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Major League Soccer in Tulsa -- One question quiz

Started by USRufnex, September 26, 2007, 08:26:08 PM

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Porky

quote:
Originally posted by perspicuity85

Rufnex-

I have a question for you(you may have answered this before so bear with me).  Is there currently an organization or group of individuals in Tulsa that are actively pursuing the acquisition of a MLS franchise in Tulsa?  I believe MLS could work in Tulsa under the right circumstances.  I especially think the crowd at DFest would support a MLS team that was well marketed and well managed.  So what's the plan?







My question to you is what have you done or what are you willing to do to bring soccer to Tulsa?

Why are you relying own others actions to make something happen? But don't feel lonely, this is the exact reaction that most Tulsans show in wanting something to happen for them.

Yep, the same people that brought you Dfest are bringing you the River Tax. And the results of these folks are the same ones that have our Tulsa State Fair with rides that are closed for not being safe. Is this the management you want to bring Soccer to Tulsa?


Renaissance

quote:
Originally posted by Porky

quote:
Originally posted by Floyd



Maybe the Tulsa parks system isn't up for the damage done by thousands of Okie partiers, and is perfectly happy to let the boonies take them?  Who knows.  All you've shown is that Tulsa is short on pastureland.



All I have shown, it's people like you that make Tulsa a failure. [^]



Ha.  Believe me, bro, I was in the mosh pit for Beck in 1997 on the river.  I am one of those Okie partiers.  If the City of Tulsa doesn't want me stomping beer cans into their parkland, I really can't blame them.  I'll just have to settle for the Flaming Lips downtown.

On topic: keep doing what you're doing, Ruf.  Somebody might be listening.

OurTulsa

quote:
Originally posted by Porky
Yep, the same people that brought you Dfest are bringing you the River Tax. And the results of these folks are the same ones that have our Tulsa State Fair with rides that are closed for not being safe. Is this the management you want to bring Soccer to Tulsa?





You serious?  Dude, The City nor the County had anything to do with bringing you D-fest.  They closed some streets, allowed the fest to utilize their parking lot for the main stage and provided some police presence but nothing to do with putting it on.  D-fest even cleaned the streets around them after the fest.  D-fest is the product of some amazing dedication and effort from Tom and Angie Green and crew.  The Mayor recognized the impact of the event on our identity and economy and jumped on the bandwagon and endorsed the hell out of it but that's about it.  OK, OK, according to Wayne o' Flaming Lips she, being swept in the festivities, did give permission to blow joints that evening but that's it.  

Tom and Angie may or may not be voting for the River Tax but I assure you this is not their tax proposal.  Oh, and last I checked they were not moon lighting as Fair ride inspectors or inept maintenance crew.  



Now on to Soccer, I admire Rufs dedication to this topic and this forum and I appreciate most of what he contributes.  I would support a pro soccer team in this town.  It being our only major professional team I could see many Tulsans throwing strong support behind them.  If the stadium were in a festive setting in an urban environment that added to the experience of going to the game such that one could literally make a day of going to the game I coudl see non-soccer fans participating in the event.

sgrizzle

quote:
Originally posted by Porky


Yep, the same people that brought you Dfest are bringing you the River Tax. And the results of these folks are the same ones that have our Tulsa State Fair with rides that are closed for not being safe. Is this the management you want to bring Soccer to Tulsa?



I'm bringing over some markers and big pieces of paper, I've got to see you explain this one...


dawnkid

Porky, I see you have several down for five pics? are you going to the show tonight with rhino bucket?

USRufnex

quote:
Originally posted by sgrizzle

quote:
Originally posted by Porky


Yep, the same people that brought you Dfest are bringing you the River Tax. And the results of these folks are the same ones that have our Tulsa State Fair with rides that are closed for not being safe. Is this the management you want to bring Soccer to Tulsa?



I'm bringing over some markers and big pieces of paper, I've got to see you explain this one...



Hmm... "markers and big pieces of paper"?
Wasn't that how The Channels got started... [}:)]

Porky

quote:
Originally posted by sgrizzle


I'm bringing over some markers and big pieces of paper, I've got to see you explain this one...



With all do respect Sgrizzle, I'll spare myself from using the tools of the wannabe Tulsa elitist.

It even surprises me more that you would say such a thing but then again it says more about who you are.




Porky

quote:
Originally posted by USRufnex


Hmm... "markers and big pieces of paper"?
Wasn't that how The Channels got started... [}:)]




Yes it was, and the same ones are bringing you the river projects. duh

btw....imo your efforts of bringing soccer to Tulsa is priceless. My only question to you is why Tulsa? You know Tulsa sucks on these venues, why on earth aren't you campaigning your brilliant efforts in the suburbs?

BA will build it, Owasso will build it, Jenks will build it, why are you so concerned to have Tulsa provide this sports venue for you?

Porky

quote:
Originally posted by dawnkid

Porky, I see you have several down for five pics? are you going to the show tonight with rhino bucket?



As much as I want to be there, I can't this evening.

Saying that....Janna and I have emailed each other after Rocklaoma and I'd very much like to take pictures of a club set here in Tulsa.

I'll email her this evening and see what they have going in the near future and hopefully have some pictures to show.

What gets me is how Carolina Spine is all you hear about coming out of Tulsa. A band that hasn't done squat for over 5 years. But we have Down For Five and they are getting no precognition what so ever.

I've heard both bands and believe me when I say that Down For Five is the best gift to Tulsa since the Leon Russel experience back in the early 70's.

But then again we live in a town that didn't recognize The Gap Band or The Tractors until years after they had made their hay day.

But one has to remember the ones that will argue this, as they use their Big Chief Tablets and Color Craylons to explain it.



Breadburner

That girl can really play.....Plays it like a guy.....One of the best in the biz.....
 

Porky

quote:
Originally posted by Breadburner

That girl can really play.....Plays it like a guy.....One of the best in the biz.....



They got a great write up this week in the Tulsa World. Click Here-----> http://tinyurl.com/3cnst2

dawnkid

I have posted pics of down for five on www.fevertalk.com from the show the other night and am working on editing video that will be given to Janna for release.

USRufnex

quote:
Originally posted by Porky

quote:
Originally posted by USRufnex


Hmm... "markers and big pieces of paper"?
Wasn't that how The Channels got started... [}:)]




Yes it was, and the same ones are bringing you the river projects. duh

btw....imo your efforts of bringing soccer to Tulsa is priceless. My only question to you is why Tulsa? You know Tulsa sucks on these venues, why on earth aren't you campaigning your brilliant efforts in the suburbs?

BA will build it, Owasso will build it, Jenks will build it, why are you so concerned to have Tulsa provide this sports venue for you?

"Why Tulsa?"  Because, at least so far, BA, Owasso and Jenks have never proposed anything.  Ever.

Porkster... I think it would be highly ironic ("poetic justice," maybe?!?)..... if Downtown Tulsa, Oklahoma has a SuperWalmart and a publicly funded ballpark where the Drillers will host division rivals Little Rock, Springdale and Springfield...

While Jenks, America builds a billion-dollar privately funded riverfront mixed-use walkable urban development with public infrastructure incentives and the development  would include an anchor sporting goods store and a combination state-of-the-art high school football stadium/soccer field that could be used by the new Tulsa Roughnecks' USL1 club (soccer's version of AAA baseball).... a stadium where the Roughnecks would host USL1 rivals Portland, Atlanta and Minneapolis-StPaul...

I hesitate to recommend a 20k-seat MLS stadium in Jenks because I wonder how/if Jenks could handle it and I tend to be east-Tulsa biased... would Jenks be too far away from Oklahoma's fastest growing county... Rogers County?

We soccer people can be pretty smart cookies... here's a post from bigsoccer.com dated 11/17/2005...
http://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showpost.php?p=6741123&postcount=15
quote:
I hate to admit it, but these comments are all too true. I am born, raised, and still live in this beautiful city, but there just isn't a great attitude towards change. We are traditional, old school, antiquated, out-dated, whatever you want to call it. We may be growing, but we're not growing any younger (last time I checked) and at the moment it's follow the leader and hold on for the ride. I don't think this attitude is what the MLS, a new, growing, changing league is looking for.

With that said, I would love to have a team hear, and think it would have the potential for a great following. All that I said above still holds, but the fan base is here with the massive youth soccer organizations in town. It just needs an awakening. We did support the exhibitions in the past with great success, and I think this could continue if a team was made permanent.  Here's my proposal.  For everyone who knows the area, I say build a stadium in Jenks, one of the rapidly developing suburbs of T-town. Combine financial backing from Jenks / Tulsa / Private Investment, but still call the team a Tulsa team. This makes perfect sense to me. Heck, the new word on the street is that Jenks is looking to steel the Drillers with a new stadium, and even possibly Bells (our local theme park). They obviously want attraction...

something to think about

Jenks was a great last minute host last May when Union's HS soccer teams played there in the 6A state hs boys and girls semi-finals (Union's grass fields were waterlogged).  The concession stand was open and there was even a PA announcer provided... Jenks boys and girls swept 6A the year before... and Union swept last spring... lots of Jenks kids were there, and hundreds of Union fans made the trip to Jenks...


USRufnex

quote:
Originally posted by perspicuity85

Rufnex-

I have a question for you(you may have answered this before so bear with me).  Is there currently an organization or group of individuals in Tulsa that are actively pursuing the acquisition of a MLS franchise in Tulsa?  I believe MLS could work in Tulsa under the right circumstances.  I especially think the crowd at DFest would support a MLS team that was well marketed and well managed.  So what's the plan?


While living in Illinois in the summer of 2005, I dismissed the idea of MLS in Tulsa altogether... thought it was dead.  If I had to guess back then, I figured the individuals who made up Tulsa's "local ownership group" were (in no particular order):  the Easter Bunny, Santa Claus, the Tooth Fairy, Jimmy Hoffa, and a couple of the players who brought T-town the Great Plains Airlines fiasco... in other words, lotsa lost baggage... [}:)]

These days, the mysterious Tulsa MLS ownership group, who in the past have let former mayor LaFortune be their public-face "due-diligence" fall-guy, are probably still waiting for someone from out of state to do the heavy lifting for them... AGAIN!... still waiting for a "lead investor" like Global Development Partners... or maybe they're just "Waiting for Godot"... [:O]

"NOW PLAYING... Tulsa's mystery Major League Soccer local ownership group..."


IMO, Tulsa will NOT be able to get an expansion team in MLS anymore.  The league already has KC, Dallas, Houston and possibly St Louis... and they want a bigger national footprint, so they're looking at the Pacific Northwest in Seattle (Edit: just announced for 2009) http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/soccer/09/28/seattle.mls/index.html  ,another big market in Philly http://www.philly.com/philly/sports/20070719_Soccer_stadium_proposed_for_Chester_waterfront.htmland also have Atlanta on their wish list... a 14th team will be added in 2008 when the San Jose Earthquakes return to the league... http://www.mercurynews.com/othersports/ci_6910192

"So what's the plan?"

Well, Tulsa could and should be a good "understudy" for MLS...
what do I mean by that?... it means Tulsa should be prepared to be a last minute replacement for KC or StLouis because I think Collinsville, IL is a REALLY BAD LOCATION for a St Louis MLS stadium... and the folks in Kansas City have pretty much given up on locating their stadium anywhere in Johnson County, KS -- (they tried to dupe taxpayers in Overland Park by saying they'd fund and build the stadium themselves but needed $75mil in tax $$$ for "youth soccer fields"?  $75mil???-- voters overwhelmingly rejected the proposal Nov 2006), so nowadays KC's OnGoal LLC is eyeing a TIF financed teardown project for the rundown Bannister Mall...  http://www.thekansascitychannel.com/editorials/14129466/detail.html

Rochester, NY is in a similar position as Tulsa, but already have their own bare-bones soccer specific stadium at Paetec Park... http://www.paetecpark.com/main.php?p=6

Would TU's renovations make Chapman Stadium preferable to Rochester's "soccer-specific"  erector-set stadium?  Is there an expiration date on Tulsa's successful 2003 exhibition game which garnered 3500 season ticket requests towards the season ticket drive's final total of around 5000?  If those 2003 efforts become too dated, would it be reasonable for a local owner to partner with Jenks schools for a 12k-seat, state-of-the-art hs football/soccer stadium with a concert stage on one end... expandable to MLS's stated preferences for 20k-30k capacity???

I thought Tulsa-based Winnercomm would be the city's ace-in-the-hole.  Their  relationship with MLS over the years makes them a natural... but they've never actually run a team.  I'd like to see them get some experience by buying and running a USL1 soccer team and either piggyback off the Drillers on a new ballpark in downtown Tulsa or Jenks... or partner with Jenks or Union or BA or ???? for a multi-use 12k seat facility similar to Rochester's Paetec Park (with outdoor concert stage on one end) that could be expandable to MLS specs (roughly 20k to 30k capacity)...

More quiz questions:

Q:  How many corporate/luxury suites will be available at the renovated Chapman Stadium when it opens for fall 2008?
A:  20

Q:  How many corporate/luxury suites are available at the "soccer specific" Pizza Hut Park in Frisco, TX, home of FC Dallas?
A:  17


http://www.pizzahutpark.com/Home/TheStadium/Suites/tabid/106/Default.aspx
quote:
Pizza Hut Park Suites - Affordable Entertainment in the Neighborhood

Pizza Hut Park features 17 magnificent suites which will provide a private, close-up view of both the field and stage. Watch world-class Major League Soccer action, international soccer matches, big-name musical performers, and even high school football from the comforts of your own suite. You get every event that comes to town for one, low affordable price. It's a perfect business and family environment to enjoy world-class entertainment.