I never thought I would feel nostalgic for the dirty, run-down dump that is the Cotton Bowl, but I am now. Please, Mr. Hunt, enough of this already. I know you're getting a good deal at Dragon Stadium, but you're getting what you pay for. I know that this is temporary, but if the fans are already disgusted with the situation after two games, how do think they're going to feel after five more games or 10 more games, or 28 more games? Please, please, please, Mr. Hunt, call your lawyers and see how you can get out of your deal with Carroll ISD. Then call the Dallas Park and Recreation and make a deal for use of the Cotton Bowl for the next two seasons.
Every week we are treated to a new reason to dislike Dragon stadium. Week 1 was the realization that not only were the grid iron lines not going to be covered, but they did not even bother to repaint the very faint soccer lines. Week 2 we learned that the lighting situation at the stadium is not good. The fields that the "Rec" leagues in Arlington play on have better lighting than Dragon stadium. I cant wait for the next game at Dragon stadium to find out what is next.
With all these threads about the absolute hate for Dragon Stadium (BTW I agree 100%), I'm asking what can we do? Are we stuck here for this season and next season too? Can we complain our way out of it? I just don't see it happening and it's a damn shame because I don't like this fake-grassed, your local library has more atmosphere, kid infested, soccer mom infested, no Soccer lines, ugliest pitch in MLS "stadium". And I don't think anyone else does either. It's just going to drive away the true soccer fans and keep bringing in the little white boy kids and their parents. Hell we can't even sell-out the stadium, something everyone was expecting for this season. Lets just cross our fingers for everyone (who can make desicions on this) to wake up and smell the bull $hit and move us back to the Cotton Bowl. At least there I can yell and not get looked at, we have twice as many people and better atmosphere, and the librarians stick to their side. Don't forget all the Hispanic audience we lost from downtown. Cross your fingers because thats all that it seems we can do.
This is not the problem: This is: There is NOTHING wrong with families coming to these games. It is the MLS target market. The problem is the stadium sucks. Don't confuse what sucks with what doesn't suck. What sucks: 1. No beer sales 2. Not being able to have a few beers in the parking lot before the game (technically) 3. Fake Grass 4. Neon football lines and the gaudiest end zones since the Superbowl. 5. Evidently lighting is a problem. 6. Limited seating 7. Hispanic fans have all but disappeared. I am guessing at this - but I think this was predictable. What doesn't suck: 1. Havingthe team still exist 2. Having an owner I went to a pre-season exhibition against UAB and my first thought was this place sucks. I have not been able to make it to a game yet but I will be there May 10. I have been going to Burn games since 1997. I am in my 3rd year as a season ticket holder. But to be honest, I am in no hurry to go to a game. It sounds a lot less fun to go to games now and they are certainly less pleasant to watch. Leaving the Cotton Bowl was a mistake and we all saw this 2 seconds after the deal was announced. I can think of no reason why we could not have stayed at the Cotton Bowl for 2 more years. I highly doubt moving to Southlake triggered the Frisco deal. We may save a few bucks in Dragon stadium but everything that has been lost is worth far more. (Mostly I am talking about the field and teh fans who no longer come to the games). I agree. Dump Southlake and go back to the Cotton Bowl.
To amplify your reasons for concern, I get the feeling the players hate the playing surface. I know they're professionals and all, but you gotta wonder if the field is impacting their performance or their desire. I mean, knowing they're going to be plaing on this surface can't excite them about game time the way playing on grass would.
I would love to move back to the Cotton Bowl. I never really disliked the place to start off with. It will not happen after this game. At the end of this season, when the team has an option to leave, HSG will keep the team at Dragon Stadium. This is a disaster in every way except financially (perhaps), and that is the way HSG and the Burn staff are going to look at it. Unless Fair Park is willing to come up with a similar deal, the team will stay at this...whatever the hell it is. I don't see Fair Park doing that. Nor do I see a whole lot of season ticket sales next year.
28 more matches to go, and although I've always liked the Burn, I am now actively rooting for the Burn to miss the playoffs for the next two years.
I don't think that's too far out of the realm of possiblility. Maybe not this year. But I think we can forget about any respectable foreign players ever agreeing to join our team while we are at this joke of a stadium. It's quite possible that between injuries and justifiable shunning by any self-respecting players, we could emerge from this nightmare a shell of the club that we spent years building.
Always look on the bright side of life! Dee doo. Dee doo. Dee doo de do de do. Having gone through this last year and now entering our second year, I can sympathize. Your posts are basically virtual verbatim repetitions of the Fire boards 15 months ago. Yeah, the crap stadium/fake turf/gridball markings/suburban crowds thing can suck start a B-52 bomber. However, it really does get better once the shock wears off and you learn to work around it and get used to it. I'll grant you that it seems like you're in a slightly worse situation as the field at Dragon looks worse than NCC and you don't have the downtown core of a suburb at which to load up on beer across the street from the stadium before the game. But I'm sure you guys will probably figure out ways to make it more bearable like we have. I wouldn't worry about players. The Fire players hate the NCC fake turf, too but they still fought hard last year to make the play-offs. The Burn players will know it's still in their financial and career best interests to play well wherever they are and they know this situation won't last forever. So will potential new players. Also, while you may complain about the suburban folks and their kids, any new fans the team can win from this unfortunate circumstance is better than none. After all, some of those kids might be the ones waving flags, singing songs, holding flares and screaming obscenities a few years from now in Frisco. It looks all dark now, but eventually you begin to focus on the game again and not on the surroundings. So while you probably won't ever recall Dragon Stadium with fondness or call it "home", all is not lost and things do get better. Hope that helps.
Yes, we'll probably get somewhat used to Dragon Stadium after a while. But that still doesn't change the fact that it was a really stupid decision by the Burn to move there. A key difference between Naperville and Southlake is that the Fire had to move whereas the Burn's move was optional. I'm sure Fire fans would have been quite a bit more upset with moving to Naperville had the old Soldier Field still been available during the new Soldier Field's construction. And considering that Frisco is a one hour drive away from Southlake, I doubt many of our new suburban fans will be driving to games in Frisco in a few year's time.
If the Burn were to miss the playoffs for the first time, it would result in a new coach. That would be a good thing. I certainly bleive that the atrocious pitch and stadium will keep the good forign players away. It is not as if the Burn are the only team with SI spots; they cna play in the MLS if they like, and are not forced to go to Dallas
True. Still, at least you have an SSS to look forward to in two years. Anyway, I was just saying that while it hurts now, it's not hopeless, the impact of the bad things about your stadium should fade sooner or later and if anyone is thinking of bailing, our experience here in Chi-town is that that would be a bad idea. You never know. Soldier Field is at least an hour drive on congested freeways from the far 'burbs to downtown. And yet, I expect at least some new fans to stick with the Fire after the move back to Soldier Field. I hope this is true of the Burn as well.
We may get used to it. If the Burn starts to win, of course, we might not mind the place at all. Winning hides a multitude of sins.
Another big difference between Cardinal Stadium and Dragon Stadium: It appears that the fine folks at North Central College actually welcome the Fire and appreciate them. Meanwhile, it looks to me like Carroll ISD is only interested in the Burn's money. OK, OK, I understand the fact that those endzones are going to be impossible to cover. I get it. But would it have killed them to actually paint soccer lines on the field that you can actually see? From the GA seats, I can see the endzone at the other end of the field, 120 yards away. But I'll be darned if I can see the freaking sidelines 30 yards downfield. That wouldn't cost much money or take them that much time, but it would at the very least be a nice gesture on their part. But no, what we get are crappy lines that they put down for their own soccer teams, the one where the line for the six yard box actually goes BEHIND the lettering in the endzone. And I suppose that HSG could pay someone to put down decent soccer lines, but according to the operating agreement, they'd also have to pay someone to remove those lines as well.
As much as I'm sure it sucks for you guys, I'd be happy to watch United in a phone booth if I knew a stadium was only two years away.
One hour? Is this a guess? I live in North Irving which is the city before Grapevine/South Lake and I don't think it's one hour from North Irving to Frisco. Isn't Frisco just after The Colony on 121?
Those estimates are about right. Last weekend my drive times from 121 and Preston (5 miles south of site of new stadium) to Southlake: On the way to the game 1 hr 15 minutes. 121 is a mess around Grapevine Mills. On the way back it took 35 minutes. Tollway to 635 and vice versa is probably faster than 121.
I am going to chime in here to the affirmative. From McKinney it took me right at an hour and a half to get to Dragon. Fortunately it only takes me about 20 minutes to get to Frisco. Ahhh...