"Emerald City Supporters" Look Forward in Seattle

[sounderfan]

The Seattle Sounders fan site http://SounderCentral.com has introduced a new logo for Seattle Supporters and has switched its focus away from the "orca" and toward the "Emerald City." The ECS name will be applicable to the Sounders forever, and also to any new MLS Seattle side, regardless of the name that possible club might choose.

http://soundercentral.com/2005/StandUP/ECS-JPG.jpg

We have called ourselves "Emerald City Supporters" for a few seasons. Now the name is being pushed to the forefront. The advertising we are planning in local soccer pubs for early 2005 will contain "Emerald City" phrasing and Jolly Roger/Pirate themes as they appear in the 2005 Emerald City Supporters Store (http://www.cafepress.com/podgear).

http://soundercentral.com/gallery/albums/Alberta/Calgary_Trip_Part_Deux_002.jpg
A few Emerald City Supporters traveled north to Edmonton in 2004. They hung the ECS banner and watched the Sounders eek out a 1-0 victory in August.

[Chris_Bailey]

The Seattle Sounders fan site http://SounderCentral.com has introduced a new logo for Seattle Supporters and has switched its focus away from the "orca" and toward the "Emerald City." The ECS name will be applicable to the Sounders forever, and also to any new MLS Seattle side, regardless of the name that possible club might choose.

http://soundercentral.com/2005/StandUP/ECS-JPG.jpg

We have called ourselves "Emerald City Supporters" for a few seasons. Now the name is being pushed to the forefront. The advertising we are planning in local soccer pubs for early 2005 will contain "Emerald City" phrasing and Jolly Roger/Pirate themes as they appear in the 2005 Emerald City Supporters Store (http://www.cafepress.com/podgear).

http://soundercentral.com/gallery/albums/Alberta/Calgary_Trip_Part_Deux_002.jpg
A few Emerald City Supporters traveled north to Edmonton in 2004. They hung the ECS banner and watched the Sounders eek out a 1-0 victory in August.

Does anyone else feel that the Seattle board has become some sort of online journal space for sounderfan?

[Mad Hattah]

when you go to there site there is a lady with a british accent welcoming you... all i can is... why???

anyway, what's up with this emerald city stuff? when i hear emerald city, i think wizard of oz...

[sounderfan]

when you go to there site there is a lady with a british accent welcoming you... all i can is... why???

anyway, what's up with this emerald city stuff? when i hear emerald city, i think wizard of oz...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emerald_City

http://ijcai.org/past/ijcai-01/seattle-emerald.htm
http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Hills/3824/emeraldcity.html
http://www.seattlegag.com/Seattle.htm
http://www.beautifulseattle.com/
http://www.emeraldcityrotary.org/
http://www.emeraldcitysoftball.org/default.cfm
http://www.emeraldcityguitars.com/
http://www.seattleroundup.com/
http://www.speakeasy.org/~ecf/
http://www.emeraldcitycomicon.com/
http://www.emeraldcityaikido.com/
http://www.seeseattle.org/
http://www.lifeadventures.com/seattle.htm
http://www.emeraldcitytattoo.net/
http://seattle.only-monday.net/home.php
http://www.emeraldcityfilms.com/welcome.htm
http://www.emeraldcityportraits.com/


and the list goes on and on...

Where have you been? Seattle even has a copyright on the phrase "Seattle, the Emerald City."

http://www.emeraldcitycomicon.com/img/y3art.jpg

[sounderfan]

Does anyone else feel that the Seattle board has become some sort of online journal space for sounderfan?

In my ever-hopeful crusade to keep the "Seattle talk" alive I have often over-posted here and elsewhere. Later on I will return to the nearest streetcorner and, wearing raggedy clothes and reaking of starbucks lattes, will shout "football is god" to startled onlookers, who will assume that I am the world's biggest Seahawks fan.

Or not.

[nyrmetros]

When will the Emerald City Supporters and Timbers Army get it on already ???

[dmain]

When will the Emerald City Supporters and Timbers Army get it on already ???

Does telling them to go F themselves count? :D

[thepundit]

seems like we washingtonians abandoned the cause when we discovered that our efforts to bring an MLS team to Seattle have returned little fruit.

[Goodsport]

Why did they switch their focus away from the "orca"? :(


-G

[sounderfan]

Why did they switch their focus away from the "orca"? :(


-G

The Sounders club also dropped some "orca" usage in 2003, when the club went from the A-League logo:

http://www.jerryremy.com/LogoServer/Soccer/SeattleSounders.GIF

Back to the NASL logo:

http://www.jerryremy.com/LogoServer/Soccer/SeattleSounders03.GIF

The main reason was to see if a refocusing as we approach 2005 would bring more ADULTS into our supporters section at matches. Aligning yourself with "Sammy Sounder" the Orca whale is fine and good, but our section usually had 12-20 adults drinking beer and trying to chant, and 25-30 kids swarming us asking for balloons and a chance to bang the drum!

A name refocusing alone won't make much difference, but perhaps our planned outreach to local soccer pubs will reap a harvest for the "Emerald City."

PS: Orca fan gear is still available as we make the "transition."
http://www.cafepress.com/sounderspod

[sounderfan]

seems like we washingtonians abandoned the cause when we discovered that our efforts to bring an MLS team to Seattle have returned little fruit.

Sadly true.

The real truth of today's Seattle Sounders is this, though:

1. Competitive, entertaining team.
2. Great place to watch a match (Qwest Field)
3. Lots of pubs/restaurants nearby.
4. Cheap tickets: $17, $12
5. Intense rivalries with P*rtland and Vancouver.
6. "Emerald City Supporters" offer a rowdier section for fans who want to drink a bit, chant a lot, and do the "international footy supporters" thing.

What more can we ask for than that?

[Mattbro]

http://soundercentral.com/gallery/albums/Alberta/Calgary_Trip_Part_Deux_002.jpg

You know, I've never placed much stock in the "Poor A-League attendance = poor MLS expansion attendance" theory, but this picture is making me reconsider.

:D

[sounderfan]

You know, I've never placed much stock in the "Poor A-League attendance = poor MLS expansion attendance" theory, but this picture is making me reconsider.

:D

Then EDMONTON shouldn't get an MLS team, should they? That's where those hardy supporters in the posted pic above traveled to, some 1400+ miles round trip from Seattle.

Here's a Seattle-LA Galaxy match, in SEATTLE:

http://soundercentral.com/CupCrowd-7.jpeg

http://soundercentral.com/Aug27PodPics.htm

[Mattbro]

Here's a Seattle-LA Galaxy match, in SEATTLE:

http://soundercentral.com/CupCrowd-7.jpeg


Now show the rest of the stadium. :D

I'm just razzin' ya, dude. I'm as in favor of Seattle MLS as anyone.

[soupcan]

dropping "the pod" was smart...

using the skull looks like the southsiders of vancouver...


and, it looks like some timbers army posing... the whole "no equal" thing is similar to "no pity"...


I guess I dont get the need to try and be so european and compete with the numbers of the TA.

The TA could take the Pod in a fight, based on pure numbers, but the other 3,000 or so at the game that dont sit or stand in rowdy section 13 shouldnt be ignored.

People act like the only people that go to Sounder games are the few in the pod, and that just isnt true.

have fun.

[nyrmetros]

Why can't the ECS just recruit the dregs of society from the local pubs and promise them a go with the TA and the Whitecaps hanger-on-ers ?

[sounderfan]

dropping "the pod" was smart...

using the skull looks like the southsiders of vancouver...


and, it looks like some timbers army posing... the whole "no equal" thing is similar to "no pity"...


I guess I dont get the need to try and be so european and compete with the numbers of the TA.

The TA could take the Pod in a fight, based on pure numbers, but the other 3,000 or so at the game that dont sit or stand in rowdy section 13 shouldnt be ignored.

People act like the only people that go to Sounder games are the few in the pod, and that just isnt true.

have fun.


The Southsiders are just now working on an official logo. They put a Jolly Roger flag on their website last year. I'v actually talked with them about this. Two seafairing clubs with seafairing names will naturally have a bit of crossover. Many people have heard of Seattle's "Seafair Pirates." It's a part of our culture in the Emerald City.

As for "No Equal," of course it was a direct shot at the TA. But I think it also sounds good as an overall on-field goal. I mean, what should we chose, "Hoping to be Equal?" :)

As for numbers, I completely agree with you. ALL SOUNDERS FANS are important, and I don't want the same kind of divide that has occurred down south. I hope a few more fans who are standing supporters will also feel the desire to lead the rest of the crowd and even run through the aisles leading cheers occasionally.

We Sounders fans are in this together. We love our team.

[GMan Eric]

Soupcan:
I don't think there's any intent to "ignore" the rest of the fans. Your money's just as green as ours... and at this point in time, there's no club in the US or Canada that draws enough "hardcore" to where said "hardcore" can just go it alone with a "to hell" approach to everyone else. We support the same club, so that's good enough for me.

Skull & crossbones doesn't do anything for me one way or the other, but it (or just about anything else) is still a major improvement over "Pod".

I don't think its so much a matter of competing on the Euro-poseur scale with other supporter groups. It's just a matter of being more visible, louder, and bringing it on matchday for Sounders than anything else.

Metros:
Think most of the "dregs of society" here would rather just do a line or take a bong hit than be bothered with professional sports. Not that there's anything wrong with bong hits :D

I think the first thing is we have to establish some "street cred" so to speak. Losing the Pod name (about time) should help, if nothing else we don't have to make excuses for that anymore. It was lame and had to go, period. There's probably more than a few who refused to associate themselves in a group with a silly name like that.

[Allison A]

As for numbers, I completely agree with you. ALL SOUNDERS FANS are important, and I don't want the same kind of divide that has occurred down south.

What divide are you referring to? "Down south" usually refers to us here in Portland, but in this case, there is no divide in the Timbers Army, so either you're referring to someone else, or trying to create a divide that simply doesn't exist.

And our numbers continue to grow even off-season. Last night's gathering (we've had 3 in the past month alone) drew about 40, including some brand new faces who are sure to be in 107 when the season starts.

And not against the Sounders this year, by the way..

Good luck growing the group this year, though. Rivalry is a good thing, no matter how much we hate each other's guts.. :)

[sounderfan]

And our numbers continue to grow even off-season. Last night's gathering (we've had 3 in the past month alone) drew about 40, including some brand new faces who are sure to be in 107 when the season starts.

And not against the Sounders this year, by the way..

Good luck growing the group this year, though. Rivalry is a good thing, no matter how much we hate each other's guts.. :)

[P*rtland content on this thread]

That's funny, I don't think this is the "P*rtland Supporters" thread. (rolls eyes)

We've known FOR MONTHS that the Sounders were not opening with Portland.

As for the "divide," just ask the more casual Timbers fans about that.
They look on in amusement and sometimes embarassment at TA antics, happy to be sitting far enough away, and sure that they are considered "lesser fans" for it. At least that's what my new Step-father from McMinnville says...

We draw so few fans in Seattle that we hope to avoid this kind of thing. Of course we also all sit together on one side of a giant stadium. So we have had to "tone it down" many times.

This is part of why the TA gets a bad reception up here. We all sit together, soccer moms, kids, supporters...and when you guys show up it ruffles the feathers of the "mom and pop" crowd.

[/P*rtland content on this thread]