Braves ditching The Ted for suburbs

It has in some markets (Indiana, Memphis, Miami, Minnesota, New Orleans, Phoenix, Sacramento, San Antonio, Utah) that looked to be built as a basketball-first facility. They can put an ice sheet down, but usually odd seating configurations for ho Probably missing a few arenas in that list.

 

Charlotte fits that category.

 

This isn't new. The Metrodome hosted round-the-clock baseball for colleges and high schools. As part of the deal to get US Trust built, the Vikings had to agree to include a baseball configuration in the stadium design.

 

Say want you want about how the Metrodome was a dump, but at least it didn't use shipping containers for dugouts.

 

That's a good question, but at least in baseball you're looking at 81 dates a season. Football is only 10 primary dates, but those primary dates are probably selling 2-3X the tickets. Also with an open-air facility, you're not paying to heat the building, freeze an ice sheet and employ conversion crews.

 

I thought that Minneapolis received more value for the dollar on the MetroDome than any stadium ever built. While it was built for a different, more egalitarian era the MetroDome successfully hosted three professional sports teams, a Super Bowl and at least a couple Final Fours. The Twins lead the AL in attendance at least once. All this for 181 million in 2017 dollars.

 

Notable that here in Boston Fenway has been for several years competing with Gillette for summer stadium concert tour dates and competing well. This is weird because Fenway is a terrible place to see and hear music.

 

Not to mention The University of Minnesota used it for baseball and football, and I'm sure plenty of Minneapolis-area high schools did as well.

 

So is Gillette

 

True, but Fenway is even worse because the roof affects both sightlines and soundwaves.

 

Yes, but it is in Boston versus being a 6-iron away from Rhode Island.

 

This is also true, just as it is true that the kinds of acts that play Fenway (and Gillette) don't really depend on blowing away crowds with the musical experience. I mean, Paul McCartney is still a good show, but the crowd knows every song by heart and has for decades, so if the sound sucks, they don't hear it, just the sound system in their heads.