Yeah, the quote in today's daily was about as cold as you can get. I'm sure Phil regrets the way it came out, but... Really, though, the point isn't the season ticket holders -- you buy tickets, you go to games, that doesn't really buy you much else -- but there were a lot of people who put a lot more into this organization than that, with the express, often-stated promise that this was a long-term investment: volunteers, sponsors, folks in the supporters groups. Many of us were specifically asked to do things for the team, which we gladly did, and I suppose we assumed (yes, our fault there) that that bought us more consideration than we received in the end. Personally, I can say that there are things I would not have done for the team had I known how things would turn out. On the other hand, there are also things we might have been able to do for the team had they let us know they needed them. As noted before, if they were really looking for local investors, they were awfully quiet about it. If they were really losing an unacceptable amount of money, they never asked for help or ideas from people who might have been able to help. In the end, that's why we feel so bitter, I think: the feeling that, when the chips were down, they didn't really trust the community they claimed to be a part of, and didn't really try very hard to stay here.
Damn. I must spread some reputation around. And believe me, for any out-of-towners, unlike many of us, Barbaro actually knows people that matter in Austin and knows what he's talking about.
Are you guys gonna do the "Burning of Judas" or not? At least it'll make you guys feel a lot better and I bet it would get media attention, they love to show "angry soccer fans protesting"
Well, I really don't know what to think at this point. In the referee circles it was known or VERY highly implied that this would be Austin's last year. It was also implied by someone who used to be highly affiliated with the team. Now, maybe they left off the part about "unless he can find more investors", but that part was never mentioned. The rumor was first started about a year ago. So, I am not sure if that means he was looking and some people knew about it or not. But, rest assured that the USL did not rope him into the team. Whether or not he was a part of it or was the means for it, there was some stuff done to get that team. He knew all the difficulties of owning a team in Austin. Maybe the league kronie in Austin convinced him I don't know. But, I find it very hard to believe that he would be in debt millions for this team. There was very little to any advertising, travel was not done extravagantly, pay was not excessive, they had no costs involved with most of the game day staff and House Park and Reagan are both cheap venues. So, what was the millions for? If you are paying Heath and Bjorn that much then you are getting hosed! I find it rather bizarre that a man with such a business sense would commit to a multimillion dollar deal that moves his family and the families of many of his team members and staff after only kinda agreeing to it in a couple of days. Like he said, he is a smart business man and the kind of money that investors are talking about is massive so he wouldn't make that decision overnight. This has been in the works for some time and that is probably why he wouldn't commit to a league before. Plus everyone knows that the USL front office just salivates over anyone involved in their organization that has money and business savvy because there are few (including office staff) that do in the soccer business. So, yes he made a good business decision, but don't try to convince me that he didn't know about it long before now. He could have done a better job of letting down the good people of Austin. Heck, he still has "Buy 2011 tickets at 2010 prices streaming across his website....now ain't that a deal? His statement on Friday was bullsh$$ and I call him on it. At the very least he could put something on the website thanking the people of Austin for providing him with an avenue to get in with the guys at the league so he could get started on his real dream of being king of the soccer mountain. Best of luck to him. What comes around goes around.
I see what you're saying, but it's also more than business. We aren't "average people". And we didn't go to all the games because we ran the numbers in a spreadsheet and determined that our net value entertainment outlay would be justified by the per diem allotment of enjoyment we would receive. We didn't sit in the stands and calculate the depreciation of assets or effective dollar-cost averaging strategies. We came and screamed our asses off, and loved it a lot (on winning nights) or loved it only a little bit (on losing nights). And that's exactly what the Aztex, and all soccer teams, wanted us to do. If the same ownership scenario plays out for the Round Rock Express (Austin-area minor league baseball team), then I'm totally in agreement with you. I go to one game a year with the family, we eat popcorn and endure blaring music from the loudspeakers and watch 7 or 8 innings and then we leave. Go ahead and be cold and clinical with them, who cares? But we loved the Aztex, and they courted that love. Then they unceremoniously dumped us. Do they have good business reasons for leaving? Sure. Do they have good business reasons for landing in Orlando? Apparently. It still sucks. They didn't break our minds, they broke our hearts. Yeah, we know that now, thanks.
Dynamo fan/Texian Army member here. wanted to say some of us feel for you guys. we always enjoyed making the trip to Austin and your fans were always nice and knowledgable about our team and yours. this had become my 10 year old daughters favorite road trip and she always asked when we were going back to play the Aztex. hope someone else picks up the ball and runs with it. good luck.
Rawlins talks to Stoke City about the move (apologies if it has already been covered somewhere). http://www.stokecityfc.com/page/NewsDetail/0,,10310~2197813,00.html
Hmmm.. that's new to me. In the press conference yesterday they mentioned that Donner had previous experience with professional indoor lacrosse? Could that be what he means? Good luck with that.
He must have been birthed in the same cesspool that produced BP Chairman Carl-Henric "the little people" Svanberg.
I too thought of BP, though I thought of Tony Hayward. Hayward, like this comment, seemed to denigrate the loss felt by his stakeholders. That's the most basic mistake a leader can make. Perhaps when the bullets are flying all around you it's difficult to realize that; but it's a mistake nevertheless.
iLeague And I have to say, that's another stupid idea, and only guaranteed to make the team die faster.
Lacrosse is a growing sport in much of the country. But if Donner is thinking that it'll be supported in FL like it is in western NY, he's got another thing coming.
The fact that they announced it during the NASL-TOA/USL/USSF D2 drama mess months ago just really shows you what priorities (if any) that USL have in this country. The word "stability" is all too foreign to them.
I'm guessing this means iLeague, so score one more for Marcos. He's just lined his pockets with another franchising fee. This time you get to play in the country's second best indoor league! I'm sure the people of Orlando are just clambering for an indoor team like the rest of our major metropolitan areas.
Would somebody please pass my contact info on to the leaders of the Austin supporters group. Thanks Stephen Heisler 832-445-9983 http://thespsl.com
Well, ********. No wonder they lost so much money. Guess they forgot they weren't in England where there's a different system of handling healthcare.
Two things I want/need to get off my chest. First, a question. Did anyone buy 2011 season tickets? If so, I trust you have been made aware that you'll get your money back, right? Second, a thought that entered my head while reading Aztexan's latest blog piece (http://aztexan.net/2010/10/open-letter-2-to-orlando/) who recommended that the people of Orlando not volunteer... Was there anything more absurd than the Aztex giving kids the 'opportunity' to help clean up the stadium after a game? That always seemed so unsavory to me. Essentially putting kids to work for free rather than hiring a couple people who could use a few dollars to clean your stadium.
At the time it seemed to me like what we were all doing: pitching in to try to make the franchise work. Volunteers did TONS of work for this team over its three years. It was the mode of operation, and I kind of liked the feeling it generated. Of course, you accurately point out how that seems exploitative now that we are seeing things in a different, and apparently more realistic, light.
Come on, those kids might not have the team they cheered for anymore, but they will be able to cherish those mini frisbees for a life time.
