Truman Sports Complex or bust?

Discussion about new sports facilities in Kansas City
phuqueue
Broadway Square
Broadway Square
Posts: 2822
Joined: Wed Apr 20, 2005 10:33 pm

Re: Truman Sports Complex or bust?

Post by phuqueue »

LenexatoKCMO wrote: Detroit is always upheld as the prime example of a downtown ballpark failing to deliver as promised.  However, there are a couple of important things to remember about the Detroit situation.  The park was built in a bombed out part of town with little to no development initiatives going on in conjunction with the arrival of the ballpark - well gee, I wonder why their downtown hasn't miraculously turned around in a few years.
You'll notice that Detroit is far from the only example.  Several other teams have attendance similar to that of the Royals, and many more, although their attendance is higher, experience year after year of decline.  Further, I wasn't addressing the idea that moving the Royals will help downtown, I was responding to dangerboy's comment that the Royals "need" downtown.  As all those cities I mentioned have shown, you can play the games wherever you want to, but if you're losing, people will stop coming.
In addition, Detroit moved into their new ballpark just in time to have a couple  of the ugliest seasons in the history of the league. 
Exactly my point.  If the team is bad, no one will come, no matter where the stadium is.
So on the basis of the fact that two out of the umpteen downtown parks that have been built in the last decade or so havn't been successes durring the first couple of years of their operation, we are supposed to ignore the successes?  We aren't supposed to pay any attention at all to major successes like SF candelstick vs. SF SBC, or Seattle Kingdome v. Seattle Safeco, or Cleveland memorial v. Cleveland Jacobs, or Baltimore Memorial v. Baltimore Camden, Houston, etc, etc?

Did you pay attention to why Detroit hasn't done much yet?
No, we aren't supposed to pay attention to perennial playoff contenders like the Giants (until this season, anyway) or the Mariners (until the past two years) or even to a lesser extent the Indians (until 2002) or the Astros.  We're supposed to pay attention to teams that, like the Royals, find themselves win-challenged.  Successful teams draw crowds...what a shock.  At question here is whether a downtown stadium will create an audience for a bad team.  The Orioles are the only team on your list there that haven't been a serious playoff contender in a long time, and as I noted in my previous post, their attendance has been dropping dramatically every year until it posted a modest gain last season (when they managed to improve by a few games and finish in third place behind two of the best teams in baseball).  My contention is that people will not come to see a bad team, even if the stadium is downtown.  dangerboy says the Royals need downtown and I say the Royals need wins.
kcdcchef
The Quiet Chair
The Quiet Chair
Posts: 8804
Joined: Tue Aug 31, 2004 10:48 pm
Location: pittsburgh, pennsylvania

Re: Truman Sports Complex or bust?

Post by kcdcchef »

the royals need wins, and need them badly. downtown stadiums give you a BIG boost in the first year, and second some times. then after that it is incumbent upon the franchise to win. or the fans go bye bye. as in detroit, cincinatti, baltimore, and seattle too. even cleveland came back down to earth too. they are winning again, but not selling out, or coming even close.

the royals did sell out back in 03 quite a few times when we held first for most of the season, but need i remind every one here that a lot of these franchises that want new stadiums so bad, had fans that were there in the first place. even when they lost, and lost bad.
MU FINISHED THE YEAR RANKED HIGHER IN HOOPS AND FOOTBALL THAN THE KAY U JAYDORKS. UP YOURS KAY U JAYDORK FANS!!!! :D :D :D :D :D
2wayStKC
Parking Garage
Parking Garage
Posts: 4
Joined: Thu Aug 25, 2005 1:51 am

Re: Truman Sports Complex or bust?

Post by 2wayStKC »

Yeah,

  I re-read my post. Nothing there that isn't true.  MO is still going to f* this up b/c they don't properly manage or plan for their obligations. I like Arrowhead and the K, but KCMO may end up bailing on there obligations and leave them free to shop.  IF this happens, bitch and whine all you want- KS may just take its shot at getting them?

I'll try not to freeload anymore in MO. I didn't realize when I come and spend money at MO business' and pay sales tax on my purchases, meals, etc. that i was FREELOADING.

I'll make this short b/c its been already said. KCMO has no one to blame for its situation but itself- from the shit schools, to the poor tax base, to the whining about businesses moving to KS.  Thank god they atleast got a KS girl to line up the Sprint Arena (a KS biz)

Maybe the MO residents should rant to Jeff city for being treated like a bitch. Don't get pissy with JOCO for taking care of their business and helping support another state's projects from time to time (Bi-state, which has never been done before)
eliphar17
Alameda Tower
Alameda Tower
Posts: 1332
Joined: Fri Apr 04, 2003 12:30 am
Location: Norman, OK (from KC)
Contact:

Re: Truman Sports Complex or bust?

Post by eliphar17 »

2wayStKC wrote:MO is still going to f* this up b/c they don't properly manage or plan for their obligations. I like Arrowhead and the K, but KCMO may end up bailing on there obligations and leave them free to shop. IF this happens, bitch and whine all you want- KS may just take its shot at getting them?

I'll make this short b/c its been already said. KCMO has no one to blame for its situation but itself- from the shit schools, to the poor tax base, to the whining about businesses moving to KS. Thank god they atleast got a KS girl to line up the Sprint Arena (a KS biz)
The City of Kansas City has nothing to do, legally at least, with the current stadium situation. Jackson County is the responsible party, if you want to see it that way. And stadiums have nothing to do with schools and a "poor tax base" (whatever that means) and businesses moving across the state line. Keep this focused on the stadiums, and please check your facts (maybe by reading one of the dozens of threads where this has already been discussed) before you make deliberately belligerent comments.

It seems logical to me that the smart thing to do in the 1970s, to avoid the mess we're in now, would have been to use a little foresight and involve Johnson County (and Wyandotte County too, I suppose) in the funding, even though it did not have such a dominant presence at the time. (Nor was it empty; 210,000 people lived there in 1970.) That way, we wouldn't have such a bitter and hateful discussion now about who's paying for the next set of stadiums, since it would just be assumed that everyone is. If the funding solution in the 1970s involved long-term taxation, why did they ignore long-term growth patterns and go for the simpler solution of one-state funding?
User avatar
KCPowercat
Ambassador
Posts: 33836
Joined: Mon Oct 07, 2002 12:49 pm
Location: Quality Hill
Contact:

Re: Truman Sports Complex or bust?

Post by KCPowercat »

Isn't Sprint based in Virgina?
http://downtownkcmo.blogspot.com

Tweeting live from Big 12 tournament @downtownkc
User avatar
KCMax
Global Moderator
Global Moderator
Posts: 24051
Joined: Wed Aug 04, 2004 3:31 pm
Location: The basement of a Ross Dress for Less
Contact:

Re: Truman Sports Complex or bust?

Post by KCMax »

Not really. Its official HQ is there, but most of the employees are in OP.
SAVE THE PLAZA - FROM ZOMBIES! Find out how at:

http://twitter.com/TheKCRag
User avatar
KCPowercat
Ambassador
Posts: 33836
Joined: Mon Oct 07, 2002 12:49 pm
Location: Quality Hill
Contact:

Re: Truman Sports Complex or bust?

Post by KCPowercat »

until 2006...sadly.
http://downtownkcmo.blogspot.com

Tweeting live from Big 12 tournament @downtownkc
2wayStKC
Parking Garage
Parking Garage
Posts: 4
Joined: Thu Aug 25, 2005 1:51 am

Re: Truman Sports Complex or bust?

Post by 2wayStKC »

Sprint Nextel, along with its affiliates and partners, operates networks that cover approximately 268 million people. With its extensive network, spectrum assets and technology migration path, Sprint Nextel is well positioned to lead the industry. Sprint Nextel has approximately 80,000 employees with its corporate headquarters in Reston, Va., and its operational headquarters in Overland Park, Kan.
remains to be seen- given how much they spent to build the campus and that their probably tied in, I don't think they are going anywhere soon?
shinatoo
Ambassador
Posts: 7393
Joined: Wed Jan 19, 2005 3:20 pm

Re: Truman Sports Complex or bust?

Post by shinatoo »

Cooperate headquarters will remain in Reston as most of there work involves interaction with the FCC and lobbying.
Locked