Lies, half truths, and manipulations all mixed in with a healthy dose of double standards. That appears to be the game plan for those wanting to demolish Roberts Stadium. We've never heard them give us any financial logic for demolishing Roberts Stadium, we've never heard them tell us how it is financially beneficial to construct a non-revenue generating park or green space on the lot, and we've never heard from them why just about all local companies associated with the sports management industry believe Roberts Stadium should be renovated as a mid-sized arena.
Yesterday, we were treated to more smoke and mirrors as those who support demolition are now trying to claim that recent struggles by the Evansville Rage indoor football team is proof that Roberts Stadium will not be financially sustainable...
http://www.courierpress.com/news/2012/apr/14/rage-problems-hed-here-and-herp/?partner=popular
"DickNixon writes:
And to think, this is the organization that Evansville's Justin Beiber wants to save Roberts Stadium for."
As usual, those who support demolition have yet another of Evansville's finest on their side. It is amazing how many inaccuracies you can place in a two paragraph/three sentence post. Let's start with the following...
1. I have not contacted the owner of the Rage, who I believe is David Reed, about moving his football team into Roberts Stadium. I will not do this until their contract with Swonder is over at the end of the season. I have only contacted one of the original owners before they signed to play anywhere. He has since sold the team.
I have reached out to several former Bluecats on the team who also happen to be a part of the Rage to get a general feel for what their organization is looking for in a facility but that's been about it. If Roberts Stadium is repurposed as a mid-sized arena, I will not be making the decision as it will be solely left to Venuworks or SMG (whichever company is selected to run the facility). They will more than likely put out a RFP from many different indoor teams.
2. The Bluecats and Rage are not different. In fact, all of the close contacts I have with the Bluecats, including members of ownership and management, are now associated with the Rage. Although these members want to stay in the background, they also believe that a mid-sized Roberts Stadium is the correct decision for Mayor Winnecke to make.
3. If no indoor football team comes to Roberts Stadium, the facility would only lose 6-10 dates. Basically, less than 5% of the schedule would need to be filled. SMG/Venuworks would have no problem sliding another event in there although indoor football is preferred. Therefore, Roberts Stadium's success is not tied to one sport, one event, or even one season of games. A mid-sized Roberts Stadium can fill a niche for Evansville for well over 200 nights a year by hosting a wide variety of events.
4. I only wish I had the amount of money that Bieber has.
First of all, I had the privilege of attending a Rage game a few months ago and really enjoyed it. The staff, crew, and team have a lot of talent on their squad (I don't think they've lost a game yet). If our city gets behind them, we can develop a team that the whole community is proud of. But there's our problem.
It seems pretty obvious to me that our city will once again attempt to make yet another mistake by using this past week's article against the Rage and against Roberts Stadium. Although they won't very far with this tactic, it will still serve as a reminder that our city still hasn't committed to doing the right things yet like taking advantage of the enormous benefits of a mid-sized Roberts Stadium.
Here's the thing, demolition supporters have pinned teams like the Rage in a no win situation. If the team is a success at Swonder, they will claim that this is proof that we do not need a mid-sized arena. If the team fails, they will claim that this is proof that they would not make it at Roberts Stadium.
The truth is, Swonder isn't even close to being an adequate facility for mid-sized events. Make no mistake, the facility is a great asset to our community and the people that run it to a great job of keeping it looking brand new. However, Swonder was designed for recreational ice skating use not for mid-sized spectator events. Swonder lacks what the Rage need such as...
1. An adequate amount of seats
2. An adequate amount of revenue generating perks such as luxury boxes
3. An adequate amount of concession stands
4. An adequate amount of space (concourses) for crowds to mingle
5. The proper atmosphere for an arena football game
The following link tells us everything we need to know about placing mid-sized teams at Swonder...
http://www.prohockeynews.com/hockey/publish/chl/Despite_early_playoff_exit_IceMen_season_was_largely_a_success.shtml
"Less than a week passed before another noteworthy night - Evansville’s first-ever sellout at the Ford Center. A capacity crowd of 9403 set a new franchise attendance record on "Pack the House Night" on January 14"
"Although the team’s on-ice improvements from last season to this season were quite impressive in their own right, the IceMen actually made their biggest upgrade at the box office. Evansville averaged 4882 fans per home game, 4th in the CHL and well above the league average of 4042. A year ago, the IceMen averaged just 1329 fans, last among the CHL’s 18 teams. Do the math, and that equates to a season-over-season increase of a whopping 367%. "
"During the IceMen organization’s first three seasons at Swonder Ice Arena, the largest crowd was 1,704. This season at the new Ford Center, the SMALLEST crowd was 2,359 on a Tuesday night in January. That season-low was actually better than the AVERAGE attendance for 4 CHL teams - Laredo, Texas, Bloomington and Dayton."
"Last season’s total attendance (39,870) was surpassed this season before Christmas."
That's right, the Evansville Icemen whose largest crowd at Swonder was 1,704 fans averaged almost 5,000 fans a game at the Ford Center. This change can be credited to the fact that the Icemen play in a facility that is designed to host events like minor league hockey.
This begs the question I have always been asking- WHY? Why can't we do the same thing for our mid-sized teams who need a 5,00-6,000 seat venue to be profitable and successful? Why can't our city realize that shoving teams into Swonder and the Ford Center helps neither facility and hurts both? Why can't our city see that Venuworks and SMG are saying the same exact thing?
Like I said earlier, I have kept in close contact with many former Bluecats who are also loosely affiliated with the Rage. The following are some important things they have told me...
1. The Bluecats failed financially not because of attendance but because of the rent. This same thing would happen with the Ford Center. If we scale Roberts Stadium down to a mid-sized arena, teams like the Bluecats and Rage would be able to afford this facility once more.
2. The rent was so bad for the Bluecats that the team was in talks to construct a 6,000 seat arena in Warrick County right outside of Newburgh. In other words, if we don't use Roberts Stadium as a mid-sized arena, another county WILL BUILD a mid-sized arena and they will take all of our teams, all our economic development, and all of our jobs associated with the mid-sized sports industry.
3. The Rage and Swonder will not work long term. Scheduling, lack of amenities, and overall size of the facility are a terrible fit for the Rage. Swonder is great for ice skating but not indoor football. The Bluecats played in a facility that was too big while the Rage are playing in a facility that is too small.
Once more, I urge Mayor Winnecke to step up to the plate for Evansville. I urge him to take a stand and support indoor football in Evansville by renovating Roberts Stadium just like I am asking him to take a stand for the Otters and Bosse Field and demand that the ball fields be constructed at Kleymeyer Park.
While those who support demolition continue to use smoke and mirrors, the truth is still there and it's speaking loud and clear. A mid-sized Roberts Stadium fits Evansville perfectly. While demolition supporters continue to post under random and anonymous screen names on the C&P, I have put together a well-rounded plan for Roberts Stadium.
C&P poster "Dick Nixon" likens this blog to Justin Bieber. Well, this one's for you Dick...
Indeed I will fight them forever to SAVE ROBERTS STADIUM!!