This is a very good tactic and more SG's should follow suit. The horizontal relationship of the SG to other fans is the key to success. If SG's look down on the casual fan you cause a riff between the two but if SG's act like older brothers and casually guide and protect the casual fans then you get what you have in Houston. Where the fans demand the admittance of the SG. This is soccer perfection at its height. GOD BLESS EL BATTALION!!!!
Of course and that's understood but in certain things you need to speak with your clients/customers to see if they will accept the change. If your customers feel that they arent worth anything then what's the point of attending. I guess we just come from different POV's thats all.
This is one way the front offices in places like Kansas City, Columbus, and Colorado could help support what the supporters groups are doing: http://www.theoffside.com/leagues/mls/kansas-city-wants-more-drunken-fans.html
There isn't a whole lot I care to disagree with in your post...except for the last sentence. It speaks to some bizarre hope/wishful thinking that people indulge in - and understandably so, I guess, because hope is important. Exactly what do you mean by "the Red Bull marketing dept going into overdrive?" And what would that really do? I'll leave aside my own personal p.o.v. - that the team exists to publicize the brand, not vice versa, so you should never bank on any extraordinary efforts to publicize the team - and take this statement at full face value. What do you expect the RB marketers to do to make the NJ team more popular and beloved? Do you think they really have the secret to effectively marketing pro soccer in the US - something people have been looking for for forty years now? And they're just sitting on it till Harrison opens? Really? Anyone who knows anything about RB marketing knows that they haven't become popular by taking the mainstream, mass-audience-oriented carpet-bomb-em-with-traditional-advertising-all-over-the-place route. They aren't Coke or McDonalds. However corporate they actually are, they've spent billions on creating the appearance of being underground, clued-in, an authentic, slightly subversive part of a unique "scene". This kind of marketing has been remarkably good at slyly convincing adolescents and stupid people that their useless product is whatever they think it is - sports aid, "energy" drink, or sexual potion. So they've made hundreds of millions off of adolescents and stupid people. But it is incompatible with selling soccer. Soccer support, at its heart, is a traditional, conservative (small c), mass activity. Except here, where it is a niche sport. Build Harrison, and a few more people might squeeze into that niche. But a nice new building and a few more ads that get snowed under almost instantaneously ain't going to break MLS, or the NJ team out of that niche. No one who isn't already into MLS will be duped into thinking that they're some sort of rebel by getting into MLS. You're absolutely right - it is "the choir" here. Even if going "into overdrive" just meant spending more money on marketing than they do now - if it was all as simple and push-button as throwing a lot of money at the problem, someone would have done that by now.
Ahhahahahahaha!! The Rapids actually spend money on fans? you must be kidding. This is an FO who just last weekend promoted a party at the Dick for people to come and get single-game tickets, meet the players have some food, etc. then reportedly didn't provide any food at the party. Yes, food was specifically mentioned in their press release, but the only people who've mentioned getting food were a couple of the SG members who the players went and got some food from the spread in the training facility for. You think an FO that is that cheap when it comes to its fans is going to provide a shuttle service to games?
Um, if they all agreed on everything why would there be multiple groups? Wouldn't a disagreement about something be the reason for starting another group?
It is a very fair statement. But some people in both HSH and Local 614 have worked very hard to make this happen, and the rest of us owe it to them (and ourselves and the team) to make it work this year. 103 was not a failed experiment because I think that in some part it helped lessen the impact of the "Northend" going away... so now we have people coming together, much like they do in the wake of any tragedy
Well, the fact that our large outdoor ampitheater is effectively closed for good (being torn out after a 12 year run to make condos), it was a no-brainer for McCullers to build the stage, and I have no problem with making the stadium more multipurpose, AS LONG AS THE HUNTS PUT MONEY BACK INTO THE TEAM. That is my, and a lot of fellow BS'ers main concern. Sure, make money from the stage, but put something back into either us or the stadium. A roof? A DP so we can actually make a playoff run that is successful? That alone should positively impact attendance. and yes, they could do more to market to groups outside of soccer moms, but here in the Columbus area, there are alot of soccer moms and kiddies with alot of money, and selling full price seats to them rather than discounted seats to OSU students has always been a priority. I just wish that this year they would focus on the college students too. They are working hard on the Latino population already. I think little things like Shawn Mitchell's Crew blog on our paper's website will be a signal of a little more coverage for us. Come July, we will know if things are working or not.
Sure, but look at Section 8 in Chicago - there are multiple groups represented in there but they are united for games. Same with Barra Brava and Screaming Eagles. That's all we mean, is having a more united front.
But wouldn't that be useless in Cbus, considering that the overall hispanic population is only 3%. I've been to Cbus a few times over the last couple of years and found it rather odd that I saw so few hispanics. Then I looked up the stats and found out that its only 3% of the population. Also out of that 3%, 95% of it is Mexican. =( good luck.
Sorry dude but I'm gonna call bullshit on this. I live here and see hispanic people literally every day. 3% of Columbus' population is about 52,500 people. Those are "legal" residents. Columbus, like most other US cities, also has several thousand "illegal" immigrants. Also going on previous experience I'm quite sure you are lying about ever being here let alone more than once. You don't know anything about this city, please stop pretending you do.
http://columbusoh.areaconnect.com/statistics.htm http://www.epodunk.com/cgi-bin/popInfo.php?locIndex=16549
This site put its at 2.5%. That must be the increase you are talking about. http://www.hellocolumbus.com/Census.Cfm Clearly all the times I thought that you guys were xenophobic stands up then. You probably feel that there is a MASS RUSH of hispanics coming into your area. It's ok, just normal middle american xenophobia. It's sad because all the times I've been to Cbus, the people actually seemed nice.
Sorry guy, that I had to call bullshit on your bullshit but the numbers are self evident. I think that the deat of your pants feeling is called xenophobia instead of actual facts and numbers.
You are an idiot. I'd really like to know where you get this whole "xenophobia" jag. My daughter goes to a school with an ESL program and one of her best friends is from Mexico. I'd really like to know how people in Columbus or the Crew embracing our new Hispanic citizens is somehow xenophobic. Do you even know what the word means? It really seems like you don't. You may also like to check the dates on some of the info that you keep googling one of the sites quotes info is from the 2000 census. You may also try to realize that every one of the links doesn't include Columbus' suburbs many of which have growing hispanic populations. Columbus is one of the most racially integrated cities in the country. We don't have white neighborhoods or black neighborhoods or Mexican neighborhoods we all live together and get along quite well thank you very much. and you can shove your bull**** "xenophobia" argument up your lying a**.
1. 2000 census. 2. lists Columbus' 2005 pop. at 693,983 2007 Columbus pop: 733,203 Columbus city pop. 733,203 Columbus metro pop. 1,725,570 There are 992,367 people in central Ohio that don't live in the city of Columbus and therefore don't get counted in any of your linked info.
You are so infuriatingly stupid as to be beyond belief. Because of the fact that I live in a neighborhood with many latinos that makes me a "xenophobe"? I'm not twisting anything, you are. You post old out of date numbers that exclude nearly half of our citizens and claim that I'm the on twisting an flipping numbers. You have to be joking, you have too. You can't be this obtuse. Columbus has a vibrant growing hispanic population and the fact that we are embracing it is somehow wrong? I don't get it, you don't make any sense. If you are ever in Columbus, for real, come on out: Ven a la ciudad de Columbus para el mayor evento Hispano/Latino en Ohio - ¡Festival Latino! http://www.festivallatino.net/
I get this from your statements. The way that you express yourself, as if the growing hispanic population is encroaching on your scared lands. You 'see' them everywhere as if a paranoia has set in. These apologetic statements are rich. As if knowing a hispanic or being associated with a hispanic absolves you from the feelings you have. This is comparable to the famous "I have a friend thats black, I'm NOT a racist!!!!" if you are embracing them, then so be it but this doesnt make the case that the population is more than 3%. Now does it. Also asking me if I know what xenophobia means, even when I have used it properly, doesnt make your point that the population of hispanics in Cbus is greater than 3%. Google something to the contrary and I'll be willing to listen to you. Valid point but we are talking about Cbus not the suburbs. Even still lets include the suburbs, what then is the overall hispanic population? Can you present some info on that? Most people do get along. That's not surprising. If I'm wrong I apologize.
The truth sometimes frustrates. Sorry to say. Living or associating with hispanics doesnt mean you are not a xenophobe it just means you live with hispanics. It doesnt make any statement of your feelings. OK I'll accept your contention. Then please post numbers to the contrary!!! Obviously, I simply said that being that the hispanic population is only 3% is marketing to the hispanic a wise choice? I've been to Cbus many times and I actually thought that it was a nice place. I actually like it there. http://www.festivallatino.net/
NYC, his words aren't xenophobic in any way, shape or form. He was refuting your statements about Cbus marketing towards the hispanic/latino market.