Ideas 4 MAPS

[gopokes88]

Woah there, the talent in USL is not as bad as you put it. I agree that the owners should be funding the majority, if not the entire stadium. But to say the talent is "sub-par" is just not true. The Energy had 3 players capped for international duty this past year, with two still being capped in this past international spell. The league itself draws players from many nations other than the US, with many young players going onto to MLS and other top leagues in their home nations. Just because the USL is the second division doesn't mean it is sub-par. If the US had an open system I would bet that 3 or 4 of the current USL teams would definitely be in the MLS right now. The USL exists because not everybody can play in the MLS. There are some great clubs in the USL and the league is working on making a true pyramid system that would allow clubs to get into better competitions as they grow. I know the USL isn't on TV all of the time, but all games are on ESPN+ with some games on ESPN2 or what not.

I don’t follow soccer closely enough but I’ve heard some soccer guys who I trust say that the usl may ultimately pass the mls because the ownership and league model is superior to the mls. It may be tier 2 in American soccer but things can change. The ABA dominated the nba until it didn’t.

[PaddyShack]

MLS is not the NBA, MLB, NHL, or NFL. MLS would be a second level league in England, Germany, Spain etc. Consequently the USL is double A or single A when comparing it to the gold standard of soccer leagues on the worlds stage.

The main reason why MLS is a poor league is because it is a closed system. There is no real incentive to invest money into youth programs to develop young players to be better that could then lead a club into the top flight or be sold to a bigger club else. That and the fact the MLS play on the opposite schedule of most of the rest of the world doesn't help with transfers. The current soccer culture in the US, as in MLS and US Soccer, is more about money then refining the talent and improving the sport. Leagues like the USL, UPSL, and NPSL are doing things more for the betterment of the sport in the US. The USL has taken the step of beefing up the professional game to create a strong tier 2 league system in the USL Championship, along with the new USL League 1 and League 2 leagues, we should start to see a move towards an open system. Whether MLS chooses to alter course and listen to the fan base in the future will decide the fate of MLS and who comes out on top as the top tier of US soccer.

[Jersey Boss]

I don’t follow soccer closely enough but I’ve heard some soccer guys who I trust say that the usl may ultimately pass the mls because the ownership and league model is superior to the mls. It may be tier 2 in American soccer but things can change. The ABA dominated the nba until it didn’t.

The ABA never dominated the NBA, and I was a fan of the Nets when Dr. J was a member of the team. The 4 ABA teams that went to the NBA had to pay a huge admittance fee and the Nets were hit twice as hard as they had to pay an indemnity fee to the Knicks for being in their territory. The ABA had some great stars and was entertaining but the league champion was never as good as the NBA champion.
The 3 point fg was an innovation that the ABA pioneered.

[Jersey Boss]

The main reason why MLS is a poor league is because it is a closed system. There is no real incentive to invest money into youth programs to develop young players to be better that could then lead a club into the top flight or be sold to a bigger club else. That and the fact the MLS play on the opposite schedule of most of the rest of the world doesn't help with transfers. The current soccer culture in the US, as in MLS and US Soccer, is more about money then refining the talent and improving the sport. Leagues like the USL, UPSL, and NPSL are doing things more for the betterment of the sport in the US. The USL has taken the step of beefing up the professional game to create a strong tier 2 league system in the USL Championship, along with the new USL League 1 and League 2 leagues, we should start to see a move towards an open system. Whether MLS chooses to alter course and listen to the fan base in the future will decide the fate of MLS and who comes out on top as the top tier of US soccer.

Until the sport is embraced by youth across the socio-economic spectrum, the sport will have a hard time in this country. Youth club soccer is largely made up of kids whose parents can afford to take them around the state and region to play. When was the last time you heard High School soccer results on the 10 o clock news?

[PaddyShack]

Until the sport is embraced by youth across the socio-economic spectrum, the sport will have a hard time in this country. Youth club soccer is largely made up of kids whose parents can afford to take them around the state and region to play. When was the last time you heard High School soccer results on the 10 o clock news?

I agree that the Pay To Play system that has been created and allowed to grow is absurd. But kids can pick up a soccer ball and go play out in the street or neighborhood park or in the alley way with friends and become well adverse in the sport. Look at many of the greats both past and present and the majority of them came from nothing. Most outstanding players come from nothing, in any sport. For them, the only thing they have is a soccer ball, or basketball, etc. For the Energy, and the ownership group, one of their biggest goals for the community at large is to clean up sports fields and to install new courts for area youth to utilize. If the MLS teams were not so focused on college athletes or their draft, we might see more scouts show up to youth club soccer.

But when you look at big clubs throughout the world they all have youth systems for players of all ages. The only restriction I believe they have to follow is that the kids need to be residents or citizens of the country the club is in.

[citywokchinesefood]

I would really enjoy a BASEketball court, I used to play it with friends in Norman during college. You can certainly use a regulation basketball court and simply use chalk, but it would be something really fun and definitely a unique outdoor space in OKC that wouldn't cost a lot in the grand scheme of MAPS 4.

***For those of you unfamiliar with Baseketball, it is a sport inspired by 90s comedy Baseketball. It combines rules from both Basketball and Baseball and is genuinely a great time to play with friends. It is pretty approachable for most people to play and have a good time doing so.

<a href=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s3ieUp88iL8>Trailer for Baseketball</a>

[mugofbeer]

Until the sport is embraced by youth across the socio-economic spectrum, the sport will have a hard time in this country. Youth club soccer is largely made up of kids whose parents can afford to take them around the state and region to play. When was the last time you heard High School soccer results on the 10 o clock news?

Maybe I'm wrong and I know it's not as big as football but soccer is now pretty much integrated into school sports. Most bigger high schools have teams and, because of football, it's probably bigger as a women's sport and Hispanic/Asian than overall men's. Regarding the 10PM news, they do report it here in Denver but not like football with helicopters going from game to game. There are simply priorities ahead of soccer.

[Johnb911]

lol at the Maps 4 Ideas thread becoming a pro/rel discussion.

[TheSteveHunt]

Promotion and Relegations only occur in sensible countries that don't give sports franchises exemptions from anti-trust laws..

[Johnb911]

No one is stopping any league or collection of leagues from banding together and instituting promotion and relegation. If that's what the collection of owners wants to do, then by all means, they are free to go and do it.

[PaddyShack]

No one is stopping any league or collection of leagues from banding together and instituting promotion and relegation. If that's what the collection of owners wants to do, then by all means, they are free to go and do it.

No, but that is not the issue. The issue is that US Soccer doesn't make a true soccer pyramid and force Pro/Rel on the leagues. Of course owners don't want Pro/Rel, it keeps them from having to really invest in their team in order to stay in the top flight.

[Johnb911]

Likewise, it forces them into a situation with the potential for drastic devaluation of their investments, investments they made under completely different circumstances. But I digress. I was mainly just answering Mr. Hunt's assertion that pro/rel wasn't possible in this country due to exemption from anti-trust laws.

I would love to see promotion and relegation in US soccer, if for no other reason that it is so distinctly different from the rest of the US sports landscape that I think the appeal would be massive, and continue to 'grow the game' here. I don't, however, think it's some magical elixir to help us win the world cup, nor do I think it should necessarily be mandated from on high. At least not right now.

[TheSteveHunt]

I think MAPS 4 should focus on other things, however I would be willing to compromise
and make a downloadable copy available for all residents of Football Manager 2019
on okc dot gov.

John brings up a good point how our country is so willing to protect interests of the wealthy, all the while demanding everyone
else participate in competitive, free market rules.... o0f

[Johnb911]

[Laramie]

An Oklahoma City all purpose Velodrome on the riverfront or State Fair Park could be used for other purposes; include an Olympic size pool.

[Laramie]

Thought provoking question(s):

Wish we could come up with some kind of all multipurpose indoor venue capable of handling year-round attractions & events, soccer, high school basketball & football positioned in a location where all of the city would benefit.

Wouldn't necessarily need a dome; however some kind of indoor structure with a flexible maximum seating capacity of up to 25,000 that could be partitioned off (upper-deck) to accommodate smaller events.

Do we focus (invest) on transit like the streetcars or building venues to accommodate the most inexpensive means to achieve this goal or a combination of both?

[5alive]

Since the State Fair is now an area dedicated to livestock and horse shows with many barns and metal buildings why not build the new "Jim Norick Arena" in a new location (not sure where) and expand upon it with your ideas from the above post.

[jedicurt]

Since the State Fair is now an area dedicated to livestock and horse shows with many barns and metal buildings why not build the new "Jim Norick Arena" in a new location (not sure where) and expand upon it with your ideas from the above post.

because the new "Jim Norick Arena" is mainly about horse shows and livestock, with ability to handle other events when free... so it wouldn't make since to put it in a different location

[Laramie]

_{A new stadium for Oklahoma City Energy Football Club is one of the proposed initiatives for the fourth Metropolitan Area Projects (MAPS) plan.}

“This is our time to write the next chapter in Oklahoma City’s story,” Holt said in a MAPS video posted on the city’s website. “It is time to talk about MAPS 4 and dream big again.”

Since October, Holt said he has received a little over 1,000 ideas from community members, and while an advisory board exists to review MAPS 3 projects, no such board has been created to assess ideas for MAPS 4 so far.

Oklahoma Gazette - Drawing MAPS: https://www.okgazette.com/oklahoma/d...nt?oid=5220549

The city’s Better Streets, Safer City initiative launched in 2017 and the temporary sales tax incorporated through the project will expire in Spring 2020, Holt said.

“We’ll dedicate 2019 to planning and 2020 to executing our plans,” Holt said. “2020 is right around the corner.”

[OKCRT]

I think it would be a bad idea to put a stadium on there if they want to continue the maps program. This is not the Maps for Billionaires program.

[Plutonic Panda]

I am excited to see what proposals they will take under consideration.

[Richard at Remax]

I've said my peace on this, but to read that article and see that the two pictures that were used were soccer related makes me think it's inevitable. Which means I will be voting No.

[PaddyShack]

I've said my peace on this, but to read that article and see that the two pictures that were used were soccer related makes me think it's inevitable. Which means I will be voting No.

Those pics are old from before Taft was renovated. I hope we don't go city owned stadium. I want real grass and no weird configurations for other events.

[hoya]

I've said my peace on this, but to read that article and see that the two pictures that were used were soccer related makes me think it's inevitable. Which means I will be voting No.

If you're going to vote "No" because of the inclusion of a single project that you don't like, then I've got bad news for you. I can basically guarantee that you will dislike at least one of the things on the ballot.

[jedicurt]

If you're going to vote "No" because of the inclusion of a single project that you don't like, then I've got bad news for you. I can basically guarantee that you will dislike at least one of the things on the ballot.

yep... while i don't want a soccer stadium... if it has massive expansion of street car, bike trails, and over-all walk ability and transportation improvements, i'm going to vote yes.