Posted on 04/14/2005 6:39:59 AM PDT by Racehorse
But at today's City Council meeting . . . it will become obvious that a pro soccer team will cost us much more than artificial turf.
[ . . . ]
The city will give team owners rent-free use of the Alamodome for 20 home games each year for five to 25 years. But before that, the city will provide $75,000 of the $100,000 campaign to sell at least 5,000 season tickets.
[ . . . ]
Under this deal, MLS will get half the rents collected for any other events in the city-owned facility, except for conventions, events that are already booked and NCAA and Olympics events.
The franchise will pay its own event-related expenses. But it also will keep all revenue from its ticket sales, suite rentals, temporary field signage, parking, concessions and the sale of merchandise and novelties. It also will keep 95 percent of advertising sales and 70 percent to 80 percent of what it collects from the sale of the Alamodome's naming rights.
Additionally, City Hall will provide $1.115 million for artificial turf and replace it when necessary, $150,000 for new drapery, $1.050 million to finish out 14 luxury suites, and $426,000 to spruce up the team's rent-free office.
As if that weren't enough, our generous city will give the team locker rooms, conditioning facilities, administration offices and two "high-quality soccer fields" for practice, all of which will cost of another $3.7 million.
So, to get another professional sports franchise for our city, we will give away the Alamodome that taxpayers paid for, along with its concessions and parking revenues, the naming rights and virtually all of its other revenue streams, half the rents collected from any other tenants, and give the still-unidentified soccer team $6.5 million of other goodies.
(Excerpt) Read more at mysanantonio.com ...
Oh, did I forget to tell you? They're looking to relocate a team from Mexico.
Your city council is even stupider than ours in Topeka! Imagine that!
No problem, we'll just post some Minutemen in downtown San Antonio.
I'm kidding, of course.
K-I-D-D-I-N-G.
When I lived there, we called it the DilloDome.
Sadly, truth is painful. Fortunately, the city was smart enough to impose strict term limits and resolutely refuses to remove or relax them.
The council is so bad that Sheryl Sculley (Phoenix's assistant city manager) turned down the opportunity to become the nation's highest paid city manager. She said she would come only if she received unanimous city council approval. Two council fools immediately declared their disapproval. She promptly said no thanks.
Sculley would have earned $265,000 with benefits and perks pushing it near $300,000. Reports say she is worth every penny. Working with these yahoos, she would have more than earned her pay just by showing up.
We used to call it "The House Built for Goerge" Strait that is I guess not any more.
The San Antonio City council is as Stupid as the Austin City Council sometimes I think its a race to be stupidest.
RB<><
BTW my city council is just as dumb but on a small town scale.
In the last election during the 2nd week of April every incumbent but 1 (unopposed) got the heave ho. Two years down the road the rest if them will go bye bye! That's how bad they are. The city is in debt up to it's ears and the towns people have had enough!
Well, giving up the parking revenues won't be such a big deal.
When the 65,000 seat stadium was built (as bait for the 'sure' thing of an NFL franchise)the city, then led by popular politician Henry Cisneros, "forgot" to provide adequate parking. I think they have around 500 spaces. Whatever, it was far below what architects recommend for such a large stadium.
they're not relocating, just creating a US version of the Mexican team. The Mexican team will continue playing in the Mexican League. This is happening right now with Chivas USA in Los Angeles and Chivas Guadalajara.
I remember thinking when I lived there it looked like a Texas speed bump, a dead armadillo. I sugested the "Dillo Dome".
Guess i wasn't the only one!
You're probably right. A companion article says: [Councilman] Perez said he has high hopes for soccer in San Antonio and believes it could be a good family spectator sport and even lead to a partnership with a Mexican team." and "City officials have had talks with three potential owner groups about bringing a relocated or expansion team here . . ."
An expansion team would be okay with me.
What is the benefit of creating a US version of a Mexican team? If it is a farm team, for these bucks it would not be so okay with me? Any insight?
So after they give it away, who will show up to support the soccer teams? Answer. Nobody.
The Dumb Dome Syndrome. Buy a 3 million property for 10 million, spend another 15 million cleaning up "slag" and stand up what is probably the ugliest building in the city with no place to park.
I guess the only question is when will the proposed Applewhite Reservoir be brought up again?
Answer. The next time we have another hundred year flood of 20 inches, it'll be the front page headline.
bump
Exactly ... on its back, feet in the air.
The most popular Mexican teams have big fan bases in the US within the Mexican community. Since the Mexican-based team can't play in the US league, an offshoot is created and marketed to that team's fan base. It's a new idea, and the first experiment is in LA. Guadalajara is, by far, the most popular team in Mexico, so if that project fails, it probably won't work with any other team (although with the enticements San Antonio is offering it might be hard to fail). The downside for the Mexicans is that they will probably have to pay $25 million to MLS for the expansion franchise.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.