There's no rest for the weary! If we want to do any of this stuff we need to A) sort out with HDC and B) get cranking on it so we can either ship out there or figure out how to get on the plane. Let's start planning K
Wow. Sorry that my banners turned out so crappy looking. Live and learn. We could probably just buy what's needed out in LA LA land and make what's needed out there. Jan and I aren't coming in until Saturday afternoon. I think we're on the same Jet Blue flight back with the SE's on Monday though (leaving at 4:00 pm, right?)
I'm willing to take 2 packages of premade banners out there. My fiance and I are only planning on bringing carry-on luggage, so we can pack up a couple of cardboard boxes (I can get some from work) with already made banners. Also, can help while out there as well. Will be getting in Friday night. Thx, Jay!
Not sure if we'd have the space to paint stuff out there (parking lot of hotel? They may not be too keen on that). If we made a few here and used some sort of spray (like a shellac) they should survive being rolled up and shipped. I think we can only count on our end and the corners to put stuff on so we don't need to make as many (and with the SE and BB stadium banners there that's even less space). For MLS Cup '99 we did something with rolls of plastic table cloths coming down over people's heads at the start of the game, kind of like the card thing (Tim Connor organized this I think, it was cool!) Now if we can figure out where out there we could buy stuff like this out there that might help. I just want us to sort this stuff out waay ahead of time so if we need to Fedex anything we can get out there (and trust me, it's going to be hectic enough once we're there so anything we can do before will save us headaches). K
Can someone post pictures of our section? if it's same where S8 was then I know there are pics out there (I probably have a link at work) I had supplier for table rolls tagged, will look into it in a bit
Kim keep in mind that we still have over 20 cans of white spray paint and about 14 cans or red. We also have at least 7 rolls of black plastic. (10' x 25' but easy to cut down to 3' x 25' which would make each roll 75' in length.) I also have several white DCU rally towels that I couldn't fit in with the batch that I dyed a couple of weeks ago if you want to try to take them...(I still have a couple of boxes of black dye and could dye them, and of course, let them soak a lot longer this time!) If you want them black, let me know today and I will get them going. Vicky
Here's a map (and you can click on the opposite seat view to see what the seats look like from across the stadium). http://la.galaxy.mlsnet.com/MLS/lag/stadium/ We're going to be in section 121, I need to confirm how much space across the back there we can claim for banners and stuff. K
What do people think on the towels? (I don't have a strong feeling either way, would be easy to ship). Cool, that you have supplies left so we can use up. K
K, et al. I second the idea of the plastic table-cloth roll. When we did that in 1997 for the cup, it worked out great. The Fire fans (several of which were at the game scouting our tricks) subsequently took this idea and have done well with it over the years. They do a nice horizontal effect. We can eye the section on the day of and make adjustment. It is sooo simple to do. All we need is roughly six or eight rolls of plastic table cloth in black and white (red looks pink when held up due to transparency). That's it. We cut it to length in the hotel parking lot and roll it up. Then just deploy it when we see fit. What we really need is a man or woman on the ground in California. So, if anyone knows of someone reliable and resourceful, that can scout out a party shop (I got the stuff at Party City at seven corners, near REI back in 1997). It was not expensive. I'd be happy to cover costs/reimburse the purchaser. Additional ideas. K, please find out about flag poles. I can make a portable 8 foot flag pole that can be broken down to 2-3 feet long, plastic. If they let me bring that in, I'll make 2 and we can use it to wave two 6 x 8 flags that I'll wip together this week. I can bring all this stuff with me. I just need to know by Thursday morning. K, more stuff for you. I have the "buffalo drum" collection that I can bring (the kind you hold in one hand and pound with the other). They're loud and portable. I think I have three or four good ones still. Hence, please ask if we can bring this in. Finally, K, I'm thinking that we should do tons of confetti if possible. This is strictly a California base of operations deal. What I'm thinking is that we actually buy pre-made, colored confetti. I'm sure that in LA, somewhere, there is a professional outfit that can hook us up with lots of black and red and white confetti. The good kind. Light weight 1" squares are the best. If we can find a California contact willing to do this and the plastic rolls, we're rocking. Oh yeah, find out if they would freak out about a guy bringing honey and lemons into the game. My throat may need nurishment throughout. It's like I swallowed glass shards now. Tim
I'll ask about flag poles AND confetti (they don't allow confetti in Columbus not sure about HDC, clogs up the drainage system). I'm sure there's a Party City type store out there, just need to find one close to hotel. Paul and I are going to have to make an appearance at the Supporters Summit (duty calls) so we'll need volunteers to make some runs for supplies. K
Re: LaNorte's BOMBO K, We want to take our BOMBO (drum). Do you know if they will let us bring it inside the stadium? We should defently do it all...Plastic table cloth, confetti, flag poles, etc..... THE MORE, THE BETTER!!!!
Re: LaNorte's BOMBO Well, if we've got BOMBO, we may not need the buffalo drums. Keep us informed about whether you really will be able to get it out there. I'll bring the buffalo's as a backup. K, when you describe the poles, tell they are plastic, light-weight, and collapsable. That is, we won't be walking around with them, we'll assemble them at the section. It's for the good of the game! Tim
There are conffetti that disolve in water (not sure if those exist in US), those are used a lot elsewhere. Basically rains just cleans them up Ask about drums too just to be sure.
I ment actual photos of stadium, doesn't seem like a lot of banner space (considering 85794357 banners we have )
OK, presuming that the photos are actually of the fire fans in LA last year, then I think I have a few Ideas. We definitely can do the roll down of plastic material. That's a given. Suzanne, if you can scout out a store near to Carson such as a Party City (that's what the chain is called around here) that has rolls (50 foot, as I recall) of plastic tablecloth material in black and white, we're good. Clearly, the Fire fans have flag poles. They're using 1-2" pvc solid poles. K, when you talk with the HDC folks, mention that the Fire fans brought them in last year. I've got ideas on how to do very similar flags to those in the picture. I'll carve out time to make two 6'x8'. One thing I'd like to do is tie up vertically some of the plastic material from the top railing of our section to the bottom. We'd just keep it there while we stand around and shake it now and again. We'll have plenty of plastic if we can find the 8 rolls of the stuff I'm looking for. If confetti doesn't work out then colored streamers is obviously acceptable, from the photos of the Fire. That'd be nice. One final thing. K, let's decide ahead of time what color we're all wearing. Black, I presume? Tim
If we don't do helium, we could inflate a bunch with a bicycle pump, then let them loose in the stadium so they wind up bouncing around the field like at English cup ties. Thx, Jay!
I've been scouting out cheap red/white/black balloons source and they actually have special balloon pumps hehe Not much space for banners outside from our regular ones (Barra is coming and I'm assuming SE and LN are bringing their main banners) I'll make something nice for if, erm I mean when we win
Does anybody know if the Home Depot Center limits people hanging banners, or if we have to worry about not having enough space for banners? My husband, Martin of Screaming Eagles, wants to bring all the banners he takes to the DC United Games. We've encountered stadiums that don't allow banners or really restrict where you can hang them. It wouldn't be worth lugging them all on Jet Blue if he can't hang them, so I thought I'd ask. His are the hand painted cloth banners that run along the side of the stadium and end with a series of flags before the Screaming Eagles section. They include "Red, White, Black;" one with red and black cloth and white letters saying "DC United;" one of red and black cloth that says "live the red and black life;" plus two that hang near the end zone -- "Welcome back to Jaime Town," and "E Pluribus United." Does anybody know if the Home Depot Center restricts the hanging of banners? I myself am hoping that fantastic Barra Brava one of Jamie makes it to LA. Thank you
I'm not sure there would be space for that bad boy, it's 16'x16' I think Kim is asking LA stadium nerds about those things, I'll see what Section 8 experience was as far as banners.
The SE8 people were in the corner last year (we were next to them behind the goal, where we are this year or maybe we were in 120, 1 section over). I will find out how much banner space we can get, I know the SE8 folks got some sort of permission last year to come in early and their was a bit of a beef with us as we were next to them and we had our own banners. If Martin is bringing most of his and we have the BB and LN banners that will probably cover the whole back side behind the goal so making more might not be necessary. It looks like the KC people will be in the far corner of the same goal we're behind (if I'm reading their boards correctly). K
That's how it was last year, where the Section 8 people were in one curve behind the goal and the San Jose folks were in the other curve. So it would make sense for that to be how they'll seat us.