Reign v Racing -1
I didn’t get to join the media availability for Racing today as I was toiling away at my full-time job. You probably know that items of note. The match is being played in Spokane and Racing needs points. The reason the match is being played in Spokane is because Lumen Field is undergoing preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
I hate the World Cup and the Olympics for one main reason: they use public money to build stadiums that are almost always destined to be underutilized. From a financial perspective, the Olympics are a bad deal for the host city, likewise for the World Cup. I hate this. In addition, America has an epidemic of building taxpayer funded stadiums that almost are never worth the spend. Lumen Field’s renovations are of course being heavily funded by public money.
This gives me a chance to talk about the Louisville Kings. I may never go to a match. I may think their existence is silly. I may not like it if there are gridiron lines on the pitch for Lou City and Racing matches. I also want them to be wildly successful. I have seen a lot of hate and hopefulness of failure for this enterprise. That is tremendously short-sighted, even for fans that support Lou City and Racing and do not live in the state of Kentucky.
The Kings success is important for Butchertown, Louisville and Kentucky. Anything that drives revenue in the area theoretically reduces the potential tax burden of the citizens of Louisville and Kentucky. Just like Lumen Field, at some point the stadium will need modernization. With more tenants comes more opportunity to share the burden of that eventuality (although I am sure the owners will take the opportunity to put as much of that burden on the city and state as possible). The financial success of ownership groups gives us, the taxpayer, the right, the evidence and the duty to push back when they inevitably stick their greedy hands out again.
Now, for you out of state bellyachers: extra money in Soccer Holdings pockets is a good thing and that is exactly what the Kings are providing. Yes, it will suck if the pitch gets torn up. It will suck if the gridiron lines are distracting. However, Soccer Holdings needs every bit of money they can scrounge up to compete in the NWSL (and the new USL league will likely be more expensive to run too).
Lastly, let me remind you that every dollar spent on a stadium is a dollar not spent on something of that is almost certainly more important and vital to someone in need. If stadiums were a good deal for cities and they actually delivered on the promises made, maybe you could dismiss this. However, time after frustrating time, the wealthy owners get most of the welfare of a sweet stadium deal. To their credit, Soccer Holdings is trying to make good on their promise to the community, but it is a difficult road. Having the Kings as a tenant is a good first step.
