Michael Hitchcock Named SA Scorpions President; Team will Build Stadium, Ready by 2013
On Tuesday, the San Antonio Scorpions made several significant announcements at a press conference that was called just a little more than 24 hours earlier.
Gordon Hartman, owner of Morgan’s Wonderland, the STAR Soccer Complex and the proposed 2012 NASL team the Scorpions, stood in front of a podium that boasted the team’s new logo. This time the logo was displayed in color for the first time, revealing the team colors of red and black.
Hartman introduced the team’s new president, Michael Hitchcock of Playbook Management International (PMI), who was said to be instrumental in getting Hartman to field a team with the NASL.
Hitchcock is the former general manager of MLS’s FC Dallas and is a founding partner of PMI, who are also contracted to give sales and marketing support for 5 of the 8 NASL teams.
Team President, Michael Hitchcock
Hartman also confirmed rumors that the team will play at a Heroes Stadium in 2012, a venue that is not owned by Hartman. Heroes Stadium is a high school football field located less than a half-mile from Morgan’s Wonderland and the STAR Soccer Complex where Hartman had originally hoped to build his stadium. It’s a relatively new stadium that seats 11,000 but the team will need to get special permission to play there since it does not meet the FIFA minimum requirements of being 70 yards wide. That waiver should be easy to attain from the USSF since many past second division teams and currently third division teams play on narrow fields. This would be more tolerable to the USSF knowing the team has plans to build a stadium in the near future.
Alcohol sales will not be allowed at the stadium since it is a high school field, but the team said it will create a tailgate area adjacent to STAR Soccer where fans can socialize for pre-game activities before walking a short distance to Scorpions games at Heroes Stadium.
The team also announced that it is moving forward with its plans to build a soccer-specific stadium that should be ready in 2013. That stadium is said to seat slightly over 5,000 and will be built to be expandable to 11,000. Property is being acquired across the road from STAR and the theme park. Originally, Hartman had wanted to build the stadium on the STAR Soccer Complex property but was informed that because he had received public monies for that facility, which was specially designated to support youth, that he would lose that funding if he built his stadium on that site.
San Antonio kit choices
Richard Oliver of the San Antonio Express contacted newly-hired commissioner David Downs who was in Puerto Rico taking in the Islanders – Stars game on Tuesday evening. Downs admitted that next year’s home venue of Heroes field was not ideal but stated, “There are several high-profile franchises playing on smaller fields.”
The team also announced several more sponsors and revealed 3 prototype jerseys for the team that the general public will now vote on for the final version of the team’s home kit.
Ticket prices were also revealed at the press conference. General admission tickets for adults and children (16 and younger) purchased in advance will be available for $15 and $10, respectively. Reserved seats for Scorpions home games at Heroes Stadium will be priced at $25 apiece. Tickets purchased on game day will be $2 higher. Luxury suites and club deck suites also are available. Season seats provide a discount over advance and game-day prices.
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This whole scene reminds me of the tea party in Johnny Depp’s Alice in Wonderland. Much like a duck sitting on the water during an oncoming storm, the waves are but a ripple, but below, the duck is churning furiously just to stay afloat.
Bart, very interesting take on the situation. I had not considered that the announcement yesterday was just a ploy to make the public think everything was alright.
Have to agree with Bart on this one, it looks like a propaganda show to me. Saying you’ll have a stadium available in 2013, and actually building one are two different things. He’s now going to finance it himself (including purchasing land to put it on) after previously asking for 8 million from city and county governments? To put a team in a new league that’s not even guaranteed to HAVE a 2013 season? Talk about putting the cart before the horse, so much of what Hartman is proposing makes no logical business sense. I’m filing this in the “I’ll believe it when I see it” category.
P.S. The 2 buck gameday surcharges are a REALLY bad idea!
So what should Mr. Hartman be saying or doing to keep his upcoming team in the media mainstream, develop fan interest, and generate some momentum?
LOL! Exactly, Jim!
I often wonder if Bart is a real person or just a ploy by the creators of this site to stir debate. Whats funny is that 9 out of 10 times, Bart’s skepticism comes on the heels of a major NASL announcement. I think Im starting to understand a little better what were up against. It can only be a B.A.R.T.
B.A.R.T. = Blatantly Adverse Response Terminal
B.A.R.T. is a state of the art program designed to recognize the words ‘NASL’ and ‘Announcement’ and then generate a response that is in the exact opposite vain of the article in which those words/phrases appear. It works very quickly to decipher words and phrases – which is why B.A.R.T. is ALWAYS the first post after a NASL Announcement on IMS – and can use millions of references from world culture to douse the mood of an excited or optimistic reader. B.A.R.T.s can be recognized by their lack of team or league affiliation and/or by the mention of the recurring ‘beatings’ that it endures from its ‘wife’
Be on the lookout!
Can we PLEASE put the “not sanctioned for 2013″ argument to rest?
You guys are starting to sound like Donald Trump questioning the birth certificate of President Obama.
HA, Superrookie! You took the words out of my mouth!
Classic ‘damned if he does, damned if he doesnt’ stuff. If he were to say “…and we’ll play in that stadium next year!” the comments would be about how dillusional he is that he could get a stadium built that fast. Now, he says 2013, and the take is that the league might be gone, or and that 2 years is too far off for it to be a reality? Perhaps he should sit there and do nothing? Then he would really get it from the doubters! Perhaps he should try harder and make announcements? Its considered ‘propoganda’ (LOL!)
(sigh!)
Nansayers aside, I do like the uniform choices and colors. Very attractive image and name, for sure. One of my favorite aspects of SA coming in next year is the decrease in travel commitments for most teams. The Southerastern teams would see the bulk of this, and even Edmonton and Minnesota would have roughly the same as Montreal appears to be just as far away as SA.
Good Luck San Antonio!
Grant, I agree that they have 3 decent choices in the uniform vote. I find it interesting that they have limited the voting to TX residents (not a complaint, just an observation).
With all that transpired this last offseason, I’m still taking the wait and see approach to sanctioning for 2012. Too many things happened that I never expected -Carolina closing up shop and quickly reforming, Atlanta joining back in the league, sanctioning granted provisionally and then revoked and more. I am not a “birther” though and am cautiously optimistic that the league appears to be on more solid ground than before the 2011 season. I just hope that no other financial issues hit any of the clubs like CP Baltimore, or AC St. Louis. So, I’m waiting and hoping all 7 clubs return next season. I look forward to seeing actual progress from the San Antonio group as well as they move closer to their first year in the league.
Hartman is not Cooper or Rawlins. Hartman is Committed to San Antonio and is a very giving person. I have faith in Hartman. You know where he stands.
What is hard to understand is why they don’t play at the nearby (within 3-5 miles of Morgan’s) well-suited Blossom Soccer stadium that holds the Division III Men’s championships and the Women’s Big XII championships every year for the past few years. It seats up to 4,500 and costs $1000 to rent. It is a wonderful facility.
@Americanize – and has grass and no permanent football lines.
I guess the logic is to establish the team at one specific location in the city. And I suppose there’s some sense in that. If they do manage to get the stadium built where they say they’re going to, the move would just basically be across the street.
@ Grant Stephens
Beat me, beat me, beat me, beat me…….
Great stuff!!
@Eric — Blossom Soccer Stadium is too close to Morgan’s Wonderland to make your logic and there’s make sense. For one year, why play on a horrible surface with football lines and a track, when you can play at a wonderful Soccer stadium for cheap. Absolutely, no thought went in to this decision.
Wow, first I crucify myself by agreeing with something Bart wrote (how dare I!), and now I discover his wife is in the same profession as I am. I’ll think I’ll go stick my head in an oven and turn on the gas!
By the way, I didn’t state anything about the league not being sanctioned in 2013. My point about the stadium was missed too, but I digress….
Personally, when it comes to the stadium concerns, especially as it relates to the league sanctioning that Mike has some very valid points.
@Dan, as a former season ticket holder of a now defunct USL/NASL club since the before they ever played its first, official league match–with all due respect to your opinion about the SA situation and Mr. Hartman’s character (which I have absolutely NO reason to doubt)–it takes a lot more than being committed to an area and having your heart in the right place to run a second division soccer club…
Cheers, Bart! youre good sport!