Cincinnati tarp

[Sean Miller Fan]

FC Cincinnati, a new soccer team in USL (which is technically the 3rd division behind MLS, same as Riverhounds) is drawing massive crowds that has stunned the American soccer community. Cincitucky has never been thought of as a soccer town but they have developed a Seattle Sounders-like rabid young fanbase.

Anyway, they "sold out" their US Open Cup seminal loss to the NY Red Bulls last night but didn't make several thousand tickets available, instead putting a pretty cool-looling tarp over it.

Take a look at this picture and this is how cool 30K-40K would look if people weren't spread out in a stadium that is far too big.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.ml...-open-cup-semifinal-vs-new-york-red-bulls?amp

 

[DiehardPanther]

FC Cincinnati, a new soccer team in USL (which is technically the 3rd division behind MLS, same as Riverhounds) is drawing massive crowds that has stunned the American soccer community. Cincitucky has never been thought of as a soccer town but they have developed a Seattle Sounders-like rabid young fanbase.

Anyway, they "sold out" their US Open Cup seminal loss to the NY Red Bulls last night but didn't make several thousand tickets available, instead putting a pretty cool-looling tarp over it.

Take a look at this picture and this is how cool 30K-40K would look if people weren't spread out in a stadium that is far too big.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.mlssoccer.com/post/2017/08/09/fc-cincinnati-sell-out-us-open-cup-semifinal-vs-new-york-red-bulls?amp

Downsize Heinz to around 50k. I am not sure why it is so difficult for people to understand.

 

[RaleighPittFan]

There's never going to be a "cool looking" tarp.

They all look silly. They also make the ones using it look silly.

 

[Pittparade]

Downsize Heinz to around 50k. I am not sure why it is so difficult for people to understand.

The concept is NOT hard to understand. I just do NOT seeing that ever happening, though. Why set limits to capacity?---even if they will almost never fill to capacity for 90% of their games. Seems restricting entry is just asking for people not to attend.

On top of that, when do they cut-off people from entering the game? The crowds on Saturdays do not fully peak until late into the first quarter.

 

[DiehardPanther]

49k in a 50k seat capacity presents a lot better image than 49k in a 68k seat capacity. Not only that but people are more likely to use tickets if they buy them. People know they do not have to buy season tickets, and the probability of something coming up and those people not buying tickets at all increases. With a 50k seat capacity you charge more for tickets and that is the only way you guarantee yourself tickets for the following the year. That is another carrot since we play PS next year. Supply and demand. I am not sure why this is so difficult.

 

[HailtoPitt]

What a waste for Cincy to upgrade Nippert Stadium when it's only used 6 times a year.

 

[Pittparade]

49k in a 50k seat capacity presents a lot better image than 49k in a 68k seat capacity. Not only that but people are more likely to use tickets if they buy them. People know they do not have to buy season tickets, and the probability of something coming up and those people not buying tickets at all increases. With a 50k seat capacity you charge more for tickets and that is the only way you guarantee yourself tickets for the following the year. That is another carrot since we play PS next year. Supply and demand. I am not sure why this is so difficult.

Okay--fair enough but the department would have to sell that many tickets in the first place or have that demand. For 90% of the home games, I can not imagine either scenario takes place.

Also, if there was a demand to offer 50K tickets, I can't see the school/athletic department restricting sales on any additional sale they could make.

By the way, they would probably have to sell about 60K tickets to the game because 80% (my unconfirmed guess) of the tickets purchased are rarely filled.

 

[Pitt79]

Downsize Heinz to around 50k. I am not sure why it is so difficult for people to understand.

I am not sure why people care. If FC Cincinnati SOLD OUT they probably could of made MORE MONEY if they could of sold even a dozen of the tarped seats!

When you're watching a Pitt game on TV and there are 42000 fans there watching them play Marshall or Duke, are you seriously wringing your hands and sweating about the TV viewers "perceptions"?

 

[Pittparade]

I am not sure why people care. If FC Cincinnati SOLD OUT they probably could of made MORE MONEY if they could of sold even a dozen of the tarped seats!

When you're watching a Pitt game on TV and there are 42000 fans there watching them play Marshall or Duke, are you seriously wringing your hands and sweating about the TV viewers "perceptions"?

No, of course not. The look is going to be cavernous no matter how much tarp is in place or how many restrictions are in place.

 

[Pitt79]

49k in a 50k seat capacity presents a lot better image than 49k in a 68k seat capacity. Not only that but people are more likely to use tickets if they buy them. People know they do not have to buy season tickets, and the probability of something coming up and those people not buying tickets at all increases. With a 50k seat capacity you charge more for tickets and that is the only way you guarantee yourself tickets for the following the year. That is another carrot since we play PS next year. Supply and demand. I am not sure why this is so difficult.

I actually enjoy having the upper hand over the team when it comes to ticket availability.

 

[WiseAndGlorious]

I actually enjoy having the upper hand over the team when it comes to ticket availability.

"Upper hand"? Maybe we should lobby the Rooneys to EXPAND Heinz capacity. The other team won't stand a chance.

 

[Revenge Of The Noise]

See the other thread. There must be restrictions to doing it, or Pitt would have tried it by now. There's plenty dubious about Pitt administrative thinking, but this concept would have occurred, even to them, after 16 years.

Anyone so oddly passionate about this topic should make some calls and investigate who or what the restrictions are. My money would be on the stadium authority or perhaps even the ACC, not the Steelers. If Pitt paid for it, i don't think they'd care.

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

What a waste for Cincy to upgrade Nippert Stadium when it's only used 6 times a year.

I think a plan that needs looking into is a joint Pitt/MLS stadium on the old Civic Arena site. 50K for football, downsized to 30K for soccer. MLS is expanding like crazy and with the World Cup in the USA in 2026, I don't think Pittsburgh can just forget about ever going to MLS and no the Riverhounds and their 3000 seat field dont count as any real candidate to move to MLS.

 

[Revenge Of The Noise]

I think a plan that needs looking into is a joint Pitt/MLS stadium on the old Civic Arena site. 50K for football, downsized to 30K for soccer. MLS is expanding like crazy and with the World Cup in the USA in 2026, I don't think Pittsburgh can just forget about ever going to MLS and no the Riverhounds and their 3000 seat field dont count as any real candidate to move to MLS.

Why not. At the glacial pace the Penguins are moving to develop anything there (glacial ... Penguins ... See what I did there) , may as well add this to the table. Get Mario and his billionaire playboy buddy interested in owning the soccer team and the county/ city would get right in tow to back and pay for most of it. All that heartfelt interest in repairing the ill done to downtrodden Hill denizens upended by the old Arena will dissolve pretty fast (Peduto can run some bikelanes up Center for em... that cures all urban woes). And doesn't Pitt have some great soccer coach now too? So add the Pitt team to the mix. NCAA champs here we come! Somehow the Post Gazette won't be nearly as interested in hyping that as they are whenever the PSU chick volleyball team wins, I'm sure.

 

[TFloss]

I think a plan that needs looking into is a joint Pitt/MLS stadium on the old Civic Arena site. 50K for football, downsized to 30K for soccer. MLS is expanding like crazy and with the World Cup in the USA in 2026, I don't think Pittsburgh can just forget about ever going to MLS and no the Riverhounds and their 3000 seat field dont count as any real candidate to move to MLS.

Yes, let's spend multi millions of dollars to move .8 miles closer to campus.

 

[Cathedral Lawn Frisbee]

I usually think of tarting not so good but this is a nice look. I can see PITTsburgh across the top and also, Smiley would be happy

 

[Swervin27]

FC Cincinnati, a new soccer team in USL (which is technically the 3rd division behind MLS, same as Riverhounds) is drawing massive crowds that has stunned the American soccer community. Cincitucky has never been thought of as a soccer town but they have developed a Seattle Sounders-like rabid young fanbase.

Anyway, they "sold out" their US Open Cup seminal loss to the NY Red Bulls last night but didn't make several thousand tickets available, instead putting a pretty cool-looling tarp over it.

Take a look at this picture and this is how cool 30K-40K would look if people weren't spread out in a stadium that is far too big.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.mlssoccer.com/post/2017/08/09/fc-cincinnati-sell-out-us-open-cup-semifinal-vs-new-york-red-bulls?amp

why the incessant desire of some pitt fans to want to sit on top of each other? I don't get it.. If you are touching legs with a stranger, does that make you cheer louder? weird ass argument.

 

[DiehardPanther]

I am not sure why people care. If FC Cincinnati SOLD OUT they probably could of made MORE MONEY if they could of sold even a dozen of the tarped seats!

When you're watching a Pitt game on TV and there are 42000 fans there watching them play Marshall or Duke, are you seriously wringing your hands and sweating about the TV viewers "perceptions"?

I attend the games in person. The atmosphere is not good in person and looks bad on TV. It gets louder on 3rd downs, and big part of that is when people around you get louder it is more likely others join in. If only 1 person around you is making noise, then that guy looks like a tool. I have taken a bunch of people to Pitt games and the atmosphere leaves a bad impression on them. The same thing happens with recruits.

 

[OH Pete]

See the other thread. There must be restrictions to doing it, or Pitt would have tried it by now. There's plenty dubious about Pitt administrative thinking, but this concept would have occurred, even to them, after 16 years.

Anyone so oddly passionate about this topic should make some calls and investigate who or what the restrictions are. My money would be on the stadium authority or perhaps even the ACC, not the Steelers. If Pitt paid for it, i don't think they'd care.

Perhaps they don't want to alienate the folks who currently have season tickets in the upper deck that would have to move their season tickets. I like my seats and even if I didn't like them, I couldn't justify paying more right now because I can only make 2 to 4 games per year right now (my kids both play sports and often play on Saturday mornings/afternoons and I have a 2 hour drive). If they tarp my seat and ask me to move, I won't renew unless they make some sort of deal with me that gives me a seat that I like equally and don't have to pay more. Having said that, once I'm done with the Saturday youth sports in a few years, I'm getting club seats and will be at every game.

 

[Pitt79]

I attend the games in person. The atmosphere is not good in person and looks bad on TV. It gets louder on 3rd downs, and big part of that is when people around you get louder it is more likely others join in. If only 1 person around you is making noise, then that guy looks like a tool. I have taken a bunch of people to Pitt games and the atmosphere leaves a bad impression on them. The same thing happens with recruits.

I go to at least one game a year, I live 4 hours away, hate to drive, and don't want to dedicate 7 weekends in the fall to driving across the turnpike, and when I do go, I just like to sit quietly and analyze the game, I stand up when everyone else does, but I've never been a person that YELLS or "makes noise"- I don't want to and not obligated to, sorry, I'm not there to "create atmosphere" and make an impression, I'm just there FOR ME.

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

I think a plan that needs looking into is a joint Pitt/MLS stadium on the old Civic Arena site. 50K for football, downsized to 30K for soccer. MLS is expanding like crazy and with the World Cup in the USA in 2026, I don't think Pittsburgh can just forget about ever going to MLS and no the Riverhounds and their 3000 seat field dont count as any real candidate to move to MLS.

Yes, let's spend multi millions of dollars to move .8 miles closer to campus.

Pitt wouldn't fit the entire bill. Perhaps a joint Pitt/Mario (as soccer owner) arrangement. 20K seat soccer stadiums are being built like crazy all over the place. No problems getting financing. We'd need 30K more seats which is why we'd split the bill.

Also, would be cool if it had the roof overhang the field like in Europe, Red Bull Arena, and the Dolphins Stadium. Would allow Pitt fans afraid of rain (or sun) to attend more and would also allow for easier downsizing for soccer.

 

[Pitt79]

Pitt wouldn't fit the entire bill. Perhaps a joint Pitt/Mario (as soccer owner) arrangement. 20K seat soccer stadiums are being built like crazy all over the place. No problems getting financing. We'd need 30K more seats which is why we'd split the bill.

Also, would be cool if it had the roof overhang the field like in Europe, Red Bull Arena, and the Dolphins Stadium. Would allow Pitt fans afraid of rain (or sun) to attend more and would also allow for easier downsizing for soccer.

You think Pittsburgh could support MLS? They almost went bankrupt in USL and can barely fill their 4000 seat stadium.

 

[Turdferg717]

I have always held the belief that perception is everything. It it looks like the stadium is crowded, it will look crowded to recruits.

 

[DiehardPanther]

Pitt wouldn't fit the entire bill. Perhaps a joint Pitt/Mario (as soccer owner) arrangement. 20K seat soccer stadiums are being built like crazy all over the place. No problems getting financing. We'd need 30K more seats which is why we'd split the bill.

Also, would be cool if it had the roof overhang the field like in Europe, Red Bull Arena, and the Dolphins Stadium. Would allow Pitt fans afraid of rain (or sun) to attend more and would also allow for easier downsizing for soccer.

A multipurpose facility with Mario and others that could be used for a variety of things is a better possibility than building a football stadium in Oakland. If Pitt buys up some property in the Hill District, then they could expand the footprint of the campus as well. Possibly build this on the ground of the old Civic Arena?

 

[Revenge Of The Noise]

I attend the games in person. The atmosphere is not good in person and looks bad on TV. It gets louder on 3rd downs, and big part of that is when people around you get louder it is more likely others join in. If only 1 person around you is making noise, then that guy looks like a tool. I have taken a bunch of people to Pitt games and the atmosphere leaves a bad impression on them. The same thing happens with recruits.

It is a downtrodden fan bass we have for sure. But it's only because there is never anything to really care about usually by early October. Y'all know that Duke game last year that "the fans suck" administration minions are always referencing? I actually WENT to that game. It wss actually one of the more impressive Pitt home wins that are usually so rare. The offense was potent. So I was cheering a good bit. As you mention above though, of the fans who were there, most weren't cheering either. I DID feel somewhat like a tool too, as a result. At one point I even asked one of the regulars sitting near me, why so quiet, we were winning a laugher for a change ... and we'd beaten Clemson last week ... he said what epitomizes the whole thing: "when they blew that Carolina game that basically killed the season."

I think that's it in a nutshell. In college football you can't afford to blow it, at least not more than one game, early. Not us anyway. In the NFL in some cases you can suck much of the season but if you eke out a 9-7 and squeak into a wildcard berth, "it's a whole new season!" So while alive for the playoffs, all those teams (and fans) still harbor dreams of winning it all. In our case the writing was basically on the wall when we collapsed to UNC. Not even for the conference champ but a decent bowl for that matter. We could be anywhere from 8-3 to 6-6 and knew we would be in a crappy middle tier bowl. Whee.

 

[H2P333]

Again this is where Pitt and the Chancellors need to get together and hold the Steelers brass and Rooneys ass to the fire. Threaten legal recourse whatever but the seats need to be recolored and scaled back to 45-50,000 at max capacity. Woukd benefot both and that is what the partnership was for. The Steelers benefit from having a world class medical school and research lab to assist their team with medical needs. We aren't getting enough for our money in this part of the relationship.

 

[Pitt79]

Do the other big city P5 schools obsess over the empty seats and the TV perception like this board does? I mean Atlanta, Boston, Minneapolis, Miami, Nashville, etc. all have P5 teams and their attendance isn't better than Pitt.

 

[Pitt79]

Threaten legal recourse whatever but the seats need to be recolored and scaled back to 45-50,000 at max capacity.

WOW! That's STUPID. The IDIOTIC things people care about.

So the Steelers should decrease their seating capacity by 20000 seats, with a 20 year waiting list, and paint the stadium seats just so Pitt games look better on ESPN2?

 

[Pittparade]

Do the other big city P5 schools obsess over the empty seats and the TV perception like this board does? I mean Atlanta, Boston, Minneapolis, Miami, Nashville, etc. all have P5 teams and their attendance isn't better than Pitt.

Good question. If I had to guess----no. They don't care.

 

[BuffetParrothead]

It is a downtrodden fan bass we have for sure. But it's only because there is never anything to really care about usually by early October. Y'all know that Duke game last year that "the fans suck" administration minions are always referencing? I actually WENT to that game. It wss actually one of the more impressive Pitt home wins that are usually so rare. The offense was potent. So I was cheering a good bit. As you mention above though, of the fans who were there, most weren't cheering either. I DID feel somewhat like a tool too, as a result. At one point I even asked one of the regulars sitting near me, why so quiet, we were winning a laugher for a change ... and we'd beaten Clemson last week ... he said what epitomizes the whole thing: "when they blew that Carolina game that basically killed the season."

I think that's it in a nutshell. In college football you can't afford to blow it, at least not more than one game, early. Not us anyway. In the NFL in some cases you can suck much of the season but if you eke out a 9-7 and squeak into a wildcard berth, "it's a whole new season!" So while alive for the playoffs, all those teams (and fans) still harbor dreams of winning it all. In our case the writing was basically on the wall when we collapsed to UNC. Not even for the conference champ but a decent bowl for that matter. We could be anywhere from 8-3 to 6-6 and knew we would be in a crappy middle tier bowl. Whee.

 

[Revenge Of The Noise]

Do the other big city P5 schools obsess over the empty seats and the TV perception like this board does? I mean Atlanta, Boston, Minneapolis, Miami, Nashville, etc. all have P5 teams and their attendance isn't better than Pitt.

No they don't. Most of the money comes from conference (via networks) and merchandise, which soars when winning. TIcket sales, not to be confused with Attendance, and increased prices and donations possible when winning, is important too. The actual attendance is gravy. Most realize this.

But our unique problem here is the local media that constantly wants to pit us against Penn State in the things where we don't live up to them, to make PSU look better. Games (which we've won the last couple) get short shrift. Academic quality, where we excel over them, never (only cyanide murders). So recruiting and attendance and bullshit like chick volleyball are harped on FAR more than they'd be elsewhere. Unfortunately most here are simple minded and follow the media lead. Hence all the hand wringing on attendance.

 

[Revenge Of The Noise]

Perhaps they don't want to alienate the folks who currently have season tickets in the upper deck that would have to move their season tickets. I like my seats and even if I didn't like them, I couldn't justify paying more right now because I can only make 2 to 4 games per year right now (my kids both play sports and often play on Saturday mornings/afternoons and I have a 2 hour drive). If they tarp my seat and ask me to move, I won't renew unless they make some sort of deal with me that gives me a seat that I like equally and don't have to pay more. Having said that, once I'm done with the Saturday youth sports in a few years, I'm getting club seats and will be at every game.

Maybe. But most of your upper deck brethren don't go to the games. And they pay less (and likely don't donate at all) for tickets they buy. So I'd think the risk from possible alienation is kinda small.

 

[ThePanthers]

What a waste for Cincy to upgrade Nippert Stadium when it's only used 6 times a year.

Maybe if they moved to Paul Brown stadium they'd be in a power 5 conference.

 

[TIGER-PAUL]

Do the other big city P5 schools obsess over the empty seats and the TV perception like this board does? I mean Atlanta, Boston, Minneapolis, Miami, Nashville, etc. all have P5 teams and their attendance isn't better than Pitt.

Nowhere near . But in fairness here, it was relentlessly fueled by Joe and the staters (and to a lesser degree wvu) for generations which has also permeated throughout the local media here.

 

[RaleighPittFan]

I'd rather complain about the color of the uniforms than the lack of tarps, or even the need for them.

Which leads me to wonder, what's the most important thing for Pitt fans?

1 - Attendance
2 - Uniform color
3 - Uniform Font
4 - Coaching tenure
5 - AD (support, or lack thereof)
6 - Future OOC schedule
7 - Recruits who chose another school
8 - Should Pitt bend the rules (cheat) for recruits
9 - Lack of boosters
10 - On campus stadium (or, lack thereof)
11 - Pittsburgh's (PA) political leaders hating Pitt
12 - Pittsburgh's sports media hating Pitt
13 - Rooney's hating Pitt
14 - Former ADs and Admin. hating Pitt
15 - Lack of alum financial support
.
.
.
? - W / L record

I'm not at all sure which is the most important to most Pitt "fans".

 

[PITTLAW]

FC Cincinnati, a new soccer team in USL (which is technically the 3rd division behind MLS, same as Riverhounds) is drawing massive crowds that has stunned the American soccer community. Cincitucky has never been thought of as a soccer town but they have developed a Seattle Sounders-like rabid young fanbase.

Anyway, they "sold out" their US Open Cup seminal loss to the NY Red Bulls last night but didn't make several thousand tickets available, instead putting a pretty cool-looling tarp over it.

Take a look at this picture and this is how cool 30K-40K would look if people weren't spread out in a stadium that is far too big.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.mlssoccer.com/post/2017/08/09/fc-cincinnati-sell-out-us-open-cup-semifinal-vs-new-york-red-bulls?amp

Nothing screams success, excitement or big time sports like a tarp over a portion of the stadium. Hail to Pitt!

 

[pittdan77]

Pitt has as many hall of famers as anyone and has someone on most of the league's rosters at any given moment so maybe...hear me out on this...just maybe it's not the stadium that's responsible for where Pitt has been for the last dozen or so years.

 

[Revenge Of The Noise]

I'd rather complain about the color of the uniforms than the lack of tarps, or even the need for them.

Which leads me to wonder, what's the most important thing for Pitt fans?

1 - Attendance
2 - Uniform color
3 - Uniform Font
4 - Coaching tenure
5 - AD (support, or lack thereof)
6 - Future OOC schedule
7 - Recruits who chose another school
8 - Should Pitt bend the rules (cheat) for recruits
9 - Lack of boosters
10 - On campus stadium (or, lack thereof)
11 - Pittsburgh's (PA) political leaders hating Pitt
12 - Pittsburgh's sports media hating Pitt
13 - Rooney's hating Pitt
14 - Former ADs and Admin. hating Pitt
15 - Lack of alum financial support
.
.
.
? - W / L record

I'm not at all sure which is the most important to most Pitt "fans".

8, which clearly is the catalyst

 

[Sean Miller Fan]

Pitt wouldn't fit the entire bill. Perhaps a joint Pitt/Mario (as soccer owner) arrangement. 20K seat soccer stadiums are being built like crazy all over the place. No problems getting financing. We'd need 30K more seats which is why we'd split the bill.

Also, would be cool if it had the roof overhang the field like in Europe, Red Bull Arena, and the Dolphins Stadium. Would allow Pitt fans afraid of rain (or sun) to attend more and would also allow for easier downsizing for soccer.

You think Pittsburgh could support MLS? They almost went bankrupt in USL and can barely fill their 4000 seat stadium.

I really don't but would you have thought Cincinnati could have supported MINOR LEAGUE soccer. They are outdrawing MLS teams and some 1st divison European teams.

 

[HailtoPitt]

Maybe if they moved to Paul Brown stadium they'd be in a power 5 conference.

It wouldn't have made a difference.