The LA Galaxy gives scarves to all season seat holders The Sounders do the same and make that scarf the ticket to the first game so that the stadium will be full of the teams colors _____________________________________ The LA Galaxy put ads on buses and a 25% off ad in the LA Times The Sounders bathe the space needle in green light and hang a Sounders banner from the space needle ______________________________________ The LA Galaxy shoe horns in a "Fan Fest" prior to the first game. The Sounders plan a marching band led march across the city to the stadium, where a "Fan Fest" like atmosphere is planned. ________________________________________ The LA Galaxy have a front office that does what it wants regardless of the fans wishes (though admittedly the Steves have made some headway here) The Sounders season ticket holder will get a say (vote) in the running of the organization _________________________________________ The LA Galaxy get a crappy MLM company as a jersey sponser The Sounders get XBox Live _________________________________________ The LA Galaxy appears to be building for 'let's hope we can squeak into the playoffs this year, and we will worry about the future in the future. The Sounders have built a strong team for now and the future. _________________________________________ The mayor of LA would rather pretend soccer doesn't exist, but if called on the carpet he would choose Chivas. The mayor of Seattle is joining the march to the stadium __________________________________________ The LA Galaxy gets Tom Cruise in a suite. The Seattle Sounders get Drew Carey as an owner, someone that is actually a soccer fan, and a former Galaxy fan _________________________________________ The Galaxy is run as a business where the dollar takes precedence over the fans, and a sports team just happens to be the product. The Sounders are run as a fan centered sporting operation that will see more revenue as more fans are added. _____________________ I have to admit, the more I read about the way the Sounders are doing things, the more jealous I get. I won't hold my breath that AEG will take some ideas from what the Sounders have done and implement them. Though I do expect to see the Galaxy FO take a few of the ideas and screw them up somehow. Am I going to go become a Seattle fan and put on the Sounders jersey, hell no. (But their jersey is much better looking than our boring white jersey.) All I can do is hope that one day I come into hundreds of millions of dollars and can buy the Galaxy out from AEG. I won't hold my breath.
drew is still a galaxy fan. just looking for something to make me less jealous. seems the new franchisees are just nailing it.
As Drew said on the ESPN chat the other day: It's easier to buy a new car than to fix one that's been in huge wreck. If folks weren't learning from the mistakes of the past 14 years, then we'd really be in trouble. Progress is progress. Onward LA.
vabba Those are all valid points to the comparison. I would say the fact they have over 20k season ticket holders in their innaugural season tells me that their product if far in a way more superior and more desired than the Galaxy product. Chivas USA actually treats it's fans with more respect in regards to their fans incomes, soccer passion and knowledge, and all around entertainment for your dollar. The Chivas v Galaxy game I went to last year where Chivas was the home team was a way more exciting experience than I thought. The Galaxy Organization and AEG know that the Galaxy fans are too lazy to either switch allegences or stop coming to games. At this point I can't blame AEG for making a dollar by any means necessary. I am not that beholdant to the Los Angeles Galaxy... If a "new" team came along using the Los Angeles Moniker and had my best interests and took on a similar stance as the Seattle Sounders Organization I would leave the LA Galaxy in a heartbeat.
It would seem Drew Carey has come up with some very clever ideas to promote ownership, responsibility, and pride in his fans. But these ideas are not new. Just new to MLS. Can't really blame AEG for being short sighted. You can make the same comparisons with any MLS team. I think as new teams are added, especially those in the northwest and north of the border, we'll continue to see new developments that we wished we had or were a part of. Generally, I think selling soccer to the masses in the US is still a hard sell. It takes a passionate and connected owner to pull it off. Vacouver should be fun to watch. Portland fans are notoriously energetic. The league has a bright future with these additions. We should be thankful for that. And thankful for the rivalries coming to a boil in the West.
I definitely admire what I see coming out of the SSFC camp and wish we had more like it, from top to bottom. as the OP wrote, it's not going to make me want to put on their jersey and cheer for them...not yet, at least, though my frustration level with this club has grown a great deal.
Bring your scarf Sunday? Ring up TJ, get a bottle of tequila and some blue and gold paint and pay the Hollywood sign a visit. I am rather thankful we don't have a Galaxy marching band. Can't really argue with that. Does it matter? Is XBox' money somehow worth more than Herbalife's? It's got the LA badge on it. That's all I care about. Really? Our roster appears to be a helluva lot stronger than last years and Seattle is stacked with susperstars like Nate Jaqua, Pete Vagenas, Pat Ianni and James Riley. They are an expansion team no matter what Drew Carey tells you otherwise. The mayor of LA has remarkably bad taste and the mayor of Seattle needs the excercise I think it's safe to say we all hate Tom Cruise Don't kid yourself, this is a business and the all mighty dollar will take precedence over the fans in Seattle as well when it comes right down too it. Their jersey looks like my 15 month old's shirt after I forget to put a bib on him while he's eating green jello. I'll take our blue and our white over that god awful color any day.
I'm just happy that Kobe Bryant is a fan. I'll take him over Tom Cruise or Drew Carey any day. Talk about someone with clout. Get him on your side and his legions will follow! Ok, well maybe not follow, but do we really care who sits in the luxury boxes?
i can admire some of the things seattle is doing, but as far as succesful organizations, you should probably see how things turn out. there is a wide gap between expectations and reality at times, and what sometimes looks like brilliance on paper, can look wholly different in real life. i hope they do well. but as far as a money organization, it's tough to knock the galaxy. and what's even more impressive is that we aren't any good. but aren't we the only team in the entire league to actually be turning a profit? my guess is that's probably a relative rarity in ANY soccer team ANYwhere.
It better be zero. His ass needs to be on the court winning championships. (L.A. needs at least one sports team to win one.) But serious, I get your point, however he admitted to being a soccer fan long before Becks showed up.
I've heard him say he was a Barca fan. I saw that he helicoptered into a Sol practice to do photo ops with Marta. LAG -- meh.
Nice comparison, please send to Tim LieWeekly. Oh and Seattle sign a hardworking, attacking midfielder, former Gunner, and National Team Captain, as a DP that likely will fit right into the team and provide leadership (that also happens to like to put himself in underwear ads). AEG signs....well we all no that story.
I am far from a Kobe fan but his appreciation of footie is well documented. He grew up in europe and can actually play fairly well. He has stated that he would have tried to play professional soccer if he had stayed in Italy (where his dad was playing basketball). He is an avowed AC Milan fan (please insert booing noise here) and Ronaldinho and Frank Rijkaard. He also speaks fluent Italian and Spanish. If it wasn't for the fact that he is a selfish prat I might actually like the guy.
Actually, the DCU barra brava should give you all the evidence you might need to know that being a soccer fan is not a good reason to like anyone. My point was that Kobe may be a soccer fan, but there's no way he is a Galaxy fan. And, like any other celebrity, who cares.....
let's see them keep it up for 10 years then we'll compare. New teams will use others to improve. We can't just go comparing every expansion teams that comes up.
Is the fans' say really a good thing? We'll see, I visit a lot of message boards of the teams I follow, there's a lot of idiot fans out there. It's easy to second guess, and more often than not fans react too quickly to a game or event that just happened and they're usually ranting about rash short-sighted requests that are easier said then done
we are officially the worst team in the west, unless NY's western conference champions means they've been coopted here.
Lately these new MLS franchises seems to be doing extremely well. TFC and now Seattle, and I can imagine Vancouver and Portland getting all up in arms about their new teams. Most of the originals, though seem to be stagnating baaad-- NE, Dallas, NY, KC, us? and so on and so on. Makes me wonder did MLS alienate its potential fanbase in the past 13 years? or if its just new team excitement going on in those other cities? probably the latter.
Seattle historically has had a larger percentage of alternative-lifestyle latte-loving soccer fans than most of the nation. Toronto is similar, while in places like Dallas, New York, KC, etc. NFL and McDonalds are king, with NBA and MLB not far behind.
It's a different culture up there. It was nice to see a stadium do things right. I think they set a new bar (previously held by TFC). I told my buddy, that you know they are planning an "evasion" at the HDC.