The United's Stadium Deal

[Frau Mau]

Sarah Palin? Is that you? 

[PowerBoater69]

Sarah Palin? Is that you? 

No need to bring politics into this.

[GburgNatsFan]

Seriously?

http://www.wnff.net/index.php?topic=26813.50;msg=1040088

No need to bring politics into this.

[nats2playoffs]

Why is DC United playing at the Maryland SoccerPlex in Germantown, MD tonight (admission $20 cash only; $5 beer available)?  I thought all home games were at RFK (not meaning to bring politics in) Stadium.
  

[Ali the Baseball Cat]

It's a US Open Cup game (actually one of the oldest open tournaments in the world).  They are often held at the Soccerplex for logistical reasons (midweek games, lower staff overhead, etc). 

Why is DC United playing at the Maryland SoccerPlex in Germantown, MD tonight (admission $20 cash only; $5 beer available)?  I thought all home games were at RFK (not meaning to bring politics in) Stadium.
  

[OldChelsea]

Why is DC United playing at the Maryland SoccerPlex in Germantown, MD tonight (admission $20 cash only; $5 beer available)?  I thought all home games were at RFK (not meaning to bring politics in) Stadium.
  

They do this sometimes in the early stages of US Open Cup (this is not a regular MLS match) due to low attendance (that's also why it isn't included in season ticket plans).

[PowerBoater69]

The few council members that I've heard on the radio talk about a stadium makes me think there will be more feasibility studies and no actual stadium

Correct, this is a study funded by the team and performed by an "independent" group in order to imply impartiality.  The city council has little interest in providing funding for a soccer team.  As a fan of the United I'd really like for them to quit playing games with the city and either build their own stadium or leave town and allow another ownership group to move in.

[Dave B]

Nobody knows who is going to be in charge of this city tomorrow. HTJ is in jail, Kwame Brown is on his way to at least resigning, Gray  could be toast. Barry is lucky to wake up in the morning. Gray did just lose out on bringing redskins park here. Maybe he will get desperate for a legacy and do a deal with United.

[MarquisDeSade]

Kwame "Bulletproof" Brown going down?  Say it ain't so.

[PowerBoater69]

Nobody knows who is going to be in charge of this city tomorrow. HTJ is in jail, Kwame Brown is on his way to at least resigning, Gray  could be toast. Barry is lucky to wake up in the morning. Gray did just lose out on bringing redskins park here. Maybe he will get desperate for a legacy and do a deal with United.

Gray is more worried about lasting out his term than his legacy and building a soccer stadium won't buy him any good will from his core base.  The turmoil in the city government doesn't only hurt the United, it hurts every company wanting to do business in the city.  The Feds should take over again.

[Ali the Baseball Cat]

I love the righteous indignation...from Virginia.

Gray is more worried about lasting out his term than his legacy and building a soccer stadium won't buy him any good will from his core base.  The turmoil in the city government doesn't only hurt the United, it hurts every company wanting to do business in the city.  The Feds should take over again.

[MarquisDeSade]

I love the righteous indignation...from Virginia.

I, for one, am shocked that Mr. Financially Sound Kwame "Bulletproof" Brown resigned.  Is Old DC on it's way out?!?!

[HalfSmokes]

Not as long as Barrey is there

[MarquisDeSade]

Not as long as Barrey is there

I'm personally hoping for another summer of '68, but that's just me.

[Ali the Baseball Cat]

Yeah, that ended really well.  A whole generation of inner-city blacks grew up with zero access to groceries other than the fried crap sold in liquor stores.

I'm personally hoping for another summer of '68, but that's just me.

[MarquisDeSade]

Yeah, that ended really well.  A whole generation of inner-city blacks grew up with zero access to groceries other than the fried crap sold in liquor stores.

Like them being pushed out to the 9th Ward is going to end any differently?  Come on ICE, you and I both know that the only people doing better as a result of DC becoming crackertown is whitey getting to push the poor people out to PG County. 

[Ali the Baseball Cat]

The poor should be put on ships for Australia

Like them being pushed out to the 9th Ward is going to end any differently?  Come on ICE, you and I both know that the only people doing better as a result of DC becoming crackertown is whitey getting to push the poor people out to PG County. 

[HalfSmokes]

Like them being pushed out to the 9th Ward is going to end any differently?  Come on ICE, you and I both know that the only people doing better as a result of DC becoming crackertown is whitey getting to push the poor people out to PG County. 

Everything will be fine when PG gets a casino at national harbor, that'll cure all their problems

[MarquisDeSade]

The poor should be put on ships for Australia

Hey, I'm not the one celebrating the latest crapazz faux Asian-fusion bistro opening up in my recently gentrified (i.e. PDU cleared) neighborhood.  The poor are never winners in the gentrification sweepstakes.

Everything will be fine when PG gets a casino at national harbor, that'll cure all their problems

It'll certainly save them from riding the buses to Charles Town to blow their money every 1st and 15th.

[Ali the Baseball Cat]

Meh, whatev...yaaaaawn.  Now I've got a call with my financial advisor, so if you'll excuse me...

Hey, I'm not the one celebrating the latest crapazz faux Asian-fusion bistro opening up in my recently gentrified (i.e. PDU cleared) neighborhood.  The poor are never winners in the gentrification sweepstakes.

It'll certainly save them from riding the buses to Charles Town to blow their money every 1st and 15th.

[PowerBoater69]

The publicly funded soccer stadium near Chicago has been a complete disaster for tax-payers.  Of course there are a couple major difference between this deal and the one that the United are lobbying for: 1) this is a small town compared to a big city, and 2) the politicians of Bridgeview had ethics issues which won't be a problem in the District.

Tribune Watchdog: Soccer stadium deal kicks Bridgeview taxpayers in the teeth
Political insiders benefit, property taxes nearly triple as village is saddled with millions in debt
June 09, 2012|By Joseph Ryan and Joe Mahr, Chicago Tribune reporters

Rising from the rubble of an old industrial site, the 20,000-seat Toyota Park was supposed to put a small suburb on the map.

Yet the soccer stadium also has become a model of what can go wrong when a littletown takes massive development gambles in a state with loose borrowing and ethics laws: Politicians and insiders benefit, while taxpayers are stuck covering budget-busting losses.

http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2012-06-09/news/ct-met-debt-bridgeview-main-20120609_1_village-owned-stadium-bridgeview-soccer-stadium

[HalfSmokes]

the politicians of Bridgeview had ethics issues which won't be a problem in the District.

Seriously, it seems like the deal basically exploded the town's budget

[1995hoo]

I'm still unclear about this "the United" thing. I don't understand why a person who appears to be informed on the general topic makes himself sound silly by deliberately getting the name wrong.

[Count Walewski]

Wow, the mayor of Bridgeview IL had a zinger in his response to the Chicago tribune...

Landek would not agree to an interview, but in emails, spokesman Ray Hanania blamed the economy for the stadium shortfallsand said nothing was done illegally or unethically. He chided the Tribune for questioning the project.

"Toyota Park has been the best thing to ever happen to Bridgeview. It's brought a new spirit and pride and regional attention," he said. "The Fire is a remarkable team, far better than the Tribune's properties. ..."

The Chicago Tribune, of course, owned the Cubs until very recently.

[InsaneBoost]

Would love to keep the team in Washington D.C. It seems like the city is doing everything it can to run it's teams out of the district. They want Super Bowls, World Cups, Olympic Games, etc here, but expect people to vote when all our stadiums and arenas are at least 12 years old. It isn't going to happen.

Love D.C United games, absolute best fan experience I've ever had. From the tailgating, the game itself and post-game tailgating, it's a blast. Seems that people are too stubborn to go out and see a game for themselves. The tickets are cheap and the team right now is kicking ass, nothing more you would want.

Can't believe the most winning team in D.C history gets treated like trash. Is what it is though.