http://www.kingcountyjournal.com/sited/story/html/166341 "Journal: What about the Sounders name? That always seemed to be a given, but it doesn't seem that way now. HANAUER: I have real mixed feelings about it. My feeling is that we need it to be something huge and new, and not have it just be that the (current) Sounders are adding four players and moving up to MLS. That's not to say there won't be a way to keep some of the tradition and refer to that nostalgia. But I'm leaning toward a new brand. Journal: What would become of the A-League team? Would it move to, say, Tacoma, or would the MLS club even have an interest in that? HANAUER: There's no connection. My speculation is that the A-League team would go away, but I'm not certain. I've thought about Tacoma, but I assume if we do have an MLS team, we'll have some fans from Tacoma, and I don't want to compete for those fans. I'd certainly work with the A-League and try to figure out a solution that was good for both our ownership and the league. If expansion happens is it goodbye to the sounders?
Apparently so. Probably why they aren't oo concerned with attracting fans this season. Drive what they have into the ground so they can start fresh in MLS.
This attitude is a pathetic betrayal of the fans and everyone else who has worked for so many years building up the Sounders and soccer in Seattle. With an attitude like this, the Seattle MLS team will go the way of Miami and Tampa. Tell me, what's wrong with keeping the Sounders name?
Probably the same thing that MLS had when it first started and didn't want to have anything to do with the NASL....therefore we had the Mutiny instead of the Rowdies. The Sounders have a huge legacy, and the name should be kept - period!
Keeping the Sounders name would not be much of a liability. So the team hasn't been attracting may fans lately--big deal. But if you change team names, you're going to upset a lot the present Sounders fans who then are going to give you lots of negative publcity when you least need it. To me, it's a no-brainer. Teams work years to build tradition. And this doofus is willing to throw it away.
Losing the name is one thing but the A-League losing a team in Seattle is a blow. The West already has two shaky franchises - Calgary and Edmonton - and without Seattle, travel costs will increase for the Western teams. There is also a loss of a nice set of rivalries - Seattle/Vancouver and Seattle/Portland. I'm not sure where the A-League could put another viable franchise in this region.
Don't forget that Milwaukee is drawing flies now, I'm not sure how long they'll want to keep running the outdoor team. Yep the west is screwed.
How about Tacoma or Everett? Heck, if Boeing keeps gettin' it's hind end kicked by Airbus, there should be some extra room for an indoor stadium of sorts in Everett.
I would expect that if Seattle "moves up" to MLS then the USL is going to have to REALLY encourage the Spokane Shadow to move up to the A-League. The other viable option is the Utah Blitzz...but we all know that Utah is also within MLS radar right now. http://www.SpokaneShadow.com http://www.UtahBlitzz.com http://www.fresnofuego.com/ Lesser possibilities include... MPSL sides in Chico, Ca, and Idaho: http://www.chicorooks.com/index.htm http://www.mpsl.info/teams/wolves.aspx ------------------------------------------------ But, why would these teams want the added travel costs with no guarantee og increased gates?
New Brand - Sports teams are not Brands to the Fans. Can you imagine when the European Super league start having the likes of Man u Arsenal Milan changing their BRAND. Keep the Sounders, move up to MLS and then build from there. I'll never support a BRAND during the bad times. I'll support the team and MY Club during good and bad times. Tampa Bay Buccs changed their image but not their name and there history. Sounders should do the same. But 50 years down the road when you have 4 Seattle teams and a 20 team western league the MLS team name might not be off any importance.
Might as well link this here, too... Fans move to support "Sounders" name... http://soundercentral.com/sos.htm Petition here: http://www.ipetitions.com/campaigns/SaveOurSounders/
It would make a very nice MLS stadium if they got a new surface and improved the bleacher seating. Joe Albi was the option of choice for the WSU Cougars football team for many years. Holds just above 28,000. Allison A. Has posted a couple of pics here: http://www.usldiscussions.com/cgi-bin/ubb/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=2;t=002840
They haven't been too concerned abnout drawing fans for the last couple of years. Remember the move to Seahawk stadium was supposed to increase attendance, not keep it the same or lower.
Dare I say... crap. Joe Albi is a small football venue similar to Spartan in San Jose, maybe smaller. It has astroturf... not safe play or anything neat like that, I'm talking old school, 70's style, torn ACL waiting to happen, astroturf.
While the turf is crap, this photo appears to make it look like it's not a narrow stadium. http://web.archive.org/web/20010702161032/http://www.spokanecenter.com/joealbi/images/hdr.jpg
Maybe it just seems small in person. I dunno, just seems like the players are always in danger of crashing into the walls.
Sounders' GM Adrian Hanauer has responded to a recent rquest to answer a few questions about changing the name "Sounders." Here: http://soundercentral.com/board/viewtopic.php?t=1115
Keeping the Sounders, in name, wouldn't do too much harm, no?? Take a look at the Earthquakes in San Jose. Sure their attendance sucks, but what happened when they went from Clash to Quakes?? They gained trophies!