DC United is attempting AGAIN to get a VA license plate with the team logo and some generic slogan (you can personalize the tag letters/numbers if you wish for $10). In order for the state to make them they need 350 PAID requests. The plate has been designed with a DCU Logo on the left and a message on the bottom (TBD), on the upper left side it has the month, Virginia in the middle and the year on the right side. The cost for this DC United plate is $25.00 per year plus a registration fee. Right now we're interested in getting a count of how many people want one of these (we'll get back to you with details about signing up and payment, etc.). Leaders of the SEs, La Norte, the Choir and Barra have been contacted to help get a count so either reply to emails from your club or you can send me an email at kim@screaming-eagles.com (but please don't reply twice). K
Are you willing to take the lead to get it done? A volunteer has stepped up to coordinate this with United and that's what it would take in MD and/or DC. K
DC United Plate? No way! I am just as excited as the next guy about DC United and have support them, in the past, when I can, however, it is frustrating when sports franchises expect fans to pick up the total cost of such advertising.... $25.00 + registration fees for a VA D.C. United vanity plate? Just so I can advertise D.C. United? Then I do the same for D.C. United with my $80.00 Jersey, my $20.00 ball cap, and my $1.00 bumper sticker... yeah I advertise the team... to what end though...that's what I've been asking myself? Is some D.C. United marketing official gonna cut me a break with season tickets because I advertise the heck out of his team? No way; hasn't happened yet and it never will! He will, however, give local and national media free access to games, give them special press briefings, and indeed shower them with everything under the sun. But loyal fans-who may fork over a bunch $ for supporting the team-they get their seat for a fee and nothing else. I've reached the end of supporting D.C. United; indeed all such professional sports. Teams don't give a damn about loyal fans: we are the ones that pay full price for tickets, pay full price for merchandise, and pay full price for our unnending support and promotion; all for no voice at all and very little support! Sorry to drag this out, but your post (Attn VA Drivers) illicited a fans complaint: $25.00 + registration fees for a VA D.C. United vanity plate? Why? Free advertising? How about D.C. United paying this fan to advertise its team on a private vehicle? IntheNet
Re: DC United Plate? No way! That's fine, but some would argue that promoting the visibility of the team and MLS in general would be worth it. And I would also argue that DCU gives back more to their fans than the Redskins, Capitals and Wizards combined. Their front office is first class and receptive to just about any need or concern you might have. Just attend one of their viewing parties and you'll see what I mean. BTW, the $25.00 and registration goes to the state, same as any other personalized tag.
do the other DC pro sports teams have VA vanity plates? I've seen the Redskins plate on the roads, but no Caps or Wizards.
Re: DC United Plate? No way! Man, have I got a guy on the SE listserv to introduce to you. This loyal fan pays $50 less than premium season ticket holders buy purchasing seats in the SE Nest. Also by being a member of a supporters club I have been able to purchase new jersies at a considerable discount, attend private meet the team events (just our club), and get group travel rates to see the team play out of town. If this is the type of stuff you want you should look into the various supporters clubs and see what suits your needs But if you think because you buy season tickets Stephen Zack is going to stop by and kiss your hand you're sadly mistaken. Now if you want more access to the team they do provide several times throughout the year for you to meet the team and staff at after parties, viewing parties and the Meet the Team event; and heck if you ply Ray Hudson with enough beer he night kiss you on the mouth! If you don't want to buy superfluous crap, fine but let's keep in mind that we're not talking ManU-sized revenue here, the team and league can use all the financial support they can. K
At this time neither Caps nor Wizards have plates (Skins yes). There are tons of colleges to choose from (you can check out the list here http://www.dmv.state.va.us/webdoc/citizen/vehicles/plate_search.asp ) K
Re: DC United Plate? No way! Quite a post for a fair weather fan. You're favorite team is DC United - IF THEY IMPROVE. Give me a friggin break. You either love the team, or you hop on and off the bandwagon. Let me guess your other favorite teams are LA, SJ and KC. Does that sound about right? Believe it or not states charge for personalized license plates! The $25 is not for rights to display the badge it is for a personalized tag. If you don't like spending $80 for a jersey, try spending $65 at the stadium. I guess the whole tone of your "poor victimized me" post really got to me. Do the Redskins, Caps, Orioles or Wizards give you anything extra for wearing their stuff? Or do you think DC should because in your mind they are not really worth all the bother and they are playing a niche sport? Either way I think your favorite team says it all about you.
Re: DC United Plate? No way! Ummm...no. First off, it's not as if the DCU front office are forcing this on us like a season ticket price increase. It's optional. I repeat, OPTIONAL. So there's no use in complaining. Secondly, despite being the most successful sports team in DC's history (over twice the Redskins' amount of championships in 1/10th of the time), United get almost no respect from fans of "mainstream" sports. The way I see it, the fact that DCU is even up for a license plate is a big step forward in finally getting the recognition they so richly deserve, and I for one am willing to shell out a few extra bones to show my love. Thirdly, you sound like you were only supporting DCU in hopes of a front-office hookup. To wit: Then I do the same for D.C. United with my $80.00 Jersey, my $20.00 ball cap, and my $1.00 bumper sticker... yeah I advertise the team... to what end though...that's what I've been asking myself? Is some D.C. United marketing official gonna cut me a break with season tickets because I advertise the heck out of his team? No way; hasn't happened yet and it never will! So what if the media gets free stuff? If you're a "loyal" fan, you don't come out to RFK to begrudge the media of all their perks; you come out because you love DC UNITED, nothing more, and nothing less. You get more than a seat at United games; you get the feeling of watching America's greatest soccer club storm to victory. You get the Eagles and the Barras shaking the life out of the lower sections. You get La Norte hurling confetti, streamers and verbal abuse at anyone not wearing black. I will plug DCU until I die; hell, probably when I die too, if they'll make a three-striped urn. If your support of United is purely economical, then go on and stop supporting them; none of us will miss you. Lastly, to compare DC United with other sports leagues and "franchises" is an insult. I've been to at least one game from every major American sport. Last year, I went to a Phillies game, and every show of fan support felt canned and forced; everything felt like clockwork. It's as if people were there out of habit. When I come to see United, it's out of love. Every song, every insult, everything is a spontaneous show of the raw emotion that DCU engenders and inspires in every fan true to the Black. DC United means more to me than all the teams in all the leagues of the so-called "real sports". And to that end, if I have to or want to spend a little extra money to show my support, then dammit, I'll do it. In a nutshell, if you don't want to, you don't have to. But don't complain about it either, since you don't have to.
I feel kind of small after all these long posts, but, I'd like two. Maybe make it three if I can get my old CJ-7 up and runnung.
Re: Re: DC United Plate? No way! That's not exactly a fair assessment to make. Not as many competitions for the Skins, more teams in the league, but I get where you're headed with it.
another vote to 350 Put me down for one DCU plate, and maybe two (if I keep my old car after getting a new one next month...)
wish I still lived there... If I still lived out east, you could count me in. Unfortunately I think I'm the only DCU fan in the Chicago area. As for that silly rant by that guy about DCU owing him something, if you are so pissed off dude, then just shut your mouth and go away. Nobody would miss you. The point is not YOU paying $25 to advertise for United. The point is YOU love the team and YOU are willing to do your part to help support a struggling league and show the love you have for the best damn pro-sports team in the area. I hate the metro-donkey's with the fire of a thousand suns, but my best friend lives in NJ and her little cousin loves his team. I plan on taking him to a game when I go out there this spring, but do you see me complaining about spending money on them even though they do nothing for me? Loyalty. Appreciation. Entertainment. You obviously don't know the meaning of those words.
Advertising for the team I don't know about anyone else, but I buy the jersey, the seats, the hats, the you-name-it... because I WANT them. Kudos to DCU if they get free advertising from me. I get enjoyable soccer from them.
Having lived in VA for over 12 years, did I miss something? When did comemorative plates start costing $25 per year?? They used to all be $10 per year, plus another $10 if you wanted specialized lettering/numbering. It is a shame that all the money goes to the state considering part of the revenue from the George Washington plates goes towards Mt. Vernon. I too am angry that they would charge more than the going rate, with NOT one dime going towards the team. Big thumbs down to that.
I just did a search on the VA DMV website and found this The cost for most special license plates for organizations is $10.00 per year in addition to the prescribed registration fee and any other fees, where applicable. For most revenue sharing license plates, the issuance fee is $25.00 per year instead of $10.00. I'll check with the person coordinating this but the $25 amt is what he told me (he met with someone at the DMV). We'll have sorted out by the time people need to mail in their checks. K
Some people think that DC United is a matter of life and death. I don't like that attitude. I can assure them it is much more serious than that!