25k for USA women, Revs can't draw over 20k for a regular season game unless it's a doubleheader. Gold Cup was a bust at the gate. Even the US-Jamaica post 9/11 WC qualifier dew only 40k. MLS needs to expand and find investors and built SSS in cities like Portland and Minneapolis where the players will be icons in their cities similiar to Brian McBride in Columbus.
and you believe that those places will sell 40K+. I doubt it. Foxboro (not Boston) gets alot of games. So your arguement is crap. This topic has been exhausted. Its easy. the USSF goes to places where they know people will show up.
I'd love to have a SSS here in Portland! When the Revs played Montreal a few years ago Fitzpatrick Stadium (HS pointyball field) was overflowing. Excellent idea, savage. Maybe the Krafts would sell to Betty Noyce and the team would relocate up here. Don't know about Minniewhatsit. Isn't their governor and ex-XFL player?
Boston could be a great market, but for many getting to the games in Foxboro is a hassle. Hopefully a SSS wil be built (although doubtful under the apathetic mgt. of Kraft) closer to the city with access to mass transit.... I would almost guarantee a 50% increase in attendance..
Stating "only 40k" when it comes to a game says it all. What the heck are you expecting, 80,000 person sellouts twice a week????
Re: Re: Boston is an over-rated soccer market actually we had something like 10 games in a week, a tripleheader, double header, then a tripleheader.
How many qualifiers got over 40k? Should we yank the MLS from the markets that get less than 40k to a qualifier before we move the Revs? This was a single game after our fairly dismal MLS season was over that probably went up against the Pats on tv, and was on (I believe) the same day that we started hostilities with Afghanistan.
I have been a Revs season ticket holder since year 1. Of course, the Revs should not be moved and I understand a SSS will never happen as long as the Kraftys are in charge. My only point is Foxboro/ Boston is overrated in terms of soccer support and cities like Kansas City and Denver are underestimated. KC drew 36k on a wed for US vs Costa Rica. Sorry, I think the game vs Jamaica should have drawn at least 50k being on the edge of qualifing, 9-11 etc. The Wizards are on an upswing and the Revs fan base is dwindling, lets face facts. I am lucky to see as the great games in Foxboro, but lets start rewarding cities/owners that are really working hard to grow soccer. The Revs are going through the motions and MLS/USSF need to show the Kraftys that are bigger players who want a piece of the pie and shown by the purchase of the Rapids. For heavens sake, the Revs can't even get together on the Iraq project for soccer balls, no giveaways, etc.
I don't think Portland, Maine could support a MLS team... but I'd love to see an A-League team in Fitzpatrick Stadium. I was at the Revs game there in 2001, as well. The place was packed and the atmosphere was great. Portland's always been a great minor-league sports market, and I think it's time for us to bring in a soccer team.
thats management fault, not fans fault. I would have glady donated stuff for the drive, and I know I'm not the only one who feels this way. Blame it on the Krafts. When you say Boston is an over-rated soccer market, you are saying that there aren't enough soccer fans compared to other cities to hold special events. Sad to say but you are farther from the truth as the Dallas Burn are from MLS Cup.
I agree w. Savage Nation that the Rev, at present, are underwhelming in their presentation and marketing of the product. sadly, that coincides with a quantum improvement of the product itself, the soccer team. In any other situation that would build an excitement on the part of the ownership that would translate into greater buzz and support for the team. Instead, we get tried and true ploys that work for gorilla ball but just don't fly in the soccer world. Hopefully, the ownership will have a sit-down come season's end and seriously evaluate how they do business as far as the Revs go. It really would only require a readdressing of attitudes and expertise rather than a gigantic infusion of cash. Sorry, I'm using my son's computer so this is coming in as his post. JIM DOW
The fact that there are any fans who put up with the inconvenience and indignities that go with watching soccer at Gillette stadium demonstrates that Boston is a great soccer town.
Soccer market trend - Downward spiral locally Whether we are willing to admit it or not, Savage Nation FC is correct about the current state of Boston as a soccer market. Boston, Foxboro, Providence, whatever you want to call it, was a great soccer market. It is not right now. It is not anymore. It was when Foxboro Stadium could produce crowds for soccer that nearly every other venue in the US was unable to do. The Kraft organisation held a golden chalice. But it has only laid eggs over the past three years. The Revs can't draw without a co-feature. Gillette Stadium is a large, comfortable, expensive vaccuum that needs at least 40K to generate any atmosphere. The market has been oversaturated with meaningless and unattractive international games. A lot of soccer people have been driven away. They can spend their time at home watching Fox Sports World instead of enduring the hassles of Foxboro. The area has slipped from perhaps being the nation's best soccer market to a below average MLS market. Very sad. The only good news is that the patient isn't dead, and could be revived. Unfortunately that may not be able to happen without a regime change. What Savage Nation FC has actually done to remind us that we can't live on past glories (as far as drawing fans). That doesn't mean we can't experience them again, but if something isn't done to address the trend then the feature could be bleak.
9-11, if it had any effect at all on attendance, held it down. Be realistic. Also, there's probably a pretty strong correlation between the way the Krafts run the Revs and attendance. If the Wizards or the Rapids were run like the Revs, would their attendance be as good as ours? I doubt it. I think the point is more that, no matter how good the fan support is, lousy ownership/management will eventually prevail.
Put things in perspective. The time it would take me to get to the other side of Kansas I can go from my old home in So. NH and hit every other New England state and probably be close to NYC. In a smaller space then Kansas, we have five professional teams (Red Sox, Bruins, Celtics, Patriots and Revs). There are 2 division 1A football schools (BC and UCONN) and numerous IAA, not to mention Division 2 and 3. There are several major men's and women's college basketball teams and a plethora of mid level basketball teams. There are 6 USPL teams and below, to include 2 W-League teams and maybe a WUSA team. UCONN is a soccer power. Then last but not least there is mnor league hockey and baseball and an Arena football team in Connecticut. Plus, there is Neck-car in Loudon NH. The New England sports market is saturated. Most people have closer sporting events at a fraction of the cost. When I left NH 15 years ago we had nothing other then the Boston pro teams. Now there is Phantoms, Lady Phatoms, Manchester Monarchs and Nashua Pride. Let's see spend an hour an a half driving to Foxboro or be 15 minutes from my home and see the Phantoms and at a fraction of the cost. thebeast Quantum leap in performance? The best Revs record is 13-13-6. That they average 15K for a team that has never had a winning record is a testament to the loyal fans.
Hey, they are currently 9-9-9 and thus have the potential to finish 12-9-9. Maybe not a quantum leap, but improvement, right?
.....thebeast Quantum leap in performance? The best Revs record is 13-13-6. That they average 15K for a team that has never had a winning record is a testament to the loyal fans...... Don't go by records, go by level and quality of competition. Watch Ivan McKinley and Gio Savarese try to stitch together three straight passes and then fast forward to Jose Cancela and Steve Ralston. Or whoever you care to compare. We may be a low/mid level team in the MLS of 2003 but that IS a quantum leap in both our performance and the general level of the league when we were "packin' them in" at the old, lamented Boro in the late '90's. Also, there is some reason to believe that a significant portion of the old 20,000+ crowds were comps and freebies. Again, not a bad thing in itself but not really an accurate base on which to judge the present viability of this area for pro soccer. JIM DOW
Pro soccer is definitely viable in this area, but you can't just open up the doors and expect it to happen. I find it interesting that there is absolutely no one on these boards these days defending the Krafts. While I personally have had a lot of respect for what Bob Kraft has done to build his little sports empire, I get the impression that the Revs are being operated presently like a tax writeoff. They need to be run as aggressively as a minor league baseball team in terms of proactive approaches to building their fan base. It's just not happening. And since the influential members of the Boston media don't care about the Revs (sorry FDA and Gus, you guys aren't part of that group) the only pressure the Krafts might get to change comes from their relatively small core group of die hard fans. So basically it's the Krafts call which, I am forced to conclude , is not good news for us Revs fans. The only positive I see, besides the recent play of team, is that at least we still have one.
Is there any doubt that this is the best Revs team ever? Put aside the won/lost record. With this team, any time they cross the midfield stripe with the ball, you have a feeling they might score. Has that ever been the case before? The Revs brass need to get out and promote this team. It currently leads the MLS in goals scored (at least until SJ plays today) and has the MLS goal scoring leader. It's making a run for the playoffs again. Get the word out, for pete's sake!