So if we are starting a chapter in our fine city, we must determine a “Home Base” bar to watch every USMNT game at. What are our requirements? Are US games ever still played on FSC (i.e. maybe the Gold Cup)? If so, that drastically diminishes our options. Do we go to one of the two bars in the city that actually have FSC or do we go to another bar of our choice and persuade them into getting the channel? Here are my thoughts. The bar must: Have cheap beer (or run killer specials) Have good beer Have a centralized location Have a wait staff that aren’t dicks Be willing to accommodate us (i.e. reserve a T.V. for the game) Maybe even willing to help advertise to help us reach out to other US fans I obviously have my preferences but I’m not king, yet, so would like other peoples take on it. I will go wherever US fans are watching. Discuss.
I know your stance on Limey's, but I'm with Clint on this one. Limey's still makes the most sense for our purposes. Ok, the tap beer sucks and it's expensive... But... - It's the one place in Des Moines where soccer will ALWAYS take precedence over anything else on, as evidenced by Ken giving Clint the big TV for a Newcastle game last year when the Iowa/ISU game was on. - It's probably the most universally known soccer bar in town, meaning it gives us the best chance of recruiting new members by chance. That Chelsea fan/Hoover coach goes there for all the big games, and we've seen other fans show up too without an invite from us. It's just the most likely place for a fan to decide "hey, I want to go watch a soccer game, I wonder where anyone else might be watching it?" - For Saturday night games, it offers us the least douchey atmosphere. Ken/Kim will turn off the damned jukebox when games are on, it's never so packed that we can't walk around, and it usually doesn't attract the popped-collars of the downtown scene. Plus they will definitely reserve us a table. - It's open at 9:00 on the weekends. That might not always be beneficial, but I bet they'd be more open to the idea of opening their doors to us for early World Cup games next year if we make it worth their while by bringing in lots of fans. - We could almost certainly negotiate a drink deal with them. Ken likes being known as a soccer bar, I'm sure he'd like it better if it was known as THE soccer bar. - Hey, the cheddar cheese curds never get old. We're not going to get a soccer specific place like that anywhere else, so we'd have to take over a sports specific bar to come close. As much as I like Cooney's, that doesn't work as well as a soccer bar; it's a mid 30's social bar. We'd need like a Victor's or something like that (which might be cool, since they have a billboard to advertise us being there).
i gotcha. Its not that i hate the bar, or the owners or anything because i actually really like them. it would help if we pull a big enough crowd to gain some clout, as in dealing with the employees. the owners would bend over backwards for us because they like us (and that i've worked there for several years) but once they pyhsically leave the bar, the place turns to ****. the employees don't care about the sport and have even tried to deny our drink special (even though i worked there at the time). they didn't want the special to eat into their tip. i'm fine with it but i think we need to negotiate with Kim and Ken. it sucks that the tab beer taste like its been passed through a Thunder Bay whores asscrack but if they would do buckets-of-beer deals, that'd be rad. we'll have to discuss it with them tomorrow. generally there is a pretty good crowd for EPL matches (and it's sort of turned into a Chelsea bar ) but they don't show for USA games...? that doesnt make sense to me but hopefully it will change. this wasn't a me vs. clint bar battle. although a bar battle sounds pretty badass. just wanted to make sure we shopped around and also that we don't get complacent with a bar that wouldn't appreciate our patronage. if limey's doesn't want to change or work with us, we'll go elsewhere. see everyone tomorrow at limey's...?
I would totally kick your ass in a bar battle by the way... I agree with Buz on just about all of his points against Limey's, but in all honesty we don't have another choice right now. They have FSC and they will show soccer over anything else... Until we find another bar willing to do that we are stuck. I think the crowd will start to grow especially if Limey's is known as THE soccer bar in Des Moines and we don't have an EPL soccer bar, a Menace supporters bar, and a USA national team bar, ya know? iIf everything soccer goes down at Limey's then the crowds for all soccer events is going to start to grow.
Also... I think we should stick with Limey's through the Gold Cup. Lets keep looking around to keep our options open. That is my vote anyway...
I mean when it comes down to bar preferences, I'd absolutely rather go somewhere else, mostly because Limey's can get so expensive without a special. But I don't hate the place, and for our purposes, I think it's our best option for growing a fanbase. But I also REALLY like the idea of using Victor's with their sign out front and on a busy road. Next summer having a sign that reads "Watch the World Cup here! Let's go you Yanks!" would be freaking awesome.
That would be awesome but Victor's won't be open for most of the matches. Even if they did they will probably show Yankees game instead. I guess Limey's wouldn't be open either... That is something we are going to have to figure out!
I would guess the same times as the current Confed Cup matches since the are being played in the same stadiums as dress rehearsals for the WC. Probably the same format with one afternoon match (morning here) and one prime time match (afternoon here) with all the latter stage matches getting the 1:30 time slot here.
Most of the Confed Cup matches are being played at night in S.A. A lot of WC matches will be played during the day. 8:00 am our time might be when the matches will start, but we'll have a hard time finding a place that will be open. It probably isnt much different than European times.
