Okay, so we don't know for sure we will be playing on the road opening weekend, but the adds are good that we will. Possible locations are: Saturday, March 10 Colorado Rapids D.C. United LA Galaxy San Jose Earthquakes Seattle Sounders FC Vancouver Whitecaps FC Sunday, March 11 Chivas USA, FC Dallas Monday, March 12 Portland Timbers We don't know which, if any, of these will be our First Kick 2012, but I wanted to get a thread started so people planning on heading to First Kick will have a central place for the discussion.
Colorado or Dallas, I'm down for driving out there. Don't feel like going to LA or San Jose so Gals, Quakes and Chivas are out. DC doesn't sound too exciting but is highly probable to be where we start the season so I might. Would not miss any of the PNW if they were the first.
If it's one of Dallas or Colorado, would prefer Dallas, did Colorado twice last year, tired of that drive.
And March 10 in Denver is likely to be at least cold and maybe snowy. I might still consider it; I won't know until it's actually staring me in the face. Galaxy/Chivas I'm in, Dallas I'm in.
It makes sense for the league to schedule a closer away game for us for First Kick based on the numbers that made it out to Chicago and Colorado last year.
That is true, and its pretty equal distant, but honestly, I don't know if the traveling 300 was because of the 2nd game of the season, or because it was Chicago, Sure hope that as many people want to travel to CO as they did chi town, but last year, not the case when CO game came up. Still a good number went, but not as high
It was a long off season and people were chomping at the bit. I think we could fill at least one bus for first kick to any Midwestern team, regardless of weather.
What Abra said, plus the fact that it was still during the long ass road trip (the regular season game). The playoff game was hampered by about a 2-3 day period for people to make plans, and the game being Sunday screwed that up as well.
Pretty much what I was going to say. It was a long, yet significant offseason in which the team had some buzz around it. Couple that with the fact that it was the second game of the season and we weren't going to see the team play until June 9th (as far as league play). I was certainly really itching to see the team live and didn't want to wait till June 9th. Its why I chose to go despite not being able to get anyone to go with me and not knowing anyone personally on the bus. EDIT: Buzz basically said what I said. I stepped away from the computer before posting it.
The long road trip had a lot to do with it for sure. Still, I think if we organize well in advance, we can do at least one really big roadtrip where we get close to that number or break it next year. The schedule will determine where some of that focus goes but if Chicago is on our schedule in a workable manner, hopefully we will rep up there well.
Remember we will only be playing Dallas / Colorado away every other year. We need to put special emphasis on those games when they happen. we will also be playing Chicago 3 times so there may be more than one travel opportunity to the Windy City. It would be awesome to subsidies buses etc. and take 1000 to Chicago.
We will be playing @ Baltimore/DC for first kick, if you go with the odds, as they are the only team listed in our conf.
What odds? The majority of the East is going to be traveling to play a team in the West. What odds would make us the one that stays East? All these East teams are not listed as hosting the first weekend, Chicago, Columbus, Houston, Montreal, New England, New York, Philadelphia, Toronto. Some of them are going to have to go West.
http://www.mlssoccer.com/news/article/2011/12/06/mls-announces-first-kick-national-tv-schedule This narrows it down a bit for us. No Dallas/Vancouver/Chivas/Portland. Big surprise....we aren't on national TV the first week.
Least we know that we start March 10th, nice Saturday game to travel to, against one of these teams: Colorado, DC, LA Galaxy, San Jose or Seattle. I'm only going if it's Seattle. Waiting for San Jose's new stadium, DC what's the use, too many times to Colorado last year and I don't want to go to LA.
We could still be the 19th team and not play in one of the nine matches that weekend.... In that case, the St. Paddy's home opener would be our first kick!
Hmm, maybe SKC will get the first-week bye. I was expecting it to go to Montreal (so that they could open at home) or Houston (since their stadium will not be ready until May), but it turns out that both will be in action.
Assuming we don't get a bye on First Kick weekend, here are the possible trips in price order (highest to lowest for airfare only): San Jose Seattle L.A. DC Denver Keep in mind, this is based off prices the day First Kick host cities were announced, prices have/will fluctuate.
I'm sorta hoping we don't have to go to Seattle this year. We need to get out of the last minute letdown pattern we have going with them, and methinks it would be easier to do at home.
