No, Hanauer gets what he deserves. This: "It's really unseemly for Seattle to suddenly show up in MLS and everything should be handed to them." It's completely ignorant of our long-standing efforts to join MLS. I'd also like proof of what has been 'handed' to us. I'd sure like to think that some of the current league standing and USOC Final berth were earned.
I will say this, Adrian Hanauer sounds like he needs a vacation. Listen to all the the stuff floating around in his head... http://soundersfaninsider.net/?p=2124
Well, honestly, when *I* first read that, I didn't take "everything" as including your league standing and your Final berth any more than I took it as also including the Eiffel Tower or a herd of kangaroos. Nor does "should be" equate to "has been." I took what he wrote as an expression of frustration about an attitude he perceives to be present -- that he thinks Seattle is acting like they should be given whatever they want simply because they have great fan support. You can reasonably argue that that attitude *isn't* present, that he's wrong about that; but I don't think he was saying what you seem to think he was saying.
We already were 'given' MLS cup by the league precisely because of the fan support / season ticket sales. It is our "Ticket C" in our packages. Now I think with the USOC the Sounders were counting on their money being enough. Joe Roth buys what he wants, usually. So they certainly were surprised on that end. As for attendance, does anyone doubt that Seattle would have drawn a bigger crowd? It is up to DC to triple that lousy 2008 Final crowd. Hope you do. Seattle are intent on being a big club not just in MLS. We'll be making more enemies than friends along the road to getting there, I'd guess.
If you didn't have that fan support, you probably still would have gotten MLS Cup. New teams/stadia tend to get MLS Cup and/or the All-Star match, for obvious promotional reasons (cf. Pizza Hut Park, which has had two Cups despite the local support being, uh, underwhelming). I spoke with DCU's owner at a League match tailgate. He told me they were going to do everything that they could to win all the USOC bids (the win v. Rochester actually surprised me the most); but it wasn't until Payne's statement that I realized why (trying to minimize travel viz. the trips to Central America we may have coming up, if we get past Firpo). If the match was in the evening, I have absolutely no doubt whatsoever Seattle would have drawn a bigger crowd. At 1pm there, vs. evening here? I dunno. Oh, come on. Of course you're intent on that. Everyone is. Some teams are obviously better at attaining it than others; but everyone wants that. And of course you're going to make "enemies" -- this isn't Major League Friendship, after all. But the best way to make enemies is by beating them on the pitch.
Small Market Sounders "The top teams in the league, in terms of merchandise sales, are, in order: the Seattle Sounders, Los Angeles Galaxy, Toronto F.C. , D.C. United, Chicago Fire , the Red Bulls, and Houston Dynamo. The top three teams, Crystal said, are well ahead of the others, selling close to double the merchandise of other clubs." http://goal.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/07/23/mls-merchandise-rankings-dont-reflect-performance/
The only thing surprising about that list is the presence of New Jersey in it. Of course Seattle and Toronto are near the top: new teams. Count on Philly selling reams of stuff next year as well. And of course LA is too: Golden Balls. Really, the only thing surprising about that list is NYRB. Whoever's buying their stuff isn't going to their matches. Of course, what this has to do with the USOC I can't imagine.
Really? Please alert fans in New England, Dallas... Which, along with the huge crowds, is why people the ilk of Payne feel threatened. And well he should. We want your records, your successful...and eventually to dominate you. (Insert evil laugh)
well, seems the open cup is getting plenty of attention now. and one things for sure, where ever we have our "outdoor viewing party" here in seattle, we're sure to draw more fans there than united will have in their staduim. it'll be a nice F-U to d.c. and u.s. soccer.
Although we are miserable at this cup, and the two teams in this final are both scum (which is worse is debatable, and the fact that a derby rival has competition in the hate department speaks volumes), another month of this will only help hype the final.
S.Y.L.C. this is not a rivalries thread. Try not to bash teams that A. played hard enough to advance in a competition most teams mail-in, and B. are both in the playoff hunt when your team is bottom-feeding in the east. But you are right in the fact that the fo spat going on is raising some eyebrows in the soccer community. Hopefully that translates into ticket sales.
This is honestly what the US Open Cup needed to drum up some interest: This is actually going to creat a little bit of pub before the game, and quite frankly, any pub would be good pub. I welcome it. I hope the final will be as heated as these shots that DCU fans & Sounders fans have taken at each other. If it is, we're gonna be in for a great game.
Well the uS Open Cup although it should be legitimate, it doesnt have the Post season playoff appeal, it loks like to me they try to make it like in the english FA cup.
You do know this trophy has been around since 1914. There is no "post season playoff appeal" needed. That would be dumb.
1914 what your point??? the super Bowl nearly 50 yrs old, and it didnt get its rep for being "so old" Although if the USOC was more arranged around near the end of the Soccer season instaed of spread out like they do in europe, it will have better results at the Gate.. and in the media and within other areas... the USOC people arent doing that, so you have what you have in a sub standard appeal. a Euro wannabe tournement!
look a euro style soccer calendar or frame work is not gonna work its not gonna get any mainstream respect
The tournament, in its 'all comers' format, requires that amateur sides play the preliminary rounds while they are in season which i think is only from May 1 until September. The tournament is played when it is played to allow all the USASA teams and PDL teams and USL teams to play in season with the tourney. It was established as an open tourney, and for the most part, is still played that way. For the college kids to play, it has to be outside of the NCAA season restrictions. But if you want to talk about poser Euro set ups, talk about the CONCACAF Champions League. Theres nothing poser about 90+ year old tournament.
speaking as none of the above. i speak as myself. That's it. End of. I don't care about the MLS cup either but i care about it more then the US open cup. I haven't seen a U.S. open cup game yet this year and apparently it's the finals already. They aren't on tv here. i mean it's hard enough sometimes to get mls games on tv let alone some tourney nobody cares about. I don't why it's difficult to understand. MLS Cup is at least a domestic championship with a minute amount of prestige. Coaches often don't even send their best teams to the U.S. open cup. Fans don't go and they can't put the games in decent stadiums because it's too costly. not the case for the mLS cup finals. Concaaf Champions leauge is actually the only is what i'm most interested in because it's where the U.S. teams can prove they are of the caliber of the worlds elite and it leads to playing in a more prestigious competition the world club cup. There's nothing as visible or respected in U.S. Columbus wins the MLS cup nobody around the world cares. Columbus beats wins concacaf champions league and goes and plays Manchester United for silverware and that's a big deal. U.s. open cup only a few people care. And if you win it few people take notice. virtually nobody in the American sports scene knows what the U.S.open cup is. And when they have the final very few people will go or watch. if it's any consolation i haven't seen an FA cup final, a Carling cup final a copa del rey final and several other domestic cup championship games in many years too.
qft. just because other teams in the league choose not to take this tourny seriously, doesn't mean seattle has to follow suit and not take it seriously as well. all you "old" teams have proven you don't know how to run franchises or promote the league. we'll turn this tourny around just like we'll turn this league around. weather you like it or not. you're welcome in advance from the greatest american soccer dynasty the us has ever known! go sounders!!
I still think the Open Cup lack a american feel(post season playoff atmosphere and presentation) and USSF shoul help seek a tv deal for at least the final to be shown to wider audience. Seattle will probably benifit cause its the first yr in MLS maybe the USL factor too. But you still have the rest of the regular season and the MLS playoffs for the Championship to contend too.