The Newport Debate

When FC Cincinnati announced potential sites for it soccer specific stadium should it be added to Major League Soccer as an expansion team, the franchise revealed that it narrowed potential locations to three locations. Oakley, Over-the-Rhine, and Newport were revealed as the three candidates to become the host city for FC Cincinnati’s stadium. This sparked a debate as some fans do not want the stadium built in Newport. Why? Newport is across the Ohio River in Kentucky.

Personally I do not care that Newport is in Kentucky. The city has undergone a revitalization with “Newport on the Levee” being a hot spot for entertainment and fun. Downtown Cincinnati is easily seen as Newport rests on the shores of the river, and the Cincinnati skyline would make for a fantastic backdrop for FC Cincinnati’s stadium. So why all the hate?

The reason I have been hearing the most is, “it’s FC Cincinnati, not FC Newport.” To me, that is a very stupid reason to complain about Newport as a potential stadium site. For one, teams have been building stadiums in cities that aren’t in their name for a long time. Look at the New York Jets and the New York Giants. Their stadium is in New Jersey. Does that mean fans in New York do not root for the Jets or the Giants? Nope.

Now let’s look at it from the other side. The Cincinnati Reds and the Cincinnati Bengals are located in downtown Cincinnati. Does that mean people from Kentucky cannot root for the Reds or the Bengals? Nope. There are people who live in northern Kentucky who are diehard fans of the Reds, the Bengals, and FC Cincinnati. How do I know this? I’m one of those fans. I live across the river in northern Kentucky about ten minutes outside of downtown Cincinnati. I love the Reds, the Bengals, and FC Cincinnati and have crossed the Ohio River multiple times to attend their games. The fact that people in Ohio cannot do the same thing should FC Cincinnati build a stadium in Newport baffles me.

Being a resident of northern Kentucky, I would love to see the stadium built in Newport. It would mean the trip to the stadium would be about the same amount of time as if it were built downtown. Over-the-Rhine and Oakley are both north of the downtown banks area where both the Reds’ and Bengals’ stadiums reside. Why not have the stadium close to the heart of Cincinnati and in the same vicinity of Paul Brown Stadium and Great American Ball Park? To me, Newport would be an excellent choice for FC Cincinnati’s stadium. However, should FC Cincinnati decide to build the stadium in Over-the-Rhine or Oakley, I will still go to their games and continue to be a diehard fan of the team.