Sports in Charlotte

[DMann]

Returning to the MLB discussion earlier, if any team relocates (Tampa), it will most likely be to Havana, especially with the renewed relations between the governments.  Havana would be a great draw.

[elrodvt]

MLB is not moving a team to Havana. Who's gonna buy those 5k season tickets and 100k suites. It's never coming here either.

[Synopsis101]

55,000+ in attendance yesterday. Best match of the tournament so far.

Great ending.

 

[atlrvr]

So, I went to both the CONCACAF games and the Chelsea v PSG game, and the fan base was 90% unique I'd say, which means there was well over 100k different fans in attendence for the two matches.

[navigator319]

61k and change for last nights attendance.  Pretty darn good I think!

[grodney]

Admittedly I'm a cheapskate, but $100 for me and my wife and 2 kids to go to an Independence game and not have crap seats?  That's outrageous.

 

[SouthEndCLT811]

Granted this was when the middle suite area was going to be done (black area on your seat map), replace Charlotte's midfield seat price to $20 (comparing season ticket prices) and it's not too outrageous.  Not defending it but I think clubs in USL don't operate at the same affordability as we've grown accustomed to in Triple-A baseball.

http://www.crowntownsoccer.com/comparing-charlotte-independence-season-tickets-to-the-rest-of-the-league/

Edited August 4, 2015 by SouthEndCLT811

[grodney]

Why would you replace the midfield price to $20?  The closest thing to midfield is $33.18.  The "midfield" for the other cities is probably comparable to the pink, not the purple, right?

And I'm obviously not talking about season tickets.  I'm talking about Joe Family, wanting to get interested in soccer, wanting to check out a game.  $44 to sit in the end zone, or $80 for far corners, or $100 on the sides.  And throw in the dreaded "plus concessions" (which I think you said the beer isn't as bad as the Knights, so that's good).  So I'm not comparing that cost to other cities or other sports, I'm comparing that cost to the value of the experience (and the level of play), compared to other experiences.

We honestly MIGHT go sit in the end zone.  Maybe.  

[SouthEndCLT811]

I was just referring to what's open this season.  The tickets that brought the midfield ST average to $33 are inclusive of that two story building suite that isn't out at Ramblewood yet.  So I was referring to $20 being the ST price for what is currently accessible.  Understand my price comparison wasn't for single game, point was just that it's more of a USL price issue than just the Independence.  The league isn't priced similarly to maybe an experience at a Knights game where you buy non club seats for $11-16.  I think $25/game is a bit much personally but compared to the league it seems like that's what teams with far better attendance than ours is getting away with.

Edited August 4, 2015 by SouthEndCLT811

[SouthEndCLT811]

In case you haven't noticed, and judging by the attendance you haven't, the Independence have managed to win a few here and there, and are threatening to climb into the playoffs

http://www.uslsoccer.com/standings/Standings.dbml?DB_LANG=C&DB_OEM_ID=32800

Reps for anyone that knows where the original quote is from

[ah59396]

In case you haven't noticed, and judging by the attendance you haven't, the Independence have managed to win a few here and there, and are threatening to climb into the playoffs

http://www.uslsoccer.com/standings/Standings.dbml?DB_LANG=C&DB_OEM_ID=32800

Reps for anyone that knows where the original quote is from

God I love that movie.

 

THEY'LL BLOW IT IN THE PLAYOFFS!!!!

[SouthEndCLT811]

God I love that movie.

 

THEY'LL BLOW IT IN THE PLAYOFFS!!!!

There are so many correlations from that movie to this years Independence season.  If the results hold and we're in the playoffs I want a remake of this video in some form.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dag8i3DePBY

[HopHead]

Bank of America Stadium will host another neutral site college football game in 2017... Details of the teams and date will be released next week. Also, some welcome news: the tickets will be cheaper as well. This was a common complaint from people who attended the USC/UNC game earlier this month.. in addition to the game being on a Thursday instead of Saturday.

http://www.bizjournals.com/charlotte/blog/queen_city_agenda/2015/09/charlotte-set-for-more-college-football-and.html

Edited September 24, 2015 by HopHead

[HopHead]

Today the sites for the 2018, 2019 and 2020 National College Football Championship were announced. Not surprising, Charlotte wasn't one of those sites selected. 2018 went to Atlanta (new Stadium), 2019 to Bay Area (new 49ers stadium) and 2020 to New Orleans. 

EDIT: Apparently the committee loved BofA Stadium and the uptown location (proximity to everything like hotels and bars/restaurants) but their concern was the unpredictability of the weather here. 

Edited November 4, 2015 by HopHead

[ah59396]

Today the sites for the 2018, 2019 and 2020 National College Football Championship were announced. Not surprising, Charlotte wasn't one of those sites selected. 2018 went to Atlanta (new Stadium), 2019 to Bay Area (new 49ers stadium) and 2020 to New Orleans. 

EDIT: Apparently the committee loved BofA Stadium and the uptown location (proximity to everything like hotels and bars/restaurants) but their concern was the unpredictability of the weather here. 

This shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone.

[HopHead]

 

This shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone.

And it's not.. It's a shame that the committee wouldn't consider stepping outside the box though. The 3 sites they selected were too predictable. 

[mad_park]

Only way we host that in CLT is with a new stadium.

[kermit]

a few thoughts from the checkers home opener:

1) traffic is gawdawful. Stop and go traffic on independence an hour before the game and 30 minutes after the game. I rode the shuttle from Queen City Q, but it was a long trip.

2) Its a good building for minor league hockey, but its really not well suited for large numbers of people. 8,000 people in the chickenbox felt like 18,000 in the cablebox. Concessions and concourses were particularly overwhelmed.

3) My normal pet peeve about beer prices remains in full effect. Local craft beer is available (including HDR) but its $8 for a 12(?) oz cup so it still feels like a ripoff. Domestic bottles (bud and miller lite) are just $5, so that is pretty reasonable if you are into that.

As an aside, there was a huge crowd at the 7th street market at 6 on Saturday.

[HopHead]

After a few years of some not so attractive match-ups it looks like we're likely headed towards a Clemson/UNC game for the ACC Title. All the general admission tickets have sold out already and only the 5,500 tickets for the Coastal division remain (UNC hasn't clinched yet).  

http://www.bizjournals.com/triangle/news/2015/11/11/acc-football-championship-tickets-charlotte-nc.html

[rugger62]

A big college rugby tournament is in town at the Rugby Athletic Center this weekend. 400+ college rugby players in case anyone is looking to watch rugby, recruit college talent, etc. 

2015 Teams	@ACRCBowlSeries
American International College	@AICrugby	defending champs
Boston College	@BCRFCnews	2014 RU
Clemson University	@ClemsonRugby
Indiana University	@IURugby
Iona College	@ICRFC1
Kutztown University	@KutztownRugby
North Carolina State	https://www.facebook.com/pages/Rugby-at-NC-State/66986823636
Notre Dame College	@NDCFalconRugby
Rutgers University	https://www.facebook.com/RutgersRugby/
St. Bonaventure University	@SBURugby
Stony Brook University	@SBrugbyAlumni
Syracuse University	@Cuse_Rugby
University of Alabama	@AlabamaRugby
University of Cincinnati	@CincyRugby
University of Delaware	@UDRugby
University of Massachusetts	@UmassRugby
University of North Texas	@UNTRugby
University of South Carolina	@CockRugby
University of Tennessee	@tnrugby
Western Michigan University	@WMURugby

[kermit]

1/3 season Checkers report:

The Checkers are currently averaging 5,300 attendance per game at the Chicken Box (through 9 home games). Last years average in the Cable Box was 5,800. They have had a much more advantageous schedule for pulling fans this year (only two of this year's nine games have been on a weeknight).

Tickets are significantly cheaper and Beer prices are much better, although craft beer only comes in annoyingly small cups. My other pet peeve was the Checkers promised (I asked twice when I bought my tickets) that they would run a shuttle from Queen City Q to the game on Saturdays all season long (and they said they might expand it to Fridays). Unfortunately they pulled the plug on that after just three games. Traffic around the Bo is heinous, even for games that just draw 5,000 and parking is $8.

Its a better building for minor league hockey. Bo's can get loud while the cable box forced a sense of detachment from the game. Unfortunately sightlines in the building are only so so since a large number of seats are where you see some of the action through the glass and some over the glass -- it generates a weird parallax effect that was less pronounced at the Cable Box IMO.

Overall I expect the Checkers will be pleased if they keep drawing people at this rate, I am sure their expenses are much lower.

 

Edited December 6, 2015 by kermit

[birky]

Inter Milan will play Bayern Munich at BOA Stadium on July 30th as part of the Int'l Champions Cup.

[CriticalT]

And Charlotte is back in the running for the X Games!  Hoping the second time is a charm. 

http://www.bizjournals.com/charlotte/news/2016/03/22/summer-x-games-seeking-new-home-in-2017-could-it.html

[15895]

5 hours ago, CriticalT said:

And Charlotte is back in the running for the X Games!  Hoping the second time is a charm. 

http://www.bizjournals.com/charlotte/news/2016/03/22/summer-x-games-seeking-new-home-in-2017-could-it.html

 

 

Has... it been 4 years? It seems like yesterday. Detroit had put together a fabulous video for the X games video. Ours was lame.

[The ATX]

26 minutes ago, AirNostrumMAD said:

Has... it been 4 years? It seems like yesterday. Detroit had put together a fabulous video for the X games video. Ours was lame.

ESPN didn't want to extend their three year deal to the optional fourth year with the Circuit of Americas in Austin because the State of Texas recently cut back on their funding for special events.  This is why the 2016 F1 race almost got cancelled.  The X Games need (or at least want) some Government assistance because they are struggling on their own.