MECA Business News (CLCO/TDAPO)

[Dundeemaha]

The Omaha World-Herald put in a public records request to MECA to find out who the other naming rights bidders were. MECA said no, and threatened to stop collaborating with the OWH unless the newspaper withdrew their request.

http://www.omaha.com/news/metro/downtow ... aac564.htm

MECA is not legally obligated to release it? Are they not a public entity?

It sounds like it's an open question, the AG said he thinks they are, MECA clearly thinks they are not. Will take a lawsuit to settle most likely.

[Padre]

In hindsight, the set up of MECA and lack ouf accountability has been a major mistake.

Greg

Especially when they start threatening the media looking into it.

[Omaha Cowboy]

The Omaha World-Herald put in a public records request to MECA to find out who the other naming rights bidders were. MECA said no, and threatened to stop collaborating with the OWH unless the newspaper withdrew their request.

http://www.omaha.com/news/metro/downtow ... aac564.htm

Would MECA want it to come out that there were other good choices that didn’t sound ridiculous?

Most likely not. I think you’ve picked up on what I, and several others were expressing last week- That the optics of this deal with MECA and the non profit CHI don’t seem right..

My feeling is that this was a shady deal all around..and MECA being completely non-compliant with a W-H records request further enhances that point..

Bad form all around MECA. In the future, I’d advise, strongly, you provide crystal clear and transparent information moving forward. The tax paying public deserves at least that...

Ciao..LiO...Peace

[iamjacobm]

MECA did not handle that request very tactfully in their response. That said I can totally see why they are interested in keeping negotiations quiet to not lose whoever it was as future advertisers. Should have handled that request a lot differently and not made a threat about being more secluded to the paper, really not wise.

I don't blame MECA for choosing CHI either by their account they were the highest bidder for the longest contract, not exactly a scandalous decision to make. CHI is the one that decided the pony up the cash.

[Greg S]

I don't have any issues with the CHI MECA deal.

That being said, this is just another case of MECA not feeling like they are accountable to anyone. We went down this road with them on TD Ameritrade. Anybody remember how they compared having a baseball stadium near the CenturyLink Center to have a gas station go next door to your house? They changed their tune once they were given total control of the park.

There have been other issues with them with requests from the media and whether or not they are subject to open meeting laws.

Greg

[Coyote]

Dixon said on Grow Omaha that they hired this out to a search firm which said the naming rights were worth about $1M per year and should get a 10 year deal. Only CHI gave a firm offer, and he thought there would be two others players, 1st National Bank being implied. Ernie Chambers s putting together a bill that would require them into more transparency...

[Greg S]

A 12 year old girl critically injured at TD tonight during the HR Derby.


Greg

[Greg S]

More info on the girl who got hit:

https://www.omaha.com/news/public-safet ... fefec.html

[GrandpaaSmucker]

Maybe if were lucky the girls parents will go easy on us and only sue the city for a couple of million instead of 15 million. I hate to be a constant bearer of common sense but do you think its a good idea to have people hitting 40 or 50 baseballs into the stands? Are they really going to try to spin this and say it is a rare accident and that hitting dozens of baseballs into a crowd is safe? How much longer can the Omaha World Herald support this fireworks show as they lay off endless staff members and rapidly implode. This bogus Home Run contest and Fireworks show is about played out wouldn't you want to bet?

[WBR_Tom]

Maybe if were lucky the girls parents will go easy on us and only sue the city for a couple of million instead of 15 million. I hate to be a constant bearer of common sense but do you think its a good idea to have people hitting 40 or 50 baseballs into the stands? Are they really going to try to spin this and say it is a rare accident and that hitting dozens of baseballs into a crowd is safe? How much longer can the Omaha World Herald support this fireworks show as they lay off endless staff members and rapidly implode. This bogus Home Run contest and Fireworks show is about played out wouldn't you want to bet?

They might, but they'd almost certainly lose. The back of the ticket stubs clearly state you attend at your own risk and are responsible for paying attention to batted balls (and bats, should a player lose the handle on it). There's huge signs everywhere along the concourse stating the same. You assume the risk of potentially getting hit by attending, and the team/venue are not responsible if you do. And a quick Google search shows that the handful of times someone has challenged those rules across the country, they've lost every single time. I feel bad for the girl, and hope the GoFundMe helps her family with the medical bills, but there's no basis for a lawsuit.

FWIW, while the crowd was smaller than years' past, it was still quite big. So many people hang out in the outfield hoping to catch a home run that the empty seats in the infield are deceiving. Based purely on the length of the concession lines all night long (which were 10-15 people deep every time I headed out for something), I'm guessing they made more than enough money to make it worthwhile.

[skinzfan23]

I was surprised by how large the crowd was as well with it being postponed and held on a Sunday night. Of course the weather was amazing. Lets hope that next year, the entire CWS enjoys nicer weather.

[GrandpaaSmucker]

but there's no basis for a lawsuit.

I can think of plenty of ways there is basis for a lawsuit so just think how many more ways a lawyer is going to come up with. Those signs don't necessarily give an entity a right to endanger people just because they warned them. On one hand they were advertising on TV and in the media for people to come and bring the family and have a good time and then on the other hand they are warning people they could get hurt and because they have been warned they are not entitled to any damages. Sounds like a good law suit to me. We live in a society where all we ever hear is protect the kids no matter what else and at all cost and yet we invite them into a stadium where dangerous baseballs are flying around that could harm them at any moment. There is going to be a lawsuit and they may very well win and you can bet on that!

[GrandpaaSmucker]

I was reading more about this since my last post above. It seems the rescue crews had hardly carted off the critically wounded girl and another home run ball hit a woman in the head breaking her glasses and drawing blood and hurting her pretty bad. First the story circulating was the ball bounced off the ground and hit the teenage girl in the chest and that was in the fake news everywhere. Turns out that was wrong and the ball hit the teenage girl right in the head and knocked her out. So why did MECCA let the wrong story circulate for a day or two. CYA? Certainly MECCA had video in that stadium of what happened and yet they sat with their mouths closed. No transparency with that huh. Film of this is evidence that will turn up in court one day guaranteed. What is with it with our society when they clean up the wounded humans and cart them off and then proceed on and get more people hurt? This is what drives me nuts about our society. All those people with kids taking them to something like that. I played a fair amount of baseball in my younger days in little league and softball and the like and even played in the outfield a time or two. I can guarantee that catching a fly ball in the outfield is not as easy as it looks. This is kind of like the waterslide death down in Kansas City a couple of years ago in that not only is there going to be a million dollar civil settlement there may even be people prosecuted criminally for being negligent in running this dangerous event and allowing it to continue even after someone just got critically wounded. Incompetence personified.

[buildomaha]

I was reading more about this since my last post above. It seems the rescue crews had hardly carted off the critically wounded girl and another home run ball hit a woman in the head breaking her glasses and drawing blood and hurting her pretty bad. First the story circulating was the ball bounced off the ground and hit the teenage girl in the chest and that was in the fake news everywhere. Turns out that was wrong and the ball hit the teenage girl right in the head and knocked her out. So why did MECCA let the wrong story circulate for a day or two. CYA? Certainly MECCA had video in that stadium of what happened and yet they sat with their mouths closed. No transparency with that huh. Film of this is evidence that will turn up in court one day guaranteed. What is with it with our society when they clean up the wounded humans and cart them off and then proceed on and get more people hurt? This is what drives me nuts about our society. All those people with kids taking them to something like that. I played a fair amount of baseball in my younger days in little league and softball and the like and even played in the outfield a time or two. I can guarantee that catching a fly ball in the outfield is not as easy as it looks. This is kind of like the waterslide death down in Kansas City a couple of years ago in that not only is there going to be a million dollar civil settlement there may even be people prosecuted criminally for being negligent in running this dangerous event and allowing it to continue even after someone just got critically wounded. Incompetence personified.

If you go to a “Home Run Derby” and sit in the outfield expecting balls not to fly at you (because that’s kind of the point), then you shouldn’t be there. It’s no different than if you’re too old to have a reaction time or keen senses to be able to drive a car, you shouldn’t be driving.

[debradomayer]

I was reading more about this since my last post above. It seems the rescue crews had hardly carted off the critically wounded girl and another home run ball hit a woman in the head breaking her glasses and drawing blood and hurting her pretty bad. First the story circulating was the ball bounced off the ground and hit the teenage girl in the chest and that was in the fake news everywhere. Turns out that was wrong and the ball hit the teenage girl right in the head and knocked her out. So why did MECCA let the wrong story circulate for a day or two. CYA? Certainly MECCA had video in that stadium of what happened and yet they sat with their mouths closed. No transparency with that huh. Film of this is evidence that will turn up in court one day guaranteed. What is with it with our society when they clean up the wounded humans and cart them off and then proceed on and get more people hurt? This is what drives me nuts about our society. All those people with kids taking them to something like that. I played a fair amount of baseball in my younger days in little league and softball and the like and even played in the outfield a time or two. I can guarantee that catching a fly ball in the outfield is not as easy as it looks. This is kind of like the waterslide death down in Kansas City a couple of years ago in that not only is there going to be a million dollar civil settlement there may even be people prosecuted criminally for being negligent in running this dangerous event and allowing it to continue even after someone just got critically wounded. Incompetence personified.

If you go to a “Home Run Derby” and sit in the outfield expecting balls not to fly at you (because that’s kind of the point), then you shouldn’t be there. It’s no different than if you’re too old to have a reaction time or keen senses to be able to drive a car, you shouldn’t be driving.

Not to pile on, but I am anyway. The 12 yo girl was injured, not wounded which implies she was shot and it's MECA not MECCA as in Islam's holiest city.

[Omaha Cowboy]

Lets hope that next year, the entire CWS enjoys nicer weather.

After this years “Monsoon Series”, I completely agree...

Ciao..LiO...Peace

[GetUrban]

I was reading more about this since my last post above. It seems the rescue crews had hardly carted off the critically wounded girl and another home run ball hit a woman in the head breaking her glasses and drawing blood and hurting her pretty bad. First the story circulating was the ball bounced off the ground and hit the teenage girl in the chest and that was in the fake news everywhere. Turns out that was wrong and the ball hit the teenage girl right in the head and knocked her out. So why did MECCA let the wrong story circulate for a day or two. CYA? Certainly MECCA had video in that stadium of what happened and yet they sat with their mouths closed. No transparency with that huh. Film of this is evidence that will turn up in court one day guaranteed. What is with it with our society when they clean up the wounded humans and cart them off and then proceed on and get more people hurt? This is what drives me nuts about our society. All those people with kids taking them to something like that. I played a fair amount of baseball in my younger days in little league and softball and the like and even played in the outfield a time or two. I can guarantee that catching a fly ball in the outfield is not as easy as it looks. This is kind of like the waterslide death down in Kansas City a couple of years ago in that not only is there going to be a million dollar civil settlement there may even be people prosecuted criminally for being negligent in running this dangerous event and allowing it to continue even after someone just got critically wounded. Incompetence personified.

If you go to a “Home Run Derby” and sit in the outfield expecting balls not to fly at you (because that’s kind of the point), then you shouldn’t be there. It’s no different than if you’re too old to have a reaction time or keen senses to be able to drive a car, you shouldn’t be driving.

Random thoughts on the subject:

-Helmets will become mandatory at every home-run derby
-At some point in life, you have to go outside and take some risks and be aware of your surroundings to avoid injury and/or death.
-Since the trajectory of each baseball hit is impossible to predict, within sufficient time to issue a warning to all possibly affected, the responsibility of avoiding every hit that comes your way is your own or your guardian's.
- It's strange that some news sources (OWH or KETV) can't seem to agree on the exact details of what actually happened. It either hit her in the head directly, or bounced off the concrete pavement or wall and hit her in the chest. I tend to agree with the former, since she got knocked out and fell to the pavement.

[Greg S]

I was reading more about this since my last post above. It seems the rescue crews had hardly carted off the critically wounded girl and another home run ball hit a woman in the head breaking her glasses and drawing blood and hurting her pretty bad. First the story circulating was the ball bounced off the ground and hit the teenage girl in the chest and that was in the fake news everywhere. Turns out that was wrong and the ball hit the teenage girl right in the head and knocked her out. So why did MECCA let the wrong story circulate for a day or two. CYA? Certainly MECCA had video in that stadium of what happened and yet they sat with their mouths closed. No transparency with that huh. Film of this is evidence that will turn up in court one day guaranteed. What is with it with our society when they clean up the wounded humans and cart them off and then proceed on and get more people hurt? This is what drives me nuts about our society. All those people with kids taking them to something like that. I played a fair amount of baseball in my younger days in little league and softball and the like and even played in the outfield a time or two. I can guarantee that catching a fly ball in the outfield is not as easy as it looks. This is kind of like the waterslide death down in Kansas City a couple of years ago in that not only is there going to be a million dollar civil settlement there may even be people prosecuted criminally for being negligent in running this dangerous event and allowing it to continue even after someone just got critically wounded. Incompetence personified.

If you go to a “Home Run Derby” and sit in the outfield expecting balls not to fly at you (because that’s kind of the point), then you shouldn’t be there. It’s no different than if you’re too old to have a reaction time or keen senses to be able to drive a car, you shouldn’t be driving.

Random thoughts on the subject:

-Helmets will become mandatory at every home-run derby
-At some point in life, you have to go outside and take some risks and be aware of your surroundings to avoid injury and/or death.
-Since the trajectory of each baseball hit is impossible to predict, within sufficient time to issue a warning to all possibly affected, the responsibility of avoiding every hit that comes your way is your own or your guardian's.
- It's strange that some news sources (OWH or KETV) can't seem to agree on the exact details of what actually happened. It either hit her in the head directly, or bounced off the concrete pavement or wall and hit her in the chest. I tend to agree with the former, since she got knocked out and fell to the pavement.

I'm not sure it's the news outlets that can't get the stories straight. You've got different accounts from different witnesses and the authorities.

Greg

[GrandpaaSmucker]

I'm not sure it's the news outlets that can't get the stories straight. You've got different accounts from different witnesses and the authorities.
Greg

One witness said that he was standing less then 10 feet away and saw the ball hit the girl in the head and heard a loud clunking noise that was so disturbing he will never forget it for the rest of his life. That kind of sold me on which version was the truth. Sounds about right to me. I would not want to hear that either.

[iamjacobm]

Here are the minutes from the MECA Board Meeting where they voted on the new name.

http://www.omahameca.com/Libraries/Civi ... .sflb.ashx

[PotatoeEatsFish]

Sorry im late but why is a hospital buying naming rights to an arena? That's a little screwed up dont you think?

[daveoma]

Sorry im late but why is a hospital buying naming rights to an arena? That's a little screwed up dont you think?

MECA said they chose the name that would pay the most money.

[GrandpaaSmucker]

Sorry im late but why is a hospital buying naming rights to an arena? That's a little screwed up dont you think?

MECA said they chose the name that would pay the most money.

The question is....... are we gullible and foolish enough to believe what they say? I don't trust them or believe they are good at or even know what they are doing. It said in the paper today that it is going to cost MECCA 1 million to change all the Century Link signs over. Somewhere in all the transparency I think we were excluded from that important fact before. At the very least that fact was kept quiet. Now they are announcing that they have hired a California Booking Company for 250,000 a year. If that is not bad enough as soon as MECCA has made its 250,000 back for the rest of the year they have to split 50% of all profits with the California company. Pretty shaky math when you are splitting profits 50%

[skinzfan23]

I was just going to ask when the exterior signage is going to be complete. I thought they originally wanted to have it done by Nov 1st.

According to the article:

MECA then approved nearly $1 million worth of updates for permanent logos on the building's main exterior, basketball floor, scoreboard signs and street marquees, and uniforms.

Vice President of Information Technology Kevin Raymond said Wednesday that the building's interior signs should be switched over by the end of the month. Work to replace the outside signage will begin Dec. 3 and wrap up the next week, he said.

In other MECA news, construction is done on a new traffic signal on 10th Street at the parking garage attached to the arena and convention center. Raymond said it should be operational by the end of the month.

MECA approves more new signs bearing CHI Health Center name

[omaha79]

and CHI and Dignity Health just announced the new merged name will be CommonSpirit Health. They've referred questions about whether the facilities in Omaha including the CHI Health Center to a spokesperson in Denver.

I predicted a while ago this would result in another name change to the arena down the road. I'm thinking more and more that will be the case.

https://www.omaha.com/livewellnebraska/ ... 76a40.html

[Padre]

and CHI and Dignity Health just announced the new merged name will be CommonSpirit Health. They've referred questions about whether the facilities in Omaha including the CHI Health Center to a spokesperson in Denver.

I predicted a while ago this would result in another name change to the arena down the road. I'm thinking more and more that will be the case.

https://www.omaha.com/livewellnebraska/ ... 76a40.html

The article says there will be no changes for "the foreseeable future." Take that however you want.

[omaha79]

and CHI and Dignity Health just announced the new merged name will be CommonSpirit Health. They've referred questions about whether the facilities in Omaha including the CHI Health Center to a spokesperson in Denver.

I predicted a while ago this would result in another name change to the arena down the road. I'm thinking more and more that will be the case.

https://www.omaha.com/livewellnebraska/ ... 76a40.html

The article says there will be no changes for "the foreseeable future." Take that however you want.

I take that as "when our rebranding effort is complete within the next 18 months, we will expect a partnership with MECA and the city of Omaha to help offset the costs of changing all arena signage and branding."

[Louie]

and CHI and Dignity Health just announced the new merged name will be CommonSpirit Health. They've referred questions about whether the facilities in Omaha including the CHI Health Center to a spokesperson in Denver.

I predicted a while ago this would result in another name change to the arena down the road. I'm thinking more and more that will be the case.

https://www.omaha.com/livewellnebraska/ ... 76a40.html

The article says there will be no changes for "the foreseeable future." Take that however you want.

I take that as "when our rebranding effort is complete within the next 18 months, we will expect a partnership with MECA and the city of Omaha to help offset the costs of changing all arena signage and branding."

Hopefully not...sigh...

[skinzfan23]

Thought the outside signage was supposed to be completed by now....it doesn't even look like they have started. I would just like it on the building, it looks so plain on the south side facing 480 right now.

[skinzfan23]

Signage almost complete:



Still think Qwest Center Omaha had the best logo and lighting design:


CenturyLink Center Omaha:

[Padre]

The Qwest logo is cooler because it looked like a blue version of an old Hot Wheels track, as opposed to a broken plate, or a bacteria.

[nebugeater]

The Qwest logo is cooler because it looked like a blue version of an old Hot Wheels track, as opposed to a broken plate, or a bacteria.

COme on, you know this one looks like a pizza donut!

[Brad]

MECA reports a $5.7 million profit on downtown arena and convention center, CWS ballpark

https://www.omaha.com/news/metro/meca-r ... ee5c8.html

The Metropolitan Entertainment & Convention Authority made a $5.7 million profit on the arena and convention center last year and attributed the profit in part to the federal tax overhaul.

....

Chief Financial Officer DeAnn Olsen said some some premium seat holders — those who sit in suites and club seats — made several years' worth of payments before Dec. 31, 2017, in order to avoid missing out on a tax deduction that was eliminated as part of the federal changes.

[Padre]

MECA reports a $5.7 million profit on downtown arena and convention center, CWS ballpark

https://www.omaha.com/news/metro/meca-r ... ee5c8.html

The Metropolitan Entertainment & Convention Authority made a $5.7 million profit on the arena and convention center last year and attributed the profit in part to the federal tax overhaul.

....

Chief Financial Officer DeAnn Olsen said some some premium seat holders — those who sit in suites and club seats — made several years' worth of payments before Dec. 31, 2017, in order to avoid missing out on a tax deduction that was eliminated as part of the federal changes.

If they paid ahead that far, what will the next several years profits look like?

[Coyote]

If they paid ahead that far, what will the next several years profits look like?

That was what I was also wondering, how much profit would it have been without that caveat, but it was qualified with "some" and "several years".

[MadMartin8]

If they paid ahead that far, what will the next several years profits look like?

That was what I was also wondering, how much profit would it have been without that caveat, but it was qualified with "some" and "several years".

They also mentioned increased costs due to the metal detectors, signage, and other bits and pieces too. I wish they included that information. Seems like quite a bit of expenses with that total number they listed.

[Uffda]

I saw a report on CBS Saturday Morning where they were talking about how inexpensive the concessions were at the Atlanta Falcons home stadium. I think they said the Atlanta Hawks arena has the same prices. Maybe something MECA should look into.

The pop is $2 refillable glass as the pop fill stations are just out on the concourse.

[iamjacobm]

I was surprised to see they were painted since the Nebraska Department of Roads loaned them to MECA. Seems strange to think these would end up back out on the highway painted in these bright colors...

An attractive permanent solution needs to get on the drawing board soon.

From MECA's October meeting:

Mr. Roger Dixon stated security barrier meetings continue on a weekly basis. The goal is to
barricade four corners consisting of 10th Street & Capitol Avenue, Cass & 10th Streets, 10th & Mike
Fahey Streets, and MECA Drive with permanent fixtures prior to the annual Berkshire Hathaway
Shareholders meeting. Temporary barriers will be required in extremity areas. All areas around
CHI Health Center Omaha (CHIHCO), as well as areas around Lot B, will have permanent barriers
installed before the U.S. Olympic Swim Trials in June 2020. MECA will move forward with
permanent barriers at TD Ameritrade Park Omaha (TDAPO) following the conclusion of the
NCAA Men’s College World Series (CWS).

[skinzfan23]

Eric Church, Elton John, Terence Crawford help MECA post $4.6 million profit for '18-19

MECA profits since 2011
2010-11, $2.94 million

2011-12, $2.78 million

2012-13, $3.62 million

2013-14, $3.27 million

2014-15, $3.15 million

2015-16, $4.7 million

2016-17, $5 million

2017-18, $5.7 million

2018-19, $4.6 million


In 2018-19, MECA spent $2.4 million on improvements to the arena, convention center and ballpark, including a new sound system, a new roof for the arena and repairs to a concrete terrace.

Crews at TD Ameritrade Park installed artificial turf in bullpens without enough sunlight to grow grass, officials said, and they finished work on a new natural grass playing surface for the ballpark.

This year and next, people are going to notice outdoor construction near the arena, convention center and ballpark as new permanent security barriers are put in to protect pedestrians.

The goal is to have the first barriers in place by Berkshire Hathaway’s annual gathering on May 2, said Roger Dixon, MECA’s president and CEO. The rest should be installed later in 2020.

[Bob from Omaha]

Just curious when the bonds will be paid off. I want to say they were 20 year bonds but I could be wrong.