Originally Posted By MPierce >> maybe BP should try soccer balls to plug the leak (OK- cheap shot but it was there for the taking) << Why not, they've shot about everything else in there. Cheap shots at BP or in vogue for everybody. With the exception of one misguided Texas (R) Congressman, and one misguided conservative analist.
Originally Posted By MPierce >> >>The head honchos at the NFL are too busy bathing in gigantic tubs of cash to worry about an audience that shows up once every four years and then disappears.<< >> I guess you haven't heard how European soccer clubs are worth a lot more than NFL teams. The money in soccer DWARFS the money in American Football. On the world stage American Football is little more than a curiosity, that funny game Americans like to play where they dress up like gladiators and beat each other up. << It would seem there are some that might disagree with you. As compiled by Forbes Magazine. No. 1 Manchester United Soccer $1.8 billion An annual powerhouse with a true global brand, Man-U fetched the highest price ever for a sports franchise when Malcolm Glazier forked over $1.45 billion for it in 2005. No. 2 Dallas Cowboys Football $1.6 billion Owner Jerry Jones smartly broke away from the NFL merchandising collaboration several years ago, leaving the Cowboys to run their own league-leading operation. A new state-of-the-art stadium awaits for 2009, with a Personal Seat License (PSL) plan that could bring in upwards of $700 million. The rough economy–a naming rights deal still hasn’t been done–may scale back expectations. But only so much. No. 3 Washington Redskins Football $1.5 billion Since taking over in 1999, owner Dan Snyder has had mixed results on the field. But he’s turned the Redskins into the NFL’s leading revenue machine through heavy marketing and by selling the naming rights to Jack Kent Cooke Stadium to FedEx. The stadium has sold out every game during its 12-year history. No. 4 New England Patriots Football $1.32 billion New England’s value has roughly tripled since 2000, following three Super Bowl titles and a 97-31 record over the past eight years. Seven-year-old Gillette Stadium includes 6,000 club seats and 87 luxury boxes. No. 5 New York Yankees Baseball $1.3 billion Baseball’s only billion dollar club benefits from its own cable network, huge market and storied history. No wonder the Yankees have made the only real noise around the league this winter, throwing more than $400 million at three premium free agents. The tight economy may have the team scrambling to sell the last few luxury boxes at the new Yankee Stadium for 2009, but expect the place to be a revenue machine over the long haul. Other NFL teams in the top 10 include the New York Jets and Giants (a shared new stadium on the way) and the Houston Texans (the league's biggest stadium naming rights deal). Even the NFL's least valuable franchise, the Minnesota Vikings, is knocking on the door of billionaire row at $839 million. The Real Madrid and Arsenal were No. 6 and 7, respectively.) If those figures are correct that puts it at 1 Baseball team. 3 futbol teams, and 6 football teams in the top 10 franchises in value. I'll leave it to someone else to come up with the actual gate receipts for all the individual clubs. Now what exactly were we discussing again. By the way I conceed that more people watch soccer than any of our superior American sports.
Originally Posted By MPierce >> As glad as I was to see that happen, I wouldn't count on an encore performance of the Hand of Clod << Me either.
Originally Posted By MPierce >> Tomorrow's the big day for us yanks. Must win. Must win. << I'm hoping for Divine Intervention MousDad.
Originally Posted By MPierce >> I would very much smile if the US make it through to the next round at England's expense. << I can visualize all the British Futbol Fans surrounding your house with pitchforks, and torches as you typed that.
Originally Posted By magnet >>>I'm hoping for Divine Intervention MousDad.<<< We're more likely to get Leeeeroy Jenkins!
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 <<Did you see the crowds on Opening Day?>> <<They were certainly huge but were they there to see the actors or to see the land? Being that there aren't that many opportunities to see Daniel Radcliffe, Michael Gambon and the others who I have no idea of their names in central Florida.>> They were there for the whole enchilada. Very few of those there got to see the 'stars' ... <<From what we have been told the main attraction was 60-90 minute wait in the afternoon - that seems incredibly short for a park that had 100k standing outside. Or do they limit guests outside the land to keep everything inside the land to a "comfortable" level? (I sound like I'm beginning to care which I must nip in the bud now).>> No, you should care. Disney has been arrogant about not caring when others produce creative projects that blow theirs away. You don't strike me as being the ignorant type (maybe a bit arrogant, that's just your UK heritage shining through ;-) BUT ... IOA limited the number of folks into the land and from what I understand that's what will happen until they can get crowds down to the point where WWoHP feels crowded, but not so everyone inside is having a miserable time and can't appreciate it. I believe the queue for FJ can accomodate a two-hour wait easily, but beyond that you start getting lines outside and clogging walkways etc. Better to limit access or you'll have a situation like DL when Indy opened (and you still get on very busy days). And I'd expect to see the land expand into the area where Sinbad's stunt show is with another fairly major attraction if this thing drives attendance the way it is expected to. <<Someone mentioned that IoA's cap is 40k which seems very light for a park of its size and capacity.>> Not sure.
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 >>>You can't have as weird an accent as Dave. It's like he ain't no American and he ain't no Brit ... nobody wants him and his accent must be why! ;-)<<< <<Well my wife does, and deep down, I think a little of your mom does too ;-)>> My mother was heavily medicated when she was in your presence ;-) <<But agreed - Soccer/football (UK, American, Irish or Aussie) is a waste of space. Baseball and basketball are ok in small doses. Can't wait for this stupid world cup thing to be over though. >> I have a good friend down there now ... I assume he is having fun since he hasn't returned two notes!
Originally Posted By HokieSkipper 40K is the number that's been thrown about, but I've never seen it thrown around by someone that would know.
Originally Posted By Spirit of 74 <<Is HP having a Wide World of Sports Day?>> Yes. They consider that game where thet fly around on broomsticks to be a sport. Can you believe that? Triwizard Tourney my arse!
Originally Posted By sjhym33 So my son went out to IOA today to see HP. Got to the park before 8:30am. He said there were very long lines already. They opened the gates early and like everyone else he made a dash to the HP area. By the time he got there the line was in Toon Lagoon. He said the line snaked around the Popeye Boat. It took him 45 mins to get to the HP area. There was a 75 min wait for Forbidden Journey. My son has been going to Disney since he was born and we have had AP's for Universal/IOA, SeaWorld/Busch Gardens thru the years. He said that HP and the Forbidden Journey is the absolutely best thing he has ever ridden. He said the attention to detail was amazing. He also said that IOA was packed. We have been going to IOA since it opened and he and I have had AP's for many of those years. He said he has never seen IOA that busy. Even more busy than the holidays.
Originally Posted By MousDad >> Tomorrow's the big day for us yanks. Must win. Must win. << <<I'm hoping for Divine Intervention MousDad.>> I think you got it!!!
Originally Posted By MPierce >> Tomorrow's the big day for us yanks. Must win. Must win. << <<I'm hoping for Divine Intervention MousDad.>> >> I think you got it!!! << A very big win. That makes 1 win, and 2 draws. Lets face it though. They were robbed against Slovenia!
Originally Posted By EPCOT Explorer >>>So my son went out to IOA today to see HP. Got to the park before 8:30am. He said there were very long lines already. They opened the gates early and like everyone else he made a dash to the HP area. By the time he got there the line was in Toon Lagoon. He said the line snaked around the Popeye Boat. It took him 45 mins to get to the HP area. There was a 75 min wait for Forbidden Journey. My son has been going to Disney since he was born and we have had AP's for Universal/IOA, SeaWorld/Busch Gardens thru the years. He said that HP and the Forbidden Journey is the absolutely best thing he has ever ridden. He said the attention to detail was amazing. He also said that IOA was packed. We have been going to IOA since it opened and he and I have had AP's for many of those years. He said he has never seen IOA that busy. Even more busy than the holidays.<<< Great report, thanks! Now that I actually may go, I'm starting to get excited.
Originally Posted By fkurucz <<Now what exactly were we discussing again. By the way I conceed that more people watch soccer than any of our superior American sports. >> Which no one else watches. To the point that they pulled up the stakes and shut down NFL Europe. Of American sports, I would say that Baseball has enjoyed the greatest success outside the US at the professional level. Still not good enough though to remain an an Olympic sport. Basketball is played all over, but mostly as an amateur sport. I see the NFL has picked up the pace with team values. If European soccer clubs weren't so attached to their ancient stadiums I suppose they could increase their revenues. There is little doubt that Manchester United could fill a stadium twice the size of Old Trafford, but they'll never replace it, too much tradition associated with the place. Also interesting how smaller countries like England, France, Spain, Italy and Germany each have their own soccer leagues with as many teams as in the NFL or MLB. The NFL is smart in limiting the number of teams (how long has LA been without a team? how can there not be a market for a team there?) in their league. Also interesting how rival leagues (WFL, USFL, XFL, etc.) have always failed. The NFL is a well oiled monopoly, at least in the US. And they are dying to go international, as they now play a few games overseas (England, Japan and Mexico). The US market is saturated and all good corporations want to grow. It will be interesting to see when the NFL sells it first non US franchise. I'm not holding my breath though. NFL Europe was a brave attempt, but it only went to prove what most already knew: American Football is still seen as a curiosity overseas.
Originally Posted By fkurucz BTW, its one thing for Forbes to guestimate how much a club is worth, and quite another for an actual sale. Man U actually fetched 1.45 billion. The St. Louis Rams are for sale and apparently its only worth 900 million. Arsenal, based on what minority shares are selling for, is worth 1.2 billion. This in a market 1/6 the size of the US market.
