Oklahma City Energy MLS and stadium thread

Discussion in 'Oklahoma City Energy FC' started by Laramie, Oct 7, 2014.

  1. davideinstein

    davideinstein Member

    Jun 27, 2010
    Tulsa, Oklahoma
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Correct. But I think after what they've seen happen with our city the past ten years that an extension would pass. I fully agree OKC is in a better political situation.
     
  2. The Devil's Architect

    Feb 10, 2000
    The American Steppe
    Club:
    Chicago Fire
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Only if the project is specifically listed as a bond issue project at the vote. If they don't list it as a part of the bond projects and they spend money on it, that is a crime
     
  3. The Devil's Architect

    Feb 10, 2000
    The American Steppe
    Club:
    Chicago Fire
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Yes - essentially the white flight suburbanites had to get their pony projects

    It was actually a multi-county vote / OKC vote since large parts of OKC extend south of 89th street and all the way down into Cleveland County.

    What really, REALLY drove MAPS was the continuity of vision from Norick -> Kirkpatrick -> Cornett mayoral line and the Council of Old White Guys that footed the majority of the advertising/lobbying for MAPS and footed the private portion of the financing in the shortfalls from the original MAPS projects.

    Tulsa's civic push was much less successful due their pendulum swings in the Mayor's office, a couple of city council people being indicted and the much more severe urban/suburban split in Tulsa county.
     
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  4. ManuSooner

    ManuSooner Member+

    Nov 15, 2007
    Oklahoma City
    Club:
    Manchester United FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Hopefully, no matter WHO finally builds a stadium, I hope they learn what NOT to do from other cities' mistakes. Bridgeview, IL, for example . Bridgeview is an industrial suburb of Chicago that somehow got talked into borrowing $100 million in 2006 to build Toyota Park for the Chicago Fire. It was supposed to pay for itself in ticket revenue from games and concerts held there throughout the year. However, the lease said that all soccer revenues would go to the team, leaving the city with only money from concerts, which hasn’t been enough to pay off the $100 loan. So now Bridgeview keeps borrowing more money to pay off the existing loan. And before you get pissy at the MLS team, apparently The Fire were actually looking to do a partnership with the town but BRIDGEVIEW insisted on 100% ownership so they wouldn't have to split non-soccer revenue. Idiots.
    Or Chester, PA. This from www.fielsofschemes.com
     
  5. USRufnex

    USRufnex Red Card

    Tulsa Athletic / Sheffield United
    United States
    Jul 15, 2000
    Tulsa, OK
    Club:
    --other--
    #30 USRufnex, Jun 18, 2015
    Last edited: Jun 18, 2015
    In the mid-1990's, Democrat Susan Savage proposed The Tulsa Project, which was a hodge-podge of half baked projects that included a downtown arena, natatorium, and 5k-seat soccer/track & field stadium. In 1999 or 2000, the mayor tried again with "It's Tulsa Time!" which was basically just the arena. Both projects were defeated on a citywide vote-- first one soundly defeated, the second one narrowly lost out.

    The new mayor (from the traditional old-school GOP) LaFortune passed Vision2025 on a county-wide vote. The MLS soccer stadium portion of the project disappeared from the final proposal for various reasons.

    My favorite had to be Mayor Kathy Taylor (& Kaiser's) River Tax in the fall of 2007... $100 mil in corporate donations + $700 mil or so in tax monies to "put water in the river" will result in all sorts of development including this one, "Tulsa Landing" which would included a 22k stadium that could be used for all sorts of things and a sport that is not baseball, but could be, or not... tee-hee-hee...

    Ironically enough, I believe it's fact that if the River Tax in 2007 had been proposed on a citywide vote rather than county wide, it would have passed.
     
  6. davideinstein

    davideinstein Member

    Jun 27, 2010
    Tulsa, Oklahoma
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    @USRufnex I'm pretty sure the river tax did pass in the city, but not the county. Yes?

    Also, pretty clear the Democrats have the ideas and the Republicans get the votes a decade behind the initial Democrat ideas in this city. Shocker.
     
  7. The Devil's Architect

    Feb 10, 2000
    The American Steppe
    Club:
    Chicago Fire
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    That's an assumption, not a fact...
     
  8. USRufnex

    USRufnex Red Card

    Tulsa Athletic / Sheffield United
    United States
    Jul 15, 2000
    Tulsa, OK
    Club:
    --other--
    Actually it IS a fact. The breakdown of the 2007 vote proved it.
     
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  9. The Devil's Architect

    Feb 10, 2000
    The American Steppe
    Club:
    Chicago Fire
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
  10. USRufnex

    USRufnex Red Card

    Tulsa Athletic / Sheffield United
    United States
    Jul 15, 2000
    Tulsa, OK
    Club:
    --other--
    Change "chad" to Brad and I'm all in. :D
     
  11. crw75

    crw75 Member

    Everton FC
    United States
    Aug 5, 2004
    Oklahoma City
    Club:
    FC Dallas
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Under the current expansion strategy, I think there are too many cities and ownership groups ahead of both Tulsa and OKC. I read a proposal somewhere (I really wish I could remember where) about the long-term future of MLS that I really liked, however.
    The writer suggested 40 teams, 2 tiers, and promotion/relegation. There would need to be additional teams in the largest markets to guard against the possibility of too many large-market teams landing in MLS2 and threatening the television deal that is the key to MLS's improvement against other soccer leagues as well as other American sports. But, there would still be room for smaller markets like OKC and Tulsa in such an expanded landscape.

    If such a plan were implemented, I would like the chances of either OKC, Tulsa or potentially both landing franchises. If the league sticks at 30 or fewer teams, I can't see the state getting one of them.
     
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  12. Duke Kickass

    Duke Kickass Member

    Mar 28, 2013
    Pinellas County, FLA
    Club:
    FC Tampa Bay Rowdies
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Oklahoma City Energy owners state desire for MLS
    http://sbisoccer.com/2016/04/oklahoma-city-energy-owners-state-desire-for-mls

    Speaking to KOCO 5 News, Energy owner Bob Funk Jr. said the team’s ultimate goal is to move into MLS. Funk said the first step towards that end goal would be the construction of a soccer-specific stadium while continuing to make inroads with the local community.
    “We are trying to take a very measured approach in how we get to our overall goal. We’re aspiring to get into MLS,” Funk Jr. said. “There’s no guarantee that we’re going to get there..."
    ----------------------------------------------------

    There is a Soccer War in OKC and I guess cautiously referencing MLS is another weapon in his arsenal.
     
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  13. The Devil's Architect

    Feb 10, 2000
    The American Steppe
    Club:
    Chicago Fire
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Yawn. Bobby. Call back when you have investors capable of MLS's capital requirements.

    Your dad missed the boat with the RSL/Chivas expansion when it was only 10 mil to buy in
     
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  14. kenntomasch

    kenntomasch Member+

    Sep 2, 1999
    Out West
    Club:
    FC Tampa Bay Rowdies
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I hope someone smacked him for it.
     
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  15. ManuSooner

    ManuSooner Member+

    Nov 15, 2007
    Oklahoma City
    Club:
    Manchester United FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Being an asshole has been his go-to weapon of choice.
     
  16. ManuSooner

    ManuSooner Member+

    Nov 15, 2007
    Oklahoma City
    Club:
    Manchester United FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States

    Big Soccer Poster states desire for Lamborghini

    Same thing
     
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  17. Brother Badgerjohn

    Oct 16, 2000
    Okie City
    Club:
    --other--
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    OKC may be on the list, but we sure as Hell ain't on the short list. If we get it, great. If not, I'm more than happy with a local team in a lower division.

    And good luck getting an investor with the single-sector economy this state has and the brilliant work of the Legislature in crafting a budget. MLS, Hell: This town will be lucky if the Thunder stick around after 2022.
     
  18. davideinstein

    davideinstein Member

    Jun 27, 2010
    Tulsa, Oklahoma
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    There are way better MLS markets than Oklahoma. Why bother? Just love our clubs.
     
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  19. The Devil's Architect

    Feb 10, 2000
    The American Steppe
    Club:
    Chicago Fire
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    There are, just as there are likely way better NBA markets than OKC.

    The operative mover in where the Thunder are are the net worth of their Ownership group
     
  20. davideinstein

    davideinstein Member

    Jun 27, 2010
    Tulsa, Oklahoma
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Thunder are in such a lucky spot. Katrina happens, slide under another city to get a team and end up with two of the beet five players in the world. It's really good for this state but it's really tough to compare that to MLS.
     
  21. The Devil's Architect

    Feb 10, 2000
    The American Steppe
    Club:
    Chicago Fire
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Not really. The collapse of the housing bubble led to the Ownership of the Sonics needing to immediately liquidate the Sonics to keep their $7/Cup of Coffee corporation afloat. The current owners were flush with cash from both the previous oil shortage ($4.50/gallon fuel in OK) and the ramped up usage of fracking to "drill baby drill".

    People forget that these types of things are "collectibles" for the wealthy and don't belong to us collectively as cities.
     
  22. davideinstein

    davideinstein Member

    Jun 27, 2010
    Tulsa, Oklahoma
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I learned that the hard way with the Charlotte Hornets. There is a community aspect for sure though. I wish they overlapped more similar to the Green Bay Packers.
     
  23. The Devil's Architect

    Feb 10, 2000
    The American Steppe
    Club:
    Chicago Fire
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    There is, but at the end of the day, we don't own it any more than we own the view of the pasture that backs up to our house, unless we own that property too

    You mean having to hope entire families are killed in car wrecks so you have a shot at season tickets?
     
  24. davideinstein

    davideinstein Member

    Jun 27, 2010
    Tulsa, Oklahoma
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Damn, man. No...being community owned.
     
  25. The Devil's Architect

    Feb 10, 2000
    The American Steppe
    Club:
    Chicago Fire
    Nat'l Team:
    United States

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