This Miami Herald article has already said
"UM is not interested in financing the stadium."
Have you ever been to the downtown area between BaySide, Heat's AAA and the Port of Miami? There is no parking for additional 40K stadium. Parking near the AAA for the Heat goes for $50 now. How much would it be when both the Heat and UM are playing the same time? Between people parking for cruse ships that depart Saturday, the Heat having games on Saturday there is no way people could find parking for all the games. There is no way we could ever expand and UM isn't going to pay for for the stadium or any expansions. The city/county owns the land so it would be stupid to spend money on land you don't even own. If Bechham's MLS team folded the City would tear down the stadium sell all the aluminum erector set seating and return it to Port of Miami business that would surely be able to pay better than a stadium UM uses 6 or 7 days a year.
I only think Donna is showing interest in this to work Stephen M. Ross for lowing our lease at Sun Life. Also, I think Donna is working Beckham for big $$$ donations to UM for helping him politically get the Downtown area for his MLS team. Beckham wants the downtown site and the city wants to put him next to Marlin's Park that is too small for a 40K stadium. Beckham is just trying to leverage UM's stadium till he can secure the downtown site and then could care less what UM does since they are direct competitor to his team for sports dollars.
My comment about Beckham's team folding and UM paying for an expansion was facetious. In relation to the parking, it's roughly 7 home dates a year. I'm pretty sure we could schedule to avoid conflicts with the Heat- or vice versa. The rest of your comments are all speculative and based on your inside baseball assumptions. I'm content on debating this on face value as it's fun to dream of something better than SLS for now and Barry Jackson's report actually does fly in the face of all of those that have been all so quick to instantly dismiss the idea as though said dismissal makes them smarter than all of us wanting a better venue. It's the same crowd that somehow finds joy when new uniforms don't materialize each year.
How could it be better venue than Sun Life? I dream it will be a cheap aluminum erector set stadium that is designed for soccer not football and is far too small for UM. I see no tailgating areas and a major lack of parking even if the Heat aren't playing. MLS plays on Saturday nights and I see major conflicts on our schedule. This won't be UM's stadium we would be leasing it for more money than we pay now for a much lesser facility. Great it may have a better scenic view but I could care less about the view. The sidelines distances will be about the same as they are at Sun Life. There won't be two big Jumbo Trons. There will be no income from parking and just a tiny fraction of the club seats and luxury boxes we have now that provides major income for UM.
Beckham is just using UM to try to get the Downtown site since that is bigger since the city is trying to force him onto the Marlin Park site that too small for a 40K stadium. Don't get your hope up since the day Beckham gets that downtown lot he will do everything he can to ditch UM to build a stadium that fits his needs not UM's. After all it is Beckham's money and he doesn't care about the U that is a direct competitor for sports $$$ with overlapping seasons that both play on Saturdays.
The city is NOT trying to force Beckham into Marlins Stadium site. The city is NOT the lead on this deal, it's the County Mayor . The Marlin site is within the City of Miami. Have you heard the Mayor of Miami say a beep about this? Why not? Because, he is not forcing anyone to do anything with that site. There's no interest by Beckham nor the county on Marlin's site. As far as Beckham using UM to get Downtown site is laughable I know for a fact is not true. The County Mayor and Beckham have developed a very good relationship. The opportunity came knocking at UM's door This is a private investment. Beckham's needs has much revenue stream to justify an investment and make a profit, this is just basic business sense
For the county and Beckham's group, it's the port site. Principally for Beckham, its the urban setting and prime location. The county needs development in that area one way or another to generate revenue for its port debt. That location as been sitting idle for years!! Do you know of anyone rushing to pour development dollars into the location now? Nope.
If you think Beckham, and principally Simon Fuller, are going to attach themselves to a "cheap aluminum erector stadium" you're clueless. This will be a very nice stadium. I've seen the renderings. The kind of stadium that will attract good European soccer teams to play at the stadium against South/Central American teams, games which will be sold out, just like SLS, when it has held its soccer event. Do you really think that Beckham and Fuller are thinking only local? What do you think the crowd will be when "friendlies" with Real Madrid, Manchester United or any other team from South/Central American are arranged. Yep, sold out events. Beckham's name has that power, Fuller's business sense makes it viable.
I don't see how you can have "major" schedule conflicts on SIX games a year. THis is not baseball. The schedule can be worked around.The Heat normally don't play at noon or 3:30 on Saturdays. And if, they're playing at home that date So, leave the dramatics aside. I don't know about you but I rather have the loud/high decibels of fans from a packed stadium, than blasting music from a jumbo tron in between plays.
This will come to numbers/dollars, and smaller variables. The rest of your negativity can be overcomed or accommodated.
