I know you’re eager to stop thinking about stadiums (or anything) and enjoy the three-day weekend (if you’re in the U.S., that is; other readers are probably baffled by what I’m talking about), so enough with all these parentheticals already and let’s get to this:
- An unnamed NBA executive has speculated to a reporter for the SEC Network that Kansas City “will get an NBA team at some point,” which was enough for Bleacher Report to turn it into an article, and now I’m perpetuating the rumor cycle, I am so ashamed. Let me at least do some penance by reminding you that the private promoter that runs Kansas City’s arena would rather keep booking lots of concerts during basketball season than offer an NBA team a sweetheart lease, so maybe don’t hold you breath on this one.
- Residents of Elmont, Long Island are still protesting plans for a new arena for the New York Islanders there, on the grounds that it will hurt local businesses and won’t benefit them with anything more than hot dog sales jobs. There’s still almost another year to go before New York state makes a final determination of the arena plan that it didn’t bother to determine how much of a land giveaway it would be (my estimate: as much as $300 million), so expect plenty more protests in the interim.
- If you want to rent the last available suite at the Milwaukee Bucks‘ new arena, it comes with a butler. That magic basketball is creating jobs already!
- It would cost the city of Austin about $13 million to build a light-rail station just to service a new arena for the relocated Columbus Crew, and Austin officials want Crew owner Anthony Precourt to pay for it, which seems eminently reasonable. Assuming Precourt actually succeeds in building a stadium and moving the Crew, which is still very much up in the air.
- The Texas Rangers owners still haven’t decided whether to use a turf or grass field at their new stadium that they’re building with public money just because the old one doesn’t have air-conditioning; I’m sure it’s a tough decision whether “we need a new stadium because the old one has turf” or “we need a new stadium because the grass is dying at the old one” will sound like a better excuse 20 years from now.
- David Beckham’s new Miami MLS team might finally have — no, not a stadium. But a name, maybe, if a trademark filing for “Miami Freedom” is any indication. Cue the jokes about how in America, you can only have freedom if you pay the price of admission, and then once you get it it’s invariably disappointing compared to what people enjoy in the rest of the world.
- Ilitch family–owned buildings near the Detroit Red Wings‘ arena aren’t getting ticketed for sitting windowless and vacant, while other nearby buildings are, because Detroit is a one-industry town, and that industry is pizza.
- The Cleveland Indians owners are looking to have Cuyahoga County pay for $8 million in assorted improvements to their stadium — including such things as ripping out ticket windows that aren’t needed now that everyone buys tickets online — by adding up a bunch of small expenses and then pointing to a lease clause that taxpayers are on the hook for all major capital expenses of more than $500,000. Clever, in an evil-genius way!
DO I have to remind you!!! “Freedom isn’t FREE!”!
…the Utopia that would be upon us, were Marxism only done correctly …
Kansas City already has a professional basketball team. It’s called the Kansas Jayhawks.
He should name them the “Nothing Else to Lose.” Janis Joplin would appreciate that.
I’m not getting the ticket window thing. Just leave em empty.
Bu that space could be filled with another food tall or shop and then rented out? Think of the missing rental revenue! I mean you cannot expect the team to dip into their precious precious revenue to pay for their expenses. That is for regular business!
Others must cover their business expenses!
Article in the Journal Sentinel today about layoffs from the closing of Milwaukee’s Bradley Center. Hopefully they’re all butlers who can transition to the new arena
Little Caesars Arena named Sports Facility of the Year
http://www.mlive.com/news/index.ssf/2018/05/little_caesars_arena_named_201.html#incart_river_index
Sporting landscape on the move (and not just in Cleveland):
1978: The team employs ticket takers/vendors, pays rent in one form or another on the publicly funded stadium it plays in and charges customers a fee to enter the building to watch games.
2018: The team no longer employs ticket takers, typically does not pay rent or contribute to capital upgrades on the (new) facility it plays in, and charges customers both a fee for a place in line to buy tickets and a fee to enter the building to watch each game. Team also imposes special ticket processing fees despite the fact that they no longer pay ticket takers or print actual tickets.
Like I’ve said before, they only thing they have left is to charge us for the privilege of leaving the stadium as well (insert Marlins or, this year, Mets joke here).
We sports fans are nothing but fools.
DON’T GIVE THEM IDEAS!
Now I thoroughly expect to see “Yankees announce exit fees, Steinbrenner says ‘temporary measure\'”
That industry is pizza.
Oh you are a card, Neil
As has been pointed out by others on the internet, the Freedom name is likely a reference to Miami’s Freedom Tower, built in 1925 and later used to process refugees fleeing from Cuba in the 60’s. A little more thoughtful than it appears at first blush.
Mr Barroway has THREE options for a new arena?
https://twitter.com/wyshynski/status/1001230415112237057
I thought this was Memorial Day, not Aprils Fools’ Day!
Funny how Mr. Daly stated the same thing (three to four arena options) almost a year ago to the day.
https://sports.yahoo.com/news/nhl-confident-coyotes-intrigued-seattle-arena-news-174833095.html
Almost exactly a decade ago Bettman claimed there were “many, many” enthusiastic potential owners for the club (which was then in Az bankruptcy court).
Turned out the winning bidder was…. the NHL itself – Who proceeded to lose $74m operating the club over the next two years after publicly stating that the previous owner’s (Jerry Moyes) claim of $40m annual operating losses was “ridiculous”.
Hmmmn. Maybe there’s a pattern here…
Don’t forget the city of Glendale paid the NHL $50 million to subsidize the Coyotes.