Sundodger
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Posts posted by Sundodger
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Okay fine. Semantics aside, I don't see how something that has one station at each end, and no stops between can be considered anything other than an amusement ride.
Those stations happen to be in two of the major activity epicenters of Seattle. So no, it is not an amusement ride.
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Every single friend I have in Seattle forgets it even exists. It is not part of the average Seattle-ites life.
2.5 million tourists a year is fine, but intercity transit it is not. It's an amusement ride.
The monorail links Seattle's major shopping district with Seattle Center where Key Arena, Opera House, Memorial Stadium, etc. is located and many fairs and festivals take place. More than tourists use the monorail. I think what you are trying to get at is that it is not a commuter line. When I worked downtown, I only used it to get events at Seattle Center.
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Seattle unveiled their jersey today:
Microsoft will pay the club $4,000,000 a year for five years.
They also announced that season ticket deposits had reached 16,200 and they are having a 102% conversation rate of deposits to season tickets. In a few months (or less), Seattle will lead the MLS in season ticket sales.
Season ticket holders:
1. Toronto FC - 16,641
2. Seattle Sounders FC - 16,200 (begins play in 2009)
3. Los Angeles Galaxy - 7,915
4. D.C. United - 5,976
5. Philadelphia - 5,000 (rough estimate of ticket deposits from mid-May; begins play in 2010)
6. Real Salt Lake - 4,632
7. Houston Dynamo - 4,116
8. New England Revolution - 4,001
9. San Jose Earthquakes - 3,822
10. Columbus Crew - 3,227
11. New York Red Bulls - 3,170
12. FC Dallas - 3,002
13. Colorado Rapids - 2,968
14. Chicago Fire - 2,759
15. Kansas City Wizards - 1,539
16. Chivas USA - 837
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Here are some aerials of Chambers Bay from 2005 right before construction
Looking west over South Puget Sound toward the Olympic Mountains:
Looking east, Mt. Rainier & Mt. Adams in distance, Ft. Lewis and McChord Air Force Base also visible:
Looking north towards the Tacoma Narrows Bridge. Tacoma is below 'Inc.'. Seattle in distance just below the larger mountain, which is Mt. Baker. Glacier Peak is the other prominent visible mountain:
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The USGA just announced that Chambers Bay will host both the 2010 U.S. Amateur & the 2015 U.S. Open. Chambers Bay is a new municipal course in University Place, Washington, just outside of Tacoma.
Here are some articles on the subject:
U.S. Open here? It took a vision - Tacoma News Tribune
Digging An Open Landmark - Golf Digest
Chambers Bay is that good - Golf Digest
Pics of Chambers Bay and Wisconsin's Erin Hills - Golf Digest
Highlights:
[*]Chambers Bay opened just last June, and it
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There is a 100% chance the Sonics will not be in the city limits of Seattle. Blame the idiot mayor and grossly inept city council for that. I am glad I no longer live in Seattle proper. When the heck are the voters going to wake up?
Go Renton!
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Oh well, maybe after they boot the Sonics off to Oklahoma, we can use the Arena for NHL!!!! (Hopefully)... LOL
Actually the only way to get the NHL is to save the Sonics. If they build a new arena in Bellevue, it will be NHL viable. Key Arena is not NHL viable.
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^ that wasn't Seattle U's problem, they were a D1 powerhouse. They finished 2nd overall in the NCAA basketball tournament in the Elgin Baylor days. Part of the reason they dropped down was the program was getting a little shady.
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Seattle U. making a Div. I comeback?
USF Director of Athletics Bill Hogan Named Athletics Director at Seattle University
That would be sweet. It was stupid for them to kill their successful D-1 program in 1980. Gonzaga and Portland have both shown that Seattle U. was wrong in that decision. Hopefully they can work their way into the West Coast Conference adding a third NW school to the three Bay Area schools and the three So. Cal schools.
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I think that while we may get more rain in inches than Portland we actually spend less time under rainy conditions. Most of the time during summer our rain hits in short sudden monsoon like bursts for only an hour or so and then we go back to sunny conditions while Portland's rain is lighter and more constant throughout the day.
That isn't Portland's weather, we are talking Portland, OR, not Portland, ME. Portland doesn't get much rain at all during the summer. The rain in the PNW is seasonal; wet and mild winters, dry summers with no or low humidity. It goes weeks without rain. No thundershowers, nothing.
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From what has been said, Portland is too rainy for MLB.
That means every city east of Denver is too rainy for baseball then. Charlotte gets a heck of a lot more rain during the baseball season as Portland.
Portland gets 12.07 inches of rain on average Apr-Oct. Only the MLB cities in CA, CO, & AZ get less.
It also doesn't have an urban region large enough to attract enough ticket buyers.Sure it does.
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What's the smallest market that Nordstrom is located in?
It was Yakima, WA but that store closed. The smallest is probably Anchorage, AK. Next smallest after that would probably be Salem, OR, if you don't count it as part of the Portland metro. Spokane, WA would probably be after that.
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Closer to Portland or Seattle
Portland is twice as far as Seattle from where I live. Look at my avatar, can't see anything like that in Oregon. Heck, google the word "sundodger." I am a Mariners fan and assoc. with Seattle, not Portland. Heck, I lived there until 2001. Portland is where I go to avoid sales tax on expensive items. I am just stating the reality about the Portland market. Like it or not, it is the best open market for MLB currently but that is another topic for another thread I guess.
On the original topic, work with Richmond and put an NFL stadium in Williamsburg for a regional Virginia franchise ala the New England Patriots. The Redskins can't complain because of revenue sharing so that is a non-issue. It will be all about putting together a stadium financing package to convince an owner to relocate. The joint markets of HR and Richmond would look great on paper, especially with the void of major professional sports. The next NFL franchise move will be to L.A., after that, it up for grabs between San Antonio and whoever decides to take them on.
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Will do.
I have only one question: Sundodger, where are you from?
Seattle area.
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Yes, Pro player stadium has a miami address. However, I would have to agree that Pro Player is closer to Ft. Lauderdale and Hollywood area than Miami. Heck, it's 14 miles from the stadium to downtown Miami. I can see why he considers it to be Ft. Lauderdale.
You can't agree with what is not true. Hollywood, sure, but when do major sports teams take on a suburban identity?
13.8 miles from DT Miami to Dolphins Stadium, 16.97 miles from DT Ft. Lauderdale to Dolphins Stadium per Mapquest.com. So Miami address, in Miami-Dade County, and closer to Miami to boot.
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TBS South is not a sports network like FSN/Comcast. It is available in southeastern states unlike FSN-NW which is only in Washington and Oregon.
How is this any different than Turner South? Wouldn't a team in Charlotte hurt Turner South and the BRaves? Of course it would, but there is nothing they can do about it.
I have stated several times that Portland is not in Seattle's official territory, but MLB will have to pay the Mariners like they paid the Orioles to take away TV market.No they do not. Again, read MLB's rules.
Vegas, Norfolk, and Charlotte are not claimed by any team's TV market.Actually they do fall within MLB T.V. markets; the whole entire country is portioned off!
Attendance for the AAA Portland Beavers has dropped from 6800 in 2002 to about 5300 in 2004 and 2005. PGE Park has a capacity of 23,000 and was renovated in 2001. The Beavers are bankrupt and owned by the PCL.Portland is a major league city. People rather watch MLB or play baseball, hence Portland's great MLB T.V. ratings and the great baseball played in the Portland area. Portland is a great baseball city.
Norfolk has averaged over 7000 for Tides games over the past several seasons. Although I don't consider minor league attendance as a true indicator of pro team viability, Portland's dying interest is not good. At least Vegas has an excuse: horrible stadium with horrible summer heat.Portland's stadium is horrible and if you have ever been to Portland in the summer, you would only sacrifice time outside for MLB, not the minors.
Portland's economy was cited as one of the reasons why they fell from the Expos race.
That isn't true. The Expos were going to D.C. no matter what. Portland's economy was worse than the nation as a whole post 9/11, but it tends to mirror the rest of the nation to the extreme. Currently it is doing really well.
Norfolk is the best relocation option for the Marlins. Portland is the best option for the A's or Twins. Vegas is the best option for the NBA. Charlotte needs more people.
Norfolk isn't a viable MLB relocation destination. Portland is by far the best relocation destination. And you are right, the NBA is Vegas's best bet and Charlotte would be too saturated with a third franchise.
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The Marlins currently play in Joe Robbie/Pro Player/Dolphins. That's why they are the Florida Marlins.
Who here doesn't know this? I was just telling you in the last thread the stadium isn't in Ft Lauderdale nor even in the same county as Ft. Lauderdale, that's all.
FSN is a regional network unlike TBS.
FSN = Turner South.
Charlotte gets TBS South. If Portland gets a team, the Mariners contract with FSN will go down in value because they lose a television market. The Mariners will fight a move.There is nothing they can do about it! Do you know MLB's rules? Portland does not fall within Seattle's radius; there is nothing they can do but beotch and whine. D.C. was another story as it is 35 miles from Baltimore.
Portland is no DC.Exactly, it doesn't fall within a current team's territory. D.C., San Jose, and N. NJ have these issues; Portland, Norfolk, and Charlotte do not. Understand?
As for best relocation options, in order they would be: Norfolk (few high-priced distractions but weak business base), Vegas (skyrocketing population & celebrities but high cost of living with depressed wages and many distractions), Monterrey (richest city in Mexico with large number of millionaires but citizens more interested in football with 1000 Cowboys season ticket holders), Portland (largest city with only one pro team but little interest in baseball and somewhat weak economy), and Charlotte (strong business base but small population and two pro teams).
Nope. Have you looked at the numbers? Portland is by far the best potential open market for MLB by the numbers. Las Vegas would be a mistake and Monterrey pencils out like Wichita, KS. Norfolk pencils out but the NBA or NFL would be a better fit as MLB is by far the most expensive and difficult pro sport to maintain.
Also, why do you have to make stuff up? Portland has a lot of interest in baseball and their economy is far from weak. Also Las Vegas does not have a high cost of living, affordability is driving her growth!
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That's my point. Is MLB, which is the most uptight of all major sports, willing to realign again, after all the changes instituted over the past decade? Considering the steroid scandal how would the public react to these changes?
Are you serious? Realigning a few teams is nothing close to the other changes made recently. If you look at recent precedence, MLB is quite comfortable with it currently. Hence interleague play, wildcard, extra divisions, league affiliation changes, etc.
Seattle broadcasts in Portland. DC doesn't broadcast in Norfolk. I'm not sure about Atlanta in Charlotte. I do know that Atlanta claims much, if not all of South Carolina as its territory. Charlotte's metro area goes into SC. How would that work?
Seattle only broadcasts in Portland because FSN carries the games there. They are not the same t.v. market. Does Charlotte have TBS or Turner South? How about Norfolk?
Selig wants to place a team in Monterrey, Mexico.
The economics doesn't work presently for that dream to be realized.
This would cause minor realignment...Then why say the nonsense above if you really believe MLB is open to more change?
with the Pirates moving to the NL East and Marlins to the NL Central as opposed to the more intensive realignment if the Marlins moved to Vegas or Portland.How is that less intensive then your silly Mexico scenario? The Pirates would fit in fine with the Phillies (intrastate rivalry anyone?), Senators (D.C. is closer to Pitt than their closest NL Cent. opponent), and Mets. The Rockies would do fine in the NL Central since they are already out of place in the West. In fact the move to Portland helps balance things.
In the end, though, I believe that the Marlins will build a new stadium next to Joe Robbie/Pro Player/Dolphins Stadium in Ft. Lauderdale.Never happen, especially since Joe Robbie isn't even in the same county as Ft. Lauderdale. I too believe the Marlins stay but it will be a downtown ballpark if they stay. If they are gone, Portland is by far the best relocation option currently.
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MLB is not in the mood to realign. The business is doing very well right now so they have no desire to mess with the current model.
A minor realignment is no big deal anymore after all the changes the last 11 years. It isn't an issue that will affect a team's relocation.
In addition, placing an AL team in Portland will be a lot more difficult than placing a NL team. Seattle has already whined that they have market rights to Portland. (Baseball says they don't.) Seattle would lose fans who would drive up or turn on the TV to watch the Mariners play the Angels, A's, Yanks, or BoSox (since the two teams would schedule the same teams) if the Marlins are placed as an AL team.You can say the samething about Charlotte - Atlanta and Norfolk - DC. The reality is that the two cities are too far apart for other franchises to do anything about them. DC-Balt. situation was different as DC fell within MLB's defined radius of another franchise. Portland, Charlotte, & Norfolk don't have this to worry about other franchises as they fall out of the defined radius, E. Rutherford, NJ however does not and will have to work a deal with the NY clubs if the Marlins are to move there.
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That is the main reason the expos didnt go west as well.
No, that isn't true. They moved to D.C. because it was by far the best market to relocate to.
All they have to do if the Marlins move to Portland is move the Pirates to the East, Rockies to the Central, & Marlins to the West. Another thing they could do is switch the Marlins to the AL and another team to the NL to fix the AL West's geographic inbalance and create a regional rivalry with Seattle.
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^ The Expos stayed on the east coast because DC was by far the best open market for MLB. It had nothing to do with east vs. west.
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I think Charlotte has a better chance than Portland, plus they are going to want to keep it on the east coast.
I don't see it that way. Portland is a less saturated sports market than Charlotte. Also the westcoast needs one more team for balance. Plus Portland is way ahead of the game with ballpark financing and working with MLB.
Seattle Webcams
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University of Washington webcams:
http://www.washington.edu/cambots/