San Antonio Scorpions FC (NASL soccer team) (Mission: how much, middle schools)

[Dopo]

Originally Posted by Bo

The article this week that discussed the Spurs proposal indicated that SAISD was willing to waive the "no beer" restriction for pro soccer, since it would not be a school district function. I would figure that NEISD could be persuaded to do the same, if the price was right.

That was the biggest negative thing.
As much work/money as the Alamo Stadium needs, and it's perfect location.
I bet we will have a soccer playing there in 2012.

[Merovee]

The biggest issue with Gordon Hartman is that if he wants more funding for his charity he should apply for it like every other nonprofit. At least the taxpayers would know exactly what they are investing in. To offer up soccer as a way to do it seems like a diversionary tactic. What then happens if and when soccer fails? We not only wasted tax dollars on building yet another stadium which won't be used for its primary purposes but Morgan's Wonderland will also be back at square one!

[Dopo]

Scorpions announce sponsors - San Antonio Soccer | Examiner.com


San Antonio Scorpions FC announced two sponsorship deals, while refusing to acknowledge the issues facing the NASL this afternoon.

Gordon Hartman continued to refer to the NASL as "the highest level below MLS" despite the fact that despite the fact that last week the NASL had its division 2 sanctioning revoked. Moderator cut: remainder of copyrighted article

[Bo]

Latest updates from Northeast Side soccer plan now faces roadblocks - San Antonio Express-News

Hartman wouldn't be allowed to remove two of the amateur soccer fields from the STAR complex to build the new stadium, because the amateur fields' construction was funded by the venue tax. He says that he has other land on the property that could be used for the stadium.

And officials said this week that Bexar County has a “no-compete” agreement with the San Antonio Spurs that prohibits the county from helping fund professional sports stadiums.

So that could prevent the county from contributing its $4 million.

Pat Digiovanni, the assistant city manager in charge of reviewing the project has expressed concerns about the viability of pro soccer, especially the league that Hartman has hooked up with:

“What gives me pause is that no NASL team has made a profit in any market in any city in America,” he said.

Which means that the city also has doubts about contributing its $4 million.

Maybe if NEISD would sell him Heroes Stadium and lease it back, they could offset some of their budget woes?

[Dopo]

Originally Posted by Bo

Maybe if NEISD would sell him Heroes Stadium and lease it back, they could offset some of their budget woes?

That doesn't make sense,
that's like selling your house and renting from the person that you sold it to.

[Bo]

Originally Posted by Dopo

That doesn't make sense,
that's like selling your house and renting from the person that you sold it to.

If state budget cuts come through, NEISD will need cash more than it needs stadiums. They're considering laying off 500 teachers. They could probably get a quick $10 million in cash out of Heroes Stadium and pay maybe half a million a year to lease it back for football games.

[JJG]

Um, don't know if anyone has the rendering for the stadium, so....

http://www.soccerforacause.com/san-antonio-NASL-soccer-images/stadium-slide/003.jpg (broken link)

[pr57001]

The is a total boondoggle

* We hear for years about how we need more soccer fields for the kids. We build them, then start getting rid of them for other uses
* These d-league teams are terrible and have terrible attendance and financial performance. At best this team has a strong 1st year attendance for "the cause" and then falls off precipitously because most people (Americans) don't care about soccer and most Americans don't care about pro-soccer and most Americans really don't care about d-league soccer.
* Why not leverage all this support for Morgan's Wonderland to just support Morgan's Wonderland? Running a d-league pro sports franchise to support a charity sounds like a great way to lose money and not support a charity.
* The Spurs have experience and economies of scale when it comes to sports. If they think it is in their best interest to waste money on a soccer team, it is their educated business decision and they have the money to lose. If this venture fails, the consequences are higher as you have deprived a good cause of funds that could have benefited it directly, but instead were squandered on soccer.
* In this fiscal environment, the local governments have spent enough on soccer. Rather than invest $8MM in another facility, they could donate another $1MM to Morgan's Wonderland and probably eclipse the net profit of any soccer team for the next five years combined.

There are lots of ways Gordan Hartman could support the long term viability of the great thing he has helped create. Adding pro sports to the mix is not one of them and strikes of an ego-attack.

[Dopo]

Originally Posted by pr57001

The is a total boondoggle

* We hear for years about how we need more soccer fields for the kids. We build them, then start getting rid of them for other uses

There's about 14 and he would take the area of 2 of them for a stadium.
Yes, that would leave 12, but you don't think that the kids that play in those 12 fields are going to LOVE to practice in the same fields, next to the professional players that they watch every other weekend play in their stadium?

I think anybody that has every played a sport would say that just that, would make it worthy using 2 of the 14 fields to build a stadium.
And in reality, it would go from 14 to 13 = 12 + 1 stadium

[Merovee]

Originally Posted by pr57001

The is a total boondoggle

It is.

Originally Posted by pr57001

most people (Americans) don't care about soccer

Sadly, this is true. Soccer is one of the better sports and would make us more like the world.

Originally Posted by pr57001

There are lots of ways Gordan Hartman could support the long term viability of the great thing he has helped create. Adding pro sports to the mix is not one of them and strikes of an ego-attack.

Very well said.