Good lesson to young Harkes here. Get it together or we'll trade you to the Crew just like we did with your dad
Wow... so as far as that dumpster fire ref-ing... (I'll perhaps go 50/50 on the first penalty), but the plethora of cards and constant off sides called, and NOT called on the Columbus side, plus the blatant obvious hand ball by the Yellow Taxi Bus in the box around the 85th minute.. but I'll digress. Not impressed with our midfield corps choices. Sarvas has been getting his but handled to him, and Harkes looked like a complete deer in the headlights lost last night. Buscher, Vincent, Jeffrey et.. al... I am not seeing it happen. Ortiz had a friggin gift last night and completely screwed the pooch. Which leaves us with our other offensive corps weapons sub, Le Toux... why don't we just sign De Ro at this point again.. seriously... screams we are out of ideas. We're shambles right now as far as I am concerned. Just when Mullins starts getting warmed up, he takes an edge on our POS field and that's it. What is going on with that field it's been a disgrace that past 2 games. Heck at one point I saw some of the simple across midfield passes along the ground, and as the ball is rolling 20 feet to our player, it hits a hump, divot, dead frog, whatever and leapes 12 inches off the ground! WTF?! Looking like a wooden spoon out there.
Ok not to suggest there may be a vocabulary test coming up, but if you draw and then lose to teams considered to be mediocre, that makes you_________. . And if anyone still wonders why Birnbaum didn't get a call up from Arena, tape at 11.
I was thinking a lot about how few people were at the game. I was surprised -- it was supposed to rain, but still pretty out... An hour there was nobody at the tailgate. Like midweek CCL empty. Like 2013 empty. And we hadn't lost yet (and I'm certain most people in DC hadn't watched the NYCFC game.) I know there was no marketing at all, but even still... Is our "true fanbase" so eroded that absent college night or nice getting hammered weather people would just as soon not watch a game? I wondered. Then I saw the game. The product on the field seemed to fit the crowd. Maybe just as well nobody was there to see it... Is it so much to ask that our "last" year in RFK be a nice send off to the old place? Ugh.
It's sad all around. I see less DC United stuff around town, people post less about the team. DC blogs are ghost towns, with maybe 30 comments a match at most and of course UnitedMania is done. I spent the offseason wondering what was worth posting about, all while watching Portland, Atlanta and others making interesting choices.
Well there was all the basketball, but yeah you are right. But as Shawn said, it just isn't as fun any more (for me, it's the TSA like procedure to get into the game, plus the traffic gets worse every year - other people probably have different beefs). Also the youth soccer contingent wasn't out - for travel players, this is tournament month and for recreational players the season hasn't started yet (so there are no teams). Though I was just thinking the other day about how they used to have "Soccer Saturday" in lot 8, with human foosball, inflatable stuff and other activities for kids. Now that space is occupied by corporate stuff instead. That would be a function of marketing but yes, it's less fun for kids, too.
Agreed the TSA crap, the fact that most of the game day staff are grumpy and confrontational. The team store has gone way downhill. Food is still bad. Facts are I just don't have fun any more.
The frisk going into the stadium is not fun, but understandable given the times we live in. They have two lines at each entrance now, one for those with bags/satchels, the other for those without. It has been relatively painless going in, these last two games. I haven't met any staff who look like they're over-joyed to be there, but we haven't run into any grumpy staff, either. Most have been friendly to us. I haven't bought anything from the store in a long time. I used to go when they had team-worn stuff for sale right before Christmas, but anyone could get in, although you had to wait in line. And JH6* and JoeSoccerFan were always the first two in line. Since they changed it to season ticket holders only, I've been closed out, which is a pisser because we've had half-season tickets since 1997. The food is bad if you buy it at one of the regular food kiosks. WhoTF would even eat one of those awful gray hot dogs? However if you get pupusas, or carne asada from one of the vendors (up behind the 300-level seats), that is always prepared fresh, and is our go-to for food when we don't have the time, or inclination, to tailgate. I can't argue with the not having fun part. Except for the fact that we always see good friends there, we might have stopped going, especially after 2013. If the team doesn't improve this year, I could see us donating our tickets to DC Kicks (or whatever the charity is called), and use our parking pass to go tailgate with friends. *Whatever happened to JH6?
About the only food I can stand is the cheesesteaks. I seem to run into grumpy staff almost every game. Maybe it's me. Lol I would/will miss a few of my friends.
Has anyone actually had a hotdog lately? They're not grey and actually decent IMO. Not worth $5 of course but it's a stadium
They must have run out of rodents - or raccoons. But seriously, with Jose Andres involved in the food choices for Audi Field hot dogs might be a thing of the past.
I enjoy a good hotdog, but the key word there is good. A couple of (or three?) years ago, There was supposed to be a Ben's Chili Bowl kiosk at RFK, but damned if I could find it. (I think they tried it at one game, it was in an out of the way location, and they bailed.) No reason at all to give up on hotdogs, if they're prepared well, and have good toppings.