DC United front office, or lack thereof

Discussion in 'D.C. United' started by NattyBo, Apr 23, 2015.

  1. Winoman

    Winoman Drinkin' Wine Spo-De-O-De!

    Jul 26, 2000
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
     
  2. griffin1108

    griffin1108 BigSoccer Supporter

    Dec 5, 2003
    Virginia
    Same here, mine was fine.
     
  3. shawn12011

    shawn12011 Member+

    Jun 15, 2001
    Reisterstown, MD
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Me too.

    That still does not mean it was not amateur hour.
     
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  4. Hedbal

    Hedbal Member+

    Jul 31, 2000
    DC
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    United has sent an email apology.
     
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  5. shawn12011

    shawn12011 Member+

    Jun 15, 2001
    Reisterstown, MD
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States

    Only to those whose grammar was bad...................
     
  6. NicktheGreek

    NicktheGreek Member+

    Feb 15, 2001
    Clicking on the picture of Mr Roche takes you deeper.
     
  7. Hedbal

    Hedbal Member+

    Jul 31, 2000
    DC
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Oops
     
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  8. BBBulldog

    BBBulldog Moderator
    Staff Member

    Jun 25, 2004
    Dinamo Zagreb
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    Croatia
    Lol that's what I'm saying, those are their official plans in motion. Single point of contact, single clean group... for home as well as away (which is why Roy from FO was calling all the other teams to only sell away tickets to SE few weeks ago till shitstorm broke out over that too). I'm just saying there are still groups resisting this, and more than 10, 12 years ago when it was just DC and Chicago. For all their faults, Payne's FO knew to tell MLS to mind their own business. the moment they slipped and let some nerd in NYC (who's currently running some kids league in NJ after ********ing a lot of stuff up) start dictating what to do is when it started going downhill.

    (As far as pre-2004, I have never received any evidence of anything that was that crazy, my first game in 2004 was probably saddest atmosphere I ever saw in my life :p I used to argue with Chico about this all the time, he'd be talking about some crazy atmosphere in 90s and I'm like too bad you guys had no camera to take 1 pic so you can show me that mr rose colored glasses :p But that's neither here or there hehe)
     
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  9. BBBulldog

    BBBulldog Moderator
    Staff Member

    Jun 25, 2004
    Dinamo Zagreb
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    Croatia
    Somewhat (hey I'm trying to imitate some american customs if anything). To me it's question of control and trust. If DU has some tickets then we can resell them for lower than club would. DU single game tickets in new stadium would go for 25 so our peeps that can't afford season tickets or work weekends so it doesn't make sense for them can get in... at least some. I just never asked for it till several weeks ago (still no answer) because so many other questions about game day remained unanswered. For us it was just important to break even at the end of the year. Does that make sense?

    lol that was my doing. Oscar made a mistake of getting me in conference call with Payne and Zack and I was like no chance, we're not putting up sponsor jersey, go to SE. So they went to SE and I guess that convo went different (it also did me no favors with those 2 later on as DU haha)

    Look, I don't pretend to not be difficult. If you're a square like FO leadership that's there to put in their 40 or whatever hours a week and collect a paycheck before next gig I wouldn't want to deal with my ass either.

    "Hi DU, we're giving all groups $500, you want?" "Don't want your money but you're welcome to buy 25 scarves and give them to players. We deliver."

    "Hi DU, you're gonna have to get all your tifo inspected and submit proposal for or you can't do it" "Noone sees our tifo beforehand. I'm a grown man that in 100 displays never did anything inappropriate (baring message banners that can be brought in past security anyway), if you'd like to see it beforehand come help us make it - easy solution. Otherwise guess SE are gonna do tifo."

    "Hi DU, give me names of who lit up smoke" "We don't give out people's names, use your cameras"

    "Hi DU, sign these papers about not lighting smoke at games." "Nah"

    "Hi DU, we want you to make exclusive clothing line..." "Go to SE with that."

    "Hi DU, we are sending you heineken guy, he'd like to be your sponsor" "Ultras groups don't have sponsors, that's just silly. Go to SE with that."

    That's some of my convos over years 9Events DC and RFK ones were even better with grass burning banners, flagpole weapons and sarine gas filled balloons - then DCU went and hired the guy that contrived all these tinfoil hat theories as their stadium expert). So yea, I guess I'm pain in the ass, but I'm also predictable. You'll get 90 mins of support in any condition, as long as you don't micromanage. And if you have highest priced supporter tickets in league we'll call you out on it. It's kinda simple. Let people that know atmosphere do atmosphere and you do... I don't know, win some games and sell some tickets? Too hard?

    SE got scared by FO telling them that FO will organize support themselves if they don't get in line. The same that FO can't send a ********in email right. C'mon.
     
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  10. EdTheRed

    EdTheRed Member+

    Feb 6, 2001
    Loose On The Town
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    Cook Islands
    Boca and River are actually clubs run by their members. The supporters' groups contro
    To be fair, the Heineken guy went to BB, presumably 'cuz the SEs already had beer sponsors. :D
     
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  11. BBBulldog

    BBBulldog Moderator
    Staff Member

    Jun 25, 2004
    Dinamo Zagreb
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    Croatia
    Oh that was few months ago for AF, not old sponsorship thing. That was through some other venue, not FO I think, tho same thing. C'mon now, we can buy our own keg and make it different stuff every game, don't need your green shit plastered around. No FO, or sponsor handout ever comes for free. they didn't get rich by writing charity checks :D
     
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  12. NicktheGreek

    NicktheGreek Member+

    Feb 15, 2001
    Sal the Drum Man was all the added atmosphere a winning team needed. And nothing tops him running on field to choke the ref or ever will.
     
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  13. JeremyEritrea

    JeremyEritrea Member+

    Jun 29, 2006
    Takoma Park, MD
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Pre 2004 was nuts. Chico was right, the atmosphere from around '98 until the early '00s whas nuts.
     
  14. roadkit

    roadkit Greetings from the Fringe of Obscurity

    Jul 2, 2003
    Fornax Cluster
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I appreciate the atmosphere the SG's bring to MLS matches, but I choose not to be a member, nor would I ever want the SG's to run the show or exert influence that would impact my ability to enjoy the game.
    If MLS SG's ever trended into the sort of territory you describe, I would be for having them banned entirely. YMMV.
     
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  15. song219

    song219 BigSoccer Supporter

    Apr 5, 2004
    La Norte
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    Vanuatu
    My thought on this is that it would have gone as well as US Soccer's attempt to start a supporters group if anyone remembers that.
     
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  16. JG

    JG Member+

    Jun 27, 1999
    Goals! Goals! Goals! For the D, C, and U!
     
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  17. DC Braveheart

    DC Braveheart Member

    D.C. United
    Scotland
    Jan 2, 2001
    Oak Hill, VA
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    Scotland
    Props to the Barra for bringing it at the Plex on Saturday. The SE's were notably absent apart from their banner.
     
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  18. hokie_tarheel

    hokie_tarheel New Member

    DC United
    United States
    Jul 10, 2017
    Lots to unpack here for a non-SG fan. But, it seems like it may be a pretty good window into why things went off the rails. I admire your principles. But, oftentimes being principled has a cost.
     
  19. shawn12011

    shawn12011 Member+

    Jun 15, 2001
    Reisterstown, MD
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States

    But the SE's were the "Official" Supports Group!!!
     
  20. fatbastard

    fatbastard Member+

    Aug 1, 2003
    Lincoln (ish), Va
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    No-one really "brought it" out there - that was the most boring crowd I've seen yet at the Soccerplex - usually when I get in late I have to fight for a good spot on the rail but no one was there so I just stood off to the side and minded my own business most of the game. I really expected better out of the SE area - I didn't end up going into the crowd there at all, just visited with folks behind the sections.
    It was nice to see folks I hadn't seen since October :)

    The beginning of the snow got more of a loud crowd reaction than at any other point in the game until the 97th minute.


    Did I miss a team store? Or really any noticeable Front Office presence - didn't notice anyone trying to sell season tickets or anything.

    The beer line(s) was laid out by someone who had obviously never sold products to the public before.
     
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  21. Hedbal

    Hedbal Member+

    Jul 31, 2000
    DC
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I never saw a beer line:(, but the hot chocolate line was intimidatingly long.
     
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  22. fatbastard

    fatbastard Member+

    Aug 1, 2003
    Lincoln (ish), Va
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    The beer line was on the opposite side of the stands from the hot chocolate line - I guess they were afraid to cross streams and not have each on both sides :) Beer was part of the Famous Dave's tent.
     
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  23. griffin1108

    griffin1108 BigSoccer Supporter

    Dec 5, 2003
    Virginia
    Well, the Spirit were selling tickets -- so at least one professional team had a presence. First thing I noticed was no beer garden, but considering how fcuking cold it was, I really was in the mood for bourbon. After the first half, I was contemplating something much stronger.
     
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  24. NicktheGreek

    NicktheGreek Member+

    Feb 15, 2001
    The TV view of the stands showed them to be less packet in the first half and after the restart enough room in places to swing a cat. Just a wag from the TV but 75% remained at the end. I did see Talon strolling along, so someone of some import from the team was there
     
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  25. Winoman

    Winoman Drinkin' Wine Spo-De-O-De!

    Jul 26, 2000
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Although, why anyone would want to swing a cat. I'll never understand.

    [​IMG]
     
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