Stadium Discussion

[mgarbowski]

I think it is fair to say now that playing at Yankee Stadium is having a negative effect on results and the product we are buying. Over both seasons, and having played one more home game than away, we have the same number of home wins as road wins: 7. The Home record is better slightly due to a better ratio of ties to losses but that ain't much. The PPG difference is 0.12 better at Home. That is unacceptable and will not get the team anywhere. Maybe that could be improved with a style of play that is better suited to this pitch but there seems little interest in trying that. On top of that, I think the energy is starting to wane and the disadvantages of having seats misconfigured for the sport, and a supporters section horribly suited for vocal sound projection are coming to the fore.

For all that there's not much to be done and we'll have to suck it up as fans.

 

[mgarbowski]

I don't even think they're trying anymore.

Not trying for a stadium or not trying to assuage the fans. Or both.

 

[Ulrich]

You would think if there was even a sliver of news, they would release it this week to take focus away from the loss and bring some positive news about the team to the press & fan base.

That, OR, they're happy the focus isn't on the stadium's lack of progress.... which, to them, is viewed as more damning, a loss on the field or their total inability to get a stadium underway after three years?

 

[NYCFCfan]

For all that there's not much to be done and we'll have to suck it up as fans.

Here's where I think you're wrong.

If CFG realizes that people aren't just going to allow them to stay at Yankee Stadium, then and only then, will there be pressure for them to leave Yankee Stadium.

Right now they're the kid who graduated college and is living with his parents. With a place to stay, there's no sense of urgency in finding a good place. I say being as vocal about your unhappiness with the stadium is the only way to force CFG's hand.

Eventually we'll start seeing STH and attendance numbers drop as people get tired of watching them at a baseball stadium with all the negatives you pointed out.

 

[Fantazma]

meh....i still said 5-10 years for anything to happen or announced...im still within my window of expectation.

Here's where I think you're wrong.

Eventually we'll start seeing STH and attendance numbers drop as people get tired of watching them at a baseball stadium with all the negatives you pointed out.

is that why no one goes to see DC united? will we see the new stadium 90%+ full in their new stadium?

 

[NYCFCfan]

Not trying for a stadium or not trying to assuage the fans. Or both.

Both, absolutely both. I don't think they've once apologized for the Lampard fiasco last year, they said it was a misunderstanding.

They sure as hell didn't apologize for this thrashing. Yes, I'm fully aware an apology does nothing but most clubs after getting trashed by rivals have players, owners and managers come out and apologize for the poor performance.

I remember getting my hands on a very large technology companies PR guide for dealing with clients. It emphasized NEVER apologizing.

You'd say things like "I understand" or "lets see what we can do to fix it" but you never say "I'm sorry" and that's what this seems like to me. More and more like a large corporate operation created to take money from people as opposed to a team that works with fans. Yes, I'm aware 99% of teams are corporate brands but at least they TRY to seem human. CFG doesn't and that comes down to their messaging.

I know BlueCityRadio managed to get Villa on tape apologizing to fans. Makes you wonder why a message like that wasn't WIDELY circulated by the team as it's exactly what the fans wanted to here.

 

[NYCFCfan]

meh....i still said 5-10 years for anything to happen or announced...im still within my window of expectation.



is that why no one goes to see DC united? will we see the new stadium 90%+ full in their new stadium?

DC United is a worst case scenario of what NYCFC could become in a decade. Foreign owner who lost interest in his team and decided the best approach was to spend little on players. Sure they found some results but the fan base suffered, they treated their fans more like customers than partners.

They're in the process of building a stadium, the last original franchise to move to a different stadium (that includes the Revs moving to the new Patriots stadium) but it's been 2 decades, the damage has been done. Hopefully it signals a renaissance for the team but given their interactions with supporters this season, I'm not too sure.

 

[mgarbowski]

Both, absolutely both. I don't think they've once apologized for the Lampard fiasco last year, they said it was a misunderstanding.

They sure as hell didn't apologize for this thrashing. Yes, I'm fully aware an apology does nothing but most clubs after getting trashed by rivals have players, owners and managers come out and apologize for the poor performance.

I remember getting my hands on a very large technology companies PR guide for dealing with clients. It emphasized NEVER apologizing.

You'd say things like "I understand" or "lets see what we can do to fix it" but you never say "I'm sorry" and that's what this seems like to me. More and more like a large corporate operation created to take money from people as opposed to a team that works with fans. Yes, I'm aware 99% of teams are corporate brands but at least they TRY to seem human. CFG doesn't and that comes down to their messaging.

Which shocks me because a simple well-executed apology works wonders. Tylenol. New Coke. Both of these are more than 30 years old and if you are old enough you know exactly what I'm talking about. People remember and forgive and grow even more attached to the product if the apology isn't just double speak.

 

[Kjbert]

meh....i still said 5-10 years for anything to happen or announced...im still within my window of expectation.



is that why no one goes to see DC united? will we see the new stadium 90%+ full in their new stadium?

The new DC United stadium will be a home run for that franchise and it will reinvigorate their fan base. You need to understand the DC sports scene. The city is sprawling and they are building an entirely new residential/commercial area around it, similar to what they did with the Navy Yard and Nationals Park.

 

[NYCFCfan]

Sorry for bringing everyone down. I'm done playing chicken little today. No more "the sky is falling" but as someone with season tickets I think it's only fair the club lets us know what's happening instead of just stringing everyone along.

 

[Gotham Gator]

Here's where I think you're wrong.

If CFG realizes that people aren't just going to allow them to stay at Yankee Stadium, then and only then, will there be pressure for them to leave Yankee Stadium.

Right now they're the kid who graduated college and is living with his parents. With a place to stay, there's no sense of urgency in finding a good place. I say being as vocal about your unhappiness with the stadium is the only way to force CFG's hand.

Eventually we'll start seeing STH and attendance numbers drop as people get tired of watching them at a baseball stadium with all the negatives you pointed out.

Yankee Stadium allows the Club to take its time and find the best possible stadium site. We all know its a very complex riddle to get that done, and rushing into anything will just lead to a bad solution that we then have to live with for 30 years. Better to put a year or two in at the front end than get it wrong.

 

[Ulrich]

Which shocks me because a simple well-executed apology works wonders. Tylenol. New Coke. Both of these are more than 30 years old and if you are old enough you know exactly what I'm talking about. People remember and forgive and grow even more attached to the product if the apology isn't just double speak.

I'm not sure anybody ever forgave for New Coke - people will harbor that anger and take it to their graves.

 

[FredMertz]

I think it is fair to say now that playing at Yankee Stadium is having a negative effect on results and the product we are buying. Over both seasons, and having played one more home game than away, we have the same number of home wins as road wins: 7.

What bugs me the most is that the quirkiness of the pitch should be our advantage. Team composition and strategy should be geared towards it in the same way the Yankees have sheaths loaded up with lefties to take advantage of the short porch.

Yet it's always the other teams that appear to make adjustments, a la KC last year when they scored off of a throw-in.

 

[FredMertz]

I don't even think they're trying anymore.

I know for a fact that the front office is desperate to leave Yankee Stadium. The cost of staging games there is considerable and having their own (or a different/cheaper) place to play is the difference between a profitable and unprofitable business for them.

Feel free to doubt many of the thing's we hear, but the front office wants out more than we do...

 

[NickFromAstoria]

Yankee Stadium allows the Club to take its time and find the best possible stadium site. We all know its a very complex riddle to get that done, and rushing into anything will just lead to a bad solution that we then have to live with for 30 years. Better to put a year or two in at the front end than get it wrong.

That's definitely true, but I don't think that it's too much to ask that we get reassurances beyond "Don't worry, we're totally working on it!" Being that the Red Bulls took 14 years to get their own stadium, and DC United are looking at more than 20, it's not at all outside the realm of possibility that a long term tenancy at Yankee Stadium is in our future. To the extent feasible, since obviously we don't want them tipping their hand in a way that might screw up a deal, I would like any kind of reassurance that shows that they're putting in a good faith effort to find a site that's reasonable.

 

[adam]

I know for a fact that the front office is desperate to leave Yankee Stadium. The cost of staging games there is considerable and having their own (or a different/cheaper) place to play is the difference between a profitable and unprofitable business for them.

Feel free to doubt many of the thing's we hear, but the front office wants out more than we do...

If that's true then erect some additional low cost stands around the Fordam field were going to play our USOC match at (or St Johns, or Columbia....) Boost it up to a 20k capacity and have every match a sell out with the fans on top of the action and a real pitch to play on. Some negatives - no high cost food, pretty locker rooms, luxury boxes or Legends type amenities. But it would be less rent, (possibly) more profit and one hell of an atmosphere. I think they like the cache of YS more then they let on.

 

[Goodfella]

If that's true then erect some additional low cost stands around the Fordam field were going to play our USOC match at (or St Johns, or Columbia....) Boost it up to a 20k capacity and have every match a sell out with the fans on top of the action and a real pitch to play on. Some negatives - no high cost food, pretty locker rooms, luxury boxes or Legends type amenities. But it would be less rent, (possibly) more profit and one hell of an atmosphere. I think they like the cache of YS more then they let on.

Columbia is still the only temporary facility in NYC outside of YS that would be remotely feasible, mainly based on current seating and space to add more temporary seats, and it comes with many, many drawbacks. Citifield would just be more of the same as YS

 

[Gotham Gator]

If that's true then erect some additional low cost stands around the Fordam field were going to play our USOC match at (or St Johns, or Columbia....) Boost it up to a 20k capacity and have every match a sell out with the fans on top of the action and a real pitch to play on. Some negatives - no high cost food, pretty locker rooms, luxury boxes or Legends type amenities. But it would be less rent, (possibly) more profit and one hell of an atmosphere. I think they like the cache of YS more then they let on.

All three of those have artificial turf (FieldTurf). Fordham seats 7,000; Columbia 17,000; and St. John's 2,600. St. John's is apparently expandable to 5,000, but more would require substantial work. Not sure how much more you can add to the other two.

 

[Goodfella]

All three of those have artificial turf (FieldTurf). Fordham seats 7,000; Columbia 17,000; and St. John's 2,600. St. John's is apparently expandable to 5,000, but more would require substantial work. Not sure how much more you can add to the other two.

Home side of Columbia is concrete stand (2nd pic) and the represents majority of the seating but away side (1st pic) is basically metal bleacher and easily replaced and expanded, could add temporary seating at the ends and maybe get to 22-23 K in total at best

 

[Ulrich]

Columbia is still the only temporary facility in NYC outside of YS that would be remotely feasible, mainly based on current seating and space to add more temporary seats, and it comes with many, many drawbacks. Citifield would just be more of the same as YS

Except Citi Field has way better food than YS.