday afternoon games, so, that could affect attendance.
Re: This might suck.... We always knew this could happen. As long as it it not the norm 1 or 2 games with lines is tolerable. Lines are not as bad as the end zone decals and it is unlikely UW will have a painted end zone at Qwest. At least the UW is not talking permanent move to Qwest which was floated a year or so ago as an alternative to a Husky stadium remodel.
Re: This might suck.... You are kidding, right? I hope you are because lines ARE bad. If I'm going to see football lines in 2009 this giong to extinguish ALL the excitement that's in me now and been in me for months to see the Sounders. Let's be realistic and not be defensive because most MLS fans are talking about our football stadium etc. and admit that football lines are disgusting. We do have to make it clear to the FO and everybody that we DO NOT want football lines because they mess up the images that you see on TV big time.
Pointy-ball lines on the pitch during a Sounders match would be embarrassing and give the Qwest-hating trolls more ammo.
I really hope that our schedule is not adjusted to accommodate for amateur throwball. Mid-week matches would really hurt attendance in the Fall.
College football schedules are set years in advance so MLS should be able to schedule around the dates. For the weeks the Huskies have a home game, MLS can have the Sounders play on Thursday night on ESPN2 and/or Sunday afternoon on Telefutura or the league can send them on the road that week. It's really not that big a deal. Anyways, here is the Huskies football schedule:
not to be a dick, but since the Sounders own the stadium, MLS should not have to jump through hoops to make the schedule. The NCAA should have to work AROUND THE MLS SCHEDULE.
Re: This might suck.... The Huskies won't be playing at Qwest in 2009 so your excitement can burn bright for at least another year. This won't happen until 2010. And here is something to ponder. The Sounders will probably play 30-32 games in 2010. 15-16 will be at home. The majority of those will take place before football season starts. Of those that might be impacted by football, maybe there is only a game or two that happens where the turnaround prevents the gridiron lines from being scrubbed. I certainly hope one or two games with gridiron lines doesn't extinguish your support of the team. And I think the FO is quite aware of how the fans feel about gridiron lines and will do their best to have them removed for Sounder games.
Re: This might suck.... No I was not kidding but way to take something out of context. My point was that it was one year only and that they were unlikely to have endzone decals which are far worse than just lines. Frankly I would rather have a pristine pitch, but if we have to live with lines for a couple games for one season I do not see it as the end of the world. Especially when I have seen football lines at PHP, and Lax lines at the HDC. Last year the UW floated moving Husky football to Qwest permanently. That situation would have been far more egregious than one season. Also lets not forget that the UW allowed the Hawks to live at Husky Stadium while the Dome was demolished and Qwest was built. I won't say the UW gave us Qwest but they made the situation easier to get Qwest done, which has in turn made it possible for us to join MLS.
I am sure the UW will work with the Hawks (to double up games as much as possible) for the Pac-10 season which is the bulk of the season to rearrange games as possible. However the Non-Conference games are harder to adjust. In addition because the NCAA does not set the schedules it is much much harder for the UW to rework its entire schedule due to the domino effect with other schools. Playoffs would be the hardest thing to control, and are not guaranteed to be line free anyway since they are not regularly scheduled games. It is entirely possible that we could host a playoff game the night before a Hawks game. I highly doubt the pitch would be line free in that case. I would be pleasantly surprised and very pleased if it were, but logistically I just don't see how that could work. In the end I think both sides will give a little, and hopefully that will result in no football lines for any Sounder games, but as I have already reasoned a couple games for one year will not be the end of the world.
The front office has said on numerous occassions that there will not be football lines on the pitch. I am going to take them at their word until they give me reason to believe otherwise.
Man that was the greastest comment ever spoken on this fourm i may copyright it. We need more people an comments like that we are a pro organization we are not collegiate we are a world club lets start acting like it . Great comment.
Man now I am even quoting myself. That is what I get for sending this off as I was flying out of my office. Because there is two years lead time it may be easier to adjust even some of the non-conference games. The thing with the NFL and MLS schedules is that they are not known until months or in MLS' case weeks before the season starts. It would be difficult for the UW to schedule around that. So the best solution is for the Huskies to set their schedule as early as possible, the Seahawks to have the NFL piggyback games on Huskies weekends as much as possible, and MLS schedule us for a Thursday evening game if absolutely necessary when an adjustment just can't be made otherwise. I think this works best because the NFL is well aware it owes the UW. It is only one season, and will likely only affect availibility of Qwest for one or two weekends. All things considered I think we may already be making mountains out of mole hills. This will work out just fine to the benefit of all parties.
pardon me for trolling....but throwball lines are not the end of the world. do they suck-yes, but you have a MLS team now. Enjoy it and be happy. That is pretty much the sentiment in Houston. As long as a promise of a SSS is somewhere down the road, tolerating the lines and designs are acceptable. Enjoy your first season in the big league and don't let something as minor as this ruin it. You only have one inaugural season so is there killer whale watching within in a hour of Seattle? I think that may be the only way to finagle a family trip to the rainy city, while I get to watch a match at Quest.
It's my thread so... I have seen killer whales in the Puget Sound from the park at Pink Street Market. I have also seen them from the front of the car ferry to Bremerton. I believe that the sight seeing tours do depart north of Seattle (closer to the San Juan Islands).
thanks-my wife is on to me as sh stated-"why do all of our vacations involve a sporting event!? speaking of lines-any discussion of putting in grass for the nonthrowball months? Similar to what the Metros used to due in the early days of MLS?
Nope, we have not heard anything about temp. grass. From what I saw at the Brazil - Canada match last year, the temp. grass is worse than the turf. It dies quickly, and tends to slip a bit.
It depends on the climate and type of grass. The stuff in NY did remarkable well during the summers for the first couple of years in the league. with all the rain out in Seattle it might work for you-the only catch is that it is expensive.
By the way, I had the opportunity to talk to the UW's top PR guy today about other things, but I asked him about the Qwest Field thing -- especially in light of the fact the state Legislature appears extremely unlikely to approve the U's Husky Stadium funding request when the state budget is something like $6 billion in the red. He told me that the university studied a full-time move to Qwest but it didn't pencil out for them because they couldn't get parking, concessions, etc. Plus he said that 60,000 alumni have season tickets and they like to have that group back on campus -- I imagine for fundraising purposes. Plus they have other uses for the stadium, such as commencement. Still, I wouldn't be surprised to see the idea of a full-time Husky move to Qwest get some more discussion in the coming months. I don't think it's out of the question if they can't get funding for fixing up Husky Stadium.
UW will find the funding for their own stadium somehow. No major university wants to be without a centerpiece stadium. It hurts their gameday atmosphere, recruiting, commencements, identity etc. etc. Surely this is posturing by the university to the state in an attempt to get some free money. They'll be at quest for a year or two while their stadium gets done and I think that stinks but what can ya do? It's a shame we MLS fans will have to see more games with gridiron lines but things could be worse. Perhaps this could become the spark that ignites the fire to secure SSFC's very own stadium. As nice of a facility as quest is, the ideal situation is for all teams to have their own stadiums. Raise enough of a stink and perhaps those uber deep-pocketed owners of yours will pony up for a proper SSS.
I doubt having to watch a few games with gridiron lines is going to pry $150 million out of the owners.