Kansas City Wizards New Stadium

[ryan]

It will not be viewed here as a popular decision, but once the ownership question is resolved, MLSE will move the club to the Rogers Centre before spending money for a canopy at BMO. The Rogers centre is virtualy next door to the MLSE billion dollar real estate development and ACC, and would probably be sold to MLSE for a bargain basement price (it is losing money hand over fist right now).

I think the Blue Jays are about to start a run of highly competitive playoff caliber teams for a long while. That place should see fuller crowds due to that and the fact that it's the cheapest sporting event in town helps too.

The Rogers aren't selling the Blue Jays so I don't believe they are going to sell the stadium they play in, especially when they got it for so cheap themselves. Any losses they've sustained since owning it could easily be overcome because they can absorb it for as long as they want to, they've said so themselves.

The first winning team in Toronto is going to have a packed house, this city is starving for a competitor, and I think the most likely team to do it first is the Blue Jays because they clearly want to win more than anything.

[boban]

i refuse to compare to BMO, cuz we're in a different era. And they've learned from all the stadiums that have arrived since. and they had to play in a massive NFL stadium for years..... then they had to play in a little baseball stadium... I doubt many TFC supporters would have appreciated those circumstances for 16 seasons.

A little delusional thinking I believe. Our stadium didn't have Home Depot Centre, Toyota Park, Dicks, or even Rio Tinto (plans were there but too much beauraccy delayed it) to learn from?!!! You make it sound like our stadium was the first of its kind when we were like the 6th or 7th to build (and ugliest from design perspective).

[greatwhitenorf]

An absolute peach of a park. Wonderful development for the game in the States. But then again, that's what Americans do - maximize their results from the resources they commit to sports that are outside the mainstream interests.

Having been able to overhear some discussions about BMO Field's development, yes, it's the way it is out of a sense of caution about what fan reaction would be to the game.

Now we're playing a game of developmental chicken - where one party who owns the ground is sitting tight hoping the party who owns the club will become over-anxious to expand capacity and pick up the construction costs. And the party that owns the club is looking to completely own the ground wherever that next stage takes us.

[Blixa]

BMO is fucking joke. They build better high school stadium in the US.

[menefreghista]

I think the Blue Jays are about to start a run of highly competitive playoff caliber teams for a long while. That place should see fuller crowds due to that and the fact that it's the cheapest sporting event in town helps too.

The Rogers aren't selling the Blue Jays so I don't believe they are going to sell the stadium they play in, especially when they got it for so cheap themselves. Any losses they've sustained since owning it could easily be overcome because they can absorb it for as long as they want to, they've said so themselves.

The first winning team in Toronto is going to have a packed house, this city is starving for a competitor, and I think the most likely team to do it first is the Blue Jays because they clearly want to win more than anything.

To add to this point, I went to the Jays game on Friday and the one thing you notice is how much younger the crowd is now, compared to say 10 years ago. A lot more fans in their 20's and 30's as opposed to in the past. A lot less old people.

[Shakes McQueen]

To add to this point, I went to the Jays game on Friday and the one thing you notice is how much younger the crowd is now, compared to say 10 years ago. A lot more fans in their 20's and 30's as opposed to in the past. A lot less old people.

And that's a really good omen for the future of the Jays. Get them interested and turn them into lifelong fans when they are young.

The Jays have been a really fun story the past couple of seasons, and they appear to be set up well for years of success. The Halladay trade, combined with some other shrewd deals by AA, took the Jays from having a farm system ranked in the low 20's by scouts, to a farm system ranked 4th, in only a couple of years.

Combine that with having the best hitter currently in baseball signed to a relatively cheap multi-year contract, and you've got a good recipe.

- Scott

[troy1982]

The latest pics





http://stadiumdb.com/stadiums/usa/sporting_park

[QSIM]

Damn.

http://www.mlssoccer.com/videos?catid=112&id=15140

[Auzzy]

I wonder if they know how to pour concrete in KC so that water actually drains, you know, towards the drain?

[troy1982]

[troy1982]

http://sportingtimes.net/articles/li...g-kansas-city/

[rocker]

great little stadium. they really learned from the previous MLS experience!

since it's less than 19000 seats, where do you think they'd expand in that stadium if need be? I'm thinking that high-roofed gap to the right of the big scoreboard might be a location for a second deck.

also the end section with the benches behind the the goal looks expandable -- there's a big gap between the roof and the concourse.

[kodiakTFC]

I don't think expansion is on their mind, they are going from a 11000 seater to a 18000 seater. That's a pretty big damn expansion if you ask me and its a massive undertaking. But, with that in mind i'm thinking that the terrace could get removed a larger section put in place there. Perhaps they could fill the corners too.

[Canary Canuck]

Just saw a video tour of the guts of the stadium on mlssoccer.com and my god it is nice. Locker room is insane. The players walk through the club restaurant out on to the pitch.

[CSO_BBTB]

The players walk through the club restaurant out on to the pitch.

That's a recipe for disaster if they are not very careful who gets to be in the restaurant during games. Having got the bad pun out of my system it will be interesting to see how that works in practice. Beyond that the gaps between the seating and the roof suggest they have deliberately left space for an extra tier to be added later, relatively inexpensively.

[profit89]

Gorgeous stadium. Perfect for MLS.

[SoccMan]

Well if you want to have a look at the new K.C. stadium TSN 2 is showing the K.C. vs. Chicago game right now, the first game at K.C. 's new stadium, well it's a packed house, great atmosphere and very nice stadium.

[boban]

The stadium is amazing. The spectators a soo close to the field of play ... much more than any other that I recall. This is how you build a stadium.

[Petor]

Great stadium and atmosphere but the football is ummm, not so good.
For about a 20 minute span neither team could connect more than 2 passes before turning it over in the first half.

[james]

is that like a standing terrace behind 1 of the goals???? if that is then wow that stadium is perfect!!

[kodiakTFC]

is that like a standing terrace behind 1 of the goals???? if that is then wow that stadium is perfect!!

It is. Jealous.

I can't believe how close the fans are to the pitch, amazing stadium. I guess thats the different between 200 million and 60 million.

[Yohan]

is that like a standing terrace behind 1 of the goals???? if that is then wow that stadium is perfect!!

yes. small terrace..

[Canary Canuck]

It's not a terrace in the purest sense. It's actually bleachers but it's the designated supporters section so standing is permitted.

[Canary Canuck]

Ughh.... awful match. For the sake of the league I hope their fans weren't too turned off by that. Kansas City and sell-out were used in the same sentence for the first time. Hopefully it's not the last.

[Yagbod]

Did anyone else notice the RPB scarf hanging on the scarf display during the opening bit?

There were a ton of scarves and ours was on the top right. Looked a season 1 or 2 scarf.

I didn't see any other supporters group's scarves. Only other team's and a South Park scarf.

Kinda cool, I think. An homage.

Edit: I can post a picture of the screen if someone can send me directions on how to post it.

[kodiakTFC]

Did anyone else notice the RPB scarf hanging on the scarf display during the opening bit?

There were a ton of scarves and ours was on the top right. Looked a season 1 or 2 scarf.

I didn't see any other supporters group's scarves. Only other team's and a South Park scarf.

Kinda cool, I think. An homage.

Edit: I can post a picture of the screen if someone can send me directions on how to post it.

Assuming its saved to your computer go to imageshack.com and upload it. Take the link they give you, go to it, right click the image, open link in new window, save the address in the bar, go to this thread, start a new reply, use that picture icon below undo, paste the link, post and walaa!

[DavydMT]

[Parkdale]

http://sports.yahoo.com/soccer/blog/...urn=sow-wp2413

Guy-dressed-as-a-cow-scores-first-goal-at-Livestrong

[prizby]

roof really projected the sound...i feel if we get enough road warriors to KC, we could be a scary away crowd

[__wowza]

this is a damn fine stadium.
im jealous, and rightfully so.