You're asking important questions and I appreciate the healthy skepticism, until plans are set in stone. I do think Sherman has earned some good will from what he has pledged so far.
1. Team staying in KC. He never threatened to move out of market.
2. Team staying in KCMO. He never threatened to move to Kansas.
3. 100% private financing of ballpark district.
4. Jackson Co taxpayers to not pay more than current tax for Kauffman.
5. Less than 50% public financing for ballpark.
These are commitments he's made and when you look at it, my intuition is that it could be a lot worse. Maybe a comparison with the financing of other recent ballpark districts could clarify that.
I believe him when he says that he wants the project to also benefit the city. I'm a believer that cities need vibrant downtowns at the center of the city. It's like the sun in our solar system, it holds it all together.
Well said and important to note that he’s committed to keeping the team in KC. I do believe in him and his group to do the right thing, but really need some details before I get on board.
I was not able to attend the forum last night but intend to if there are other opportunities. I am currently a season ticket holder and have been for 20 years. I am not surprised it is a sales pitch. I do not live in Jackson County so I will not be paying regular taxes to supplement this stadium. I do not endorse making someone else money if it doesn't also help make me money. This stadium makes me nothing. It, in my opinion, will make John Sherman more money so when he sells the Royals in 10-15 years, he can maximize his investment. I do not see a value added item by this stadium moving downtown. I believe it will be less convenient to get in and out of the ballpark area. This will not only cost me more time when I choose to attend a game but I guarantee will cost me more money in tickets, parking, etc. As long as Comcast/Xfinity continues to have the games on their service, that may be my future Royals watching experience. I will tell you how much easier it was to turn off a crappy losing product on TV than it was to leave early when you had a sunk cost on tickets, parking, and time spent. Do better Mr. Sherman because your ask right now is ridiculous.
I was surprised to hear they could vote on extending the tax as early as August. There are a lot of skeptical people they’ll need to convince. (Even though you, personally, aren’t a voter.) If feels like they’re pushing in the right direction but there just aren’t any facts to stand on at the moment. Until then, I’ll remain skeptical.
If you are building a ballpark for the future that can be used for other events I'm not sure why you would not put a portable roof on the stadium. True it's nice to have an open air stadium but a portable roof makes it much more flexible. The Royals and Chiefs have always regretted not putting the rolling roof for the two stadiums.
The added cost would be massive. Personally, I dislike the idea. So often these teams that have retractable roofs seem to play with them closed on days they can be open. Give me open air baseball all day, every day.
You're asking important questions and I appreciate the healthy skepticism, until plans are set in stone. I do think Sherman has earned some good will from what he has pledged so far.
1. Team staying in KC. He never threatened to move out of market.
2. Team staying in KCMO. He never threatened to move to Kansas.
3. 100% private financing of ballpark district.
4. Jackson Co taxpayers to not pay more than current tax for Kauffman.
5. Less than 50% public financing for ballpark.
These are commitments he's made and when you look at it, my intuition is that it could be a lot worse. Maybe a comparison with the financing of other recent ballpark districts could clarify that.
I believe him when he says that he wants the project to also benefit the city. I'm a believer that cities need vibrant downtowns at the center of the city. It's like the sun in our solar system, it holds it all together.
Well said and important to note that he’s committed to keeping the team in KC. I do believe in him and his group to do the right thing, but really need some details before I get on board.
I was not able to attend the forum last night but intend to if there are other opportunities. I am currently a season ticket holder and have been for 20 years. I am not surprised it is a sales pitch. I do not live in Jackson County so I will not be paying regular taxes to supplement this stadium. I do not endorse making someone else money if it doesn't also help make me money. This stadium makes me nothing. It, in my opinion, will make John Sherman more money so when he sells the Royals in 10-15 years, he can maximize his investment. I do not see a value added item by this stadium moving downtown. I believe it will be less convenient to get in and out of the ballpark area. This will not only cost me more time when I choose to attend a game but I guarantee will cost me more money in tickets, parking, etc. As long as Comcast/Xfinity continues to have the games on their service, that may be my future Royals watching experience. I will tell you how much easier it was to turn off a crappy losing product on TV than it was to leave early when you had a sunk cost on tickets, parking, and time spent. Do better Mr. Sherman because your ask right now is ridiculous.
I was surprised to hear they could vote on extending the tax as early as August. There are a lot of skeptical people they’ll need to convince. (Even though you, personally, aren’t a voter.) If feels like they’re pushing in the right direction but there just aren’t any facts to stand on at the moment. Until then, I’ll remain skeptical.
Ryan Yarbrough was a good signing that smart teams make
Some good upside there for sure. With minimal risk.
If you are building a ballpark for the future that can be used for other events I'm not sure why you would not put a portable roof on the stadium. True it's nice to have an open air stadium but a portable roof makes it much more flexible. The Royals and Chiefs have always regretted not putting the rolling roof for the two stadiums.
The added cost would be massive. Personally, I dislike the idea. So often these teams that have retractable roofs seem to play with them closed on days they can be open. Give me open air baseball all day, every day.
The Mariners are a notable exception - I’ve been to quite a few Royals games in Seattle and the roof has always been open