Dolphins rule over EVERYTHING. Canes 2nd, and then the Heat. The Marlins are 4th and Panthers a distant 6th. I would say Gators and Noles come before even the Panthers. Have you listened to local radio here ? If you have you'd know the pecking order.

Nah, Miami territory. The Panthers are below the defunct Miami Fusion?

 

You know, they could buy a little more property near the OB/future Marlins Stadium, build a soccer-specific stadium, and re-attract the Hispanic soccer crowds.

 

Wow, that Coral Springs place sure is safe, they should build the ballpark there. :whistle

Crime is so low that building a stadium there would INCREASE crime rather than lower it.

 

Besides, Broward is too busy building a cricket stadium. :thumbup

Dolphins rule over EVERYTHING. Canes 2nd, and then the Heat. The Marlins are 4th and Panthers a distant 6th. I would say Gators and Noles come before even the Panthers. Have you listened to local radio here ? If you have you'd know the pecking order.

 

The Marlins' average attendance is very close to the Panthers, which is sad considering baseball games typically have far larger crowds than hockey.

The Marlins' average attendance is very close to the Panthers, which is sad considering baseball games typically have far larger crowds than hockey.

 

But the TV audience is 3 or 4 times that of the Panthers. I don't know if the Panthers even get a 1.0 Neilsen rating, which is just better than most informercials get in the middle of the night.

 

I think the Marlins actually rank somewhere like 14th in TV viewership out of 30 teams, which is remarkable.

The Marlins' average attendance is very close to the Panthers, which is sad considering baseball games typically have far larger crowds than hockey.

 

But the TV audience is 3 or 4 times that of the Panthers. I don't know if the Panthers even get a 1.0 Neilsen rating, which is just better than most informercials get in the middle of the night.

 

I think the Marlins actually rank somewhere like 14th in TV viewership out of 30 teams, which is remarkable.

If only we could get a few of those people to go to the games. :mad

If only we could get a few of those people to go to the games. :mad

 

True...as last Saturday nite showed, there is an audience there.

If only we could get a few of those people to go to the games. :mad

True...as last Saturday nite showed, there is an audience there.

The hometown crowd can be a huge factor in the success of a team.

If only we could get a few of those people to go to the games. :mad

True...as last Saturday nite showed, there is an audience there.

The hometown crowd can be a huge factor in the success of a team.

 

 

Not really. How do you figure that?

If only we could get a few of those people to go to the games. :mad

True...as last Saturday nite showed, there is an audience there.

The hometown crowd can be a huge factor in the success of a team.

 

 

Not really. How do you figure that?

Well, intimidation of the opponent and support of the home team. Why do you think the Twins have never lost a World Series game in the Metrodome?

 

A stadium full of Marlins fans would certainly be better for the team than a stadium that is 50% full with mostly Giants fans, for example.

Wow, that Coral Springs place sure is safe, they should build the ballpark there. :whistle

 

Anyway, I'm sure Hialeah is a nice place, but I believe you're missing the point, Festa. A lot of people in North Broward/Palm Beach perceive Hialeah as a bad place because of a thing called "racism".

 

I made a semi-reference to racism in my original post.

If only we could get a few of those people to go to the games. :mad

True...as last Saturday nite showed, there is an audience there.

The hometown crowd can be a huge factor in the success of a team.

 

 

Not really. How do you figure that?

Well, intimidation of the opponent and support of the home team. Why do you think the Twins have never lost a World Series game in the Metrodome?

 

A stadium full of Marlins fans would certainly be better for the team than a stadium that is 50% full with mostly Giants fans, for example.

 

 

Meh. Sorry, this is just one of my pet peeves. To say that the Marlins (or any sports team) are underachieving because of lack of fan support is crazy talk. These are professional athletes getting paid millions of dollars based on their performance. If they were motivated by fans, they wouldn't/shouldn't be at this level.

 

The Twins never losing a WS game in the metrodome has more to do with them being more comfortable with the funky design of the stadium than fan support. It also an unusually loud stadium thanks to the design, and I guess in this extreme case fans can make a slight difference. Maybe.

The hometown crowd can be a huge factor in the success of a team.

 

 

Not really. How do you figure that?

Well, intimidation of the opponent and support of the home team. Why do you think the Twins have never lost a World Series game in the Metrodome?

 

A stadium full of Marlins fans would certainly be better for the team than a stadium that is 50% full with mostly Giants fans, for example.

 

 

Meh. Sorry, this is just one of my pet peeves. To say that the Marlins (or any sports team) are underachieving because of lack of fan support is crazy talk. These are professional athletes getting paid millions of dollars based on their performance. If they were motivated by fans, they wouldn't/shouldn't be at this level.

 

The Twins never losing a WS game in the metrodome has more to do with them being more comfortable with the funky design of the stadium than fan support. It also an unusually loud stadium thanks to the design, and I guess in this extreme case fans can make a slight difference. Maybe.

I'm not saying it's the missing link or anything. I'm just saying it helps.

I say just completely tear down the Orange Bowl, and start fresh on that lot, so we have no restrictions. We should also name the ballpark the Orange Bowl. That would be sweet.

 

This is completely out of the blue but.....

Marge: Homer! What are you doing?

Homer: shhhhhh I'm watching the Orange Bowl (stares at a bowl of Oranges)

I say just completely tear down the Orange Bowl, and start fresh on that lot, so we have no restrictions. We should also name the ballpark the Orange Bowl. That would be sweet.

 

This is completely out of the blue but.....

Marge: Homer! What are you doing?

Homer: shhhhhh I'm watching the Orange Bowl (stares at a bowl of Oranges)

That's a horrible idea. Marlin fans won't like it because the Orange Bowl is connected with the Dolphins of old and the Canes. Cane and Dolphin fans won't like it for the same reason. The OB is a football stadium, not a ballpark.

OK. OK. Canes are moving to DS...am I right? I just need to check with you to see if I'm correct. :whistle

 

In that case, this sets up an interesting possibly for what is now the soon-to-be-demolished OB: how about a baseball-friendly multipurpose facility that would accomodate CONCACAF in the off-season. I don't think it would add much to the cost. It has been proven at Enron Field that they can host some soccer matches. So the concept can be applied here as well. If the city can be convinced to free up some funds to change the stadium design so that it can be reconfigured to both sports, provide temporary seating over the outfield, sort of like how it's done at RFK Stadium, changing between the Washington Nationals and D.C. United. Then you add the sliding roof and we may wind up with a top-class facility. 38,000 to 40,000 seats should be more than enough to accomodate both competitions. There'd be 32,000 less seats anyway when we tear down the OB...meaning 32,000 less people that would theoretically congest the area. We could do something surrounding the new stadium like a huge proyector screen for people who can't get in...say... a World Series game or a World Cup match. Also, the people who show up for CONCACAF already live in the city, so less cars coming into the area. Even the baseball crowds at the OB would be more of a walk-up variety.

 

A baseball/soccer facility: think of the possibilities

 

 

I would bet my mortage they are going to Dolphin Stadium and the OB torn down......so we are going to a place with no parking, that will do very well in drawing crowds........

 

DS has ample parking. Attendance not going gangbusters for Marlins games last time I checked.

 

RFK being used for soccer and baseball is far from an elegant solution. It was a decent venue, albeit way to big and straight ghetto, for DC United but now that the Nationals are there it is just an awkward setup for both teams.

 

I know next to nothing about Miami geography, but I have been to a football game at DS and I can't imagine a worse location and venue for a major league baseball team. Camden Yards has been my home stadium since it was built so I am a bit spoiled. BTW, OPACY is getting a fancy new HD screen this off season.

 

In general the biggest advantage of a downtown stadium are two fold. First, the stadium is near a population concentration, unlike Dolphin "Why I am in the middle of a field?" Stadium. Second, and most importantly, building a downtown stadium is a wonderful way to resurrect an economically declining area of the city.

 

The stadium is one thing, it brings people to the area for the game which brings in new economic opportunities. But the benefits, if the city doesn't screw it up, don't stop there. It is a chance to expand the transportation system, turn a vacant group of crime infested buildings into office space, bring in new business and new jobs, and generally give a bad neighborhood a new identity. I don't know if Little Havana is really that bad, but from the attitudes on this board I infer it could at least use a face lift.

 

The model for this is the Nationals, except they aren't completely done with the new stadium. It is currently under construction in south east DC. There is no neighborhood mentioned in this thread approaching the terribleness of Anacostia in southeast. This is the district that keeps electing former mayor Marion Barry to political office after he is caught by police, on video tape, smoking crack with a hooker in a broken down motel room. The money put up to build the Nationals baseball only stadium on the banks of the Anacostia river will do far more then build a stadium. They are making massive upgrades to the metro rail line, the highway, and improving bus service. The stadium grounds include a large public park, office buildings, retail space, and mixed income housing from low rent apartments to million dollar condos. Not to mention parking to support all this and a variety of community based initiatives sponsored by the team. Lots of jobs, money, and much needed infrastructure for a community nobody in the world gave a crap about.

 

It should be noted DC United is attempting to build a similar setup across the river but they are willing to privately fund the entire thing if the city will just give them land access and help with infrastructure.

 

Miami needs to be careful about the deal they sign. DC has really gotten the shaft because they didn't negotiate well with MLB. This is the cities own incompetence and is the reason DC is not chomping at the bit over the DC United deal.

Downtown Miami isn't exactly population concentration. Miami is not like other big cities that are more centralized. The fact is that Miami is so decentralized that honestly don't think there an ideal "spot" for a stadium. Little Havana is really close to downtown Miami anyways...A good place for a new stadium will be the land by I-75 on 138th Exit...

Subsidizing a stadium is a terrible economic move. But damn do I want the Marlins to stay.

Subsidizing a stadium is a terrible economic move. But damn do I want the Marlins to stay.

 

There is a difference between straight subsidizing a stadium and providing the necessary infrastructure for a large scale project to succeed. Providing infrastructure is a central tenant of our government.

 

Giving the Marlins whatever they want in order to keep them in town is a terrible idea. Making the Marlins do economically and socially responsible things then meeting them halfway financially can be rewarding for everyone.

Miami needs to be careful about the deal they sign. DC has really gotten the shaft because they didn't negotiate well with MLB. This is the cities own incompetence and is the reason DC is not chomping at the bit over the DC United deal.

The reason why the Nationals deal succeeded and DC United deal has failed thus far is the credibility of the proponents' arguments. Very few DC politicians believe that the United stadium will spark significant and positive development at the proposed site to justify the costs. Mayor Williams, MLB and others were able to paint a picture of a revitalized waterfront minutes away from Capitol Hill. The Marlins' situation resembles the United in many regards.