Hmm, time to start thinking about Arrowhead Stadium replacement?
 

http://www.kcstar.com/item/pages/spo...b5a7.529,.html

I would get physically sick. To me, Lamar and my Chiefs are what make me a fan as much as the team that takes the field. There have been exceptions to the rule, but the rule is that the Chiefs = class and midwestern values. I love Arrowhead. I love that we don't have numerous special seats for the rich crybabies too good to sit with the common man. Arrowhead is an equalizer and a great way to feel a PART of something. A part of the community, the fan base. That stadium is as much Chiefs as BBQ and Derrick Thomas and Lenny Dawson...



I WOULD get physically ill at the mere casual mention of its demise to facilitate a few rich and uppity businisnessmen who generally could care less about the outcome of the game...

Well, I think we'll be razing Arrowhead in the next decade or so. 19 franchises have new facilities since 95. That's amazing! I don't see how it could be avoided regardless of Arrowhead's luster.

So, let me get this straight, they are thinking about taring down Arrowhead and building a new stadium? I would have to know all details to be with this.

CG

am I reading this right? They want to tare it down?:confused:



gotta go to class now, check back in later

Well, I'm not sure that I would worry all that much about the issue.... sounds like they'll do some cosmetic reconstruction to put in more restrooms and vendor areas.

However, don't be shocked if they realize after this season that they could bring in more players and become more financially competitive if they sold the naming rights.

A number of things could be done to help alleviate the problem.

They could add a sealed-from-the-outside concourse to the side of the stadium (say at the end of the spiral ramps) and add additional vendors and bathrooms.

They could add a hotel and restaurant/bar between the stadiums, with partial proceeds going to both the Royals and Arrowhead.

They could take out the back row or two of seats to add more concourse space (although less seats means less $$).

They could mover the pack band to the corner of the endzone and add additional seats there.

There are other things that could be done, but the problem is the county, not Lamar, owns the stadium. Anything that is to be done has to be okayed by Jackson county.

I agree that the concourse is a bit narrow, and the bathrooms are inadequate ... but I just can't imagine watching the Chiefs anywhere but Arrowhead. They just can't match the location (central) the parking (plenty, if expensive) and the look (absolute classic).

MM
~~Has only known one home of the Chiefs.

That they were so healthy was interesting, given that the franchise doesn't have all the amenities of a stadium like Dallas or Washington or St. Louis," said Richard Sheehan, an economics professor at Notre Dame and the author of a book titled Keeping Score: The Economics of Big-Time Sports.

"That says a lot for the way the franchise was managed."


This article, especially the quote above, would certainly add fuel to Pacfan's constant rants that CP is more concerned with pofits, than he is with putting a championship product on the field.

How do you go about improving the Taj Mahal of stadiums? :D

I can't wait to visit the new stadium in Denver... I'm going for the Ravens game in September. Sometime I have to visit Arrowhead, I'd love to see a Denver game there.

Once I see both, I'll tell you how they compare... :-)

I think it will be tough to top the new Mile High based on everything that I have seen and read. I will give KC props though, they built a good stadium.

I didn't get the impression, from reading the article, that there is a lot of thought for razing Ahead, and building a new one. Renovations maybe, but not totally rebuilding it. In fact most of the renovations are fan friendly and will no doubt be appreciated. It has been years since I have attended a game there, but the complex still gets cudos from the national press who attend the games. I don't see major rebuilding ahead, for at least the next 10 to 12 years.

Arrowhead is a legend. Even legends have to die off eventually. I will hate to see it go, but I fear it will be inevitable.

I agree w/ MHM, Lamar is looking all that money from Sprint right in the mouth and probably kicking himself. Sprint Field at Arrowhead is how it will play out. Then, we'll get a new stadium. It happens - it just happened in Houston - 3 times for every major sport. And, we had to lose the Oilers to make people understand.

Raze Arrowhead? BLASPHEMY!

I'd hate to see Arrowhead go, too. But, nearly every team in the NFL has done it. Hell, our stadium will have lasted a full 20 years longer than Seattle's if it finishes out the decade. It's been a good run, but I think we might as well get used to the idea that it won't last forever.

Arrowhead "Mountain Spring Water" Stadium

Whenever a stadium sells the rights in the "Sprint Field at Arrowhead Stadium" manner, it always gets shortened to "Sprint Field"... at least this way it would still get shortened to Arrowhead Stadium.

A reasonable argument for tearing it down and starting over now...
 

I would almost rather that they move to replace the stadium sooner rather than later. At least with Lamar Hunt alive and kicking, he would fight to have a replica built. He seems to have as much passion for the style of the stadium as any fan.

If he dies, and 20 years from now, someone new buys the team and builds a stadium, who knows what it would look like. Also, the sooner we build a stadium, the less likely we are to be faced with the possibliity of losing the franchise to another city over a battle for who will pay for it.

Two problems with replacing Arrowhead:

1. Where would they put it?
2. Who would pay for it?

I guess one advantage of a new home is that the entire metro, rather than one county, could help pay for it. And it will have to be replaced ... I just think that it will be at least 10 years from now.

But I still say just renovate it. I drive by the complex twice every day, and it just wouldn't be the same commute without seeing my personal Mecca.

MM
~~Will fight this to the bitter end.

If Lamar sells the naming rights, he might as well tear it down. What kind of a p_ssy name is Sprint Stadium?

Corporate names plastered on stadiums and sporting events (Tostitos Fiesta Bowl) are an embarrassment, and should be banned outright by the front offices of all professional and college sports.

Clint - Those Da*n Capitalists.

BIG DADDY

If you name the stadium first and then sell the rights, everyone will call it the original name anyway. They still call Candlestick by it's name instead of 3 Com Park. Still like the sound of Arrowhead though.

"When we have 79,000 people in the stadium, it's not possible to adequately serve them food and drink and merchandise".

Did the designers think the stadium would never be full? This isn't St. Louis!!!!!!!!!!!!!

It is almost a science to figure out the best time to go pee & buy a beer!

Renovation is the only viable option
 

voters will approve. The county owns the land, and the stadium. I know I wouldn't vote for a new stadium until Arrowhead was absolutely falling down, and I don't see that happening. There are many possiblities in the renovation area, and some of them might be interesting as well as functional. The lower concourses definitely need to be widened.

Say no to naming rights!!

I've got one vote, and I know I could convince about 20-30 more...

I'm usually not really a traditionalist, I'm always up for change, but in this case...in my opinion, the Chiefs have only one name and house...and thats Arrowhead.

CG

hopes it doesn't change one bit

pappaj,
That's not necessarily the case when naming stadiums. Reliant Energy baught the naming rights to the Astrodome here in Houston, as well as the new Texans stadium, and EVERYONE still calls it the ASTRODOME. However, sometimes it is called the Reliant Astrodome, but the Astrodome will never get dropped out of the name...until it is scrapped.

From Chiefs zone.com..

Plans originally called for a single, multi-purpose stadium, but the idea was scrapped when design and seating capacity concerns thwarted efforts for the proposed domed stadium. Kansas City officials then choose to construct two stadiums -- one for baseball and another for football.
-----------------------------------------------------------
Brilliant!..Exactly what Seattle should have done to save the taxpayers hundreds of millions. The new Seahawk stadium is the most expensive stadium ever built (surpassing Safeco) 1+ billion dollars overall between the two...yikes!!




When a lot of other cities were building multi-use domes, K.C did the smart thing and built beautiful seperate stadiums for their fans.

Arrowhead (though slightly outdated) is still one of the top stadiums in the league for fan experience ..IMO WAY too early to think abot tearing down that gem, add more luxury suites to keep the fat cats where they belong, and use the revenue to keep the rowdy blue collar fans some fairly priced seats..

Gotta keep the rowdy fans to keep the aura and the volume...jmho....Joe

After reading the article, I have little doubt that we need to worry. Hunt is old school, and knows who the real fans are. Will he ever build a new stadium? Yes but from what I gather it will be awhile down the road, say 7-12 years at least. Most likely what you'll see is some renovations in the next 5 years with more luxery boxes added, enclosing the walkway etc.

I also think that if plans do proceed for a new stadium in prior to Hunts departure ( can't even think of him not here) then you will see a stadium VERY similer in design and look. Now if it's his son who has the team? who knows, but HOPEFULLYY Lamar will have instilled his views and sense of values on.

Joe knows!
 

I've always said KC was very lucky to have separate stadiums. Throw in all that parking, and you can see somebody was doing some thinking.

KC relies tremedously on it's fan base, giving the naming rights to a corporation, tearing down old and building new would not be percieved well by the majority of it's fan base who view Arrowhead as symbol of the team's pride and fans pride as well. The main differences between other organizations decision to either give naming rights, renovate, or build new has been due to poor stadium condition and to generate revenue for their finiancially struggling teams. Let's face it Arrowhead and KC has neither of those problems due to a great effort by the organization and it's fan base. Has anyone ever really struggled to get around Arrowhead on two feet? Has anyone ever really waited for a restroom?...I know I never have. Want to see someone waiting for portapotty/JohnnyontheSpot or absolutely disgusting conditions go to the Kansas Speedway to see the Winston Cup Series race next month and then you won't have anything to complain about Arrowhead and it's sports event capabilities. There isn't a bad seat in Arrowhead, isn't that more important than 7 different kinds of pretzels, pizza and gyros, fries or fried cheesesticks?

DUDE!! Have you ever had a date in your life? :D


Arrowhead will be replaced someday, it is inevitable. But I'm not too worried for now. The whole point of that article was to emphasize the ease with which Arrowhead can be renovated.
Now Lamar's comments about Corporate naming rights...that bugs me!!

RE
 

Clint,
I hate to say it but, it's a sign of the times. Football is a business. It's all about the money. Selling the naming rights means more $$$ coming in. Now, having said that, I would absolutely hate it if they sold the naming rights to Arrowhead. However, it wouldn't surprise me if they did and I would just have to accept it.
Big Daddy,
I don't know what you're talking about. Every time I hear a sports anchor on tv or an announcer talk about Candlestick, they call it 3Com Park. I haven't heard anyone refer to it as Candlestick park in quite a few years.

P.S. Arrowhead could use more women's restrooms. As far as the mens' go, if you go right before the quarter or half ends, you can usually get in and out pretty quickly.

My whole point is, Why fix something that isn't broke. I can see upgrading a few things and I mean a few. As far as selling naming rights for money, How do you think the Ravens feel now about naming rights that PSInet has filed for bankruptcy because of cash shortage. Think they will get paid the rest owed?

New stadium??????
 

I've been a K.C. CHIEFS SUPER FAN since I was 5 years old. I've been to ARROWHEAD many times in the last 27 years. It's the best stadium! Yes, I would hate to see any huge changes like name change or even a new stadium. But money runs everything. Money gets what money wants. Is it time ? Hope not!

<font size="3">At least Lamar doesn't think KC needs to replace Arrowhead.

<a href="http://www.kcstar.com/item/pages/chiefs.pat,sports/3accd574.719,.html">Source</a></font>