Rumor: 2011 Offseason Near News and Rumor Thread

Discussion in 'DC United' started by Q*bert Jones III, Sep 4, 2010.

  1. CHICO13 Moderator

    Member Since:
    Oct 4, 2001
    Location:
    SECTION 135
    Club:
    The Strongest La Paz
    Country:
    Bolivia
    Put me in the camp that thinks it's bush league and needs to be addressed. We aren't KC playing in some stupid minor league ballpark. We are Freeking DC United and need to play on the best. If the team is paying these astronomical lease payments we've been bitching about for years, the DCSEC owes it to the tenants of the stadium to provide the best field possible. If you demand quality in the little things you come to expect quality in everything.
          
  2. Winoman Drinkin' Wine Spo-De-O-De!

    Member Since:
    Jul 26, 2000
    Location:
    Vienna, VA
    Club:
    DC United
    Country:
    United States
    AMEN! Right now, it looks like they relocated a piece of a NJ landfill and turned it into a soccer pitch at RFK. I know it's still winter, but they must begin some prep work, now, to really get it ready for the beginning of the season.

    If they don't start work on it in another week or two, then it will be too late for any improvements to really take hold and grow in the spring. (At least where the footing won't be completely treacherous.)
  3. Cruyffenbauer New Member

    Member Since:
    Jul 10, 2010
    Location:
    Annandale Virginia
    Club:
    DC United
    Country:
    United States
    As a renter, would DC have the legal option of saying "fix it or we'll hire somebody and take the cost out of our payments"? If they're going to pay rent, they should demand quality field conditions.
  4. Eastern Bear Member

    Member Since:
    Feb 27, 1999
    Location:
    Washington, DC
    Club:
    DC United
    Country:
    United States
    Agreed. This is bush league. It's happened every year and nothing has changed at all. I wish they'd just re-sod the field, but we need that money for the Davies transfer at the end of the season.
  5. MattMathai BigSoccer Supporter

    Member Since:
    Jun 28, 2004
    Location:
    Annapolis
    My point was that no turf looks good in February esp. when it's untended.
  6. fatbastard Member+

    Member Since:
    Aug 1, 2003
    Location:
    Lincoln (ish), Va
    Club:
    DC United
    Country:
    United States
    not true - we passed a huge turf farm just over the river in MD a few weeks back that was lush as could be - passed it a few days later and it was covered in snow and ice, but it probably looks lush again this week :)

    We remarked that they should roll it up and drive it to RFK, and that was before I saw that disgusting picture of its current condition....
  7. MattMathai BigSoccer Supporter

    Member Since:
    Jun 28, 2004
    Location:
    Annapolis
    A turf farm is in the business of selling turf. Their turf is tended. The turf at RFK is not.
  8. fatbastard Member+

    Member Since:
    Aug 1, 2003
    Location:
    Lincoln (ish), Va
    Club:
    DC United
    Country:
    United States
    details! :)

    yeah, I wish someone would get out there with a seed spreader and some hay or something at the very least (those sprinklers ain't gonna do squat).

    Don't we have interns? Doesn't AU or Howard or some nearby college have an Agriculture department? ;)
  9. gkemp Member

    Member Since:
    Nov 1, 2007
    Club:
    DC United
    Country:
    Brazil
    How about the Maryland Agricultural College est. 1856?;)
    1 people repped this.
  10. MattMathai BigSoccer Supporter

    Member Since:
    Jun 28, 2004
    Location:
    Annapolis
    I think you should call the DCU office and propose that. I bet it goes over really well.
  11. DCUroma Member+

    Member Since:
    Jul 20, 2009
    Location:
    Suck it Sensi
    Club:
    AS Roma
    Does the MLS give out an award for grounds crew/field?
  12. fatbastard Member+

    Member Since:
    Aug 1, 2003
    Location:
    Lincoln (ish), Va
    Club:
    DC United
    Country:
    United States
    No way I would encourage them to possibly use burly dudes as interns instead of the tiny hot girls they usually get instead :)

    Besides, it really should be the Sports Commission (whatever they are calling themselves this year) interns who do it, not United's now that I give it the tiniest amount of thought :)
  13. BigKris Member

    Member Since:
    Jan 17, 2005
    Location:
    Falls Church, VA
    It's actually all just down to a miscommunication. You see, the guy that the city has hired to maintain the stadium is an Englishman. He met with United's FO and said, "the field appears to be in bad shape, what do you want to do" and they replied, "Sod it." The poor guy thought, "well, if *they* don't care about it, then why should I?"
    1 people repped this.
  14. BigKris Member

    Member Since:
    Jan 17, 2005
    Location:
    Falls Church, VA
    Again - try calling the FO and proposing that, and see how well it goes over.
  15. MattMathai BigSoccer Supporter

    Member Since:
    Jun 28, 2004
    Location:
    Annapolis
    Nobody does as good a job as someone with a vested interest in the result.

    I think you should give them a call. So far as the work being hard, it'll be a good wakeup call.
  16. fatbastard Member+

    Member Since:
    Aug 1, 2003
    Location:
    Lincoln (ish), Va
    Club:
    DC United
    Country:
    United States
    you know me well enough to know I don't believe in hard work :)

    Perhaps I'll just bring the extra bag of Scott's TurfBuilder in the barn over to RFK and hope they take a hint :)

    Really, I have faith (probably misplaced) that there is a plan for some serious field maintenance between now and March 15th :D
  17. Cweedchop Member

    Member Since:
    Mar 6, 2000
    Location:
    Ellicott City, Md
    Being up close to the field yesterday, it certainly looks worse than it is.

    I was told by a front office staffer that the lines will be cleaned up before the first match (highly skeptical of this as someone correctly pointed out - you could see lines for the entire season last year).

    I guess we'll see what happens.
  18. Lowecifer Member+

    Member Since:
    Jan 11, 2000
    Location:
    Baltimore, MD
    Club:
    DC United
    Country:
    Belgium
    [IMG]
  19. nobletea Member+

    Member Since:
    Sep 29, 2004
    Location:
    HarCo
    Club:
    DC United
    Country:
    United States
    Well then, get the players out there working on it!
  20. uniteo Member

    Member Since:
    Sep 2, 2000
    Location:
    Rockville, MD
    Club:
    DC United
    Country:
    United States
    I don't even know how that was possible
  21. Bootsy Collins Player of the Year

    Member Since:
    Oct 18, 2004
    Location:
    Capitol Hill
    Club:
    DC United
    Country:
    United States
    It made sense that the pitch would be in sorry shape last year -- there was an extended time period where there was multiple feet of snow upon it. But this has been a mild winter. We pay rent; the District doesn't maintain the facilities we're renting.
  22. nobletea Member+

    Member Since:
    Sep 29, 2004
    Location:
    HarCo
    Club:
    DC United
    Country:
    United States
    There's a name for that: Slum Lord
  23. MagpieFan Member

    Member Since:
    Apr 25, 2004
    Location:
    Back in DC
    Club:
    DC United
    Country:
    United States
    I'm waiting for the "Come on down to RFK and help Ben Olsen seed the pitch!" announcement before getting involved.
    1 people repped this.
  24. Black.White&Red Member

    Member Since:
    Sep 9, 2009
    Club:
    DC United
    I would easily change those ungodly graphics to MPF (MetroPlayoffFailure, for you young ones because RedBull causes cancer!) graphics so that everyone can get a laugh! Where do I sign up!
  25. AlecW81 Member

    Member Since:
    Oct 20, 2005
    Location:
    Durham, NC
    Club:
    DC United
    Country:
    United States
    Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't they tear up and re-sod the field when Chang bought out MacFarlane?

    And when they re-sodded the field, I thought I remembered hearing it was bermuda over-seeded with rye (bermuda "dies" in about October and "blooms" when it gets warm, rye blooms through the winter).

    If that were indeed the case, you'd think the grass would grow out enough and be cut so that all the paint had disappeared.

    Screw it, lets just turn Ludwig Field into a 20k seater and convince UMD to allow alcohol sales during United games. They're already allowing beer/wine sales in their suites at Byrd.

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