Petition asking the Revs to improve the product

Discussion in 'New England Revolution' started by patfan1, Jul 7, 2010.

  1. patfan1

    patfan1 Moderator
    Staff Member

    Aug 19, 1999
    Nashua, NH
    Club:
    New England Revolution
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    After reading a lot of the comments, and hearing personally from quite a few people, I think the best thing to do is set up a petition for Revs fans to sign. We can set it up online, also hand it out at the game, pass it to the media etc.

    Now please hear me out...

    The thought process I've gone through with the people I've spoken with is that at this time, the supporter's groups (as groups) aren't being asked to organize this, so it's being organized by fans like us that are frustrated. I am NOT organizing this as the President of the Riders. I'm participating in this because after 15 years of negligence, I just can't take more.

    We also understand that there's many people bringing friends to this particular game, and knowing that many of the people in the Fort aren't regulars, this protest most likely won't work all that well anyway, no matter how well we may organize it.

    Secondly, getting a petition and giving it to the team tells them what we'd like to see. Trying to wait till the SuperLiga games to do a protest does nothing because it'll be me and 4,000 of my closest friends. Our next home game is August 7th, a week before the transfer window closes. By giving the team a petition at this point, we can give them till that point to fix some of the on-going problems.

    Third, by giving them this time, we're essentially "negotiating in good faith." Instead of springing a protest on Saturday, which likely will be taken as frustration with a 5-0 loss more than the crap responses given by Burns (on top of everything else that's gone on the past three years). We give the team a chance to realize that many of the fans/supporters are sick of this nonsense. And we give them a deadline to strive for. If it doesn't happen, we protest on August 7th. I'll flat out tell you, speaking for myself, protesting on the day that they're acknowledging the 15 year season ticket holders is a great way to protest ... since I'm one of those. It will affect me to not go out there, and I don't care ... to me, if even 50 of those of us that have been doing this for 15 years don't go out on the field, that'll make a statement to the team. An empty Fort on that game day will make an additional statement.

    So ... I'd like to ask those of you that are much better spoken than I am to help us organize the wording for the petition. Are people willing to help?

    And are people willing to go along with this idea?

    I'm going to close the other thread so we can have one discussion. I'm hoping people do go along with this idea, but if they'd like to do their own version of a protest Saturday, go right ahead, I know how frustrating things have gotten.
     
  2. patfan1

    patfan1 Moderator
    Staff Member

    Aug 19, 1999
    Nashua, NH
    Club:
    New England Revolution
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Let's understand one thing, I think most of us understand that this season is done. The goal now is to see improvement not only for the remainder of this season, but going forward as well.

    As fans, if we can provide one single voice as a group, that would be the best thing.

    We sing our hearts out this weekend. We show this team (and the players) the support they have ... and if they don't fix it, that'll be gone next home game.
     
  3. RevsFanDan

    RevsFanDan Member

    May 24, 2005
    North Shore
    Club:
    SSC Napoli
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Well said Monty...

    Seems very sensible.

    Two options..Protest loudly and get "them" pissed off...Or Do a Petition that lets them know we mean business.

    I'm definitely for either one..but I'll lean to the Petition!!

    Daniel Bonaire
    Danvers, MA
     
  4. rscaramelo

    rscaramelo Coach/Hack Defender

    May 5, 1999
    MA
    Club:
    New England Revolution
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I still think something visual is needed but I'll go with what you guys decide. I think the LA game is the perfect game to get someone's attention. Again, I'll go with whatever you guys choose.

    If we do go the visual route, might I suggest what they do in Portugal. Leave the scarves and signs at home. Bring a white hankerchief. Waive it like you would your scarf. It signifies that the coach, president, manager, whoever the target is needs to surrender/quit/get fired. Simple and cheap. Tweet Kyle and whoever would broadcast what's happening.
     
  5. NHFootyFan

    NHFootyFan Member

    May 28, 2007
    Outside Concord NH
    Club:
    New England Revolution
    Okay.... so what does the petition say?

    To me it needs to address these issues...

    Lack of accountability to the supporters
    Lack of transparency to the supporters
    Lack of serious effort to field the best team possible

    The specifics of DP / no DP kinda of get covered by the above.

    I'm of 2 minds whether the SSS should be brought in, I don't have a strong feeling either way.

    Despite my strident rhetoric here and elsewhere, a petition should leave personalities out of it, unless it absolutely can't.
     
  6. patfan1

    patfan1 Moderator
    Staff Member

    Aug 19, 1999
    Nashua, NH
    Club:
    New England Revolution
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Just an FYI, the plan will definitely be to use the media to the best of our ability if we do go with petition.
     
  7. ngower

    ngower foolish grin

    May 24, 2006
    Nashua, NH
    I'll sign.

    I'm more than willing to go along with something else this Saturday if people are still going that route.
     
  8. Sine Pari

    Sine Pari Member

    Oct 10, 2000
    NUNYA, BIZ
    Been ages since I've posted here

    But I don't think a petition will do a single thing.

    The Revs arent marketed to adults

    They are marketed to families, youth camps, youth teams etc

    They quite honestly could care less if adults show up, other than to buy the tickets, tshirts and tons of snacks

    You want change, you need to get loud

    A polite petition isnt the answer

    Sorry man, it's just way beyond being nice

    Dalton said it best, be nice til it's time not to be nice

    Now is NOT the time to be nice
     
  9. RevsFanDan

    RevsFanDan Member

    May 24, 2005
    North Shore
    Club:
    SSC Napoli
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Me too...

    I know Black is DC Color...but it's the color of protest, of unity(no pun intended)...all the other colors will get washed out by the diversity of hues in a sea of people..LOL

    And of added emphasis..wear a Red Arm Band to make it different. Not sure where to buy them but I'm sure people are resourceful. And then no one needs to put a bag over their head in 90 degree humidity and have it look like someone threw dog crap at your face after about an hour of sweat drenches it...And believe me a wet paper bag stinks a holy hell...Ok I digress! LOL

    Just a thought...[​IMG]
     
  10. shanary

    shanary Member

    Aug 18, 2008
    BOSTON
    Club:
    New England Revolution
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I gotta say I am really sitting on the fence about all steam ahead for saturday or doing the petition. I am going to go with the petition but I will support anyone who succesfully organizes something for this game.

    That being said I have offered Monty my assistance in writing the petition, this only works with a full media blitz, yes local probably won't care but we can at least put it out to the soccer and MLS media and blog world. We lay out our complaints, and we lay out what actions we feel are needed, give them the deadline to respond and outline our response if they don't live up to what we call for. Then the gloves are off, anything goes...

    Basic layout... and I'll start working on rough draft.

    -A basic statement of our intent
    -The issues we find fault in
    -How we would like to see them addressed or solved
    -a call to action for our supporters

    anyone with any suggestions or that wants to donate a few lines or paragraphs please do...
     
    1 person likes this.
  11. Revs in 2010

    Revs in 2010 Member+

    Feb 29, 2000
    Roanoke, VA
    Club:
    New England Revolution
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Great idea Monty. It would also give us a chance to offer more detail in our expectations than a protest would. My suggestion is to do a hard-copy petition rather than on-line as electronic petitions (in the political world, anyway) are viewed as not very meaningful. This would also be much more likely to get a response from the team (especially if the press is aware/involved).
     
  12. Voodoo United

    Voodoo United Member

    Jan 7, 2008
    Easton, Ma
    Club:
    New England Revolution
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I actually like this idea a lot. I think this is a great way of getting non fort individuals like myself involved. I'm not against any protests I say go for it, but I think the petition creates a more formal communication piece where more people can get behind it, such as non fort individuals, but also people who have stopped coming all together, or even people who still support the team but no longer live in the area. There is strength in numbers.

    Once this petition gets going we need to find a way to get it out not only to our front office but also to MLS headquarters and Mr. Garber himself. We need to use outlets like facebook to get this petition out for people to sign. I know I will make an effort to get as many people as possible to sign this petition
     
  13. RevsFanDan

    RevsFanDan Member

    May 24, 2005
    North Shore
    Club:
    SSC Napoli
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I started to think of a Facebook page..but got stuck on the name.

    Revolution Fans for Change
    Revs fans have had Enough
    Start Respecting the Revs, Kraft Soccer...

    I gave up..LOL
     
  14. PortoFan61

    PortoFan61 New Member

    Jul 28, 2006
    Brighton,MA
    Club:
    FC Porto
    Nat'l Team:
    Portugal
    Why can't we do both? Maybe not the bags on the head, etc, but a simple, fairly non-offensive thing like wearing black. We get behind the petition and if things don't bode well for the fans, then we consider taking more in-your-face measures...
     
  15. Sine Pari

    Sine Pari Member

    Oct 10, 2000
    NUNYA, BIZ
    When I see you talk about a petition over a real protest at the suckage on the field, I think of Kevin Bacon in Animal House

    "THANK YOU SIR MAY I HAVE ANOTHER !"
     
  16. PortoFan61

    PortoFan61 New Member

    Jul 28, 2006
    Brighton,MA
    Club:
    FC Porto
    Nat'l Team:
    Portugal
    Doesn't matter so much about the name so long as it gets created. I like the 1st and 2nd. Pick one and I will join.
     
  17. PortoFan61

    PortoFan61 New Member

    Jul 28, 2006
    Brighton,MA
    Club:
    FC Porto
    Nat'l Team:
    Portugal
    Not sure how many people still go to DefendTheFort.net, but maybe if someone with a little graphic design talent could create some kind of protest avatar, maybe the logo upside down or something like that. We could all adopt it on whatever form of social media the revs are trying to reach out to us on, whether it's facebook, DefendTheFort.net, big soccer, whatever.

    Just an idea.
     
  18. RevsFanDan

    RevsFanDan Member

    May 24, 2005
    North Shore
    Club:
    SSC Napoli
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
  19. shanary

    shanary Member

    Aug 18, 2008
    BOSTON
    Club:
    New England Revolution
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    EHere's my first draft, open to suggestions...

    An open letter to the New England Revolution Front Office/Ownership, Media, Players and most importantly Fans;


    “Pride and Passion”


    “Pride and Passion”, remember that? The fans and supporters of the New England Revolution sure do.


    However we are not seeing very much of it these days from the stewards of soccer in New England and this causes us great distress.


    We once had a team that was envied, we now have a team that is pitied.


    We once had the top players in the league, and most are gone, much like many of this teams diehard supporters.


    We once where able to attract large crowds to see our team, but they now only come out when Beckham is in town.


    We had a team that people cared about, but now many of them could care less.


    You see there is a problem with soccer in New England and the problem begins with the ownership and management of our beloved New England Revolution.


    The New England Revolution as one of the original MLS teams has long been a source of enjoyment and entertainment for adults, children, families and soccer diehards, however in the past few years we have seen a drop in the level of talent and declining attendance numbers. The on and off the field performance of recent has been nothing but unsatisfactory and this season all of this has come to a head.


    Our ownership and front office seem to have lost the “Pride and Passion” that has been touted as one of the hallmarks of our team, fans and supporters groups. The New England Revolution is being left in the dust as expansion teams and even original MLS teams step up into 'MLS 2.0' however our front office's mindset seems to be stuck in the 1990's.


    We have asked our Director of Player Personnel questions both in person and online and been responded to with the same boilerplate copy every time. We have lost great talent to both transfers and long term injury and have not sought suitable replacements when we they were needed most. We have acquired some great draftees however they are not yet ready to play top flight soccer and are instantly becoming starting 11 players. These young players are also lacking a veteran core of players that they can learn from. We applaud those veteran players that are still with us but there are too few to help develop the younger players and to make us a formidable team.


    There been some questionable signings, and while we have no fault with these players personally some of them may not be what this team needs right now. We support our players, no matter who they are or what level of player they are because we know they are trying their hardest for our beloved team. We see the effort they put in day in and day out and they have truly shown us their “Pride and Passion”.


    We feel that this team is not properly set up to succeed on the field as has been stated above, but there is also work needed off the field. Many people do not even know our team exists. Many in the mainstream media won't acknowledge we exist. We cannot even purchase merchandise for our team anywhere but online or at the stadium.


    The New England Revolution need to launch a massive brand awareness campaign, not just on Facebook, Twitter and not just via the Revs Girls but in local radio, print and television media. We have seen the excitement that this years World Cup has brought to this region, people who never thought twice about this sport have now become fans of it and of our National Team. These are the people our team should be capturing and making into fans. This teams support could look like that of Seattle's, Toronto's or even DC's but the supporters can not make this happen alone!




    The time is now up for this organization, enough is enough, changes need to be made...


    What we ask of the Revolution front office and ownership



    • Start making bold moves to improve our squad
    • Be more transparent with the fans, a little goes a long way
    • Put an effort into marketing this Team
    • Show us that you have a real plan to improve the product both on and off the field.


    If you can show us signs in good faith that these goals can and will be met we will do everything that can be done to support this team and we will raise the bar, however if more of the same tired responses are given you will start to see even stronger signs of your support dwindling away. We are angry, frustrated and saddened by the state of our beloved franchise. We want the best for this sport, this franchise, the players and the fans in New England and we do not feel that the status quo will give us the best.




    We the undersigned supporters of the New England Revolution formally ask that the Revolution ownership and front office start showing us that they too have “Pride and Passion” for this team. The years of declining talent have taken a toll on this team and it's fans. The summer transfer window opens July 15th and we ask you to use this opportunity to improve the squad with high level quality signings who can make an immediate impact. We do not expect to instantly become a Cup contender but we do expect to see a head start on that goal for next season. August 7th is the next league home game, we hope to be there supporting the team even more than ever, but that will depend on how the ownership and management of the the team supports them now.
     
    1 person likes this.
  20. Soccer Doc

    Soccer Doc Member+

    Nov 30, 2001
    Keene, NH
    Club:
    New England Revolution
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I wonder if the Rev Franchise knows the team needs to be improved and that their fans are upset? Maybe we should tell them so they know what's going on and how the fans feel. :rolleyes:
     
  21. shanary

    shanary Member

    Aug 18, 2008
    BOSTON
    Club:
    New England Revolution
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Thanks for the constructive criticism:rolleyes:
     
  22. RevsFanDan

    RevsFanDan Member

    May 24, 2005
    North Shore
    Club:
    SSC Napoli
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Excellent.
     
  23. Rangers Rob

    Rangers Rob Member

    Mar 30, 2007
    United States
    Club:
    Glasgow Rangers FC
    If you're looking to do something Saturday, in my humble opinion this petition seems to be the way to go - there simply isn't enough time left to properly organize any sort of protest that will aid our cause. Already we've had people declaring stop buying concessions, wear black, wear white, wear Teaman colors, wear paper bags, etc. It's simply too hot for me to wear three layers of shirts, a brown paper bag, and not buy a bottle of water for almost two hours. Time for the folks who are leading this crusade to get on the same page. And sign the petition, of course.
     
  24. dcochran

    dcochran Member+

    Feb 17, 1999
    Vero Beach, FL
    Club:
    New England Revolution
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I like the petition -- both the idea and proposed draft.

    Monty mentioned the 15 year STH acknowledgment. I'm one of those precious fools who have stayed and paid for the duration, but I am done unless there are major changes between now and the end of the season. Those of us who have been reliable revenue sources are highly desirable customers. The FO knows that, but we need them to know that we know it, too. Should the signature column on the petition include STH history? (i.e. STH since . . . or STH from X to Y)?

    Since change is only going to happen by a series of actions, not a single event, should there be something planned for Aug 7th when we long-time fools get to walk out on the pitch and wonder if we're in the starting eleven? (I'll be away that week, but will be boycotting in spirit.) Perhaps someone could lead a cheer for all the players we've had the privilege to watch over the years and then, offer a review of the team's management and have everyone hold up big red cards.
     
  25. pwykes

    pwykes Member

    Apr 18, 1999
    Auburn, MA
    Nice job shanary. Sums everything up well.
     

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