Snakebit

I've spent a good part of my career advocating public funding for stadiums as a necessary evil to protect important civic assets. For example, I supported new stadiums for the legendary Reds and the perpetually disappointing Bengals ("Bungles”) when I was in Cincinnati. These new venues kept pro teams that would have otherwise decamped for larger markets.

I did it again most recently with the Phoenix Suns arena, arguing in November that allowing the NBA team to leave downtown would be a terrible blow to the central city:

Kate Gallego, facing Daniel Valenzuela in a March mayoral runoff, said, “it is not in Phoenix’s best interest to invest in an arena.” Arizona Republic columnist Laurie Roberts wrote, "taxpayers are about to get hosed if this deal goes through."

Here's the real deal: If Phoenix doesn't invest in the arena, Sarver — who has none of Jerry Colangelo's civic spirit — will move the team to the Rez, renaming it the Arizona Suns, no doubt, or even to Seattle, which is hungry to replace its lost Supersonics. The damage to downtown and light-rail (WBIYB) would be catastrophic. Talk about hosed.

Now come the Diamondbacks, demanding further pro-team welfare. The team can leave Chase Field as early as 2022 and has been sending ominous threats: Exploring use of the Cardinals stadium in Glendale for while, flirting with the Las Vegas area, fielding feelers from other cities. The most comfort officials would give is that the D-backs "are highly likely to remain in Arizona."

And I'm starting to think: Git. Let. Them. Leave.

This isn't a problem in a healthy city. For example, all the big-league teams play in downtown Denver and Seattle. The new NHL franchise coming to Seattle is paying to improve Key Arena.

But Phoenix is not a healthy city. Supersized suburbs, backed by the Real Estate Industrial Complex, are always trying to claim assets that should rightly be downtown. A metropolitan area of newcomers has no loyalty, no sense of place. Hence every team except the Suns is "Arizona," as if they represent Bisbee, Yuma, and Winslow. Phoenix is the most enchanting city brand in the country, but enough influential interests will have no part of it. State names for pro teams sound like college teams. The Seattle Seahawks and Mariners have fans throughout the Northwest — so much for the idea that a city name is a regional turnoff.

Then there's Chase Field, a little more than 20 years old. Fenway Park in Boston is as old as the state of Arizona. Chicago's Wrigley Field opened in 1914. The Diamondbacks stadium might have ended up on a freeway if not for the efforts of Jerry Colangelo, last of the downtown stewards. County funding for the facility resulted in Supervisor Mary Rose Wilcox being shot by an anti-tax nut. But it worked out beautifully, with Colangelo fielding a team that won the 2001 World Series.

The former BOB is no beauty, to be sure. It's not like the classic, brick-faced Mariners park, which opened around the same time and offers spectacular views of the downtown Seattle skyline (right). BOB looks like a blimp hangar. But it's perfectly functional, with plenty of high-priced luxury suites and seating areas, as well as the then revolutionary closing roof, air conditioning, and swimming pool. It has the added benefit of being on light rail (WBIYB), so one is not dependent on a climate-change causing automobile. And it's in the heart of downtown with walkable restaurants, hotels, and other attractions. Downtown stadiums are always more appealing than suburban venues surrounded by ghastly surface parking lots.

The only reason Chase Field is not viable is the feral greed of today's Diamondback's ownership, which is itching to move to the Rez close to north Snottsdale. Or set off a bidding war among the suburbs and toying with the city of Phoenix with no real desire to stay downtown.

It pains me to write this, but maybe it's time to draw the line in the sand and call their bluff. Either work constructively to keep the team downtown or get the hell out. I'd rather spend money preserving the seven historic houses at risk in the Coronado district...rather invest in a thousand real shade trees in downtown and Midtown... than give Ken Kendrick (alone worth $447 million, according to Forbes) a dime if he's dealing in bad faith. And, by all appearances, he is.

Then maybe the stadium could become a professional soccer venue — that seems to be the sport of the future (for reasons that baffle me). Or tear it down, along with the "Garage Mahal," and open up land to expand the downtown biosciences center.

It wouldn't be my preference. If the D-Backs leave, it will hurt downtown. But I've finally hit my red line. How about you?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Comments

[Cal Lash]

I quit pro sports in 64.

[Harvey Reiss]

Jon, I agree with you. I have attended every opening day Diamondbacks game since 1998. As an on again, off again season ticket holder, I have attended over 400 games. I can make it from my home in South Phoenix to my seat in 15 minutes.

A few years ago, when the Diamondbacks starting to beat the drum about moving out of Chase Field, I emailed Derrick Hall and stated that I will not attend any more games if the Diamondbacks move out of the downtown area.

When I retire in a few years, my wife and I are going to purchase a condo downtown. It would be nice to walk to the Diamondbacks games. If the Diamondbacks move from downtown, I can use the money that I was going to use on season tickets to purchase a nicer condo.

Knock down the ballpark and parking garage. Maricopa County owns the property and building affordable housing near the light rail line would makes sense.

[ZM]

Genuinely confused by the double standard here.

The Diamondbacks drew 2.2 million fans last year. At no point in their history have they drawn fewer than 2 million. Even during bad seasons (and they've had their fair share) they bring a lot of people downtown.

By contrast, the Suns drew about 629,000 last year. Even at their peak in the mid-2000s, they drew more than 750k fans just once. At their best, they bring about a third as many fans to the central core during a given season that a mediocre Diamondbacks team did.

There are obvious reasons for that: they play twice as many games in a stadium that holds more than twice as many people. But I really don't understand why the Suns deserve the benefit of the doubt and the Diamondbacks don't. Kendrick's a ghoul, but Sarver's no saint either.

I'm a fan of both teams, and no fan of publicly funded stadiums in in any sport. But for my part, the DBacks' looming situation was part of why I didn't support the Suns' renovations. That money makes it much more of a challenge to keep a much bigger draw downtown.

But hey, at least the Suns paid for a practice center (in one of Phoenix's several fake downtowns): https://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/nba/suns/2019/04/18/phoenix-suns-planning-stages-practice-facility-arena-renovations/3493774002/

[Dave Parish]

Phoenix champions failed expectations. An anti big city, reasonable direction has spokes extending so distant from the hub that 411th Street was created.

Professional sports devotion in this territory is dust in the desert wind.

[DoggieCombover]

Couldn't agree more, the "big four" franchises all belong downtown. It's too late for the Cardinals. The problem the Coyotes have is exactly because they are in east LA for all practical purposes, after chasing greed. I can't understand why these multimillionaire owners and the city--and ASU-- can't figure out how to share costs and facilities, it happens elsewhere.

[Cal Lash]

Hermes the thief
today is called,
Bookie.
Thats all you need to know about
pro sports.

[Bob M]

I hit my red line a while ago. I don't think any public money should go to the multi-millionaires and billionaires who own the teams. I would be sad to lose the teams I root for, but am willing to accept it.

[Evan]

Honestly, is there really going to be an outcry if the Diamondbacks leave downtown PHX?
This market is much closer to the failing MLB markets of Oakland, Miami or Tampa. Arizona has a fantastically well-supported spring training season, fueled by out-of-state passionate fans, but their product in AZ for the 6 months of the regular season is in serious trouble! Baseball, itself, is quickly dying. An aging (dying) fan base that advertisers don't seek, the complaints of speed of play or the general slow, boring nature of a 162 game season, the future of the MLB as we know it is in peril.
Local tv ratings are the best news teams can brag about & the Diamondbacks have cashed in on that with a 20 year/$1.8 Billion contract. But national ratings for World Series games have a quarter of an audience that a regular season Sunday Evening NFL matchup.
The interest in baseball in this market does not justify any large publicly funded projects for a new ballpark.
If the team wants to move on to a reservation in a building built from funding from gaming revenues of a tribe, so be it. If Portland, Vegas or Montreal want to poach the team away from AZ, I'll wish them the best.

[Jerry McKenzie]

Have pretty much lost all interest in all sports. The teams in Phoenix are uninspiring, have expensive food, tickets, and uncomfortable seats. Good players and coaches are sent packing and thrive with other teams. Good riddance if they will not pay their own way.

[Mark in Scottsdale]

Sports is no different than any other form of entertainment, except that it is much more expensive than many forms of entertainment.

Some sports teams have civic-minded owners, but for the most part, they will always take the best deal they can get. The absurd saga of the San Diego Chargers shows that owners will sometimes even make a move that is to their own detriment just out of hubris.

I believe that Phoenix has become a big enough media market that our sports franchises know they are unlikely to be able to move from the Valley to any other metro area that is not significantly smaller than ours. Generally, there just aren't any open "spots" in bigger cities, and the leagues all restrict who is allowed to move and to which location(s).

My hope is that the Valley cities and the SRPMIC do not get into a competition over any sports team but rather work together. There's absolutely no point in one Valley city spending a ton of tax dollars to lure a local team to move 10-20 miles from another Valley city.

[Cal Lash]

I predicted the lite rail election wrong.
Sal and the Koch's got beat!

[100 Octane]

https://i.redd.it/atk7hhgl45j31.jpg

[Roger]

lol @ Octane. That is great!

I've all kinds of concerns about the ownership of the Diamondbacks. Their use of the Trump Administration to force the EPA to give approval for the destruction of a free flowing riparian area in southern Arizona was really a punch in the face to our state.

I was so afraid we would lose the light rail, enough to consider my future here. We *need* public transit systems.

As to soccer- go to a Rising game. It is so much fun. The energy is tangible and the fans are energetic and fun.