"Major" Sports Announcement

[funwithteeth]

if you want more scoring, coem to the stadium tomorrow for America's oldest sport....lacrosse!

Watched a bit of this on tv earlier. There was what, maybe 60 people in attendance? The two teams and their assorted staff and hangers-on probably outnumbered the fans.

[copperfiend]

I was there Friday night and although the game did not provide much excitement, there was a good crowd. I talked to some people that came down from Philly to watch the team in Orlando and Jax and they were really surprised by the amount of people in attendance for the exhibition against Montreal. I don't know how realistic us ever getting an MLS would be but I could see us getting an NASL squad in the next few years.

[fsquid]

I was really hoping we would grab one of the us qualifiers but they all went to soccer specific venues.

[Tacachale]

^And there's the rub. Any pro soccer in Jax will be affected by our lack of an appropriate venue. The 'Bank's too big and there's not much smaller. I think MLS could do well here but it's out of the question until we get a strong ownership group with a plan for a soccer-specific stadium.

[KenFSU]

^ Yeah, there are only three teams in the MLS without soccer-specific stadiums (Los Angeles, Seattle, and New England), and I believe at least two of those teams are in discussions to build one. Jacksonville would need to commit to building a 20,000 seat soccer specific stadium (average price tag: $100 million), and the MLS would need to express interest in the Southeast before we'd even have a prayer. With soccer increasing in popularity by the year, and so many of our peer cities in Florida building or planning to build soccer specific stadiums (Orlando, Tampa, Fort Lauderdale), it's probably something to start at least preliminarily thinking about. As copper mentioned above, the NASL would be a good stepping stone toward eventually landing an MLS team. Of all of the major sports leagues out there, I actually think that the MLS would be the one addition the market could realistically support without completely cannibalizing the Jags. I believe league average for season tickets is around $22 per game, and 15 home games per season. Sounds doable to me.

P.S. Just for fun, where would you guys build our soccer specific stadium?

[tufsu1]

if you want more scoring, coem to the stadium tomorrow for America's oldest sport....lacrosse!

Watched a bit of this on tv earlier. There was what, maybe 60 people in attendance? The two teams and their assorted staff and hangers-on probably outnumbered the fans.

yeah...well I know at least 10 people that were there, so 60 seems a bit low

[tufsu1]

P.S. Just for fun, where would you guys build our soccer specific stadium?

At UNF or JU...so it could also be used for football

[Tacachale]

I'd do a soccer-specific stadium that could double as an outdoor concert venue and be used for marquee amateur soccer, high school football, rugby, etc. I'd definitely put it in the urban core, preferably on the river in the stadium district, the shipyards site, the old courthouse, maybe Brooklyn or the old southside generator site.

[spuwho]

I give the mayor credit, he at least is putting the feelers out there.

Regardless of the judgments on the actuality of how "major" the announcement might be, I tend to agree that to test the waters on sports commitments in the city, you need to see how well it plays.

45k for a friendly is nothing to sneeze at and it behooves the city fathers to at least see what the market is/can be.

But I also agreed with Stephen, there are other sports by which there are opportunities to promote Jacksonville. But I think the mayor right now is more focused on getting revenue and exposure into the largest civic assets.

[Adam W]

^ Yeah, there are only three teams in the MLS without soccer-specific stadiums (Los Angeles, Seattle, and New England), and I believe at least two of those teams are in discussions to build one. Jacksonville would need to commit to building a 20,000 seat soccer specific stadium (average price tag: $100 million), and the MLS would need to express interest in the Southeast before we'd even have a prayer. With soccer increasing in popularity by the year, and so many of our peer cities in Florida building or planning to build soccer specific stadiums (Orlando, Tampa, Fort Lauderdale), it's probably something to start at least preliminarily thinking about. As copper mentioned above, the NASL would be a good stepping stone toward eventually landing an MLS team. Of all of the major sports leagues out there, I actually think that the MLS would be the one addition the market could realistically support without completely cannibalizing the Jags. I believe league average for season tickets is around $22 per game, and 15 home games per season. Sounds doable to me.

P.S. Just for fun, where would you guys build our soccer specific stadium?

Actually DC, New England, Portland, Seattle, Vancouver and San Jose all don't have soccer-specific stadiums! (LA has a really good one that is shared by two teams). So it's not like it's that much of a hurdle - though I can't see a professional team playing in Everbank Field.

I like that spot across the river from the stadium - I think it used to a JEA site or something? Other than that, anywhere in the general vicinity of downtown would be a plus, I think. Near the water, too.

Are the FC Jax Destroyers still around?

[mbwright]

While ever bank is big, how about just using  only the first 20 rows, all around, or where ever would be good.  no need to build a new stadium.

[fsquid]

Are the FC Jax Destroyers still around?

Decided not to enter the PDL this year, don't know if they folded or going to another league.

[copperfiend]

While ever bank is big, how about just using  only the first 20 rows, all around, or where ever would be good.  no need to build a new stadium.

It's pretty much a requirement now for MLS. Orlando could play their games at the Citrus Bowl but they won't be getting a team until they get a soccer specific stadium.

[Adam W]

Are the FC Jax Destroyers still around?

Decided not to enter the PDL this year, don't know if they folded or going to another league.

That's a shame. I hope they stick around and re-enter the  league.

[ProjectMaximus]

While ever bank is big, how about just using  only the first 20 rows, all around, or where ever would be good.  no need to build a new stadium.

Because that doesn't solve the design issues surrounding a football field. "Soccer-specific" doesn't mean "smaller," it has to do with sizing the field within regulation dimensions and positioning seating much closer to the boundaries, and other things somebody with more knowledge than me could explain, lol.