Hans Huschitt I think that's just the tip of the iceberg. They need to start (in a non cheesy way) the farewell tour. If every MLS game LD10 plays in from now on isn't a sellout, MLS deserves reprimand. Even away games likely have an abundance of national team fans.
Arena: "LD. Bigsoccer fans are going apeshit over our shambles of a PR/Marketing department and lack of home sell-outs. Got any ideas to do your homeboy a solid?" LD: "Well, Brucey, I do have one idea…."
Not to get nostalgic (or show my age) but it's crazy to think I've been a STH long enough to see Becks' first game – and his last. And Donovan's first in LA colors... and now his last? I can understand the timing and his decision. But to bring the topic full circle... Los Angeles should be VERY nervous about 2015. Because one of their tentpoles of marketing the team (if you can even call it that) relied heavily on Landon's namesake. The Manhattan Beach "So-Cal local" as the native superstar and face of the franchise. For 2015? I mean who do you make the face of the franchise? Keane? Zardes? Certainly not Omar (...right?) If the wheels aren't turning strategically for the LAG right now, they're complete morons. They're going to need a new angle and a new shtick. "The next generation of Galaxy players are born here." - and tie it in to Los Dos? Either way you slice it, short of getting a big DP signing, they're going to have to position the team as a rebuilding one. If ticket sales are weaker this year, imagine next year. They'd need a massive DP signing to move the needle for 2015. Even if Zardes somehow came within winning the MVP (hypothetically) he doesn't have enough star power (yet) to hang a franchise on.
I didn’t want to blemish the LD retirement thread, but if these ********ers can’t at a bare minimum sell out every single Saturday night game for the remainder of the season the entire senior/management level of marketing needs to go. Landon’s retirement is like that layoff to Gyasi in Seattle; he’s done all the hard work now just put the ball in the back of the net.
Sorry but anyone predicting the Galaxy will sell out their remaining games is spending too much time on Big Soccer. I am going to be curious if it is even the major lead item of local Sports. Its not even on the top 3 on Sports Center and similar on the local LA TV websites that I have checked.
Not predicting, just pointing out the organization has been gifted a marketing campaign the likes of which come once or twice a decade. It’s a tap in, but they’re so incompetent I expect them to miss the open net.
It's a tap in for sure (good analogy) but it (should) also be a BIG wakeup call for the front office. They've been the benefactor of LD10's accomplishments since Algeria World Cup 2010. But now the chickens are coming home to roost. With an aging Keane as a DP and Omar likely being shopped around for next season – who becomes the face of the franchise? How do you get casual fans interesting in following the team? Even winning the cup would do little I think without the drawing power of a big star to sell tickets.
I don't think Omar is going anywhere unless some team comes up with a big transfer fee (which many of you say will not happen).. Would not be surprised, if he remained with the Galaxy for the rest of his career.
Well as a fan of the team, I'll support any 11 guys on the pitch. But putting my business hat on for a second – I am deeply concerned for the team. Omar is good, but not great. And fairly or not, he's not the type of player you'd want to hang your franchise on. I typically associate a goal scorer with that distinction. *Again, fairly or otherwise. The cap space freed up will be an interesting problem to have. But that's a topic for another thread as to what they'll do with it. If the Ronaldinho rumors are true, that could be interesting. But I just can't imagine not having a southern Californian namesake on the squad who personifies the Los Angeles beach lifestyle. Not to digress, but to score the game winner in the All-Star game to announcing retirement the next day. Just rather odd timing. Unless LD10 just intended it for it to fall at the midway point in the season regardless.
I guess I should be thankful. Whether by design or not, the Galaxy shot themselves in the foot by having LD10 announce his intentions so early. The team could have pressured STH's into "early renewal" only then to drop that bombshell on them. For my seats, the price is inexpensively relative where I'll likely renew again no matter what. But I can imagine it will give many customers a moment of pause.
Maybe, but the USMNT and other fans in this region that don't regularly attend Galaxy games throughout the season most likely know about the news and will probably come to see Donovan play in one his last pro games. It may not lead to sellouts, but I'd expect a pretty big bump to regular season attendance.
Winning the Cup clearly has no correlation to attendance for LA soccer fans. As for the face of the franchise I’m not worried it’s possible Toronto did that this off-season, but I am worried the current organization is capable of pulling it off. I said elsewhere I’ve given them the benefit of the doubt for the last 15 months, but the bungling of Kljestan/Opare show our front office is currently well behind Seattle/TFC/Orlando/NYCFC. Unfortunately I don’t think anything changes until the end of 2015 and perhaps beyond as they can now blame declining attendance on the loss of Landon.
"Earthqukes"! It’s gameday! Today might get a little emotional. http://t.co/gGacZGbe6w #LAvSJ #ThanksLD pic.twitter.com/MaOh8eku2u— LA Galaxy (@LAGalaxy) August 8, 2014
I was contacted by a Chivas USA rep yesterday. Nice guy. Had to tell him I was a Galaxy STH. He said he was just glad that I supported a local MLS team then we had a brief chat about LD retiring. I would actually like them to make a go of it in the local area. I enjoy having such a (geographically) close rival. The hits keep on coming.
I know I'm nitpicking but this is symptomatic of what's wrong with the Galaxy's marketing dept....can they please use a photo of the team from THIS season? Is it too much to ask for? The players do this every home game; I'm sure a photo already exists that they can switch out.
Take a look at the #ThanksLD “banners” on the web site where they couldn’t find two pictures from this season of Landon so we get a shot from MLS Cup 2012. That doesn’t take in to account the shitty masking job they did either on the left image. And take a look at the Galaxy crest along the right edge, there’s artifacts from where the designer cut/erased the crest from another image – seriously you couldn’t take the 30 seconds to find and place a clean version of the logo? It seriously takes more time to do what they did than to do it properly. And to my eye the image on the right looks like it was used in a print ad and is using the low-res preview image which the designer took a screen shot of – lots of jagged edges around what should be hard edges. I know I sound like a broken record, but the shoddiness of work this season is infuriating. In soccer terms, they are the Galaxy II, a decent USL side, but not even top of the third division. I am genuinely considering not renewing my season tickets as that revenue is likely the only thing the front office understands.
Maybe the club can turn the typo into something permanent? To show how much we loathe sanjose, we purposely misspell "Earthqukes." Forever.
Dashiel, check your PM's. ... Why couldn't they make the typo EarthQUACKS. Something tells me the front office is scrambling on more fronts than just creative. Even with the newfound cap space, the LAG are going to be hard pressed to find a marketable DP with as much talent as LD10 in a short window. Man, as much as I hate to bring up the obvious: If a worthy investor pounced now on Chivas USA, rebranded strong out of the gate, and got a decent signing? It would be an amazing opportunity to catapult in to relevancy in what is sure to be a rebuilding period for the Galaxy.
So it's kickoff time. They didn't bother putting our four stars on the hill (wtf?) The sound system facing the second level has failed. The stadium largely empty. They aren't doing things well