Comments on: MLS Attendance Drops for 2008

By: Melissa

Melissa — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 05:35:19 +0000

It also did not help that the expansion franchise posted such low numbers

They did? Buck Shaw only holds a little over 10,000 people + 2 games in Oakland. That figure above looks pretty good to me actually.

By: Laurie

Laurie — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 21:56:04 +0000

SeattleBhoy, the linked article discusses that question as well, and their answer was yes — it’s hard to be big league in a minor league stadium. with luck things will change when KC gets their own stadium. I think I’ve read mid-2010?

By: SeattleBhoy

SeattleBhoy — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 19:52:38 +0000

Didn’t KC go from Arrowhead stadium to a minor league baseball park as well? I think you have to analyze the numbers. KC had less people but filled a better percentage of their stadium…then again maybe that is why I majored in English.

By: Laurie

Laurie — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 18:55:39 +0000

Empshel, good point about DC and Dallas. Probably Colorado as well. And I also think Colorado fans are discovering that a drive way out to visit The Dick in the middle of nowhere isn’t quite as much fun as they thought it would be.

Omar, good point about the economy. Seattle sold 17,000 season tickets for next season before the recession hit. I wonder how many they’d sell now.

McTalian, try being a fan of a team that wears the name of a multiply-sued multilevel marketer on their chests. I think the Red Bulls aren’t doing so bad on the jersey front. (The name, though? That’s a debate. But I still think Red Bulls is better than Metrostars!)

By: omar

omar — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 18:08:14 +0000

dont u think the semi-recession could have anything to do with it?

By: McTalian

McTalian — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 16:42:02 +0000

Hey Laurie. The navies are nice. I just don’t like the logo. It’s one thing to have a shirt sponsor, it’s another thing for your shirt to be the sponsor. Does that make sense?

By: Empshel

Empshel — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 16:35:39 +0000

It also did not help that the expansion franchise posted such low numbers, bringing down the league average. In addition to Houston and New England, I think you can add D.C. United and FC Dallas’ to the list of clubs with performance-based attendance-movement, although in a negative way.

By: Laurie

Laurie — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 15:57:54 +0000

McTalian, I agree. It’s hard to get excited about a soccer team when you’re playing in a cavernous stadium with football lines. (But I kind of like the navy uniforms myself.)

By: McTalian

McTalian — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 15:44:30 +0000

I think attendance for Red Bulls will go up when the new grounds are finished. It’s gonna be football-specific and sized to accomodate a crowd up to 25k I believe. That will improve the atmosphere vastly and encourage more attendance. Plus, and I say this only half-kidding, new uniforms would help.