2016 Tulsa Athletics Thread

[davideinstein]

Sacramento just released plans for their MLS stadium. Looks great.

http://www.si.com/planet-futbol/2016/04/13/sacramento-republic-stadium-renderings-

[dbacksfan 2.0]

http://www.sacbee.com/sports/mls/article71623112.html

[TulsaRufnex]

These Athletic guys just bash the hell out of the Roughnecks. I could go on for days about it.

Funny, but from my POV it's been you who has bashed the hell out of the Athletics... instigating rifts more than any other member of the Roustabouts supporters group.

At the end of the day, the Roughnecks will be around next year and the Athletics Stadium will be under construction for a BMX headquarters. You tell me which club had the better plan for pro soccer in Tulsa...

"Which club had the better plan for pro soccer in Tulsa?"

Unknown/too early to tell. I know that Sonny and Dr. Kern's first love is soccer, not baseball, and (unlike Melega or the Hubbard brothers) they personally grew up with the original Roughnecks, both as fans and as young players coached by some of those same original Roughnecks who chose to make Tulsa their permanent home. I also know that their decisions will always be based on what they feel will be in the best interests of Tulsa soccer, which for us (unlike OKC) doesn't currently involve engaging in a prohibitively expensive soccer civil war. Nobody really knows how committed the Hubbard brothers will ultimately be on a longterm basis to the sport of soccer, and I'd be naive not to compare the current situation to the initial solid commitment shown (at the time) by Cameron Box Sports to the Shock and the Talons (let's not forget how the BOk Center was once touted as the national office for Arena Football 1).

Mike Melega's first job is GM of the Drillers and will be for the foreseeable future... he (and many of the rest of the Front Office for that matter) now have second jobs running the Roughnecks. No matter how much Hoss hates Jeff Lund (and no matter how much I dislike his nephew Brad who runs Rayo OKC at Yukon HS), at least his FIRST JOB would have been working on behalf of a soccer team. And Jeff Lund would not have been majority owner; that honor would have gone to Warren Ross... and yes, Ross is a big time fan of both Tulsa soccer and a literal mover and shaker for Tulsa's downtown.  

My first choice would have been for an NASL pro soccer team in Tulsa to start play at the old 11k-seat ballpark, a move that would have required better lease terms (at least on concessions) than what the A's had, and stadium parking that would have included all the spots in the middle of the horse track at Fair Meadows. In that case, I could easily have seen a Tulsa Roughnecks v NY Cosmos match that would have filled the old 11k-capacity ballpark and included an awesomely loud home field advantage, an advantage that has been conspicuously missing for the USL Roughnecks playing in orange over at ONEOK.  Otherwise, at least Chapman Stadium at TU would have been IMHO a far better setup with superior viewing angles over ONEOK and surely would have drawn well over 10k for an initial home match had it been the venue of choice for a Tulsa Roughnecks NASL team in 2015. Average crowds lower than 5k would have looked really small, but at least it would have had room for growth, much like the college football stadium hosting FC Cincinnati this season.

Compare FC Cincinnati's initial match at Nippert Stadium this season to what happened at the initial match at ONEOK last season, when hundreds of fans were turned away at the gate, and the Drillers organization still had no clue just how bad the majority of the seats sold for that game actually were for soccer. And finally, I have little doubt that if the Drillers ballclub ever suffers in any financially significant way that affects their AA baseball business model, the Hubbards would kick Tulsa pro soccer to the curb in a heartbeat. And the Drillers know better than just about anyone else that if they hadn't tried their hand at soccer, someone else would have and this way at least they have full control over the narrative.

http://www.turnpikesoccer.com/2015/04/20/rumors-of-soccer-stadium-in-tulsa-grass-getting-greener/


The Drillers had no "plan" for pro soccer in Tulsa whatsoever until after they saw the Athletics averaging over 3,300 fans per game at the old ballpark our first season... if the Drillers had any substantial pre-existing plans to one day embrace pro soccer at ONEOK, the stadium would have been built with a far better field configuration to accommodate sports other than baseball. The new ballpark is worse than any other baseball park used in USL soccer because the facility at OneOK is quite a bit smaller, viewing angles are poor, seats have no elevation, upper deck is only for suites, etc etc ... unlike in Louisville, season ticket holders have to look past the pitchers mound to see the sidelines... fans in $10 seats either have to sit at awkwardly placed picnic tables or bring their own lawn chairs to the west lawn seating section... from the west lawn, fans have to look past the bullpen and the two teams' benches to see the game action.  To add insult to injury, soccer tickets are substantially more expensive than baseball tickets and the soccer version of this facility leaves most fans far detached from the action with the exception of the supporters' groups on either end of the goals. Sad to say, but IMO the views are better from the concourse than from most seats below...

@cannon_fodder - Our attendance last year ranged from a few hundred for a midweek game to around 1,500 or so for the season finale against FC Wichita. I'm not sure about the soccer field at TU since we seem to be trying to connect with Tulsa Rugby, the Tulsa Buffaloes Aussie Rules Football and an ultimate frisbee group for space. All those groups and ours supported the Vision2025 proposal for Boston Avenue Multisport-- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12uJ1c4nNUs   Seems the early favorite right now would be putting in some bleachers at 38th & Riverside. I'd really like us to be able to take a few hundred of the individual seats and some of the bleacher seats from the ballpark once it's demolished. Your point about a high school (no beer) is spot on. I get the feeling that the Athletics aren't really interested in east or far south Tulsa locations. As much as I'd love to see the horse track demolished in favor of a soccer stadium, the county really weren't particularly good landlords IMHO (I remember one day in particular when Sonny had to resort last minute to trams when alot of our regular parking was taking up by horse trailers and winnebagos). For completely selfish reasons, I'd love for them to setup shop in 2017 at the unused field next to Roosevelt School at Owen Park.

It's a little off the beaten path, but the field exists, the parking could work, the Tulsa Children's Museum is there... and if TPS wouldn't allow beer sales at the field itself, Owen Park certainly would... http://www.tulsaworld.com/gallery/the-cyntergy-hurtland-bicycle-race-at-owen-park/collection_97193860-4d16-5efc-851a-c39334d830bb.html

[TulsaRufnex]

Opening game is coming up Saturday, 5/7 at 7:30 PM
All tickets are $7
The South Central Division has added new teams in Little Rock, Shreveport, and a second team in Houston.
Tickets can be purchased online here... https://itkt.choicecrm.net/templates/EXPO/?prod=npah

2016 Jersey has all season ticket holders names on them.

[RecycleMichael]

Funny, but from my POV it's been you who has bashed the hell out of the Athletics... instigating rifts more than any other member of the Roustabouts supporters group.

Revisionist history.

Rufnex, you started the bashing of the Roughnecks day one and accused them of "stealing the idea of soccer" on this forum.

You don't get the high road.

[RecycleMichael]

http://www.tulsanow.org/forum/index.php?topic=20440.0

[davideinstein]

He keeps blabbing about an NASL team yet nothing is stopping the Athletics from putting their money where their mouth is to make the Athletics one.

[Cats Cats Cats]

All I have heard is negativity from the Athletics towards the Roughnecks.  I haven't heard it the other way around.  I have been to an Athletics game and never have been to a Roughnecks game.

[Conan71]

@cannon_fodder - Our attendance last year ranged from a few hundred for a midweek game to around 1,500 or so for the season finale against FC Wichita. I'm not sure about the soccer field at TU since we seem to be trying to connect with Tulsa Rugby, the Tulsa Buffaloes Aussie Rules Football and an ultimate frisbee group for space. All those groups and ours supported the Vision2025 proposal for Boston Avenue Multisport-- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12uJ1c4nNUs   Seems the early favorite right now would be putting in some bleachers at 38th & Riverside. I'd really like us to be able to take a few hundred of the individual seats and some of the bleacher seats from the ballpark once it's demolished. Your point about a high school (no beer) is spot on. I get the feeling that the Athletics aren't really interested in east or far south Tulsa locations. As much as I'd love to see the horse track demolished in favor of a soccer stadium, the county really weren't particularly good landlords IMHO (I remember one day in particular when Sonny had to resort last minute to trams when alot of our regular parking was taking up by horse trailers and winnebagos). For completely selfish reasons, I'd love for them to setup shop in 2017 at the unused field next to Roosevelt School at Owen Park.

It's a little off the beaten path, but the field exists, the parking could work, the Tulsa Children's Museum is there... and if TPS wouldn't allow beer sales at the field itself, Owen Park certainly would... http://www.tulsaworld.com/gallery/the-cyntergy-hurtland-bicycle-race-at-owen-park/collection_97193860-4d16-5efc-851a-c39334d830bb.html

Does anyone know if LaFortune Stadium, which is used by The Memorial Chargers is a TPS property or county property as a part of LaFortune park?  That might skirt the alcohol issue.

Also, either Cascia Hall or Bishop Kelley might be an end-run around alcohol sales as they are privately owned by the Catholic Church.

[Laramie]

Two soccer franchises in one city.  Tulsa (NPSL Athletics/USL Roughnecks) & Oklahoma City (USL Energy FC/NASL Rayo OKC) share a common concern.

Rayo OKC Fights For Right To Sell Beer At Games: http://www.news9.com/story/31696278/rayo-okc-fights-for-right-to-sell-beer-at-games

Is Oklahoma getting a reputation for its 'mother hen' mentality?  

[davideinstein]

All I have heard is negativity from the Athletics towards the Roughnecks.  I haven't heard it the other way around.  I have been to an Athletics game and never have been to a Roughnecks game.

I'll give you a free ticket if you come on Saturday. PM me if interested.

[davideinstein]

Does anyone know if LaFortune Stadium, which is used by The Memorial Chargers is a TPS property or county property as a part of LaFortune park?  That might skirt the alcohol issue.

Also, either Cascia Hall or Bishop Kelley might be an end-run around alcohol sales as they are privately owned by the Catholic Church.

Pretty sure it would be the same as Taft Stadium in OKC.

[Conan71]

Pretty sure it would be the same as Taft Stadium in OKC.

Which is owned by whom?

History factoid: Taft Stadium hosted midget and stock car racing way back when.

[cannon_fodder]

Taft Stadium hosted midget...racing way back when.

The politically correct term is little people.

[Townsend]

The politically correct term is little people.

Totally what I saw in my head...