One block in from Flower at 4th I think. I park there even though I've got a pass. It's worth $10 to get out in a few minutes onto the bridge.
Across the street and down a block. It was crazy to see how few park there compared to early seasons. Maybe the Union plan is to stay shitty to keep people from parking in non-Talen lots.
I got a text message the other day.. first and only direct contact from ticket rep... they are really pulling out all the stops to retain a 2010 Day one STH. I long for the days of Tom Veit at City Hall when I didn't know any better.
I said his a while back, maybe when I called for Hack and Saks firings, Veit would stand in the concourse post match and shake everyone's hand and thank them for coming. Told this to Rowan during our sitdown it went off the rails when Veit left.
I renewed, there was never any doubt that I would. I did not do it for the team, the FO, or the league. Like every year, I did it to support the growth of soccer in the US and so my kids would have the memories. Everyone's reasons are different. The stadium will get used at most 20 to 40 times a year. I would like to see them execute the original plan. Housing, retail, restaurants could be great. Maybe it would even justify a station on the spur that heads towards the stadium.
I got a call asking if I would become a STH. Haven't been one for three years, but they got my name off a group ticket purchase I made last year. Told him I wasn't interested since the club was not interested in improving: that they should have already fired Curtin and that Earnie had been disappointing in his personnel decisions. Told them that signing Jay Simpson was a big mistake and showed that Earnie had no idea of the talent level in MLS. The guy was very persistent and told me season ticket sales were at their highest level in four years. He promised that next year they would have a lot of money for signings. He also wanted to know whether I had played soccer and at what level. I could have argued about how wisely they will spend all this money they will have, but it was like "enough already".
If season tickets sales are at such high levels why are they cold calling people to get season tickets. Laughable.
Wonder what the play was there or if he/she was just trying to make conversation. I told my cold call asking to renew, "prob not". They said thanks for the time and hung up.
I couldn't tell if he was surprised by the specificity of my complaints or not. Of course when I told him my education was 15 years of BigSoccer comments he immediately became all humble and groveling.
It's driving me crazy I haven't gotten a courtesy call, almost won't renew from sheer lack of effort... kid is my rep as well.
Reminds me of this scene from the Royal Tenenbaums: Union: Theres going to be money for signings. It'll feel like a new team! Us: Everyone's going to have more money. Union: ...but we're gonna spend!
That's honestly the toughest thing to consider. The Union and Earnie have had the ability to spend some money and it went poorly. Of the biggest money signings, Haris is solid, Bedoya is good, but he shouldn't be the top paid player on an MLS team, he'd be better suited to a third DPand the club looked to bring him in before Stewart arrived, Ilsino meh, Alberg ugh, Simpson is a disaster. Why should we believe that the new signings would be better. It seems that there are discussions of making more impact signings but I'm not sure I believe that will happen.
Speaking of DPs, and I was only half listening to Twellman, but didn't TT say during Sunday's game that if the team brought in 3 solid DPs they'd be a contender (or something along those lines)?
But all teams are like that. This team would be a playoff team: DP #9 TAM LW - DP #10 - TAM RW Medunjanin-Bedoya Wijnaldum-DP CB - Elliott - Rosenberry/Gaddis Blake Even putting in Pontius, Ilsinho, Herbers or Fafa for the "TAM" wings above and the team "competes."
Wel yeah...seeing as it has FOUR dp's on it............ Bedoya is a DP...unless we want the U to waste GAM/TAM to pay that down.....
I got a call and a message this afternoon...I don't see how that could of been a coincidence.... so at least one FO fella is browsing and reading our misery. I guess I'll renew based on the quick damage control response....I'll be regretting it next year, but as I've said a million times before I'm a sucker.
I'm getting calls with each renewal "deadline". My response is the same. I've been a STH since day one but after eight years I'm totally frustrated with the lack of progress. Until I see the team make some effort to improve, I'm not going to renew.
Has anyone been offered anything "extra" to renew? I'm hearing that promises of extra tickets and extra access are being offered to get people to renew.