Finally soccer at Grizzlies Stadium
The Fresno Fuego soccer match at Grizzlies Stadium tonight will be a good test to see if soccer can draw fans downtown. It's the stadium's first soccer game, which raises the question of why this hasn't been tried before. When the stadium was being pitched to the public, one of the selling points was that it would be a good venue for San Joaquin Valley soccer fans. Proponents claimed that rabid Valley soccer fans would be driving from Modesto on the north to Bakersfield on the south to Grizzlies Stadium for a competitive soccer match.
But I read in The Bee today that this is the first soccer match in the stadium since it opened in 2002. No wonder the ballpark hasn't reached its potential. Other than Fresno Grizzlies games, there haven't been any regularly scheduled events. In addition to soccer, we were told there'd be an ongoing concert schedule and other events at the downtown stadium. But non-baseball events at the stadium have only been on an occasional basis.
It's time that this stadium is used to its full potential. The Fresno City Council should be asking why more non-baseball events haven't been scheduled at the stadium.