Detroit Soccer Thread, Part III

Re: 2007 Premier Development League Michigan Bucks Schedule

Let's not forget Stoney Creek had the permanent gridiron lines as well, so I don't see any downside to the switch

Although no gridiron lines would be nice

 

Re: 2007 Premier Development League Michigan Bucks Schedule

Get me 50 cans of green spray paint and fifteen minutes.

 

This Friday at 2pm, at the Patrick O'Ryans pub in Windsor, Ontario, there will be a presentation for the game of Subbuteo table soccer, as a preview of the March 24/25 international tournament at the same venue. Registration is required, contact mike.ewer@subbuteo.ca. There will be door prizes!

 

ok, so a little time has passed now. i don't suppose anyone's found a new (or old) soccer friendly bar in SE michigan anywhere in the last few months eh?

i watched usa v denmark at the british bulldog in denver. reminded me how cool a soccer bar could be since i left dc and summers restaurant in virginia. it's been a while since i've walked into a bar and found a buncha nutcases with soccer jerseys and scarfs who didn't go there with me...

 

I might be moving to the Ann Arbor area at the end of the year, so I'd be interested to find the answer to this question. There was an Irish pub on main street in Ann Arbor, do they still show games? I saw Man U vs. Liverpool there about 5-6 years ago...JAM packed, jerseys and scarves everywhere. GREAT time, GREAT atmosphere. But I remember someone saying that they don't show games anymore.

 

you probably mean connor o'neils. i had good times there for the WC, but had also heard the place didn't show "normal" games anymore. guess i should confirm. i'll re-check some usual bars to see if anything has changed. was trying to see if anyone knew of a new place or anything...

 

I'm sorry but i'm new to the detroit forums, but I just moved to the detroit area and didn't want to go through all of the old threads. What is the possibility of using the land that the now abandoned tiger stadium is on to build a SSS? That or I know that there is a ton of abandoned land right in the city. Thanks.

 

Those are some long hashed-out discussions. The gist of it is that it would make sense to rebuild that area as part of a revitalization effort; however, getting Detroit leadership (business owners, mayor, city council) to do anything that makes sense is damn near impossible. Additionally, bringing a soccer team to Detroit is the last thing on most heavy hitters mind's right. Detroit is in a helluva state with our economy and what the auto industry is going through. I highly doubt there would be any funding available for a such a project even if you could get the Detroit politicos to sign off on the land usage. Either way, I don't see a team coming here for a very long time if ever. It's just the state that we're in.

 

I'd agree...

And unfortunately Sean O'Callaghans in Plymouth doesn't regularly show soccer on Saturdays anymore... I suppose theirs Spectadium or that place in the EL, but man I guess we're shit out of luck when it comes to a good soccer bar in this area (business op anyone?). Anyways, I feel like I've grown up a bit on this board and would love to grab a beer and watch a game (if its possible) with some of you guys, now that I'm legal.

We should try and get something together, and BTW Bucks at Hurley is a huge plus...

 

Jeff, I'll be happy to buy you a beer. We just need to find a place. The Spec is still going strong from what I understand, but I haven't been out there in a while. MLS Detroit and I still get together every now and then, but it's usually for the start of the MLS season and for the Cup. Both of us are pretty busy most of the time, but this is getting damn rediculous that I haven't made more time to hook up with any of you guys for a game.

And now that Josh is looking to come back to the Detroit area (wtf he's thinking I don't know), we should rectify that. All differences aside (Scott, you know I love you man), we all love soccer. We should be getting together every so often to watch a game. Just not at my house, though. I'm not allowed to let any of you internet weirdos in my house. Wife's rules.

 

One internet weirdo's enough, eh....?

Anyway, let's plan something for the Bucks' first home game, either at whatever bar is their "Official" post-game hangout, or at the Berkley Exchange.

 

You go to soccer games with the internet weirdos you know, not the internet weirdos you wished you knew.

 

what's the scoop on spectadium? this post: https://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showthread.php?t=225950&highlight=spectadium
sez spectadium is done, but here you say it's going strong. anybody been there recently?

 

I'm not sure which post you're referring to. You linked to the whole thread and I don't have time to sift through it. If it's closed, then I honestly forgot being made aware of that. It's been a while since I've been out there. I wouldn't go out of my way to just go out there when I can get everything they show on my TV at home.

 

this is the specific post:
https://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showpost.php?p=8132918&postcount=132

not closed, just not so "soccer friendly" as before, which is not to say it's "soccer hostile" or anything...

i would guess all of us can get the games we want at home, but after wandering into the british bulldog in the middle of seemingly nowhere denver and finding it filled with footie fans, banners and kits, i remembered how nice it is to go to a place where soccer is supreme and not just tolerated. would be nice if something like that existed somewhere in SE michigan...

 

I was there on Jan 20 for the USA-Denmark game. There were five of us watching the footie match; BTW there were only about 15 people in the whole place. The night matches (including Red Wings-Colorado) had not started yet. And, of course, there was no American football that Saturday.

As for the other post, yes, the new ownership, at least at first, was not tuned into soccer. They had even dropped FSC then; I ended up watching some rugby game on Sentanta. But I was told that it was going to be corrected.

 

I would love that to, I really would. I have dreams of owning my own very soccer friendly pub. But between raising a family, career, grad school, and getting a business up and running, I don't have the time, energy, or resources to even begin working on a business plan. Plus I'm sure it wouldn't make cent one, I don't have any business connections, I'm not tied in politically (liquor license), and I don't come from an entrepraneurial backround, so I wouldn't even know where to start. But it's definitely something I've fantasized about. You heard me, yes, fantasized.

 

No wonder your wife doesn't want to meet us. She blames us for your having an inflatable soccer bar under your bed.

 

First baby due in May, moving closer to family and my wife can finish midwifery school at the University of Michigan (don't worry Scott, she still bleeds Green & White).

I'm sure when we get closer to moving, I'll be posting all over the place asking for job leads in the Detroit/Ann Arbor area. Be warned...

 

Congratulations and good luck. I'm sure you've been paying attention, but the market aint so hot for jobs. It's part of the reason I'm still stuck where I'm at. Eh, at least they're putting me through grad school.

 

Yeah, I have a feeling that I'll end up in the Ann Arbor area...but I'll certainly try to make a way into the Detroit market. Some of the people who work at the radio station I work at have Detroit ties, so I'm sure I could make some connections between now and then.

And another bonus is that commuting to do a Bucks broadcast will be a hell of a lot easier. No more driving 90+ mph on the highway because of (another) major traffic jam getting out of Philadelphiaa, a major accident and a rain storm in Cleveland. (the story of traveling to the Cincinnati vs. Bucks Open Cup game)

 

Re: 2007 Premier Development League Michigan Bucks Schedule

Sweet Jebus Hallelujah! We've been led out of the desert! Berkley's back!

Note to Self: Got to find out why I'm not getting update emails on this thread.

Ummm.... I believe Olujosh mentioned that the road to the USOC went thru Indiana. Invaders Schminvaders. Much bigger is that game against the CFP. We've dodged that scheduling bullet in previous years' qualifiying; our luck couldn't hold up for ever. But without a specific Cup designation we don't really know how that the first 4 are USOC qualifiers. In recent years its been common for one of the first 4 to NOT be a qualifier.

I think I'm going to get a confirmation on the Berkley switch from the club itself. I'll also ask about the roster. From previous correspondence I've learned that right about now is the hot time for scouting. It was about this time last year when Duggan first laid eyes on Nate Jafta. I'm going to compile a list of assorted questions and report back when I have answers.

Ex-Bucks: Fans should note that two more ex-Bucks were drafted recently: Nate Norman and Simon Omekanda. Can't recall for certain, but I believe it was a young Omekanda who bagged the winning goal in the USOC 2nd round match back in 2003. Nate Craft will be starting his 2nd season at left back for the Rochester Rhinos.

I can't WAIT to hear Duggan yelling from the press box in Berkley.

 

Re: 2007 Premier Development League Michigan Bucks Schedule

The qualifying deadline is May 28th, and the Bucks only play 4 games prior to that, so those first 4 games will be qualifiers for them. I only say Indiana because for the last 5-6 years, it seems like the Bucks find themselves matched up with Indiana on the final game of the season or qualifying and it's a must-win to get into the playoffs or to get into the Open Cup.

Oddly enough, what happens is that they'll beat up a team like Chicago...but they'll slip up against someone like Kalamazoo (god bless the dead...they will be missed...hopefully they'll be back)

 

Re: 2007 Premier Development League Michigan Bucks Schedule

There is a Kalamazoo team in the NPSL this year, but I don't think that it's affiliated with the Kingdom. So, I would guess that the Kingdom getting back into the PDL will have to wait for this new team to fail.

But, by all indications, the Kingdom did okay at the gate in the PDL. They may have just decided that they wanted to concentrate on their youth setup, and that this new team will be able to count on that same fan base.

Maybe it's just a sense of loyalty to the Bucks, and by extension the USL, but for some reason I'm not happy about the NPSL coming into Michigan. The Detroit Arsenal played at Hurley (among other places) last year, and I found myself rooting for them to fail, so that the Bucks could go back there. I'm not sure if they did fail, but I am happy to go back to Berkley.

 

Re: 2007 Premier Development League Michigan Bucks Schedule

The new NPSL team is part of the TKO Soccer group. They will be playing at the Kalamazoo Soccer Complex. I haven't heard anything about the Arsenal, but the NPSL hasn't had a release about their men's leagues since November so who knows?