Great location. Downtown, on the river, and catty corner from the Broward County Courthouse & jail....
Well I'm of the school of thought that a renovation of Lockhart should be the first choice for improving the Strikers stadium situation, and making MLS a more solid possibility in the future if that's the route things were to go eventually. But I'd have no problem at all with this as option #2. It's about as good a spot as you could hope for in all of South Florida if you're of the mindset that stadiums have to be "downtown" to draw in the right crowd. It could certainly spur further redevelopment in the area as well. Parking wouldn't be terribly convenient I think, but if you're planning on a decent portion of the regular crowd spending time before and after the games in local establishments enjoying the nightlife, then that might be less of a concern as parking could be utilized over a larger portion of the area. And of course they'd have to give existing season ticket holders first dibs on securing comparable seats in this stadium as well! LOL No way I want to ever give up my midfield stripe seats for as long as I live! LOL But all this causes me to ask a different question, something that causes us to back up a few steps prior to this stadium talk. How do we get more people out to the games now? From everything I've seen in pro soccer in this country over recent years, this is the question that all others are drawn from. You can't answer anything else until this one is addressed. After what seemed like a building block season, we've taken a big step back as far as fanbase, and my opinion is that money is the main culprit. If the team isn't doing the right thing to get it's brand and product out into the marketplace, people can't be expected to be intrigued enough, or in a lot of cases, even know it's there. I've been wondering for awhile now if there is something more we fans can do. Flight 19 and the Ultras already do tons to support this team, and every single one of us that cares about the Strikers should be grateful for all the time and money you guys spend doing things to promote and support the team. Is there some kind of "awareness" campaign we could start as fans of the team to make a concerted effort to try and raise the profile of the club in the tri-county area? I know the team gets into the community in some respects now, but how do you reach the sports fan casuals in this market? I'm not that creative of a guy, so I don't really have any concrete ideas LOL, but eventually we have to ask ourselves if the team is ever going to be in a better position financially to market to the entire area consistently in order to get the kind of response we need at the gate. If not, we're left with continuing to try and convince family and friends to come give it a try, and hope that someone willing to spend a lot more cash to promote the team comes in and takes it over from Traffic. Who knows, maybe if Traffic were to sell Atlanta and Carolina they would refocus down here and build on what we saw from last year. Or maybe Tim Robbie does have some possible investors on the hook like we've heard rumors of from time to time, and he's patiently trying to win them over. But can we count on either of these things? And who among us would confidently say that if things don't work out this time, if the Strikers were to fold, that there would be anyone willing to give pro soccer a try here ever again? I sure don't think so. Anyway, that's my speech for today. LOL Got sidetracked from the stadium a bit, sorry. But I really believe it's all connected, and down at the root it's about getting more butts in seats now. That's how best to open up the possibilities of so much more, such as a beautiful downtown stadium. The more butts in seats there are, the more interest there is from sponsors, local media, and hopefully investors.
All fair points Smoke. You know how complicated the market is down here. Tons of allegiances to other countries, foreign teams, Eurosnobs who are only interested in Messi, Ronaldo and the like. Fools who won't even drive up from Dade County because the Strikers have nothing to do with the "305". One thing I believe in personally is that the Strikers must play an exciting form of football. May not win them all, but make each game exciting so even if they do lose at home, it makes more fans want to come back to see them again the next home game. Attacking football. Unfortunately, we have seen the Strikers struggle far too often in this department. They need more consistency. A couple of games on local tv, channel 33, etc., wouldn't hurt. Just 2 of 3 a season to put the brand out over South Florida. Of course, this will involve money and who knows what Traffic is thinking at the moment. Hanging on to Atlanta and Carolina isn't helping matters either. Our situation reminds me of Seattle. We're not terrible fans, we just want a team in the MLS without having to go through growing pains in the NASL.
I think marketing is a HUGE problem with this team. Their budget has reportedly been cut this year and the marketing aspect of the team operation suffers. A simple traffic sign on Commercial Blvd. is not an acceptable marketing campaign for a professional sports team. Last year we heard Strikers plugs on Paul and Young Ron as they gave away tickets, we saw billboards, we saw plugs on channel 33... And even that wasn't enough it seemed as most still didn't know the team existed. Ideas. A partnership with local Publix or Winn-Dixie locations would be tremendous. A stand or kiosk in the stores with chips and tailgate supplies along with Strikers hats and car flags. Everybody has to eat and there would be great amount of exposure to be had. Radio commercials are a great arena that The Strikers have not explored as well. An exciting "pump up" type radio commercial would be a welcome form of marketing. Long term billboards in the area would also be an acceptable option. I know that we have had billboards in the past, but they were only up for a month here or a month there. A billboard on 95 up all season long and kept up to date with the schedule would be fantastic.
We always seem to come back to that whole "chicken and the egg" type of scenario. Team says no money to market unless more butts are in seats. But more butts aren't going to be in seats if the team isn't properly marketed. Catch 22, whatever you want to call it. Until someone is willing to go out on a limb and spend up front, this cycle is a seemingly endless one in pro soccer, especially at the lower levels. I thought we were seeing the beginnings of breaking the cycle last year. But this year it's like the marketing department went dark with Traffic's "exit" from Strikers operations. I like the ideas from Red Harvest and Ralph's Mom. But who do these things get implemented? I say get Tim Robbie, or at least Tommy Knapp or Ken Mendonca on Ultras Alive or the Tailgate Show again and ask them point blank - It seems like these things need to be done to build the fanbase, so why aren't they being done? Is it as simple as money? If funds are limited, then you've got to be as strategic as you can with those funds to get the most results from each dollar. I've said it before, and it continues to be a no-brainer to me that no one else seems to be thinking about, but get some kind of presence for your brand on campus at FAU, FIU, Broward College, Palm Beach College, Barry, Lynn, Nova, everywhere! Hell we have guys ON THE TEAM from pretty much every one of those schools! Set up appearances with them at their alma maters. Have some ticket specials. Promote the hell out of the tailgate scene going on at Lockhart. The pro game, if you believe all the things you read, is at an all-time high with the younger demographic. Strikers games are far more easily affordable on a student's budget than other pro sports in the area, you can party before the game, and still have plenty of Saturday night left for partying after the game. Play on the history of the brand to get more of my generation interested, the age group that came to Lockhart as kids and fell in love with the sport and the team, and now can do the same with our own kids. They've had the Strikers brand back for a year and a half now and they have not done one single thing to try and connect with the legacy of the brand. Good grief, you went to the trouble of breaking it out, use it! Get Nene Cubillas to a game and honor him in a halftime ceremony, retiring his jersey. I know Ray is a trickier get, but start with Nene, get some others, and eventually when things are building the right way, you welcome Ray home, 4Life! We could spend all day coming up with marketing ideas and stadium ideas, and everything else that we think would ensure the long term not just survival, but actually thriving existence of this team. But someone with the money has got to get back to what was happening last year, and then take it even further. Radio ads, tv spots, love the Publix idea, all this stuff. But, fair or not, our market is perceived as highly questionable for long term support out there. It's probably why Traffic's attitude has always been, well, we wouldn't mind looking into MLS possibilities, but people need to show up en masse first. Anyone who thinks that is strictly a Traffic position on this market is fooling themselves. No one is going to come in and try to buy them out without much greater support first either. We get 7,500+ showing up regularly to Lockhart for the Strikers and someone, maybe not Traffic, but someone will certainly take a chance. The question though is how to get to that 7,500.
The answer begins to emerge when you can honestly respond to this one: Last year's home opener, Strikers drew in excess of 6K. They never saw numbers like that again. Why? *(don't blame it on the rain).............
Actually leg 2 of the Championship Series drew 6,849, better than the opener by a hundred or so. And it would have been higher if not for, yes, the rain. The first Tampa Bay game too. But horrible luck with weather aside, the biggest problem lies with lack of budget, and this year what has hurt is losing two great sales guys to the big leagues(which like with players, is bound to happen if they are good). Hopefully soon Traffic can unload one or more of it's teams(beat it Carolina, Atlanta or the Strikers) and the amount of money available to promote the team will go up.
I think a good number of us came out (initially) because we were trying to recapture an intangible.......a "feeling" if you will-whose origins are from days gone by. People who want to jump on the "Don't expect MLS" wagon oversimplify the point. There was a core belief that if you were going to go to all the lengths they did (at first) to re -institute the BRAND, the least you could do was play with the same degree of purpose. Epic fail imo. Simply put, you may bring out curiosity seekers for a so-called "championship leg"-of which anybody who bothered to watch game 1 knew would be unwinnable-but the true enthusiast isn't going to bother showing up regularly when you don't show the consistency of effort to factor at the level you are currently at. Strikers should not be as on/off form in the NASL as they are at this point in the process. The games I attend, I never have a feel for what to expect. They seem to be borderline inept when I'm there, then will inexplicably rebound when we take a couple of games off. Go back to Lockhart? Rinse. Repeat. Ridiculous they don't have a single road win at this point. Place the blame wherever you wish, but for a team crying out for support.....you scare more customers away than you recruit by a large margin...........
Hello all... I've been a long time reader on these boards, but wanted to throw in a few opinions about this topic... a SSS in downtown Ft. Lauderdale would be perfect, and is really a win-win for everyone involved. If this was possible, it would be great for the bar scene down near riverwalk and other area businesses. For anyone that lives in broward or is really familiar with the area, this is a no brainier. MLS + SSS = huge success for the Strikers. Why? 1) Location - The people of So. Fla want an event, a place to be seen, and with plenty of entertainment options available. Placing the stadium near the bars and restaurants by the Revolution and Riverwalk will make the stadium a destination with easy access to bar hopping and live music after. FTL is also convenient for people in Palm Beach and Miami Dade as well as people in the western suburbs. Downtown would increase walk ups as well, as people who go to drink might as well be rowdy at a game instead of sitting at a bar. This obviously isn't as possible with Lockhart. Plus, let's be honest, FTL hasn't developed in a way that makes the entertainment "districts" accessible to eachother. Want to go to the beach from Riverwalk, or quickly see what's going on in Las Olas? You better be prepared to jump in the car, fight for a spot, and hope you find something interesting when you get there. Riverwalk has a nice setup, but there is a lot of potential that hasn't been hit quite yet as well. Putting a SSS and a consistent 20,000 people within walking distance should be enough motivation for those local business to voice their support for a team. 2) Access to Proper Demographics The main demographic the strikers should be shooting for is NOT the die hard soccer fan who grew up watching stars in South America and Europe. We've tried that before, and failed. People will show up to see AC Milan play, but second tier American soccer players won't get a look from these fans, warranted or not. If I grew up watching MLB, I wouldn't spend huge cash to see minor league players in a country where the sport is an afterthought, even if I loved the game. People in So. Fla are fickle. Draw the people who will be fans regardless, and the other crowd WILL come over after quality is demonstrated on the field, and a winning team produces results. Really, it is the teenagers/college students from western Broward suburbs that grew up playing soccer and want a team to call their own that the Strikers should focus on. Also, focus on the party crowd. Hit the beach + Las Olas the afternoon of the game, give out coupons and fliers, and promote partnerships with the bards and restaurants nearby (looking at you Rok BRGR). Have a street team promote the game to people there for drinking , and have Riverwalk entities embrace the team and fly banners from the rafters. The next target is families from western broward looking for an AFFORDABLE weekend evening out. In Broward, people love the Dolphins, Marlins, Heat, etc, but having a true Fort Lauderdale team would be a great rallying point. Similar to how people in western broward sport Panthers gear (even if they aren't hockey fans), people from all of Broward would rally behind a professional team to call their own. The problem is that the Strikers NEED to be in MLS. Until then, people won't care (sorry but true). I'm a fan of the Strikers, but am more interested in their momentum in the community than on the pitch. Sorry to be brash, but I don't really follow the scores and players as much as news about getting to the next level. I'm sure there are lots of other fans out there that have the same mentality as myself. I am a "passive fan" who would by season tickets for an MLS team, even though I'm hard pressed to go to a game now. Instead of seeing tier 2 American soccer, people will continue to go to the beach, go to the bar, or check out other exciting things in FTL/MIA. All the Strikers can do is put themselves in the middle of where everyone goes already currently, have stars like Donovan and Beckham visiting, and win in MLS.
Also, in terms of marketing, one key place I'd look is youth soccer programs in Broward. Go to Weston, Plantation, Pines, Davie etc. and partner with their AYSO programs. Give away tickets to the kids (parents are still buying beer/food/tickets) and you are promoting soccer. Put advertisements on the fences at the parks (Weston Regional, Central Park in Plantation, etc) and build the local commitment. The NY Cosmos seem to do this very well with their camps and youth programs. I'd use them as a potential model.
They do have formal partnerships with West Pines, Coral Springs and Davie. They are also out at all the big youth tournaments around Broward. Working the youth angle only goes so far. The problem with the whole MLS thing is that at this point it's a bit of a chicken/egg problem. Without more fan support, MLS/investors are not going to take the market very seriously. Without more investment into the team/promotion, more fans will be hard to get. Some people like to complain about the team's ownership, but the bottom line is that to bring MLS back to SoFla, the onus is really on the fans. This isn't 2005 when anyone with a check could get in to MLS. They can pick and choose who they want and without solid fan support it simply won't happen here. The model to follow is Portland and Montréal. They were drawing 10,000+ fans per game in Division 2, before they were awarded MLS teams and without any promise of getting one. They rallied around their club and that's what made MLS and investors take notice. If fans around SoFla would simply treat the Strikers as if they were an MLS team, and supported them 100%, they'd be in MLS before long, and surely much faster than fans just waiting around for it to happen. Pretend we do have promotion and relegation in the US, imagine the Strikers are the only team we'll ever have. The more fans at Lockhart, the more legitimate the team looks to the media, the more legit it looks to more fans, the more legit it looks to MLS and investors. The Strikers are doing respectably now, but we need to be better with support to make those dreams of MLS happen. Quite frankly, in my opinion, if you're dreaming about having an MLS team in SoFla, but are not supporting the Strikers now, you don't deserve MLS. Once you're in the stands cheering the team on, it doesn't matter what players are out on the pitch. You're having a blast and it's your team, your colors out there.
Than you, DR. Knitro12's post had me alternating between laughter & tears. He wants MLS, but is to much of a snob to support our direct line to MLS; being a game attending, supportive fan. MLS notices this. Hell, Philly got an MLS team without a div 2 team, but with 10K fans in a supporters group making it known that they'd put their money and time where their mouths are. MLS & an investor(s) noticed the Sons of Ben were serious about it. MLS's Philadelphia Union does pretty good in their nice riverfront SSS. Again, this was done by fan demand w/0 a D-2 team. We have a team to support. Help us show that there is a demand and we'll get an MLS team sooner rather than later, especially since Garber & other MLS suits have said that they want a team in South Florida. Keep in mind that Div-3 Orlando is stronger on MLS's radar than we are, simply because of fan support. They do draw about 10K per game. The folks up there don't idly dream about MLS, they put their time, money and hearts into getting it by supporting and attending. We need to do the same. The moral of the story: nothing personal, but, stop being a "passive fan" and get your butt into a seat at Lockhart on July 14th when the Strikers play San Antonio. What the Strikers need is 10,000+ at every home game they play to get the attention of MLS and any billionaire sugar-daddy(s) that wants an MLS team. They need die-hard Striker fans, not passive idea men (BTW, your ideas are good, EMAIL them to the Strikers FO....they may not use them right now, but they'll be happy to know that you care enough to at least think of the team and they'll usually let you know about it at least) then get yourself a $10 online GA ticket for the 14th, or ask any of the ULTRAS is they have a spare one, most would be glad to give you a freebie. Drop by Sec 115 & join F-19 and the ULTRAS. You'll find friends that will be delighted to welcome you to the fun....
Wow, lots going on in this thread! Lucky, I can empathize with your post. You're biggest point seemed to be the inconsistent play on the field. No doubt you are 100% correct. Shore's "roulette wheel" lineups don't help. Not knowing guys are injured and that's why they're not playing doesn't help either. But here's what I'd add to this. All pro teams in all pro sports deal with inconsistency and odd coaching decisions, and whatever other problems lead to inconsistent results on field. Being consistent and better on the field will help with fans sure. But we're not quite to that stage yet I think. We need to still build the core fanbase of this team, the ones that will bitch and complain about the coach and players but still be there every game cheering for a win. I think there is still a lot more work to be done to secure that. Then you can start worrying about the fair weather fans that will only come see a winner.
Knightro, you make some fair points. I don't necessarily agree on the "need" for a downtown SSS. The Strikers 1.0 drew just fine at Lockhart. Yes Lockhart could do with some upgrades for sure. But parking will never be an issue there, access to the two main highways in South Florida are not an issue, and when you look at the entire tri-county area, you couldn't really get a much more central location. All that said, I'd still be perfectly happy to commute to a downtown SSS for the Strikers. I just don't believe it would make as much of a difference to the bottom line attendance as you do. And I think the only way anyone ever even comtemplates a downtown SSS is if this team is definitely going to MLS. And even then, I think it would be prudent to start off at a renovated Lockhart and build a consistent fanbase, and then see if a downtown SSS would make sense and be better for the team as a possibility. You are preaching to the choir as far as me personally when it comes to the whole target audience for the Strikers, or just American club soccer in South Florida to make it simpler. I've posted this 100 times - people showing up for Barca, Chelsea, or the Colombian national team DOES NOT IN ANY WAY indicate the likelihood of success for an American pro club team in this market, especially south of the Dade-Broward line. Anyone who continues to dismiss this is either ignorant of the history of the sport in this area, or just refuses to listen to facts. There is more than enough of a population with the right amount of disposable income to support a pro team, the one we already have, in Broward, Palm Beach, and those in Dade who actually get it, like the Ultras. The problem is marketing and advertising. Currently we have none. When some was actually done last year, everyone saw what was accomplished. With money behind this team, and the proper marketing of the club to the tri-county area, we could get crowds that would make the team sustainable. In order to get 10,000 per game though, I don't think there is any way around having to make it known publicly, like Orlando has, that MLS is where you want to take the team ultimately. As a Strikers fan crica the original NASL days, it burns me a little to admit this. But it's true. Some people, no matter what, just won't take this team seriously until the local media does, and that's not likely to happen without a publicly stated bid to go to MLS. Media coverage = credibility. This is exactly why hiring Wynalda, even for just a little while is genius by the Silverbacks. It will get them some legitimate coverage. Antique is right, the ONLY thing Orlando has on us is attendance numbers. They are further from a suitable stadium situation than we are. They have no history or tradition in the sport in their area. They don't garner the same tv ratings potential as our overall market does. The league wants to be here. After NY2, make no mistake, we are next on the list of where they want to be. But no one is going to step up and work towards making it happen until more people start showing that an MLS team would be supported here. Currently there is only one way to do this - come to Lockhart and support the Strikers. That's it. Have fun at Messi and friends, or Barca sure. But expect Garber and the league to care much about them. They're watching Lockhart, not Sun Life.
We always try to figure out how to get more people to come to matches. Perhaps the way to think about it is this: What are potential fans prefering to do instead of going to a match? What is keeping them away? For example, there are at least 6K fans who know the Strikers are playing soccer at Lockhart. They have shown up before. Why no longer?
That's a fair point. There are plenty of unique people that have been to a Strikers game before, so why aren't they coming back? Plain and simple: the experience of going to a Strikers game isn't enjoyable. I went to a pizza joint the other day. The second I went in there I wanted to leave. The building was old and ugly, complete with dilapidated signage and peeling paint. The place looked like absolute crap. The atmosphere was terrible. And the service was worse. They genuinely didn't even seem to care that I was supporting their business. The shame is that the food was actually really good. But as good as it was, I can promise you that I'm not going back to that place, because it's not worth putting up with everything else. The presentation of the product is just as important as the product itself. Sometimes even more important! This is an idea that the Strikers FO don't seem to understand. They do an amateur job putting on a professional game. Coach Shore can have his team playing like Barcelona, but it wouldn't matter. Because when you show up to a Strikers game you are instantly turned off by the parking situation, the empty lots, the uninterested staff, the "ticket booth," the tickets themselves, the big empty stadium, the moronic PA announcer, the stained concrete, the peeling paint, the rusty fences, the lack of sponsorship boards, the garbage "half-time entertainment," the broadcast, I could go on and on... Everything about it screams amateur. Everything appears so poorly planned and executed to the point where everything is simply "good enough." For them, at least. I can honestly understand why people don't want to come to games, and why they don't want to come back. And I say all this as a die-hard Strikers fan. I'm so frustrated by this organization because I genuinely love this team. I show up to every game no matter what. I feel like I am doing my best and either they aren't, or their best simply isn't good enough. And I know you guys are doing your best too. You've been supporting the team even longer, you put your hard-earned cash into making banners and tifos, and organizing road trips, etc. You guys do your part wonderfully. But when it looks as though the people putting on the show don't care, why should the people watching it?
Steve, this is div 2 after all, and there isn't that much money available. All it takes is some $$$$ to fix all of those problems. Where is it going to come from? Seemingly not from the boys from Brazil that own the club. All the FO has is whatever they give plus whatever else they can get locally. They care, but they simply don't have the wherewithal to do all that needs to be done. All we can do is support them as best we can & hope that someday someone will buy the team with the intent of putting them into MLS. Then, hopefully, the cash will be available.
Once again, I'm just trying to explain why people might not be coming back. I know a lot of these things cost money which the club obviously doesn't have. I get that. I'm just pointing out that it looks as though the club doesn't even notice that most of these things are turning people away from coming back. I honestly can't give away tickets to my friends to persuade them to come back. And I can't blame them. There are a lot of little, and big, things that are frustrating to "fans" and will prevent them from returning. I know some things cannot be done without more money. Sure. As long as we are a D2 team playing at Lockhart with this organization in place, our stadium is always going to be big and empty. We can understand that 4,000+ is a good crowd, but to someone who doesn't come to our games often, even if we got a record number like 7,000, more than half the stadium would still be empty, and that's what that person would remember. That's a big thing, that the FO really can't do too much about except get better at selling tickets. But sometimes little things can have a huge impact on your experience. Sometimes things that don't require money to fix. Just a little more thought or attention. Something that requires giving more than the bare minimum. I don't think the FO quite understands that to the casual fan, or first time spectator, everything has a positive or negative contribution to your overall experience and determines whether or not you come back. And if you can't do much about the big things (empty seats) then you better do a damn good job fixing the little things. The stadium looks awful. There's no way of sugar coating it. And I'm sorry, but don't think it would be that hard to get a pressure washer and blast those rust-stained sidewalks. They could do it themselves. I would to do it myself. I'm sure some of you would be happy to do it. Something as small as that would make Lockhart look tremendously better, and would be one less negative for someone to remember. The ticket is another thing. They are horrible this year. It's a reflection of the brand, of the team, it's an artifact; a piece of history. Something worth keeping. Last year's season tickets were something worth holding on to. This year, embarrassing. The new banners below the north stand, and on the scoreboard look good. And they tried painting the ticket booth, so I'll give them that. It at least shows a step in the right direction. But don't stop there, how bout a sign? "Welcome to Lockhart Stadium: Home of the Strikers"? I may be overly harsh on our FO, but I see other teams in this league (and in USL Pro) with the same financial constraints that put on a much better show than us. We control the stadium now. Money or no money, there's no excuse when things look the way they do.
To draw a parallel, the Nashville Metros have had some decent seasons over their history but few really good ones. They have played in some lousy facilities, even in the five seasons they were in the second division. But as long as there was a decent product on the pitch and a good match day atmosphere, people came out. Not in huge numbers, but decent for around here at the time. Then they quality of play dropped dramatically in the mid-00's and the atmosphere suffered as well. Suddenly it wasn't a great place to go. I have been a regular supporter for almost twenty years (I rarely missed a match from about 1996 through 2008), but I reached a point where I found myself no longer wanting to go. I think over the next three seasons I went to maybe four matches total out of 23. I got to the point where just staying at home was a better option than seeing subpar soccer at a subpar facility. They have since moved to a better facility (not great but better) and they are playing better than they have in more than a half dozen years. And lo and behold I find myself going to matches again. I'll be leaving shortly to see them play tonight. So I'd say it's a combination of product and facility. You can play in the sweetest grounds around but if the team sucks it won't work. You can play championship soccer but if you are in a dump it won't work.
Hi everyone. It seems as though I currently have insufficient privilege to post my own thread, so I'll just introduce myself here. My name is Ben Markus, and I am currently a media intern with the Strikers. I am working with and under the supervision of Ken Mendonca, both on-site at Lockhart and from home in Miami. I've been with the team just about a month, having recently graduated with a master's from the University of Florida. I was born and raised in Miami. I wanted to let you know that I've been reading through these various Strikers threads, including this one, and have enjoying hearing your ideas as well as complaints and other thoughts on the team and its current position. I'm in a position right now where I can present useful ideas, such as many of the ones mentioned within this very thread, to members of the Strikers team and work on them myself, too. Of course I can't guarantee that these ideas will be accepted and put into use, but I can guarantee that I will give any and all ideas to help the team serious consideration. I've lately been working on creating a Strikers presence on Reddit, which you can find here: http://www.reddit.com/r/ftlstrikers as well as interviewing players for weekly quote sheets and my newly created interview series, Quick Strikes, the first of which you can find here: and, of course, helping with day-to-day media activities. Ken and I may be revamping the team's newsletter soon, so stay tuned for that in the coming weeks. This means, too, that if you have questions you'd like answered by specific players, I can do my best to present those questions to those players. Since I'd rather not flood the forum with my first post, I'll wrap this up. I'm going to be working hard in the coming weeks and months to create local interest in the team and get more fans out to Lockhart to support the team. And I look forward to communicating with all of you caring Strikers fans, too. Thanks again, Ben Markus ftlstrikersmedia@gmail.com
Welcome to Strikers Nation Ben! Striker Likers look forward to all of your efforts to help grow the fanbase and get the team's brand in front of more South Floridians!