I spoke to someone who described ticket sales as "night and day" which I took to mean with Heck vs. without (as in things have improved). Hopefully that's a good sign for people getting over the Heck fatigue.
Only Dawkins, Chavez, Bernardez and Guavansik don't have college ties to the US. You don't list Pizarro, he was born in Peru but is already a green card holder, which means hes been in the US for a while (went to UC Riverside). Id put international's that came up through US colleges in a different bucket then the kind that NYRB has really latched on to. KC for instance has a lot of guys who they got in the college draft but dont have USA as their place of birth.
I honestly don't know how important ticket sales are to the bottom line for this particular MLS club, but I have to say that the sparse crowds at this great little football stadium are dumbfounding & embarrassing at the least. I've been attending a few matches in Harrison every year and I watch the rest on TV. With the exception of the home supporters section which is fantastic in its passion & non-stop singing, the overall density of bodies is a joke. And all of the people that drink the kool-aid and pronounce "another sell-out crowd at Red Bull Arena!" when the seats are <50% filled, they're part of the problem. When you look around at other stadia in the league and how good a job some of them do at packing em in, you realize how pathetic (and baffling) things are in NJ. So I don't know if this French Connection managment shake-up is planning to attack that problem, but I think they really need to! Even if it's not the most important thing to the club's financial bottom line... when you see the emptiness in the stands it just doesn't make anyone feel that this is a club with permanence and solid support. Bonne chance a vous deux! p.s. The timing of this announcement, right before the playoffs, seemed pretty damn bone-headed but I guess it could've been worse, they could've fired Backe at the same time.
You mean lower the ticket price to fill up the stands? I think that might be very smart in the short-run. It's the biggest (and most psychological) part of a fan's matchday cost that NYRB has total control over. (Coming from CT I still have to pay $20 tolls, $25 gas, $10 parking, $15 food pp)
You may not read here regularly but it's not all that dumbfounding. We had a lousy, incredibly frustrating season last year and management thought that was a good time to bring in an arrogant NBA middle management jerk to decimate the most dedicated season ticket holder base. Hopefully the new guy will work really hard to undo the damage that was done because I still remember a great crowd for our first playoff game in RBA - really frustrating game but unbelievable atmosphere. As you say, the stadium has tons of potential if we can just figure out how to actually sell it out.
Yes you're right I don't spend much time on the NYRB boards. But I did read today that Bontin is wanting to fix the attendance problem... obviously he didn't share how that could be done. I can imagine how lowering prices can be a double-edged sword. It might increase walk-in and individual ticket attendance, but it might also decrease season-ticket-holder attendance. I.e. if season-tickets are "too cheap" people will not feel as much financial commitment to actually cause them to show up for most matches. But I suppose there have been entire threads here on that subject. All I know is I can only recall 2 truly sold-out, packed-to-the-gills matches at RBA: Grand opening NYRB vs Santos, and the MLS All-star game. Maybe there've been others but I'm not aware. Edit: Maybe the Spurs match was pretty full too, but that wasn't due to NYRB playing.
Yeah - I'll be surprised if prices get lowered, but who knows. They ought to invite the season ticket holders back with incentives. It really will be a "rebuild the fanbase one fan at a time" job, so hopefully this new guy is up to the challenge. I'm skeptical.
Well de Bontin already won me over with one thing, maybe this will help with the constant flatness and injuries of our players: "Clearly we have to look at the situation of our medical staff, we have to look at the nutrition of our players – everything that goes around the running of a professional club. We just have to do better."
Pep Guardiola's biggest contribution to Barcelona imo was his focus on nutrition and fitness. If de Bontin can have any say in the matter and get our guys in better shape I'd say that's a great use of his influence.
Well, the gate issue is solely depend on whether we could field an exciting team or not, players got to perform in the system and as a team. A recreational team like we have this season definitely turning the fans away, b/c I rather slouch on my sofa instead of falling in sleep in the RBA seats. As for de Bontin his job specifications will be decided in the conference room at the head quarters of RB orgainization. Soler's early departure may awaken the squad somewhat for the playoffs, like a warning shot over the bows, don't expect a retirement job in the RBNY club in 2013.
The way I see it, if de Bontin is supposed to control costs then he can't possibly justify keeping Rafa on board. The only question is how do you get rid of him? Nobody with two eyes would take him for his full salary, unless there's a way to cut his current contract based on a lack of time played.
By all means, if not just bench him or buy him out depend on his contract stipulations with RB. For your reference, he missed 19 games this season.
No offense, but I think your post stinks. The team isn't a recreational team - it's a ton better than we've had to endure in the past and if you can't get motivated to see Henry play, then well, I question how big of a fan you are. But it's not as simple as putting an exciting team on the field and there are a number of reasons I wouldn't fault you for staying away - but the quality of the team is decent and that ain't one of them.
I stayed away because of Heck. Came back once he was gone. Brought about 20 people to the Cbus game actually. Now I might stay away because of the Austrians.
No offense either Knight, we are true Soccer fans here vent our point of view , a recreational team maybe overly described but they played like a retirement team/senior team, the fact is that I rather see a young wonderful Henry on video when he was played with Arsenal. Sorry, I have been stay away from the stadium awhile just can't stand Rb's slow, lazy long ball tactics and I prefer on ground crispy short pass, give and go, through ball games, that need energy.
I agree with this post to some extent. However I feel that Henry is still capable of playing the type of soccer you describe if he had the right players around him. Basically I think a lot of this team's problems could be alleviated in two distinct ways: Either sign a real, ball-controlling creative attacking mid to play underneath Henry and Cooper or get two true wingers to provide wide service to Henry and Cahill. Basically this current roster has settled for neither. So after this team peters out with an uninspiring playoff run I would say that RBNY should find a couple of true wingers (Sam looks like a keeper to me) and ship out some of the central midfield deadweight. Then acquire a legitimate LB to allow Pearce and Conde to become our standard CB pairing with Barklage at RB.
In all honesty, who in MLS actually plays the style that you seem to be looking for? LA maybe? I think the reality is that your issue isn't with the Red Bulls specifically, but with the quality of MLS as a whole. And that's fine, its the league's job to create a product you deem worthwhile. It seems that a huge number of soccer fans in the area share your view that they'd rather watch a higher quality game on TV than a less skilled one in person, and unfortunately that's not something that de Bontin or Heck or Red Bull can do anything about. Just gotta wait as the league continues to increase its player wages and attract better talent.
Very true you said indeed, and since we are touching the subject of America soccer future, I am the one believing in American youth any other directions just serve the purposes of the business needs and may do harm or hinder the developement of America soccer, for example: bringing in a big name player who is near his end of career, in his presents in effect changed the game plan to cater for his ego. I believe everyone of you witness the past London game, how the youthful Mexicans play.
You'll just have to assume that I mean no offense in all my posts direct to you , but you haven't been watching Red Bull. They don't play slow lazy long ball - the biggest critique against them in seasons past is they were playing possession soccer in a direct, rough and tumble league and it wasn't working and we didn't have the right personnel for it. Look - MLS is not La Liga, but what league is? If the quality isn't good enough for you, that's a whole different discussion about where your priorities lie. Lots of people feel they only want to see the best of the best and not watch 2nd division soccer - I totally understand that and can respect it to some degree. I'm a huge US soccer fan and want the league to grow, and I actually love the fact that this league is filled with people playing for the love of the game, and aren't spoiled millionaires that are in and out of jail every week. It's like being a baseball fan at the turn of the century. I also like to see young Americans develop as players (even though I may have picked the wrong team for that) or witness a guy like Mathis go from good to unstoppable force (until his knees gave out). Live soccer is also better. So stay away if you don't think MLS is good enough, but don't say that Red Bull is a rec team that plays English style long ball - both aren't true.