LD stadium

[Ta town]

Drove by that dump this morning for the first time in a long time. When are they going to replace that thing? Can't they do a temp sales tax like they did for the arena. You can build a nice baseball park for 40 mil. or so. Wouldn't take very long at all to raise that money. Such a nice location and such a dump, although it sort of fits nicely with Wichita's skyline, just a hodge podge of crap and odd colors.

I know Wichita doesn't have real pro ball but a park even on the level of community ball park at the legends would do nicely.

[ShockerFever]

Why? Because this city just isn't progressive enough to do anything worth a damn. It took a 52-48 squeeze vote to get the arena passed. It was built too small and totally wrong and people still b*tch about it today like it's gonna change.

That's the main difference between Wichita and a lot of our growing, prosperous Midwestern counterparts.

[Ta town]

So you are in agreement it's time for LD to be done with?

Community ball park at the legends was done for 15 mil in todays money.

Much nicer OneOk in Tulsa was done for 41 mil in todays money.

Hammonds in Springfield was done for 39 mil in todays money.

Point being I think Sedgwick raised 200 plus mil in just a few years. I don't think it would take even a year to raise the money needed for a very nice park. Heck they already have the land right there, just demolish that turd. I know there is some history there but what a turd it is. I hadn't really seen it up close in a few years till today but ugh is it looking pathetic. Even after the new field, dugout work, etc.

[ShockerFever]

Hell yes I'm in agreement.

I think that's part of the reason why attendance began dwindling in the past. Granted, they have fixed it up better than what it once was, but still, how much more can you fix up, as you say, a turd?


Clear it and build a brand new park. It's a perfect spot for a ballpark. I mean when you have Springfield, freaking Missouri doing more progressive things than us, then you know it's bad.

[SubGod22]

You're not going to convince voters to build a new baseball stadium when there's really nothing to use it for other than the NBC.

[WuDrWu]

Omaha essentially did.

[Kung Wu]

Would be a great site for an outdoor soccer stadium.

Flame away.

[Ta town]

I'm not a soccer fan but I understand others are, thats cool.

I don't know what kind of quality outdoor soccer there is outside of MSL. Do they have a minor league of sort, is it something that isn't craptastic? Maybe they could design a ball park that could also be used for soccer as well for some outdoor minor league club. Then maybe that would help generate the votes.

Thing is with the land already owned by the city and the new turf etc, I really think they could essentially just tear down the stadium and build something without a trailer on stilts for a pressbox/skyboxes for very cheap compared to going out and starting from absolute scratch. Basically just remove everything from foul pole to foul pole and put up something that doesn't look 3rd world.

I mean really how long would it take to raise 25 mil? 6 months tops?

I can think of all sorts of events besides NBC/wingnuts. KCAC tourney, region VI tourney, High School State Championships, Stupid soccer like kung wu wants, MVC tourney (I know it already rotates thru Eck), Set it up for football and have high school championship there, Whatever doesn't matter.

[JJClamdip]

I'm not a soccer fan but I understand others are, thats cool.

Are you crazy?

Soccer sucks, no one likes it, if I had a kid and he was a professional Soccer player I would tell people that he was the head assistant to Jerry Sandusky at Penn State before I would admit that he played soccer.

http://www.soccersucks.net/

[Ta town]

oh man that made me giggle

[SubGod22]

Omaha essentially did.

Does the NBC draw like the College World Series? I know it doesn't get near the publicity. And do the Storm Chasers play at that stadium in Omaha or do they have their own?

[Kung Wu]

Are you crazy?

Soccer sucks, no one likes it, if I had a kid and he was a professional Soccer player I would tell people that he was the head assistant to Jerry Sandusky at Penn State before I would admit that he played soccer.

http://www.soccersucks.net/

Yeah nobody likes it. Nearly twice as many people play soccer over baseball in the United States -- and that was in 2002. Take the growth and decline rates into account and it has way surpassed twice as many players.

Almost 18 million people played soccer in 2002, up 15% from 15 years ago according to SGMA International. Baseball participation is down 31% over the same period to 10 million people.

Oh, and it's cool to use computers now of days too.

[Ta town]

Does the NBC draw like the College World Series? I know it doesn't get near the publicity. And do the Storm Chasers play at that stadium in Omaha or do they have their own?

No the storm chasers play at another brand new park built by the county that Papillion is in. 37 million bucks in todays money.

So currently it would host NBC world series (by the way somebody get the quality back up a little please, thanks), NJCAA region 6 tourney, Wichita Wingnutz.

Go get the KCAC tourney, get Wichita State to move it there when MVC tourney comes thru, maybe try to get KSU/KU to play a game or two there a year, high school state championships, etc.

[SubGod22]

No the storm chasers play at another brand new park built by the county that Papillion is in. 37 million bucks in todays money.

So currently it would host NBC world series (by the way somebody get the quality back up a little please, thanks), NJCAA region 6 tourney, Wichita Wingnutz.

Go get the KCAC tourney, get Wichita State to move it there when MVC tourney comes thru, maybe try to get KSU/KU to play a game or two there a year, high school state championships, etc.

If something like that could be pulled off and enough information out there to convince the people of Wichita that it would be worthy it could be done.

I don't know what the NBC draws. Especially from outside of the immediate area. I get the feeling it used to be a bigger deal than it's seemed to be the past few years. I've never attended so I'm really unsure.

I doubt the Wingnutz draw well. I used to go to some games when the Wranglers were in town, but at that point, the KC farm system wasn't much. I wish they were still here now as it'd be a lot of fun to watch some of the guys moving through the system. Back to the Nutz though, I'm sure they have a very nitch group of support, but it's unlikely to grow much as most that play have little to no shot at the Majors.

Getting the Region 6 and KCAC tourneys would be a nice boost that would bring in some from outside the area. I'm still not sure how big a deal it would be, but there'd at least be potential.

The MVC being hosted at a nice downtown facility is interesting, but on the flip side, wouldn't most of the attendance be local? It sounds like the games don't draw well when MSU hosts and that Wichita dominates when it comes to butts in the seats.

State HS baseball would be good for sure. Being able to pull people from all over the state in adds value.

That's how the arena passed. The thought/promise of bringing in events that will draw people from all over the state and even out of state into Wichita to spend money. That and hosting mens basketball.

I still think there'd be a better shot of getting something to replace LDS if we still had AA and the farm system showed this kind of promise. As is, it would be a major uphill battle.

[rrshock]

I don't see taxpayers footing the bill for any more athletic venues. Many are pissed at the arena still, and in some cases, rightfully so. It is a bust in many people's minds.