Comments on: US Soccer Blows WC Bid Cities

By: AFtERBIRtH33

AFtERBIRtH33 — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 16:27:26 +0000

SJMark — you are sadly wrong. The great stadiums built in Athens have rapidly deteriorated into garbage, and the huge stadium built in the People’s Republic of China is set to be transformed into a giant shopping mega mall. How is that in keeping with the spirit of Sport? If we cannot host a game at Stanford Stadium (who remembers 1994?), a renovated Memorial Stadium, or even AT&T Park in ‘Frisco then its just not worth it. Can these franchises and schools build a venue without public funds?

By: SJMark

SJMark — Sun, 31 Jan 2010 22:48:35 +0000

I’m glad somebody’s writing about the lack of the Bay Area in bid. We are moving away from being an area that has hosted the WC, Olympic Soccer, and a Super Bowl and bid on Olympic games and looking like a big-time sports backwater.

The fact that a newly renovated Stanford Stadium, a planned Memorial Stadium renovation and the Oakland Coliseum could not help us make the list should be a warning to regional leaders. Events like Olympics and the World Cup fuel decades of tourism when fans return for follow-up visits.

If Newsom could make the Hunters Point stadium plan viable, I have to believe San Francisco would find it’s way back on the list.

By: Matt Stigall

Matt Stigall — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 22:19:56 +0000

I think that you need to look at the politics of this. Chicago pulled out and San Francisco could not guarantee a stadium would be ready.

I have followed the proceedings of the bid closely and the inclusion of Atlanta is caused by the global brands of Coca-Cola and Delta being heavily involved and the Atlanta Sports Council campaigning heavily. If the US wins a bid, a new stadium will most likely be built to replace the Georgia Dome. Atlanta is also home to the world’s busiest airport and largest carrier. Expect Atlanta to be a major, central hub in the World Cup bid (Over 60 percent of expected foreign World Cup visitors will first land in Atlanta before switching over to their direct city).

Also, Atlanta has hosted 2 recent exhibition games and they were quite successful.

Sorry about being defensive, I just thought that the inclusion of Atlanta in your cities that do not deserve a bid was shocking.

By: duff

duff — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 14:01:01 +0000

The Chicago snub just baffles me. Left out because the stadium “only” holds 61,000 (FIFA requires a WC stadium to hold at least 40,000). It has a huge immigrant population (in other words, a built-in soccer audience), and had great crowds in the 94 cup. SF lacks a good stadium, so that snub was at least understandable (c’mon Yorks!), but leaving out Chicago is ridiculous.

By: Jon from Chicago!

Jon from Chicago! — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 04:39:15 +0000

HERE HERE!!! Great Great article!