Comments on: Union delays home games for construction http://whyy.org/cms/news/arts-entertainment-sports/2010/02/05/union-delays-home-games-for-construction/29745 News and Information from WHYY in Philadelphia Thu, 29 Mar 2012 19:54:03 -0400 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.4 By: Sgc http://whyy.org/cms/news/arts-entertainment-sports/2010/02/05/union-delays-home-games-for-construction/29745/comment-page-1#comment-1774 Sgc Sun, 07 Feb 2010 01:55:51 +0000 http://whyy.org/cms/news/?p=29745#comment-1774 I would expect the rent for the Linc to have been rather expensive, which is part (but only part) of the rationale between having 10 or the first 12 games on the road. Another part is that 18,500 fans in a stadium that seats 18,500 fans and is built for the sport looks a lot better than, say, 22,000 in the 68,500-seat Linc. Now, the very first Union game will draw a good bit more than 22,000 fans (35,000 wouldn't be an unreasonable guess based on franchise debuts for other MLS teams), but the team will want the motivation of restricted supply to help stimulate the kind of season-ticket sales (9,500 so far) that will make every single game well attended. It's one thing to draw well for the opener, the finale, against rivals, or against David Beckham, it's another for that Thursday-nighter against Kansas City. For that, you need the season tickets. I would expect the rent for the Linc to have been rather expensive, which is part (but only part) of the rationale between having 10 or the first 12 games on the road. Another part is that 18,500 fans in a stadium that seats 18,500 fans and is built for the sport looks a lot better than, say, 22,000 in the 68,500-seat Linc.

Now, the very first Union game will draw a good bit more than 22,000 fans (35,000 wouldn't be an unreasonable guess based on franchise debuts for other MLS teams), but the team will want the motivation of restricted supply to help stimulate the kind of season-ticket sales (9,500 so far) that will make every single game well attended. It's one thing to draw well for the opener, the finale, against rivals, or against David Beckham, it's another for that Thursday-nighter against Kansas City. For that, you need the season tickets.

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