well, based on all the comments I've heard all season I can personally say that everybody is a little right on all the reasons why our attendance went down. I've heard everything everyone has said at least once, and that includes the folding of Athletica. Even though there are a few things that probably weigh a little heavier then others. A couple other little factors that weren't mentioned: a)how the FO ruined ties with both SLU & SIUE before they could even begin by not making due on their financial promise for their game at AB Soccer Park early in the season. And that's directly from the coaches at SLU. b) there is a lot of negative feelings toward Cooper from soccer clubs and that includes from within the SLSG organization. FPF was just reminded of that today. c) this is something that I have heard over and over, and that is that this is a minor league team in a major league town. Obviously for about 3000 of us (or less) that doesn't matter. The Athletica were a lot more talented then AC, and it showed. I mean you can take all of these reasons and I'm sure they apply to many people. You could even throw in the country's financial situation as I'm sure that applied to some. Hell, I was only supposed to go to half the games this season due to our own financial issues, thankfully I was able to go to all but 2. But maybe a little has to do because we went so long without a pro team. Maybe we aren't as much of a soccer city as we once were. Yes, it's popular with kids and the high schools do good and produce some talent, but beyond guys like Tim Ream & a few others, we aren't producing pros like we used to. So maybe the interest isn't quite there either. As sad as that is to say, I'm sure that is also a bit true. If we had a MLS team, would it matter? Who knows, honestly? But anyway, back to topic at hand....as of right now, we still haven't heard from Cooper. But I just looked back at the questions we submitted to him and there are two questions about finances and why he has never come forward publicly to try to explain and/or say sorry for Athletica.
You brought up some very good points. There is one point that stuck out and you wonder why there are so many youth teams not only in the Saint Louis area, but in the country. Yet, soccer still struggles for the most part as a spectator sport. It just seems that once players stop playing they and their families lose interest in the game. As long as someone in the family is playing - they go to their games. However, to get in the car and go to an AC Saint Louis game or SLU game there just doesn't seem to be the interest. Or, to go to a pro game in some other part of the country for that matter. It is not like the tickets to see SLU or AC Saint Louis are that expensive? No way either Athletica or AC Saint Louis should struggle at the gate with the number of amateur teams in the area. I wonder why people don't go to games? They go to their kids games, yet have no interest in a professional or collegiate game either while their kids or playing or after they are finished.
This idea that Saturday night games interfere with "going out" confuses me. For me and my friends, going to a game IS going out, or at least the first phase of the night. As attendance shows across D2 and MLS, it's much harder for fans to make it out to weeknight games. That's why every team tries to maximize Saturday games. They have an undeniable attendance advantage over weeknights, or even Fridays and Sundays. It would be foolish to blow that advantage to cater to people who'd rather go to a club, or see a movie, or whatever, because those people aren't likely to come no matter when the game is.
This is the problem that I roll around in my head over and over again. How do we help people make that transition from player to spectator?
Well, that's one of the reasons I'm advocating moving the games to nights when casual fans feel like they can make it---the way I got hooked was by going to games. You have to have a passionate crowd and make the atmosphere as good as possible. It doesn't hurt if the soccer is good. I really don't think that moving the games to Thursday evenings during the summer would hurt---hell, we would all still show up, right? During the school year, you could move it back to weekends. All in all, it's a generational thing, and I think we're on the right track. Our parents generation really didn't know about the game, and thus, didn't care for it, but we do, and hopefully we will raise our kids with the game as well.
I don't see any point in completely rearranging the schedule to appeal to an incredibly small minority. I fit into the demographic you describe and the Saturday matches fit about a hundred times better for the people I know.
I work two blocks from Cardinal Ritter, and I'm still telling you that there is not as much available/cheap land as you think there is. And it's not just a matter of knocking down a few buidings, because a decent-sized soccer stadium and parking will require closing off streets and other infrastructure issues. When Cooper was making an MLS bid, the city showed absolutely zero interest in working with him on a stadium deal, so why would they want to work with anyone for D2 soccer? If Thursday nights are such great times for sporting events, why do MLS and the NFL and NCAA football play on weekends along with every single other soccer league in the world? Why does MLB plan all its off nights for weeknights? Don't you think they'd all move their games if they thought it was a good idea?
a) The stadium talk is hypothetical, obviously we are not building a stadium for a DII team. b) that's exactly the point---a minor league soccer team cannot compete with concerts, going out, MLB, NCAA, and NFL on the weekends. The product is simply not good enough.
Soccer has been a popular participant sport for a long time now. The problem is that in the USA it isn't a spectator sport. Generational thing - a little bit sure. But, there are parents of kids that are playing soccer that played soccer. Still attendance lags in this group. I guess soccer hasn't figured out how to make them into fans yet.
NO, he's not stupid or ignorant. Even Athletica staff told me they had not spent as much time on the Athletica as they did the previous season due to the MEN'S team. At the time we thought the men's team was responsible for the death of the Athletica since they took away time and resources from them. However now we see BOTH teams were doomed as Cooper was never committed. But I guess you can it's what the Hindus and Buddhists call KARMA since it would've been completely unfair to have the Athletica killed off and AC continue when the Athletica were here first and even the staff admitted they had been neglecting them only due to the men's team! I should add I bet we all have some choice questions for Cooper now huh? LMAO!!
You shouldn't have ANY questions for Cooper because I told that both teams were going to FAIL from Day 1....in fact, I said back in 2007 that Cooper never had the money he said he had. Some people just chose not to listen.
It's a good thing posts on BS are time stamped. Link to the 2007 post where you said that please? How about this question for Coop? Have you done more to damage St.Louis soccer than help it?
Jesus you still bitching? What, the majestic world of indoor soccer not filling up your schedule lately? I guess between that and hatemail you send to the Wizards...er, "Sporting" or whatever, you wouldn't have time to continue to cry about Cooper. Funny though, because I still remember fondly all those times you'd cry to me personally about how you were so bitter he didn't hire you. Odd you would desire so strongly to be employed by AC when your vast genius had the foresight to see the ultimate demise of it all.
time4wine, thanks for giving it a try. I really hope that the city gets another team soon. If the Lions move up to USL Pro that would be great or even better if MLS found it's way to the city. I still dream...