PawSox owner James Skeffington will be addressing the monthly Jewelry District Association (JDA) meeting today elaborating on what a great deal a taxpayer-funded sports stadiums will be for him.
If, however, you believe that 1) the riverfront is the wrong location, and 2) $150+ million of your tax dollars should not be used for this money-losing proposition, then contact your representatives at the state house. ‘No New Stadium for Providence’ reminds us to be respectful. There is nothing like a letter or a phone call from a registered voter. Find out who your legislators are and how to contact them at the SOS website.
Simple plan for the future: Let the PawSox go to Hartford/New Bedford/Worcester and find a new AA team for McCoy. Develop the riverfront parcels for multiple, individual biotech and biomed industries as per our original plan into which we have already poured millions of dollars. The end!
Go to Greater City Providence for meeting details.
Open to public, 4pm to 5:30-ish, Tuesday, May 12, Brown Continuing Education, 200 Dyer Street
I am not sure why anyone would want my opinion, but here are my thoughts on the proposal for the new Providence AAA baseball stadium.
I think the owners don’t have a basic understanding of who their CORE fans are. They are families, with little kids. They go to the game to eat hotdogs and cotton candy, try to grab an autograph from a player they don’t know, run on the field after the game or buy a foam finger.
They like their $9 General Admit seats and sitting on the grass to picnic. They like their free parking. Most of them leave before the end of the game, and by the next day, they probably don’t even remember who won. But they had FUN.
Their fans are not, in general, people who are hardcore sports fans. This isn’t the Fenway crowd. They don’t need a bunch of fancy food, or a lot of bars. Is there a need for an upgrade, sure, but not to the level the new PawSox owners think.
Take a look at the other “AAA” team in town, the P-Bruins. They draw ok, it’s mostly families with kids, and I bet they sell lot more souvenirs than they do $8 beers.
I think one reason for this “type” of fan may so far have not been considered. We don’t live all that far from the big league clubs. Hardcore fans can get to Fenway by train in about an hour. I haven’t done a serious analysis, but I think many of the successful AAA teams do NOT play within close (50 miles-ish) proximity of a major league facility.
If the Pawsox left, it would be a bummer. But I also bet that if a year or two later a Single-A team came into Pawtucket, you would draw the same fan base of families, little league teams and the like. I do think McCoy needs a makeover, with some better amenities and options (particularly food) and maybe a civic upgrade around the park. But moving the team 5 miles for a new park misses the boat on who the fan-base really is.
NOT ONE DIME OF PUBLIC MONEY NOW OR EVER!