I'll take the result even if we were lucky to win. Watching Mls wrap the Jaqua goal looks like it was on the line. Very hard to tell I taped it re ran it again and again in even slower motion. The problem is the camera is behind the goal not even with the line. A couple other comments. Great couple passes by Ralph springing Beasley on breakaways. If DaMarcus wants to get to Europe he better start putting those great chances in the back of the net. Razov and Beasley a lot of times do not control the ball they let it bounce away too far. Once again just too many good chances that the Fire don't put in the net. We need something.We were lucky colorado is horrible on the road. Beasley is more dangerous up the middle but creating chances is not enough. PUT THE FRICKEEN BALL IN THE NET.
Re: Fire-Colorado post game Yeah, I'm as happy as most Western Conference fans that Colorado got 0 points from this game, but I think they got rooked. That ball didn't cross the line. MLS Wrap also did a shot of Section 8 and it looked like maybe 3 rows of fans jumping back and forth. That's definitely not the Section 8 I'm used to seeing. Maybe you should go back to Naperville until the Fire House is ready.
Re: Fire-Colorado post game (R) Nice job by Ring on a couple chances by colorado. We were fooling around with the ball in the box so much I thought Colorado would score late. We were definately lucky tonight. For once a refs bad decision was in our favor. I case someone doesn't know yet Fire 1 colorado 0 final score.
Re: Fire-Colorado post game http://www.thefirealarm.com/tfadefault.cfm?page=ARTICLE&show=452 Ricardo Valenzuela - my Man of the Match. Bill Q.
Re: Fire-Colorado post game (R) Quite honestly I think the move has hurt us, bad. Attendance so far this season has been off too, but will certainly pick up. There were a hell of a lot more than 3 rows of people but it also sure as hell wasn't the 1000-strong Fully Operational Section Eight we're known for either. The DC game should be good.
Re: Fire-Colorado post game (R) Seriously... biggest mistake in Section 8 History. Completely awful placement. It's completely different from when it was there previously. The powers that be need to find a way to undo this immediately.
Re: Fire-Colorado post game (R) we can't do it for bigger games, but maybe we just move behind the goal when there's less people there en masse. I dunno. this will take some thought. There are whole islands of people who would have been part of the section 8 experience before who are still in the end and left out. I agree, section 8 is a different animal than it was in the corner before. It was worth the experiment, but we already essentially know we'll be behind the goal in the new stadium so why not stick with what we've done and will do oin the future?
Re: Fire-Colorado post game (R) Maybe we slowly creep back. Swap ticketholders in 119 with 117, then 121, and then we're pretty much back. Just being on the other side of the tunnel might make a world of difference. A lot of it is that I don't think we've had the numbers in the section this year, for whatever reason. Next week may be an interesting test in that regard. Later, COZ
That's what I'm wondering. Honestly, with all the excuses I've heard in this forum, there better be 40,000 people at the DC United game.
A couple of things.... I think that Nate was the best player on the field. Not just for scoring the goal, but also for how he defended, and in the first half especially how he was crossing the ball in. Im not a real big fan of his, but if he keeps this up, he has to be on the field at all times. I said it before and I'll say it again, Ante needs to sit, he is working hard, but is not producing any results, and his touch lately has been off, Dipsy needs to start. Ok, well off to church more to come lata.
That game sucked in general. There is something missing with this Fire team in the past. They haven't gotten me on the edge of my seat all the season. The attendence was down right pathetic. The marketing doesn't seem to be any different than in the past. So, why is so low now? Is it because of the section eight move? Did the people that came out in huge numbers last season didn't like their experience? Come now, even the Sox drew 25,000 on a non-fireworks day yesterday. I plan on attending next week's game, and I already have plans that day. If they don't get a decent crowd with the return of Nowak, Frankie getting in the Ring of Fire, and Freddy Adu coming to town, I fear that Bridgeview will say screw you, we are rebuilding the mall. These figures are a concern of mine. I can only do my share of supporting this team, and it works the same way for everyone else. Is there something I'm missing? Can anyone tell me why Mapp isn't playing? A memo to Beasley, being a fast runner and not able to shoot only gets you so far. Jaqua seems more effective in the mid-field. He's defended pretty well this year at least. Good thing I had my beer in the first half. It was the only bright spot of the first half. Well, it's nice to escape with a win, but this team isn't getting me excited. There's still time, but I'm not liking what I'm seeing.
I feel a little like it's 1999 all over again. We show flashes of brilliance but can't consistently gel from top to bottom.
I honestly think it has to do something with Naperville. When the Fire left Chicago, they pretty much left the minds of the casual fans. After two years, some people may have forgotten that they existed. But the people in Naperville embraced the team as there own. While the attendance at the first game in Naperville was something like 5,000 (much due to stadium capacity), games were selling out on a regular basis by the summer. It wasn't uncommon to hear attendance at 15,000. Since the Fire moved back to Soldier Field, I haven't seen publicity here in Naperville. There was a billboard over Ogden Ave I believe of Beasley, and it's gone now. There aren't even player appearences scheduled for Naperville or anywhere nearby. The Fire had a lot of fans here that, with the right motivation, would make the trip to Soldier Field. But even that theory doesn't explain how we pulled in 34,000 and 38,000 about for those two regular season home games at the end of 2003. Unless Naperville folk made the trip since the move was in every local newspaper and was seriously talked about by tons of people. The guy who cuts my hair was even talking about it. If the Fire have forgotten Naperville because of the move, then we might be in trouble when they move from Chicago to Bridgeview to a completley new market that needs to be enticed.
I dont understand why section 8 was moved to where they are invisible from the second deck east side. Also, what determines the directions of play? The first games in the first half the Fire attacked North. Yesterday that was reversed. Expose Ante and his salary to the expansion draft. (along with Perez, Whitfield and Gray)
Some thoughts I have, and they could all be wrong... 1) TV Advertising. Unless I'm missing it because I watch too much Law and Order on TNT, I'm seeing no televised advertising presence. Now, I know TV advertising is expensive, but it has been done before. And even if I didn't personally care for the ads that were once aired, bad advertising is better than no advertising. 2) The media excuse. I ran into someone yesterday who was critical of the Trib not running a pre-game story on Friday. I don't buy that. I think our media coverage this year is arguably better than it's ever been, with the possible exception of 98 when the Trib would actually send Foltman on the road. 3) The "return to Chicago" fans. When we were in Naperville, I would read a ton on here about all the near-diehard fans who couldn't make it to Naperville because of travel considerations. Have they returned? And if not, why? I look at the makeup of the crowd, and I'm not sure I see it. 4) The weather. I know it's a lousy excuse, but this team (and this league) has always seemingly been built up on it's walk-up crowd. Maybe a 75-degree clear night is what we need. 5) Promotions. Here is where I really think there is an opportunity to improve. We're giving away the same stuff that every team gives away every year. Fire six-pack coolers don't do it for me as a fan, considering I've gotten one every year, and I've never used any of them. Columbus has their Buck-a-Brat night which is outstanding...though I doubt we can do it because we don't control the concessions like Columbus does. The Fire needs to either think outside the box or go back to some of the things that worked that they've gotten away from. Where are the post-game concerts? Where are the post-game fireworks? I know the soccer is enough to get US in, but what about the family of four who has several choices? And promote these games!!! I just looked at the Fire website to see what, if anything, they were giving away at any games this year, and guess what? It's not there! I know that the Fire website just changed over next week but if the web is first and foremost a promotional tool for the team, this to me is much more important than another link to Greg Lalas' thoughts. Oh, and my answer to FireGirl8's question about the 30+ crowds for the return last year...I bet a bigger percentage than you might think were not Fire fans but wanted to see the new stadium, and this was the only way they could with Bears tickets so hard to get.
I don't buy that excuse. We didn't use it in 99 for the Women's World Cup, we didn't use it in 00 for the Nike US Cup, why should we use it now?
Because I don't think those games cannibalised other Fire games' ticket sales like Freddy and the doubleheader are. Early season attendance save for the season opener (and even that has consistently went downhill) has never been great for the Fire. We hit stride in the summer. 2 big early summer events are eating away at an already low attendance level for the other games. Seriously, any other year in a optimistic scenario we'd have a 15k attendance right now. we're at 11 or so now? 10-something? I can certainly believe that 5k fans spread over every game so far have chosen to attend the other two games as their first fire games this year. We're going to be over 30 next saturday. Then 50+ for US-Poland...there's a lot of interest focused on those games more than the early season fire games. After these events we should be fine.
Average Attendance at SF, first 3 league games 1998: 20772 1999: 19374 2000: 11468 (One Wed, One Fri. Avg. first 3 Sat's: 15237) 2001: 17555 2004: 11123 Average Attendance at SF, games 2 & 3 1998: 25988 1999: 15406 2000: 7117 (2nd and 3rd Saturday: 12,772) 2001: 16713 2004: 10271 Say what you will about the Fire struggling at the gate early on, but the numbers are CLEARLY down.
Liam's theory, that we're being cannibalized by the DC United and US-Poland matches, may have some merit. One thing that really stood out to me yesterday, from the vantage point of looking back at Section 8 for the entire match, was that there seemed to be very little Polish representation. For them, the "season" may not start until the Poland friendly. Hopefully it doesn't end there. Same goes for the DC United match. It's going to be crucial for both of those dates to have a hook to get people to come back, hopefully a solid and entertaining performance from the Men in Red. Obviously, there's also the ManU-Bayern match, but we only have a more tenuous means to retain those customers. I wonder if the much-ballyhooed "city fan" is opting for the one ChampionsWorld match over the Fire season? I think the stereotype may fit. Later, COZ
I don't doubt Liam's/everyone else's theory. But those games sell themselves. I'm worried about my perspective that every other game on the schedule isn't being sold right.
When we moved to Naperville, everyone screamed bloody murder about how attendance would suffer. However, all would be cured when we moved back "home" to the city. Well we're home, where is eveyone? Just being back at SF is not a good enough draw. I've been with this team since before the beginning and for the first time I feel like the Fire has run out of ideas - both on the field and in the front office. (And I hate this feeling.)