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September 30, 2004
But We Can Still Be Friends
Another item lost in the hoopla over D.C. baseball is the fact that RFK Stadium already has another tenant -- D.C. United, the premier franchise in MLS. Here's what they're saying over at MLSNet: But the most crucial aspect of baseball's arrival centers around the playing surface itself. The prospect of playing soccer on a dirt infield hardly inspires enthusiasm among players and fans -- no club in MLS history has ever shared facilities with a baseball team. Looks like local Soccer fans aren't buying it.
Eric
07:51 AM
Trackback PingsTrackBack URL for this entry: CommentsMatchnight -- nice find. Great soccer blog. I wrote something angry and defiant about RFK a couple of years ago, but as long as they move on and build the new stadium AND as long as they shell out the bucks to put decent grass on the infield for the next two years, I'm not that upset about it. Granted, part of me wants to place bets now on which team will have better attendance in 2009, les Expos nee Montreal or D.C. United. Posted by: at September 30, 2004 03:21 PM Last time I checked, soccer wasn't America's pastime. And I'll take you up on that wager in 2009, Beau. Posted by: at September 30, 2004 04:46 PM DC -- Been to a United game? Been to a Wizards game without Jordan? No, soccer isn't America's pastime, but it does well in certain areas, and this is one of them. But there's another factor: This isn't a town that's going to pack a stadium on weeknights. This is a town of workaholics who are attached to their jobs but not that attached to the town. (Heck, a lot of them are politicians who go home and tell their constituents what a cesspool D.C. is, which is why the Redskins and Capitals always get ripped off by the refs, and I really dislike these people, and ... sorry, I seem to have digressed.) If United is playing decent ball in an agreeable stadium of its own, they'll average 20K. Will the ex-Expos match that? In Year 1, sure, and they'll do it again the year the stadium is built. But after that? I just don't know. All I can tell you is that my co-workers aren't the least bit excited, and I work in a sports department. See you at Camden Yards. Posted by: at September 30, 2004 09:20 PM As a proud United fan, I have to tell you the tag "the premier fanchise in MLS" is about 4 years out of date. Dominant 96-99, then managed to miss the playoffs three years running in a league where either 2/3 or 3/4 of the league was included. Having seen RFK in baseball configuration during the dog and pony phase of the Marlins/Rockies expansion, I'm not sure they can even put a regulation pitch out there, and the stands will feel like they're a mile from the sidelines. The team should be looking hard at Byrd stadium or even (gag) FedEx. Posted by: at October 1, 2004 09:19 AM Post a commentThanks for signing in, . (If you haven't left a comment here before, you may need to be approved by the site owner before your comment will appear. Until then, it won't appear on the entry. Thanks for waiting.) |