Oct 17 2009
Does Baltimore Want a Soccer Team?
You may have heard in the news lately about Mayor Sheila Dixon’s desire to bring professional soccer to Baltimore. Which leaves me wondering does Baltimore need, or want, a soccer team? Some would argue no, while others would point to the recent exhibition between European super-clubs A.C. Milan and Chelsea that drew 71,000 fans at M&T Bank Stadium.
There are actually two separate possibilities for professional teams moving into the city. Dixon has been pitching to move the MLS’s D.C. United to Baltimore. Would they be renamed the Baltimore United? Or D.C. United at Camden Yards? In addition to the efforts for D.C. United, a Baltimore based group is in negotiations to bring the development team Crystal Palace to the Carroll Camden Industrial Area near M&T Bank. In that scenario they would build a 7,000 seat stadium sometime in the next 3-5 years. Crystal Palace currently plays home games at UMBC.
The D.C. United news could end up sabotaging the plans to bring the minor league team to town. Surely Baltimore officials wouldn’t try to bring both teams to the city. Right? According to the Baltimore Business Journal the minor league stadium is projected to cost $25 million. It is not clear who would be paying the bill. I haven’t seen any cost projections to build the 17,000- to 20,000 seat stadium that the D.C. united would likely require, but it obviously wouldn’t be cheap.
The question of whether either of these scenarios is good for Baltimore, obviously comes down in large part to cost. How much of the bill will tax payers be responsible for? Certainly bringing an additional professional sports team to Baltimore has its benefits. Placing a stadium along the existing corridor with M&T Bank Stadium and Camden Yards would further strengthen the city’s draw as a “sports town.” And a lot of people in Baltimore would love an opportunity to take anything away from D.C.
Personally I think soccer is pretty boring. Get rid of the offsides rule, and all the fake injuries and acting, and I’d be more likely to watch it occasionally (I do watch some during the Olympics or World Cup). But nobody cares what I think. There is certainly an increased interest in soccer in this country – due in part to the changing demographics, and also through a lot of good marketing efforts. It only makes sense for the sport to be popular. It’s probably the most widely played youth sport in the country. But for some reason most people don’t make the jump from being a player to a fan; I didn’t.
It will be interesting to see how it plays out. But it’s hard to imagine D.C. United leaving the Capital Beltway area. The team has had great success and a devoted following in D.C. The area’s internationally diverse demographics helped the team quickly establish a loyal following of lifelong soccer fans.
4 Comments to “Does Baltimore Want a Soccer Team?”
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A reader wrote to astutely point out
“The one thing that keeps getting lost in this discussion is that Baltimore ALREADY HAS a professional soccer team (The Blast).”
Good point. Although some might argue that indoor soccer is almost a different sport.
I think Baltimore would support the MLS; I know I would. I’m not so sure about the Crystal Palace team though. They are probably better off sticking with college stadiums.
I would love to have the 20,000 seat stadium, because it would allow Baltimore to host some other events. It would be great to have the College Cup (NCAA soccer’s final four) in Baltimore, especially because University of Maryland is in it almost every year.
Make sure you check out the coverage over at the Baltimore Rapport, which features an audio interview with Baltimore Mayor’s Chief of Staff, Demaune Millard about the topic.
http://www.baltimorerapport.com/2009/10/19/cos-interview-baltimore-soccer-stadium/
I believe that Baltimore could/would support a soccer team here in the city.
First off, Baltimore does support the Blast in what has to be the WORST arena on the planet outside of downtown Baghdad. Second, soccer is for the most part only played once a week like football. If fans could embrace the tailgating part of a soccer game they would draw well. Third, soccer is big in this region.
The question is really whether or not DC United would come here. My thought is that Baltimore shouldn’t go for that team but another one. It would be great if the MLS had teams in Baltimore, DC, Philly, NY. That would create some great rivalries. They should go after Kansas City. They have no stadium plan and don’t draw very well. Expansion is out of the question because there are other cities already in line and the cost is $50 million.
Costs for a 20,000 seat stadium I believe are around 100 million if you compare them to the new ones in Philly and NY opening up next year.