[Es Brennt]

Here are some reviews of Toyota Park

I do think that concession screw ups disproportionately affect people's game day experience and leave a lasting impression. The Fire REALLY needs to improve in that area.

Why aren't there more..umm..mobile vendors? Seat vendors? (What is the proper term for 'beer guy' or 'hot dog guy'?)

[Fussballer]

Originally Posted by Es Brennt

Here are some reviews of Toyota Park

I do think that concession screw ups disproportionately affect people's game day experience and leave a lasting impression. The Fire REALLY needs to improve in that area.

Why aren't there more..umm..mobile vendors? Seat vendors? (What is the proper term for 'beer guy' or 'hot dog guy'?)

In Munich, they have a guy with a tank of "near" beer (alcohol is verboten at Bundesliga matches) on his back that comes to your seat.

[Fussballer]

The Fire's problem the last few years has been a lack of a marketable talent to the public. I'm sorry but the team last year was just plain dull with a few exceptions of Mapp and Pickens. Bring in a quality player in his prime and people will start to show up. We've had plenty in the past (Boca, Beas, Ralph) but they got too good for our own good. Looking at the line-up for this year, I still see the same drabness as last year. Will signing Blanco help? Maybe but given his lackluster performance this year in the Mexican league which has less talent than MLS, I don't have much hope.

[murtaugh]

Originally Posted by Es Brennt

Here are some reviews of Toyota Park

I can't comment on things like seating and concessions because frankly I don't use those things at the stadium (other than to stand on, or buying an occasional pop at the half) but the distance thing gets on my nerves.

Yes, it's not downtown Chicago, but it's not 'nowhere' either. It's 71 blocks south and 70 blocks west of State and Madison, not 35 miles away in Naperville or Arlington Heights or whatever. The ride on the shuttle bus from the orange line takes 10 minutes or less, at the most 15 if there is serious traffic on Cicero. It's not 'a mile' from the shuttle bus stop to the gate, you walk across the east lot - though there should be no reason the shuttle couldn't drop closer, once the restaurants and retail go up in between it may not seem as odd. My experience that it takes about 45min door to door from the loop to the stadium on public transit. There's also the Globe Bus for Northsiders who may have a legit public transport beef - and yes there probably should be at least one more bar that runs this service.

It's not ideal if you're looking for a place you can wander into 10 minutes before a match. But it also doesn't require a few days of advance planning like going to Naperville.

[dustbin]

Originally Posted by Fussballer

The Fire's problem the last few years has been a lack of a marketable talent to the public. I'm sorry but the team last year was just plain dull with a few exceptions of Mapp and Pickens. Bring in a quality player in his prime and people will start to show up. We've had plenty in the past (Boca, Beas, Ralph) but they got too good for our own good. Looking at the line-up for this year, I still see the same drabness as last year. Will signing Blanco help? Maybe but given his lackluster performance this year in the Mexican league which has less talent than MLS, I don't have much hope.

I think the run up to the Open Cup Final and the Final itself was very exciting. I wish they would play like that through the whole season.

[SparkeyG]

As much as I love you Peter, shouldn't be all wrapped up and handed over to Guppy? You can only pontificate from afar. Does John know of this type of problem? Does he have a reaction bigger than a sound bite? Everything I've experienced about him is that he is responsive to the fans in private but it never gets out to us in general. And by extension, I don't think he has a finger on the pulse of the dedicated fan or fan to be in ReynaFan's case.

[krolpolski]

Originally Posted by Peter Wilt

"Fire's efforts/Personal exposure to team" i read an article from the first year of Soccer America more than 25 years ago where SJ Earthquakes GM Dick Berg stated that the best way to make a soccer fan was to expose a person to a player through an autograph signing, clinic or social gathering. The second best way was to expose a person to a coach, the third best way was to have direct contact between a person and a staff member. Soccer has always worked the direct connection very well. It's more difficult in a larger city to be as effective with this than in a smaller city. The Chicago Fire has generally done very well connecting with the youth market, but in recent years hasn't done as much connecting the players with fans in the city and specifically with the young adult market we're talking about. Better efforts need to be done to connect the Fire with young urban fans of soccer. This involves consistent guerilla marketing at music clubs, bars, restaurants, adult soccer organizations, colleges, social networking groups, partnerships with the Reader, New City, Red Eye, on the el, in parks, at gyms, viral marketing etc.

Two points: Back in the days of the Sting, there was an annoucement at the end of the game at which bar the team would be drinking at so you could go and chat with guys. It was a nice way to feel connected to the team.

With regard to the youth experience, a suggestion: My kids were in the wonderfully-run Fire Soccer Camps last year. Since it was branded with the Fire name, I expected that perhaps someone from the club might show up sometime during the week to interact with the kids.

But these camps are a seperate company that import Brits for the summer to go from town to town running the camps. The kids do get free tickets to a game (with the purchase of an adult ticket). But that's the extent of the Fire involvement. Which seems like a missed opportunity.

It seems like a no-brainer to send a player or two once to each of these camps (a few weeks in a row in the same four or five towns in Illinois). The perfect time to really fire up these kids would be on the last day (Fridays) when the kids "graduate" and have Fire players pass out the certificates and pose for pictures and sign autographs. Heck, the new WUSA team could send their players too, as these are co-ed camps.

My kids are 6 and 9 and they love Chris Rolfe and Justin Mapp (probably because dad keeps telling them to watch how they play so they will emulate them). I can tell you, if they met them in person, they'd never forget it for the rest of their lives.

Heck, the Storm sets up a table after each game so kids can get autographs.

It doesn't take a lot to get these kids hooked for life. Conversely, I'm amazed at how many of the kids I coach in park district soccer have never been to a Fire game. I know the Fire offer group sales tickets to park district leagues but I don't know how you can get the horse to drink the water.

[Super Sting]

Two points: Back in the days of the Sting, there was an annoucement at the end of the game at which bar the team would be drinking at so you could go and chat with guys. It was a nice way to feel connected to the team.

With regard to the youth experience, a suggestion: My kids were in the wonderfully-run Fire Soccer Camps last year. Since it was branded with the Fire name, I expected that perhaps someone from the club might show up sometime during the week to interact with the kids.

But these camps are a seperate company that import Brits for the summer to go from town to town running the camps. The kids do get free tickets to a game (with the purchase of an adult ticket). But that's the extent of the Fire involvement. Which seems like a missed opportunity.

Kropolski, I know what you mean. When I was a kid the Sting camps would actually have players come out. Ok maybe not KHG but I remember Steve Long, Rudy Glenn, Obed Arari (sp), John Tyma playing with us. If my memory serves me correct Obed and Tyma came to a YMCA soccer clinic. Thus it wasn't even an official Sting clinic. Too bad Stoichkov is not around anymore. I would tell my son to go for his shins. My kid was at the same Fire camp and yes it is a bunch of British college student types, who have all played for various teams in England , Like Dingleberry United.

Whenever I have been to video game events all the players are extremely nice and great with kids. Dema, Nate, and Dasan, being some of the friendliest. Guess who was the least friendly to kids?

I have been saying this for years now, the Fire won't get any better until AEG is gone. I know there are a bunch of AEG suckasses on this board who believe AEG has been a godsend for soccer, but until we get an owner whose number one priority is the team we will wallow in sub-mediocrity.

Back to original post Kropolski, I don't how old you were during the Sting, but I was at the age of my son I went to games from the ages of 6-16 As a kid I used to get geeked for Sting games. Some times I have to drag my son or take a friend with because he is not that excited to go. He keeps saying "Dad, why couldn't these idiots get red seats?"

[murtaugh]

Originally Posted by SparkeyG

As much as I love you Peter, shouldn't be all wrapped up and handed over to Guppy? You can only pontificate from afar. Does John know of this type of problem? Does he have a reaction bigger than a sound bite? Everything I've experienced about him is that he is responsive to the fans in private but it never gets out to us in general. And by extension, I don't think he has a finger on the pulse of the dedicated fan or fan to be in ReynaFan's case.

I agree, these sentiments need to be communicated to JG via email, or better yet, written letter to him directly. It's not terribly hard to reach him and these kind of things should get in front of his eyes.

[ReynaFan]

I certainly don't want this to turn into a bitch session. I'd like to keep exploring how and why fans become and stay emotionally attached to a team.

A couple of things I've thought about. I grew up lovng my university teams, attended, and solidified my emotional allegiance, regardless if they won 2 football games last year.

With the national team, I guess it's the complete awesome of the WC, the rivalry with Mexico, and national pride.

Then I began thinking about other franchises in Chicago.
Cubs-such a long storied history that "loving" them now is cool thing. There are grown men whose grandfathers took them as children. People are waiting to say I supported them for 'X' number of years while they sucked. There are fans of the Cubs all across the nation. Fire have no time to waste when it comes to putting a quality product on the field.
Bears-close to the Cubs, but there doesn't seem to be a "it's ok to suck" aspect. Again, Fire are nowhere near this level of devoted fans in Chicago, much less around the nation.
Bulls-went from zero to dynasty b/c of great drafts of young talent that stayed with the team. This allows fans to bond with these players over the course of whole careers as they improve and become legitimate contenders. After, the Bulls seem to have suffered a decline, but Skiles and some young talent seem to be replcating that model. This is why I'm against signing these just passed the peek performers. If the identfiable names rotate every 3 years, there's no identity, no bond, no remembering a player for years as a catalyst for creating a team/team identity (Ditka, Jordan, Sandberg).
Blackhawks-????I won't even pretend to have a clue.

So the question is what does all of this mean for the Fire?

Peter, The 'we' was referring to me and my wife. sorry