Is Miller Park being underutilized?

[paul253]

Having spent close to $400 million dollars to build a stadium with a roof on it, I was wondering the other day if Milwaukee is really getting enough bang for it's buck with Miller Park. Don't get me wrong, I fully supported building it and was more than happy to pay a .1% sales tax to fund it. That being said, I would love to see Milwaukee more aggressively pursue non-baseball related events to draw additional fans. It seems like only non Brewers events there are college and high school baseball games and once a year a minor league game. What I would absolutely LOVE to see has actually been talked about but nobody seems all that excited about pursuing it, and thats a college basketball game. Marquette vs a team like Wisconsin, Michigan St, or Illinois could draw a decent amount of people. If successful it would also show the NCAA that Milwaukee is capable of hosting the final four, which would be a huge boost to the local economy. I would also like to see a concert or two every summer at Miller Park. Also, and this one may be a bit of a reach, but why not try to get a major WWF pay-per-view event there (Summer Slam???) I would think the WWE, which comes to Milwaukee fairly often, would jump at the possibility of selling 50,000 tickets to an event. If they do one if the summer there is the option of an open aired event or they could close the roof. Or what about a high school football game? I don't know if it's big enough to go for college football, but i'm sure some of these high school teams would love to play there.

 

I don't know, maybe I'm not thinking straight, but I'd love to see more at Miller Park, especially in the off season. Does anyone have any other ideas for what they'd like to see at Miller Park?

[lodiness]

The problems with concerts is that they tear up the field pretty bad, and you wouldn't want that mid season. The problem about getting a basketball game there is that it is fairly cold in Miller Park during the winter months. Don't know if they can heat it if they want. Also, the NCAA is looking at even bigger venues for the final four so they can make even more money, ie Ford Field, and supposedly they are supposed to have the final four at the new stadium in Dallas sometime soon. You're talking about double and triple the amount of people that can be held at Miller Park. I think that it would be nice to have concerts there too, but would the cost of tearing up the field be worth the extra money?

[1992casey]

The flaw with basketball is that Miller Park wouldn't be warm enough. It could possibly be pulled off in late March, but the heating system only heats to 30 degrees above the outside temp. Even March would be risky.

[Invader3K]

Could they do a hockey game in winter? Outdoor hockey games seem to be in vogue right now.

[pitchleague]

they should get one of those BMX events like they do in Jack Murphy Stadium and Chase Field with the dirt bikes riding around and doing jumps and stuff as they race. That'd be rad!

[paul253]

they should get one of those BMX events like they do in Jack Murphy

Stadium and Chase Field with the dirt bikes riding around and doing

jumps and stuff as they race. That'd be rad!

 

I was thinking about something like that, but they do those kind of things at the Bradley Center already. I just wonder if there'd be enough interest to move it to Miller Park. I really think basketball could work. If the Miller Park heating system could bring it up thirty degrees, surely you could find a way to knock it up another 5-10 degrees. Whether it be additonal heaters brought in or covering the panels with something to prevent drafts.....I don't know...something.. You figure you'd have to have an outside temperature of at least 30-35 degrees, which you probably could do either way early in the season...say November or later on in the season, like March (not likely March though). The Final Four isn't until April and even though this is Wisconsin weather, I think you can reasonably expect 30-35 degrees in early April (remember wind wouldn't be an issue either). Is there a certain temperature the NCAA requires for it's facilities?

 

I was also thinking about a bowl game or a Wisconsin Badger non-conference game, but again, not sure its big enough.

[1992casey]

It's too small for football. When Lambeau was being renovated, there was talk of bringing the annual scrimmage to Miller Park. The field would have had to be shortened a bit. That's likely fine for a scrimmage, but not for a "real" game.

[JJHardy7]

I don't think there is any chance the Final Four would be in Milwaukee...they would need to build a HUGE arena for the Bucks in order for that to even be possible.

 

Ford Field holds 65k for football and 78k for basketball. You need huge arenas...and with the retractable roof in Milwaukee there is no way they would roll the dice on that. There would be way too many other cities competing for the Final Four that would be able to provide much more than Milwaukee can.

 

I agree somewhat that it may not be utilized as much as it could, but I also think you have to figure out what kind of events cannot be at the Bradley Center and could be at Miller Park. I don't think there are that many events that fit that category...

[davego]

More sleepovers!

[paul253]

If not the Final Four then why not the Sweet Sixteen/Elite 8. I remember they've had that in Milwaukee once before, but why not have it at MP instead of the BC. You'd think you could probably fit over 50,000 people for basketball. Apparently 2009 was the first year the NCAA set a minimum seating capacity of 70,000 so yeah a Final Four won't happen. (Odd that even though they required a 70,000 capacity the average attendance for the three games was under 50,000, which could probably fit into Miller Park). Either way, I'd love to see a college basketball game at Miller Park. If they can do it in November, they can do it in March. [/i]

[trwi7]

The Sweet 16 and Elite 8 take place in really late March (27th-29th last year). That's right before baseball season starts and putting a basketball court and a bunch of additional seating in the field would destroy it.

[lodiness]

If not the Final Four then why not the Sweet Sixteen/Elite 8.

Have you ever been to an elite 8 or sweet 16? Not many people there at all, because they make you buy tickets for the whole session. If your team looses the first game, then people usually go home, and don't hang around. The Bradley Center I think would be big enough, unless maybe by luck you got Wisconsin or Marquette in that regional.

[bucks2281]

The Bradley Center I think would be big enough, unless maybe by luck you got Wisconsin or Marquette in that regional.

 

Marquette hosts Tournament events at the Bradley Center, so they wouldn't be allowed to play any tournament games there. They host first and second round games in March, and I think that'll be it until there's a new arena in Milwaukee.

 

The NCAA Tournament has been/will only held in traditional arenas or NFL stadiums -- Ford Field, Lucas Oil, Reliant Stadium, Alamodome, Superdome, etc. I haven't heard any efforts to pursue the Tournament for similar baseball-only facilities in Seattle, Phoenix, or Houston. IMO, the field looks terrible enough in April. If anything -- and I'm skeptical about the logistics -- I'd be interested in a 4-8 team early-season basketball tournament, provided the temperature would be comfortable. But, I doubt anybody would want to travel to Milwaukee in November. Hence why the tournaments are played in Orlando, San Juan, Honolulu, etc.

 

Invader's idea of a hockey game seems most possible. I'm sure everybody would be excited about a Badger hockey game at MP. They've played at Lambeau and will play at Camp Randall on Feb. 6. Why not at Miller Park?

[paul253]

Have you ever been to an elite 8 or sweet 16? Not many people there at

all, because they make you buy tickets for the whole session.

I actually did. I went to the games at the Metrodome in Minneapolis the year Marquette went to the Final Four. I just bought tickets when I got there from a scalper. It actually worked out real well because in the Sweet Sixteen Marquette played in the first game and Wisconsin played in the second. I absolutely cannot recall how many people were there but it was quite a bit. I wouldn't be as worried about attendance as you though. I know a lot of people go out and buy tickets right away so they can resell them because they know people may not want to risk buying tickets to the whole session. If I'm, say, a UCLA fan I might not risk buying tickets to the entire session, but I'll still go and buy tickets from someone who is selling single game tickets. And if UCLA wins then I'll do the same for the next game. Its the same way it works for the Frozen Four. I remember I really lucked out the year Wisconsin won the title in Milwaukee. I bought tickets for it before the tournament started so ended up with tickets to the National Championshio game.

 

As far as the field issue goes. It's a legitimate concern. But you'd have a few years warning that there'd be the tournament there. The Brewers could simply request that their first two or three series are on the road and then they won't have to play a home game until mid April, which would be plenty of time to fix up the field. Oh, and to get around that rule about MU not being able to play there. To get around that you'd simply have to have UWM "host" it, not MU. And I wonder what round the rule ends. Obviously if the final four is in Milwaukee and is hosted by MU, its not like MU wouldn't be allowed to play in it should they make it that far. I wonder if it applied to the 3rd and 4th rounds.

 

Finally, hockey. That's something I thought about to. The only thing with that is that its been happening so much lately that I'm not sure you'd sell at that many tickets. Its not all the special now. I thought I heard they are kind of having a hard time selling tickets to this years game....and that is in Madison.

 

I still like the idea of a wrestling pay-per-view personally : )

[Invader3K]

I remember years ago the WWF did a big show at County Stadium, I think around 1988, with a Hulk Hogan vs Andre the Giant match. Not sure what would preclude them from doing a show at Miller Park, other than the fact that wrestling isn't as popular as it used to be and they might not come close to selling out.

[RyDogg66]

The outdoor hockey is a good idea, but who would play there, the Admirals? The Badgers would probably prefer Camp Randall where their fans are and where there are twice as many seats,

[Invader3K]

Maybe they could get the Blackhawks up to play an NHL game or two since Milwaukee is supposedly part of their "territory."

[bucks2281]

I don't the Blackhawks would sacrifice a home game to play in Milwaukee. They're extremely popular in Chicago, and they sellout every game. Maybe the Admirals could play, but I don't believe enough tickets could be sold to justify the work of installing a rink, paying employees, etc.

[paul253]

If would have to be the Badgers. They were willing to play in Green Bay a few years ago so I'm sure they wouldn't mind playing in Milwaukee. They have a nice following in Milwaukee. Granted it was the NCAA championship game, but when they played here a few years ago tickets were super hard to come by. The Blackhawks might be willing to play an exhibition game here, but I don't think that would draw enough interest.

[paul253]

Oh and a yearly event I've called for in the past that I'll call for again......an annual Brewers Prospect All-Star game. It can be played whenever, really, but most likely would have to be either before the season or after the season. Mid season....I don't think you could make it work. If you do it after the season you could include the prospects drafted in the June draft of that year too. I'd go to that every year if I could.

[trwi7]

The only way I could see an Admirals game working at Miller Park is if they played the Wolves. They have a strong following in Chicago and it's close, so lots of their fans would probably come up.

[Mr QL]

I don't think wrestling could sell out at Miller Park. I've been to a few events at the BC and it never fills up and that includes a PPV. Miller Park would be more than twice the capacity. It'd probably have the same problems tearing up the field too. I doubt it would be worth doing it for hockey either even though I think that would probably be the most feasible. I don't think basketball would be possible either.

 

If they want more events at Miller Park, they'd have to make it be able to warm up in the winter and probably install fieldturf.

[Invader3K]

I don't the Blackhawks would sacrifice a home game to play in Milwaukee. They're extremely popular in Chicago, and they sellout every game. Maybe the Admirals could play, but I don't believe enough tickets could be sold to justify the work of installing a rink, paying employees, etc.

Ah, OK. I didn't realize the Blackhawks sold out all their home games. Maybe the Badgers are a more realistic target if they even want to bring hockey there for a game or two.

[TooLiveBrew]

I think Badger hockey would be a great idea. As long as it was promoted correctly, I could see that selling a lot of tickets. Maybe make it a double-feature featuring both the prolific women's program along with the men's.

[dadofandrew]

I think they could heat it up for basketball, just need a bunch of portable heaters in the court area.