Bannister Mall: the new home of the Wizards. Watch KC screw this up.

[Eleazar]

There are plenty of other cities where soccer teams are doing well in their own soccer-specific venues. I don't see why ours couldn't do the same. Even if you don't like the sport, don't go, but having a successful franchise operating in your city is a good thing.

And the game is entertaining to watch. You're a d-nozzle IMO if you choose not to like something because you're afraid someone is going to call you a p#ssy for it. If you don't like it, fine. I realize it's not a fast food sport where you get a score and 5 commercials every 5 minutes.

What I think is flawed in the idea of opening up some new shopping down there is that the area has gone way downhill. It's not the early 1980s anymore, there isn't any retail business there because people don't have the money to support it.

I remember going into the Best Buy that used to be there, before it closed down, and it didn't look like any best buy you'd ever seen. If I remember right you had to ask for a key to the bathroom. You could tell they had a problem with theft there and everything else.

Originally Posted by Cochise

There are plenty of other cities where soccer teams are doing well in their own soccer-specific venues. I don't see why ours couldn't do the same. Even if you don't like the sport, don't go, but having a successful franchise operating in your city is a good thing.

And the game is entertaining to watch. You're a d-nozzle IMO if you choose not to like something because you're afraid someone is going to call you a p#ssy for it. If you don't like it, fine. I realize it's not a fast food sport where you get a score and 5 commercials every 5 minutes.

I've been to a Wizards game - took all 3 of my daughters. I was moderately entertained but not enough to spend money to watch. Thankfully the tickets were free. I somewhat understand the draw of larger sports and why they qualify for tax breaks but what is for all intents and purposes a fledgling league shouldn't be able to bend our city over backwards for a stadium. That's ridiculous. How many soccer leagues have flopped in this country? I'm totally against any plan that gives soccer a free pass to tax benefits at this juncture.

[Eleazar]

Originally Posted by Phobia

I've been to a Wizards game - took all 3 of my daughters. I was moderately entertained but not enough to spend money to watch. Thankfully the tickets were free. I somewhat understand the draw of larger sports and why they qualify for tax breaks but what is for all intents and purposes a fledgling league shouldn't be able to bend our city over backwards for a stadium. That's ridiculous. How many soccer leagues have flopped in this country? I'm totally against any plan that gives soccer a free pass to tax benefits at this juncture.

I'm not a huge fan of TIF myself, I was just saying, it's popular to beat up on soccer but it's possible to appreciate it entirely. It's not at the level that it is in Europe, but the league is WAY ahead of where it was 10 years ago.

I think with the changing demographics in this country, soccer is going to become more and more popular, maybe at the expense of things like the NBA and NHL.

[xbarretx]

Originally Posted by Cochise

I'm not a huge fan of TIF myself, I was just saying, it's popular to beat up on soccer but it's possible to appreciate it entirely. It's not at the level that it is in Europe, but the league is WAY ahead of where it was 10 years ago.

I think with the changing demographics in this country, soccer is going to become more and more popular, maybe at the expense of things like the NBA and NHL.

NBA - naturally, let them keep acting like hooligans (SP?) and striking. i didnt mind letting go of MLB once they did it...

as for NHL..its a pain to get it on TV....what do the fools running the NHL think? we get enjoyment by osmosis? if they play it we can learn to hate or enjoy it.

Soccer will continue to grow, no harm no foul. as with NHL though....they need to televise it a bit more so it makes fricken sense

[Silock]

Originally Posted by Phobia

I've been to a Wizards game - took all 3 of my daughters. I was moderately entertained but not enough to spend money to watch. Thankfully the tickets were free. I somewhat understand the draw of larger sports and why they qualify for tax breaks but what is for all intents and purposes a fledgling league shouldn't be able to bend our city over backwards for a stadium. That's ridiculous. How many soccer leagues have flopped in this country? I'm totally against any plan that gives soccer a free pass to tax benefits at this juncture.

The problem with soccer in this country is that it's entirely different than the soccer they play overseas. There aren't nearly as many spectacular players and plays, the game is much, much slower and there isn't the ESPN-type of coverage.

That being said, I think the league is getting better. And if you don't like soccer, that's fine, but it's only going to become more popular as immigrants settle in here.

[Eleazar]

Originally Posted by Silock

The problem with soccer in this country is that it's entirely different than the soccer they play overseas. There aren't nearly as many spectacular players and plays, the game is much, much slower and there isn't the ESPN-type of coverage.

The game isn't played at the same level, that's for sure. The skill of the players in MLS isn't of international caliber. But the league has to begin somewhere, and it is getting better.

I like watching the (English) premier league matches I can see on cable. And a few months ago I was in Dublin, in a bar full of people watching Liverpool/Marseille, and it was fun. I had friends there that didn't like soccer and said they were enjoying watching it.

A lot of our enjoyment of sport is enjoying it with the people around us. The hurdle is getting that ball rolling.

[Calcountry]

Originally Posted by Silock

The problem with soccer in this country is that it's entirely different than the soccer they play overseas. There aren't nearly as many spectacular players and plays, the game is much, much slower and there isn't the ESPN-type of coverage.

That being said, I think the league is getting better. And if you don't like soccer, that's fine, but it's only going to become more popular as immigrants settle in here.

So what you are saying is we are being taken over by foreigners. Count me among the non sports fan if Soccer becomes preeminent in this country. I simply cannot get excited about 60 minutes of 1-NIL football. The only thing more annoying than that, is the ref being the only fool in the stadium that actually knows when the freaking halves are over with.

[Silock]

Originally Posted by bunnytrdr

So what you are saying is we are being taken over by foreigners. Count me among the non sports fan if Soccer becomes preeminent in this country. I simply cannot get excited about 60 minutes of 1-NIL football. The only thing more annoying than that, is the ref being the only fool in the stadium that actually knows when the freaking halves are over with.

Technically, it's 90+ minutes.

And no, we're not being "taken over by foreigners." But like it or not, immigrants are coming here and will probably continue to come here and their entertainment dollars will start to help dictate what gets covered in this country.

To me, soccer is more consistently interesting than baseball and football. Non-stop action for 45 minutes. There are commercial time outs or people waiting around for a ball to fly over home plate every 45 seconds. It's infinitely more interesting than NASCAR, but people each have their own idea of what they like.

I'm not saying that anyone HAS to like soccer. I really don't care if you do or you don't. But it being here will help bring entertainment dollars to this city and that can only be a good thing.

[memyselfI]

Originally Posted by Phobia

I've been to a Wizards game - took all 3 of my daughters. I was moderately entertained but not enough to spend money to watch. Thankfully the tickets were free. I somewhat understand the draw of larger sports and why they qualify for tax breaks but what is for all intents and purposes a fledgling league shouldn't be able to bend our city over backwards for a stadium. That's ridiculous. How many soccer leagues have flopped in this country? I'm totally against any plan that gives soccer a free pass to tax benefits at this juncture.

Many soccer leagues have flopped in this country and yet it's still one of the top participated sports as far as youth in the country. Johnson County has one of the highest per capita ratios of players to population in the country. As such, funding a new stadium that will also serve as a marquee for top tournaments and exhibitions is a good idea. It likely will never be as popular as the NFL in the US. Likely won't be as popular as baseball either.

The popularity level could change as the US becomes a dominant force in the sport on a worldwide level. It's taken a long time for us to become serious players on the highest levels but we are there and getting better. As a previous poster said, the problem with US soccer is that is so much slower and, simultaneously, less finesse than the worldwide soccer powerhouses. As US players improve that will change as well.

I think the key to making soccer huge in this country is to NOT rely solely on foreign imports who are on the downsides of their career to be the ambassador and face of the sport here. See the Beckham debacle. Rather, its to continue to grow and develop OUR OWN PLAYERS and win a WC or two. It will only be then that we can judge whether or not soccer will be successful as a draw in this country.

If after the US has won a couple of world titles they still can't sell the sport then it likely will not ever be sold. But until we have that accomplishment under our belt we are just guessing what it's impact might or might not be.

[Eleazar]

Originally Posted by memyselfI

If after the US has won a couple of world titles they still can't sell the sport then it likely will not ever be sold. But until we have that accomplishment under our belt we are just guessing what it's impact might or might not be.

"A couple of world titles?" That's more than England has and they seem to sell it just fine. There are only about 4 teams that have ever even won it twice.

[memyselfI]

Originally Posted by Cochise

"A couple of world titles?" That's more than England has and they seem to sell it just fine. There are only about 4 teams that have ever even won it twice.

Yes, that is what it will take for the world's super power to be considered a DOMINANT force in the sport.

[Silock]

Originally Posted by memyselfI

Yes, that is what it will take for the world's super power to be considered a DOMINANT force in the sport.

Not at all. We'll be considered a force in the sport when we consistently have our starting 11 players playing overseas and STARTING in their leagues. Currently, the only real *star* we have is Tim Howard, and he's a keeper. Dempsey is impressing at Fulham, as did McBride. Bocanegra is okay, but still wouldn't start on one of the better teams in the EPL. Freddy Adu could be great, as could Altidore, but the jury is still out on them.

Until the US develops a great striker and a couple of midfield players who can actually link up with that guy, we won't ever do anything in international soccer.

[Pitt Gorilla]

I'm still sad that KC didn't get the Penguins. THAT would have been awesome.

[Bob Dole]

Originally Posted by memyselfI

Many soccer leagues have flopped in this country and yet it's still one of the top participated sports as far as youth in the country. Johnson County has one of the highest per capita ratios of players to population in the country. As such, funding a new stadium that will also serve as a marquee for top tournaments and exhibitions is a good idea.

Then perhaps Johnson County should offer up an incentive package.

[memyselfI]

Originally Posted by Bob Dole

Then perhaps Johnson County should offer up an incentive package.

I wish they would. It sure beats driving to MO and giving them our $. But, I digress, the last initiative was bad though I still supported it. It lost badly.