What A Crowd of 71,000 People Looks Like
The crowd on High Street inside the final circuit route in Jefferson City, about 4-5 blocks from the finish line.
Last week, we published the economic impact study for the 2009 Tour of Missouri, released almost two months behind schedule in response to a Sunshine request. The report is still not posted on the Lt. Governor's official website, or on TourofMissouri.com, but you can read it all here.
The crowd and associated spending totals for Stage 4, which finished in Jefferson City, are generating a bit of chatter. The official Tour report states that 71,000 people watched the race in and around Jefferson City, spending $5,410,128 in the area.
For comparative purposes, a gathering of 71,000 would be:
- 80% larger than the entire population of Jefferson City
- Bigger than any crowd at home Mizzou footbal game since 1978. The seating capacity at Faurot Field/Memorial Stadium was lowered to 68,349 in 1995.
- Almost twice the average attendance for Cardinals' home game. Busch Stadium's capacity is 46,861.
- More than 3.5 times the average attendance of Royals' home games. Kauffman Stadium's capacity is 39,000.
- 40% larger than the estimated attendance for the day-long "Salute to America" festival that packs downtown Jefferson City on July 4.
A request for more information from IFM Sports on how the crowd estimates were created and vetted is pending – we'll update you when we know more.
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Tour of Missouri
Sean,
You have soome good points - I'm always skeptical of these crowd estimates, primarily because there is always pressure to make this year's estimate larger than last year's. Before long, even the smallest rural baaple butter festival is pulling 40 - 50,000!
BUT, your use of this photograph is a little like Fox News using the same six month old tea bag footage for yesterday's tea bag event. Why can't you use a photograph that was taken on High Street, at the awards stage, or at the finish line?
Believe me, I'm no fan of Perter Kinder and his merry band of yes-men, but I am a fan of the Tour of Missouri...and you would be too if it had started under a Democratic administration.
For the life of me I can't understand why the state's Democrats hate the Tour of Missouri so much - the bicycling community if much more likely to be Democratic (even in Missouri) than Republican.
Best Wishes --- O of the O
Photo
I used this photo because it's the view I had when watching the race, and I think it illustrates my concerns about the 71k number pretty well. At any Mizzou football or Cardinals baseball game, the crowds spill over many, many blocks before and after the event. This pic was taken during the most exciting part of the race, just a few blocks east of the finish line and VIP tent.
Agreement
I also support the Tour of Missouri but I hate that it is primarily a political tool for Peter Kinder. I also hate it that Kinder has mismanaged the race. I also hate that local communities are forced to pay a lot of money to support the tour and the real cost of the race has never been studied. I also hate it that Kinder seems to think taxpayer money is best spent on his own entertainment but not to actually help the citizens of Missouri.
Will Peter Kinder continue to claim he is a new kind of Obama republican in the next election? Will Kinder continue to support spending taxpayer money this way and be against tax cuts? Will Kinder continue to be a liberal when campaigning along interstate 70 and then suddenly become the reincarnation of Reagan when in Southeast Missouri?
Just wondering
Sad, really
Invisible Spectators
Seems to me that you're onto something here Sean . . .unless 71,000 phantoms turned on their magical invisible cloaks when that photo was taken I find it unrealistic that there were 7,100 people downtown that day let alone 71,000!
Inflated Peter
Maybe LG Kinder confused attendance with ego. Result: Inflated on either score.