This is a total made up figure on my part, but I estimate that the Rose Bowl will need about $250 million in upgrades at least to bring it up to FIFA's liking. A lot has changed in the last 20 years in terms of stadium standards, now if it a stadium is not some brand new shiny amusement park, it can't host a major event. I think the proposed LA NFL stadium could have quite a significant effect on USSF's WC bid if it can pass.
Baton Rouge's Tiger Stadium at night would be insane. It is the loudest stadium on that list (though the two Seattle stadiums are very loud as well). In 1988 after an late LSU touchdown, Tiger Stadium was so loud, it registered as a small earthquake on campus! They even sing the Star Spangled Banner loud! The challenge would to get 90,000+ people down there for a soccer match.
Everyone I've talked to that's been to both says Ben Hill Griffin (University of Florida) is the loudest they've ever been to. The way it's built holds the noise in. And to give a plug to my alma mater, a Jordan-Hare night game is loud as ********.
Remember, we are talking 2018 here at the earliest. A stadium that is just a mote in some owner/cities eye at this point could easily be done in time for the event. This list doesnt have to include all the venues, just be enough to convince FIFA that the US could host a competitive world cup.
You are kidding? You're aware that Nashville is one of the biggest tourist destinations in the U.S.? As far as the touristy stuff to keep World Cup fans happy on the off days Phoenix, Baltimore-Washington and Nashville are the three best venues in the country.
Speaking of LP field, do you know that basically, downtown Nashville is pretty much run by tourists from Europe? Ask anyone who works or lives there (Me). I mean, if this city can host Fan Fair without blinking, it can host the World Cup, and I don't see FIFA having a problem with a fixture in a city already well known by European tourists.
It should be a showcase of American stadiums. Leave out the old piece of shit bowl stadiums from 1920. The whole world will be watching and few things are less impressive in sports than an old fashioned stadium that has had little modification. So, the short list is: Dallas - New Cowboys' Stadium Arizona - The University of Phoenix Stadium Houston - Reliant Stadium Seattle - Quest Field (grass installed) All other stadiums are BORING and bland. All other football stadiums look alike. Giant boring bowls with zero aesthetic value. They're unimpressive. NYC, get a ********ing stadium worthy of the "Greatest City in the World" as you like to call yourselves. LA, get a ********ing stadium that wasn't built before WW2. Chicago, Soldier Field is hideous; looks like a giant spaceship decided it was a good place to park...Okay, you get my drift. We're very unoriginal and boring in this country when it comes to stadium design, outside of those 4 mentioned. You will find no peers for those 4 in this country. So, we've got 9-13 years to get our act together. As for domes, the world's game isn't played in domes during the summer time unless you're in a place that experiences very hot weather (Texas, Arizona). So, Detroit, Indy, Atlanta, should get retractable roofing or miss out on the party.
Ok - I gotta finally say something about this. London-Seattle direct is about 9 hours. BA 48/49 does it direct daily. Get out a globe and a piece of string. It's called the "polar route". The only issue with the U.S. in my mind is the internal travel. After that, no other country can offer the stadiums, hospitality, security and infrastructure that we can. 2018/2022 is in the bag. Just a question of which one and which stadiums!
I think pretty much every college stadium can be taken out of the running. This is my totally unofficial, half-assed list of current/under-construction stadiums that could legitimately host... Georgia Dome M&T Bank Stadium Gillette Stadium Bank of America Stadium Soldier Field Cotton Bowl JerryWorld Invesco Field Ford Field Lambeau Field (being a bit hopeful-homerish Reliant Stadium Lucas Oil Stadium Arrowhead Stadium Rose Bowl (would the seats be an issue, this time around?) Dolphin Stadium TCF Bank Stadium LP Field Superdome New Medowlands Stadium Lincoln Financial Field University of Phoenix Stadium Alamodome Qualcomm Stadium Qwest Field Edwards Jones Dome Raymond James Stadium RFK Memorial Stadium FedEx Field Even cutting out the ones that have no chance, 25-30 is a pretty solid crop
Did everyone miss the most interesting part of the article? Apparently soccer is no longer a euro-commie sport anymore.
few comments & questions: do you think FIFA wants a final in a hot city? Might be too scorching/humid in the summer for some of those listed. Could slow down action... if in the rose bowl, would have to be noon start. EU is 9 hours ahead, have to keep them happy. what is largest stadium currently? UMich - with 105K? has to be major city with hotel rooms, restaurants, transport, massage parlors etc. gaineville would not cut it.
Per FIFA, the WC bid needs to include a list of at least 12 stadiums. I'm not sure if they have a limit for actual host cities if/when awarded but based on the attendance records from '94 I would say go with more than 12 host cities. Virtually every major metropolitan market in the U.S. has a stadium that has been recently built/upgraded that meets and/or surpasses standards for hosting a WC match. With all these stadiums and their seating capacity, it would make sense to give more people a chance to attend matches and the more cities that host, the better their chances of attending. I think that out of that prospective list, all regions of the U.S. would be well represented and it would hopefully work out the logistics and travel for fans and teams. Here's my list of host cities: Seattle - Qwest Field Phoenix - University of Phoenix Stadium Dallas - New Cowboys Stadium Houston - Reliant Stadium New York - New Meadowlands Stadium Chicago - Soldier Field Nashville - LP Field Denver - Mile High Stadium New England - Gillette Stadium Philly - Lincoln Financial Field DC - Renovated RFK or FedEx or new stadium in DC proper San Francisco Bay Area - If 49ers can get new stadium. Oakland coliseum is old and would need many renovations including improving the configurations and sight lines not to mention widening the concourses otherwise the capacity is there Los Angeles - Rose Bowl would have to be renovated. Coliseum would as well. The proposed new stadium to lure an NFL team doesn't even exist but if it were to happen then it would probably host. Cleveland - Browns Stadium KC - Arrowhead Stadium St. Louis - EJDome. Provided it has A/C. I heard Silver dome didn't have that back in 94! Indy - Lucas Oil Miami - Dolphin Stadium (heat and humidity might be a factor in whether it hosts or not) Charlotte - B of A Stadium I believe this list gives cities that didn't host in '94 or have never hosted major soccer matches the chance to showcase their stadiums and cities. Cities that have already hosted have become a staple for soccer support. IMO, and I don't think I'm alone when I say this, these cities and their stadiums will make the U.S. 2018/2022 bid extremely difficult to beat. Couple that with an impressive '94 tourney and England will need more than just the crybaby excuse of not having hosted the WC in half a century.
Exactly. From Boston to Orlando to Pasadena; travel friendly distances for fans were the last thing they had on their minds when the planned USA 94. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1994_Fifa_World_Cup#Venues If anything, they tried to spread it out as much as possible.
If we win the WC bid, I see us putting the final in New York. LA got it last time and NYC is the most renown, whatever that means, city in our country. I could see the new Dallas stadium being a possibility too though due to how luxurious it is supposed to be.
Maybe I'm just talking out of my ass and completely imagined this, but I thought I heard somewhere that the new Giants Stadium wasn't going to be able to fit a FIFA regulated sized field. Idk, just something I thought I heard. Also, you can pretty much knock off just about every college stadium because most of then definitely can't fit a FIFA regulated sized field. The Shoe, for one, had one of the smallest fields in MLS when the Crew played there, and now with the renovations, it would be impossible to play there.
Um, wha? -Signed Boston, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Chicago, New York, Denver, Seattle... You do realize they're in the middle of constructing a new stadium for the Giants/Jets next to the current Giants stadium, right? Whenever this topic has come up in the past, there have been pretty exhaustive discussions about what the FIFA regulated sized field is and, more difficult yet, the FIFA requirements for a WC field, which includes extra room for WC signboards and security. When I raised this earlier in the thread, another poster asserted that the bid proposal process would likely require locations to agree to substantial renovations. That would make sense. As I understand it Fedex Field cannot fit either a FIFA sized field nor a WC sized field, so its bid would involve taking out several rows of seats. Past discussions have more or less concluded that the problem is corners, and most NFL stadia would require taking out the corner seating that exists now.
Things have changed since '94. They do not need the Rose Bowl any longer. Three 90K stadiums with lots of luxary for the sponsors and big rollers as possible final hosts, all from the NFC East: 1. New NYC stadium at the Meadowlands 2. Fed Ex Field 3. Planet Jerry.
i don't lnow if henry the K is the sort of guy you want on your side.. there are quite a few nations with an arrest on sight warrant for him... places like chile and spain.. henry's support of pinochet is frowned upon by many..
Not that I doubt you, but... a) do you have data that supports this? b) is this for out of country tourists?