The unofficial online home for fans of the Old Dominion University Monarchs. Part of Collegiate Sports Nation (CSN).

(08-13-2017 01:56 PM)monarx Wrote:  

(08-13-2017 11:53 AM)Monarchblue Wrote:  

(08-13-2017 11:41 AM)monarx Wrote:  

(08-13-2017 11:29 AM)HeadsetGuy Wrote:  I stand by most post (#28), I still don't think this boondoggle gets built

The worst part is, if it does it will likely not be very successful. It's harder to get to, more expensive and less central than the amphitheater and needs to be filled year round. Even if they steal the Admirals, those 4-6,000 tickets won't pay for opening the building and the debt. Neither will all the Monster truck shows in the country. They'll get some nice concerts but 10 or 12 of those won't pay the bills. An arena football team might draw 5,000 a game for the first couple seasons and then die. Even if they got a first round NCAA or ACC tournament, which seems doable, that's only two weekends per year. It just seems to be the wrong location and too ambitious to work. The whole community has to support it, and that locale with no good way to get there makes it unlikely to succeed in my opinion.

These sorts of attitudes are why we are still a minor league town, and why ODU is building a new stadium that is barely bigger than the current one, even though we are one of the largest most sports rabid markets in the nation.

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Because I advocate for smart growth and putting infrastructure in place before building huge draws? The fact is Hampton Roads is a low wage, territorial, transient town at the end of a cul de sac. I love it, it has a ton to offer and makes its own way when it has to. But to think an arena that is hard to get to and couldn't be more removed from where the majority of residents live is the right way to have success doesn't make sense to me. It's possible if all the cities got together and built an arena of this size centrally and put in the roads and public transit make it convenient it could work. But sadly that's not what's happening. It's an arena in the wrong spot pushed by hotel owners in hopes that concerts and events in the winter will draw out of town guests to fill their rooms. It's not about an amenity for the folks who live in HR. ODU on the other hand has the loyalty of tens of thousands of alumni in the area and is central to the region. They're the home team and regional, not city specific. That's why a larger stadium could work for ODU. There were many who wanted the Ted to be 10,000. I now think it's proven that it is the right size as is.

Military Circle area or somewhere near by would make sense. 64 / 264. Development happening in the area as well. Norfolk and VB could benefit by developing the surrounding areas as needed.