Quote:
Originally Posted by Urbanthusiat
Personally I think this is just to put pressure on the city to move on this. I don’t see how it makes ANY business sense to put a major river between your arena and 3/4ths of your fanbase. It becomes a huge barrier for people - physically and mentally - to schlep over to Jersey, when going to a game is already quite a production. I know I for one would cancel my partial season ticket plan if this happened. Sure, it becomes easier for a quarter of the fanbase, but does that make up for making it harder for 3/4’s of the fanbase? I doubt it.
|
Yeah this was always coming. Tax credits or not, if they're in Camden, it's not a better location than Wells Fargo Center. It would nullify the Sixers having the superior arena for concerts, NCAA tournament, WNBA, college basketball (Nova, Temple) and conferences (DNC etc). All of those things besides maybe WNBA would stay at WFC. Villanova ain't playing in Camden. NCAA tournament won't be in Camden etc. etc. Also I would think there is a massive pushback from Freedom Mortgage Pavilion. This would end them. The Mann is already the superior venue. An arena would have the same capacity but no threat of bad weather for concerts (cold and rain). I know Chester is a lot further from Philly but just look at what the wrong location can do. I actually think the traffic in Camden would be 100 times worse than center city. One Patco stop 15 minutes from the waterfront is not sufficient. If you've ever been to a show at Freedom Mortgage...it's a shit show getting out. Lots of shortcuts through awful neighborhoods.
I still believe they're committed to center city and it will happen because of Parker, Squilla and the unions. You also don't build a 400 foot residential tower in Camden...