Sports in Charlotte

[ah59396]

This may be more of a "health" topic as opposed to sports, but I see them going hand and hand.

 

http://www.bizjournals.com/charlotte/news/2013/05/31/charlotte-falls-to-36th-in-fitness.html

 

 

Charlotte was ranked 36th out of 50 in a list of top 50 metros for fitness.  Takes into account health care access, parks & rec, behavior, ect.  We actually scored in the top half in the "personal health indicators" field, but are getting blown out in recreational facilities, parks, ect.  Lot's of work to be done.  Also as a side note, yet another thing I wish we were more like Minneapolis-St.Paul in.

[tozmervo]

This isn't the first time I've seen Charlotte knocked because of Park Access. I think one of the issues that hurts us is a lack of parks in the suburban areas... but I would argue strongly those are the areas that least need parks. Areas like south charlotte aren't exactly hurting for green/recreational space when you get down to it. We've actually got a pretty solid park network (with a couple of notable holes) in the Center City area. 

[Urbanity]

I take a lot of these surveys with a grain of salt, though I do agree with the assessment of lack of sizeable parks/green spaces throughout the city.

 

That said - and back to the first point - I find it very funny that Atlanta is ranked healthier than Charlotte.  From personal experience as well as family there - that rank made me guffaw!

[Urbanity]

The CBJ just put out an article about the Charlotte X-Games bid and I had to laugh at the delusion of one quote:

 

Smith said the weakest part of the speedway bid is a lack of financial incentives. Austin, among others, hopes to tap local and state funds to help lure the X Games. 

 

What?  

 

The weakest part of the speedway bid is lack of tax breaks for the Speedway?  

 

What about the fact that unlike the rest of the cities' bids ours is not in the city that the bid is listed for?  

 

Or that the whole thing is based upon one complex and is not a collaborative effort of Charlotte's best venues?

 

Hell - What about the fact that your official bid video had so many scenes of NASCAR races that ESPN must be scratching their head wondering if you knew what the X-Games were?

Edited May 31, 2013 by Urbanity

[The ATX]

The Charlotte X Games video got taken down because the makers of the Detroit video claimed a copy right infringement for using their video:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9GHKoHrW_ow

[jednc]

The CBJ just put out an article about the Charlotte X-Games bid and I had to laugh at the delusion of one quote:

 

Smith said the weakest part of the speedway bid is a lack of financial incentives. Austin, among others, hopes to tap local and state funds to help lure the X Games. 

 

What?  

 

The weakest part of the speedway bid is lack of tax breaks for the Speedway?  

 

What about the fact that unlike the rest of the cities' bids ours is not in the city that the bid is listed for?  

 

Or that the whole thing is based upon one complex and is not a collaborative effort of Charlotte's best venues?

 

Hell - What about the fact that your official bid video had so many scenes of NASCAR races that ESPN must be scratching their head wondering if you knew what the X-Games were?

 

I'm confused about something. Is it not the Speedway itself that is making the bid for the X-Games?

[Norm2]

I am glad that the crappy video was taken down! I do think it is the Speedway that is making the bid for the games, not the city. that is why the video was so.....racing related instead of extreme sports related. Although who ever in their marketing department who thought of using the video clips from the other cities bids, which are obviously copyrighted, is a moron!

[ah59396]

As terrible as our video was, I'm glad it's down.  But what a lame move by the Detroit people either way.  

[ScottCLT]

As terrible as our video was, I'm glad it's down.  But what a lame move by the Detroit people either way.

I don't know...if someone took a video of mine and used in their competing video for the sole reason of putting me down, I'd be pretty irked. I don't blame the Detroit campaign at all and I think they were right in doing so. What if the tables were turned?

[ah59396]

Eh.  The X-games are in a lot of ways, supposed to represent "counter-culture".  Nothing says gritty, counter-culture, "against the man"; like copyright laws.  It was a lame move maaaaannnnnnnnnnn.

[Urbanity]

^you need a smiley that walks across the page and spits!

[nonillogical]

Eh.  The X-games are in a lot of ways, supposed to represent "counter-culture".  Nothing says gritty, counter-culture, "against the man"; like copyright laws.  It was a lame move maaaaannnnnnnnnnn.

If the roles were reversed, and we had hired a good marketing team, video producers, a driver, several other athletes, set up several shoots (shutting down blocks of the city to do so), and produced an amazing promotional video, then saw that a competing city had chopped it up to use in a half-hearted jab at our city in THEIR cheaply-made, cheesy assembly of b-roll footage, I would absolutely take pleasure in taking their video down and publicly shaming them. Not that I think they were trying to "shame" us, but I wouldn't blame them one bit if they did.

[ah59396]

They honestly helped us out my getting that monstrosity off the internet.

[nonillogical]

They honestly helped us out my getting that monstrosity off the internet.

This is true, it went down before many people outside of Charlotte had a chance to see it I think. 

[Matthew.Brendan]

Had to watch the Detroit video again. I'll be upset if they don't get it!

[HopHead]

ESPN officials will visit Charlotte/Concord today as a part of the area's X-Games bid. 

[DEnd]

Had to watch the Detroit video again. I'll be upset if they don't get it!

 

Same here.  While it would be great for Charlotte to get it, Detroit needs it.  I would not be upset if lost to Detroit...  Austin on the other hand...

[Guest]

ESPN officials will visit Charlotte/Concord today as a part of the area's X-Games bid. 

Woohoo we rode them around in a circle til they were so dizzy that they unanimously voted for us to get the games!!!!     

[ScottCLT]

Same here.  While it would be great for Charlotte to get it, Detroit needs it.  I would not be upset if lost to Detroit...  Austin on the other hand...

That's how I feel. Detroit is not nearly as bad as most people say on the web. It is a city that is recovering, and that breeds a lot of pride for those who are behind it - Genuine pride. There is a community there that obviously has a lot more interest in attracting this event than Charlotte does and I'd be happy to see them win it. I am really rooting for Detroit here. If Charlotte wins, then that's just great for our local economy, but at the same time I cant help but think there was something going on behind the scenes that didn't make it a fair race in the first place.

[15895]

Maybe we'd just have the better facilities and geography (if we got it).

I'm selfish; I hope we get it. Though I bet we are the weakest of the 4

Edited June 5, 2013 by AirNostrumMAD

[Urbanity]

The only reason I could see us getting it if if ESPN wanted to be cheap and lazy (erm, cost effective) and have everything in one facility.

 

It's not a Charlotte bid. It has nothing to do with the city.  It has very little local excitement/buy-in.  

 

Edit - That said it would be a good learning lesson for us.  I think we should not get it, but make a bid for the next time they are available (2017?) and make that a collaborative city-wide effort that could use CMS, the Vault, The Box, Whitewater, and even the new knights stadium.  Hell - how cool would it be if they closed down 277 for a race?

 

That would highlight and show off Charlotte and be worthy of excitement.  It would also be a winning bid.

Edited June 5, 2013 by Urbanity

[SouthEndCLT811]

So I was began thinking because of the discussion in the South End forum about the 135 Morehead property; what's going to happen to Panthers tailgating?  I love all of the development in the city but I wonder how it is going to affect the gameday experience for our football team.  With the lots in Third Ward gone as well as lots in South End and one day 300 S Tryon, where will the fans go?

 

Parking garage tailgating isn't as fun due to the inability to grill out and throw the football around.  Hopefully we can improve transit to where fans can ride commuter rail, streetcar or light rail into Uptown and take their business to bars/restaurants.  It's definitely a good problem to have and I won't miss the vacant lots the remaining days a year when BoA stadium doesn't have events.  I just wanted to know everyone's thoughts on this.

[kermit]

^ Last month I had the good fortune to attend both a Chicago Cubs game in Wrigley and a White Sox game at 'The Cell'. I love Cubs games in large part becuase of the urbaness which surrounds the field. Given the total absence of parking, no one tailgates there. But Wrigley has a vibrant urban streetlife surrounding it so I don't think anyone could say they lacked satisfying pre-game (or post-game) entertainment or food options.

Conversely the area around The Cell on the Southside is mostly parking lots and there are very few businesses nearby. Tailgating appears to start early in the giant parking lots which surround the ballpark and it looked like everyone was having a good time. However, as is the case with tailgating everywhere, people generally cluster into their tailgating groups and little interaction exists between the groups. For someone visiting from out of town it was nowhere near as much fun as Wrigley. The sea of parking also insured that the area will always remain empty on non-game days.

I do understand that Football, particularly in the South, has a very different culture than baseball (and only 1/9 as many home games). Football without tailgating would be odd. But we should keep in mind that tailgating exists largely because there are usually no other options for food and drink nearby (particularly at 11am on a Sunday morning). The Chicago example suggests to me that tailgating can be satisfyingly replaced by businesses which can contribute to the urban fabric the 347 days of the year when there is not a game. Charlotte has a good opportunity to establish a healthy 'post-tailgate' landscape given the steady activity generated by overlap with the Knights and Bearden Park.

Edited June 11, 2013 by kermit

[SouthEndCLT811]

Ah that's a good point about Wrigleyville.  Even right outside of right field at old Yankee Stadium there was a similar atmosphere.  With the Knights stadium and BoA so close I think a similar district could form in Third Ward.  Hopefully in Brevard Court as well as retail spots in the new structures.

 

All of those cities have a good transit system where people are going to games without vehicles which I think makes our situation a little different.  If only Gateway Station were open already.  But for now I'll settle for discrete parking garages and people spilling onto the streets into the bars/restaurants for their pregame partying.

[nonillogical]

I think we're still a ways from "running out" of tailgating space, it'll just get pushed out a little. We get some light tailgating in our office parking lot down West Morehead, so I expect to just see these areas get a little more popular and crowded in addition to the more obvious second choice of the nearby southend lots. It might even spread to some of the parking lots in second ward and gateway that don't currently see much activity on game day but are still less than a 15 minute walk to the stadium.