I bet for less than half of what you pay to go to a single Bay FC game you could get ESPN+ for an entire year and watch much better soccer!
Well the Bay FC atmosphere is so much nicer than Quakes. Sophisticated fans and lots of women and young girls. A real family vibe.
Sophisticated fans and family vibe are somewhat contradictory. Bay FC games feature too many people getting up in the middle of the action to go get food. Also, they have the new car smell still. A couple seasons with a .300 winning percentage (their current status) will inevitably take its toll.
Yeah I’m sure you’re right, I don’t even know if I will resubscribe, especially after those stupid Ts and Cs! when I say sophisticated, I mean they boo and cheer at the right times. Not like when I went to our first game away at Seattle, and those fans booed everything even throwins because they clearly didn’t know the rules. But also, the people (majority women) around me are clearly knowledgeable in how they talk about the game.
Yeah, some seemingly “knowledgeable” Sacramento Republic fans sitting behind me at Bay FC games. Overheard them bad-mouthing the San Jose Ultras during the first or second game. Wanted to turn around and introduce myself but, since I’m a gentleman, . . .
Ha! When I sat in the moat, most of the people around me were more interested in getting food and taking selfies than in watching the game. I haven't seen anything that crass at Bay games, though I'm not in the moat so it's not a fair comparison. The new car smell is likely to linger for more than a few years. Whereas the Quakes fans include those of us who have followed the team for decades, through some ups and mostly downs, and now feel a mix of enduring if inexplicable love tempered by incessant disappointment. It's hard not to be at least a little bitter, and bitter hasn't entered the Bay fan lexicon yet.
As I always say, starting is the easy part. The hard part is to maintain it for many years. The Quakes have survived for many years thru many ups and downs, mostly downs. And we were a new team when the league wasn't taken seriously, and even put down routinely in the local newspaper. Once the perception of a new product is baked in it's hard to overcome it. So while I'm sure we lag behind most MLS teams in terms of fan support, there is still a core of hardcore fans that keeps the boat afloat, more or less. And that's worth something... We would have never gotten a team back if it wasn't for that core fan support.
We went to the Element bar prior to the Quakes game last night and for about 20 minutes we were the ONLY people in there!! First time that has ever happened. There is usually a decent amount of folks. The bartender ended up just wanting to talk, probably cause' he was so bored... - Friday before the Bay FC game, the bar was absolutely packed! - When Bay FC plays, he can hear the crowd in his bar. - When the Quakes play, he said he doesn't hear anything! - He said Hernan lived in the hotel for a couple of weeks after he arrived. He corroborated what I had observed and said that he is a really nice guy (I never see him yell at teammates). Said he would come down to order food and always joke around. He would also play with kids that were hanging out in the lobby area,
Another new women's team, this time with a terrible name and logo... someone said: Getting tired of wings/rising up symbolism in women sports. Angel City, Dallas Trinity, Carolina Ascent, Dallas Wings, Golden State Valkyries, Chicago Sky #NewProfilePic pic.twitter.com/N9uE7GJii7— DC Power Football Club (@DCPowerFC) May 20, 2024 Inspired by unity, strength, and determination. ⭐️⭐️⭐️ pic.twitter.com/ZFa6OoYBoj— DC Power Football Club (@DCPowerFC) May 20, 2024 POWER 🆙Introducing the DMV's newest professional women's soccer team... DC Power Football Club. pic.twitter.com/P7cBJH5whg— DC Power Football Club (@DCPowerFC) May 20, 2024
Agree that it's a nice vibe, but a lot has to do with the new car smell as Don mentioned. Additionally, while my wife and I have enjoyed the games, the fans are definitely not sophisticated. They are on a whole not as knowledgeable (cheer and get excited on plays which are common). We had one fan yell about a player being offside on a throw-in. Fans are just excited to be there. Quakes games? Fans are wondering why they are even there.
Well, ok, maybe where one sits determines how knowledgeable are the fans sitting nearby. My section is pretty knowledgeable.
A friend who is gay recently went to her first Bay FC game with her wife, and described it as a "queer social event". She has never been into soccer, but, they already have tickets for another match.
I'm behind the goal, more or less. We have former WNT players sitting nearby., relatives of players on the field and older, well-connected women soccer players. They know their shit. Funny conversation overheard "... Hey I just saw Leslie and learned she's up in Seattle now. I asked her if she goes to Reign games,. She said "Yes. I'm the GM "".
Reminds me of a decade ago when I went to a San Jose Jazz Society fundraiser and happened to be talking with a young guy who spoke with an accent. Since he was clearly English, I asked him if he liked soccer. "I play for the Earthquakes", he replied. I didn't recognize him, and I (embarrassingly) went into fanboy mode: "which one are you?!" It was Jordan Stewart. (In my defense he had only been on the team a couple months at the time). Me (right) with Jordan Stewart and San Jose Jazz Society President Brendan Rawson (also a Quakes fan), circa 2014.
Jordan Stewart is a cool guy, and I’m happy that he’s stayed around to work with the team in some capacity (academy coach?). IIRC he was also into fashion design / entrepreneurship. Don’t know if he’s still doing that also.
The Cyberrays were like that in its first season, where it felt like lesbians made up a high percentage of the crowd.
I had a chance to meet up with and chat with former USWNT player, Leslie Osborne yesterday. We discussed Bay FC and the Quakes. I asked her if she would play a few games as she still looks in great shape but then she and her husband who played for the Rapids are now part owners. She is 40 , has three daughters so I doubt she still has time or the will to keep playing. She also said that Bay FC have their own youth academy and that games are a lot more fun watching that the Quakes. Of that I am sure. I'm glad I got a chance to meet her as she is a nice lady very knowledgeable about soccer.
I am going to the game at Wrigley Field this afternoon. I have seen the ballpark only from the outside in previous visits here in Chicago.