Today's Rhino Times (not yet posted) carries a front page story entitled "City Already Booking For Private Stadium". This article is on the heels of a N&R article on Monday that hit me wrong.
John Hammer interviewed Greensboro Sports Commission president Marc Bush and reports that "World War Memorial Stadium was never given any consideration by the ACC for its tournament". The reason for that is also given, "Bush said he had never discussed War Memorial with the ACC but knew from the past that it was not interested" citing the fact that the ACC tournaments are played "in new or newly renovated facilities".
I realize that I am sensitive to anything having to do with the past or future of WMS, but this whole stadium thing just amazes me. For a City funded agency to all of a sudden come to life to promote baseball in the new stadium just seems a little strange. Dredging up "woulda, coulda, shoulda" is not productive, but it may be instructive of things to come.
Marc states that he never discussed WMS with the ACC but he "knew" that they weren't interested? What weren't they interested in? The professional level playing surface? Six thousand seats? The locker rooms? The lighting? Parking space? Concessions? What are its shortcomings that have excluded the stadium from consideration - and more importantly - why, as a City funded agency, didn't the Sports Commission come to the Parks & Rec department's War Memorial Task Force and express those needs?
It is widely agreed that it will take millions of dollars to stabilize and renovate the 1926 landmark for its future as our "premier venue for amateur baseball" but the Sports Commission didn't even recommend retaining the locker rooms as a requirement for bringing in top level amateur tournaments during the Task Force's meetings, much less any other improvements that might be required to host the ACC.
Since the ACC has had its headquarters in Greensboro for 51 years, and it is widely accepted that they prefer to have their conference tournaments close to their staff for "logistical reasons" why didn't someone from the Sports Commission come to the City many years ago and demonstrate that interest? They should have said, "if the City will do x and y to War Memorial Stadium, we can put in a bid to bring the ACC baseball tournament here - for a long time".
The reason is clear to me. The new stadium cannot make it on 72 home games per year, the numbers just don't add up. Just to repay the $10M bank loan on the new stadium will require over $71,000 per month in debt service (3.5% over 15 years). Seventy-two minor league home games per year simply aren't going to throw off that kind of money.
It will not be long before the new stadium will be booking other events that don't conflict with the 70 home baseball games because a $20M stadium just cannot go unused 295 days out of the year. Concerts, seminars and other large gatherings will be standard fare at the new stadium - because the place has to be paid for.
War Memorial Stadium will be the first tax-payer-owned victim of the new downtown stadium's cost and capacity. The Greensboro Coliseum will surely be next. My suggestion?: Install a hockey rink over the new stadium's infield during the off-season.
9:39:46 AM 
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