If anyone knows Citizen Kane, they'll know that cheering for the Union is a lot like this gif. "He's writing a bad notice. I guess that'll show you."
Finally...this thread However, as I mentioned in the Fire Earnie thread, the problem with Sugarman selling is that there's a fair chance the buyer is one of the groups shut out from this round of expansion who sees the Union as a chance to get MLS to their city another way. So be careful what you wish for here.
MLS is not letting anyone move a team out of the 4th largest media market that has their own stadium with a lease that lasts 22 more years.
Sure they would - if the perception of the team and ownership is that of a boat anchor holding back the league's overall growth. And what value has this 4th largest media market provided to the league really? For the most part, very few people here care about the Union, both in the traditional media, and in social media. I guarantee you the Philly market isn't bringing in significant eyeballs to nat'l MLS broadcasts, certainly not in proportion to their status as 4th largest market. Would I bet money that the team gets sold and moved? No. But do I think there's a possibility of it happening with a dozen groups out there willing to drop $200M plus on an expansion team when Sugarman et al only had to pay $30M plus a piece of a long-term ill advised stadium? Sure.
******** man, I'm fine with this team moving if we had a new ownership come in that wants to start fresh.
I think you're looking at this wrong. The value of the market is very high. The reason it hasn't delivered is the product delivered by this ownership group. If you look back to the first games, the second and third year, this was a tough ticket. You definitely to not trade Philadelphia, with a stadium and a huge market, for any other city on the expansion list. It's an ownership problem, not a market problem. Another thing relative a potential move, its harder now that there's real connection to the region. The training facility, the academy, and Steel FC make a move more complicated.
He's been offered a plan to sell but declined. I honestly don't have any more details than that but it was from a solid source
As much as I agree that we need new ownership, there is no way Sugarman would sell now. Not with the potential growth that is expected to continue to come to MLS in the next 5-10 years. Someone has to to come in last place, and I'm sure Sugarman has no problem with it being us as long as his initial investment value continues to increase (which it is). Sure, sprinkle a "winning" season in every 3-4 years to make it seem like you care, but as long as the value continues to increase, he is not going anywhere and neither is this team!
Lots of empty seats last night. I give them a pass for the first game since it was freezing. But last night should have been packed. All those sweet concession stand revenues dropping...
I thinking of just going up and buying tickets at the door. It's not a good business model when folks can buy tickets at a moment's notice to the game.
I would love to see Sugarman go...He's always been distant from the club and has never shown interest (with the exception of a brief cameo after firing Sak). It was a spit in the face from day 1 that he was allowed to own the franchise. That said, MLS is currently set up in a way that if you have a good coach you can be successful with a limited payroll. We have an awful coach though so there is really no hope. I'm surprised at Earnie. For a man described as ruthless, his handling of Curtin and willingness to settle for mediocrity is pathetic.
Best case scenario is maybe the next CBA opening the floodgates a bit and Jay can't keep up with the new spending demands in the league, so he has no choice but to sell.
If the other ownership in MLS sees the Union holding the league back or giving it a bad image then they may make him sell (or buy him out). I've been trying to think of a way to speed that process up and the only thing I can come up with is open protest making it on TV or creative/unique enough it gets picked up outside regular sports coverage. Chants clear enough to make it onto the audio of the match would be hard to achieve and doubt they are going to let signs unfavorable to the ownership in the stadium. I did use duct tape to spell out "We Deserve Better" on the back of my founding member scarf shortly before Sak was fired. (I'm sure that was what did the trick.) My seats are close enough to the field that when there was a throw in along the sideline it showed up on TV. Of course we ended up winning the game so that alone tells you how long ago it was.
Cheese Fries ... you want us to be Chivas USAed? I need to find that photo of Mark Cuban with the Union jersey. Or maybe Huge Ackman will buy in.