The team owner John Fisher says it is.
Does Major League Soccer have a Bay Area problem? Perhaps since the owner of the San Jose Earthquakes, John Fisher, is of the belief that his eight-year-old stadium is antiquated. Fisher let that slip out during an interview with ESPN talking about the reason he was taking his Major League Baseball Oakland Athletics business to Las Vegas. Fisher’s soccer stadium seems to be aging rapidly in his view and the question becomes when does Fisher begin pressuring San Jose elected officials for a new stadium? Fisher contended that the venue is outdated when compared to newer MLS stadiums. Fisher pointed out that Los Angeles, St. Louis and Austin have better facilities and the San Jose soccer venue “lacks the capacity and premium seating that drives the kind of revenue needed to compete for championships.”
The stadium opened in 2015. The San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan was not very pleased with Fisher’s assessment of the soccer stadium. “The Park offers an incredible fan experience. My family and I love to cheer on the Quakes and will soon cheer on Bay FC there. I hope the stadium’s ownership will continue to invest to ensure it is second to none.” An owner claiming a stadium is inadequate within a decade of opening is nothing new. The National Basketball Association’s Orlando Magic then President Pat Williams claimed that he knew the Orlando arena had to be replaced by 1994 when the building was five-years old. The building was constructed without the big-ticket item premium seats. Magic ownership threatened to take the team to Kansas City and other places but was able to secure funding for a new building in 2006. The NBA’s Miami Heat used the Miami Arena for 11 years. The problem in Miami was limited big ticket seating.
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