I don't know if I have ever started a thread in my jillion years on these boards, but now seems the time. I come to RFK today with a deep sense of sadness... and gratitude. I started coming the first day. Before having children. Before starting my business. Before meeting my wife. The team has been glorious and horrible and throughout it the United family of fans -- especially the Barra -- has been a joy in my life. Thought it might be nice to have a thread to share memories, so let me start with one: A few years back when Ben was still a player I was walking my dog in the neighborhood. We came upon Ben eating at the Parthenon, a restaurant nearby. I spoke with him for a while, then let him go back to eating. A minute later as we dawdled up the block, one of his friends came running up, handing me a t-shirt "from Ben, with thanks". The next day, United beat the Scum 6-2. Ben scored what I think was his only career hat trick. A great day at RFK.
I could try to write about specific memories, but it would be pointless. Those memories are just a kaleidoscope in my mind. That dump has been an integral part of my life and identity since I went to my first ASL Dips game in 1988 (I actually had season tickets). My wife and son will go there today for one last time, drink, cheer, cuss and load another memory on the hard drive of life’s memories.
Man last night was hard. I had a great time tailgating and seeing lots of old friends and acquaintances in Lot 8 then more folks inside during the game. But that last 20-30 minutes or so just standing there looking out onto the field it all came rushing over me. Walking back out to Lot8 was similar, lots of feels - I'm not generally a fan of feelings but I tried to embrace and enjoy them. I might have cried In 1995 I decided to get season tickets to this new soccer team thing because I liked soccer in HS but had kind of forgotten how much until the '94 WC - part of which came to town. I didn't really know anybody going so I didn't attend in person even though some of it was right there at RFK - but afterword I felt bad for skipping games just because I don't feel comfortable around people I don't know and especially people in crowds. I cannot express how much I hate crowds. So I decided to attempt to jump out of my socially awkward shell and make myself uncomfortable and go enjoy crowds of people in RFK. It was truly terrifying at first but I met nice friendly people at every game. I joined the United Club or whatever they called their first "exclusive" little bar in RFK - because the perk (besides real liquor poured by a real person out of a real bottle) was being able to get inside RFK an hour before it opened and stay an hour after it closed - and this meant I could take an earlier metro and come before the crowd started and leave after some it dissipated. I ended up hanging up in that bar with friends and family of Neil Tyra who was one of the first investors (and a hell of a nice guy too) and after a few games he told me I would probably be interested in meeting this guy named Matt Mathai who ran this thing called The Screaming Eagles. Life Changer. Before long I was driving instead of metro-ing so I could bring a grill and couple coolers of beer to help Matt out giving people a reason to hang out together before the games as well as during the games. I have been doing that in some form for the Eagles pretty much every game since then. The tailgate has morphed (just a bit ) from me bringing a tiny grill, some burgers, and Molson Ice ($1) and Guinness ($3) and a soda or two - to then getting space in the Elephant Room under the stadium for a bigger (still charcoal) grill, and more people bringing soda and water when the tailgate moved to Lot 4, then dragging out a bunch of grills from that same room all the way out to Lot 8. The tailgates are so big now they require a giant team of well-organized (and very talented and giving) volunteers bringing things, cooking things, etc. and involve two Pods full of equipment and several kegs of craft beer - and way more food. I can't say I'll miss all the shopping for meats, cheeses. condiments and stuff, cooking loads of brats in beer each weekend before a home game, then cleaning all those utensils after the games (though my GF @Gittnbizzee does most of that, so thank her no one's ever gotten sick at an SE tg ) but I will definitely feel far less involved in the game day experience moving forward in the new stadium. We did most of our tailgate work during the week before the games so spent game days walking between the different organized and personal tailgates around Lot 8. Chef Dave's spread, La Norte back in the old days, DUs and Echa Panza in more recent times, and of course the Barra tailgate - we have been part of that in some way for many years as well - though almost entirely on an enjoyment side rather than working (but I've done some of that too with Chris, Mark, Pauley, and other guys helping Oscar) and some of the little offshoot tailgates that have grown around it. They've all helped keep a fatbastard fat (and intoxicated). JFC this post is long and boring I congratulate (and apologize to) you for making it this far. I've barely gotten started, but I'll stop. Thank you all for, frankly, making my life experience these last 22 years so much better - a lot because of shared DC United fandom sure, but just as much (quite possibly more, I think) from just hanging out in Lot 8 at RFK no matter how the team played or how well (or recently more shitty) the Front Office treated us, etc. or how good or bad the weather was. It was (is) a pleasure being part of the RFK community with you.
Nope, it's just that everyone is still reading the post (it is a bit long), we are a bit slow here. By the way you interrupted me.
I'm so damned depressed today. I got a wee bit too drunk yesterday (shocking, I know), but yeah, I am going to really miss RFK. A lot. Made some many friends there, and that was because all the great tailgate parties, first in lots 4 and 5, then over in lot 8. Jan and I came for the soccer, but stayed from the friendship. And I'm sorry that we haven't been to many games over the last few seasons. I'm not sure if we'll be around much at the new stadium. I guess we're going to try. One thing we realized yesterday - we really missed you folks.
I'm glad that I got to take my son to a soccer game in the same stadium that my mom took me when I was little.
MLS Cup 1997. On my way to the stadium my truck died. We (Dad and brothers) had to push it into the parking lot. We then went in and got to watch DC United win it's second MLS Cup!! Then following the match we came back out to a non working truck. We determined that for the time being we needed a battery. So I had to use a pay phone (for you kids out there that is what we used before cell/smart phones) to call my girlfriend. She had to then bring a battery from Annapolis, where she lived, to RFK. We replaced it and drove home. The next day Dad and I had to replace the alternator in the truck. So a good and bad night.
Look, I know this is a Soccer board, but my relationship with RFK is long. My father used to go to baseball games there before my birth, and still tells us stories about how since he knew the parking guy, he could park his '69 beetle in the same row as the people from Congress - a bunch of Cadillacs and Lincolns, and his VW. I went to a few HFStivals there, Grateful Dead, other concerts. My car also didn't work at on HFStival, so we went down the next day and it was fine because there was a big-tent church thing going on all night and morning. I took my Dad and Uncle to a few Nationals games when they were in town for a few years, explained the magical disappearing pitcher's mound. My girlfriend and I went to a lot of games, and now she's my wife and we've taken our soccer-playing son to many games. So, I'm with you -- three generations went to events of all kinds at RFK. I'm just glad it lasted until the age of cellphone cameras. Nobody has any photos of me and my dad at Memorial Stadium.
What is it about RFK Stadium, soccer and destroying cars. My car died after leaving a US Cup game at RFK in 1992. Mine wasn't the only broken down car i saw. The tow trucks were circling like sharks.
Damn. I've had flats and dead batteries too from Lot 7 and 8 over the years to the point that I stopped driving for a while. After getting tired of Metro, I had much better luck parking over by River Terrace and making that hike.
I would like to thank many of you for having car problems in Lot8 so that I didn't have to One time this season I had to get a jump-start because the bat'ry died while I was listening to some CDs loudly before the game - I do this every game since 1997 and this was the first time it ate the battery, I suspect I accidentally turned the key too far and instead of only being able to play the radio it turned the AC on. We'll never know I was once slammed against the hood of my car by an overzealous Lot8 MPD cop causing one hell of a dent, and once a Barra dude (holding half a case of warm Heineken) put a serious head-shaped dent in a rear quarter-panel ... but that's just body damage.
I've been taking my kids to RFK for longer than I care to remember. I never had any issues with them until I also brought along my wife and one of her friends to a USA WCQ - I think it was the Honduras game with something like 47K in attendance. My youngest was c. 2 y/o at the time and my wife and her friend took her to the bathroom. 10 minutes later my wife reappears at out seats in a panic ... between them the 2 adults had managed to lose the kid in the restroom! I started walking round the concourse and in short order spotted an MPD officer walking in my direction hand-in-hand with my daughter! Last weekend, my daughter came back from college just so she could visit RFK one last time ... fortunately she's now old enough to visit the restroom by herself!