New Revs employee now on BigSoccer

I'm sorry Doc, but you're in the minority over there. Next season most people over in the Morgue will be asking what happened to the guy with the dreadlocks. I appreciate that there is a good contingent of longtime season ticket holders, supporters group members, and other passionate fans who sit on the touchline, but you're far outnumbered by the clueless families and soccer moms.

 

Whenever I get tickets, since I can't sit in the Fort, I always hope REALLY HARD that my friends and I end up in a mysteriously empty section. In the games I've attended the last few years, about...30% of the time I've been near an unpleasant Morgue stereotype. Incidents include sitting in front of about a half-dozen SHRIEKING 9-10 year old boys who ragged on the game going on constantly, and getting harshly scolded (and a full-game stink-eye) by a Morgue family who felt it was my fault their tickets accidentally got double-sold (to me) and then sat silently the whole game.

I'd LOVE if there was some kind of non-Fort (meaning non-standing) cheering section. I'd get tickets immediately. I love watching live soccer, but the fact there's only two extreme fan participation options at Gillette (neither of which fits me well) makes it tough.

 

Trust me, we tried!

Marcus was invaluable to the SSG's here in Colorado, covering from everything from ticket sales to being a contact point during the game when the expectations of the SG and the expectations of KSE/Argus/some opposing fans/other Rapids fans/etc. weren't meshing. I'm not sure what exact role he'll have out there, but trust me, he's looking out for the SG's one way or the other.

As far as your Bunker/Morgue idea, that sounds similar to our Class VI. We're a big group that passionately supports the Rapids but for various reasons don't want to stand in the Terraces for 90 minutes. For me the Terraces don't let me see enough of the game, in Class VI I can relax in my chair at a decent angle and still give the Rapids my full support. Those who have watched Rapids games on TV in recent years have probably heard the booing/heckling when a player (usually the right back) touches the ball. That's Class VI.

 

I've occasionally sat in the morgue over the years and always have the same experience. There are kids sitting behind me oohing and ahhing over how high the goalkeeper's punt was, the mom is asking why the clock is counting up, etc. It's brutal.

 

This would be a somewhat easy job if the FO would commit to get the players necessary to make this team a contender. So far, I have seen little that would make me think that. If they won't invest in quality players then increasing season ticket sales will be mission impossible. There is a highly knowledgeable soccer population here that has spent years either playing (OTHSL) or coaching or watching their kids play soccer at the youth, high school and sometimes college level. Check the youth soccer participation levels in Mass or Conn vs other states. These people know the game and what a good team looks like. These people will not buy season tickets to watch the quality team the Kraft's are fielding. They will come out in numbers to see a NAT team game though
You want to increase ticket sales of all kinds... improve the product

 

And the two frowning and disconnected dads, with Red Sox caps, talking to each other about the lack of scoring, like a children who only want the frosting. They are only there because their cherubs begged them or because their youth league handed out free passes to to the Patriot temple.

 

That's great! As I age (53 now) I know it won't be long before I no longer wish to stand and chant/sing the whole game. But I want a place to be really loud about the game without getting the stink-eye, pink-eye from a pink hat. Nice!

 

The issue (for me) is that Kraft did have the opportunity to broaden the fan base when we had the years of Twellman, Dempsey, Ralston, Parkhurst, and midfield tandem Red & Dread. We've been to the Cup 4 times in the last decade. But, instead, stuck with subpar advertising with "Get your KICKS" with our "Kicker Cuties" and bring your kids and soccer moms around once a year.

They had SO MUCH content to capitalize on. Ineffectiveness, no creativity... leads one to conclude general apathy.


Stillllll boycotting.

 

THIS!!!

I Love watching the game from the correct angle. Don't mind paying more for better seats. But, want to be vocal and cheer and jeer when necessary!!

This "baseball" method of watching the Beautiful Game doesn't work! Sorry to all you lovers of all the other sports, but our game's clock doesn't stop, there's no 7th inning stretch and not timeouts for 2 minute commercials.

The SG's do a decent job at getting the atmosphere pumping, but I'm more into watching the game intently, and if a good song gets started up, I'll willingly get into it and sing along! =)

 

hahahahahahaha My season tickets were never even near the Fort, and I only ever ventured in there once or twice per season. Good rant though, Doc. Very rational.

 

To be fair, Doc is simply using the descriptor 'non-Fort' as the area being called 'the Morgue'. He's not tagging Fort-Dwellers as villians - he's simply taking exception to the name. And I agree. When I come to games (_used to_: Boycott!) I like to be as close to the half line as possible. I'm also a quiet spectator until emotionally moved by the play on the field. I also notice similar sentiment around me, and I've sat in numerous sections.

Yes, there are the kids and the 'can-you-sit-down'-ers, but largely I've been in crowds that pay attention and are engaged in the goings-on. Any excitment and crowd action is typically organic and related to the action on the field. The farging TEAM and PLAYERS should engender excitement in the crowd. I feel no obligation to cook my own.

When it's a good game, it does not feel like a Morgue to me.

What is this thread again?

Oh yeah. New Front Office employee.

I think the 'Supporters-Who-Don't-Have-To-Stand-But-Can-Be-As-Obnoxious-As-They-FEEL' section is a great idea! (FEEL bolded with purpose).

Kevin D.

 

My point is that I sat in "The Morgue" and I call it "The Morgue"...because that's what it has always been. It's relatively lifeless, and tuned off to the actual game. I will continue to call it "The Morgue" until to becomes something other than "The Morgue".

 

As is your right.

And it is others' right to take expection to it. No big deal - such is life.

I think we all recognize that we have different expectations, experiences and frustrations with this common ground called 'New England Revolution'.

Marcus: Can you accomodate everyone? Simple, right?

Kevin D.

 

Then why didn't you take exception to his post in the first place? I wasn't the one telling fans how they should act, or what they should or shouldn't call certain areas of the stadium.

 

Because I don't like the term either. I may not agree with the vehemence with which he objected to it, but I can understand his frustrations with the label, and I'm glad he said something.

You may call it what you will, and I'll even know what area of the stadium you're talking about. It's an unfortunate moniker that has developed. I didn't read Doc's parental rant and expect anyone to listen, but out of respect for the sentiment and a fellow fan, I personally won't call it that. You may if you wish and I bear you no ill will for it.

Kevin D.

 

Fair enough, and my response to him was only in that he quoted my post, to call out Fort members...and I never even sat in The Fort. Which makes it totally ironic that he hates the generalization that some people in the Fort refer to the rest of the stadium as the morgue, yet he is making the generalization that people who complain about the dead atmosphere in the rest of the stadium, only exist in The Fort.

I don't care what people call anything, but if you are going to go on some rant about unjust generalizations, then you probably shouldn't be making unjust generalizations yourself.

 

I think that happens mostly for games where attendance is well above an average game.

I've been a mid-field every game and most of the people in my sections have been the same folks, game after game, year after year.

When they have a "Beckham" game, or something like that, the empty seats get filled with a lot of newcomers. And, yes, they're annoying, but if you actually want the attendance to grow some tolerance is necessary. [Now, about the guy behind me who continuously spouts facts about the Revs/MLS, yet manages to be wrong %85 of the time ...]

 

You mean I'm right 15% of the time? I'll take it!

 

I'm not sure of where you sit at midfield, but there's a strong contingent of long time STHs that sit around the midfield stripe. I've sat there a number of times and have found it much more bearable. Unfortunately, the farther you move away from midfield the more intolerable and intelligent the level of fandom is. It's because the further you move away from midfield the cheaper the tickets are. You end up sitting with a lot of families out for a night on the town, groupon purchasers, youth soccer teams, boy scout troups, etc. It sucks.

 

This was my experience for 14 years, for the most part.

 

My experience is that in Cat 3 (my experiences were in sections 103 and 104), most of the first 4-6 rows were STHs, and most of the casual attendance was behind us. It was bearable most of the time, with the exception of the well attended late season matches. Even so, I think I was grumbled at for standing maybe twice in 4 years.

I'd definitely consider season tickets again if a second, "seated" supporters section was instituted.

 

I'm with you...A good number of supporters would know when to stand and when to sit. That type of area, I could definitely get around!

..after a lot of changes takes place.
(See Mike Marshall's short list of dire improvements the Revs should make to get back some supporters)

 

This speaks for me as well.

FWIW (and I've ad this exchange many times before on this board), maybe it depends on where you're sitting, but when I sit near strangers, I usually find myself sitting near people who know the game. I know there are some who fit the caricature described above, but I don't think the crowd as a whole is as clueless as the BS stereotype. In my experience, people in general don't know the players and the dirt like the riff-raff on this board, but have a passing familiarity with the starting line-up, and genuinely enjoy the match.

The only thing that I find jarring is how much people eat at games. I think there are people that eat for the entire game.

 

it only took 82 posts!

so, what's an AE (if anyone could translate that id appreciate it), and how about Foxboro's followup questions?

thanks and welcome Marcus.

 

I beleive AE = Account Executive.

I too woule be intereted in hearing whatever you'd be permitted to tell us about life behind the walls of Fortress Foxboro. As you might ahve seen by now, there is a lot of semi-educated guessing that goes on around here, and it would surprise no one if it was off base, but with nothing at all go to on, the best we can do is try to piece things together as best we can...