Looks like the renewal emails and calls are going out. Who is in or who is out from the limited number of folks on here? I may be wrong but locking in the 2015 price for 2016 by Sept. 18th seems early to me. It's like they want to force renewals before folks know if we are in or out of the playoffs. The early renewal incentives seem somewhat lame.
Am I breathing? Then I'll be there next season. As long as I am alive and there's a team, I'll be a season ticket holder.
http://forums.bigsoccer.com/threads/summer-2015-transfer-window-jul-8-aug-6.2022008/page-13 Right now, I'm 50/50 based on the bullshit shenanigans that MLS pulls on a weekly basis. I want to support my local team. I don't have to. MLS might want to wake up to that fact and start treating all clubs equally.
Renewing but hoping we go down to NASL, kick some butt, win some trophies before coming back to MLS in 2018.
But would you normally? (I should probably go all JuveChelsea here and tie your purchase decision to the perceived rate of return on season tickets as compared to annualized returns for investors in a Nikkei index fund)
Yes. Love the sport too much and the cost relative to the value I derive from it makes it an ideal investment (working along the lines of the perceived rate of return).
I can't buy tickets for a team that has been designated as one of the sparring partners of the better darling teams of MLS. Parity my a$$. I am not getting season tickets in 2016. Sorry, I'm the worst fan, I know. Buying season tickets sends the message that I'm OK with a mid-table team whose goal is to make the playoffs each year. The truth is, there aren't bad seats at the stadium. You get to meet nice people everywhere, so no need to buy season tickets. Wait, there ARE bad seats. Club seats are the worst. That's where many people go text and read their facebook page. PS 2006 and 2007 were MANY YEARS AGO, folks. It's all Galaxy and some other big spender from now onw.
I'm riding the fence on the price fix option. I don't see not renewing, but don't like the message it sends. Probably will vote with the pocketbook, but probably will be a disgruntled fan and bad press for the team. I'm sick of bringing people to matches and having to tell them how much better the product was at the Rob. It is just incredibly frustrating how badly they screwed the pooch once we got our own home. The SG's need to be higher in the bowl so they play over the field and get the stadium charged. You can't hear them in the good seats.
Not aiming this at you specifically, but I see a lot of whining around here the past two years about "the big spenders" (never mind that the Dynamo dropped $7 million to get Cubo Torres). The general logic going: you can't win if you aren't one of the big spenders. Then I look at the Supporters Shield race and see the top five sides at the moment: 1. D.C. United 2. Vancouver 3. LA Galaxy 4. FC Dallas 5. Sporting KC There is only one so-called "big spender" in that list. The big spender nonsense is a red herring that distracts people from what is really going on. In MLS, it is not how much you spend, it is what you do with it. The Galaxy win not because they are big spenders but because they are very good at building teams and then layering in big spending that makes them better. Nobody else has figured out that formula yet.
I'll add this on spending: best sport to look at from a spending perspective is baseball as it is the only major American sport that does not have a salary cap of some sort. End result, you get a massive disparity in team salary. Top spender this year is the LA Dodgers at $272 million. Bottom spender is Miami at $68 mil. LA and the New York Yankees are generally by far and away the biggest spenders. Typically there is a huge gap between them at the 3rd highest spender. Number of World Series appearances between the two teams since 2000? 4, all by the Yankees. Number of World Series titles? 2 Last year's World Series featured the 7th highest spending team and the 19th highest (whose payroll was less than half that of the Dodgers). Again, it's not what you spend, it is how you spend it.
I realize you like to keep your invite to Canetti's Labor Day cookout, but you know teams are getting better at spending their big money. As far as us and Cubo, you know that we didn't have somebody traveling abroad to bring us players until Jordan showed up in 2015, and the Cubo thing was delayed a semester to save money, and he came here as damaged goods having sat on the bench at Chivas and with a nasty accusation hanging over his head. LA Galaxy winning the Cup 3 times in the last four years is the best example that you can buy success (heck, for that matter, that's the same as EPL, right?). Teams are getting better at spending their megamillions. Gio Dos Santos is a great example. I typed more here: http://forums.bigsoccer.com/threads...dow-jul-8-aug-6.2022008/page-14#post-32778021
Never been to Canetti's labor day cookout party, have no clue where he lives, probably have spoken a maximum of 100 total words to him in my life. I don't cover the Dynamo, I have zero qualms about criticizing them and often have done so. I can understand the "woe is me" attitude if Kinnear was still in charge and we were doing the same thing as we did then. I like what the team is doing now, I see signs of improvement. Moreover, no I don't see teams getting better at spending their money. Like I said, LA is good at building a team. They are a special example. Show me another team that has been able to repeat that? Sure as hell isn't going to be NYCFC. Lampard can't even get on the pitch. Pirlo? Has moments of brilliance but generally the pace of MLS seems to be too much for him. Toronto? Can't get out of their own way? Seattle? Dysfunctional mess for the last few years. The Galaxy are class, but they would be regardless of how much money there are spending. They do a phenomenal job of building a deep team around their DPs and of developing talent from the Academy.
Just don't go Juve on me! Look, the problem right now is the Galaxy. EDIT: And what stings the most is that we share the same owners as the Galaxy!
I thought I saw you at Canetti's Halloween costume party last year. I rented a fat suit and went as Landin.
It will be interesting to see how the Supporters Shield race ends up at the end of the season. I think some teams suffered more than others this summer due to alot of players being away from their clubs during the various international tournaments.
Even though I somewhat cover the Dynamo. I have been there alongside y'all criticizing them. The only person that has shown fear when covering the team is Darrell and Dynamo Theory. One of them because he's paid to report, not to choose favorites. Nobody else and that includes Ortiz has been too "afraid" to criticize this team. I'll tell you this much, if you criticize the team...NOBODY IN THE FRONT OFFICE WILL BLACK LIST YOU. The only way you'll get weird looks is if you report false information as fact or personally attack people. This FO may have issues but freedom of speech is not one of them.
I must be. What the hell am I doing thinking that HOU would be treated the same as the "super clubs?"
How many league titles have Everton won in the last decade? I'm sorry for commenting. I probably shouldn't. :-/
I was going to mention the FA, League cup and Champions league but Leo had to be all specific with "leage titles." Jerk...