As a DC United fan stuck in the wilderness of Chicago LOL. Was wondering what other fans were in the area? I know there is one up in the Twin Cities and I believe one down in the Champaign.
I'm up here in beautiful Minneapolis/St. Paul. I don't know if that counts as being in the same "area" as Chicago or not. If we wanted to plan something for a get together of sorts for a Fire/DCU match this summer in Naperville I could probably drive down with a couple other folks.
The first couple of years that the Fire playd there used to be a good sized group of SEs that would come out to Chicago. I don't think that anyone came out last year, probably due to the move to Napperville. The first year I remember Tom the GrillMaster jumping on stage at the Hidden Shamrock and playing his cow bell with a Parliment cover band. When the schedule comes out, I'll post something about getting a group together for the game.
I went to college in D.C. from 1996-1999, so United was my first favorite MLS team, but I adopted the Fire when I moved here in 2000. I still like D.C. some, though they don't in any way resemble the teams that I supported while I lived there. You could say Dave Sarachan is following me around. I went to high school just outside of Ithaca, N.Y., while he was coaching Cornell, then he followed me to D.C., and now to Chicago... I credit him with keeping D.C. strong the first year after Bruce left. It was once Bruce AND Dave were gone (after the '99 season) that things started to fall apart.
well stated csh2000. Actually, the wheels fell off the moment Rongen walked in the door. As for Sarachan following you, please move back to DC, so we can have him as our Assistant Coach. I'll provide the airfare.
this is a f-cking classic! i can just see tommy on stage like that! man that brings a smile. actually my wife and i are planning to come out to a chicago game (we went to one a few years ago) this season, if a group is going to meet up we'd love to join.
I'll have to wait until the MLS and A-League schedules come out to plan for a specific match, but I'm definitely planning to make it down to Chicago/Naperville this summer. In an ideal world, there would be a weekend that could double up a road match for the Thunder vs. the hated Rampage in Milwaukee and a DCU/Fire match.
I'm in the black hole of soccer known as Mishawaka, Indiana and I interned at DC in '98. Still love 'em despite the recent run, but I also like and respect the Fire. I got the chance to work with Sarachan at United and he's good people. He should do well in Chicago. I'm looking forward to getting to some games this season... Cheers...
It'd be cool if you guys could organize something like the West Coasters did this year and all meet up for a match or something. Maybe some of us could come out too for a game against the Fire or something.
Not to split hairs, but technically, the black hole of soccer is located in backwater Louisiana. When I first drove into town, I stopped at the first gas station I saw. They had a small rack of t-shirts for sale. I recognized the infamous "pissing Calvin" (of Hobbes fame) on one of the shirts. I figured he'd be urinating on a Ford or Chevy logo or something meaningful like that, but he was wizzing on, you guessed it, a soccer ball. That's the only reference to soccer I've seen since. Thank goodness for DirecTV and the Shootout package. I won't even ask if there's anyone around these parts that follows DCU, or soccer for that matter -- I ain't seen no such animal in these parts.
I would say that Mishawaka, IN is close to a black hole of soccer. Penn High usually fields a good team. Mishawaka High usually stinks. I should know, I went there (not good enough to play, which tells you how bad I suck). I was proud to be the team manager/"mascot" my senior year. Ah, the memories. Maybe four or five draws, one victory, and countless defeats (usually by five goals or more). Still, we could have given the 1999 Metrostars a run for their money However, United does rock. Post any news on groups going to Chicago. Love to see the black-and-red.
Ah the Vicar, where the heck are you living these days. I believe you still hold the record for the most hrs spent on a bus to go to a DC United match.
When the schedule comes out we can try and figure out a date that we can all get together for a match. Maybe we can even get some of the people from DC to come out. I know that I'm planning on going back for some games this year. I went and purchased the flex pack, to make sure that I did. Here's a trivia question, what was the first Screaming Eagles road trip?
Not sure of the first SE trip (I'd think NJ) but we have been there for some of United's firsts (first DC game against the new Fire; Ben scored and the home opener of the new Fusion). Soldier Field was fun (except for those Ultras who wanted to rumble). The schedule should be out this week so we'll see about Chicago (which is buttloads of fun, I'm not so sure about Naperville, like coming out here to go to Gaithersburg). We need to sort out how to stay in fun Chitown and get out butts out to the burbs for the game. K
trip to Chicago It's not that hard to get out to Napperville from the city. There is a commuter train that you can take out. I took it a couple of times last year. There's even a bar at the train station in Napperviller. It's about a 15 minute walk from the train station to the stadium. Also the first SE road trip was in '96 to Columbus for the second game of the season. Where we scored our first goal. Ok, it was a Thor Lee own goal. I put it together and it wasn't nearly as organized as the ones today. The funny thing is that the marjority of the people that went didn't live in the DC area. There were people from Pitssburgh, West Virgina, St. Louis, and Warterloo Ontario that went.
Ouch. I've promised mi papito to visit him in Nebraska this summer, and I know that my wife will insist on a swing through Chitown. If the schedules work out, I'd love to join you folks. I'll be monitoring... Of course, teams like the Fire and the Wizards shouldn't have to rely on out-of-towners to bump up their attendence. dadman
Schedule released The schedule just came out. Here are the two dates that DC will be in Chicago. Saturday July 12th Saturday August 16th Of course this is subject to change and there wasn't any times posted on the schedule. I'll be at both games. So let me know which game most of you would like to go to? I'll even order the tickets. As a season ticket holder I can order extra tickets and not have to go through Ticketmaster and if we get enough we can get the group rate.
This is great to see. I moved from DC to Chicago last July. I went alone to the 0-0 tie and while I know road points have to be celebrated these days, it was a pretty dismal experience. Lassiter and Curtis together up front... ouch. I plan on going to both games this year and I would love to have an SE posse with me. I feel in the spirit of full disclosure I must say Naperville sux and the field is pathetically small. On the positive side, Chicago is great, Naperville is easy enought to get to, and we can make a nice impact at that goofy stadium.
another chicagoan Hey ya'll...I'm a chicago area DC fan as well. I actually grew up in Ohio and went to college there, but took an internship with United a few summers ago and they have been my number one ever since. I took a job in Chicago after graduation but haven't been to a Fire game since 2001 in the playoffs at Soldier Field. I live in Lincoln Park right now, but let me know what the plan is and I will be at the matches in Naperville!
Where in STL Vicar? Just wondering where in STL you are living, I've been there a bunch with one of my good friends. She lives in west county somewhere, Ballwin maybe?
Re: Where in STL Vicar? east side representin'. out in the illinois suburbs. strip malls, cornfields, subdivisions. etc.