Deseret News | Real Salt Lake: Sizing up Rio Tinto Stadium vs. rest of the league

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Real Salt Lake: Sizing up Rio Tinto Stadium vs. rest of the league

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Re: Why? | 4:16 p.m. Oct. 1, 2008

OK, first off they don't fake seizures. Quit being so dramatic.

They "flop" to get a call. Just like is ever so popular in basketball. I don't like it, and neither do the refs, they can give you a yellow card for flopping.

whoever from dallas | 4:23 p.m. Oct. 1, 2008

As far as financial situations go, I'm not sure but the stadium will probably rent it out for concerts as well to help offset the costs in the early stages like some Soccer specific stadiums are doing as well.

Soccer has a strong following, even here in the U.S. Not the older generation, but the new generation, who were just old enough to accept and care when MLS was introduced in the mid 90's, rather than it just being supposedly played by only communist. This will be every teams main support and fans from here on out and what will grow the sport to how hopefully it can develop as it has in Europe.

To criticize the athleticism of soccer players is a joke. Especially coming from fans of sports where every player pretty much only has a specific role. One guy throws, one guy catches, one guy runs, the other guy blocks. While soccer on the other hand is 90 mins of a non-stop strategy game.

Enjoy your baseball (which is about as exciting as shuffle board) or whatever while you can, I'm sure half who are criticizing will be wearing their team soccer scarfs in coming years.

Re: Re: Why? | 4:28 p.m. Oct. 1, 2008

One interesting note on this subject - actually in terms of flopping, the MLS is better than most of the rest of the world. In Europe, flopping for calls is super common. In the MLS, flopping is actually at a minimum. Many sports commentators have actually drawn a comparison, claiming that American athletes are used to taking hits, and European flop artists are wusses. I have read sports articles comparing the likes of Paul Pierce, Shaq, and others who take a hit and keep on going, while the Euros (read : Vlade Divac) get hit and fall to the ground crying like toddler. So you actually see MLS players take hits and just go on, while soccer players in Europe will flop like crazy.

Comments continue below

Aaron | 4:46 p.m. Oct. 1, 2008

Bottom line - The stadium was built, and Real is here to stay.
It doesn't matter what your opinion is about soccer, Checkets, MLS, or tax payers' money.
You lose and soccer wins.
Everything else is just noise.

Soccer...Better?? | 5:22 p.m. Oct. 1, 2008

How can ANYONE say that soccer is "BETTER" than any sport? It's simply not true. Soccer is a foreign, feminine sport. And thats the reason that the US Men will NEVER be a player on the national scale. To say soccer is better is to say that Mcdonalds has the best food simply because it's the most "popular" worldwide.

No one would ever argue tha Mcdonalds has the worlds best food, just that its easy, fast, accessable and cheap. Just like soccer. All you need is a ball. ANYONE can play soccer. Its only skill is endurance and speed which can be practiced and attained over time. Our best athletes would never waste their abilities on soccer.For all those who rip baseball, you go try and "learn" to hit a 95 MPH fastball and after you whiff, see if you can figure out the offspeed curveball thats coming next. Just cause you were never good enough to play....

To Baseball Fans. | 5:31 p.m. Oct. 1, 2008

Just a point of note, between Aug 24 and Sep 9 (16 days) there was a total of 18 posts to any article about the Bees. From Sep 19 to Oct 1 (13 days)there were 220 posts to articles about RSL. Seems to me more people are interested in soccer than baseball. Looks like you should be more concerened about the Bees failing before RSL does. By the way, how is the E-Center doing finding a sponsor for the stadium naming rights?

RE: Soccer...Better?? | 6:12 p.m. Oct. 1, 2008

As always, majority American sports enthusiasts have a inferior trait when it comes to their precious Baseball, Sunday Football and apple pie.

Just because the sport is "foreign" doesn't discredit the game, and physical aspect of it is just as much if not more than Basketball. Apparently since European people are "feminine", then how come Football player needs 15lbs of protective wear & pads, compared to lets say Rugby? Which for sure did not originate in the U.S. Now who's really home of the feminine sport?

Also there are plenty of talented soccer players from the U.S. playing in top European leagues and in the starting 11. Our problem is the MLS salary cap can't afford to keep them here at the present time.

Anyways, enjoy your pie and work on the inferiority complex.

The Numbers Speak.... | 8:04 p.m. Oct. 1, 2008

Okay, I did some research:

RSL average attendance: 16,500
RSL average ticket price: $32.50
RSL home games: 16
16,500 x 32.50 x 16 = $8,580,000
RSL total player payroll: $2,606,000

$8,580,000 (game revenue)-$2,606,000 (player payroll) = $5,974,000

Utah Jazz average attendance: 19,200
Utah Jazz average ticket price: $39
Utah Jazz home games per season: 41
19,200 x 39 x 41 = $30,700,800
Utah Jazz total player payroll: $65,632,827

$30,700,800(game revenue) - $65,632,827(player payroll) = -$34,932,027 Yep, that's a negative

You can't argue with the numbers!

Also note: The Utah Jazz average attendance throughout their first 6 seasons in Utah: 7,935

The Jazz didn't eclipse 10,000 average attendace until they had been in Utah for 12 years.

Again, these are numbers!

On a side note: Re: soccer...better?? Yours is probably the most illogical and uninformed argument I have ever been exposed to.
1. US men never a player: ranked 6th in the WORLD, advanced to quarterfinls in World Cup
2. Soccer no skill: try to ACCURATELY redirect a 60 mph crossing ball WITH YOUR FOOT. I bet I could hit a 96 mph fastball better than you could kick a 60 mph crossing ball. Wanna meet up some time?

arsenal44 | 8:49 p.m. Oct. 1, 2008

As an avid soccer fan and real salt lake supporter I just wanted to personally thank all of idiots that hate soccer but for some reason decide to post on these message boards. Thank you. Because d-news takes the ammount of comments on their articles to be an indication of interest. The more comments the more coverage we get. I love that you are helping us advicate more and more news on RSL. haha, i think its great. thanks. I dont care that your all ignorant and have nothing better to do. I don't have time to go and read something and then comment on it if i don't care for it. Then again, maybe thats why I am not miserable like most of you come accross as being.

Love RSL | 9:32 p.m. Oct. 1, 2008

I wonder how many people predicted the Jazz would be gone within 5 years. (answer: nearly everyone)

We are a sports crazed nation. (okay, actually we are a fat, unhealthy, junkfood nation. We are crazed sport spectators) We can basically make any professional franchise successful. If golf and baseball are popular spectator sports then anything . . . I mean anything can be a popular spectator sport in our country.

Soccer is a great sport to play after high school and college. Go find a team and play. There leagues around for all age groups (even over 50 leagues). Start with futsal if your out of shape. Nothing will keep you in better shape than soccer a few times a week. Go sign up today. It's the greatest sport to play and it will improve your health.

Go RSL!

RSL Support | 9:46 p.m. Oct. 1, 2008

I will support RSL till I die!!!!

Rowdies Fan | 10:40 p.m. Oct. 1, 2008

Congratulations on your Beautiful stadium RSL
fan's. I'll be watching your match against the Red
Bulls next thursday in Hi-Def on ESPN 2.
Just ignore the trolls,they're jealous.
And don't stoop to their level and bash Baseball,
basketball or football.

Have fun at the home opener.

To the soccer haters | 10:41 p.m. Oct. 1, 2008

Imagine a world full of NFLs.. think of all the peyton mannings, adrian petersons, tom brady's ect..

a league full of super bowl caliber teams.. now imagine them playing in an international super bowl to determine who really was the best in the world!!!

Soccer is just that..
And people wonder why the rest of the world thinks americans are so arrogant?

now dont be hating american soccer fans you are just ahead of the curve, and will be until everyone over 40 in the us dies off.. haha

but seriously me and my friends love soccer and all of our dads hate it.. its just a generational gap i guess.
Good Article

seizures | 10:57 p.m. Oct. 1, 2008

Ok i am not going to say that this is the reason that everyone in the world of soccer flops and stays on the ground..

but here are some of the possible tactics behind it.

Soccer is a grueling and tiring sport many of the players stay on the ground to give themselves and their teammates a chance to recover and catch their breath..

well this is a tough one.. To get the other player a yellow card.. Which in case you didn't know is basically the equivalent of a technical foul in the NBA. 2 of them result in an ejection and a 1 game suspension.

Maybe on occasion the player actually is hurt(less likely in europe).. In the MLS(and really in the u.s. for that matter) there really isn't much flopping at all.
now that i answered your question you should answer mine! What is it to you? honestly, i hate baseball but i dont waste my time bashing it.. Theres gotta be somethin there. like maybe a soccer player beat you up or something and you couldn't handle it cause honestly, what is it to you?

I LOVE THE BEAUTIFUL GAME
RSL FOR LIFE

Faking seizures | 10:58 p.m. Oct. 1, 2008

Soccer boots are quite thin, as to feel the ball, and most of the time have metal tips on the studs because of soft ground. Getting stepped on or taking some studs on the ankle hurts pretty bad for like a minute. It's about like stubbing your toe. We've all done it..sutb your toe or hit your shin, loose you will to live for about 30 seconds, pull yourself together and hope no one saw. Its the worst pain imaginable but goes away, some times you even get the "magic spray" that numbs it. But people do dive sometimes just like in basketball. i.e. AK vs Houston in the playoffs.

Good Article | 11:07 p.m. Oct. 1, 2008

liked the article it was interesting.. Kyle beckerman is a weird dude. But he is right about the entrances to the stadiums.. It should be in the middle

Soccer Fan | 11:17 p.m. Oct. 1, 2008

I am a soccer fan who HATES FLOPPING..

Lucky for us the rules are getting more and more strict on flopping or diving.

But it happens everywhere.. escpecially in basketball. Want an example? DEREK FISHER

Juice Box Guy | 11:54 p.m. Oct. 1, 2008

Hate to burst your bubble on everyone that thinks that soccer and MLS will fail. By estimates of other leagues around the world averaging 15-20K a year is good. For instance, in Italy where Soccer is clearly the #1 sport by far their average attendance is 25K for all Seria A teams. Sure they might get 80K show up for a final but the average is a lot lower. Hate to say it but all their teams are not going out of business.

Dont be fooled by MLS teams playing in football stadiums that seat about 45K and looking empty when 20K show up. That is the same amount of people needed to fill any NBA or NHL arena including the majority of Energy Solutions Arena, only the arenas are smaller. Dont see the Jazz or any NHL or NBA team going out of business do you?

Robert | 12:17 a.m. Oct. 2, 2008

RSL folding within 5 years? Ha
I remember when MLS started in '95 many soccer-haters were predicting the same for the league. Now in it's 13th season, it's future looking brighter than ever. Not only many cities and deep-pocket investors are interested in expansion teams (11 investor groups in 9 cities fighting for 4 slots) but they are willing to pay 4 times (40 mil) what an expansion team cost just 3 years ago. Trust me, haters, MLS and soccer in this country is nothing like you've seen even few years ago. A lot has changed under the radar and its a whole new ballgame. As they take it up another level in 2010 even you'll start to see it.

Thanks :( | 8:50 a.m. Oct. 2, 2008

No wonder our world has so many problems. Hate. With everything going on from a failing economy to war in iraq, people who may not have a taste for a specific sport feel they have to find articles about it and post negative and unconstructive comments. Soccer's not the most popular sport in the US, nobody ever said it was. And nobody ever said you had to like it. There are those that do. This goes beyond soccer, or any sport. The underlying result is that you make the world worse off because of your hate and willingness to tear things down. So thanks, thanks for being part of the problem and not the solution. Thanks for adding in your own little way to the conflict that goes on in our world. Thanks for leaving the world a worse place than before you were here. Thanks.

I think they hate us cause... | 9:14 a.m. Oct. 2, 2008

...we stole their girl friends.

Seriously though, why do chicks dig soccer players so much?

Cause we're in shape? Cause we got killer abs, toned thighs, and a curvy rear end?

I don't get it. Play on.

Here's a prediction | 10:47 a.m. Oct. 2, 2008

The 1st American that really is the best soccer player in the world will be the highest paid athlete ever to date. Then we will see lots of kids trying to become the next Pele not the next Payton. Let's see last year Ronaldihno (spelled this way on purpose) made about was is 35 million in euros which for you dumb americans is about $52,000,000 a year. I don't know any other athlete that's salary can touch that. Jordan in his prime at the most made what 30 mil a year? And Ronnie didn't even have that great of a year. If an American was that good he would probably make close to 90 mil no joke. Plus they would be able to sign a nike contract for probably 500 million

bobcat | 12:09 p.m. Oct. 2, 2008

Soccer players "fake seizures" because they get hurt. You'd see it in football too, but they all wear pads and helmets. When you hit heads in soccer, it hurts. When you hit shins in soccer, it hurts. It takes a minute or two for the pain to go away, and you've been running sprints with no time outs, no breaks, no commercials, no coaches challenges, etc. You're a little tired, so you lay there, take a small 20 second break, at most a minute or two, to deal with it, get back up, and go back at it with all you've got!

I'd love to see you run your heart out for 90 minutes, slam into players, have your head, back, gut, groin, etc., drilled by a soccer ball, and not fall down once. If you can do that, then I will personally send an email to every person on RSL's roster, and call them a weak pansy that needs to grow up and play a real sport.

But until you do that, I will continue to love and support RSL and the great game of soccer. Peace.

one more | 1:09 p.m. Oct. 2, 2008

I just wanted to add to the post about RSL. It is a numbers game. A game that RSL wins because more people post on RSL games than everything else besides American Football and basketball.

Re: Why? | 3:56 p.m. Oct. 2, 2008

Why does Andrei Kirilinko flop like 5 feet when he get a love tap from someone driving in the lane?
In soccer, the whining is part of the euro game, don't see it much in mls....but i mean, point is, get over yourself, diving happens in basketball too so get off your pedestal.

I can't even watch american football anymore (outside of my Bears n Illini)...so many breaks in play i can hardly stay awake....

Reality Check | 8:59 a.m. Oct. 3, 2008

These two extremes are killing me, here are some facts:

1.diving is a horrible part of soccer
2.nobody likes a draw (tie)
3.soccer will probably never be football or basketball in this country
4.RSL expects to turn a profit next year - much quicker than the Jazz did in their history
5.The revenue is much lower in MLS than NBA, but so are the player salaries
6.Not a single penny of tax dollars went to the stadium itself, but they did go to the land, and to improvements to the land
7.Less than a 3rd of the events at the stadium will be soccer related
8.Soccer could eventually beat out baseball in this country, which is a dying past-time but this will be many years in the future (if ever)
9. When you build a $100M stadium there is always a risk. At least it's not $1B stadium like in NY (for a sport that is declining in popularity)
10. Hardcore soccer fans are probably the most passionate of any sport. This helps to build a strong base.
11. This stadium appears to be amazingly beautiful and can be a gem for all of us (soccer fans and non-soccer fans).

RSL Ulty fan | 10:35 a.m. Oct. 3, 2008

No skill involved in soccer??? Are you kidding me. I played baseball most of my life, but have grown to love soccer by actually getting on the pitch and trying it out. I was against soccer when I was younger, but that has completely changed. Soccer involves so much skill. Yes, I agree that baseball involves a lot of skill too, but no more than soccer. I don't care if soccer doesn't pass up some of the other sports as long as it continues to improve and grow in this great country.

JVC-RSL | 11:41 a.m. Oct. 3, 2008

I really like soccer. I love going to RSL games, and I can't wait until I'm sitting in that stadium for a playoff game. I also love reading ignorant rants about a soccer articles, and I have some questions for these people.

1. Are you threatened by the growing popularity of soccer in Utah and the US? If so, why? Other sports aren't going away. We just want to see the league be a success, and one day see MLS be comparable to top European and South American leagues.

2. Why the bitterness? I don't like baseball, but I don't feel the need to post ignorant rants on baseball related articles about how much I hate the sport. Were you bullied as a child by big, mean soccer players? Yeah, I didn't think so.

RSL Yeah | 2:34 p.m. Oct. 3, 2008

I HEARD THAT THE STADIUM COST $100 BILLION DOLLARS AND THEY TOOK THE MONEY FROM STARVING HOMELESS CHILDREN!!!! Plus I heard they were only going to charge $1 per ticket. Shame on you RSL.

And talk about flop, you should see some of the 1a high school chess teams. They are just flopping all over the floor.

I am sick of the crying over RSL. You people on the post almost convinced me that soccer is boring but then I remembered that I like to have fun!!!

If you don't like soccer because they flop around and cry about not getting a call then you should not flop around and cry on this message board.

And remember the homeless sick children next time. Shame on you RSL

US National Team | 3:42 p.m. Oct. 4, 2008

Did any one think that the US national teams will play in this stadium? pretty sure those games would sell out.

san jo jealous fan | 1:24 p.m. Oct. 7, 2008

that stadium looks sick. i hope you all enjoy it, i can only hope san jose gets a sweet stadium like that soon.

Seattle Man | 3:35 p.m. Oct. 7, 2008

I stumbled across the article from a blog and got more entertainment from the comments than the article itself. I hope that RSL is successful just to spite the baseball and football lovers. Good luck RSL! You have great fans...wait, I figured it out. The baseball/football people are just pissed that there's no beer served inside the stadium.

Tractor Boys | 11:02 p.m. Oct. 7, 2008

I have been to many of soccer matches in Europe and a lot of them have non-center field player entrances. I am glad RSL has a quality stadium to play in now and in the future. Nice article overall. My friends and I often compare stadiums often be it soccer, baseball or football or baskeball arenas. We used to even bug a friend of ours who played PAC10 football about the best stadiums in the country.

Re: Feminine sports | 11:13 a.m. Oct. 10, 2008

Somebody above called soccer "feminine." Let's do a run-down:

Tight pants:
Football: yes
Baseball: yes
Soccer: no

Timeouts:
Football: yes
Baseball: yes
Soccer: no

Water breaks:
Football: yes
Baseball: yes
Soccer: only at halftime

Players wearing makeup:
Football: yes, under their eyes
Baseball: no
Soccer: no

Pads:
Football: yes
Baseball: glove only
Soccer: shins only

Talking on the phone involved:
Football: yes
Baseball: yes
Soccer: no

Did anybody else notice Clint Mathis's huge bleeding gash on his head last night during the RSL-NYRB game? What other sport can you take a cleat to the head?

dfunkt | 12:01 a.m. Oct. 15, 2008

sweet stadium, congratulations RSL! next time i am in utah during mls' season i'll definitely check out a game.

interesting player's take on the various SSS by beckerman... thanks for publishing this article.

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