Temple's town hall about a new football stadium did not go smoothly
Temple’s town hall about its new proposed football stadium got off to an inauspicious start.
Hell, the start was so bad that it got canceled not long after the meeting began.
Let’s set the stage. Temple wants to build a new football stadium and the process has taken a while because not everyone is on board with the project, which is set to happen near the school’s campus and in an established neighborhood.
Tuesday night’s town hall was an opportunity for those in the neighborhood where the $130 million stadium is set to be built to have a discussion with school and other officials about the plans for the 35,000-seat facility.
Those opposing the meeting took over as soon as Temple president Richard Englert began his remarks. From Philly.com:
“What we witnessed tonight is what we’ve experienced over the last two years,” the Rev. William Moore, who opposes the stadium but tried to calm the crowd, said after the failed meeting. “People are frustrated because they feel their voices are not heard nor respected, and this is what we got.”
Englert had gotten about one page into his five pages of prepared remarks when he said that no one would be displaced by the stadium project, a major concern of residents in the North Philadelphia neighborhood that has watched Temple’s footprint expand. A few audience members yelled out, “Liar!” and then a group of more than 100 people started chanting: “No new stadium. No new stadium!”
Per the report, Englert was subsequently escorted out of the meeting by security. He returned to say the facility would be used for more than just Temple football games and serve as a multi-purpose facility, but then the meeting was canceled.
The Owls currently play football at Lincoln Financial Field, the home of the Philadelphia Eagles.
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Nick Bromberg is a writer for Yahoo Sports.
