We could always build the stadium on stilts ........ or is that just as silly as believing we are ever going to get a stadium?
They've been known to put soccer fields on top of parking garages... so... yeah... stilts could work.
Well said. If I may add some more black cloud comments -- I really need to get it off my chest... This may belong in the "Wizards in the Media" thread, but they were discussing the move of the stadium over to the Kansas side on 810 this morning. Not that I want to be the type associated with 810 morning talk radio -- but I was scanning it this week to see if the topic would come up. And to my surprise on the way to work this morning, they devoted a whole roundtable to it. But my surprise quickly turned to disgust -- as it was apparent that the discussion eroded into a bashing of Wizards, bashing of soccer, writing off the Wizards as being a team for "soccer moms", and essentially turned into 6 beefcake weightlifters standing around in a circle, kicking down the 90-pound weekling's sandcastle for a half hour (with no counter-point present; the "sports" side was represented by "Chris and Cowboy" of 610 Sports -- who I'm convinced have never seen a soccer game in their life... SERIOUSLY! That's the best they could do??) The panel also included the ever so eloquent Darla Jaye, the beefiest of the proverbial beefcakes, so take that for what it is. But it seemed the consensus was that the real problem was KCMO was losing business to KCK -- but who really cares, because it's soccer. And we all hate soccer in this country. And if you don't -- you're a Commie and you hate Darla Jaye anyway (she said something to this effect without actually saying "Commie"). Or you like it because your 12-year-old kids want to go see it, much like they want to go to Chuck E. Cheese. How this relates to the stadium discussion going on here is that their consensus was that the Wizards can't fill out their current stadium (clearly a lack of research on their part), so what sense does it make to grant them with their own brand new stadium in this economy? I know I'm preaching to the choir here, but the question this brings up is -- should the Wizards write off that whole generation of 90% of the mainstream over the age of 40 (save the bored soccer moms and dads who play brickbreaker on their blackberries during the full 90 minutes, and wishing they were instead watching the Chiefs and Royals lose again); and attempt to focus efforts on credible, knowledgeable, loyal fans made up of the 20-35 crowd? Because I belong to this crowd. And the sentiment I get from them, even the casual soccer fans, new converts, and those that have friends who are fans, for the most part, is that they are at least interested by International and Premier League soccer. The MLS largely has its detractors because it isn't bold enough; has half-assed marketing; and still to this day tries too hard to appeal to "soccer moms" and their families; and the mainstream sports fans that have NFL and MLB season tickets. They league doesn't spend enough money to get in front of people as much as MLB, NFL, NBA, and NHL all do (how many times have you seen something that claims to satisfy ALL your sports needs -- NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL!!! <and that's it...>). Fifth place on that list is usually Nascar (God help us) -- and MLS is a LONG way down; yet it's one of only 5 major organized team sport leagues in this country. It's also the newest by far. But, even still, it has had 10 years+ to gets it's proverbial s--- together. On a team-by-team basis (see Seattle), MLS teams can really tap into this knowledgeable and enthusiastic 20-35 y.o. fan base -- and have at least a chance for those kind of wildly successful results we see in Seattle (30,000 on a regular basis!) Why not KC? Why are we building our stadium for under 20,000? Are we already relegating (no pun intended) ourselves to being the least enthusiastic, least exciting, least attended team in MLS -- even in our brand new stadium??? Where are our bold and big ideas to slap the faces of those that would write off our team as a gimmick that is interesting in small doses??? It's not unprecedented to make a big bold development in this town that becomes a white elephant (see the empty Sprint Center, going on 3 years now...) -- why are people so afraid of having soccer stadium that could be disappointing? The over 40 crowd can go to hell when it comes to soccer in this country; as evidenced by the panel discussion this morning. RH, if you want a full stadium -- you've got to find better ways of tapping into the Premier League fans in this country. They at least take the sport a hell of a lot more seriously than the soccer moms and their kids (even though I understand that the kids are the future Premier League-type fans; provided we can keep their interest past age 12). I'm just afraid that building the stadium in the familiest-friendliest destination in KC in the Legends will only drive home the statement that we are okay with only being a business that caters to an isolated surburban high-income mono-ethnic crowd, and the die-hard Hispanic fans that will show up no matter what. The Hispanic base seems to have an unconditional love of any level of pro soccer, no matter how it's packaged. And good for them; but the non-Hispanic and/or non-foreign sports fans in this country don't share that passion inherantly. It needs to be built with a QUALITY product that they aren't embarrassed by. I know RH has the passion and the fan-connection to want to get this done. But I'm terrified of the compromises that are likely to occur. Those compromises become accepted facts over time, and those facts come to define the club and all it is and all it will ever be until the next big buildout/rebrand/refurb. Sorry for the black-cloud comments, but I just want MLS to be taken seriously as a league in this country and abroad; and I want KC to be taken seriously as a legitimate, non-contribed, knowledgeable sports town. Am I only dreaming? Should I move to Seattle and become a Sounders fan? Or should I suck it up, accept soccer as ever-the-second-class-citizen in this country, and move to Boston to become a Red Sox fan? Or Chicago to become a Cubs fan? Or, hell, even Tampa Bay to become a Rays fan? These are respected organizations that "get" their sports and "get" their hometowns and its fans. Why not KC??? Why not the Wizards??? They've got a very unique opportunity to be that team for KC, with how far the Royals and Chiefs have fallen (unfortunately) -- due to disconnected, out-of-town, spend-thrift, apathetic ownership. Let's go Wizards!
Then they are idiots if that's the decision they came to. KCMO isn't just losing soccer, but they are losing those jobs that Cerner is now creating out in WyCo, you would think Darla Jaye would realize that, but then again she's an idiot. Why? Because outside of Seattle and Toronto (and occasionally LA) no one is consistently pulling in over 20K. As for making a big bold development that becoes a white elephant (like the Sprint Center), there's a difference in support for that. The Sprint Center got a lot more support from the city of KC, with how much support it seemed like the Wizards were getting at times, the owners were going to be fronting more of the bill if it became a white elephant, which would mean less profitablility which would mean a higher likelihood of relocation or folding once the stadium became obsolete.
plus, i can't remember who i asked, they said that they are building it with the intention of adding on...those plans may have changed when economy tanked but i doubt it
I believe Jaye was the woman who made a mockery of the democratic process during the first stadium project with her farcical "town meetings", was she not? Anyway, this is just the city council and/or certain opponents of development in general using their connections in the media to return the pressure the city got to back the bonds. Basically what they're doing is saying "Two can play that game. The Wizards won't have a fanbase left after we've made them out to be the Leona Helms of KC." In truth I have no idea if they can go back to the Trails or not at this point anyway. That's a question I would very much like to ask Robb on Saturday.
As much as I would like to attend the VIP event, I cant justify missing a chance to tailgate for soccer at Arrowhead again for it. I hope someone can post a summary of the Q&A.
i just want to make a clarifying point. you mean this was on 610 sports, right? not 810. two distinctly different sports stations. chris and cowboy, who i've claimed for many years now are the absolute worst on the radio (and it's not even close), couldn't sniff the asshole of 810 whb. i'm pretty sure 980 and 610 are both entercom-owned stations, so combining those two for a roundtable makes sense, but no one listens to 610 that has a clue, so i wouldn't worry about anyone having heard this. "the border patrol" on 810 in the morning has often been quite friendly to soccer. two of the main voices on the show, nate bukaty and jake gutierrez, both play soccer.
S--T! I'm so sorry. I just want everyone to know that the panel was held on 980, the talk radio station. I am so sorry to drag 810's name through the mud, because Bukaty and St. John are both clever, talented, and soccer-interested at best and soccer-agnostic at worst. I very much support 810 radio. And I listen to it every morning for the Border Patrol. I love those guys. I can't say that enough! It was on Newsradio 980. I had the "8" in 980 in my head and it came out "810". I hadn't had my morning coffee yet...
Was that really necessary? Heaven forbid we come up with something a little unique that actually catches on...
Actually, I prefer to think of it as a kick ass, excellent Toots & The Maytalls song. But if you feel the need to bag on something somewhat original and unique to our section, knock yourself out. no really.....please...knock yourself out......
I've been trying to wade through all the posts related to this discussion and missed this info ... is this before the Clasico?
i've always wondered why you all never do a bob marley song. like... 3 little birds. i saw this video on youtube awhile back, and i can't tell you how awesome it would've been to hear this coming out loud from the cauldron during our recent streak of utter ineptitude. [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ZAUqgxMgG4"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ZAUqgxMgG4[/ame] and while i'm not intimately familiar with other supporters groups in mls, i don't think i've ever heard marley being done anywhere else.
A note was also included in the mailed piece with your tickets. Speaking of which, I've got a pair for sale if anyone is interested...