The Official 2019 San Jose Earthquakes related Blogs/Press thread

Read that this morning DG. One of the best articles I've read over at The Athletic. Cites Avaya as a model for creating social spaces (LOBINA), but also states long term future MLS stadiums should be located in urban core.

 

When I was growing up, most of the fun of a sporting event was the tailgate. It was so cool to grill some food off the back of your car and kick a ball in a parking lot with random kids. Those days of human interaction seem to be gone and replaced with going into a stadium to eat and drink at astonishing prices.

 

Pregame tailgating isn't just a party. It's a complex community-building exercise that hearkens back to ancient harvest festivals . . .

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2012/10/04/tailgating-study-culture-history/1608741/

 

Ironically, The Athletic article mentioned future stadiums being located in the urban core/center to INCREASE human interaction, i.e. supporter groups, fans meeting up at bars/pubs and restaurants before and after matches (millenial, communal aspect for MLS' future success I suppose).

 

Ironic, indeed. Because you can guy a six pack at the supermarket for roughly the same price as a pint in a downtown bar. And you can lounge in a chair at a tailgate drinking in your red solo cup instead of flailing futility to get the beleaguered bartender's attention.

 

Ironically, that view of the world just happens to greatly increase the sucking of money from our wallet and shrinking the space needed to interact, all win-win for the owners.

 

NEWS: Earthquakes Acquire SuperDraft Selection in Trade with Inter Miami CF

Oh boy - who needs a name-DP when you can have the first selection in the second round of the SUPERDRAFT!!!!!!

 

Interesting take. I see it differently: future soccer in America being more akin to attending urban venue MLB/NBA/NHL vs driving to vast parking lot/tailgating NFL. I.E. attend a pub/restaurant pre game in an urban center, walk/march to the game with thousands of other supporters/fans, watch said game, and hit the same pubs/restaurants post-game.

I've never been to a Premier League game in England (definitely on the Bucket list!), but many of the stadiums appear to be located in dense urban neighborhoods, surrounded by many a supporters pub/restaurants and easily accessible via transit. Perhaps this is what the study cited in The Athletic is recommending for MLS' future..

 

Re-tweeted by the Quakes, so it's "official."

Wanna kick it with @ChrisWondo ? Literally! Or maybe take 8 of your buddies and have some food and drinks with him? All while contributing to a good cause. Check out this auction: CharityAuctionsToday, Live Silent Auctions and Mobile Auctionshttps://t.co/93iCUHzryk

— San Jose Ultras (@SanJoseUltras) November 12, 2019

 

Maybe tailgating is more of a boomer (and older) thing? After all, a lot of millennials nowadays don’t even own a car.

 

You don't need a car to participate in a tailgate.

 

But then you'd be a freeloader!

 

The big difference to me is that tailgate can be a low cost and group friendly option to get ready for a game while meeting at a bar or restaurant or in the Stadium is expensive.

Plus I feel like people don't plan anything anymore, it is all spur of the moment which, requires the use of a facility to provide the services.

 

There are plenty of Quakes fans who take public transit and walk to tailgates. I believe, based on his prior posts, for example, @ThreeApples is one. That does not mean we don't make a contribution to the parking-lot-potluck.

I personally don't like to cook, but I always bring extra beer (even when I bike to the games). I've met lots of people by simply walking around a parking lot with a 12-pack, not only at Avaya but elsewhere. If you bring your own beers and offer them around, you'll be welcome most anywhere.

 

We hold these truths to be self-evident.

 

Home Depot, Costco, Walmart, Santana Row, San Jose City Hall...

 

Don Garber says the state of MLS is healthy. The reality is more complicated.

If Don Garber is the CEO of MLS, his annual state of the league press conference is the company’s earnings call. Every year on the eve of MLS Cup, Garber addresses a room full of reporters to review the season, set a narrative for the upcoming campaign, field questions and occasionally break some news.

Most years, the talk is overwhelmingly positive and the 2019 edition was no different . . .

Garber painted attendance as a solid story for MLS, and in many respects he was right to do so . . .

Dig a little deeper, though, and some trends emerge that seem worrisome. Though the league-wide average of 21,305 fans per match stacked up well globally, it was the lowest mark for MLS since 2014 . . .

I mention all of that for context, but am not of the opinion that those low marks should be harped on too much . . . At least half of MLS had a healthy average attendance in 2019. The real problem, then is the other half.

Five teams — Chicago, Houston, Montreal, New York City FC and Orlando — had the lowest average attendance in their MLS histories in 2019. Colorado drew fewer fans per match than any season since 2009. The New York Red Bulls had their worst average since they moved into Red Bull Arena in 2010. San Jose posted their worst mark since they moved into Avaya Stadium in 2015 . . . [Emphasis added]

https://theathletic.com/1379222/201...s-is-healthy-the-reality-is-more-complicated/

 

Only Dickens that I could stomach growing up.

 

I couldn't get through it when I first picked it up as a kid. I think I was in my 20s when I finally finished it.

 

Yeah, they make kids read certain books before they're ready. Shakespeare in junior high is a bad idea.

 

I guess winning a wooden spoon in 2018 and then not adding any marquee players in 2019 is a bad model to follow for boosting attendance.

So far this looks like the same play book for 2020.

 

I tried two or three times to get through a copy of "The Old Curiosity Shop" that I bought in the store of the same name in London. Then I lost the book... I admire anyone who can finish a Dickens

 

Not Quakes related, but I read over at Bloomberg that Meg Whitman has purchased a 20% stake in FC Cincinnati for $100 million, valuing said franchise at $500 million. WTF!! It'd be nice if Fisher sold a stake in the Quakes for a nice, hefty infusion of cash (players salaries, stadium improvements, etc).