Posts
2338
Joined
1/9/2010
Location
Clifton, NJ
US
Edited Date/Time
4/24/2014 5:50am
Feld is doing the sport (and themselves) a disservice by giving Minneapolis the April date for a supercross when there aren't any races within a 9 hour drive of the largest population density in our country (see attached map for supercross locations overlaid onto the population density of the US). Supercross TV ratings suck, and it's no wonder since the product isn't brought to where the US population actually resides. These are the people with TVs.
I've heard all the arguments: unions, weather, people don't care, etc. But Feld needs to balance the risk and cost of putting on an event out here against whatever the TV package costs to put on the air. And the weather ain't bad here in April, so that argument has been thrown out the window (the internet shows that the temperature on that date typically varies between 43 and 55). People around here care enough to support Unadilla, Steel City, Budds Creek, Mt. Morris and Southwick so I am pretty sure some of these MX fans probably like SX too.
I went to the IndyCar race in downtown Baltimore this year and there were a lot of people there, many of them new fans. This is the route towards growth. NASCAR doesn't only race in the south anymore and they've done a bit better with what I think is an inferior product.
I've heard all the arguments: unions, weather, people don't care, etc. But Feld needs to balance the risk and cost of putting on an event out here against whatever the TV package costs to put on the air. And the weather ain't bad here in April, so that argument has been thrown out the window (the internet shows that the temperature on that date typically varies between 43 and 55). People around here care enough to support Unadilla, Steel City, Budds Creek, Mt. Morris and Southwick so I am pretty sure some of these MX fans probably like SX too.
I went to the IndyCar race in downtown Baltimore this year and there were a lot of people there, many of them new fans. This is the route towards growth. NASCAR doesn't only race in the south anymore and they've done a bit better with what I think is an inferior product.
The Shop
Feld is jumping over a dollar to not spend a nickle. real smart
Everyone here is missing my greater point-everyone bitches about growing the sport but we will never do that without bringing SX to where people live. And to the poster that suggests that the outdoors balances it out, there's no way I can bring casual fans to the middle of dusty nowhere and expect them to be into it. I can bring them to a stadium and give them a few beers though-much easier sell to get people interested.
People on the East Coast go into those stadiums in droves in the thick of winter to watch men throw a ball around. Pretty sure they'd do the same in April to watch a much better show. There's only one way to get the TV numbers up: it's why Bernie Ecclestone is trying so hard to get an F1 race with NYC as the backdrop. You can bet he won't get the sanctioning fees that he does out of China or Dubai, but he realizes that a large American TV audience is good for the sponsors and his TV package.
Sprint cars haven't exactly done well though, have they? I guess that's my point - if we want to grow into something bigger. Something where they pay Feld for putting it on TV instead of Feld paying for it to be put on TV. The TV package for The World of Outlaws was really bad and I am pretty sure attendance is down across the board for WoO. The trucks you cite aren't much better and I am sure pay a pretty penny to get on TV. NASCAR is the only show mentioned that gets paid big bucks for the TV rights (2.4 billion from Fox through 2022 for only PART of the schedule). And NASCAR's schedule has moved from being largely only in the South to completely spread across the country. This was exactly part of NASCAR's strategy many years ago. From here, I can go to Pocono, Dover, New Hampshire, Watkins Glen, and Richmond. Some of those would be a drive but Pocono, Dover, New Hampshire are pretty close.
Despite these nearby races, NASCAR bought property on Staten Island in NYC and tried very hard to lobby the residents for a track here. They spent millions and years fighting local government before giving it up. Likewise, many millions will be spent to build the infrastructure for the F1 race. Feld has it easy since there are already stadiums, like the Meadowlands, or Gillette, or Camden Yards. Yes, they might lose money for a while while trying to grow a fan base but not necessarily, and the idea is that TV ratings will go up.
Pit Row
Citizens Bank Park, home of the Philadelphia Phillies, average Apiril high of 63.9 F (17.7C), average low of 44.0F
(6.7C)
Are you planning to attend this years race?
Well.... I couldn't sit on my ass in WI because I was busy promoting our sport.
I was at every race from the beginning in 1994 and brought 150 fans with me every year from WI on tour bus's
I would know http://www.onthepiperacing.com/gallery2/main.php?g2_itemId=30795
if attendance dropped.
Seriously, No need to ? if I'm a real fan or racer
I own this biz-> http://www.onthepiperacing.com/ and Yes I'll be there
I don't give a shit how many people show up.
I'm just glad to see the motoRcross Drivers back in MSP
Braaaaap
Post a reply to: Minneapolis? [-> updated to Thanks, Feld!, 2014]