Soccer Stadium Sickness

Despite the end of March drawing closer and the fact that both the MLS and USL seasons have started, FC Cincinnati soccer fans are still waiting to know if the franchise will move up to the top tier soccer league in America. Everybody knows by now that the hold up is the stadium site. On March 16, FC Cincinnati reviewed the Cincinnati Public Schools land swap counter offer and conceded the West End. In a nutshell, the franchise said they are not going to build the stadium in the West End and instead focus on sites in Oakley in Newport. The West End debate that raged on for what seemingly felt like an eternity had finally ended. Or so we thought…

As I type this post, apparently CPS voted to approve a potential land swap with FCC should the franchise agree to their terms. Not long after, Hamilton County Commissioner Todd Portune said that FCC general manager Jeff Bearding told him that there is still interest in the West End. I do have my doubts on how factual Portune’s statement is considering how he is the same guy who could not understand why Nippert Stadium and Paul Brown Stadium would not be accepted by MLS. He even reiterated that Nippert and Paul Brown Stadium are viable solutions this past weekend. If it is true and FCC is still pursing the West End, I only have one thing to say. You have got to be joking me.

The residents of the West End have made it very clear that they do not want the stadium. The debates were nonstop. I understand that the site is very suitable for an MLS soccer stadium as it is close to an urban core. However when the residents constantly say they do not want it and CPS makes a counter offer that FCC already said they cannot afford, I see no reasonable explanation as to why the franchise is still pursuing this site. I am sick of it, and I just want the entire stadium situation to end.

FCC needs to focus on either Oakley or Newport. The West End had its chance. Bearding himself has said they will not build the stadium there if is not wanted. The entire city has known for about a month that the West End does not want the stadium. In Oakley, FCC has said that a stadium can be built on old the Cast-Fab site. The preliminary results of the traffic study show that a stadium can be built there but there will definitely need to be adjustments and improvements to the roads in Oakley to accommodate the added traffic. The reception in Oakley however has been lukewarm at best. Newport has the Ovation site which has been described as shovel ready. FCC has a memorandum of understanding with the site owner to build the stadium. The reception in Newport seemingly has the full support of Northern Kentucky as the area is practically begging FCC to build the stadium on Kentucky’s shores of the Ohio River.

I have said it before, and I will say it again. I love FC Cincinnati. I want them to get into MLS. To do that, they need to lock down a stadium site. It has been a straight up fiasco to this point, and the possibility that the West End site may not be dead after all absolutely drives me crazy. I prefer Newport, but I am also fine with Oakley. Please just pick a site, FC Cincinnati. The March 31 deadline is quickly approaching. The MLS expansion clock is ticking. Fans are sick and tired of the stadium arguments and of waiting for an announcement. I am begging you. Pick a site, finalize the MLS bid, and net the biggest win that Cincinnati has had in a long time.

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.