http://www.nj.com/sports/ledger/index.ssf?/base/sports-0/102888424321843.xml Again, I don't think that they're selling the same product. But interesting nonetheless.
read it. zoffinger sounds like a real idiot. i'm not sure how much marketing they did. aside from a commercial during the all star game, i didn't really see anything.... plus, when figo, zidane, carlos, batistuta show up in you backyard....no advertising is needed....word of mouth is sufficient......evidenced by the late surge of ticket sales..... i can't wait til they take credit for their marketing skills for drawing big crowds to see man u play a team like inter milan or barcelona. mls doesn't need zoffinger to market mls, they need a big corp. sponsor to jump in with both feet. its truly apples and oranges.
Quote from the article "Well, (today) I'm sending them a blind squirrel. I have it sitting on my desk."
Friday afternoon rant Eff Zoffinger! Eff Stillitano! Eff the NJSEA! Eff Giant Stadium security!! Eff paying 10 bucks for parking!! (I pay $1 ) Eff Port Auhority buses!! Eff the Euro Snobs!! Eff paying $35-70 for a meaningless game!! Now I feel better!!
I don't know. Roma did play Benefica here and there were less than 30K with the Metrostars double header. The tickets were also much cheaper than yesterday. I saw alot of commercials on tv and in the paper for yesterdays game. If the Metrostars spent more money on marketing maybe they could get good crowds for their doubleheaders. I mean we had Bayen Muncich 3 days after they won the Champions League and we only had 25k. We had the South American champs. Boca Juniors and we only got 13K. You have to make people aware of the significance of the teams your bringing.
I do hope MLS will look at this situation and answer some essential questions. Is this a viable way to go? Have we been too afraid of repeating NASL mistakes? Would loading each team with up to 5 world class players result in 30 to 40k averages, per team for the season? (No way to know the answer to the last one till they risk a season trying it out. that's putting venture capitalism on the line in a very big way.) Or do we continue as a super A-League compared with the proposed 5 international matches NJSEA plans to promote next summer. Do we let them become America's Premiere League by default and the constraints of a sound and sober budget? It's certain that once we leave GS, NJSEA will go after these games in a big way. I have to wonder how many such matches they can produce, and can they continue to draw huge crowds? They probably can for a "season" of 5 matches -- blockbuster movies compared with our "Indie" offerings. I really wonder what Uncle Phil thinks about all of this. He's being challenged here, and I expect some sparks to fly.
Real complains about the field conditions: http://www.soccer365.com/US_home/Latest_News/page_20_37027.shtml
It would be great if this fostered a bit of competition, although it is a bit sad that two camps with the same goal (sell soccer) can't seem to work better together. I watched the game last night on YES and liked the sound of the crowd and, obviously, the product on the pitch. If that same crowd got to see the Metros play as well (ok, a healthy Metros with Mathis, Diallo, Ramos, etc.) we would have had many a convert (imagine if that crowd watched us decimate the Galaxy a while back). Regardless, it is good to see the sport draw like that.
Comments by Zoffinger: "I want them to be successful" "I need soccer to make Giants Stadium successful" What a lier! He wants the MLS to be so successful that he is not allowing the Metros play in Stadium in the playoffs due to a Stones concert. Another excerpt from the article: "Real Madrid stars Zinedine Zidane (France) and Luis Figo (Portugal), whose teams failed to advance past the first round, mainly due to their poor play due to injuries.." This guy obviously hasnt got a clue...
Excellent post, especially from someone with only 57 posts The 70,000+ crowd at Giants Stadium was a great reminder of the Cosmos era. What a great evening!
There is great potential for next year's 5 games. Estimated Revenues (if they average 60K/game): Tickets: $35 x 60,000 = $2,100,000 All Other: $10 x 60,000 = $ 600,000 Parking: $15 x 20,000 cars = $300,000 Total: $3,000,000x5=$15,000,000 There is a lot that can be done with this kind of money! Why isn't the MLS actively involved in imitating it?
Dear soccer4ever: You wanted me to do some moderating, so here goes: 1. Please stop posting duplicate posts in separate threads. 2. From what I've seen from you, you are very proud of your post count, so putting down Elder Statesman has no place, especially since his pervious id with over 1000 posts was erased when BigSoccer crashed. Furthermore, putting down people because of their post count is not only sophomoric, it's also retarded.
I was at that game and I thought they drew closer to 40k. I was also at last year's twinbill Metro-Fusion & Columbia-Liberia which also drew 40k. Both doubleheaders were excellent especially the Columbian crowd.
Because there were several players on the field last night that cost more than the salary cap of the division.
While I appreciate your willingness to do some moderating, it appears you intentionally ignored the smiley. And I am not proud of my post count , so your assumption is wrong again.
If I hear another comparison to the great years of the Cosmos, I am going to jump off a roof. May be a great reminder of the Cosmos era, but who cares. The Cosmos dies because no one else has such great memories of 70k in a stadium. Paul
Roma played Benfica 05.20.00. The game was preceded by the famous Metro v. Tampa game. That's the one the Metro were behind 2-0 at the half, were booed off the field and came back to win on a golden goal by Villegas. Attendance was 29,521 so yes you're right attendance was less than 30,000. I might describe it as around 30,000. This edition of Roma didn't yet have Batistuta on the roster and was an also ran in Series A. The next week Colombia played Jamaica following the Metro v. Chicago game. That was the game with the fight at the end resulting in a red card for OZ. Attendance was 41,609 This season 45,411 fans attended a Metro/Columbus Ecuador/Bulgaria doubleheader. It seems to me these are pretty good attendance numbers for an international game with none of the teams involved having the sheer drawing power of a Real Madrid, with some of the most recognizable stars in the world, making it's first US appearance in most people's lifetimes about a month and a half removed from the World Cup where these stars get maximum exposure. I've said it before and I'll say it again: NJSEA/Champion's World picked the most attractive/easily promoted game for their first joint venture. In other words they cherrypicked the game. Comparing that matchup to any the Metro have offered the past couple of seasons really isn't fair.
Cause it would take the gross from twenty of these type of games just to pay Zidane's transfer fee? You think the loss suffered by MLS is bad? Real Madrid racked up a debt of 400 million euros.
I was one of the few who choose the Gotham Cup over Woodstock a few years back...they were both on the same weekend. The Gotham Cup had four quality European sides and I would probably say there was only 20-25k in attendance for both days. We had Ajax, Villa, Pana and Fiorentina and still we drew a small capacity. The marketing for the Gotham Cup was pretty poor and they still drew Metro type numbers to Giants Stadium. It really comes down to how well you market yourself. If the Metros were to get a small radio or tv campaign going then maybe the numbers would rise. Sure MSG does a great job with showing our matches and promoting them, but most people that tune into MSG are already aware of the Metros. We need to expand ourselves to other mediums that are out there. Although from management's view why would they want to bring more people into a stadium that wants nothing to do with them. More people at GS , is basically putting more money into the NJSEA's pocket. More money for them to fuel their idea of taking soccer away from the Metrostars. I think once we get our own home and truly obtain our own indentity, then we should see what type of marketing we can do. Right now, we are pulling in some good numbers for a less then spectacular team. We have lost the appeal of Clint and Tab due to injuries , so as of right now we are working with the quality of play that's put on the pitch, and as of right now that quality is lacking in many departments.
So France and Portugal are one man teams? Mathis had a beer belly, just came back from an ACL injury, plus he injured his toe against Jamaica right before the WC and still scored more than Figo, Zidane & co.
Give Zoffinger credit about one thing: he gave the green light to bring Real Madrid & Roma, while the Metros, who've hooked up with ChampionsWorld on prior occasions, had the same opportunity to do so but instead choose Colombian teams instead. Once Zoffinger gets off his high horse, he may want to reconsider the $15 parking fee. The next match he promotes won't be as big as this one. If he charges $15 one more time, it might be the last NJSEA soccer event.