The Revolution sent out a letter, signed by COO Brian Bilello, to season ticket holders a couple days ago. Unlike the previous two, this one didn't have to do with SuperLiga. It said the team will open up seating on the west side of the stadium next season, the side that's normally tarped off. The cameras film the game from the tarped off side, so you may not have known it was tarped off at all if you've only seen Revs home games on TV.
As I began to read the letter, I immediately asked myself the following question, in the hope that the letter would answer it: why are they opening up the other side of the stadium when they've experienced drastically decreased average attendance the past two seasons? They can't even fill the Fort unless Landon Donovan is playing in the game (I mean-- unless his team is playing and people expect him to play at the time they buy their tickets).
Bilello answered my question by saying the organization has noticed "hightened enthusiasm in the stadium" when there are people in the west side, and that there has been increased demand for midfield seats. The first part of this can easily be explained away like this: the only games for which the west side is open to fans are Brazilian and European preseason tour games and David Beckham games. The second part of Bilello's reasoning could be true, but I have my doubts that there's more demand for those seats now than there was two years ago; I think the demand is either constant or down, but that the team is finally giving in because it's desperate for a bigger gate. That's me speculating.
By the way, you can all see updated average attendance each week at mls-daily.com. Gotta keep these executives honest.
Oh yeah, I should probably add that I think it's cool that they're opening up the west side next season. Seems relevant.
-John
Showing posts with label Bilello. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Bilello. Show all posts
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Not-Stadium News
Bad news. I read an article in The Sun Chronical, via MatchFitUSA.com, that Brian Bilello is "being patient" (his own words) with the search for a new stadium. Bilello also posed the question, "Why should we spend $100 million on a new stadium and have our attendance increase only 10 percent and have to pay that off?" Bad news.
I want a new stadium in or right next to Boston (by right next to I mean on the red line, or at a midrange stop on the green line). This is a selfish wish. I don't actually live in Boston at the moment, or this area we're talking about, but I plan to do so soon. I like walking on Boston streets in the Fenway/Kenmore area during Red Sox night games, and seeing the Fenway lights, hearing the crowd react, etc, right smack in the middle of an otherwise hectic city where the streets make very little sense. Yes, I am the poetic type.
I want to experience that same thing, except with a soccer stadium. To be clear, I'm a baseball fan, and a Red Sox fan, and I'm not saying I don't appreciate it with Fenway. I'm saying I want the Revs to play there too. Somerville would suffice, however, as long as it's located close to the Davis Square T stop.
I don't particularly like Gillette Stadium. It doesn't feel like home to me. You go into the apparel shop-- which is called Patriots Pro Shop-- and you immediately see all the Tom Brady-signed helmets and Tedy Bruschi photographs, which are deliberately displayed front and center to mock me. You have to walk by them in order to get to the Revolution jerseys and scarves, which are crammed in a corner in the back. In the stadium there are Patriots championship banners on the top stairwells overlooking the field. (EDIT: at the TFC game this weekend, I didn't see the banners. This is good.) It's not the Revolution's stadium. It's not even a soccer stadium. It's Bob Kraft's Patriots empire. It's called Patriot Place.
Another disclaimer: I'm a Patriots fan too. Sort of. But we're still talking about the local US-top-flight soccer team having to deal with this dependence. Know what I mean?
Back to Bilello's comments: it doesn't sound like the Revs will be moving to such a stadium anytime soon, and the main reasons for this are financial. That is understandable, but disappointing. MLS guards its finances pretty closely, in case people haven't noticed, so I'll have to take Bilello's word for it that it's not financially feasible.
John
I want a new stadium in or right next to Boston (by right next to I mean on the red line, or at a midrange stop on the green line). This is a selfish wish. I don't actually live in Boston at the moment, or this area we're talking about, but I plan to do so soon. I like walking on Boston streets in the Fenway/Kenmore area during Red Sox night games, and seeing the Fenway lights, hearing the crowd react, etc, right smack in the middle of an otherwise hectic city where the streets make very little sense. Yes, I am the poetic type.
I want to experience that same thing, except with a soccer stadium. To be clear, I'm a baseball fan, and a Red Sox fan, and I'm not saying I don't appreciate it with Fenway. I'm saying I want the Revs to play there too. Somerville would suffice, however, as long as it's located close to the Davis Square T stop.
I don't particularly like Gillette Stadium. It doesn't feel like home to me. You go into the apparel shop-- which is called Patriots Pro Shop-- and you immediately see all the Tom Brady-signed helmets and Tedy Bruschi photographs, which are deliberately displayed front and center to mock me. You have to walk by them in order to get to the Revolution jerseys and scarves, which are crammed in a corner in the back. In the stadium there are Patriots championship banners on the top stairwells overlooking the field. (EDIT: at the TFC game this weekend, I didn't see the banners. This is good.) It's not the Revolution's stadium. It's not even a soccer stadium. It's Bob Kraft's Patriots empire. It's called Patriot Place.
Another disclaimer: I'm a Patriots fan too. Sort of. But we're still talking about the local US-top-flight soccer team having to deal with this dependence. Know what I mean?
Back to Bilello's comments: it doesn't sound like the Revs will be moving to such a stadium anytime soon, and the main reasons for this are financial. That is understandable, but disappointing. MLS guards its finances pretty closely, in case people haven't noticed, so I'll have to take Bilello's word for it that it's not financially feasible.
John
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