Monroe, the antidote to Everett Events Center?

[Pounder]

NOW I catch this news from Washington. I'm losing touch.

http://www.snohomishcountybusinessjournal.com/archive/sep07/bizbriefs-sep07.htm

(Scroll down, if you want to see it on the site)

Minor-league basketball team
to move to Monroe
The minor-league basketball team that played its inaugural season at the Everett Events Center this year has moved to Monroe, team officials recently announced.

The team, renamed the Snohomish County Explosion, will play its home games in the 2,000-seat Monroe High School gym for one season, said Nathan Mumm, who manages Courtyard Media, the company that owns the team.

Courtyard Media will pump $10,000 into the gym, adding a sound system and a big-screen television and scoreboard. The gym will be renamed the Monroe Sports Arena.

Mumm plans to move the team to a new 3,500-seat, 50,000-square-foot arena that he said will be built in Monroe. Construction on the new arena could start in as soon as a month, he said.

Mumm declined to give any details about the new arena other than to say the Explosion and the Snohomish County Stallions, a Courtyard Media indoor football team that will start play in 2008, will be the facility’s top two tenants. He said the arena will be ready when the Stallions play their first season in fall 2009.

The team left the Everett Events Center because the team couldn’t get weekend games, a necessity if the team is to be financially viable, he said.

The Explosion went 16-4 and won the West Division in its first year playing in the Portland, Ore.-based International Basketball League.

First off, new arena will start building in a month? That NEVER happens in the Northwest. Always a NIMBY worried about traffic, especially in a city like Monroe, that has its share because it's a choke point for traffic from Seattle and Everett converging there before the popular US 2 into the Cascades and out to Leavenworth, Wenatchee, Chelan, etc. Sure enough, Google hasn't given me any building permit information for such a structure, so I have my doubts.

Thing is, the Evergreen State Fairgrounds are there. Seems like there would be an easier rental opportunity available... of course, one of those is an indoor equestrian facility.

[Ken, Steelheads fan]

Big red flag! TWO big red flags!

First, they are going to invest $10,000 in a high school gym sound system and big screen?!? Second, they are going to build an arena?!? I don't believe there's going to be a $10,000 investment (maybe $2000 for a portable LCD projector, portable screen, and portable stereo)...and I NEVER believe anyone who says they will build an arena.

Well, they didn't exactly say THEY were going to build the arena, but when someone cannot provide details then it usually means THEY intend to build the arena.

[besl]

Thing is, the Evergreen State Fairgrounds are there. Seems like there would be an easier rental opportunity available... of course, one of those is an indoor equestrian facility.

If I recall correctly, the equestrian facility still uses the portable bleachers from the basketball configuration of the Kingdome.

If the NHL can put on a hockey game outside, then the IBL surely can put on a basketball game in a horse barn. That is if the players can get over the manure smell...

[homeboypla]

Not only was I impressed with the Killing of the All stars that the Explosion did last night the improvments go above and beyond what I expected. I broke down some EEC vs Monroe below also. :D

Excerpt for Herald Newspaper (local) (http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20080301/SPORTS/622212570/1017/SPORTS05#Snohomish.County.Explosion.missing.two.ke y.players.for.tonights.season.opener)

"Home sweet home: Tonight's game at the Monroe High School gym -- where the team completed $27,000 in upgrades including state-of-the-art audio and a full HD projection system with retractable screen -- is the first of 14 home contests for the Explosion who played at the Everett Events Center in 2007.

About 1,000 tickets have been sold for the opener, according to general manager Brad Sturlaugson.

"We'll miss the Events Center, it's a very classy place," Redwine said. "But, imagine a thousand people in here … it's going to be rocking."

"If we get good crowds (Monroe) may provide more energy than the events center," added Watts, noting the cozier confines at the high school. "But, we've got to work hard to earn that community support."

As you can see even the local paper covered the upgrades and were at the game last night and I was 4 rows behind the scorertable last year 4 rows behind the scorers table was bout 30 feet from the court.

EEC vs Monroe

EEC

Big Screen - Bad graphics image everything comes out blury with digital images.

Seating - All seats have chair backs but the court is in the center of an ice rink so the closes front row seats - not courtside is 30 feet away.

Food - The food has some good items - Garlic Fries, Beer, and Icecream, but to get all three of these it is going to cost you $20.00

Quality of Team - Great team played at EEC, Dance Team was a bit weak

Parking - Going to cost you up to $10.00 per event (I like finding the $5.00 places)

In Game Experience - Being with a group at the EEC was fun but with 2000 people at a game in a 10,000 seat arena felt very cold.

Monroe

Big Screen - HD Screen with full mtion video 10X better then last year. Wish there was a live feed also. Will see if this happens game two

Seating - The worst seats $5.00 are better then my $25.00 seats from last year. I was so close to the game I heard what the players were saying.

Food - The food has has about 20 item menu, Alfy's Pizza (I wish people would get other pizza) is at the EEC and here same pizza but $3.00 cheaper. Good pricing a hotdoog meal with drink and chips is just $5.00 - No BEER THIS IS A MAJOR DRAG - :(

Quality of Team - Better then last year, Dance Team 3x better, both Mascots back and did some funny stuff on the court. I love NITRO. Set a Team record with 169 points.

Parking - FREE :)

In Game Experience - This was great very intense group lots of chearing no way someone comes out of this felling that the EEC was better.
~~~~~

Cost of the evening with program book, meal and 4th row tickets for two $33.00 Great value. :)

[besl]

Here's a pic from last night's game:
http://img165.imageshack.us/img165/585/img0027jg4.jpg

A few notes from the game:

- I got the distinct feeling some of the players on the "All-Stars" had never played organized basketball before.

- The sound system didnt sound very good from where I was sitting... It was very hard to hear the PA announcer most of the time.

- Crowd was probably a little over 1,000... Comparable crowd size to the games played at the Events Center, but looks a lot better due to the gym size.

- The Monroe court is not regulation size. Judging by where the volleyball lines were, it looked like the court was 10-15 feet shorter than a college/pro court.

- The Explosion may want to adjust their ticket pricing. They have $5 tickets available, but the sections were empty so I'm guessing that everyone just moved down to the better seats. They should either enforce where people sit or just have all the bleachers the same price.

- The overall game play was atrocious but the fans who enjoy seeing a team win by 80 enjoyed themselves. The basketball purists, probably not so much.

[Ken, Steelheads fan]

Great pic.

Are they still claiming that they spent $10,000 on their audio and projection system? If so, then someone needs to introduce them to this Chicago area company:
http://tigerdirect.com

That power screen and a nice quality LCD projector could be had for $1500 (actually less than $1000). 8)

Yeah, the USA All*Stars are guys vying for a spot on the team...the OTHER team.

[bballnut]

Is the gym court only 84 feet? Is this where the IBL Chamionship is going to be played? At least play on a 94 foot court. That is one thing the IBL must do. Play on 94 foot courts and extend the three point line. These are pro's that want to develop. Shooting a high school three point shot does not help you develop. Be consistant.

[besl]

Is the gym court only 84 feet? Is this where the IBL Chamionship is going to be played? At least play on a 94 foot court. That is one thing the IBL must do. Play on 94 foot courts and extend the three point line. These are pro's that want to develop. Shooting a high school three point shot does not help you develop. Be consistant.

This is the gym where the Western Conference playoffs will be held, but I think the championship game will be held in the home gym of one of the two teams playing in the final.

I agree with you about the rules, though. I've always thought since its called the "International" Basketball League, they ought to be using international ruls. Then they might be able to attract some better players who would want to prepare for playing overseas in the fall.

Though I imagine the IBL will be extending the 3-point line when the NCAA makes the change next season.

[bballnut]

They used to play the Championship game at the home court of one of the teams playing in the finals. That is not the case anymore. All of the Championship games have been played in the East. This years game will be played out West. I did see on the IBL web site that the league will pay for 10 plane tickets, for the team out east to fly out west for the game.

I guess they will play the game w/o coaches. If the league is paying for 10 tickets, that only includes the players. I quess the coaches are not important, so let the teams coach themselves.

[Juicemann13]

Getting 10 out of 15 personal tickets paid for is a great deal. The cost is cut down, and I don't think the team that is going to the west is going to be upset because not all the tickets were paid for.

[homeboypla]

Can to much talent be bad for a team? The Explosion has 6 NCAA Division one all starts and is loosing to NCAA Division Two and NAIA PLayers on other Western Division Teams.

Can to much talent be a problem for them last years team was half as skilled but never had the problems this years team is having.

Still being is Monroe is 10x better then the Comcast Event Center. The EEC (old name) was just a hockey configuration that will never work for any team.

[MJHankel]

Too much talent can be a problem because it often is detrimental to team chemistry. Too many big names and tallented players makes too many guys that won't play together. They all just want to be great on there own.