Nice expansion. I just wonder what you think is so tiny about Miami(OH). Their undergraduate enrollment is 15.011, and their graduate enrollment is 2.092. Still well over 17k in students.

I personally actually like the redhawk logo, adds a lot to the otherwise bland grey color of the stands.

I think New York had something special with the Manhatten site for the stadium...oh well i think this is all a bit late now anyway...

I don't see anything wrong with Willets Pt, especially since both of NYC's airports are in Queens anyway hence they will not have to go far.

wtf wtf wtf

Well they have no chance now... yes!

Paris 2012, cant wait!

Paris 2012, cant wait!

London 2012 would be much better. Don't discount it just yet. Anyway, do people think they would receive a warmer welcome from the British or French? One thing is for certain, the British supporters would be more passionate and give all the athletes a nice welcome.

i wanna see it in London......
and Paris........
It'll be great...........

From the New York Times:

Bloomberg Unveils Plans for the New Yankee Stadium
By CHARLES V. BAGLI

For the second time in a week, Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg unveiled plans this afternoon for a new baseball stadium in New York City: an $800 million home for the Yankees that will replicate the team's original ballpark in the Bronx, from the limestone walls and distinctive copper frieze to the placement of the bullpens in the right field.

The team plans to build an open-air stadium in Macombs Dam Park, across 161st Street from the team's historic home. It would have 51,800 seats, which could be expanded to 54,000, and 50 to 60 luxury suites, as well as 4,000 additional parking spaces, for a total of 11,000. The existing stadium has 56,937 seats and about 18 luxury boxes.

"What a week for baseball and what week for New York City," Mr. Bloomberg said at a news conference. "I'm thrilled that we've reached this agreement to build this stunning stadium."

The president of New York Yankees, Randy Levine, said that the project, which is to begin next spring and be completed by 2009, would "benefit the Bronx" by ensuring that no businesses or residents would be displaced, by renovating areas around the stadium and by creating thousands of new jobs.

The design, by the architectural firm of Hellmuth, Obata & Kassabaum, would restore many of the signature features of the original 82-year-old stadium that were wiped out by the 1976 renovation, and it would retain the same field dimensions and dugouts, Mr. Levine said.

"This will give everybody the feel of what people who in 1923 went to see the Yankees saw," he said.

The announcement, made jointly by Mr. Bloomberg, Gov. George E. Pataki of New York and George Steinbrenner, the principal owner of the Yankees, comes only three days after a similar proclamation by the mayor and the Mets concerning plans to build a new stadium in Queens for about $700 million. That stadium would also be used for the Olympics if the city won its bid for the 2012 Games.

The Yankee Stadium project is part of a broader redevelopment plan, initiated by the Bronx borough president, Adolfo Carrión Jr., that includes a hotel, conference center and high school for sports-related careers.

"Today is a very special day and I'm very gratified that we are all here together as a team," Mr. Carrión said. "We have a achieved a great accomplishment."

The Yankees, one of the most valuable franchises in sports, have agreed to pay all construction, operating and maintenance costs for the stadium. The city and state will spend about $220 million on work related to the stadium, bringing the total cost to more than $1 billion.

The state has agreed to spend up to $75 million to build three or four parking garages, and to do some road work. The team says that the cost of the garages will be more than covered by game-day parking fees.

The city is expected to spend about $135 million to replace the roughly 17 acres of Macombs Dam Park and Mullaly Park that the new stadium will occupy with a 28-acre waterfront park along the Harlem River, Mr. Bloomberg said. The Parks Department will replace the running track, soccer field and tennis, handball and basketball courts that were in the parks with new and additional fields, some atop the garages.

The Jets' plan to build a $2.2 billion stadium on Manhattan's Far West Side collapsed last week, but the Yankees have chosen to follow a different route in their attempt to build a stadium. They have put their project through the city's lengthy land-use review process, rather than attempt to bypass it. Unlike the Jets, the Yankees have yet to encounter opposition.

In their new stadium, the Yankees plan to place about 30,000 seats on the first level and 20,000 in the second level, giving more fans a closer view of the field than the current stadium provides.

Most of the current Yankee Stadium will not fall to the wrecking ball. The city plans to preserve at least the existing baseball field, the dugouts and the first level of the stands for Little League and high school use.

"I'm sure they'll have limos or vans to take the ghosts over to the new ballpark," Yankees Manager Joe Torre said.

Although the new stadium, like the old one, will go up on city-owned land, the team will not pay rent or property taxes under the terms of the deal with the city and the state. The Yankees and the Mets have existing leases with the city that are widely regarded as especially favorable to the teams. From 2000 through 2004, the Yankees paid a total of $26.43 million in rent, or a little more than $5 million a year.

To finance the construction, the city and the state would create a local development corporation that would issue tax-free bonds, which would be paid off by the Yankees. That allows the team to save an estimated $12.8 million a year in financing costs, although it reduces tax revenue.

The announcements are a remarkable postscript to Mr. Bloomberg's declaration in 2002 that the city could not afford to build sports stadiums, given more pressing municipal needs. Today, the New York area is awash in plans for stadiums and arenas, with new homes planned for the Mets, the Yankees and the Nets in New York City, and the MetroStars, the Devils, the Giants and, maybe, the Jets in New Jersey.

A 1996 report by the city comptroller estimated that professional sporting events account for only 0.7 percent of the region's economy.

The deals for the Yankees and the Mets are far less generous today than in 2001, when Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani came to a tentative agreement with the two teams. Mr. Giuliani agreed to pay half the cost of building $800 million stadiums with retractable roofs for the Yankees and the Mets. Each team, in turn, agreed to pay the city 4 percent of the annual gate receipts.

Some renderings:

http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2005/06/15/sports/15yanks_drawing_groundlevel.jpg

http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2005/06/15/sports/15yanks_model_aerial_slide.jpg

http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2005/06/15/sports/15yanks_model_aerial_slide.2.jpg

http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2005/06/15/sports/15yanks_drawing_crossection.jpg

http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2005/06/15/sports/15yanks_drawing_behindhomep.jpg

http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2005/06/15/nyregion/15cnd-stadium.650.jpg

thats hot.

Very nice, but it's that typical for the USA, a conservative look of stadiums?

Ah looks like shit but who cares all those Yankee bastards are burning in hell anyway

Very nice, but it's that typical for the USA, a conservative look of stadiums?

Over the last decade begining with Camden Yards in Baltimore baseball stadiums have been built in a popular retro style

This is modelled after the old Yankee Stadium, thats also why it has the retro look.

I prefer the old stadium. I guess you cant keep a relic forever though. Its quite sad actually.

Try and tell that to Boston fans about Fenway. $800 million dollars for that? Those seats better be made of gold.

Try and tell that to Boston fans about Fenway.

The difference is, Fenway now, is almost exactly as it was when it opened. Yankee Stadium isn't. During the 1976 renovation, Yankee Stadium was completely gutted and rebuilt from the inside out. Whereas Fenway still has it's original framework in the stands, Yankee Stadium's stands were completely rebuilt with steel and concrete. All of the details of the original stadium facade were stripped, and the interior was gutted as well. The Stadium now is only a relic of what it once was. The concourses are so narrow in some places, that people walk in single file lines to get past. Yankee Stadium is basically a crappy version of a 1970's stadium. It has none of the glory that Fenway has.

Yeah they never shouldve gutted the place, before the gutting it looked pretty spectacular.

http://www.ballparksofbaseball.com/al/yankee720.jpg

Is the property it will sit on like half of that $800M pricetag? :)

Not knowing anything about Baseball, could someone explain to me why baseball stadiums always have a gap in the top tier at the end?

http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2005/06/15/sports/15yanks_drawing_behindhomep.jpg

Is it for safety (fear of being struck by the ball?)

^ It's because when you encircle the whole stadium with an upper deck you get a capacity around 55K to 70K people. Ballparks aren't meant to be gigantic stadia (like for both forms of Football :) ) but instead a smaller more asymmetrical place that seats around 40K to 45K.

Also, sitting upper deck in the outfield are the least desirable seats in a ballpark. :) :) :)

Looks really great:) I've got nothing more to say;)

i love the design. only, i'm dissapointed about the number of seats. but it's a difference of a couple of 1000s. that's makes no much difference.

but the design with that gap is great!

Is the property it will sit on like half of that $800M pricetag? :)

It's being built on a city park (with a track, baseball fields, tennis courts). The Yankees are swapping the land basically - the new stadium will be built on the park, and the park will be built where the current stadium is.

Here are some pics of Yankee Stadium before the 1976 renovation

In the 1920/30s:

http://www.ultimateyankees.com/Old_Yankee_Stadium_Shot.jpg

http://www.ultimateyankees.com/The_Pope_at_Yankee_Stadium.jpg

http://www.ultimateyankees.com/Yankee_Stadium_4.gif

http://tinypic.com/5zk3z7

http://www.ultimateyankees.com/Yankee_Stadium_Postcard_1920.jpg

http://tinypic.com/5zk3si

http://www.ballparksofbaseball.com/al/yankee708.jpg

http://www.ballparksofbaseball.com/al/yankee721.jpg

http://www.ballparksofbaseball.com/al/yankee716.jpg

In the 1940/50's:

http://www.ballparksofbaseball.com/al/yankee700.jpg

http://tinypic.com/5zk01d

http://tinypic.com/5zk045

http://tinypic.com/5zk09l

http://tinypic.com/5zk3d1

http://tinypic.com/5zk2tt

In the 1960's:

http://tinypic.com/5zk2t3

http://home.att.net/~t.deangelo2/joe_d0001.JPG

The Current Stadium:

1920:
http://www.ultimateyankees.com/Old_Yankee_Stadium_Shot.jpg
1950:
http://tinypic.com/5zk2tt
Now:
http://www.ballparksofbaseball.com/al/yankee7233.jpg

1950:
http://www.ballparksofbaseball.com/al/yankee701.jpg
Now:
http://www.mlbroadtrip.com/images/photos/august/week5/yankeefront36.jpg



http://www.ballparksofbaseball.com/al/yankee703.jpg

http://www.ballparksofbaseball.com/al/yankee711.jpg

http://www.ballparksofbaseball.com/al/yankee7077.jpg

http://www.ballparksofbaseball.com/al/yankee709.jpg

http://tinypic.com/5zkrw2

http://tinypic.com/5zks9z

http://www.ballparkwatch.com/images/yankee_stadium_3.jpg

http://divajazz.com/pictures/images/yankees2.jpg

http://www.cephas.net/photos/nyc2002/DSCN0441.JPG

http://tinypic.com/5zkso2

http://tinypic.com/5zksxg

http://tinypic.com/5zktau

http://www.tiscalinet.ch/aviatikbilder/New_York/C064.jpg

NEW YORK OLYMPIC PARK

http://img202.echo.cx/img202/5154/newyorkolympicparl5eo.gif

^ Is that the World's Fair model at the New York Hall of Science?

I'm sure it's a fantastic facility but all this indecision over the venue will cost NYC of any chance it had of winning the bid.

I don't think the IOC wants a second-hand stadium. They want something built FOR the olympics. They especially wouldn't wan't a converted baseball stadium. Especially after the Atlanta Stadium, they probably woulldn't like the idea. But the Atlanta Stadium was an olympic stadium first, and afterwards was converted for full baseball use. An already established baseball stadium that would then be converted would probably not have such great results.

^Ballparks aren't meant to be gigantic stadia (like for both forms of Football :) )

I can think of at least seven forms of Football of the top of my head - which two did you have in mind? :)

http://www.ultimateyankees.com/Old_Yankee_Stadium_Shot.jpg

YES! This is EXACTLY what I think of when I think about Yankee Stadium, this massive intimidating facade from the 20s. And because it could hold as many as 80,000 people back then, it was the first structure that could actually be called a "stadium" in the U.S. :) :) :)

And because it could hold as many as 80,000 people back then, it was the first structure that could actually be called a "stadium" in the U.S.

Not really.

It doesn't seem to be enough of a departure from the current stadium to be worth the taxpayer money.

^ You've obviously never been inside Yankee Stadium, so I wouldn't judge from the exterior alone.

Not knowing anything about Baseball, could someone explain to me why baseball stadiums always have a gap in the top tier at the end?

http://graphics8.nytimes.com/images/2005/06/15/sports/15yanks_drawing_behindhomep.jpg

Is it for safety (fear of being struck by the ball?)

In baseball most of the action takes place at the other end so they would be pretty bad seats and not easy to sell, better just not to build them in the first place.

So what exactly is the difference here? I see a larger roof, a massive extension to the sides and more boards at the ends... bit expensive for a revamp or are they totally flatting the stadium and re-building from scratch like Wembley?

So what exactly is the difference here? I see a larger roof, a massive extension to the sides and more boards at the ends... bit expensive for a revamp or are they totally flatting the stadium and re-building from scratch like Wembley?

They're rebuilding from scratch. One of the main reasons why they're building - so that they can have 60 large luxury boxes as opposed to the 18 small ones they currently have.

While I don't like the idea of losing yet another old stadium to the wrecking ball, and Yankee Stadium in particular, I have to at least admit that it's somewhat exciting. And it's nice that they want to replicate the old style and not completely eliminate the old stadium. I think this is about as good a job as you can do without keeping the stadium.

But it makes you wonder how much longer the clock is going to tick on Wrigley and Fenway, the only other 2 left...

in a parking lot? well things just get "better and better" for ny

in a parking lot? well things just get "better and better" for ny

yes its called the "parking-lotto" stadium, a repeat of atlanta,
http://olympics.ballparks.com/1996Atlanta/aerial.jpg
http://olympics.ballparks.com/1996Atlanta/seats.gif

actually almost exactly the same cause you will have this confused baseball athletic stadium with a round baseball stadium next door in this case its just shea stadium that will be the round stadium..

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/local/story/319040p-272829c.html
Olympian makeover for Queens

A new Shea Stadium may be part of a larger transformation in Queens that would turn one of the city's perennial eyesores into a trendy mix of retail, entertainment and housing.

The city Economic Development Corp. is sitting on 14 different development concepts for Willets Point, a 48-acre outback of junkyards and auto-body shops.

"Many of the ideas for the area are spectacular," Councilman John Liu (D-Flushing) said.

"Many of them include retail and entertainment-related complexes," added Liu, a member of the city's Willets Point Advisory Committee. "Housing is a component in some of the plans. Some of the plans envision a new commercial district. Some of them call for an entirely new community - residential and commercial mixes."

He declined to name the developers who offered ideas, citing requests for confidentiality. Development officials also declined to identify the companies.

The EDC had invited developers to submit by March 15 "expressions of interest" in the Willets Point peninsula, after the agency had announced a development plan for downtown Flushing, which is just east of the area.

That plan called for "a large-scale development" in Willets Point that "provides a significant economic benefit to the area and transforms Flushing into a true super-regional destination."

Queens Borough President Helen Marshall expressed support for a Queens Chamber of Commerce proposal to build a hotel with a conference center.

And if the city wins the 2012 Olympics, EDC spokeswoman Janel Patterson noted that plans for Willets Point would have to incorporate an international broadcast and media center.

The Flushing plan also recommended that a strategy be drawn up for "site acquisition" in Willets Point. It said the relocation of some 83 businesses, most of them auto-related, would cost at least $130million.

Liu said last Sunday's unexpected announcement about the new Mets ballpark, which could be converted for the Olympic Games in 2012, "will only serve as a catalyst" for Willets Point redevelopment.

Yet others said not so fast.

"We want to make sure that the legitimate business owners here are compensated and are dealt with fairly," said Councilman Hiram Monserrate (D-Jackson Heights), whose district includes Shea Stadium and Willets Point.

He was joined by car-repair workers, who said they will be willing to relocate elsewhere in the borough.

Some Willets Point business owners have sought help from the Neighborhood Retail Alliance, a group that successfully led a fight against a Wal-Mart in Queens.

"We're concerned about the fate of the merchants in Willets Point," said Richard Lipsky, a spokesman for the Neighborhood Retail Alliance. "Right now, they're an afterthought," he said. "They are being treated like slum dwellers, and that's not fair."

With Oren Yaniv

Originally published on June 15, 2005

I sort of don't like the new stadium, and wasn't the current Yankee Stadium supposed to be rennovated into a hotel as a result of that?

http://www.nydailynews.com/boroughs/story/320279p-273925c.html
Far beyond baseball

New stadium means big economic plans

By BILL EGBERT
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER

http://www.nydailynews.com/ips_rich_content/465-stadiuim.JPG
Overhead view of artist's rendition of new Yankee Stadium, alongside the current Yankee Stadium. Plan would turn House that Ruth Built into community asset housing a museum, hotel and conference center, among other things.

The plan unveiled last week for a new Yankee Stadium is pretty nearly a home run for Bronx Borough President Adolfo Carrión in his effort to turn the area into a year-round tourist destination and economic engine.
Taking up a crusade that began under his predecessor, Fernando Ferrer, Carrión unveiled a stadium plan last October aimed at turning the city-owned landmark into a community asset.

The plan - endorsed by the Yankees and Mayor Bloomberg last Wednesday as part of a deal to build a new $800 million stadium just north of the present one - fulfills his main objectives for a deal, he said.

"First of all, we had to keep the old field, and make it available to the community," Carrión said. "And [Yankees owner] George [Steinbrenner] is going to pay the mortgage - which is great."

Carrión's plans for the old Yankee Stadium include a Yankees Museum, retail shops and a 250-room hotel and conference center inside the historic Yankee venue.

"We were able to carve out a site for the hotel and conference center," Carrión said. "It still has to be processed to see how it will work out, but the site is there."

Seating in the old stadium will be reduced to around 20,000 for local high school, college and league sports, and some of the freed-up space will be used to create a Yankees Hall of Fame.

Carrión's idea for a High School for Sports Industry Careers linked to the historic ballpark is less certain.

"It still needs to be inserted in the Department of Education's five-year capital plan for that to happen," he said.

Transportation improvements included in the plan, like the new Metro-North station, date from then-Borough President Ferrer's original "Yankee Village" plan to keep the Yankees from quitting the Bronx.

Ferrer's plan didn't involve building a new stadium, but it did call for the city to redevelop the nearby Bronx Terminal Market into a new shopping center - something the city already is trying to do in a separate deal sealed last year.

Though that controversial deal is still tied up in court, it could become the key to getting the new Yankee Stadium built in Macombs Dam Park.

Giving that swath of green space to the Yankees will mean the city has to acquire a comparable plot of parkland elsewhere in the area - and that could be carved out of the 32-acre Bronx Terminal Market property, which the city has leased to The Related Co. to develop into a shopping mall.

The deal the city signed with the developer included a land swap offering the empty Bronx House of Detention in exchange for a waterfront portion of the market property where the city could build a velodrome for the 2012 Olympics. With the city's Olympic bid now in doubt, a prison-for-parkland swap could be in the offing.

But whatever that outcome, Carrión called the new development plan "a home run for everyone."

"This plan is not simply about a stadium; it is about bringing jobs to our residents, restoring our neighborhoods, improving the infrastructure and creating opportunities in our community," he said.

Originally published on June 19, 2005

Here is the very preliminary renderings of the proposed stadium for the San Diego Chargers of the National Football League. The project will consist of either a huge park on 100 acres along side the stadium running next to the san diego river, or a huge commercial and residential development surrounding the stadium with a 25 acre park along side the river. anyway. here are the pics. Simple, and exploits the great weather of souther california

http://www.chargers.com/futurestadium/img/large_01.jpg

http://www.chargers.com/futurestadium/img/large_02.jpg

http://www.chargers.com/futurestadium/img/large_03.jpg

http://www.chargers.com/futurestadium/img/large_04.jpg

http://www.chargers.com/futurestadium/img/large_05.jpg

http://www.chargers.com/futurestadium/img/large_09.jpg

http://www.chargers.com/futurestadium/img/large_07.jpg

very nice

Awesome :D

Very nice. I like the desing a lot.

I have also noticed many new NFL stadiums are opting for no seats or atleast no corner seats behind the endzones (Philadelphia, Seattle, Denver on one side, Tennessee, Tampa Bay.) I like the stlye but to many teams are doing it.

What's wrong with Qualcomm

I have also noticed many new NFL stadiums are opting for no seats or atleast no corner seats behind the endzones (Philadelphia, Seattle, Denver on one side, Tennessee, Tampa Bay.) I like the stlye but to many teams are doing it.

The reasons for open corners are for the plazas and to prevent swirling winds that are a problem in some bowls. Especially in Coastal Cities. The stadium this one most resembles is Philly with one whole open end zone. I like it. I really like the unique bowl shapes that the NFL goes with.

What's wrong with Qualcomm

The only thing wrong with it is, the NFL won't let San Diego host the Super Bowl till they build a new stadium.

I agree with you, Qualcomm's in great condition, but I guess they want a newer facility, (built in the 60s.) :cheers: :cheers: :cheers:

^^
San Diego hosted the Super Bowl 3 years ago when the Tampa Bay beat Oakland.

The only thing wrong with it is, the NFL won't let San Diego host the Super Bowl till they build a new stadium.

I agree with you, Qualcomm's in great condition, but I guess they want a newer facility, (built in the 60s.) :cheers: :cheers: :cheers:

As a season ticket holder, I must completely disagree. Qualcomm is in wretched condition. The run off from rain creates floods, the seats are horribly uncomfortable, the rows are too compact. The causeways are completely isolated from the action, there are no luxery suites, and lastly the replay monitors are smaller than my tv at home. Everything is wrong with it. The NFL will never come back to SD, 3 years ago being the last time ever, until there is a new stadium. That is an additional scar on Qualcomm.

Most importantly, the Qualcomm site, 160 acres of parking lot is a complete waste of prime real estate. It drains roughly 15 mil a year in maintenance, and has roughly 50 mil in deferred maintenance still due. The area is in need of massive infrastructure as wll. The new stadium will be fully funded by the chargers, roughly 400 mil. but still owned by the city. The infrastructure and deferred debt owed will be paid for by the chargers, 175 mil and the 50 mil. The over run cost will be paid by the chargers. Will create a 25 acres river front beautification and park system.

The chargers ask for 60 acres on the site to develop in return worth a pretty penny. But, as I believe, would be worth giving them, due to the fact that this will be a huge money making project. Hotel taxes, sales tax from development. New park system. New stadium, with super bowl as promised once every 5 years. Two college footbal bowl games. City wide pride. A competitive football team with equal economic strength to go after Top Notch talent.

That is why Qualcomm is wack, and a new stadium is necessary.

^ Thanks, I had never actually been to Qualcomm so I didn't know its condition (Hmm, I wonder why I said it was in "great condition"... :) .) It was quite the innovative design back in the 60s, but from what you say it's fallen into disrepair.

But yeah, this new place's best selling point is it'll put San Diego back in the Super Bowl host city rotation. :) :) :)

And yes, Mr. T, San Diego did just host Super Bowl XXXVII, but the NFL during that time publicly announced San Diego would NOT get another Super Bowl until they build a new stadium.

i like it but it looks exactly like ravens stadium..i hope they don't put in yellow seats....that would be so tacky

What's wrong with Qualcomm


Qualcomm was built in the 60's and as we all know in Southern California anything over 40 years of age (including people) is considered an antique.

^ Mmmm, perhaps sky blue seats with canary yellow ones to compliment the Chargers old throwback uniforms! :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

Hadl to Alworth ! Touchdown !

^ Mmmm, perhaps sky blue seats with canary yellow ones to compliment the Chargers old throwback uniforms! :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

Powder blue to be exact.

That is awesome, i like it. how old is this http://www.sandiegomag.com/metro/communities/sandiego/murph.jpg one?

^ 38

i like it but it looks exactly like ravens stadium..i hope they don't put in yellow seats....that would be so tacky

How does it look like the Ravens Stadium? It does look like The Linc though.

The bottom level of Qualcomm seems to have the same problem all the convertibles do: baseball like flat first tier and stands that are too far away. Its the same reason ProPlayer will renovate when/if the Marlins ever move out. I think this is an illustration of how nice and modern our stadiums are. If you can throw out this thing, there is a pretty high standard.

http://www.seatdata.com/images/venue_qualcomm_stadium/samples/sample.jpg
http://darkcorner.net/summer02/pics/california/sd-trip/IMG_3171.jpg
http://www-physics.ucsd.edu/~rune/pics/stadium.jpg
http://www.ballparksofbaseball.com/nl/qual750.jpg

Nice.

^ Hey, it's better to have 30,000 less seats than 30,000 empty seats.

30,000 fewer seats...

Sexy.

But not up to NFL standards.

*the Q*

The committee did a pretty good job coming up with a back plan for the new Mets Stadium.

As I have said before, I think it would be awesome to have the Olympic baseball finals at the new Yankee stadium.

I like the first design, had a nice skyscraper next to it. The American football stadium looks a bit blocky, ugly, but a baseball ground looks good!

Qualcomm isn't in such bad state, but compared to the new Petco Park (the new ballpark for the San Diego Padres located in downtown) is just looks as old as anything in Balboa Park. In any case, I don't think the city will support the replacement of "the Q" until we get a new mayor.

i always like this stadium, i have been there at least 75 times, but when i was there a few months ago, it seem obvious that it was no longer a modern, functional stadium

I don't think the IOC wants a second-hand stadium.

Paris, Moscow, and Madrid are offering second-hand stadiums. Just look at the Stade de France, it will be old by 2012, but Paris is still considered the favorite.

Qualcomm isn't in such bad state, but compared to the new Petco Park (the new ballpark for the San Diego Padres located in downtown) is just looks as old as anything in Balboa Park. In any case, I don't think the city will support the replacement of "the Q" until we get a new mayor.

Well, we'll get a new mayor in a couple of months.

True, but there are some candidates that are not very fond of the project.

True, but there are some candidates that are not very fond of the project.

No mayor or governor wants to spend money on stadiums or arenas, but you'd think San Diego would have a air-tight case because this would get them back in the lucrative SuperBowl rotation.

Unfortunately, the Petco Park project was a disaster, so that isn't helping matters. :(

Yeah, and the finances of the city aren't the best right now.

Paris, Moscow, and Madrid are offering second-hand stadiums. Just look at the Stade de France, it will be old by 2012, but Paris is still considered the favorite.

I don't think the IOC is ever too concerned with the newest venues anymore. This push for the newest everything is what got cities like Montreal into so much trouble (Quebec was still paying off the debt of its 1976 Olympics some 20 or more years later). Montreal's stadium was only half finished too, during the Games! Grass was laid in Atlanta's only days before the Opening Ceremony and the roof on the Athens Olympic Stadium, was we all remember, was only put into place about 2 months before the Opening Ceremony last August.

Hence; the IOC would rather see the Stadium with their own eyes during the bid process.

I support London, but if you ask me, I honestly think if the city wins the bid, the Olympic Park and stadium will look nothing like the proposals.

I don't like the new facilities, its such a put down to see that NY doesn't have any chance to win the bid by now, it was a big dream of mine to go to NY and see the Olympic games... anyway London gots my entire support right now.

fucken hell , americans build fucken massive stadiums!! love this one!!

Here are a series of updates starting at groundbreaking...
June 04
http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/sports/slideshow/cards2005.nsf/show/2CF8C158D0DAAD1A86256F9B007C0FDA/$FILE/june2004big.jpg

July 04
http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/sports/slideshow/cards2005.nsf/show/EA9FE9582F6400BE86256F9B007C0FDB/$FILE/july2004big.jpg

Aug 04
http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/sports/slideshow/cards2005.nsf/show/0E563F4709185A2D86256F9B007C0FDC/$FILE/august2004big.jpg

Sept 04
http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/sports/slideshow/cards2005.nsf/show/F93A08C6B3DB98DD86256F9B007C0FDD/$FILE/september2004big.jpg

Oct 04
http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/sports/slideshow/cards2005.nsf/show/4FC93DFC9E855E9D86256F9B007C0FDE/$FILE/october2004big.jpg

Nov 04
http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/sports/slideshow/cards2005.nsf/show/5108DB0ACA6AE38386256F9B007C0FDF/$FILE/november2004big.jpg

Dec 04
http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/sports/slideshow/cards2005.nsf/show/C4DA951184EC0E1486256F9B007C0FE0/$FILE/december2004big.jpg

Jan 05
http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/sports/slideshow/cards2005.nsf/show/D733AFBCFA099A4786256F9B007C0FE1/$FILE/january2005big.jpg

Feb 05
http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/sports/slideshow/cards2005.nsf/show/445F78A10F6445EB86256FAC001C5914/$FILE/february2005big.jpg

March 05
http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/sports/slideshow/cards2005.nsf/show/87A89B7BB0B171A886256FC5008005F5/$FILE/march2005big.jpg

Apr 05
http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/sports/slideshow/cards2005.nsf/show/6949756F43BB541886256FE9001A1925/$FILE/april2005.jpg

May 05
http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/sports/slideshow/cards2005.nsf/show/2787F4160CE4E55E8625700700787544/$FILE/may2005.jpg

June 05
http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/sports/slideshow/cards2005.nsf/show/0CC8BDF4EF30CB8C86257025001EB025/$FILE/june2005.jpg

Oregon State's Reser Stadium is in the process of being upgraded. The end of Phase I will be this fall. Here's how the stadium will look like:
http://graphics.ocsn.com/schools/orst/graphics/web-cam-1-after.jpg
http://graphics.ocsn.com/photos/schools/orst/nonsport/aerial-after-lg.jpg
http://graphics.ocsn.com/photos/schools/orst/nonsport/endzone-after-lg.jpg
Here's how it looks like now:
http://webcam.oregonstate.edu/live/r1current.jpg
It makes the stadium look a little wierd, but I'm told that they will complete the look by 2007.

The city is not going to be paying fully for a stadium. The only way spanos, the team owner threatening to leave the city for LA or werever, is going to get a new stadium is if he pays for half, or more. 1.1 billion in debut...I don't think so.

I like the new stadium desgin however.

well dont blame nyc because you're too fucking stupid to navigate the subway system.

take your anti americanism elsewhere.

your ignorance is ASTOUNDING

genius, what fucking subway is going to get you from a hotel 2 miles away from the meadowlands to fucking giants stadium.


answer the question, texan.

The IOC says to NY, "thankyou for your application, but we have found a more appropriate host city on this occasion."

Has anyone actually listened to what the judges have been saying about the vote and why London won? I think most that are looking at shiny venues have missed the point all together.

^^^ is someone jealous? ;)

How greedy can you get? The Yanks have staged the Olympics in 1980(winter), 1984(summer), 1996(summer), 2002(winter) in recent times.

Now that the English have the games it is time to toss out baseball and put in cricket. That was a crime how baseball became an Olympic sport and they still cannot win their own game! Which countries outside of Japan, Korea, Cuba and the USA actually bother with the sport? And softball, please. That is really taking the proverbial. There is no baseball/softball diamonds in Europe/Africa/West Asia or South America.

Rugby also has to become an Olympic sport in place of one of them 'horsey events' like equestrian or yacht racing.

This Olympics will be a good chance to restore decency to the games after they have been hijacked by our well meaning cousins who have no idea.

London will be the first Olympics to have a BMX competition.

They should add darts....its like archery

New York City’s dreams for 2012 Olympics dashed
Ottawa Citizen
Wednesday, July 06, 2005

NEW YORK -- Standing in Rockefeller Center on a gray Wednesday morning, Nick Patrickas absorbed the bad news: New York’s bid to host the Summer Games came up short. The weather fit his mood.

"Everybody seems disappointed," said Patrickas, a painter from Huntington, on Long Island, who came into Manhattan hopeful of a New York victory.

One month after their bid to build a $2 billion stadium on the West Side of Manhattan was torpedoed, city Olympic officials had their bid shot down in Singapore by the International Olympic Committee.

"I’m terribly disappointed," said Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who viewed the bid as a part of New York’s recovery from the terror attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. "It was a unique opportunity for New York. ... I don’t know what’s going to happen down the road."

He and fellow delegates, clearly dejected at a post-election news conference in Singapore, said it was too soon to say whether the city would try for the 2016 Olympics, which stand a good chance of being awarded to the United States for the first time since the Atlanta Games in 1996.

A planned Rockefeller Center victory party Wednesday instead turned into an outdoor wake. A giant Jumbotron, used earlier to beam in a feed of the vote, carried a message of defeat: "Thank you New Yorkers for your support."

Leo Zuniga, 44, of Westbury, wasn’t surprised by the result: "The other cities have a longer history of bidding for the games." New York was the second city eliminated, after Moscow. Eventually, London was crowned the home of the 2012 Games.

"I wish London well," Bloomberg said - but then expressed hope that U.S. athletes would win every medal at the 2012 Games.

He and other delegates - including New York bid organizer Dan Doctoroff and U.S. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton - said they were not sure why New York fared so poorly.

"It’s very difficult to analyze," Clinton said. "I’m not going to be looking into the minds of anyone who cast a vote."

Barely a month ago, it was unclear if the city would even make a presentation in Singapore. A bitter political fight ended with the scuttling of the planned stadium on Manhattan’s West Side, once considered the key to New York’s bid.

But the city moved forward with a revised plan featuring a less expensive stadium in Queens that would double as a replacement for Shea Stadium, current home of the New York Mets.

City Council member John Liu, a Democrat, quickly called for the city to mount a bid for the 2016 Games.

"Mayor Bloomberg and Dan Doctoroff deserve credit for saving the 2012 bid after the rejection of the West Side stadium," said Liu. "In the same way, they should persist in an effort to bring the Games to New York in 2016."

Bloomberg has said that crucial deals for public funding and land - including the proposed Olympic Village site in Queens - were valid only for the 2012 bid.

"I think this was our moment," Doctoroff said.

Peter Ueberroth, president of the U.S. Olympic Committee, said New York - despite its energetic campaign - would not gain any special status if it entered the race to be the U.S. candidate for 2016.

"We will have a new process for the next four years," he said. "We’ll open it up."

what other US cities were planning a bid for the 2012. I do remember reading a while back something about Cincinnati trying at a bid...CINCINNATI, WTF?

All sports suck.

All atheletes are Nazis, coke-heads and wife-beaters.

All sports fans are homophobic apes of shockingly low intelligence.

The Olympics is a pile of fascistic commercialized trash.

Always was, always will be.

If they brought it to New York, I'd fucking move.

But not before spray-painting "PISS OFF JOCK CUNTS" over every available surface of every new contruction site I could get my hands on.

Congratulations to London, by the way.

^Jeeze--somebody's bitter.

answer the question, texan.

and then you call somebody else ignorant with your two whole posts bringing back a thread from last month just to start shit. :sleepy: yeah i wouldn't go around claiming anybody else is ignorant.

All sports suck.

All atheletes are Nazis, coke-heads and wife-beaters.

All sports fans are homophobic apes of shockingly low intelligence.

The Olympics is a pile of fascistic commercialized trash.

Always was, always will be.

If they brought it to New York, I'd fucking move.

But not before spray-painting "PISS OFF JOCK CUNTS" over every available surface of every new contruction site I could get my hands on.

Congratulations to London, by the way.

What a post...where are the moderators btw?

All sports suck.

All atheletes are Nazis, coke-heads and wife-beaters.

All sports fans are homophobic apes of shockingly low intelligence.

The Olympics is a pile of fascistic commercialized trash.

Always was, always will be.

If they brought it to New York, I'd fucking move.

But not before spray-painting "PISS OFF JOCK CUNTS" over every available surface of every new contruction site I could get my hands on.

Congratulations to London, by the way.

Uh, are you 12?

Yes, there was bidding for the USOC's bid. The final two were SF and NY. The second-last round has those two cities, plus Houston and DC. The first round also had Tampa, Cincinnati, and I think a few other cities.

well, if Tampa and Cincy can make a bid, then come on Nap-Town!!!

All sports suck.

All atheletes are Nazis, coke-heads and wife-beaters.

All sports fans are homophobic apes of shockingly low intelligence.

The Olympics is a pile of fascistic commercialized trash.

Always was, always will be.

If they brought it to New York, I'd fucking move.

But not before spray-painting "PISS OFF JOCK CUNTS" over every available surface of every new contruction site I could get my hands on.

Congratulations to London, by the way.

:weird: :sleepy:

Which countries outside of Japan, Korea, Cuba and the USA actually bother with the sport? And softball, please. That is really taking the proverbial. There is no baseball/softball diamonds in Europe/Africa/West Asia or South America.

Umm do you have any idea how big baseball is in ALL latin american countries? Seems like half of all players in the Major Leagues are hispanic in some way. Dominican Republic, Panama, Venezuela, Mexico, even Canada. And in Japan baseball is huge.

Who plays cricket besides the Brits?

and then you call somebody else ignorant with your two whole posts bringing back a thread from last month just to start shit. :sleepy: yeah i wouldn't go around claiming anybody else is ignorant.

Actually, its quite relevant considering london just won the bid that day.

And if anyone started shit, it was him. My only point was, if you are going you hurl insults, you had damn well better have your own shit straight.

Forgive me, however, for generalizing all texans as dumb as that tool.

Who plays cricket besides the Brits?
Australia? India? Pakistan? New Zealand? South Africa? Zimbabwe? Bangladesh? Sri Lanka? West Indies?

I think that would make an area totalling over 2 billion people. Quite a popular sport.

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/ideas_opinions/story/325693p-278360c.html
Fool's gold
Jersey City: I am glad the 2012 Olympics are not coming to New York City. The organizers' manufactured enthusiasm turned me off to the idea from the get-go. It is clear we are not ready or structured to host such an event. Anyone who thinks otherwise is a fool.

Bill Bayiokos

The right call
Manhattan: The reason New York lost its Olympic bid was the blatantly political West Side stadium fiasco and the scraped-together-at-the-last-minute plan to build a new Shea Stadium (which should have been the plan all along). The International Olympic Committee made the right decision.

Noel MacNeal

Wake up!
Manhattan: Now that their Olympic "dream" is over, could the "dreamers" at City Hall concentrate on improving transportation, education, health and social services - things that are meaningful to all New Yorkers instead of profitable for an elite group?

Jonathan Tessler

Back to reality
North Bellmore, L.I.: Now that Mayor Bloomberg and his billionaire buddies are done wasting time on their little sporting event, can they get back to running the city? I can name a few streets that need repaving and some teachers and firefighters who could use raises.

Chris Poppe

Food fight
Manhattan: French President Jacques Chirac can insult the British all he wants - the selection of London over Paris showed the world that insufferable arrogance doesn't pay off.

Trevor Dick

http://www.nypost.com/postopinion/letters/25756.htm
LOSING TO LONDON: GOTHAM'S BOTCHED BID
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
July 7, 2005 -- After all the hoopla, we finally see that New York was never really a candidate for the 2012 Olympic Games.

Maybe now we can finally get on with rebuilding downtown.

There are those of us who need real, long-term employment — not the promise of useless football stadiums or games that many never wanted here in the first place.
Peter Tholke

Bronx

*****

Cablevision has destroyed the Knicks and the Rangers.

And now it has destroyed New York's bid to host the 2012 Olympics.

Thanks guys.
Joseph Martini

Oceanside

*****

Although New York didn't land the bid for the 2012 Olympic Games, New Yorkers can at least take solace in London winning.

Our closest ally will undoubtedly be a great host, and we should be happy for the people of England.

We should be even happier to note that Paris lost — yet again.
James Kozack

Manhattan

*****

Now that our push for the 2012 Olympics has come to an end, there's really only one thing to do: start looking toward 2016.

No city deserves the Games more than New York.
Rachel Snyder

Brooklyn

*****

On July 6, the International Olympic Committee didn't pick New York City to host the 2012 Summer Olympics.

But it was on June 6, the day that the New York state Legislature voted against funding the proposed 75,000-seat, retractable-dome stadium that the Olympic bid was all but squashed.

Nothing could have shouted "lack of commitment" more to this fickle IOC bunch than having the stadium shot down.

When did this town go from being the capital of the world to taking a back seat to London and Paris?
Eugene Dunn

Medford

*****

I just hope that Charles Dolan of Cablevision is a happy man.

He killed the West Side stadium and the 2012 Olympics bid as well.
James Craven

Philadelphia

*****

It really should come as no surprise that New York City didn't win the Olympic bid.

After all, the world and the IOC have seen the way our city has handled a small area called Ground Zero.

If we can't decide on the proper way to rebuild this site — and it seems we never will — then we have no hope of gaining the trust we need in order to host the Olympic Games.
Bob Mayfield

Brooklyn

Actually, its quite relevant considering london just won the bid that day.

And if anyone started shit, it was him. My only point was, if you are going you hurl insults, you had damn well better have your own shit straight.

Forgive me, however, for generalizing all texans as dumb as that tool.

Fair enough :)

...the selection of London over Paris showed the world that insufferable arrogance doesn't pay off.

... This coming from an American!

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/ideas_opinions/story/326117p-278728c.html
Royal treatment
Maspeth: Now that Mayor Bloomberg and his well-heeled cronies have failed in their effort to foist an Olympic boondoggle on the good people of New York City, perhaps His Royal Highness King Michael the Smug can get back to tackling the everyday problems and worries of his 8 million constituents, the job for which he was elected.

Robert Giliberti

Ouch!
Manhattan: Mayor Bloomberg should really ask the people for some input before he goes off on his next big project. This is New York City, not Bloomberg Inc.

Steven Fromewick

Open letter
Manhattan: Dear Mike: Now that your delusional Olympic bid and West Side stadium chase are dead ducks, maybe you can get back to the business of actually running the city and dealing with those minor annoying issues like education, transportation, urban blight, blah, blah, blah, yadda, yadda, yadda. Yes, we know they are not nearly as sexy as those colorful Olympic rings or a shiny new stadium, but they are what normal New Yorkers have to deal with every day. And now that we're done paying for your expensive Republican convention and defeating your absurd West Side stadium initiative, we can get down to some real fun - voting you out of office. Oh, and don't worry about your legacy, Mike. Your place in history as New York's most clueless and aloof mayor is secure.

Tony Richards

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/08/opinion/08fri4.html?oref=login
The Olympic Games

Published: July 8, 2005

New Yorkers whose hopes of getting the 2012 Olympics were dashed this week will surely rally around London. But it is still going to require a major effort for some of the city's leaders to get past their personal disappointment. Deputy Mayor Daniel Doctoroff - the bid's chief architect - and Mayor Michael Bloomberg expended a great deal of time and energy trying to bring the Olympics here. But the city's bid was always a dark horse at best, and in the end New York finished fourth among the five competing cities.

It's easy to come up with reasons why New York did so poorly. Organizers never really managed to communicate their excitement to the public, and Olympic delegates took note. Insisting that the main stadium could be built only as part of a plan to move the Jets to the West Side of Manhattan was a huge mistake. When that plan fell apart, the scramble to get a backup site may have forced officials to sign onto an overly costly deal with the Mets for a new baseball stadium in Queens.

Still, the failed Olympic pursuit had value. An Olympic stadium on the West Side was a bad idea, but it is good that the mayor's enthusiasm for the site drew attention to an underdeveloped slice of the city. Now rezoned, that area will get residential and other construction. The Olympic pursuit also helped to speed the rezoning of Brooklyn's waterfront and moved along other projects that would otherwise have been sidelined, maybe for years.

With the city budget in distress, it's questionable whether other desirable large projects, like the extension of the No. 7 subway line, can get beyond the planning stage without another large impetus. Of course, New York, a little older and wiser, could get back in the ring and try to win the 2016 Games.

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/ideas_opinions/story/326399p-279018c.html
Sticking up for Mike
Manhattan: Fernando Ferrer seized the moment following New York's loss of the Olympics to attack Mayor Bloom- berg for having "failed to fight for the priorities of New Yorkers" ("Dem hopefuls go for Mike's throat," July 7). Where were Ferrer and the other candidates while Bloomberg used the past 3 1/2 years to improve our schools, lower crime in our neighborhoods and save us from a budget deficit?

Chuck Mayer

Yippee! We lost!
Staten Island: I couldn't be happier that the 2012 Olympics will not be in New York. Just what we'd need - another 3 million people in the city. If New York gets the Olympics in the future, they should be held in Buffalo or Albany.

Rick Galli

Faux pas
Corona: Re the July 7 headline on New York losing the Olympics, "At least it isn't Paris": Can we stop the French-bashing, please? It's just another form of bigotry. I'm no Francophile, but I wouldn't call a nation that stands up to the world's only remaining superpower cowardly.

Melanie N. Lee

No contest
Manhattan: It's no surprise that New York lost the Olympic bid. An obvious lack of planning and enthusiasm caused the defeat.

Ruth Friedman

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/local/story/326663p-279292c.html
City still carries torch, but for the 2016 Games

A solid majority of New Yorkers think the city should go back to the starting line and bid for the 2016 Olympics - even though they're not sad to see the 2012 Games go elsewhere, a new Daily News poll shows.

Taken after New York lost the 2012 Games to London last week, the poll found that 58% of New Yorkers think the city should now chase the 2016 Games.

A roughly equal 56% think the city's 2012 bid, which spurred the rezoning of Manhattan's far West Side and ultimately wrought plans for a new Shea Stadium, has already resulted in long-term benefits to the city.

But New Yorkers, perhaps weary of all the haggling over the 2012 bid, also seem relieved it's over: 47% say it's good that the city lost the Games, compared with 34% who say it's bad.

Pollsters surmised that the diverging views have more to do with acrimony over the city's most recent bid than New Yorkers' views of the Olympics in general.

"There was never a plan that everyone seemed to get behind last time," said pollster Julie Weprin of Blum & Weprin Associates, referring to Mayor Bloomberg's unpopular plans for a stadium on Manhattan's far West Side, and his last-minute shift to a cheaper, more popular alternative near Shea Stadium.

"Perhaps people think there was a healthy debate, and now the city can go forward with a more coordinated plan," added Weprin. "Because New Yorkers seem to want the Olympics."

The poll offered mostly good news for Bloomberg, whose approval rating is close to its highest level ever at 61% among registered voters.

The random telephone poll of 800 New Yorkers was taken last Wednesday and Thursday and has a margin of error of 3.5 percentage points. Of the respondents, 629 were registered voters.

Although the mayor devoted enormous sums of time and political capital toward pushing his West Side stadium plan, only 38% of those polled said they thought the stadium's demise was a major factor in the city's loss.

At the same time, respondents seem divided over the mayor's handling of the Olympic bid, with 48% giving him a thumbs-up, 39% thumbs down, and 13% were not sure.

Those polled also had strong feelings about using taxpayer dollars to fund future stadiums, with 71% opposed to such expenditures.

As for the 2016 Games, the mayor has so far refused to say whether the city will pursue the event - an effort, some believe, to give the issue a rest until after the fall election.

David Saltonstall

Originally published on July 10, 2005

Awesome- I hope it gets built!

Just a question. Are there more Giants or Jets fans in NYC?

That's kinds like asking are there more Liverpool or Everton fans isn't it? Just becuase one doesn't go to the games doesn't mean they aren't a fan.

it simply does mean that. when i live in nyc (or any other city in connection with the city's team as well) and i don't go to the games of the team than i'm not a "fan". a real fan will attend his clubs games whenever it is possible. but i have to admit that perhaps a soccer fan in europe can't be compared with a football fan in the us because obviously europe guys have more solidarity, emotion and love to their club than the guys in the us have.

Sounds like the NY Giants are a damn well run club who don't have to lean on the local councils.

How many matches per a season does Giants Stadium currently stage?

At least 16 (Giants and Jets) plus a couple of MetroStars games (or have they moved to a different location) and some NFL preseason games.

^^
Kampf how do you know about the NFL and MLS? Dont you live in Germany?

I used to live north of NYC for 6 years. :D

Just a question. Are there more Giants or Jets fans in NYC?

There's an old saying that Jets fans are actually Giants fans who couldn't get tickets (to Giants games!)

:rofl:

LOL. Just for that, I'm now a Jets fan for life. I hate the Giants...........and Eagles, Red........OK, I hate the whole NFC east except 'dem Boys. I still hate Arizona too. Tikki Barber........Eli............Strahan........where's the vomit emoticon!!!

From the Bergen Record in NJ

2 roofs, 43 luxury suites and a concert stage

Friday, August 5, 2005

By JOHN BRENNAN
STAFF WRITER

HARRISON - The owner of the MetroStars soccer team is a billionaire, and the state of New Jersey is broke.

Those two facts proved to be the key elements in completing an agreement that brought acting Governor Codey, numerous other elected officials and MetroStars executives to the steps of the Harrison Public Library on Thursday. They signed a memorandum of understanding to build a 20,000-seat open-air stadium that would open in mid-2007.

The breakthrough in the multi-year negotiations, several speakers at the news conference said, came when the MetroStars, owned by Denver billionaire Philip Anschutz, agreed to pay for the stadium construction themselves.

"Everyone was unanimous in telling us that this was never going to work if we were asking for a new tax or handouts, or if we'd be putting taxpayers at risk," said Tim Leiweke, president of Anschutz Entertainment Group. "We heard it loud and clear."

Hudson County Executive Thomas DeGise recalled hearing a different message when the MetroStars first sought to move out of Giants Stadium.

"Five or six years ago, they came to the county and to the city of Harrison, asking if we would build them a soccer stadium," DeGise said. "Five or six years later, we haven't built them a soccer stadium, but we've helped them build their own soccer stadium. And that's the way it should be."

DeGise was referring to Hudson County's willingness to issue bonds to finance $80 million for stadium construction, $40 million for land acquisition and $40 million to acquire land and build an adjacent, 1,500-car garage. The MetroStars have agreed to repay the entire stadium construction bill, after previously offering to pay only $30 million.

Harrison Mayor Ray McDonough said the town's investment was worthwhile because the stadium is to be the centerpiece of a 275-acre redevelopment project just south of Route 280. The project could include as many as 6,000 housing units, 3.5 million square feet of office space and 1.2 million square feet of retail space. Codey called the mixed-use plan "one of the largest redevelopment plans in state history."

The focus Thursday was on the soccer stadium, which Leiweke said would attract numerous concerts as well as "football, lacrosse, rugby and every other sport and activity we can find."

Leiweke said brick would play a prominent role in the construction design, which will include a permanent concert stage at one end. About one-third of the capacity will be bench seating. Leiweke said the Harrison stadium will improve upon the three-year-old Home Depot Center that AEG built for its Los Angeles Galaxy soccer franchise in Carson, Calif.

MetroStars executive Nick Sakiewicz, who dryly referred to spending "four years, seven months, 27 days" negotiating the Harrison stadium plan, said two roofs on each sideline would cover the majority of the seats. The blueprint also includes 43 luxury suites.

The stadium will be built across the Passaic River from the $310 million arena being built for the New Jersey Devils in Newark. But Sakiewicz said he did not expect the two buildings to compete, because indoor and outdoor concert businesses are different.

The MetroStars' plan to build a training site and corporate office in Pequannock also is on schedule, said Sakiewicz, who added that he hopes to see that development open at the end of 2006.

The 66-year-old Anschutz is known as a sports fanatic, as evidenced by AEG's ownership of the Los Angeles Kings of the National Hockey League, the Kings' Staples Center home and four of the 12 franchises in Major League Soccer. He recently sold the Washington, D.C., franchise.

The heavy investment in a decade-old league that has lost an estimated $200 million or more apparently led AEG officials to weigh the MetroStars' fate even more heavily.

"If this league and this sport is going to work, and if our investment is going to work, it has to work in New York," Leiweke said.

Stadium location (with other sport venues):
http://tinypic.com/a1jpco.gif

Some renderings:

http://metrostars.mlsnet.com/gallery/2005/08042005_metro_stadium/1_lg.jpg

http://metrostars.mlsnet.com/gallery/2005/08042005_metro_stadium/2_lg.jpg

http://metrostars.mlsnet.com/gallery/2005/08042005_metro_stadium/3_lg.jpg

http://metrostars.mlsnet.com/gallery/2005/08042005_metro_stadium/4_lg.jpg

http://metrostars.mlsnet.com/gallery/2005/08042005_metro_stadium/5_lg.jpg

Heres a look at the development site taken from the Gateway Center in Newark by NYatKnight on the Wired New York forums:

http://galleries.soaringtowers.org/albums/NYatKNIGHT/133_3352_IMG.sized.jpg

With the Midtown skyline in the background:
http://galleries.soaringtowers.org/albums/NYatKNIGHT/133_3354_IMG.sized.jpg

Some renderings of the development surrounding the stadium:

http://www.sportsvenue-technology.com/projects/harrison/images/Metrostars02.jpg

Aerial view with the Newark Skyline in the background:
http://www.sportsvenue-technology.com/projects/harrison/images/Metrostars01.jpg

http://metrostars.mlsnet.com/met/imgs/siteplan300.jpg

nice, a bunch of MLS teams are building their own stadiums :)

Not bad, but I would have expected better for metrostars...
The space isn't being used well enough - look and the end stands, there must be seats for only a 1000 or so people there?!
What is the capacity btw?

a fantastic step in the right direction for soccer development in the states. I dont particularly watch, like, or follow the MLS, but a domestic league with soccer specific stadia is what we need to promote the beautiful game... they just make me a fan yet.

Sort of reminds me of the stadium they're constructing right now for the Chicago Fire.
http://chicago.fire.mlsnet.com/chf/imgs/stadium/bridgeview/renderings/midfield_view_lg.jpg

What is the capacity btw?

20,000

Sort of reminds me of the stadium they're constructing right now for the Chicago Fire.
http://chicago.fire.mlsnet.com/chf/imgs/stadium/bridgeview/renderings/midfield_view_lg.jpg

Well, both teams are owned by the same person, and the stadiums were done by the same architect.

I like it alot
http://metrostars.mlsnet.com/gallery/2005/08042005_metro_stadium/1_lg.jpg

Well, both teams are owned by the same person, and the stadiums were done by the same architect.

Ha, wasn't expecting that one. Shows how much I know about MLS.

Ok, for those of you who have been to MLB stadiums in the USA & Canada, and also to the Minor League stadiums, which, in your opinion, would you rate as the best and why? Personally I have never been outside of Australia but I love baseball and baseball stadiums, old and new. Being a Dodger fan I have to admit that Dodger Stadium is, sight unseen in person, my favourite.

Are the 'new' stadiums such as Oriole Park @ Camden Yards & Jacobs Field better than the older ones such as Wrigley, Fenway & Tiger Stadium? What about those built in the 1960's like Busch, Shea, RFK & Dodger Stadium? Are the newer retractable roof stadiums such as Bank One Ballpark & Miller Park better than the Metrodome, Kingdome or the Astrodome? And are these any better than those no longer standing or in use such as Cleveland Stadium, Ebbets Field or Shibe Park?

And are these in your opinion better than minor stadiums such as Durham Bulls Athletic Park or Fifth Third Field or the Baseball Grounds of Jacksonville?

You decide, and tell us why.

My favorite new era one is definitely Jacobs. It has an old time feel and a modern look. I don't know if the new ballparks are 'better' than the old ones. They are certainly more comfortable. I'm not really a nostalgia fan the way many are. The game has evolved and so should the ballparks, IMO.

The 'domes' have definitely evolved for the better. Before they were simply multi-purpose domes. No better than the 70s cookie-cutters or even the era of ballparks before those of the 70s(some horrible multi-purpose stadiums that caused horrible dimensions). Now, places like Safeco and Miller Park are among the best, most modern stadiums in the world(though this board seems to ignore them consistently). Even Tropicana Field is a much better "ballpark" than the baggie dome of kingdome.

Minor League parks are also pretty much unknown around here. There are hundreds of these small, totally modern and full of major league amenities ballparks despite the U.S. vs EU thread saying the US doesn't have really nice smaller venues. I think they are excellent, but they are losing what the minor leagues are all about. Places like Frisco are harder to get into than the Texas Rangers, and tickets are often more expensive. Helluva ballpark in Frisco though.

Don't forget about asian and central and south american ballparks. The Japanese ballparks are especially nice. There are a few retractables like Fukuoku Dome and a retractable field in the Sapporo Dome. I like their ballparks, though most aren't as much of works of art, and they were pretty much forced by weather to play the indoor, artificial turf game.

IMO, baseball stadiums are simply the nicest stadiums there are. They are built for 80+ home games per year as opposed to the much less used grounds of other sports. Their locker and training facilities under the stadiums are therefore much more extensive than other sports. Their luxury and press areas are even more hotel like and they pretty much invented the stadium restaurant that are often overlooking the diamond. No real rules of field dimensions also allow funky stand configurations and room for frivalous and uneccesary craziness like pools, trains, and even office buildings or hotels right in the stadium.

The best of the old, Wrigley

The best of the new, SBC

IMO, baseball stadiums are simply the nicest stadiums there are. They are built for 80+ home games per year as opposed to the much less used grounds of other sports. Their locker and training facilities under the stadiums are therefore much more extensive than other sports. Their luxury and press areas are even more hotel like and they pretty much invented the stadium restaurant that are often overlooking the diamond. No real rules of field dimensions also allow funky stand configurations and room for frivalous and uneccesary craziness like pools, trains, and even office buildings or hotels right in the stadium.

ain't that the truth!!! MLB is the only major sport that allows its ball parks to determine their entire exterior dimentions (outfield and behind the foul lines) allows for a degree of personality that niether the NFL, NBA, or NHL (have you ever heard of it?) can duplicate with their fixed rectangular boundaries.

That's why I give high marks to my favorite football team, THE CHICAGO BEARS, for breaking the mold and creating a startling beautiful assymetrical field with the Soldier Field seating bowl (and whether you like or dislike the stadium's contraversial exterior, it is hard not to fall in love with the interior. Chicago, the odd ball of cities, manages to have two symmetrical baseball parks (at a time when the concept is tabu), with the most asymmetrical of football stadiums (where balance is usually a prerequisite).

SBC is usually considered the best of the new era baseball stadiums. I also like Petco Park (local bias) because of several reasons, but more importantly because it doesn't try to create "a good old feeling" that recalls the origins of the team. After all, the local team is pretty new, and it would be pathetic if they made a copy of the old Yankee Stadium or something like that.
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y84/lrd1rocha/Locations/San%20Diego/Petco%20Park/CAN04875.jpg
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y84/lrd1rocha/Locations/San%20Diego/Petco%20Park/CAN04858.jpg
http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y84/lrd1rocha/Locations/San%20Diego/Petco%20Park/CAN04881.jpg

I have to admit that I do like 'Soldier Field II' as it makes a nice change from either boring bowl stadiums such as Lambeau, Giants & Fedex Field and symmetrical stadiums like M&T Bank Stadium.

Cool! How many over MLS teams have stadiums of their own or are building ones?

Any pics?

I like Petco too. Very different kind of style, and the open outfield is outstanding.

The NFL is getting much better on the personality side of things. I know the European soccer fans don't like the non-perfect bowls, but I like the breaks in seating the way M&T, Gillette and The Linc have done. Its the only way they can compete with the personality that ballparks have.

My favorite is still Camden Yards even though it is over 10 years old. It is a magnificent stadium with a great view of the Baltimore skyline. Not to mention it started the new generation of ball parks.

Minute Maid Park in Huston......
http://tinypic.com/a41zjb.jpg

http://tinypic.com/a41yza.jpg

http://tinypic.com/a41zbs.jpg


http://tinypic.com/a41zec.jpg

Chicago Fire, Metrostars, Dallas just completed their new stadium.

LA Galaxy and Chivas USA have their own.

I think Real Salt Lake has their own.

Columbus Crew has their own.

ain't that the truth!!! MLB is the only major sport that allows its ball parks to determine their entire exterior dimentions (outfield and behind the foul lines) allows for a degree of personality that niether the NFL, NBA, or NHL (have you ever heard of it?) can duplicate with their fixed rectangular boundaries.



Well in soccer, the only thing is that the field must be rectangular

it can be 120x80, or 100x60, or 120x60, or 100x80....

From reading regulations, most major soccer championships do require certain dimensions either at minimum or exact. The NBA actually only has a minimum and maximum length and width as with standardized circle and lane sizes. I wonder which courts take advantage or if they are all the same. I know a couple of years ago, scoring was way down and David Stern would often diatribe about the need for larger courts. That may have happened in some places. Not really sure. In the MLB though, one could have the stands hug the foul lines as long as there is an on deck spot and coaches boxes. The infield requirements are pretty much it. A wall twice as high as the green monster and closer in could be built if a team wanted to. Elevation changes can even be added like Minute Maid's center field. An outfield wall could be straight across, or very deep and round like the Old Polo Grounds. A field can be tiny or huge. Its all up to what the team wants to do and how they want to play. The form of the stadium can even determine how many home runs are hit their by cutting off incoming winds or letting in incoming winds(See Ameriquest and GABP). Though this is possible with NFL stadiums. That's why Cleveland has that huge gap on both ends. Old Cleveland Stadium used to swirl. The new stadium makes passing in one direction great and horrible in the other. Texas Stadium has very stagnant wind once the top two tiers of boxes were closed in. It has allowed the Cowboys to easily switch from kicker to kicker. Bill Parcells was talking about this the other day. At the same time, teams have always put up pretty good passing numbers in Texas Stadium. Running there is big advantage for the Cowboys because of the huge crown the field has. Defense is simply harder to play on large crowns. Ahhh, REAL homefield advantages.

It will be interesting if popularity rises rapidly over the next 5-10 years. Will these teams spend the money to really expand the way NASCAR has or simply go to NFL stadiums? Each stadium looks as if expansion would be very easy to accomplish.

its a very good one, but i think it lacks more tribunes

Petco. Hopefully it'll break us away from "retro" parks.

I love Petco, but Im a sucker for Wrigley Feild as well.

It will be interesting if popularity rises rapidly over the next 5-10 years. Will these teams spend the money to really expand the way NASCAR has or simply go to NFL stadiums? Each stadium looks as if expansion would be very easy to accomplish.

I'm guessing they'll just expand the stadiums.

Most teams used to play in NFL stadiums but decided to build their own stadiums, so i doubt they'll go back.

As far as NL Calif goes, I agree that Petco is a super park, but I have to say I like SBC's more straight forward design more inviting (while giving high marks to an overlooked classic, DS)

I know it no longer gets used for baseball (shame really) but this was the main baseball stadium for the 2000 Olympics in Sydney. This would make a great Minor League ballpark.

Sydney Showground Capacity 21,000
http://img10.imageshack.us/img10/5349/sydneyshowground0234qk.jpg

Although the heart says Wrigley, which imo is one of the most atmospheric stadiums in the world, the head probably goes for Miller Park. As well as being a mighty impressive sight, its a nice combination of Retro style and function-over-form modernity:

http://www.minorleagueballparks.com/mill.jpg
http://www.geocities.com/bigghoti/images/miller.jpg

I'd have to say SBC Park in San Francisco is my favorite. Fenway in Boston is a close second.

My hometown stadium (Great American Ball Park) in Cincy is nice, but for a brand new stadium I feel they could have done a better job. It would be awesome if Northern Kentucky had a nice skyline along the river, but as it is, the open air outfield is pointed towards the river (which I like) but beyond that is kind of boring.

I've been to Miller Park in Milwaukee a lot too, and I'm not the biggest fan of it. It's in a very boring location surrounded by parking lots, the roof has it's problems, and I just think it's a pretty plain stadium. As far as retractables go I like Minute Maid and Safeco a lot better.

Ballparks are like Rodney Dangerfield around here

Much love to Safeco. One of the world's greatest stadiums period.

http://img143.imageshack.us/img143/8646/192277288uojuytfs2sq.jpg
http://img57.imageshack.us/my.php?image=80049804asmauhfs9bc.jpg
http://img143.imageshack.us/img143/1830/137927338fxmontph6sw.jpg
http://img298.imageshack.us/img298/9683/indexstock4346196mo.jpg


and much love to some of our Japanese baseball brethren. I love the high tech look, but the interiors are lacking and turf, yuck, lol. Interesting reading about how baseball season is the rainy season so indoors and turf are pretty much a must.

Fukuoka YAHOO! Dome
http://img83.imageshack.us/img83/5145/04lv.jpg
http://img298.imageshack.us/img298/6216/td60ju.jpg

Osaka Dome
http://img298.imageshack.us/img298/4743/osakadome058xp.jpg
http://img298.imageshack.us/img298/2994/osakadome017oo.jpg
http://img298.imageshack.us/img298/3530/dome8kp.jpg

Sapporo Dome
http://img298.imageshack.us/img298/5771/sapporodome05800x6009ai.jpg
http://img298.imageshack.us/img298/32/sapporodome03800x6005tb.jpg
http://img298.imageshack.us/img298/4856/sapporo016qu.jpg

Tokyo Dome
http://img298.imageshack.us/img298/9374/dsc07800small2ad.jpg
http://img298.imageshack.us/img298/4172/domeday10uf.jpg
http://img298.imageshack.us/img298/1152/dsc07798small5nk.jpg

which is the capacity for those japanese stadiums, Osaka, tokyo and Saporo seem pretty big,

Osaka dome, reminds me to Skydome in Toronto

SF's for sure (once Pacbell now SBC?), and ofcourse PNC cause of the Pittsburgh skyline

I'm not really a big fan of the retractable stadiums and definitely hate domes. A like a park where the sky is open and has a "big" feel to it. From what I've seen PNC Pittsburgh, SBC San Francisco, and Comerica Detroit seem to be the nicest parks. However, my hometown bias has to go to Petco here in San Diego because the only real retro aspect of it is an actual old building that was moved into the left field corner and became a "part of the park". Petco does not use the traditional old colors of red and green in the ballpark and the only brick is on the aforementioned Western Metal Building.

The park at the park beyond center field is definitaly unique to Petco. And Petco has highrises literally right beyond the park. It has a 32 story building attached by a bridge and numerous highrises will be just beyond the perimeter of the Park by 2007. It will have gorgeous modern buildings right in your face for all to view. No park will even come close to these kind of views.

Yankee Stadium by far.

Lets give some props to Skydome here. In the world of retro baseball stadiums, Skydome is something unique and different.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v339/drjoe12/stadiums%20and%20arenas/pano.jpg

Most fascinating roof IMO also. Quick example.

Hello
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v339/drjoe12/22737148.jpg

Goodbye
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v339/drjoe12/22737156.jpg

Hello
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v339/drjoe12/stadiums%20and%20arenas/17950451.jpg


Goodbye
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v339/drjoe12/stadiums%20and%20arenas/1989493.jpg

mello i agree. right now, pnc and sbc are my favorite as far as views are concerned. You did however misrepresent the greatness of the design. The building was not moved. It is in the exact same spot it has been since 1906. They designed the park around it, and late in the design decided the corner of it would actually be the foul pole. another building was moved to be a part of the right field building in the outfield. that was a very old building too. In 2009 or 2010, Petco will literally be unmatched, with only pnc as a rival. I think something in the range of 40 building of various heights ranging from three story lofts to 500 footers will be within the view of the seating bowl. Plus, the vegetation will be fully grown including the boguvilia(spelling) flowers that will top the tower at the entrance. a 25 story and a 20 story building will flank the great outfield park at the park.

Everyone forgets about "The Jake" when talking about newer parks that are great and not retro

http://www.beachwood.k12.oh.us/~deegan/stadiums/jake(night).jpg
http://chris.bainland.net/pix/sportevt/parks/images/JacobsFieldPanorama.jpg
http://www.squaredancing.com/clevefed/Jacobs%20Field.jpg
http://www.greatamericanbaseball.com/images/images/13%20-%20Homerun%20at%20Jacobs%20Field_JPG.jpg

Old : Wrigley
New: Miller in Milwaukee...That is a great damn stadium. I also like Petco and Safeco.

The Ameriquest Field would be up there if it wasn't in that stupid suburb instead of the city of Dallas.

I'm not really a big fan of the retractable stadiums and definitely hate domes. A like a park where the sky is open and has a "big" feel to it. From what I've seen PNC Pittsburgh, SBC San Francisco, and Comerica Detroit seem to be the nicest parks. However, my hometown bias has to go to Petco here in San Diego because the only real retro aspect of it is an actual old building that was moved into the left field corner and became a "part of the park". Petco does not use the traditional old colors of red and green in the ballpark and the only brick is on the aforementioned Western Metal Building.

The park at the park beyond center field is definitaly unique to Petco. And Petco has highrises literally right beyond the park. It has a 32 story building attached by a bridge and numerous highrises will be just beyond the perimeter of the Park by 2007. It will have gorgeous modern buildings right in your face for all to view. No park will even come close to these kind of views.

mello, i found myself agree with you on this one more than I wanted to. The retractible domes did a good job of trying to make themselves as little noticed as possible....but, you're right, they're still there, aren't they.

IMHO, the best of the genre: Houston's Minute Maid. The least obtrussive of all of them; the dome does a farily good job of hiding from view.

I'd put Safeco second on tis list.

I am probably one of the few to give Shea Stadium a postive review.

http://www.digitalballparks.com/Shea_-_Whole_Stadium_OutsideV2T_784x475.jpg
http://www.photofile.com/Photos/Albums/Stadiums/MLB/Images/Shea_Stadium3.jpg
http://www.ballparksofbaseball.com/nl/shea635.jpg
http://www.baseballpilgrimages.com/national/shea.jpg
http://www.mathesonphotography.com/images/sports/shea_stadium.jpg
http://www.slivka.com/Trips/NewYorkCity2000/pics/nyc_shea_stadium.jpg
http://www.nycrail.com/images/contributed/qtraindash7/1_17_01/flyover.jpg
http://www.nycrail.com/images/redbirds_corona_8_9_03/willetspt2.JPG
http://www.nycrail.com/images/thumbs/irt/willetspt.JPG
http://jayoh.net/amazinmets/shea10.jpg
http://www.imagexpres.com/webimagegallery/images/ny-shea_stadium4.jpg
http://www.forgotten-ny.com/forgottentour19/02.gather.jpg

It has to be the Yankee Stadium. It's big, filled with stories from history, and fun.

I honestly think we could be seeing some of the best stadiums being built in the next five years with the Cardinals next year and the Yankees and Mets by 2010.

Bank One Ballpark:

http://www.andrew.cmu.edu/user/crm/mlb/2003/9%20-%20Phoenix/Bank%20One%20Ballpark%20-%20Down%20Third%20Base%20Line.JPG
http://www.minorleagueballparks.com/bob.jpg
http://www.ballparksofbaseball.com/nl/bank725.jpg
http://www.onlinesports.com/images/phf-aafk025.gif

I always forget about the BOB when talking about retractable roofed stadiums. Another great stadium never mentioned on this board.

Bank One Ballpark and Skydome knock the compitition away!!!!!

It has to be the Yankee Stadium. It's big, filled with stories from history, and fun.
It's just too easy to Yankees fan, and they always keep poking at us Mets fan on how good they are. :poke:

It's too bad people forget about BOB. I believe it's the first stadium with natural grass and a retractable roof. I only have one thing I don't like about it. When there aren't many fans in the stands there is far to much green with the dark green seats, dark green background, and dark green frame. I think it needs more purple to go with the Diamondbacks colors.

It was my favorite new park until PNC and Petco came along.

My favorite old is deffinantly Fenway.

I like Baltimore and Cincy the best, I think. Great American Ballpark is very underrated, and refreshing.

Minors- Norfolk, Altoona, and Portland (OR)

I don't think most people get GABP. I was reading a site's article on it one day and they mentioned "Riverboat" theme. I literally had to search out some pics of it to see what they were talking about. Everything really is trying for a riverboat look

http://www.mikewelch.com/photogallery/2003/06/katiebud_reds/ballpark_pano.JPG
http://www.mlballparks.com/NLCentral/red6.jpg
http://www.griffeyjr.com/ballparks/greatamerican/pic4zoom.jpg
http://chris.bainland.net/pix/sportevt/0303GABP/images/GABP10.jpg





anyways, some of the parks mentioned

Oriole Park at Camden Yards - Baltimore
http://www.sorub.com/panorama/mlb/Camden%20Yards%20-%20August%202001.jpg
http://www.richardcrouse.com/crouse/cam800.jpg
http://www.ballparksofbaseball.com/al/camden912.jpg
http://www.ballparksofbaseball.com/al/camden911.jpg

PNC Park(best damn view in sports)

http://www.lesitedeschampions.ca/stadepnc.jpg
http://www.stadiumpage.com/pnc/PNChp2pan.jpg
http://www.stadiumpage.com/pnc/PNCoutpan.jpg


Petco Park

http://history.acusd.edu/gen/local/images3/CAN03301b.jpg
http://img353.imageshack.us/img353/628/194154555nmgnwcph0ei.jpg

Although I'm not interested in Baseball I've to admit...some really great stadiums here! Especially those retractable roof constructions...really massive

This does kind of dwarf the rest of the entire stadium. Does anyone know what the cap will be at after this phase? And when its all done? :D (are there any other phases?) Kind of hauling up older threads, when I last saw the webcam, they were doing groundwork I think, so its gone real fast.

Such a pity the Americans and Canadians are not into cricket.

You may not see a cricket stadium in the US for 30, 40 years, maybe never. Americans will always choose baseball.

Such a pity the Americans and Canadians are not into cricket.
Such a pity you Australians are not into Hockey.

Correct me if I am wrong, but Oz actually won the Olympic gold medal in hockey in both men's and women's. :cheers:

Interestingly for those of you who are interested. The first international match ever played in cricket was between Canada and the USA in the 19th century somtime. Even before the Ashes started in the 1870's.

Americans only got into baseball after the ICC(Imperial Cricket Council) ejected the USA as they were not part of the Empire. So all those cricket clubs, became baseball clubs and the rest, as they say, is history.

Found this on another site:
http://www.sfgate.com/c/pictures/2005/08/13/ba_ballpark_109_pc.jpg
http://www.sfgate.com/c/pictures/2005/08/13/ba_ballpark_112_pc.jpg
http://www.sfgate.com/c/pictures/2005/08/13/ba_ballpark_120_pc.jpg
http://www.sfgate.com/c/pictures/2005/08/13/ba_ballpark_115_pc.jpg
This may take the cake when it comes with new ballparks ideas. :eek2:

Edit: They got a pool. As a D'back fan, it's a ripoff off our idea. :)

This is awesome. I think it is necessary to compete with the SBC

I hope they can get it. I was just thinking about this while watching the Raiders game. McAfee could be renovated into a really nice stadium if the A's built a nice new home.

Really like that design too. The most old school looking of the retros. Looks very intimate.

^not exactly. I think he was talking about Ice Hockey. Canada won the gold.

And the problem with the Americans not being accepted is that they didn't form professional leagues. Its not a shame, because baseball has a beautiful history, and the sport continues to spread.

A building in the outfield, rip off of Petco Park.

and only 35,000?

Such a pity the Americans and Canadians are not into cricket.

Pity?

I think it's a blessing.

I like it also but it needs 45,000 seats, not 35. Still, the ballpark itself is an improvement on McAfee Coliseum which these days is more a stadium for the Raiders than the Athletics.

I myself like stadiums that are full

A building in the outfield, rip off of Petco Park.

and only 35,000?

Ever heard of Oriole Park at Camden Yards or Ameriquest Field?

I like the small size too. If that's what they drawin the playoffs, then a full stadium is good.

OAKLAND -- Oakland Athletics owner Lew Wolff today proposed building a new stadium for the Major League Baseball team near their current home at the Oakland Coliseum.

Wolff presented his plan to the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum Authority, the public agency that manages the Coliseum-Area complex. The plan would include a 35,000-seat stadium in addition to a retail complex and either a hotel or residences with views of the field, similar to the Toronto Skydome.

"It is our hope to create more than just a ballpark, but one of the next major urban centers in the Bay Area that will greatly add to the economic base and the community image of the city we have called home for the last 38 years," Wolff said in a statement.

Wolff did not provide a cost for the project, which media reports have estimated at $300 to $400 million, but did say he would not seek a large public subsidy the way the Oakland Raiders did when they returned from Los Angeles 10 years ago.

"Our ownership group is willing to incur the vast majority of costs associated with the project; however to create the major urban development we envision is virtually impossible without some sort of public and governmental support," Wolff said in his statement.

South Bay officials who hope to lure the A's to San Jose were not surprised by today's proposal.

Santa Clara County Assessor Larry Stone, a board member of the Baseball San Jose group, said that his group always knew that Wolff had to make a new stadium proposal to Oakland.

"To be fair to the Oakland community and to satisfy Major League Baseball... Lew Wolff had to make a sincere, concerted effort to make a deal to get a ballpark in Oakland," Stone said.

Stone expects Wolff's proposal to fail.

"I don't think it will happen," Stone said.

In San Jose the A's would play in a downtown ballpark not in an industrial area such as the 66th and High streets site that Wolff proposed today.

"The best sites for modern ballparks are downtown. Look at Baltimore, Cleveland, Denver, Seattle," Stone said.

Stone had to be reminded that San Francisco also has a downtown ballpark and chuckled as he agreed that it was successful.

The South Bay also has much greater corporate support than Oakland, which is crucial to modern sports franchises, according to Stone.

"Name me three major corporations in Oakland. I can name two: Kaiser and Clorox. We have Cisco, Intel, HP, the list is endless," Stone said.

The San Jose Redevelopment Agency should have land secured for a possible ballpark on the western edge of Downtown San Jose, near the Diridon train station, within the next 30 to 60 days -- when Wolff's Oakland proposal collapses, San Jose will be waiting, Stone said.

"(Wolff) said he would take up to a year to attempt to make a deal that works in Oakland," Stone said.


I'm rooting for Oakland on this one.

Interesting fact: The retractable roof for the Safeco Field in Seattle can support the weight of 8 ft of snow on the roof (it'll never happen) though the record amount of snow on the ground was 21 inches (nearly 2 ft). I don't know why they built the roof to stand that much snow. :-|

I'd imagine that's when its fully expanded. The structure should be much stronger when its retraceted and the parts are on top of each other.

And for our European friends, it seems as if the roof covers mostly all of the seats..

speculation on a message board I was reading is that the roof would be part of a system to steer winds. I know that Cleveland Browns Stadium, GABP and SBC have wind steering designs, so its not a crazy concept. They were saying the material is translucent and that it doesn't rain much if at all there and its obviously not a sun shade. So I guess that makes sense with them being right on a bay.

Here is Yankee Stadium for those who actually like them, b/c it's so easy to be a Yankees fan for the last 80 years.

http://www.stadiumsofnfl.com/past/yankee709.jpg
http://dcampbell.com/images/YankeeStadium.jpg
http://www.ballparksofbaseball.com/al/yankeemain.jpg
http://www.wirednewyork.com/bridges/macombs_dam/macombs_dam_harlem_14mar04.jpg
http://www.transitpicsgallery.com/gallery/albums/161st_yankee/DSC04553.jpg
http://www.roadsidephotos.com/rp/ballparks/yankee06.jpg
http://www.seatdata.com/images/venue_yankee_stadium/samples/sample.jpg
http://www.chasersofthegraveyard.com/Ground%20Zero/mvc-593s.jpg
http://members.tripod.com/franksballparks/polo4.jpg
http://www.nyyfans.de/bilder/stadium/nys_3.jpg
http://www.teresco.org/pics/yankees-19980725/disk1/mvc-009s.jpg
http://www.teresco.org/pics/yankees-19980725/disk1/mvc-001s.jpg
http://www.forgotten-ny.com/STREET%20SCENES/Grand%20Concourse/baberuth.jpg
http://www.forgotten-ny.com/STREET%20SCENES/155thstreet/yankeestadium.jpg
http://www.forgotten-ny.com/STREET%20SCENES/155thstreet/coogansbluff2.jpg
http://www.forgotten-ny.com/Alleys/BRONX%20ALLEYS/mottruppert2.jpg

don't like it. Whats with the swimming pool? Arizona has one too no? Do people really go swimming at baseball games? If so you wasted your ticket.

i think it looks nice. i dont much care for people saying rip off of this and that. it is nice. a pool on the roof of a building. so what, it is cool. a building in the outfield. so what, it is cool. all it will do it give props to sd for the idea, and Az for the pool idea. i think this design looks very nice. i hope oak gets as they deserve a better venue.

It could be a condo building or hotel. The stadium is part of larger development.

And for our European friends, it seems as if the roof covers mostly all of the seats..

Half of seats... if you watch well, roof is not really large :)

wait a minute. Didn't they just renovate the coliseum(sp). Did that not work out or is there lease coming to an end?

I usually just read and look at pictures on this site. When I saw these pics I had to comment.

This could be the neatest design I've ever seen. When people complain it is a rip-off of another park that's just makes me mad. I think it's neccesary to take little things that worked well in one place and improve on them. Look at the size of that pool. The one in AZ is more like a hot tub. Plus the view from the the A's pool will be pretty amazing.

Yes I'd agree that there have been to many retro style ballparks built in the past decade and I'd love to see more modern ones, but I can't complain about this park. This is how a park should be built. If this is built, I have to make the drive down I-5 to go see it. They'll deffinantly attract more fans in the bay area and the way the A's are playing mabey steal some Giants fans too.

The renovation was to make a better stand for the other side in the football layout. Before there was just a large temporary stand. Now there is a large, modern, permanent stand that retracts during baseball games. Other renovations took place before this.

I also read on the site that the A's have a series of 1 year leases as do the Marlins, so really there is a constant threat of relocation. San Jose has been quite smug about being able to build something nicer and luring the A's across the bay. The A's however, really wants the new stadium in Oakland.

I like the design a lot. Looks really nice.

As for the capacity of 35k which some may consider to be small you have to realize that the A's arent going to get 45 thousand people to go to the games. They are a really good team right now and they still pretty much play in an empty stadium when at home. I sont see why they would need a 45k stadium. 35k is good for Oakland.

Today the final designs were released for the Sprint Center, in downtown Kansas City, which is scheduled to open in late 2007. Capacity is 18,500.
http://photos.***************/kcgridlock/sprintcenter/huge/dadt2a.jpg
http://photos.***************/kcgridlock/sprintcenter/huge/dadt3a.jpg
http://photos.***************/kcgridlock/sprintcenter/huge/dadt4a.jpg
http://photos.***************/kcgridlock/sprintcenter/huge/dadt4b.jpg
http://photos.***************/kcgridlock/sprintcenter/huge/dadt1.jpg
http://photos.***************/kcgridlock/sprintcenter/huge/dadt2.jpg
http://photos.***************/kcgridlock/sprintcenter/huge/dadt7.jpg
http://photos.***************/kcgridlock/sprintcenter/huge/dadt3.jpg
http://photos.***************/kcgridlock/sprintcenter/huge/dadt5.jpg
http://photos.***************/kcgridlock/sprintcenter/huge/dadt6.jpg

The arena will be connected to a large downtown entertainment/shopping district which is also now under construction. The medium-sized oval shaped transparent glass building in the upper middle of this picture will be the new headquarters for H&R block.
Broad view of Arena and KC Power & Light Entertainment-Shopping District
http://photos.***************/kcgridlock/sprintcenter/huge/sprint_may5.jpg
All pictures from http://kc-photos.com

Pardon my ignorance, but what teams will be using this new facility? I see a hockey and a bball setup. The center looks really nice, reminds me a bit of MSG, but a whole lot more modern at the same time ;) I like the cladding, just too bad about the huge Sprint sign on the roof. I also wonder how transparant the building will be in reality.

that is one sleek looking arena!!Like it very much.
but they should change the colors of the seats.

There are no permanent teams yet to play in the arena, the reason it's being built is to attract an NBA or NHL Franchise back to Kansas City. The Big 12 Basketball tournament (college) will likely be held here every year, or rotated with the new arenas in Dallas and Oklahoma City every few years.

My favorite baseball park is Kaufmann stadium in Kansas City.

In a world where most teams are building "retro" like parks in the cities downtowns, Kansas City's spacious suburban like setting is both unique and beautiful.

Petco Park does look really nice.

But looming at that overhead shot,it seems to me that they should of angled the stadium towards the water. There could of potentially been a really nice view there.

They got it going in the exaxt opposite direction.

I liked the picture of the Japanese ballparks.

Tropicana Field in Tampa Bay looks like it would fit right in with that group of stadiums.

Wrigley Field for me- great atmosphere

miller park!!

I liked the picture of the Japanese ballparks.

Tropicana Field in Tampa Bay looks like it would fit right in with that group of stadiums.

I know I might get laughed at for this, but during the summer even the crappy Tropicana Field is Perfect! 70 degrees, no bright sun or rain. Couldn't get any better. It's definitely one of the worst stadiums in the league, but sometimes a dome works out just right. :)

They may want to rethink those huge windows or have some sort of curtain to block off the sunlight reflecting of the ice or jumbo screens. Besides I thought having windows on a arena like this jeopardises security.

^^I disagree^^

I like the glass as it sets it appart from most other arena's around the world.

Very nice indeed...

I know I might get laughed at for this, but during the summer even the crappy Tropicana Field is Perfect! 70 degrees, no bright sun or rain. Couldn't get any better. It's definitely one of the worst stadiums in the league, but sometimes a dome works out just right. :)


I have no problem at all with Tropicana field.

And you are right, with weather, a dome down there does make sense.

Maybe I sympathize with underdogs or something, but I hope they never build a new park in St. Petersberg, the one they have is good enough for me.

But you have to admit, Tropicana Field looks much more like those Japanese stadiums than any other stadium in America.

Now that the Expos left Montreal, and the Vet was torn down in Philly, I think Dolphins Stadium (former Pro Player Stadium, former Joe Robbie Stadium)in Miami can match up with Tropicana as the worst Baseball stadium in America. Its a nice Football stadium but its 80,000 rained-on seats don't do much for baseball atmosphere.

I think that it is very nice dseign; however...WHY???? I know they want to attract a team, but the NBA and NHL aren't going to be adding any time soon...and KC doesn't even support the Royals, so why would someone else locate there? Plus, there isn't a large enough corporate base in KC to sell the all-important suits. Waste of money IMO!

anger at Dallas maybe? I remember the first year Dallas hosted the BigXII basketball tourneys, there were KC write-ups bashing Dallas left and right and how KC is the real home of the tournament and needs to stay there. That is fine and no big deal. I was just surprised at the vitriol.

I still say my favourite is Dodger Stadium although I have never been there or to any other MLB stadium.

One thing I do want to do one day though, although it looks very unlikely, is do a tour of Yankee Stadium. I doubt any other stadium in the world has so much history that just about all sports lovers in this world know about.

I mean, who hasn't heard of Babe Ruth, Lou Gherig, Joe Dimaggio, Micky Mantle, Whitey Ford, Reggie Jackson, Derek Jeeter or Roger Clemens? Even in Europe where football is like going to church, at least Babe Ruth and the Yankees have been heard of.

Dodger Stadium is a classic. great sight lines, great views, and of course, the great LA weather. now if we can get the team to win....

I never had any idea of the nice setting of Dodger Stadium until I went to LA. Very cool view beyond the outfield and very nice the way it sits in the side of a hill.

Killer design, I hope the glass stays transparent as well.

I think that it is very nice dseign; however...WHY???? I know they want to attract a team, but the NBA and NHL aren't going to be adding any time soon...and KC doesn't even support the Royals, so why would someone else locate there? Plus, there isn't a large enough corporate base in KC to sell the all-important suits. Waste of money IMO!
The KC market is looking to attract a relocating NBA or NHL franchise, like the Orlando Magic. KC has a much better chance at getting a pro franchise than Oklahoma City or Omaha, who also recently built new arenas. Do you think that OKC and Omaha wasted money too? I'm just glad we're getting a nice new arena in downtown, where a lot of positive growth is happening, instead of going down to the rundown Kemper Arena.

why would the orlando magic move to kc,THAT MAKES NO SENSE

wait.. whatever happenned to Kansas City building the world's tallest building???????

Nice, but they need to change those vomit-green seats.

built about 5 years ago,the triple a as it is called in miami,is a modern arena designed by the most recognized architecture firm in miami-arquitectonica which is headquarted in miami but has offices in 5 other cities.the triple aaa has been host to the most amount of award shows other than the staples center,and host many concerts and basketball games.during construction the structure actually caught on fire,also situated on the grounds of the arena are a television studio,a bar/nightclub and training facilites for the miami heat.
http://www.dankomannhaupt.de/bilder/florida01/images/096%20%20Miami%20-%20American%20Airlines%20Arena.jpg
http://www.askthebookie.com/img/basketball_teams_logos/stadiums/american_airlines_arena.jpg
http://www.lalasreisen.de/amerika/assets/images/fl167.jpg
http://www.langan.com/images/proj-aa.jpg
http://www.aaarena.com/images/user/mw_arena_night2.jpg
http://www.scheldesports.com/02bball/intro/mheat618.gif

god dammit forgot poll w/e just write the number you think it deserves on the post you make.

I have no problem at all with Tropicana field.

And you are right, with weather, a dome down there does make sense.

Maybe I sympathize with underdogs or something, but I hope they never build a new park in St. Petersberg, the one they have is good enough for me.

But you have to admit, Tropicana Field looks much more like those Japanese stadiums than any other stadium in America.

As it is, the current baseball renovation of Tropicana Field is just over 10 years old, hardly long enough for a new stadium. Also, if they did build a new stadium in the future, it has to be put in Tampa, because the D-Rays just can't get support out of St. Petersburg.

I doubt any other stadium in the world has so much history that just about all sports lovers in this world know about.

I mean, who hasn't heard of Babe Ruth, Lou Gherig, Joe Dimaggio, Micky Mantle, Whitey Ford, Reggie Jackson, Derek Jeeter or Roger Clemens? Even in Europe where football is like going to church, at least Babe Ruth and the Yankees have been heard of.

Wembley.

And, most Europeans don't know any yankee players, just the team.

why would the orlando magic move to kc,THAT MAKES NO SENSE
Because the O-rena has no suites, and if orlando doesn't build them a new arena, they are likely to move.

Have they heard of Babe Ruth?

Its just like Americans with soccer. Any real sports fan here knows who Manchester United is, but they may not know any of their players.

IMS mulls hotel
Convention-level facility connected to track would diversify Speedway’s revenue stream

Sources close to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway say management is working on plans for a convention-level hotel on a 16-acre lot just south of the track’s 16th Street entrance.

Under consideration is a multilevel hotel connected to the track via a skywalk and a new set of track-side suites and condos near turn two where the Brickyard Crossing Inn sits. The inn would be torn down to make room for the suites and condos, which will better complement the new hotel.

Though IMS officials said nothing is imminent, President Joie Chitwood said the parking lot that housed a Steak n Shake restaurant, Classic Motor Inn and American Art Clay Co. before it was acquired in parcels in 2003 and 2004 by the Speedway, has been the subject of recent discussions.

“For now, those areas will remain a parking lot,” Chitwood said. “We’re still developing plans for the future which would include any major capital improvements and investments. We’re trying to see what makes sense there.”

Chitwood flatly denied IMS officials were negotiating with officials from the town of Speedway and city of Indianapolis to get Georgetown Road moved a quarter-mile west. A story surfaced on the Yahoo! Sports Web site this month reporting that IMS officials sought the move to make room for an expanded main grandstand, including suites and corporate entertainment accommodations.

“So many people are interested in what we’re doing, I think that’s how these stories get started,” Chitwood said.

He said the only plans for the grandstand this off-season involve routine upgrades and maintenance.

“We do look at the grandstands for continued renovation,” Chitwood said. “We haven’t been shy in making improvements to this property.”

Any development is likely driven by the IMS’ desire to become a year-round entertainment and corporate hospitality powerhouse rather than to increase attendance for race days, said Tim Frost, president of Frost Motorsports, a Chicagobased consulting firm specializing in motorsports business operations.

The strategy, Frost said, is to diversify the Speedway’s revenue stream and loosen its financial reliance on a few days surrounding each race.

The Speedway has made a concerted thrust since 2001 to market its hospitality services, but success was at first stifled by 9/11. IMS officials nevertheless found creative ways to use new infrastructure, such as F1 garages, for corporate entertainment.

“I think their eyes were opened up to a new revenue stream,” Frost said.

The hospitality initiative began to pay dividends in 2004, when IMS officials said they retained all but 12 of 200 corporate hospitality clients at the track during May from the year before, and added about 70 new corporate clients.

“I think what you saw was a pent-up demand, and a timely marketing effort,” Frost said.

With IMS’ NASCAR, Formula One, Indy Racing League and other motorsports contacts, industry experts said, the Speedway’s hospitality department Rolodexes probably have the names of at least 750 U.S. and foreign companies, including many of the Fortune 500.

“Their mission is to be an international leader in motorsports, and that goes beyond its three racing events,” said Bob Schultz, of the Indianapolis Convention and Visitors Association. “They host testing and could bring in many other motorsports-related events.”

Even though city officials have occasionally worried about having a glut of hotel rooms in Indianapolis, Schultz thinks a multistory hotel and conference center connected to the Brickyard would fit nicely into the cityscape.

“This fits into the ICVA’s strategy of going after the size of events that would fit into a single hotel with convention space,” Schultz said. “We would welcome the opportunity to work with the IMS on sales and marketing.”

Tourism industry sources said for a hotel and conference center to be viable, it would have to maintain occupancy near 60 percent year-round.

“Any entity that wants to build a hotel and convention center must understand the demand nature,” Schultz said. “You don’t build a church for an Easter Sunday crowd. You can be sure, before break ground, they’ll have done their due diligence.”

Speedway Town Council members and the town’s attorney and manager are meeting with Chitwood Aug. 22 to discuss the town’s redevelopment and how the IMS might fit into those plans.

Speedway Town Council Vice President Lucinda Hillmer said town officials want to create a “motorsports campus” and want the IMS to be part of the effort.

“We think it’s time we discuss our revitalization plans with the Indianapolis Motor Speedway,” Hillmer said. “We have great plans, and it’s time we talk to [IMS officials] about those plans.”

But Speedway Town Council member Edward Frazier said town officials are in the dark about any imminent construction at the track.

“We’ve certainly heard talk about major improvements coming at the track, but nothing official,” he said.

That doesn’t mean planning isn’t in the works.

“Their plans could be pretty far along before we got involved,” Frazier said. “I’d say we have a cooperative relationship with them, but I wouldn’t call the relationship between the track and town council tight.”

Major expansion of the main grandstand along the track’s front stretch seems remote in the near term.

The Speedway has been buying significant chunks of land west of Georgetown Road for years—under its own name and through Georgetown Realty Co. Inc. But there are still a number of privately owned parcels, including residential and commercial development, that would make a road realignment difficult.

Some sources said IMS officials are concerned that some of the aura of the Brickyard would be lost if the main grandstand were modernized, but not everyone agrees.

“In this modern day, you can only hold onto the past for a certain length of time,” said Derek Daly, a former race car driver and longtime motorsports commentator, including work locally for WISH-TV Channel 8.

Daly said IMS officials might be more troubled by attendance considerations.

“They have enough trouble filling the grandstands already, so it wouldn’t make sense to expand it too greatly,” Daly said.

Though IMS officials don’t disclose attendance figures, most observers said the Brickyard 400 NASCAR race is sold out, the Indianapolis 500 is a near-sellout, and the U.S. Grand Prix Formula One race has seen static to slightly declining attendance and is at least 100,000 short of a sellout.

If the IMS were to get Georgetown Road moved a quarter-mile west, it would come close to doubling its 559 acres. While IMS is a massive sports facility, it pales in comparison to sites such as Chicagoland Speedway, which sits on 930 acres, or the Nashville Super Speedway, which sits on 3,100 acres.

http://tampa.ibj.com/Repository/getimage.dll?path=IBJ/2005/08/22/1/Img/Pc0010500.jpg
[I]A lot south of the 16th Street entrance is the subject of development talks.

http://tampa.ibj.com/Repository/getimage.dll?path=IBJ/2005/08/22/49/Img/Pc0490300.jpg

http://tampa.ibj.com/Repository/getimage.dll?path=IBJ/2005/08/22/49/Img/Pc0490200.jpg

So, the golf course is what makes the backstretch so plain.

Sounds ok. I doubt they would make changes to the grandstands, being the space between the grandstands and streets so close.

So, the golf course is what makes the backstretch so plain.

Sounds ok. I doubt they would make changes to the grandstands, being the space between the grandstands and streets so close.

They are actually thinking about moving Georgetown Rd a 1/4 mile to the west, so expanding the grandstands isnt totally out of the question.

RFK Stadium, Washington (or should I say "War-shington" ;) ) D.C.:

http://www.silverscreentest.com/koala/eucalyptus/dreamrfk.jpg

http://www.ascticket.com/nationals_pictures/427_428.jpg

http://www.andrewclem.com/Baseball/Photos/RFK_from_CF.jpg

http://msn.foxsports.com/id/3528526

Pretty old as well, it seems. Just found these while fooling around. I think the Redskins used to play there, right? And the Senators. What happened to the Senators? I think they're the Twins now.

http://www.ballparksofbaseball.com/al/ed747.jpg

http://www.vanguard.edu/uploadedImages/PR/vtour/angel_stadium.jpg

http://www.ballparkreviews.com/anaheim/anaheim3.jpg

http://espn.go.com/i/mlb/clubhouses/stadiums/ana_photo.jpg

http://ravingseraph.com/photos/2004-07-15_angels_game/angels_game_7-15-04-01.jpg

https://secure.mlb.com/ana/images/ticketing/y2005/angel_stadium_aerial_275x235.jpg

RFK Stadium, Washington (or should I say "War-shington" ;) ) D.C.:

Pretty old as well, it seems. Just found these while fooling around. I think the Redskins used to play there, right? And the Senators. What happened to the Senators? I think they're the Twins now.

Why RFK? It's only being used temporarily while a new stadium is built.

And yes, the Redskins did play there. And the Senators became the Texas Rangers.

Well, it's a bit old (because baseball fans like to talk about the old grounds, like Wrigley); the turf is very green; it's big; good seats all around, it seems; the main issue is that it's enclosed and not open to the foreground. :)

I am probably one of the few to give Shea Stadium a postive review.

http://www.photofile.com/Photos/Albums/Stadiums/MLB/Images/Shea_Stadium3.jpg

Did they run out of money before they could finish it? :?

Fenway

Did they run out of money before they could finish it? :?
It was suppossed to look like that.

RFK Stadium, Washington (or should I say "War-shington" ;) ) D.C.:
Pretty old as well, it seems. Just found these while fooling around. I think the Redskins used to play there, right? And the Senators. What happened to the Senators? I think they're the Twins now.

The Redskins did play there. The Senators that are now the Twins never played at RFK. They played at Griffith Stadium. The same year that the Twins went to Minnesota, DC got an AL expansion franchise, also called the Senators. That team played at RFK....before going on to become the Texas Rangers.

^Thanks. That cleared that up a bit for me. I read that when the Senators started they were first called the "Nationals", in the nineteeth century. Then the name was changed to "Senators" sometime after. Now I see there's a new team and they returned to their old name. History and all that.

Did they run out of money before they could finish it? :?
Most Baseball stadiums have some sort of gap in the outfield.

Most Baseball stadiums have some sort of gap in the outfield.

Why is this? Is it so not to hit the fans with a homerun, or what? Excuse my ignorance on this, LOL.

It's a hitters background. It's usually green or black and it's supposed to help the batter focus on the ball (if fans were able to sit in center field, he'd be distracted)...or were you referring to something else?

I really like Safeco Field. It's modern yet somewhat classic in its design

http://ussmariner.blogspot.com/features/safeco_afternoon_1600x1200.jpg

http://www.ballparksofbaseball.com/al/safeco736.jpg

http://www.ballparksofbaseball.com/al/safeco630.jpg

http://www.ballparksofbaseball.com/al/safeco601.jpg

http://www.exileonmainst.com/images/Microsoft_Company_Meeting,_August_27,_2002/Safeco_Field.JPG

Actually I made a mistake on that pic of Shea Stadium, and that is an old shot of it if you notice that it's not blue and rather gray.

I tried posting this before, but it must have got lost in cyberspace, so I'll give it another go...

*********

Nobody is going to accuse US Cellular Field of being one of the best ball parks in MLB. It's not. It's not even the best ball park in Chicago.

That said, I still have to feel this much maligned park is not getting its fair due. And that there are reasons today why it should be far less maligned than it is.

A little history. Comiskey Park II, when it openned in 1990, had the misfortune of coming on the scene one year before Baltimore openned Camden Yards....and set the standard for all subsequent baseball parks.

Comiskey was straight forward and symmetrical. Camden Yards broke the mold by being assymetrical, quirky, warm and friendly, and harkening to a bygone era of baseball. Every city wanted it own Camden Yards and most got one.

But as the retropark concept grew and developed from the Baltimore model, the parks became more quirky, more cute, more over-the-top, more visual overload, more "come look at me". Baseball, in some of them, became a sideshow.

Meanwhile at Comiskey, real and disturbing aspects of the original design were addressed through corporate naming. US Cellular sunk a fortune into the park to lower the excessively large and steep urban deck, a warm and friendly roof was placed on top, green seats are replacing blue, and the park today is a far better place than the day it openned.

But is it possible that one thing that improves the Cell and perceptions of it is not what happens in Chicago, but takes place elsewhere? Could the degree of cutesyness and the overplaying of the retro-concept actually puts Comiskey II is a new and better light?

Fenway Park is a charmer, a quirky and unsymmetrical gem (where the quirkiness is genuine; it drawn from the park's dimensions, not an add on to make it look old fashioned). Yet the other gem of an old park, cross town from the Cell, is Wrigley Field...basically symmetrical, basically straight forward and basically about seeing a baseball game as opposed to going to an amusement park. Is it possible, just possilbe, that the striaght forward Comskey is, in light of so many new parks, a refreshingly real place, too, deserving of another look and perhaps a new appreciation?

The renovation looks great I think. I think the original stadium took far too much criticism though, probably because its crosstown rival is Wrigley.

Most seats are behind the infield in baseball because:

- decrease capacity. Makes no sense to have an 80,000 seat baseball stadium I doubt you'd get close to that number for 81 home games in such a leisurely sport. It would come in handy during the playoffs though.

- Batter's Eye for reasons mentioned above.

- Most action takes place away from the outfield. Because of that, outfield seats are very inexpensive. Sometimes they are bleachers and plazas are often built there. Just look at the field and how expansive the outfield is compared to the 3 guys out there.