Yep, except the redskins. They draw no matter what. And recently the Nats have started off very strong. It will be interesting to see how much attendance follows. From the buzz I'm hearing (and feeling myself) about the team, I think it will have an impact, but not a huge one. What you said is absolutely true about the Caps and Wizards though. Can you blame anyone?
True. The Redskins/NFL are just part of the general cultural touchstone and out of reach, for the foreseeable future, of such questions. We should just go ahead and make forum rule that the Redskins and or the NFL are just accepted as exceptions to any statement. I don't even think of the Redskins or the NFL when it comes to questions of attendance, etc., because at this point it's a license to print money and out of the reach of all sports teams and league discussions.
Hamid seems to be taking it properly in stride http://www.dcunited.com/news/2012/0...gn=Feed: DCUnited/all (D.C. United All Feeds) I've only seen Najar talk once and he also seems to have a good attitude about it. It might be easier for him, he knows he'll be playing on an int'l stage this summer
Or perhaps closer to the point, that's how AA baseball teams conduct themselves. There's been a roiling debate for some years now whether MLS is 'minor league' and what that means. It's obvious the playing standard around here is way below what you see in the Champions League, but herein lies the difference between us and the NBA D-league, and God help us if this ever became the preferred way of doing business.
They "draw," but they also feel the pain when the team flounders. During the Theissman/Williams/Rypien years, they could have sold out a 150,000-seat stadium. Now, they're downsizing FedEx because of dwindling demand. There is no longer a waiting list for season tickets. http://www.washingtonpost.com/sport...waiting-list/2011/07/15/gIQAla8wGI_story.html http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/...o-hell-are-blackouts-coming-to-a-tv-near-you/ The biggest problem with this argument/thread is that I'm not at all sure they are even our most sell-able players. Najar is 19 and DeLeon is 21--if Najar was starting now, and playing at the level he played at last year, if you're QPR or St. Pauli, which one are you going to buy? And for the sake of perspective on DeLeon's age, Dempsey was almost 24 when he was sold to Fulham. And Peragazu, this might make you sick , but if I'm Arsenal or Liverpool, I might very well go after a "hockey player" like Cruz before I go for Najar. That kind of bite and versatility is what a lot of the Euro starlet wingers don't have, and it's why Liverpool keep losing to West Brom, Blackpool, etc. Willis is 23 and Hamid is 21 (and coming off a bad performance in WCQ that can't be erased by a few MLS starts). Does Hamid really have more value? Right now, if I'm Arsenal, and I have to buy a DC player, it's going to be Perry Kitchen.
Don't be surprised if these dcu players make it to top euro leagues. Najar, DeLo, Pontius, Hamid, Santos, Cruz, Kitchen. Yes it's a special group if Dudar & Russel can be solid year long, this could be a special season.
I wouldn't be surprised if a few of them did. I would be very surprised if many of them did. Especially Santos and Cruz and even Kitchen. I assume we are also using the term "top euro leagues" defined widely too.
Posting halfway through our 7th game undefeated to tell us again what a horrible job the FO is doing. . . gee, ya think?
I'm not so sure he is a troll. Remember a poster here, years ago, named sormun? He seemed to be always down on DC, even to the point of wanting to call up all of the Richmond Kickers midfield to replace United's. IIRC, his posts (while off-the-wall to me), made more sense then because DC was playing fairly bad soccer. DC is playing better now, than they have in a few years. But I think there is still a soccer-culture gap (MLS vs. the rest of the soccer world), as well as a language gap, which is not being bridged with the OP.
Sormun is missed. (I think he's in Europe now.) I have to say his posts were much more entertaining than perugazu's, and more logically constructed and argued, in his own way! IIRC, he was more interested in us replacing our strikers with those of the Richmond Kickers. Instead, we started recruiting Pittsburgh Riverhound players (e.g., Thiago Martins, who quickly injured his knee). Those were the days!
There's Moldova my Chedda! i.e., without punctuation! He was actually a pretty interesting guy in person - he had been team physician of some eastern european club. On the internet, he came across as a complete nut job.
Holy Shit. The Capital Soccer Show has taken up this odd argument re: Hamid and his selling price vs. non-playing. Someone has been reading this thread. Hi Roche!
is so crazy that the people from the tv will talk about this? I see some people are saying i must see things how they are for MLS...maybe they can also see how the thing work more in the world? Is simply a idea. For a side idea, is nice to see Salihi score his goals. I think he has prove to me he has good mental strength and will play no matter what is happen in the team room with him and the coach. I have another idea about Najar....Olsen like Danny Cruz more for his defense and mentality. Would it be more for the team to put Cruz to play right defender and leave Najar in right midfield? for me it seems like each player is more in the opposite position. I was talking about Hamid also to sell him and maybe he can stay in the team more after toronto game. I think he must show to teams in Europe and national team again he is able to hold the ball on crosses. He is always wanting to push the ball out and not hold it. For me he was good in the game but needs to do this more to allow to be moved.
(Sticking with Hamid) - It is absolutely true that if Hamid wants to be on the National Team as a regular, then he must play extremely well when he is in goal for DC United - Thats obvious - And if and when he does play for the National Team, then he must play extremely well to get the interest of European teams - Thats obvious - Raw physical talent will get some interest, but he must get playing time and do well to advance - And I wish him all the best However, at times, what is best for Hamid's future is not always what is best for DC United - Right now Willis is playing very well - The main thing helping Hamid is all the games in a short time - Plus US Open Cup games - If Willis needs a rest, or if Olsen decides to switch Hamid and Willis frequently to keep both players fresh, then Hamid gets his chances to play and show the National Team he should be with them The same goes for Najar - Right now Cruz (and DeLeon) are playing very well - And Najar is still a raw talent - He's not making "rookie" mistakes - He's making mistakes that good coaching for full-field games at youth levels would eliminate - Coaching and experience he's never had - But with a few injuries and lots of games in a short time, maybe Najar can get regular playing time - The big thing in Najar's favor is the Olympics - If he can show he is a real leader on the field, then he will get a lot of interest from European clubs (and, NO, Perugazu is not trolling - he just likes the individual players a lot, and is interested in seeing them succeed)
