Is there no end?

The new issue of the IBJ starts the hype for another hack at the taxpayers’ wallets.  Apparently the mayor now thinks that we need professional soccer to become a true world class city.  We’ll make only a couple of brief comments.

One of the "temporary venues" suggested for such a team to use is, of course, our football palace.  We suppose this might be appropriate, since the rest of the world knows the sport as "football" anyway.  The question there would seem to be how much ransom the CIB would pay the Colts for allowing someone else to use their facility.

But we might get lucky and not have to deal with the Colts.  The story refers to a possibility of, after playing a few years in an existing facility, "...building an 8,000- to 10,000-seat soccer-specific venue, possibly downtown."  (Our emphasis.)  Expandable to 20,000 seats!  Ring any bells, folks?

The president of a local sports marketing firm is quoted as saying, "Sure, Indianapolis is a crowded sports marketplace, but it’s also a successful sports marketplace."  (Our emphasis.)

We would dearly like to know the gentleman’s definition of "successful."  Is it possible that survival by taxpayer subsidy now falls under the definition of "successful?"

We understand they are soliciting suggestions for a name of the team.  As a model of excellence, and a marvelous international attraction, which we believe the team would most assuredly be, we’d offer this.  Call the team The Paragons.

Then the obvious name for the playing facility would be The Para-site."

Comments

[Leslie Baker]

Simply incredible. Adult soccer does not have nearly the following that it does in Europe; how does he expect to fill the seats? Will they be renting it out for big bucks to the middle and high school teams? Surely even the most ardent Pacers and Colts fans can only spend so much money on increasingly pricier tickets to sporting events. Then again, those are exactly the people to whom this city "leadership" caters: the people with money.

If the city "must" take on additional private agencies of entertainment to subsidize with tax dollars (an idea of which I am not in favor at all), I believe that the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra is next in line.

[Pull up Banner Stand]

I don't think so. Just like marketing, it is somewhat a cycle, a never-ending one at that. You start one, you go through all the processes and then when you finish you start all over again. You just keep going at it.

[Jim Fuquay]

I hope someone in the mayor's office identifies some basic criteria that must be met for this proposal to be taken seriously. For example, how big does a metropolitan area have to be to provide support for a MLS team? How many fans would have to attend a game at Lucas Oil Stadium and how many advertisers are needed to break even on costs? I love soccer but would rather see more public support go to college teams and more tax dollars go to the ISO. Why not test the market first by bringing so MSL teams for a demo game, fund raiser, or some event that might show the level of support for professional soccer. One final comment--lets keep public money out of this and rely on the "private sector" to make this happen.

[Purple Rain]

There will never be an end to taxpayer funded Ponzi schemes until the taxpayers revolt.

There will never be an end to stealing if no one ever goes to jail (and Plowman doesn't count).

[Blog LoveStrikesAgain]

Is the theme connected with your professional field or perhaps is it more about your leisure and free time?