USD is nice, but Linda Vista is a total dump.... there is a lot of gang activity in that area. If it was ever cleaned up the location is primo. BTW, the city council is going to vote on converting an old land fill in chollas height into a baseball field and some other sports complex. I guess it is 80 acres the land. That would be an ideal area in the middle of the town for a SSS. the mls should jump on the ball and start to work the city council ASAP.
I'm sure the floating stadium straddling the border could be termed a NAFTA free-trade zone, thus not having to worry about the players crossing midfield. The fans leaving the stadium, now that could get interesting. Furthermore, if the team faltered, you could get a few tugboats and tow the stadium up to Seattle, maybe even Portland if the Army Corps of Engineers take a different tack on dredging the Columbia River.
kasai, what the heck are you talking about? Have you been to a Spirit game? You park on a beautiful campus and go to a beautiful stadium and feel competely and totally safe. Linda Vista or not, the location of Torero Stadium has nothing to do with any negativity on their attendance.
I don't know about their first season ('cause I never went), but I believe at least in later years the Flash regularly padded their attendance numbers and in reality didn't average 2200 per game, but more like 1000, if that. I used to sit there and count the people myself and never got anywhere near 2000.
I don't know if they padded their first season either, but I am sure they averaged at least 3000 (officially). I don't know why they left Chula Vista for Mesa College, but maybe the central location seemed to make more sense.
As I said before, USD is a beautiful campus, but the surrounding area is not too nice. Actually the last five years, i have seen a lot of improvement in that area, but it is still not one of the nicer areas in town. I do agree that Torerro stadium is nice and it would be a good place for the MLS, but the size of the stadium is too small. Also access into that area is not good. Only one way in and out. The freeways are relatively close, but if you are not familiar with the area, you can easily get lost.
I wonder if Carlsbad would be a good location, with the hopes of attracting Orange County folks as well. There's a lot of land around Palomar Airport that could easily be used for a stadium. Although it might be a bit far for the rest of the county to travel to.
Carlsbad is beautiful. It would definitely be a potential site. Problem is the majority of hispanics in San Diego live south of the 8 freeway and getting up to Carlsbad is quite a long haul. Ideally if the Chargers get a new stadium, it could be constructed with soccer in mind. That way it would be like CGMI field in New England. Other possibility is Qualcomm would be reconfigured for soccer if the Chargers left town. The only other occupant San Diego State never draws more than 40k anymore anyways.
A SSS in SD would be great because it could have multiple occupants. 1) MLS 2) WUSA 3) High School Championships --- Football 4) Regional championships like the Surf Cup finals 5) College soccer matches --- SDSU since USD has a nice stadium already 6) Open air concerts, like the Coors Amphitheater. I seems to me that the stadium could host many events that just aren't large enough for 70k Qualcomm stadium. If they built the Amphitheater in Chula Vista that seats around 20k specifically for concerts, I don't see why we can't build a 25k SSS.
Alright, kasai, you've convinced me, I've got $1,000 to get the project off the dime. Are you in? Seriously, maybe we should join our collective heads and find some deep pockets in San Diego who might be interested, and then go lobby the hell out of them (picket their house, toilet paper their expensive driveway gate, etc.) until they relent and agree to bring MLS and a SSS to San Diego. (Actually, the problem with your above scenario is not only do we already have Coors Amphitheatre, we the Open Air Amph at San Diego State, and WUSA already has theiri stadium at USD. The Surf Cup is VERY political and probably doesn't want to move their "finals" anywhere, etc., etc. The soccer scene in San Diego is EXTREMELY fragmented and dominated by turf wars - or so people tell me - and would be hard to organize under any kind of one banner, even if it is a SSS.
Flashman, why do you want to burst my bubble.... I know soccer is very political in SD, but I also know there is a lot of money to be made in the right situation. A SSS would have some competition from other venues, but none could offer everything like a SSS in SD. The Open Air Theater at SDSU seats maybe 5k, so it is a much different venue. The Coors Amphitheater is large and nice, but it is only good for concerts and the location is a bit difficult to get to. Torrero stadium is fine for the Spirit now, but as they grow, I am sure a SSS that seats in the 25k range would be a better fit. As for knocking on doors of bigwigs in SD, you have the right idea. Only problem is that with the stock market crashing and land so expensive in SD, trying to convince someone today may be difficult. Without a MLS team a SSS is only a dream in SD, but if the MLS is willing to take a chance and move a team in Qualcomm when the Pads move then I believe a SSS will have a real chance.
I'm surprised no one has mentioned the Olymnpic Training Center. That would be a perfect place to put a SSS if you think about it. The location isn't that great but I'm pretty sure they would be willing to build one there so they can have soccer players train there for the Olympics or whatever. Nevermind...it sounded good in my head!
Oh oops, sorry I didn't see it! And thank you, this should be interesting posting here cause I have a weird mind, muahahaha!
Ah, I found the article that has some interesting info about an MLS/San Diego tie. If you go here http://www.mlsnet.com/content/98/allstar99.html you can read what the MLS thought of San Diego pre-99 All-star Game which was held in America's Finest. (What they think NOW is another issue which in fact I'm not really sure about...) Anyway, enjoy it I guess.
Mexicans are everywhere, in every city these days, there is no shortage living in Carlsbad/Oceanside communities, although yes many would have to commute from further south. With that said, I think the fast-growing municipality of Chula Vista would be the perfect site for an MLS stadium/team.
It's interesting that at the time they considered Qualcomm a great choice for a future site for a team. How times have changed!! Now it's just another 70,000 seat monstrosity. Ah, the good ol' days with Doug Logan in charge...
this is a good point. there are many Hispanics in the North County now as well, though not near as many in the South Bay. again, i agree (and said so above). Chula Vista would be THE town to build a SSS. They wanted to build a baseball stadium four years ago (and had the capital, initiative and political drive to do so) and I imagine a SSS would/could have a similar positive response from town hall down there. All it needs is some deep pockets with some political access to get the ball rolling. It's only about 10 minutes past downtown so it's not that far from central San Diego or even many parts of North County. A good location IMHO. Like I say: I've got $1,000...no...make that $2,000!! Anyone want to join me in getting this started? (btw: I don't see how we could use the Olympic Training Center...after all, it's a multi-purpose center used for all sorts of Olympic activities, and I think is some sort of foundation or something, not a public or even private business. Plus, it's even further off in the remote areas of South Bay. It would be beautiful though, tucked into the foothills as it is.)
Personally I would love to see the SSS in the South Bay. I think the Padres were looking at the Port Areas of Chula Vista/National City for a stadium. The Port district owns a lot of the land in that area and has set it aside for potential commercial development. A SSS would be the perfect building block to a development in that area. Those areas have some beautiful landscape, but definitely could use revitalization. I think though that SD does not have a chance at an MLS team unless the MLS was willing to move into the Q for a few years. No one here is willing to build a stadium for a non-existent team. Even though the stadium would have other uses, we need a team here before a stadium would ever be considered.
One more significant point about the waterfront location in Chula Vista/National City is the convenience for most SD residents to get to this area. Downtown is less than 10 minutes and North County is about 30 minutes to most locations. Inland Chula Vista (Olympic training center) is another 10 to 15 minute drive and would make the north county commuters really frustrated.
aren't they putting a new freeway up north and have the trolley go there? cause i know the city is trying to improve city transportation. if they did put a SSS there then they could just promote city transportation to get people to use it lol...if that makes any sense.
You are right, they are expanding the 125 to that area, so the access would be much improved. I agree that the Olympic Training Center is a very nice facility and there is still a lot of open space in that area, but I personally would love to see the SSS in the bay front area of Chula Vista. I think this is primo real estate that is being wasted. Brining in fans and tourists to that area would completely renovate that area and would create another beautiful area for San Diegans to go.
thats a very good idea as well, but i wonder if the city would want to put it there. you might have answered this already but is land expensive in that part of san diego?
Well the Port District owns the land as far as I know, so if the Port District were interested in revitalizing a seriously down neighborhood, then maybe something like a SSS would be a good idea. I know the Port District owns the land that the South Bay power plant is on. I would say the land would have a high value once it is developed, but much like the area where the baseball park is going, the land’s value was not being realized because of the rundown conditions of the area. Anyway this is only a fleeting dream because no one in SD is going to commit to a stadium when the league is not a sure thing and there is no team currently in SD. If the MLS takes the risk and puts a team in the Q then maybe dream can become a reality.
The problem is that MLS is going by the philosophy that a city has to take the risk and THEN MLS will award them a team. So we need a willing investor before anything happens.