Gordon Bombay

Hi Columbo[/member], I don't often get a chance to post on UO as much as I'd like anymore, but just wanted to say I appreciate the CLE Monsters updates. I really wish Cincy was affiliated with them and Columbus to create the "State of Hockey." As a longtime Blue Jackets fan, this forum is where I keep up on most Monsters news and updates. Thanks for doing it.

Too big/cavernous and too old. By the time you reduced the capacity, upgraded it, put in better turf or removed the roof and installed grass you might as well built a soccer-specific stadium from the ground up.

I think it looks fine along with the other walls from 1996.

Is there a chance it may? Doesn't seem to be mentioned in that article or is there just speculation since it may become residential on the upper floors?

As has been pointed out here before though, MLS isn't going to allow it. Seattle has the attendance and was admitted at a different time, New England is looking to move out of their American football stadium, Atlanta's stadium had soccer considered from the ground up and has several modifications made to keep soccer a priority, D.C. Just broke ground on a new venue. While I agree that PBS makes practical sense, MLS has a long list of suitors lined up who can and will provide soccer specific stadiums. If FCC truly wants in, they're going to need their own facility other than Nippert or PBS. Here's a mockup I made of PBS with it's soccer cut outs in place. From an article I did in 2012 about whether or not Cincy could support MLS: http://queencitydiscovery.blogspot.com/2012/04/major-league-soccer-in-cincinnati.html The Bengals organization also hinted at potentially purchasing an MLS team circa 2002 for the 2004 expansion and saw the soccer modifications as a chance to make PBS a venue in a potential US hosted World Cup: http://enquirer.com/editions/2002/06/20/loc_soccer_fans_new_goal.html Not sure on exactly how many matches it has hosted, but it did host the US Women's National Team at least once. It's out of contention for hosting the men's team now though as the surface is now field turf rather than it's original grass.

Hey now! haha, to be fair, I'm generalizing a lot of people and that's not really accurate, but back when I used to go to 20+ Reds games a season, opening day was always my least favorite. I stopped going eventually and started enjoying it in other ways. Got so tired of seeing people with off-brand Reds shirts from Kroger over their collared, button down shirts and ties sit there, pan the team, and leave in the 6th inning. Very, very thankful FCC has an entire section devoted to people who are truly there for the match rather than just the "experience." Most of them anyways.

Except hockey doesn't have its roots in france and has always called the surface "ice" or "rink." Who cares if people started using the word "pitch" instead of "field." That's what the rest of the world calls it. As far as pretentious goes, come to a match with us this year and hang out beforehand. Hardly pretentious at Mecklenberg Gardens and nowhere near as "pretnetious" as the people who can afford opening Day Reds tickets while blowing off the work day.

They rejected Starbucks? I'm not a fan, but it seems like that would be a good move to have someone like them there.

^Love the Stadium Series. Really wish Columbus would get to host one at The Shoe.

"Contrary to a recent media report, there are no discussions between the Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority and local tech firm Viaggi related to Wi-Fi on the Cincinnati Bell Connector." http://cincinnatibellconnector.com/news/35/35/CLARIFICATION-WI-FI-NOT-BEING-DISCUSSED-WITH-VIAGGI

^Why don't you think it'll be given any serious consideration. Also, @billshark - you've written a bit about reconnecting the West End to downtown/OTR. Do you think an FCC stadium at Stargell would help with that effort or hurt it?

I've been thinking about this as well. Interestingly enough, the Bengals had attempted to purchase an MLS franchise to play at PBS in the early 00's. I never heard the details of what went down and why it didn't happen, but they've at least shown interest in the past. I also think the practice filed site would be nice as it places all stadiums on the riverfront and could allow the western side of downtown to attract more bars/development. Not terribly far from the streetcar either AND if NKY make their streetcar a reality - boom! The Bengals could always look into returning to old Spinney Field, their former practice site near Queensgate. I also wonder if a deal could be worked out where FCC helps fund a new Bengals/UC football indoor training facility in exchange for the current practice field land. As it stands now, the Bengals and UC both utilize the "bubble" at UC from time to time. I don't think that's a realistic possibility. Speaking as an MLS observer: The league has really tried to get away from playing in shared football stadiums. It wants stadiums that look good on television, where teams have a firm say in dates and collecting revenue. Atlanta is a little bit different in that their new stadium has soccer considered from the ground up. The sightlines in Atlanta work, the pitch will receive the same priority as the NFL team, and the upper bowl can be completely hidden to create an intimate environment while still utilizing suites. In Seattle, they get away with using a football stadium simply due to attendance demands. That team averages far more than most (~44,000, sometimes more for playoffs) and they entered the league in a time when MLS needed strong markets and didn't exactly have everyone beating down the door to get in. New England and DC also play in football stadiums, but are actively looking to leave. PBS doesn't really offer the advantages of Atlanta which make a shared stadium beneficial. Speaking as a fan: playing in cavernous, bland Paul Brown would be terrible. While a 17,000 average for USL is impressive, it would look horrible on television in a 60,000 seat stadium.

I think people would get over that rather quickly if it meant a world class venue and solidified the team's MLS goals. Might even help bolster the perception that despite different states and names, all these areas are "Cincinnati" in a sense. I lived in NKY for 5 years and still identified as a Cincinnatian. Now living in the city proper, I still spend time (and money) in NKY, mostly Covington. I tend to see Newport and Covington as just another neighborhood with their own unique features. It's literally much quicker to reach those places via transit, car, or bike than any of the outer suburbs like West Chester and Mason.

I wouldn't say that I hate it, but it's been a bit underwhelming for me. I voted for the measure that created it (and the one before that failed and would've brought a casino to Wilmington (was that it?) mainly on the grounds that I don't care if people are opposed to gambling on moral/religious principles - it's legal in other nearby states, why not keep some revenue here when people will do it anyways? I was also excited at the time to have Broadway Commons developed from just as massive parking lot into something useful (there were also no franchises who could put a new arena there and no hope for an MLS side at the time who could use the site). However, then it debuted. The building is ugly, whatever, but the sign is gaudy and awful. Then, as it turns out, the casino was incredibly underwhelming. I haven't been in since it originally switched to the Jack brand. Not really my thing I guess. Don't hate it, not opposed to it being there, but if we could spruce up the site with say an MLS stadium and fill in around it with more interesting development - let's do it. Having it right there next to OTR and downtown would make it one of the best stadiums in MLS.

jmecklenborg[/member] how awesome would it be if it was built butting up to the casino like that, but Belterra bought the stadium naming rights?

To Echo taestell[/member], "pardon the crude photoshop," but this is Crew Stadium overplayed on that aforementioned casino site. It's too tight to fit Mapfre Stadium's even grandstands on both sides, but if you got creative you could make it happen.

^I love that idea taestell[/member], I wonder if they could work the existing flat iron type building into a potential stadium. Location would be excellent with nice views and just a block or so from the streetcar.

^Throw the arena there and then build an MLS stadium where US Bank Arena is currently.

Live in Oakley currently and it's amazing how much of a transition it is when you walk under the railroad bridge. I can walk out of my complex and go left into Oakley Square which is great or right under the railroad and into a sea of parking lots, potholes, and the usual underwhelming Kroger store. There's also the traffic inducing mega church. Madtree's a plus though. As much as I'd love to be within walking distance to the stadium, I think Oakley is a poor choice.

Many times it's not about a vacation trip, but more so when air travel is the only option. The past few times I've flown out of CVG it's been for funerals where I needed to arrive quickly and when driving would've been tough on time. For example: went to a wedding in NYC/Jersey with plenty of advance notice a few years back. Ended up driving, saw a bunch of stuff along the way and back. Preferred all that to flying. A few months later had to visit the same place for a funeral. Thankfully, Fronteir was able to go there quickly and relatively cheap. The comparison to Delta (with service directly into NYC) was way more than Fronteir into a small NJ field. Had there been no low cost carrier, I probably would've had to suck it up for Delta because I needed to be there for the funeral and then back. Wasn't really an option of not taking that trip

While I don't disagree that the Browns are patient and strategic businesspeople, I think they would be involved from the get go rather than behind closed doors. I definitely get where you're coming from and as Paul Brown approaches being 20 years old, I could see FCC/The Bengals coming together for a renovation of Paul Brown Stadium that makes both NFL and MLS a priority. However, Paul Brown has never and is not currently an option being pursued by FCC. Nor would it be for MLS, even with a renovation. At the town hall this past Tuesday, Garber made it quite clear that if a facility happens outside of Nippert, it needs to be controlled by the time. I think they're going to make a strong case for Nippert and if that doesn't work out, I really don't see the Bengals being involved or FC Cincinnati making a push for public dollars. They're aware of their popularity, but also aware of the political climate locally (and nationally) surrounding public stadium funding.

^The problem is though, Paul Brown is likely not an option. Major League Soccer has made it known that they prefer MLS teams to control their stadiums and revenue. I don't see them being very open to a deal between FCC and The Bengals. PBS is also cavernous. Century Link Field (Seattle) and MB Stadium (Atlanta) were designed with MLS in mind (more so Atlanta than Seattle). At Paul Brown it's an afterthought and the extra locker rooms for soccer have been renovated into other things. Could FCC use it? I'm sure they could, but it's probably not in their long term interest do so. Overall, I wouldn't worry about public financing. If anyone's aware of that political climate, it's Jeff Berding. Not to mention, MLS stadia are generally way less in cost than the $1B behemoths the NFL is building. I would place good money on the theory that if MLS said "look, get yourself a soccer specific stadium that meets our requirements and you're in," Lindner and Co. would do it. If any public exchange is involved, I could see it being the county saying "we'll sell you this land for $1, you pay for the stadium," etc. This article from CST today kind of backs that up, if a stadium is needed... FCC is willing to work it out: http://cincinnatisoccertalk.com Also, an employee of the club recently reached out on Reddit and said a suburban stadium is a no go.

ATL isn't the only MLS team backed by an NFL owner, Seattle and New England are similar. However, I wouldn't use those examples to characterize or assume Mike Brown is going to somehow be involved. I doubt the Bengals have little, if any interest, in pursuing an MLS team. Lindner and his group can stand on their own ownership wise. The Bengals also had the chance to pursue an MLS franchise and PBS was built with soccer in mind. However, aside from a brief mention in the press in the early 2000's, the Bengals never did pursue MLS. Given the cold reaction to US Bank Arena even seeking some sort of public funding when they released "renovation plans," I sincerely doubt that FCC is going to ask Hamilton County for $.

Oh, there's a fix - what you do is park over near Mecklenburg Gardens where parking is ample especially if you arrive early... say around 2-3 pm for a 7 pm match. Good food, great beer, plenty of awesome people. Then you march to the stadium, take in the game with 17,000 friends, and walk back hungover and exhausted and hey, right back at your car with easy access and no traffic!

This, I feel, is the biggest issue so far. The signs at the stations aren't reliable, the transit app isn't reliable with tracking, the Cincy EZRide app lacks real-time tracking, etc. It's a toss up sometimes when you need to be on schedule. bustracker.go-metro.com usually displays the vehicles properly, but it's not at all mobile friendly.