You know, I'm just a lurker here and come out to learn a few things now and then, not to complain. But I've been feeling this nasty heaviness since Saturday's game, and it's not just because we didn't play well enough to win (the reasons for which can and will be debated ad infinitum) I think, really, it's this: My family's about as loyal a fan group as they come. We buy season tickets. We wear our black-and-blue. We come out even when the weather's **********. We have our favorite players and we write to them to say, "Awesome job!" This season, we just feel like people like us (and all of you) were carrying the whole damn thing. We get to the playoffs and there's little fanfare, and such incredibly crappy planning that there was no planned viewing party for all of us to get together, spend money, and cheer on the team. (I'm sorry.....I don't buy the "we tried everything" excuse. It's your JOB, for chrissake) Television of the games gets caught up in the endless posturing by Altitude Sports. Our favorite player, a man who has done tremendous things for the team and has been an incredible example of leadership, John Spencer, is leaving the team and because of whatever screwed-up politics we don't even get a chance to see him one last time, to let the fans acknowledge that we loved him, we're sorry to see him go. And so many other thoughtless acts that show so clearly that we're the bottom of the KSE barrel, not worthy of the time and energy that goes into building and keeping a fan base. I'm sorry to vent this here. I'm not much of a whiner but, over this, I'm just sick and sad and I know no one in the KSE enterprise is listening anyway. No season tickets for us next year...we'll just have to see if anything changes first. pug
I'm not a long-time supporter, but I did order half-season tickets this year. I'm really torn now on whether to purchase season tickets again, though. Considering we only lost once at home, you'd think the Rapids would be a great draw, but they aren't. It's a lot of money to spend to go watch lackluster football. Not to say we should go out and hire Steve Sampson to make the team more "exciting", but lets face it, soccer is a business. Getting people into the seats is easier when there is something worth watching on the field. KSE seems to have decided that they can throw in a bunch of extraneous crap (e.g. cheerleaders, people throwing cheap coolers into the crowd) and let the game be boring. I don't drive 25 miles to see mediocre cheerleaders. I'm paying to see some quality football. Other than Joe Cannon's frequent saves, there has been little "quality" on the pitch this year. Quango
I agree Quango. Before the season began most of the people on this board expressed concern that chearleaders, cheap coolers..etc was not the way to get people in the stadium. KSE does not understand that there product is football/soccer. Quality soccer = butts in seats. I trully want to hear/see something positive from KSE. Something like "Hanki fired along with Counce". I have spent 7 years as a season ticket holder and I'm tired of leaving the stadium feeling like I wasted my time. I love soccer, but I hate seeing the garbage that the Rapids have consistently put on the field.
So I think it is funny and odd at the same time that All the blame for the events on the field are linked to the coaches...How about putting the blame on the players. let's all face it Spencer is an idiot! He has not played good soccer for the last two seasons! I am actually happy to see him leaving...Free's up some money so that we can actually get some decent players. As far as the free giveaway stuff goes it is nice to see that they actualy care enough to do giveaways! They marketing or fan development group is at least giving us something to make up for the crappy players on the field! The players made some effort this season but only after Spencer was injured and left as captain. I think as a season ticket holder myself that I am looking forward to this upcoming season. I think this is going to be the season of change. I think it is going to be the season to get it done! But that is me being the faithful fan and hoping for the best! This was KSE's first season as an ownership group...let's see what kind of changes they make before revolting! or Tell them what we want send letters and such to everyone that we can all the employees names are on the website maybe we start a letter writting campaign to tell them what we want as fans! instead of bitching on here get paper in their hands!!!!! paper trails....the blog doesn't!
Spencer may have contributed squat this season ... but last season he played in 27 games and scored 14 goals 5 assists ... and was considered for league MVP. I'm sad that this year was a disaster for him and wish him well in coaching. That said, the players do deserve some blame ... But the coach is the guy that built this team and the guy that holds this team down.
Counce has been the GM for just about every player signing on the current roster (someone check my math). He arrived in 1997 - that makes 8 years of questionable decisions. Hanki has been directly responsible for the last 3 1/2 years worth of signings. As well as playing players out of position. Some players adapt to this, some don't. Yet despite the ones not adapting, they continue to be played out of position. Instead of trying to build a team around one or two players, as many coaches do, he insists they fit HIS idea for a team, then fails to get the players he needs to make it work. This fault lies squarely on Hanki's shoulders, not the boys. I don't wish any ill on Hanki, but he's proven to be a terrible coach at this level - it's time for him to go. Spencer is an idiot, how? Because he's injured? Because he's geting on and taken a couple of knocks? Because he had the stones to step down as captain? Because neither KSE nor the league will step in on a visa issue? Please elaborate. I'm sorry to lose him over something as stupid as a visa problem. Something the league has fallen all over themselves many times to do in the past for other players/teams. If this team wanted Spenny around, I'm sure they would have already been calling NY to get it resolved. This guy was the heart and soul of this team for a couple of years (after Hankincounce gave Balboa the shaft); it's a damn shame it has to end like this. Yes, it's nice that they spend a couple or three thousand dollars on JUNK to interrupt the viewing of the game with. Along with the "dance team" who spend more time on the big screens than the game does. Kudos to KSE, kudos! Way to market the product. Why do the giveaways only happen AT games? What ever happened to season-ticket holder premiums? It costs the same amount of money to provide a collapsable cooler when pushing for season tickets. Many of which they are losing (and they're about to lose mine) because they don't market the team, show road games (another GREAT way (2-hour infomercial) to market your product), or generally give a $hit about the core fans of the team. Marketing? Fan developement group? Please elaborate - I see neither. Again this falls on (KSE) management. Umm..... bull$hit. Hendo and Cannon carried this team on their backs all year. Everyone has had ups and downs this season, but to delineate good from bad team play based on ONE player that you no longer like is a specious argument at best. Yes, the players have all taken turns stinking up the joint at one or more points in the season - it it the responsibility of the coach to make it work, or get in the employees who can. Hanki has failed MISERABLY at this. How many years have we heard that before? As a 9-year season-ticket holder of this team, let me just say this -- I expect en masse changes this off-season. Why should this off-season be any different than the previous 8. The "Annual Guttin' O'the Team", if you like. Next year will bring us rebuilding year number 9, the newest chapter in us still not having any silverware to show for our management's exemplary player evaluations/selections/usage for the past 8 years. (Admittedly, the guttin' wasn't terribly bad last off-season, but, that should imply that we are contenders for this year's Cup. Cough.) Yet, annually, I always have the same thought, nay fantasy, run through my mind - this is the year we win the TREBLE! (A boy can dream can't he?) Every year without fail. I'm sure most of us don't, as you would seem to imply, imagine this finishing dead last, or scraping into the playoffs (and exiting 1st round) every year. Or getting dumped from the USOC by a 2nd or 3rd division side. By the half way point we expect it, but not usually from the beginning. If I may improv a scene from Ferris Bueller here, "How many times have we tried writing letters/emails/etc. to management? Anyone? Anyone? Anyone? How many years did the existing (then) supporter's group meet with management? Anyone? Anyone? Anyone? What has it gotten us? Anyone? Anyone? Anyone?" If you want to organize another letter writing campaign, I will think positive thoughts for you, but I've been down that road - it's a dead end. My experience anyway. The Rapids front office checks in here (I'd say) fairly routinely. B|tching in here hasn't gotten much done, but it does make some of us feel better.
Did anyone notice the rapidfire email today with mention of a season ticket holder post season party? I don't know if this is an attempt at an olive branch but it might be interesting. I don't know how I feel about going. We'll see what it comes to when we get the mailer.
The one time that rapidsfan.com tried to organize a letter-writing campaign we got a brilliant respone, but the letters were basically ignored by the Rapids and AEG. When we pushed for a response, Kevin Payne (then Counce's boss and executive director of AEG soccer) asked if the fans felt the same "now that the Rapids have one of the best records in the league." Never mind that this meant he ignored the letters -- all of which talked about years of incompetence in so many areas of the team -- the message was clear, that for all of Garber's words about how the fans are so valuable to MLS, that doesn't really apply to Colorado. I'd be happy to contribute a letter to any campaign that someone pushes but like Jim, my days of trying to make a difference with this team -- FOR this team -- are long over.
Wish I could say I did, but for some reason (insert conspiracy theory) I stopped getting Rapidfire messages shortly before the start of the season, right around the time that I stopped receiving Rapids PR mailings and right around the time team (players and staff) was "strongly advised" by KSE to be careful what they said. I at least continue to get things in the mail. Benefit of paying for tickets, I suppose.