USL CEO: MLS needs to respect the Blitzz

[sounderfan]

http://www.soccerloop.com/interviews/dave.askinas/

Quite a candid article on a number of subjects.

[dysko]

http://www.soccerloop.com/interviews/dave.askinas/

Quite a candid article on a number of subjects.

Good article.

The question that I would have is will the Blitzz have any choice in coughing up what they have if they get pinched out of the market? MLS may (this being pure speculation on my part) be looking at a hostile take over. Basiclly they leverage themnselves as the major league team in town and take advantage of the lack of advertising by the Blitzz (the Blitzz have a fan base, but 99% of Salt Lake and about 80% of Utah soccer players don't know they are around or when they play). Blitzz sees a masive attendance drop and aren't making it from the business end of things and the team disapears.

Just a possibility... however, I would love to see the teams work together to make soccer the best it can be locally.

[mpruitt]

http://www.soccerloop.com/interviews/dave.askinas/

Quite a candid article on a number of subjects.
Including that despite your great efforts at logo making he doesn't feel Seatle has done all that much in developing itself as a soccer market... His comments about the Blitzz were laughable. Maybe UTAH MLS SLC will want to cooperate with the Blitzz in order to co-develop a fan base and get ahold of their call lists, but maybe they'll just want to blow them out of the water and use their deep pockets to do it without them?

[sounderfan]

Including that despite your great efforts at logo making he doesn't feel Seatle has done all that much in developing itself as a soccer market... His comments about the Blitzz were laughable. Maybe UTAH MLS SLC will want to cooperate with the Blitzz in order to co-develop a fan base and get ahold of their call lists, but maybe they'll just want to blow them out of the water and use their deep pockets to do it without them?

"Candid" doesn't mean "accurate." ;)

[mpruitt]

"Candid" doesn't mean "accurate." ;)
Got a link for what their average attendance is this year? I know what they did last year.

[rabble-rabble]

I found his comment about the Blitzz "finally achieving a credible fanbase" to be curious given that the Blitzz have had stable attendance since their first year and have usually been among the PSL (or D3) leaders in attendance and each year they beat out a large number of A-League teams too.

[chapulincolorado]

DA: [..]What relationship the teams choose to have is all dependent open the amount of respect shown by the new MLS franchise to the Blitzz.

Dang! I didn't know the USL was run by the Mafia!

Respect shown?!

Dave to Don: So, Dooon, ya gotta give us some respect. You need to meet the boss.

El Chapulin Colorado

[Brian in Boston]

Wow... big surprise (not)! Dave Askinas has his "panties in a bunch" because Major League Soccer is targeting "major league" cities as expansion sites.

Sorry, Dave. However, in case you haven't noticed, the A-League is North American soccer's version of baseball's International and Pacific Coast Leagues, or hockey's American Hockey League. In other words, Triple-A... at best. I know it hurts, but there are ownership groups within your organization - yes, Rochester and Seattle most openly - who aspire to greater things for their franchises than the A-League.

Additionally, you have no control over how MLS owner/investors eye markets that you are currently in. Sure, in a perfect world they'd arrive in a market - oh, say Salt Lake City - and "make nice" with an existing USL franchise. However, when you've forked over a million dollars as a franchise fee to the TOP LEVEL professional soccer league in the United States... you might just choose to make your own way in the market.

Bottom line? "Respect" is earned. Taking potshots at MLS franchises probably isn't going to earn you too much respect in the future.

[kenntomasch]

Got a link for what their average attendance is this year? I know what they did last year.

Here are their crowds this year:


5/08/04 vs. California..............????
5/14/04 vs. San Diego...............3,877
5/15/04 vs. San Diego...............2,054
5/28/04 vs. Colorado Springs..........857
5/29/04 vs. Southern California.....3,886
6/12/04 vs. BYU.....................2,706
6/20/04 vs. Nevada (Wendover).........248
6/26/04 vs. California..............3,571
7/03/04 vs. Yakima..................2,908
7/09/04 vs. Boulder.................5,245


The USL site lists the 6/20 game as being played at something called the "Wendover Soccer Complex."

I found his comment about the Blitzz "finally achieving a credible fanbase" to be curious given that the Blitzz have had stable attendance since their first year and have usually been among the PSL (or D3) leaders in attendance and each year they beat out a large number of A-League teams too.

Blitzz average attendance

Year...Avg....Rank
2000...2,997..2nd
2001...1,471..5th
2002...2,235..2nd
2003..*4,227..1st


*Helped considerably by a doubleheader with the US Women that drew 19,584. Their average in other games was 2,307.

In 2000, 16 of 24 A-League teams drew under 2,997 per game.
In 2001, 4 of 21 A-League teams drew under 1,471 per game.
In 2002, 8 of 18 A-League teams drew under 2,235 per game.
In 2003, 14 of 19 A-League teams drew under 4,227 per game. 9 of 19 drew under 2,307.

[kenntomasch]

FYI, I've finally gotten around to adding recent D3 attendance to my site (http://www.kenn.com/soccer/d3crowds.html).

[writered21]

Here are their crowds this year:


5/08/04 vs. California..............????
5/14/04 vs. San Diego...............3,877
5/15/04 vs. San Diego...............2,054
5/28/04 vs. Colorado Springs..........857
5/29/04 vs. Southern California.....3,886
6/12/04 vs. BYU.....................2,706
6/20/04 vs. Nevada (Wendover).........248
6/26/04 vs. California..............3,571
7/03/04 vs. Yakima..................2,908
7/09/04 vs. Boulder.................5,245


The USL site lists the 6/20 game as being played at something called the "Wendover Soccer Complex."



Blitzz average attendance

Year...Avg....Rank
2000...2,997..2nd
2001...1,471..5th
2002...2,235..2nd
2003..*4,227..1st


*Helped considerably by a doubleheader with the US Women that drew 19,584. Their average in other games was 2,307.

In 2000, 16 of 24 A-League teams drew under 2,997 per game.
In 2001, 4 of 21 A-League teams drew under 1,471 per game.
In 2002, 8 of 18 A-League teams drew under 2,235 per game.
In 2003, 14 of 19 A-League teams drew under 4,227 per game. 9 of 19 drew under 2,307.

Kenn and his facts - blowing up unsubstantiated and ludicrous points of view all over this bitch.

[writered21]

Here are their crowds this year:


5/08/04 vs. California..............????
5/14/04 vs. San Diego...............3,877
5/15/04 vs. San Diego...............2,054
5/28/04 vs. Colorado Springs..........857
5/29/04 vs. Southern California.....3,886
6/12/04 vs. BYU.....................2,706
6/20/04 vs. Nevada (Wendover).........248
6/26/04 vs. California..............3,571
7/03/04 vs. Yakima..................2,908
7/09/04 vs. Boulder.................5,245



It surely couldn't have helped if they played the same club on back-to-back nights. I realize there are travel issues involved for some clubs in an attempt to get as many games for the dollar as you can, but you have to wonder if the second game wouldn't have been better attended had it been somewhere else in the schedule.

[kenntomasch]

Kenn and his facts - blowing up unsubstantiated and ludicrous points of view all over this bitch.

Actually, I provided those numbers just to check, and they actually substantiated what rabble-rabble said (except for the "stable" part, I guess). The Blitzz have usually been among the third division leaders in attendance, and they have outdrawn some A-League teams on average.

As for the back-to-backs, yeah, I agree with you. But there's simply no other way to do it, with D3 economics being what they are.

[texgator]

Does he Askinas really think that Checkett's first priority is to run over and make nice with the minor league team in town?? You think maybe he's had more pressing matters to attend to? Or maybe he is waiting for you to contact him.....bottom line, Askinas, you need to appease him more then he needs to appease you. MLS is coming....and there isn't anything you can do about it. I'm just guessing here, but 90% of your loyal fanbase...and by looking at the numbers Kenn provided thats around 2,000 people....are going to jump ship and become MLS loyal fans. Good luck, but the USL brass would be making a serious error in judgement if they let you move up to A League at this point. Sorry, bad things happen to good soccer teams all the time.

[IASocFan]

Maybe the Blitzz and SLC teams need to work on a development PDL team to compete with the Fire reserves, Boulder Rapids, Kansas City Brass, etc.

[writered21]

Couldn't the Blitzz do what the Northern Virginia Royals do on occasion here and just play before the [Utah team name here] on matchdays? Maybe it wouldn't be the best strategy, but it may get them in front of a good amount of fans on a regular basis.

[writered21]

Actually, I provided those numbers just to check, and they actually substantiated what rabble-rabble said (except for the "stable" part, I guess). The Blitzz have usually been among the third division leaders in attendance, and they have outdrawn some A-League teams on average.

As for the back-to-backs, yeah, I agree with you. But there's simply no other way to do it, with D3 economics being what they are.

Aye. It was more of an appreciation for your overall commitment to research.

[VioletCrown]

Couldn't the Blitzz do what the Northern Virginia Royals do on occasion here and just play in place of the [Utah team name here] on matchdays?

Fixed your post.

(Yep. I'm taking a cheap shot at all DC's injuries)

[blitzzfan]

I think it was late 2000 or 2001 when Chris Agnello told a group of us that the list of goals included winning the D3 championship, moving up to the A League, winning it, and eventually moving up to MLS.

Rochester will probably blaze the A League to MLS trail.

Chris and his partners have kept the Blitzz intact against heavy odds. I don't think his entrepenourial and competitive spirit is withering now. He has always tried to win the championship. Where others may have been content to "do their best" Chris has cut players and brought in new ones midseason.

I don't think he would be happy being a reserve team. (never talked to him about it; only observation)

Maybe DC and NV have a different relationship but I don't think reserve teams are being used at all in MLS. Has anyone gone from the OC Bluestar to the Galaxy? from Boulder to the Rapids? from the Fire Reserves to the Fire?

[prk166]

Ya, I would think the Blittz would need to move. The market in SLC seems to small to support two soccer teams.