Didnt know that. I looked up information on him and couldnt find much that was telling, but assumed he didnt live here. Thanks.
A rising tide raises all boats. Soccer thrives with strong narratives. A local amateur team that made it to the MLS rounds is different from the Colorado Rapids IMO. DC United should be grateful for the marketing that the USOC game is receiving on the interwebs. A classy club would have just allowed the little banner and made jokes about it on social media. My brother and I brought the banner, by the way. We intended no harm nor foul - just some love for the local non-practicing team that has gets their league fees covered by a discount liquor store. DCU fans have loved to tell me, "Upper deck maaaan, you can't go there ya moron." Actually, when you don't sufficiently block the ramps to the top and have zero signage about the area being restricted, they can't remove people for walking up there - which is why they didn't remove us. CSC politely instructed us to to go hang the banner lower in the stadium. We complied immediately, we could have made a scene in the upper deck, we simply pulled down the 'pillow case' and then walked down to section 139. It was halftime when we attempted to place the banner on the exposed wall of the stands with the DC graphics on it. That's when the APEX lady aggressively said we couldn't put it there because we would block the view of others. Block the view of others? at halftime? hanging on area below railing that's already blocking the view? We then moved up ten yards and without even taping it asked, "Is this better to not block view?" She said, "No!" We then simply asked where we could put up our sign, she yelled "Nowhere." By this time there were multiple security guards approaching us and then she just started telling them that we have to go..."They're out, get them out." The security, both csc and apex proceeded to grab us with their hands for no reason to pull us out into the concourse where they began to tell us we would be put out of the stadium and not allowed to return. We asked politely to speak with club officials, or at least be taken through guest services since we didn't violate a single written policy. And no, the unspoken code that has resulted from dcu fans being sprayed with the mist bottle by the club and their hired security isn't an enforceable code unless it's in writing somewhere. Next up, we get tossed out of the stadium and then proceed to the main gate where we plead to see someone from the club. 15 minutes later two guys walk up in DCU polos and we tell them the story. They inform us that every single flag or banner in the stadium that night had prior approval from the front office - otherwise they would have been removed as well...(!). I noticed at least one Argentina flag that couldn't have possibly been approved which was hanging from the mezzanine level. So anyways, club reps let us know that we violated stadium policy with our banner and that's why we were removed. I checked their website and the policy very specifically indicates that banners and signs are allowed, but abnormally large banners require prior approval- you guys are in here making fun of the 'pillow case' ... was it an abnormally large pillow case or something? Then the braintrust conference begins outside the main gate between CSC, APEX, and DC officials. It takes them 20 minutes(after taking 15 minutes to assemble) to determine that they will confiscate the banner and walk us back in, but that we will be under close supervision. The club reps stood by their fictitious banner policy, even mentioning at one point that it is league wide. Clubs reps said something near the end of it like, "they probably shouldn't have kicked you out, but you did try to hang an unapproved sign." No apology, no evidence of 'policy' was presented, no remedy was offered. We were given the privilege to return in the 75th minute of the game once they took the sign from us, where we took our seats and watched the final third of uninspired, incompetent soccer as fans began to pour out of the quiet side in the 84th minute. What the hell kind of team treats paying customers like that. They didn't have to like us, but they did not manage the situation properly. You'd think we had a pro-ISIS pillow case or something. MLS= fake league, DC=incompetent edit: it's also probably worth noting that I attended Christos FC's first ever USOC game which was at Fredericksburg FC, where I just happened to sit with one of the guys who founded their club in 1997. He gave me the entire backstory and explained their club culture and why they believe in their club - their story is actually amazing. Then I made the banner and attended the Christos FC game at Richmond Kickers where they managed the upset and the banner made the richmond news. Couldn't make it to Chicago for their next game, but watched every minute. I'm not just a DC provocateur, I genuinely believe in the Christos organization because it's an organic club that cares about what makes soccer special, unlike DCU, whom I faithfully supported for 18 years before deciding that enough is enough. I don't hate them, I'm devastated by them. They've held back soccer in our region and they don't even care. People love saying, "well, they just don't have any money." Yeah, guys that buy Premiere League teams are usually strapped for cash.
Gee and I have said that my game day experience has gone down the last three years. I'm shocked to read this.
Thanks for taking the time to come here and clarify. You'll certainly find no shortage of complaints about the way DC and/or the league are trying to control the gameday experience. But I also hope you'll understand if the way it was reported rightly elicits an "Only I can talk about my mother that way," response. As you're obviously aware, MLS and DC United are making mistake after mistake in this arena, as the club has changed ownership and the league and sport have grown in popularity. Whether or not the supporter culture survives and in what form is really up to all of us, and it'll be stronger if we, up and down the pyramid, understand the issues we're all facing (and will all face in turn) and support each other. I'm glad you've found someone you can support with all your heart in Christos FC. A part of me is a little bit jealous, if I'm being honest. DC at one point or another has broken all our hearts. But as a supporter of a different club, calling DC classless and MLS a fake league because you ran into a problem trying to hang another club's sign in DC's stadium on gameday isn't constructive and does nothing to bind us together. Get banned for setting off a smoke bomb and we'll talk. I understand your frustration and confusion, and I'm sorry you missed some of the game because of it. Good luck to Christos FC. It's a great story and it sounds like a great club. I'm looking forward to an epic clash! Vamos United!
I guess you are joking, but to view soccer as a zero sum sport in America is just a bad philosophy. I know enough about DCU to know its just not a class organization. I tie that sentiment in with the whole throw out for banner thing, but ultimately it's much deeper than that for me. Selling the public on rendering 1(nice!), then moving forward with rendering 2(still sweet), and then actually locking down plans with rendering 3(Crew Stadium East) just really frustrates me. They are snake oil salesmen who have been using the stadium situation as a crutch, and meanwhile since 2010 Orlando City has formed a USL team, moved up to MLS, formed/helped form a new USL team in Louisville, formed a NWSL team, built a stadium, and formed another USL team. They scrapped their 20k stadium plans at the beginning of construction to accommodate 25,000 more seats. And I know, developing in DC is apparently more difficult than building a stadium on the moon, but that's not the overall point. There aren't any financial rules in MLS about upgrading practice facilities either. Why does DC United have a smaller than regulation size turf field surrounded by decrepit/rusty/rotting 'bleachers'? They surely can make it look a little bit less like a trash dump without any major redevelopment, right? Why is Olsen still the coach after 6 more or less fruitless years(Lewis Neal, USOC hero?) He coaches the team like he wants 11 Ben Olsens playing - you barely need one for a great team. Why does it feel like playing for DC United legitimately hurts the chance for players to get called into the USMNT. Why is DC's academy still pay to play(and expensive!) ??? Can anyone tell me about a 'homegrown' player that played more than two years for DC and wasn't just cherry picked from the surrounding area? How uninspired can even their jerseys be? They own the most iconic look in american soccer with the three bars across the chest and the away white with red shorts - why not revive the supposed 'tradition' ??? Now their practice facility solution is shaping up to be a joint thing with George Mason? Is that the best solution? Maybe, but probably not. They barely market the team in a meaningful way - they care predominantly about soccer moms and youth soccer tournaments(wondering why it was so full on Saturday? Because huge tournaments like the Potomac Tournament, The Virginian, etc had tons of tickets for participating teams). How is it that they mistreat their supporters groups so frequently without realizing that the hardcore supporters are why DCU hasn't already folded or relocated ??? You can hear Jason Levian give the same exact speeches in every place where he's owned a sports teams, "We care a lot about the community, we think x will help the team out a lot if we can get help to sort it out, I've always loved this team, blahblahblah" If Jason Levian is at the DC United vs Christos FC game I will eat my damn shoes. Unfortunately he will probably be too busy not giving a ******** about DC United and working out the logistics of his real estate project that is going to make him a bunch of money when he flips the team and leaves DC United locked into another 20+ years of stadium woes after 4 years of blissful ignorance.
You misspelled "stole someone else's team". Rawlins bought the Austin Aztex and shipped them off to Orlando.
Fair point - didn't form the first iteration from scratch, but still took decisive action towards delivering the maximum quality soccer experience to Orlando. I could be mistaken, but I think the Austin Aztecs were also already owned by Rawlins and they had only played two seasons, definitely not rooted into the ground there.
Pretty sure there's a long history of 1st amendment issues at RFK stretching back to the Redskin days given it's a publicly owned building. Without knowing that history (and not being a constitutional lawyer), I'm going to guess DCU's prior approval "policy" isn't exactly kosher. And if so, I have no clue how one would effectively exercise your constitutional rights here -- think the ACLU got involved in the past but without the attention the Redskins bring doubtful they or anyone else would be interested in contesting this in court.
RFK sits on federal land, so takes an act of congress to pass it back to DC to put a new stadium on it. Also I think there is verbage somewhere that I read that only a stadium can go on the spot of the footprint, cant remember if its because of a landmark, but something like that.
The site has been earmarked for parks and museums, but if the Redskins make a commitment they'll be awarded the RFK Stadium site to build the DannyDome.
I'd like to think I'm laying an egg every time I post something here. That sounded better in my head.
And let me add the topper to my list of why I will not be wasting my money on Season tickets to this white elephant called Audi Filed. I have had it up to here with this "Premium Season Ticket Members" BS. It's funny in 19 years with DC United there was never any segregation of season ticket holders. Then all of the sudden two years ago, some senior member of the FO either went to a seminar or talked to someone from the Nats/Redskins/Caps/Wizards and came up with the stupid idea of "Premium Season Ticket Members." Well let me be the first to explain this. Soccer fans are not baseball/football/basketball/hockey fans. You cannot treat soccer fans the same way you treat them. All this does is piss off a formerly very loyal block of fans. I am tired of "Premium Season Ticket Members" getting into the equipment sale first. I am tired of them getting to select seats at the new filed first. We are DC United we don't segregate our fans. So I will protest in the only way available to me. I will not give them my $1000 or so dollars. I might attend two or three matches, if I am in a good mood.
I took their survey but I will not give them my money. Oh and I posted my previous post all over the comments section on DC United's Facebook page.
That surveys means nothing. THey already know where people want to sit, NO WE DO NOT WANT FOOD AND BEER INCLUDED, WE WANT PARKING AND TAILGATE SPACE AND AN SUPPORTERS BAR AND SAFE STANDING! ugh.
Who's "We"? The only one of those 4 I actually would be upset about that is the tailgate space, but I'm a rational person and understand the limitations of an urban stadium.
Send out email with wrong dates today.....sent out survey without contact information yesterday, now same survey and put your contact information in....who the ef runs these damn interns over there? new question: Exclusive Member Incentive Do you believe your place of employment would consider D.C. United season tickets? If so, please provide us the contact information of the person we should speak with. If your company places a deposit for 2018 season tickets, you will receive a FREE D.C. United jersey! Prior to reaching out, we will connect with you to learn more. All fields must be completed to be eligible. Yes No Clearly they are struggling for STH
How can you you say they are clearly struggling for STHs when they haven't even gotten to us yet? You can't have purchased a non premium season ticket at this point. Maybe struggling for premium tix, sure.