7:22 IS YOUR TIME.
THE RIVER CATS TAKING ON THE
IOWA CUBS.
1:05 IS FIRST PITCH.
SPORTS ARE BIG IN SACRAMENTO.
THE SUMMER TOURISM SEASON IN
SACRAMENTO IS IN FULL SWING
ESPECIALLY WITH SOME HIGH
PUBLICITY SPORTS EVENTS TAKING
PLACE THROUGHOUT THE CAPITAL
CITY.
FOR THE BEST WAYS TO BE A PART
OF THE EXCITEMENT, JOINING US
THIS MORNING IS MIKE SOPHIA,
DIRECTOR OF THE SACRAMENTO
SPORTS COMMISSION.
THANKS SO MUCH FOR BEING WITH
US.
LET'S START WITH
SOCCER, WORLD
CUP FEVER.
WE HAVE BONNEY FIELD.
HOW CAN PEOPLE BEST TAKE PART IN
THE EVENTS GOING ON THERE?
THE SAC REPUBLIC FC
IS ON
FIRE.
IT IS A GREAT ADDITION TO OUR
SPORTS COMMUNITY.
WE'VE SEEN A BUNCH OF GAMES.
THEY ARE DRAWING OVER 20,000
PEOPLE PER GAME.
IT IS INSANE.
IT WILL BE HOME AT BPMMEU -=-
BONNEY FIELD FOR THE NEXT GAME.
YOU MENTIONED 20,000 PEOPLE
COMING OUT TO THE SACRAMENTO
REPUBLIC FC GAMES.
THIS IS AN
8,000-SEAT
CAPACITY AUDITORIUM.
HOW CAN WE FIT IN SO MANY
PEOPLE?
IT'S GREAT THAT SO MANY
PEOPLE CAME OUT TO SUPPORT FC.
THE STADIUM WILL GET A LITTLE
MORE INTIMATE.
YOU NEED TO GET YOUR TICKETS.
KNOW YOUR NEIGHBOR.
IT IS GREAT TO.
SEE IT OFF TO SUCH A GREAT START
WE HOPE IT GROWS FROM THERE --
IT IS GREAT TO SEE IT OFF TO
SUCH A GREAT START.
WE HOPE IT GROWS FROM THERE.
AND ALSO RUGBY.
WE HOPE IT GROWS.
WE HAVE AN INTERNATIONAL RUGBY
EVENT, USA VERSUS CANADA.
A GREAT OPPORTUNITY TO SEE
A
SPORT THAT NOT A LOT OF US SEE
AT A VERY HIGH LEVEL.
I WANT TO GO TO ANOTHER
SPORTING EVENT AND PLAY A LITTLE
BIT FROM STEVE HAMMOND, CEO OF
SACRAMENTO CONVENTION AND
VISITORS BUREAU, WHO GAVE US
SOME INSIGHT INTO WHAT SEEMS TO
BE DRAWING THE MOST ATTENTION
RIGHT NOW.
I WILL GET YOUR OPINION ON THE
OTHER SIDE.
WHAT IS IT WE CAN DO TO MAKE
A DIFFERENCE IN THE SPORTS
WORLD?
WHERE CAN WE MAKE THE MOST
IMPACT?
AND THOSE CONVERSATIONS AND THAT
DIALOGUE ALWAYS WENT BACK TO
TRACK AND FIELD.
TRACK AND FIELD IN SACRAMENTO
HAS A LONG HISTORY.
THERE IS A NEW PARTNERSHIP THAT
MIGHT GIVE IT ANOTHER BOOST AS
WELL.
WE PARTNERED WITH SACRAMENTO
STATE, PUT ATTRACT DOWN, REFER
JUST -- REFURBISHED THEIR
TRACK
-- PUT A TRACK DOWN, REFURBISHED
THEIR TRACK.
SACRAMENTO HAS SUCH A UNIQUE
HISTORY IN TRACK AND FIELD.
THE PEOPLE HERE LOVE IT.
THE WEATHER IS PERFECT FOR TRACK
AND FIELD.
YOU GET THE HEAT FOR THE
SPRINTERS AND COOL FOR THE
DISTANCE RUNNERS.
WE RECOGNIZE THAT TRACK AND
FIELD IS PART OF OUR CULTURE.
WHAT'S YOUR ADVICE FOR PEOPLE
WHO WANT TO COME OUT AND WATCH
THE EVENTS.
-- EVENTS?
COME OUT.
THAT'S ONE THING THE SPORTS
WORLD RECOGNIZES ABOUT
SACRAMENTO -- THE COMMUNITY
COMES OUT.
I THINK YOU WILL SEE IT FOR THE
TRACK AND FIELD CHAMPIONSHIPS
THE 26TH THROUGH THE 29TH.
GET YOUR TICKETS.
THEY ARE PRETTY INEXPENSIVE.
SACRAMENTO IS
PART OF THEIR
SPORTS.
THEY ARE CONNECTED TO IT.
TELL US HOW ELSE THE CITY CAN
BENEFIT FROM ALL OF THIS
EXPOSURE AND SPORTS ENTHUSIASM.
IT IS DOLLARS, REALLY.
PEOPLE ARE COMING IN FROM ALL
AROUND THE COUNTRY TO SEE THESE
EVENTS, TO BE PART OF IT.
THE ARE SPENDING MONEY ON
HOTELS, RESTAURANTS, THAT KIND
OF THING -- THEY ARE SPENDING
MONEY ON HOTELS, RESTAURANTS,
THAT KIND OF THING.
AMGEN WAS BROADCAST TO AN
INTERNATIONAL AUDIENCE.
IT IS GREAT EXPOSURE FOR
SACRAMENTO.
GOOD DIPLOMACY -- GOOD
PUBLICITY.