More On Possible Miami Move

[MasturB]

IW attendance is a function of the huge investments that Ellison has made, I assume. That event is simply top notch.

I'm curious how other events like Miami and Cincy have done.

Miami hasn't made the same commitment to investments. It's the reason why there's talk of it being moved. Cinncy has but more realistic. The stadium one has had a decent amount of renovations to it.

What I'm saying is there's billionaires like Arthur Blank in Atlanta that can easily buy the tournament from Miami then spend more money to make it on the same level as Indian Wells. What Atlanta has going for it already is just how much of a tennis city it is. As I stated before, more people play league/rec tennis in Atlanta than the rest of the United States combined.

 

[Big_Dangerous]

Got to go to Mexico.

 

[BeatlesFan]

Miami much more interesting destination than Atlanta! Keep it in Miami. Upgrade Crandon Park. Find some wealthy Floridians to pitch in!

Trump's mega rich and lives weekends in Florida. 100 million to upgrade this dump would be pocket change for the Donald.

 

[Nadalgaenger]

Miami hasn't made the same commitment to investments. It's the reason why there's talk of it being moved. Cinncy has but more realistic. The stadium one has had a decent amount of renovations to it.

What I'm saying is there's billionaires like Arthur Blank in Atlanta that can easily buy the tournament from Miami then spend more money to make it on the same level as Indian Wells. What Atlanta has going for it already is just how much of a tennis city it is. As I stated before, more people play league/rec tennis in Atlanta than the rest of the United States combined.

That's a cool stat about Atlanta. What accounts for tennis' huge popularity there?

 

[Meles]

Just read about violence in Mexico. Govment drug cartel mugs in region massacred 43 student protestors (who abducted buses.) Corruption. Violence between 40 different drug cartels in region out of control and now spreading to tourist areas. Mexican marines now patrolling and dying.

 

[Bartelby]

The family who owned and has stewardship over the land the Miami Masters is on does not want the tournament, but there's plenty of 'free government money' available elsewhere:

For decades the NFL wanted nothing to do with Las Vegas. As the city boomed in the Nevada desert and other professional team sports at least dabbled with the idea of a Las Vegas franchise, the world’s most lucrative league stayed away. Even talking about Las Vegas meant opening the door to gambling and the NFL wasn’t going down that alley.

But now that Nevada has $750m of public money to offer the Oakland Raiders for a gleaming new stadium, the NFL is embracing Sin City. Even championing it. When the league’s owners approved the Raiders’ move to Las Vegas on Monday, their 31-1 vote was a formality. The NFL had already signaled their full acceptance of America’s gambling mecca.

 

[bigserving]

Mr. Stephen Ross was the lone vote against the Raiders move to Las Vegas. I have more respect for him now, more than ever. He raised $500 mil to upgrade the Hard Rock facility to keep the Dolphins in Miami. He could be a very good host for a new tennis facility.

 

[Bartelby]

I hate to break it to people who think that billionaires are good for tennis and other things but here is the real story of who saved Indian Wells:

http://playsight.azurewebsites.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/SPM-Indian-Wells-Case-Study.pdf

 

[noobforehand20]

larry ellison should buy the tournamnet, best 3 weeks of his life he would have every year

 

[KINGROGER]

Money. There's a lot more billionaires in the US to spend on big tennis tournaments. Not saying there isn't any wealthy Mexican moguls to do the same, but USTA is all about big venues to show how much a US crowd can fill up a stadium for the big matches. Arthur Ashe is 20k, IW Stadium 1 is I think 16k capacity. Cincinnati has been adding seats for their tournament. USTA wants to have more big stadiums with roofs to match Melbourne. They already have the new grandstand, they're building the new Louis Armstrong with a roof and I think the plan is to get Grandstand with a roof as part of Phase 2.

Larry Ellison bought the tournament at Indian Wells for 100 million and invested millions more and it's right now the #1 rated tournament non-slam by the players on both tours. Miami used to have that privilege but Indian Wells is probably the ultimate fan tournament. The proximity you get to the players practicing and the fact nearly all the best players show up and even play doubles on their non-singles days makes it worth the trip.

I wouldn't be opposed to Hamburg getting the Paris slot, but it's hard to find an Indoor Facility big enough to host a Masters' 1000. While Bercy's facility isn't the best it's a better alternative to most and it's right across the channel from London for the WTF.

The simple solution is, turn Madrid into a grass 1000 and have a week in Spain with Madrid and Majorca as a 250. Week in Germany with Halle as a 500 and Stuttgart 250, then 2 weeks in Britain with the Queens 500 and Nottingham 250, leading up to Wimbledon.

They should've done all this common sense years ago.

 

[Bartelby]

I think the people who own the Miami Masters have it for the next several years and they are not really wanting to move.

They do however want to expand and the constant threat of moving is simply, at the moment, a political tactic.

When their contract runs out, and if there has been no expansion, then we will find out what gives.

Meanwhile, for the next several years, we can say 'Next year in Miami'.

 

[Bartelby]

Ellison bought IW for 100 million and spent 200 million expanding it, so he really doesn't have to generate that much revenue to earn a good return on his investment.

The Miami event is already owned by a group with deep pockets, but they forgot that they don't own the land their event is located on. That's all.

Whereas the land IW is on was purchased from the Scientologists a long time ago, so it's their property to dispose of as they wish.

larry ellison should buy the tournamnet, best 3 weeks of his life he would have every year

 

[every7]

IMO as a longtime tennis fan, the two things Miami has going for it are:

1. The rich recent history and prestige of the tournament (late 80's onwards).
2. The spectacular setting of Key Biscayne.

If the tournament can't stay on the Key Biscayne site it may as well leave altogether and fill the void in L.A., where there definitely should be a high profile tournament for sure.

 

[Bartelby]

Miami, like Las Vegas, is a tourist town so the big hotels and local tourist industry are supported and in turn support the event. LA has a more diversified economy and, as a result, a Masters won't be as well supported.

 

[Bartelby]

Miami has one main court and twenty other courts, so between the suggested fifty million dollar expansion and a possible shift there seems plenty of room and time for compromise.

 

[bluetrain4]

Moving to Atlanta would keep it Southeast territory like Miami is right now.

USO is the big one for the Northeast.
IW is the LA west coast territory mini slam.
Cinncy is for the rust belt mid west mini slam.

Miami is for the Southeast mini slam.

Atlanta is a far better tennis city than what Miami used to be.

Atlanta is an amazing tennis city in terms of recreational tennis - USTA, ALTA. So many courts, so many players, so many leagues, so much passion. But, that doesn't always equal big crowds for pro tennis.

 

[Mazz Retic]

Dolphins owner wants to move Miami Open tennis to Hard Rock Stadium site

http://www.miamiherald.com/sports/tennis/article140899053.html

Move it to Australia

We need a masters down here.

 

[Limpinhitter]

Every event I see in Mexico impresses me. Acapulco was amazing. The Irving Challenger in Texas had all the early exits from IW and no crowds whatsoever. Guadalajara has a 2300 seat stadium for a challenger and amazing outer courts; excellent fans and crowds despite a much weaker field. I'd really like to see some events in the right tourist areas that would allow international access too.

Just don!t drink the water.

 

[Bartelby]

The Tomic Masters on that Antipodean Miami - the Gold Coast?

Move it to Australia

We need a masters down here.

 

[Mazz Retic]

The Tomic Masters on that Antipodean Miami - the Gold Coast?

Tomic can drive his Ferrari to the tournament.

 

[Tennease]

Move it to Vila do Corvo.

 

[heninfan99]

not every tournament needs to keep pace with Indian Wells. Players and fans will still go to the Miami Open.

 

[heninfan99]

...and collect more tickets

Tomic can drive his Ferrari to the tournament.

 

[noobforehand20]

Ellison bought IW for 100 million and spent 200 million expanding it, so he really doesn't have to generate that much revenue to earn a good return on his investment.

The Miami event is already owned by a group with deep pockets, but they forgot that they don't own the land their event is located on. That's all.

Whereas the land IW is on was purchased from the Scientologists a long time ago, so it's their property to dispose of as they wish.

thanks for your reply, that part i did not know.

personally, it would be an incredible shame if it moved from miami, for the reason that im from latin america, and that tournament represents my best chance (and everyone else from this continent) to see pro tennis in person, not to mention its one of the best tournaments to watch because of the time indiference relative to latin america.

and come on miami is a big tourist city and its very iconic, i dont care if its one of the toughest tournaments for federer to win because of the conditions, all of the other things that the tournament has make up for it.

 

[Bartelby]

I don't think it's moving from Miami anytime soon, if at all, and this talk is mostly designed for both political effect and to increase their bargaining position against those who control the land.

They went through a similar fraught process to build the tennis centre in the first place, which was and is on public park space, controlled by a family, and not private land owned by the Master's organisers.

 

[droliver]

Miami just sits in an awkward space in the schedule. It suffers by any comparison to Indian Wells and is played in a mediocre setting with mediocre support. If you want to set the event apart, I think some consideration should be made to making it the flagship "American Clay" event on har-tru, the surface widely used in Florida. It would make it kind of the true start of the clay season rather then the last gasp of the winter HC events.

 

[Bartelby]

Playing two Masters hard court tournaments in a row in America before flying off to a clay Europe makes sense. Har-tru does make it different, but doesn't make it fit. It would suit a smaller event better.

 

[droliver]

Playing two Masters hard court tournaments in a row in America before flying off to a clay Europe makes sense. Har-tru does make it different, but doesn't make it fit. It would suit a smaller event better.

Don't know why it doesn't "fit". Har-tru is a very widely used surface in Florida and was once the US Open surface. Right now, Miami has an identity crisis due to where it sits. Being the start of the spring clay season would make it a more unique event again.

 

[Power Player]

Cannot upgrade Crandon Park...........that's the whole reason it will have to move. Citizens in Miami approved funding to build new facilities and make huge upgrades. The family that donated the land (actually pretty much the whole island) still has say on what happens there........he blocked any more construction and addictions to the park.

Whole thing went thru the courts and in the end the event is going to have to find a new home to expand and continue.

Yep I was just there and heard the same from local pros there. It's a real shame. What an amazing place to watch tennis, and the event is put on so well. It's a incredibly atmosphere for tennis really. Essentially the best players in the world playing on a tropical island in the middle of the ocean, right when spring starts.

The area where the Hard rock is sucks. Awful spot for traffic, not even close to the ocean..it's just a terrible location compared to Key Biscayne. Just a shame they will not update Crandon. This tournament is epic. Just listened to Roger do some subtle lobbying to keep it there while he held the trophy.