Hawkeye-1 and soccerbs: interesting statements. saying 4,025 is pathetic really depends on what your comparison is. if you're comparing it to women's soccer, then it's actually a pretty good number for 2010. if you're comparing it to the Cubs, then it *&#? SUCKS, you are totally right! in fact, while we're at it, if you compare it to the Bulls numbers, then it's actually pathetic! totally and completely pathetic! almost unworthy in the chicago landscape from that regard, don't you think? Mind me asking how many WPS games you each attended the last 2 seasons of WPS?
Around 10!!! Good in womens soccer really? Notre Dame Women's Soccer draws about 2500-3000.....No way did the CRS's draw 4,000 a game with paid attendance. If you want to have a pro league-make money and pay players you better be around 12,000!
Do people pay to attend Notre Dame women's games? I'm not being sarcastic, I'm just wondering, as many of the D1 college teams around me don't charge admission.
Like at many places, ND students do not pay admission and yet make up a good % of attendance. Also, they charge less per ticket than professional games charge. UNC charges less than $10 for a ticket unless you have a UNC ID. You get in free w/ a UNC student/faculty/staff ID.
Stop with the excuses! The red stars had a base of over 50,000 current and x soccer players within 5 miles of their home stadium! They choose to play there! But the base is there! 15 for parking and ticket costs are very high I think but its a pro sport--All the pro teams in town charged more then they did! The big question is how do you get them in the park to watch the games.. Lets stop with excuses and be honest..You all want a pro league but unless you look at thing with honest eyes you will not find the solutions. So yes college is cheaper and should be BUT many colleges have 50- 150 at their games and its FREE. So whats your point?? ND gets Fans-Point blank! Illinois doesn't get those crowds-Bigger school!! More student ID's still not like ND. Notre dame doesn't average in the thousands but hey against Syracuse they had 850. Not Bad for a nothing game.
I was Very Sorry to see this result. Best of luck to the players, my sympathy to the loyal fans, and thank you to the FO and the CRS organization for fighting the good fight in an attempt to keep this team alive. As a WUSA Carolina Courage fan, I know it hurts to see a home-team fold. I'm very sorry. Its another tough day for women's Pro soccer, and especially bad for the Chicago supporters. Best luck to all in the future.
soccerbs, As a rebuttle to some of your points. I am a regular at Notre Dame during the season and I make a trip or two each season to watch UNC at Fetzer Field. These are the two programs that I have adopted as my favorites way back in the mid nineties. Notre Dame charges $7 to get in and after the 1st half is over- nothing. UNC I believe is $5 to get in and each has free parking. At UNC on the weekends and after 5:00 pm you can park around the football stadium and dorms near Fetzer for free. They do have a garage nearbye that charges a minimal fee. Both get good crowds at their games and UNC even more. Anywhere between 2,000 to 4 or 5,000 depending on the opponent. (I Know, I know Portland fans, you guys are the best when it comes to college attendance). As far as Parking at Toyota Park. My understanding is that the CRS have no choice over parking fees. The Village of Bridgeview sets the price and gets all the proceedings from parking. The same with the Fire. Bridgeview owns the stadium (along with AEG, I believe). I'm not comparing the CRS attendance to Cubs attendance. Heck, you can put a dog show at Wrigley Field and 40,000 will go out to look at the ivy, and drink beer. People/tourists go to Cub games to party and have a good time. Win or lose, no one cares cause you always have a great time at Wrigley Field and partying at all the bars surrounding it. But compared to all the other pro WPS teams, the CRS have for 2 years been on top or close to it in attendance. And yes, soccerbs, I can vouch for the attendance. Me and ratdog along with a few other people that sat near us in our Club seat would do an attendance guessing game each game and most of the time we would come close to the actual announcement. And yes, The Red Stars usually had around 4,000. Sometimes less and sometimes more. I know. I was at every game during the CRS 2 years in the league.
Thank you!!! to the CRS ownership group for investing in the Red Stars and bringing WPS to Chicago. I truly appreciate your efforts, as well as your investment and capital. You took a great chance. Obviously it has been an extremely difficult environment to launch in, but know there are tons of little girls who really appreciate your work. I've never seen so many wide-eyed faces as the last home game of the year during the autograph sesson. Also...thank you FanAddict and MRAD for all of your updates and comments about the team over the past 2 years!!!! From your posts I've been informing many of my non-BS member friends about team updates. Let's hope we'll be back.
soccerbs--- If anyone had expectations as high as you there wouldn't even be a failing league for you to complain about. ...have you ever been to Toyota Park? The surrounding area isn't exactly the sprawling suburbs you have in mind...it's more industrial, IMO. You know what killed me about Red Stars games? The fact that parking cost more than the tickets. As a season ticket holder in 2009, it cost this poor college student almost $150 to park for the season...that's $50 more than my season tickets cost! Do you know how much beer that could have bought me?? If the Stars come back in 2012 I'm hoping they can find a more cost effective location both for the organization and us fans.
Fire fans and red stars fans have complained about the price of parking for years but when Beckham or Thierry Henry play there every seat is filled.So it isn't the price of parking that is the problem, it is having a product people think are worth it. As pointed out neither team has control over parking. Bridgeview paid for the stadium and this is how they make the bond payments. Yes it would be nice if they could renegotiate rental terms. They also could move to a college campus which just screams amatuer.
Snip, Do you want a Pro league or Amateur? Many of the players that play in the league now had stops in the W-league... Lets not take the step up and just make the improvement to the W-league and then we have no expectations just great soccer. Please do not mislead people about Toyota park...You are right 5 miles around that stadium you don't have 50,000 total you have 50,000 alone in the Hispanic population alone.
I think if the Red Stars were to come back next year, it would be best for them to move to a field at a college campus. What I think really hurt them with getting big crowds was the location of Toyota Park. Personally, I think if the team was located somewhere in the NW suburbs like Schaumburg, the ticket sales would go way up. The area Toyota Park is in is close to the city and thats great, but I think that the demographics and population down there does not fit the target audience. If it was moved to somewhere in the NW suburbs, an area that has huge soccer communities, it would really benefit the Red Stars. I'm not sure where exactly the best location would be, but if they could find a college stadium that held around 10,000 fans somewhere in the NW suburbs, it would definitely increase ticket sales.
Just wanted to let people know that it's possible to go into your account at the top of the page by clicking on your username (i.e. Welcome {username}) and then click on 'Edit Ignore List' to remove comments from people that fill threads with their negativity and personal issues.
Toyota park's location doesn't hurt the Fire. Do you think people will want to pay pro prices to sit in a college stadium. There isn't anyplace near schaumburg that has a decent soccer stadium. I live near schaumburg.
I know what you mean. I love Toyota Park. I practically lived there the last two years as I am a Fire and Red Stars fan. Like you, season ticket holder of both. And I love going up to the Club after games and mingling. Best soccer stadium in the country, IMO. And as far as location, I have no problem with it. I live in the city. Northwest part. But, the Red Stars if the want to return will have to negotiate an agreement where they won't pay an arm and a leg.
You know what. I have never done that to anyone on these boards. Even back in the THOMAS FLANNIGAN days. I feel that I should have enough thin skin to absorb whatever someone writes without putting them on the ignore list. Now, if I don't like what they say, I may come back at them with a few chosen words of my own. Which I have done on an occasion. But to ignore?... that, imo is childish. It's just a discussion folks. And the moderators will take care of anything that doesn't belong. But, that's just my opinion.
I realize there isn't anything near Schaumburg. I was just saying a location like that I think would do much better than the current location of Toyota Park. To go along with Fanaddict about Toyota Park's location, I do think it hurt the Red Stars. I doesn't hurt the Fire because the demographics of the city and south side cater to the demographics the Fire wants to pull in. I'm not trying to be rude/negative to the people that do live in those areas and are Red Stars fans, but what I am saying is that there is a huge core of youth soccer organizations in the NW suburbs. If this is truly the demographic WPS wants to appeal to, there the Red Stars should try and play there. Only problem is finding an actual place to play.
Unfortunately it is a major problem. The fire would have rather played in a soccer stadium in the city but nobody was willing to build them one except bridgeview.Same with red stars, the northwest suburbs would be good even better a downtown chicago location but you have to have somewhere to play.
Radioam--as I live in Austin, Texas, there isn't a game for me to go to. I do, however watch every game I can on TV. If I lived in a WPS city I'd be at em all. Heck, if there was a team in San Antonio or Houston I'd be there at every game. But alas, I'm in Austin and can only watch the games when they are on.
Neperville has a college correct? That is where the Fire played a few years ago. Northwestern is far north, but at least there is a train that goes there. I would love something near Schaumburg, but I can not think of any place close by. I would want them to stay away from Lisle and Elgin, since there are already D-2 teams there. BTW I have a question, I am updating Wikipedia, does anyone know who was named MVP and who was Defender of the year for 2010 (Dalmy?) I also need the 2009 Defender of the year.
Why is it you never hear from MM from the CRS's. Who is the face behind the the team? You would think the President/GM of the team would have something to say when your team folds...