Wizards Stadium update

[staubio]

Amen Grid. No need to drag the Royals down just to help the Wiz.

Please. I like soccer, particularly the MLS, but its growth is pretty stagnant, and it is not growing here. KC baseball attendance is pretty consistent with what it has been the last few years, and the same as it was in the 70s. Hardly dying.

I want both franchises to do well here. There's no need to rip one in favor of the other. This area is certainly large enough to support both.

As far as only supporting the winning teams, that is crap. So I suppose we should let the Wiz go as soon as they start losing? I believe the term for that is "bandwagon."

Actually, KC has shown pretty consistent attendance growth since '96.

As far as the "bandwagon" thing goes, I didn't say that we should only support winning teams.  I was just pointing out the peculiarity of the situation, that is all.

[KCMax]

Not really. In 1996 they averaged 12,000. That went down to as few as 8,000 fans a game in 1998, and now they average 14,000. So in a decade, they have 2,000 more fans a game. In 1996 the Royals averaged 18,000. Last year they averaged 20,000 a game. So in a decade, they have 2,000 more fans a game.

Yet the Wizards are experiencing "consistent attendance growth" and the Royals are dying in KC?  Huh?

[ComandanteCero]

i really don't think it's an either/or issue.  There are plenty of different markets for each sport, it's not like sports fans are all one defined group for which football, baseball and soccer are competing.  So let's treat each team's issues separately, since i doubt the Royals being sold would help the Wizards, or vice versa.

Personally i'd love to see an urban soccer stadium with a bar/entertainment district in walking distance...... but seeing as soccer in the U.S is a different animal from what it is in the rest of the world and has to operate with different assumptions and market demands, i guess a suburban complex it shall be.  I think soccer would benefit ALOT if it stopped catering to the soccer mom/ youth market and started to develop the adult market.  I don't care what people say about developing the taste early on, as long as stadiums are geared towards kiddies the sport will keep the kiddie aura about it.  Debatable..... yes, sure.  But honestly, if soccer in the U.S took the lead in realizing it's offering a different sports experience from what is currently offered, and sought to develop the 18-36 crowd it would be a huge force to reckon with. 

Having said that, i think soccer is going to grow regardless and this stadium needs to happen WHEREVER it can.  We can worry about aesthetics, location, etc once the game has matured and has the money and fan base to get whichever site it wants.  Perhaps in 20 years when market demands have changed, and stadiums don't have to depend on youth fields, we'll get an awesome soccer stadium in the urban core, a la collisseum in Rome 

[staubio]

Not really. In 1996 they averaged 12,000. That went down to as few as 8,000 fans a game in 1998, and now they average 14,000. So in a decade, they have 2,000 more fans a game. In 1996 the Royals averaged 18,000. Last year they averaged 20,000 a game. So in a decade, they have 2,000 more fans a game.

Yet the Wizards are experiencing "consistent attendance growth" and the Royals are dying in KC?  Huh?

'96 was the first season, so everyone's numbers were higher.  There was sustained growth.

I'm not talking about strictly attendance, though. I'm talking about the upside of each sport.  The think the institution of baseball is on a very slow decline.  There isn't much of an upside in baseball.  The market is realized.  Soccer has huge, untapped potential that baseball doesn't.

I don't want to start a pissing match between two sports.  I agree that it isn't an either/or -- I was just speaking to the in-jest fan "protest" signs.

[KCMax]

[/i]There isn't much of an upside in baseball.  The market is realized. [/i]

I wholeheartedly disagree. You don't think if KC finally started winning attendance wouldn't go up 50%?

[staubio]

[/i]There isn't much of an upside in baseball.  The market is realized. [/i]

I wholeheartedly disagree. You don't think if KC finally started winning attendance wouldn't go up 50%?

Sure, I think it would.  That isn't an upside, though.  Those fans are already exposed to the sport, they just don't like it enough to go see a loser team.  Soccer, on the other hand, is an unfamiliar frontier for many.

[im2kull]

Sure, I think it would.  That isn't an upside, though.  Those fans are already exposed to the sport, they just don't like it enough to go see a loser team.  Soccer, on the other hand, is an unfamiliar frontier for many.

The last time I went during our good winning season of 03', I sure saw alot of familys.  And the last time I checked they all had kids, which became fans....that would be the reasons for all the small promotions during games...like run the bases...there all for younger demographics, which aren't die hard fans of any team, but will spend money.  If cash is king, then how can that not be an upside?

[KCPowercat]

There will be a story in the 6/1 Star about a $10k JoCo study about a soccer complex.

[SamPierron]

I haven't seen an article yet, but you're going to want to put a zero onto the end of that figure.

[KCPowercat]

I saw it at the game last night talking about tomorow's KC Star headlines...guess it didn't come through.

[SamPierron]

The study is going to happen, and the cost is approximately $100K.  Both public and private parties are contributing to the cost.

[KCMax]

County to kick around pro soccer

Today, the Johnson County Commission could decide to launch a renewed push for a 22,000-seat stadium and 20 top-notch youth fields that would be built adjacent to the stadium.

“Kansas has learned from its experience with the Kansas Speedway the benefits that can be brought to an area by construction of a first-class sports facility,â€

[staubio]

Great news.  JoCo is getting serious about the stadium and the local investor is actually putting some money down to see if this would work, which tells me that he/she is serious.

[GRID]

Great news.  JoCo is getting serious about the stadium and the local investor is actually putting some money down to see if this would work, which tells me that he/she is serious.

Tell you what, pay me only 25k not the full 100k and I’ll dig out the study that has already been done, blow the dust off of it, update a few of the numbers and tell you by Friday that a soccer stadium complex is not only needed, but will be an economic advantage to what ever city builds it.

Deal?

[dangerboy]

Tell you what, pay me only 25k not the full 100k and I’ll dig out the study that has already been done, blow the dust off of it, update a few of the numbers and tell you by Friday that a soccer stadium complex is not only needed, but will be an economic advantage to what ever city builds it.

Deal?

This KC, where we have to appoint a task force to study whether or not to conduct a study.  We'll need a minimum of 5 studies before anything gets done.

[KCMax]

But will it be a Blue Ribbon task force? Red Ribbon task forces suck.

[Thrillcekr]

But will it be a Blue Ribbon task force? Red Ribbon task forces suck.

The Pabst Blue Ribbon task force.  GRID with his computer and a six pack of cheap beer.

[GRID]

The Pabst Blue Ribbon task force.  GRID with his computer and a six pack of cheap beer.

I went to CMSU, the Natural Light consumption capital of the world!

It’s no wonder I don’t like beer now.

[Tosspot]

I went to CMSU, the Natural Light consumption capital of the world!

It’s no wonder I don’t like beer now.

I'm a CMSU alumnus as well, and in my tenure there I became thoroughly aghast at the copious quantities of that substandard piss water those people would consume.

[GRID]

I'm a CMSU alumnus as well, and in my tenure there I became thoroughly aghast at the copious quantities of that substandard piss water those people would consume.

Tasted better than the water