Interestingly MLS has never had a black head coach, minority head coach yes, black head coach no. If this league got more mainstream press someone would pick up on that and make a fuss, much like they have done in other US professional sports. I agree with your general premise though.
No no no, I'm sorry. I didn't mean it as a bash to either you or the writer. I'm very sorry if I came off that way. I meant it more as a matter of fact type of statement, not as a potshot at you. You are one of my favorite posters (honestly), and I know that you were not taking a shot at me. I was just making sure that people understood that some of the Post comments are looked at from one angle, and mine from another. Theirs was a straight factual report. I tried to give more of a feel of the people report after my initial observations, and I honestly believe that we have more reason to be upbeat than maybe the Post would suggest (and obviously, the Post's duty is to be more straightlaced than I can be amongst "friends").
Not to change topics, but he is coaching a U-14 boys team in Bethesda. I think he does a lot of ODP coaching too.
There is no question about that. But be sure that it isn't the Post who is creating that angle ............ the people at the event seemed to rate this as the number 1 concern, thus MAKING it the issue for the Post to cover. There were a few questions asked about how "affordable" the housing would be, and the likelihood that people living in these neighborhoods would have a fighting chance to buy them.
I can't remember the exact quote, but Payne said something to the effect of how DC hopes to have the stadium built by sometime during the 2008 season (whether at the beginning of the season or in progress).
The hotel is a brilliant idea. Not only is it nice for development, but it would be interesting to know whether the geographical dispersion of DCU supporters has anything to do with it. At a minimum you have a big group of Baltimoreans coming down. It will make the stadium a great draw for youth tournaments, USMNT games, and concerts.
Indeed. This opens up alot more opportunities to join a game with a bit of DC sightseeing. The wife and baby and I could come down check into the hotel tailgate (wherever this is going to take place) see the game crash out, get up the next day, and see a bit of the town. All while using the Metro. Someone was using their brain when they decided this.
My wife and I made an event out of the Chelsea game and stayed overnight at a local hotel. I could see that happening more often for us non-locals.
Another advantage to the hotel is that it keeps the area (and more importantly numerous jobs) busy while DC isn't playing and there aren't other events going on at the stadium or fields. What can happen in areas around sports stadiums is very dead and dry periods either inbetween games or during the offseason. This allows a consistent presence in the area which is a good thing.
It would also be one stop away from the baseball stadium (assuming it gets built) and all of the new office space going up around the Navay Yard. It would be three stops away from the Mall. Should the Anacostia light rail get built it would have easy access to the new National Harbor development in PG County. I'm wondering when renderings are going to start floating this way?
Payne mentioned last year that this facility will also be USMNT training site and somehow linked with USSF. Now Bobby won't have to stay in Payne/Bruce's basements anymore ;-)
I'd like to take this opportunity to invite all the ladies of the Barra to the party in Chico's suite after the game.
Then it is critical that whatever bar the hotel has, has a soccer-oriented theme. I don't want another anything-but-soccer sports bar in the DC United hotel. Seriously
Hell no bro, if they open a hotel I'll really look into getting a suite for some post game activities.
You know what I'd love to do. Move the US Soccer Hall of Fame to this complex. It's in a nice little building (I hope you've all been there. If not you should at some point) in Oneonta, New York right now. Oneonta is in a pretty out of the way part of the state. I can't imagine they get as many people seeing the displays as they could. I was recently at the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto. Sure there were some Canadians there, but it was full of mostly tourists. Most of them were European and Asian. I think if we put the thing in DC near a Metro stop, a lot of people would come to see it. I don't know about the locals, though. Anyway, I live in NY and would definitely come down to more games if there was a hotel right there. And of course, if the stadium is within stumbling distance, I'll be able to drink more at the pub.
I would like to take this opportunity to tell KP and SZ that my firm specializes in mixed-use urban architecture with a particular expertise in hospitality and dealing with complex siting.
onefineesq, duly repped! NIMBYs aren't only white, they're everywhere and of every race! I think its a truism that older folks who have a certain comfort level with their situation, neighborhood, etc. are more prone to NIMBYism than others, no matter where they live. And they may be less likely to see the good to come of a change because its their world that is changing - and that can't be good! I think DC United is doing it right - trying to get support from the ground up. And if the project (as a whole) is truly inclusive with education (internships), jobs, affordable housing, shopping, etc. then the majority of the local community, and its leaders, will eventually get on board.
The Extreme Model skit was more interesting than I care to describe. Suffice it to say that I was trying to hold back bursts of laughter during that part of the presentation.
i would love it if dc high schools got to use the facilities, i know a few schools don't even have basketball gyms, and a lot of the fields those kids play on are terrible, (and the one that'd be of use, gonzaga, damn them to hell, practically owns the auxiliary field at rfk) that'd be something great for the community, and i'm glad there's talk of a soccer internship program wat'd be extra awesome, is if a ward 8 child grows up thorugh the dcu system and becomes a star on the team, that'll be the wealthy folk that one person wants all in all, i love the proposal, and hopefully this gets started soon, i love the hotel, and possible retail, still worried about gentrification and rising land costs, but its actually happenning all over the nation, as a matter of fact, a house down the street here in blacksburg, that'd go for about 400k in mo county, md, was bought for 20k in 1995, it was sold last week for 200k, and with a new hotel and some more retail coming along on main street, land will go up a tad bit more, and if you want something more close to home, lets go to wheaton/silver spring, its a little scary, especially when you've been able to live there for less, and now have to spend more to stay there