Will Arizona ever get the All Star Game?

[Ryanwb]

The Yankees got 2008, just announced

 

[Mulli]

The Yankees got 2008, just announced

It is really hot in Arizona in July.

 

[Ryanwb]

It is really hot in Arizona in July.

The roof closes you know

 

[Mulli]

The roof closes you know

True. But walking around downtown is quite unpleasant. Then again the White Sox seem to host it every ten years and the South Side isn't too nice.

 

[coyoteshockeyfan]

No, this is our punishment for not sucking for a decade like every other expansion team (Jerry not wanting to go to the AL a while back didn't help, either). All-Star Games are lame anyways.

 

[kps0001]

I wish we would get it. I think St. Louis just got the 2009 game.

 

[devilfan02]

No, this is our punishment for not sucking for a decade like every other expansion team (Jerry not wanting to go to the AL a while back didn't help, either). All-Star Games are lame anyways.

Exactly. It was widely speculated that other MLB owners were unhappy at how fast we had success and Bud Selig won't give us an All Star (at least for a while) for that reason. The AZ Republic had an article on it during our rise to World Series Champs, I wish I could still find it.

The weather doesn't help either....... Yes, our roof closes but the All Star game is a week of festivies that are away form the stadium. When the Civic Centers expansion is done, we will have a major case to host an All Star game. Hopefully we can get a game before 2012. I'm in agreement that the All Star game sucks but it would be great for the valley and great for all the young little leaugers

 

[MaoTosiFanClub]

No, this is our punishment for not sucking for a decade like every other expansion team (Jerry not wanting to go to the AL a while back didn't help, either). All-Star Games are lame anyways.

You ever been around a host city during All Star week? The whole week is very fun and brings in millions to the local community. Definitely not the complete mess that bowl week and Super Bowl week is locally, but it does compare to when the World Series is in town.

 

[coyoteshockeyfan]

You ever been around a host city during All Star week? The whole week is very fun and brings in millions to the local community. Definitely not the complete mess that bowl week and Super Bowl week is locally, but it does compare to when the World Series is in town.

Yes, I have, more than once. Except for the millions it brings to the area (the NHL ASG was predicted to bring in about $50M to Glendale, but they are getting bumped back a few years), I couldn't really care less. As far as I am concerned, All-Star Games have far outlived their usefulness. If I didn't live in Arizona where there are a million different sporting event to choose from I might be more excited about getting an All-Star Game, but I don't.

 

[MaoTosiFanClub]

Yes, I have, more than once. Except for the millions it brings to the area (the NHL ASG was predicted to bring in about $50M to Glendale, but they are getting bumped back a few years), I couldn't really care less. As far as I am concerned, All-Star Games have far outlived their usefulness. If I didn't live in Arizona where there are a million different sporting event to choose from I might be more excited about getting an All-Star Game, but I don't.

That's the thing - Baseball's All Star game is by itself in the middle of July. There's literally no other sports happening in the country so the game, it's surrounding events, and the host town is literally the only thing going. The NHL All Star game is probably comparable in status to the WNBA's, the comparison is laughable at best. We're talking every major sportswriter and major news outlet converging in Arizona, not to mention thousands of tourists and baseball fans.

Just because you think the game is useless does not mean the city should attempt to bring the game to town and the obvious perks that come with it. Most people think the Insight.com Bowl rewarding two marginal 6-5 teams with an extra game is stupid yet the city angled to get the game out of Tucson. And the AS game is a hundred times the attraction the Nobodygivesacrap.com Bowl is.

 

[coyoteshockeyfan]

That's the thing - Baseball's All Star game is by itself in the middle of July. There's literally no other sports happening in the country so the game, it's surrounding events, and the host town is literally the only thing going. The NHL All Star game is probably comparable in status to the WNBA's, the comparison is laughable at best. We're talking every major sportswriter and major news outlet converging in Arizona, not to mention thousands of tourists and baseball fans.

Just because you think the game is useless does not mean the city should attempt to bring the game to town and the obvious perks that come with it. Most people think the Insight.com Bowl rewarding two marginal 6-5 teams with an extra game is stupid yet the city angled to get the game out of Tucson. And the AS game is a hundred times the attraction the Nobodygivesacrap.com Bowl is.

You are reading too deeply into my posts. I brought up the NHL ASG dollar amount to illustrate that I do realize that there is major money to be had in bringing an ASG, not to make any comparisons between that and the MLB. Likewise, I did not say that the city should not attempt to bring the game here, I just meant that I personally wouldn't find too much excitement if Phoenix was successful in doing so. If you like the ASG then more power to you.

 

[Lefty]

The baseball All-Star game is the only All-Star game worth watching. It's popularity is still very high with ESPN telecasting the home run contest. I really thought Arizona would get it in 2009 but I'm hoping no later than 2012.

 

[Diamondback Jay]

Yankee Stadium makes sense-- the new Yankee Stadium is supposed to be open soon and this will be one more run in the old relic before it's shrined.

I can't help but think it'll happen soon. I'm actually thinking once the Lightrail is completed, around 2010, will be when Arizona gets an All Star Game.

 

[HooverDam]

I can't help but think it'll happen soon. I'm actually thinking once the Lightrail is completed, around 2010, will be when Arizona gets an All Star Game.

Lightrail will be complete in '08, just FYI.

I too hope AZ gets the All Star game ,and agree a finished convention center will help. By 2010 downtown Phoenix is going to be a much more vibrant area than it is now, light rail, the convention center, ASU, multiple high rise condo projects, the W hotel, Hotel Monroe, Cityscape, the Sheraton, etc. should all be complete and would make the event a lot of fun.

Another thing hindering an All Star game (and many large events) coming to Phx is the lack of downtown hotel space. Downtown only has 1,400 rooms right now- thats insanely low. When the Sheraton is complete thatll go up to 2,400. Hopefully Sarver can sort out the W mess thats another 200 rooms or so. No word yet on how many rooms Hotel Monroe will have. There are also proposals for a hotel to go on the parking lot that sits just west of the arena. The pad south of the BofA tower was also originally proposed as a hotel, so who knows, something could go there as well.

 

[MaoTosiFanClub]

I thought the W was going to be in downtown Scottsdale?

 

[devilfan02]

I thought the W was going to be in downtown Scottsdale?

Just about to post the same thing. It's under contruction in Old Town (just west of Myst, Axis/Radius, ***** Cat Lounge, Suede- you can throw a rock to it from those bars). Right of Camelback and Stetson I believe. Might be wrong.

Even with those hotels going up in downtown, it won't bring any excitement to downtown. That went out the window when the hockey and football stadiums went to Glendale. It's a shame, there won't ever be a vivrant downtown PHX in my lifetime

 

[abomb]

The rumor is the Mets new digs will host the '09 ASG.

 

[coyoteshockeyfan]

The rumor is the Mets new digs will host the '09 ASG.

2009 was awarded to St. Louis.

 

[HooverDam]

Even with those hotels going up in downtown, it won't bring any excitement to downtown. That went out the window when the hockey and football stadiums went to Glendale. It's a shame, there won't ever be a vivrant downtown PHX in my lifetime

Wow, thats an insanely ignorant post. Westgate is just a bigger version of Desert Ridge. Its not even in competition w/ downtown Phoenix, its a completely different (and very suburban) center.

Downtown already has 2 large stadiums, and certainly didn't need two more. Cities aren't all about stadiums and mega projects. Have you ever been to a First Fridays? If not, go down there, hang out w/ ten thousand people and tell me downtown isn't vibrant. You don't think it will be vibrant when there are 10,000 ASU students going to school down there? There are proposals for dozens of apartment and condos in downtown, which will put more people on the street 24/7. Not to mention the warehouse/entertainment district that Jensen is building that will be inside the area of the Arizona Grand Prix. Then there's the UofA medical campus, the Biomed campus, and Cityscape!

Mao, there are TWO W's being proposed for our fine metro area. The one in Scottsdale you're referring to, as well as one next to USAC. Right now Suns owner Robert Sarver is tied up in litigation over the "Sun Merc" building (the one that says "Suns Athletic Club" on the outside). The Sun Merc building is the only remaining building from a once vibrant Chinatown that Phoenix had. Sarver wants to tear the roof off the building and build the W above it, some members of the Chinese community don't want the building touched, and also want it to be turned into a Chinese-in Phoenix museum. Sarver has agreed to the museum idea, but at a much smaller square footage than the Chinese were proposing. Hopefully it will all get worked out.

Here is an early rendering of the downtown Phoenix W:

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I'm not a big fan of the design, I prefer the design Will Bruder came up with (which coincidentally wouldn't have required any changes to the Sun Merc building and could've kept Sarver out of this mess). The current design will be 39 stories and also feature some condos.

 

[devilfan02]

Downtown already has 2 large stadiums, and certainly didn't need two more. Cities aren't all about stadiums and mega projects. Have you ever been to a First Fridays? If not, go down there, hang out w/ ten thousand people and tell me downtown isn't vibrant. You don't think it will be vibrant when there are 10,000 ASU students going to school down there? There are proposals for dozens of apartment and condos in downtown, which will put more people on the street 24/7. Not to mention the warehouse/entertainment district that Jensen is building that will be inside the area of the Arizona Grand Prix. Then there's the UofA medical campus, the Biomed campus, and Cityscape!

Far from an ignorant statement. How could downtown not need 2 more stadiums??????? Both stadiums, if they were in downtown, would have brought 10X more excitement, buzz, money then all the BS you typed above. The 10,000 ASU students?????? It's going to be primarily for nursing and teaching students, I highly doubt they will be living downtown. Even then, I don't see how that brings all this hoopla you speak of. I know of the Condos and apt building going up in Downtown and that doesn't change my view either. Who is going to buy a condo in downtown PHX???? The condo mkt has already started to go in the dumps and won't change due to the ridiculous amount that have been built in the last 3 years.

While all the projects going on in Downtown may change the enviroment a little, it doesn't hold a candle to what could have happened if the Yotes and Cards went to downtown PHX. So again, I find it VERY hard to believe that PHX will ever truly turn into a "downtown environment" in my lifetime

 

[Mulli]

And First Friday? Not exactly vibrant.

 

[devilfan02]

What the hell is First Friday?

 

[Mulli]

What the hell is First Friday?

Exactly. Lots of people looking at mediocre art.

 

[devilfan02]

Exactly. Lots of people looking at mediocre art.

It's an art gallery????????

 

[Mulli]

It's an art gallery????????

It is a sort of gathering where people tour art galleries downtown. Funny, isn't it.