This Editorial piece"
bothers me. Especially this quote:
"Several people have publicly expressed their opposition to building a new stadium. Some reasons cited for this opposition are: (a) game attendance will not increase significantly, (b) the Suns provide little financial benefit to the community, (c) the Suns do not field championship teams, (d) few Suns players advance to the major leagues, (e) local taxes will increase. None of these reasons is valid. In fact, there is no valid reason for not building a new stadium.
Local taxes will not need to increase if the stadium is built. Public funding for the stadium can come from the local hotel/motel tax and the Maryland Stadium Authority."
None of this is valid?
How about they already invest over $500 000 (that a half a million dollars) in the existing stadium? How about the parking? So where is the Magic funding going to come from in this new stadium? We already know the hotel/ motel tax that was suppose to go for a new or improved stadium disappears ... and why would the State Maryland Authority want to help build when other teams nearby aka Frederick and Baltimore Orioles already have new stadiums?
Let me suggest a few things:
1. This is a crock. A way of the new owners trying to get a new stadium on threats. Build it or we'll leave town. (which they are already in talks with Winchester)
2. If you build it they will come mentality no longer exists. New isn't always better.
3. If needed to be up to code (As the MLB and especially the Nationals suggest ...why don't they invest some of their own money to help why on the taxpayers?) and with the recent improvements and ongoing ...has a Master Plan been done for the current stadium to see if improvements can be done there on the existing grounds? (I haven't heard of one)
4. I'm disappointed in the Nationals and current owners using this as a threat to get their way or the highway ...whatever happened to History??? One of the Greatest baseball legends ever starts their professional career here in Hagerstown (Willie Mays) and first African American to do so in Hagerstown... why not preserve that? Where is the Miniority community crying foul? I'm all for improvements but why not improve and restore to reflect the past and move onto the future ... Too often we're quick to Build new, without looking from where they came from. (so many good ball parks are now lost forever .... and one of the pts of Field of Dreams was to not just "If you build it they will come" but it was about baseball .... the place where dreams can come true) Seems to me one of the greatest players in Willie Mays can be remembered here in Hagerstown as well .... and with some of the upcoming players we've had at Municipal Stadium including Strasburg and Harper ... and many other notable players ....
5. I'm starting to dislike the Nationals over their stand of not committing to the Suns this year in the farm system due to this issue. I've been a fan of the Nationals/ aka Expos (Senators) and the Jays ... With Expos greats such as Gary Carter and Andre Dawson ..... and the Nats are so quick to dismiss this?
I love This review
This review
is troubling and yet states the truth.
This statement: "Municipal Stadium is still a nice enough park to host minor league baseball, but in this day of new parks and luxury boxes, its future is clearly doomed. Still as of 2010, no movement has been made on getting a new ballpark built and there has been no further threats from the owners about moving the team." (and yet as of 2012 there are threats and it seems to come to the end almost ...
The Third oldest ball park and we're willing to let it die, relocate to either downtown or to Winchester ....Very SAD without even looking at if can improve where we are at. Such a waste!!
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