Deseret News | Real Salt Lake: Team has 10 players making at least 6 figures

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Real Salt Lake: Team has 10 players making at least 6 figures

Who is paying for this? | 9:12 a.m. April 9, 2008

Taxpayers? What exactly are the taxpayers paying for with RSL? The stadium? Players? What?

Nothing | 9:32 a.m. April 9, 2008

Taxpayers are paying for nothing. Not the players salaries, not the stadium, nothing. Did I mention taxpayers are NOT PAYING FOR ANYTHING? I don't think I can be any more clear.

Taxpayers from out of state (through the hotel tax) paid for the land on which the stadium is built. The team leases that land from the city.

The stadium and team are 100% privately financed. If only taxpayers had gotten that deal that sweet for the empty baseball stadium on 13th south which was 83% taxpayers financed.

Horrace | 10:21 a.m. April 9, 2008

What does taxes have to do with this, get over it already. As for the player salaries, hopefully the league will raise the salary cap to help out the underpaid Americans.

Comments continue below

re: Horrace | 11:11 a.m. April 9, 2008

I assume you are talking about underpaid athletes? Any person that gets paid any amount to play ANY sport cannot be called underpaid.

Ummmm | 11:20 a.m. April 9, 2008

To the poster at 11:11 - You do know we're not talking about NBA players here, right? Do you know what the league minimum is in MLS? $11,900 per year.

If you only count practice time and games (not even taking into consideration the considerable amount of time they spend doing community outreach, team promotional stuff, etc.), that's less than $10 per hour.

I'd say that makes these players underpaid.

Would you do your job (or any job, for that matter) for less than $12k a year? Didn't think so.

Re: Nothing | 11:29 a.m. April 9, 2008

Empty stadium on 13th South? That team has drawn over 7 million in its first 14 seasons. Sounds like it is far from empty. You can't compare a team that plays 72 home games with a team that plays less than one-third than that.

RE: Nothing | 12:41 p.m. April 9, 2008

Please don't try to compare RSL to the Salt Lake Bees. And don't try to compare Soccer to Baseball. This is America, where soccer is only important to those who play it. Baseball is important to almost every American sports fan. "If you build it they will come", not in this case!

Comparison | 1:06 p.m. April 9, 2008

Of course we can. If we can compare financing a soccer stadium to financing a baseball stadium we can compare attendance. Be honest, the publicity surrounding the construction of the soccer stadium almost completely negative, and the statistics for why it shouldn't be built were biased and very subjective. The stadium itself is personally financed, and the state benefits because the land purchased by the state is gaining value and being developed by someone else.

Less than 7000 per game (according to your stats) and over 15,000 per game (according to MLS attendance report). We play 16 home games, you play 72, but we average more than double the attendance. That is comparable, some might even say competitive.

That is not including the attendance for international football clubs, US Mens National Soccer team, and other tournament games. Definitely comparable. Has anyone like that ever played at Covey Field?

empty stadium 11.29am comment | 1:09 p.m. April 9, 2008

So 7 million people in 14 seasons with 72 home games?? That roughly translates to 6500 people per game...sounds pretty lame and empty to me. That is less than 45% of capacity at 15,500. And I'd be willing to bet that the majority of that attendance was in the early years.

You're right | 1:54 p.m. April 9, 2008

we can't compare RSL to the Salt Lake Beezz - RSL wins hands down. They play a sport that's growing in the U.S. - the Beezz play a sport that's declining. RSL are professionals - the Beezz are minor league. Soccer has athletes - baseball has overweight 'roiders.

And I hate to burst your bubble, but nobody in America has cared about baseball since the late 80's.

ZEKE | 3:00 p.m. April 9, 2008

Put a good product on the field and the fans will come.People like to watch teams play but they also like to see a team win. How long is it going take RSL to have a winnning record?

re:comparison | 3:09 p.m. April 9, 2008

The Minnesota Twins twice came into Frankin Covey in the 90s back when major league teams used to play in season exhibition games. By the way "You're right" the Bees are just as professional as RSL. They are paid athletes, as well, they just aren't at the highest level of their sport, just like RSL. And if nobody cares, why did both MLB and MiLB set all-time attendance records in 2007. And while soccer is growing as you say here in Utah, its still well behind the other sports elsewhere in the country. As a matter of fact, more kids are playing hoops in Spain and Italy than soccer. Face it, we just have to agree to disagree and I used to work for an NASL in the 80s.

I make more | 3:32 p.m. April 9, 2008

I make more money that all but 1 of them (maybe more with my bonus this year!!!! ;-). So, I buy 4 season tickets to Real for me and my wife. The other two seats? We give them away. We invite friends or hand them to kids or those looking for scalped tickets in front of the stadium. The best, well depends on your definition, was giving two tickets to some Mexican kids that drove down from Idaho last year so that they could watch Blanco. While I would rather them chear RSL, I enjoyed their enthusiasm when Blanco toched the ball, but they were rediculous when he scored. those are real fans.

I have been to Jazz games, and hope they win. But I have not ever purchased a Jazz ticket. Same with the Bees, Grizz, and other utah clubs. I just support Utah sports in general, but my money goes to Real.

BTW - I am collecting RSL kits. I don't have the short sleeve versions from teh first year. Does anyone have an XL of eath they are looking to sell? Just let me know. thanks.

Something | 4:06 p.m. April 9, 2008

The company that I work for sometimes has employees or customers from other states come here & stay in hotels.

So RSL's stadium is coming (albeit indirectly) out of my paycheck.

The only good thing about Bees games is that you can buy beer there & the merengue music that is played when Dominican players are up to bat.

Comparison: Got a link on "more kids in Spain & Italy play basketball than soccer"? One not from nba.com or fiba.org?

bad math | 5:01 p.m. April 10, 2008

Dude, if your company is paying for hotels with your wage, you need a new job. So, it isn't out of your paycheck.

Baseball is Lame! | 12:57 p.m. April 11, 2008

Hands down soccer is better and baseball. Games that RSL lose are still way more exciting to watch than the Bees or any baseball game for that matter.

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