Milwaukee could take a lesson from Louisville
Louisville - Just outside my hotel window is the KFC Yum! Center, home of the Louisville Cardinals. In a few hours, No. 25 Marquette will play No. 12 Louisville there.
http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/sports/189565591.html
Yes Mike Hunt, Milwaukee should build an arena that is hemhoragging money and is on the verge of bankruptcy just like Louisville. As long as you think it looks cool. ::)
Quote from: chapman on February 03, 2013, 10:51:24 AM
Yes Mike Hunt, Milwaukee should build an arena that is hemhoragging money and is on the verge of bankruptcy just like Louisville. As long as you think it looks cool. ::)
In all fairness, the reason the Louisville arena is in trouble is because of woeful mismanagement and a ridiculous lease arrangement the center's operators made with UL.
Neither of those things are/would be inherent to a stadium in Milwaukee.
Quote from: chapman on February 03, 2013, 10:51:24 AM
Yes Mike Hunt, Milwaukee should build an arena that is hemhoragging money and is on the verge of bankruptcy just like Louisville. As long as you think it looks cool. ::)
I'm sure that Mike will take your criticism to heart, and downgrade his recommendation to Milwaukee building something similar to the Pyramid in Memphis.
The idea that the BC can't be updated and a new stadium is "necessary" is absurd. Get creative. I hate that cities don't repurpose or rebuild buildings.
In all fairness, the Yum! Center is the nicest arena I've ever been to or covered a game at, and I don't even know what second place would be.
Quote from: Avenue Commons on February 03, 2013, 11:09:06 AM
The idea that the BC can't be updated and a new stadium is "necessary" is absurd. Get creative. I hate that cities don't repurpose or rebuild buildings.
We should repurpose the bc into a parking structure. Repurpose the airlines center and the cell into rubble and rebuild an arena
Quote from: Avenue Commons on February 03, 2013, 11:09:06 AM
The idea that the BC can't be updated and a new stadium is "necessary" is absurd. Get creative. I hate that cities don't repurpose or rebuild buildings.
They could renovate it but to get it to a point where it is a viable Nba arena, your better off financially to build a stadium. If you aren't worried about making it an nba arena why waste the money on it at all.
Quote from: strotty on February 03, 2013, 11:14:37 AM
In all fairness, the Yum! Center is the nicest arena I've ever been to or covered a game at, and I don't even know what second place would be.
Evidently, the key to getting such an arena is to not have it paid for by ticket holders, but instead by taxpayers after the bankruptcy.
I know the BC is old, but it's aged nicely. I think it's great. Great seats, big concourses, beautiful windows, nice jumbotron, luxury boxes? Why does everyone complain about it?
Quote from: ShannonSmith on February 03, 2013, 12:05:25 PM
I know the BC is old, but it's aged nicely. I think it's great. Great seats, big concourses, beautiful windows, nice jumbotron, luxury boxes? Why does everyone complain about it?
And, many of the luxury boxes are empty. Not so sure that a Yum! type omplex would bring many more folks to Downton MKE....? Why not tear down the Arena and expand the Delta Airlines Center while connecting those to an upgraded BC while adding other amenities. Accomplish the same thing and spend far fewer $$$.
Quote from: ShannonSmith on February 03, 2013, 12:05:25 PM
I know the BC is old, but it's aged nicely. I think it's great. Great seats, big concourses, beautiful windows, nice jumbotron, luxury boxes? Why does everyone complain about it?
Well, many of the seats aren't that great. Yeah it was built for hockey...so was the Kohl Center. And the Kohl Center has better seating for basketball. I think architects simply got better at designing things.
Second, there are plenty of luxury boxes at the BC...as many as Miller Park. It could use some club seating...a "mid priced option" between the regular seats and the boxes.
What would make the BC a "viable" NBA arena?
- More luxury boxes? Is there actually demand for more? Why build more if they will only be sold at a steep discount?
-more premium seating? Seems to me that Bucks tickets are a bit over-priced as it is. Again, is the demand there?
-more restaurant space? Just curious...does the TGIF do well inside Miller Park? ...and that's a restaurant that at least over-looks a baseball field. Do people actually want to look at a basketball floor...or a hockey rink?
-more capacity? I think the Bucks have plenty of unsold seats right now as a potential play-off team.
Quote from: ShannonSmith on February 03, 2013, 12:05:25 PM
I know the BC is old, but it's aged nicely. I think it's great. Great seats, big concourses, beautiful windows, nice jumbotron, luxury boxes? Why does everyone complain about it?
Ive never heard the windows are a top 3 asset to the BC. Great views of Turner Hall and scalpers no doubt.
Quote from: We R Final Four on February 03, 2013, 12:28:12 PM
Ive never heard the windows are a top 3 asset to the BC. Great views of Turner Hall and scalpers no doubt.
Having been been to MSG, I understand understand the value of beautiful windows, or any windows.
There is one reason, and one reason alone a new arena gets built: TO SEPARATE MORE MONEY FROM THE PUBLIC.
It's not to give you better sight lines, or shorter lines in the bathroom, or more low-sodium food choices.
It's to get more money out of John Q. Public.
I'm entirely fine with the Bradley Center, thank you. It fills Marquette's needs perfectly.
Quote from: strotty on February 03, 2013, 11:14:37 AM
In all fairness, the Yum! Center is the nicest arena I've ever been to or covered a game at, and I don't even know what second place would be.
Really strotty? Sure it's a huge building that's nicely appointed but the traffic flow for the lower bowl is absolutely terrible. The place doesn't hold a candle to the United Center in my opinion. Now of course even being in that league is an accomplishment for a city not unlike Milwaukee.
And I personally remain a fan of the Bradley Center. Count me in the crowd of those who do not favor a new arena in MKE.
Quote from: mu_hilltopper on February 03, 2013, 12:38:09 PM
There is one reason, and one reason alone a new arena gets built: TO SEPARATE MORE MONEY FROM THE PUBLIC.
It's not to give you better sight lines, or shorter lines in the bathroom, or more low-sodium food choices.
It's to get more money out of John Q. Public.
I'm entirely fine with the Bradley Center, thank you. It fills Marquette's needs perfectly.
I don't get what you're saying Topper - to separate more money from the public for the benefit of who? Herb Kohl? Government contractors? cui bono?
All I interpreted Hunt as saying was that if Milwaukee does build a new arena as has been the discussion, the Yummy-Yum-Yum Palace would be a great model as a building. He did not get into the finances of it, nor should he have because that is not his area of expertise.
He has been to dozens of arenas and he says this one is among the best; he is qualified to make that assessment.
Quote from: LittleMurs on February 03, 2013, 11:20:28 AM
Evidently, the key to getting such an arena is to not have it paid for by ticket holders, but instead by taxpayers after the bankruptcy.
Exactly. That's the problem. So the citizenry is to take on massive debt just so a stadium can be less old?
It's be one thing if it was falling apart like Comiskey Park or Tiger Stadium. This is something else entirely.
Maybe the Bucks can just move to Louisville - It would solve a problem for Milwaukee and solve another one for Louisville. Perfect.
Quote from: honkytonk on February 03, 2013, 01:00:59 PM
Maybe the Bucks can just move to Louisville - It would solve a problem for Milwaukee and solve another one for Louisville. Perfect.
+1
Where did the Kentucky Colonels play for the old ABA? Louisville or Lexington?
Quote from: muwarrior69 on February 03, 2013, 02:39:24 PM
Where did the Kentucky Colonels play for the old ABA? Louisville or Lexington?
Louisville.
Quote from: honkytonk on February 03, 2013, 12:14:59 PM
What would make the BC a "viable" NBA arena?
- More luxury boxes? Is there actually demand for more? Why build more if they will only be sold at a steep discount?
-more premium seating? Seems to me that Bucks tickets are a bit over-priced as it is. Again, is the demand there?
-more restaurant space? Just curious...does the TGIF do well inside Miller Park? ...and that's a restaurant that at least over-looks a baseball field. Do people actually want to look at a basketball floor...or a hockey rink?
-more capacity? I think the Bucks have plenty of unsold seats right now as a potential play-off team.
All good questions that are never really answered, and points that are never refuted.
I was at the game yesterday and have some thoughts on the stadium. Okay, yeah its HUGE, but so what. The atrium is very big, but there's not a lot to it. I've heard that the BC needs to have 'exclusive clubs' and high-level suites to bring in the big $. The YUM center looked to have nice suites, but I didnt see a whole lot of exclusive clubs. Overall, the arena was very clean and big, but I wasn't that impressed. Give me American Airlines Arena in Dallas as the model if the BC is ever going to get rebuilt
Hunt's article says the Yum! cost $232 million. The "Billion Dollar Basketball" article discussed in the Superbar last week says the Yum! has over $800 million in debt service. These two numbers don't jive. I wonder what it really cost to build ?
Quote from: muwarrior69 on February 03, 2013, 02:39:24 PM
Where did the Kentucky Colonels play for the old ABA? Louisville or Lexington?
Colonels traded Caldwell Jones for Maurice Lucas. Luke then went to the Blazers in the merger dispersal draft. There, teamed with Bill Walton, the Blazers won an improbable NBA title.
Quote from: strotty on February 03, 2013, 11:14:37 AM
In all fairness, the Yum! Center is the nicest arena I've ever been to or covered a game at, and I don't even know what second place would be.
Dollar for dollar, probably not a better arena in the country. The best overall? Anyone making that argument hasn't made the trip to the new Amway in Orlando.
Quote from: honkytonk on February 03, 2013, 01:00:59 PM
Maybe the Bucks can just move to Louisville - It would solve a problem for Milwaukee and solve another one for Louisville. Perfect.
Solve a problem for Milwaukee? Maybe. But for all of those posting here on a Monday night (i.e. die-hard Marquette fans), losing the Bucks would be a major blow. If for no other reason, playing in an NBA arena is a pretty exclusive club.
Quote from: MUFlutieEffect on February 04, 2013, 09:33:41 PM
Dollar for dollar, probably not a better arena in the country. The best overall? Anyone making that argument hasn't made the trip to the new Amway in Orlando.
Pffffftttt.....says a former New Yorker.
Quote from: MUFlutieEffect on February 04, 2013, 09:36:31 PM
Solve a problem for Milwaukee? Maybe. But for all of those posting here on a Monday night (i.e. die-hard Marquette fans), losing the Bucks would be a major blow. If for no other reason, playing in an NBA arena is a pretty exclusive club.
I guess I dont understand. Is it the novelty of playing in an arena that an NBA team also plays in that is nice to claim....or is it the facility itself (a facility that is good enough to house an NBA team)? Besides, Im not sure what the advantages of playing in an NBA arena are. What are the, exactly? Its not a recruiting advantage because SJU, Nova and MU have less combined All Americans over the last couple of years than any one of UK, KU, Duke, UCLA, Zona, SU, UConn, UF, OSU, IU etc etc....
Quote from: strotty on February 03, 2013, 11:14:37 AM
In all fairness, the Yum! Center is the nicest arena I've ever been to or covered a game at, and I don't even know what second place would be.
Jack Kent Cooke's Fabulous Forum?
Quote from: MUFlutieEffect on February 04, 2013, 09:33:41 PM
Dollar for dollar, probably not a better arena in the country. The best overall? Anyone making that argument hasn't made the trip to the new Amway in Orlando.
Conseco in Indy. Has the feel of a college arena with the amenities of the latest pro arena.