Get Your Tucson Tickets While You Can

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Get Your Tucson Tickets While You Can

Post by Pounder » Mon Sep 12, 2011 6:06 pm

Having been able to watch the local-related stadium efforts over the summer, and seeing where they're going, this rambling blog entry was necessary.

http://blogbythepound.wordpress.com/201 ... his-stuff/

The gist of this: sponsorships are fewer and farther between. The bigger dogs are snarling at anyone who dares impede on their territory... oh, and the definition of territory has changed wildly and quite unfairly since the housing bubble crashed. Just because you're a summer sport, off season from the competition, doesn't mean you're immune.

In these instances, the University of Arizona, Boise State University, and University of Oregon are quite the big dogs, or ill-dressed Ducks in some cases. (DISCLAIMER: I am an ill-dressed Duck)

If I can cite the Portland Trail Blazers, Fresno State University, the Oklahoma City Thunder, the University of Memphis (and perhaps the Memphis Grizzlies since they actually not only made the playoffs this year, but beat San Antonio in the first round), the Tennessee Titans, and the New Orleans Saints, I think that explains some things.

How your garden variety PCL team overcomes these conditions, I can't begin to say.
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Post by aardvark » Sun Oct 23, 2011 4:08 am

Escondido is not completely dead; they are just waiting for court decisions on whether the State of Crazyfornia can legally take local redevelopment monies to dump into the state coffers. By January there should be some type of court decision on that point, and then either Escondido will build a new ballpark, or Moorad will sell the T-Pads, and they will probably move from Tucson.

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Post by Pounder » Wed Nov 02, 2011 11:53 pm

Escondido may be holding out for a glimmer of hope...

...and that redevelopment fund issue has hit a lot of interests, though it is state money...

...but someone else claimed the land on which the ballpark was going to be situated. There's nearby land, but it's an open question as to how convenient it is. The locals seem to act like the plan is dead.

It's not like I haven't heard "life support" rather than "most completely dead," but reading between the lines, it doesn't sound very promising.
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Post by smallballfan » Thu Nov 03, 2011 5:26 am

Moorad will sell the T-Pads, and they will probably move from Tucson.
There is no place for them to move, no matter who owns them. They went to Tucson because there isn't another place for a AAA-level team, and the city of Tucson obviously wants them there rather than a Golden League team they won't let play at Hi Corbett. There's not another AAA market available if Escondido falls through.

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Post by nksports » Thu Nov 03, 2011 8:35 pm

[quote=""smallballfan""]There is no place for them to move, no matter who owns them. They went to Tucson because there isn't another place for a AAA-level team, and the city of Tucson obviously wants them there rather than a Golden League team they won't let play at Hi Corbett. There's not another AAA market available if Escondido falls through.[/quote]

Then the city of Tucson better step up to the plate and offer some incentives, like ballpark improvements. I thought I read somewhere they wanted to turn Hi Corbett into U of Arizona's ballpark. With the exception of Lincoln's ballpark (AA and Nebraska, which kind of went in halfsies), colleges usually don't like to share. OTOH, colleges can't sell beer, which is good revenue for the ballpark.

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Post by Pounder » Fri Nov 04, 2011 5:28 pm

That writeup I started with explains all.

El Paso has a ballpark, a large enough market (perhaps a lot larger if you include Juarez across the Rio), and a guy saying he'll privately build a new park.

Tucson is occasionally made to bow down to the University of Arizona. They're GETTING Hi Corbett. I don't think that's an accident, I think they want the Padres out of town, they want all the sports money in town to come to them.

Another thing: there are more markets like Tucson.
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Post by nksports » Fri Nov 04, 2011 8:20 pm

[quote=""Pounder""]El Paso has a ballpark, a large enough market[/quote]

El Paso also struggled to support Class AA ball.

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Tucson Ballpark

Post by AZdev » Wed Nov 09, 2011 8:05 pm

I'm not sure why Kino/TEP ballpark would need lots of improvements. It is a great place to watch baseball.There is nothing wrong with it, except maybe that during the summer they have had problems with some areas of the grass due to the heat.Other than that though perfectly fine ballpark.
In response to above, At Hi Corbett the UA team would sell beer, since it is located off campus.

The only possible AAA area I have heard is that Edmonton would like a AAA Team. Personally, I hope the Escondido deal falls through. California has no business building stadiums at this point in time.

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Post by Evad » Wed Nov 09, 2011 9:54 pm

San Diego county residence here. I have family that live in Escondido and we have had a few conversations about the whole ballpark thing. When I asked them what they thought they said it was a waste of time. The city is focusing on the wrong sport. A soccer stadium would make more sense because the demographics of the town leans more to that sport. My family members have lived in Esco for over 30 years and have seen things change. They don't think a Ballpark will help the city at all. Can we say "millstone"

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Post by Pounder » Wed Nov 09, 2011 11:35 pm

[quote=""AZdev""]I'm not sure why Kino/TEP ballpark would need lots of improvements. It is a great place to watch baseball.There is nothing wrong with it, except maybe that during the summer they have had problems with some areas of the grass due to the heat.Other than that though perfectly fine ballpark.
In response to above, At Hi Corbett the UA team would sell beer, since it is located off campus.

The only possible AAA area I have heard is that Edmonton would like a AAA Team. Personally, I hope the Escondido deal falls through. California has no business building stadiums at this point in time.[/quote]

What I keep hearing is that Kino needs only the "improvement" of being lifted off its property and placed downtown.

Well, that and, perhaps, a dome with a huge A/C unit. At least some misting spray over the stands. Tucson is a furnace. I've overheated there (somewhat) in February.

For all the wayward travel the PCL does, I think the reasons they wanted out of Alberta quite likely still stand. It cost too much to fly there when the economy was better. Now, sheesh!

Saw news this week that Jeff Moorad has given Escondido the "are you in or out" ultimatum. Mostly, Moorad wants to know if he's going to sell or not.
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