This may not be news to a lot of people, but I think a formal announcement is in order. I'm the new president of the Mystics. I wanted to have something more eloquent written, but I've been busy of late. Suffice to say that this announcement needed to be made as the season is rapidly approaching. I'd first like to commend my predecessors, Sam Pierron and Mike Gaughan for their excellent work in this office. I'd like to alay any fears that they or their fellow Jayhawks have at handing the post over to a Tiger! We're all Wizards fans and that is what is important here. What does this mean for the Mystics? Well I can assure you that I'd like to continue all the good work that Sam and Mike have done. I want to continue our good relations with the Wizards front office so that we maintain the Cauldron in section 114 and have a grill fired up for our pre-game tailgates in section B5. I'd also like to continue our arrangement with Molloy Bros. Pub for away watch parties. Ok so this is all well and good, so am I going to be a staus quo president? Well... I'd like to put a greater emphasis on road trips. I'd like for us to take a long look at the regular season schedule and sound off on what dates look most likely for road trips. I'd like to really rack our brains on how we can attract people to the Cauldron. I'd like commend those who already make the Cauldron colorful (flags, banners, confetti) and loud (drums, kazoos, chants, songs, and taunts). But I'd like to challenge everyone to think of ways to make the Cauldron louder and more colorful. Before somebody hits me with the hard questions, like what does membership cost and what does it get us, I'd like to turn that question around and ask what you want a Mystics membership to entail? (realistic answers please). And I may be asking for some help with certain 'cabinet positions': Songwriters: This should be easy. Take an exisiting song, trick the lyrics around to be appropriate to the game. example: at the post league awards ceremony shindig at last year's Cup, Sam raised the ire of the LA contingent by spontaneously singing "You've got a whole city, full of smog!" Booze barons: this should get lots of volunteers but remember not to break any laws. Website guru: this one will take dedication folks, but help is desperately needed. I plead complete ignorance at setting up and maintaing a website. Color commitee: any help at increasing the flags and banners in the Cauldron is greatly appreciated. Obviously, these are not formal cabinet positions (except maybe for website guru). It's stuff we all do anyway, I'd just like to get people thinking about the stuff right now. The season will be here before we know it. I'm sure I've forgotten something, so if you remember what it is, or would like to make any suggestions, please post.
Congratulations Kevin! We couldn't have gotten a new leader more dedicated to supporting the team. In regards to your cabinet positions: We do need a person to run wizardfan.com. I can't do it or I would. But I do know from having friends at Rolla that are computer guys, that with a little effort a relatively good site can be maintained rather simply. All this takes is someone stepping up, but the problem has been that no one seems to want to. Songwriters are an ongoing project. We are constantly looking for new songs, but we must remember that no matter how much we may get sick of variations of "Wizards" or "Kansas City", keeping them simple is best. When they get difficult, they get mummbled, and the rest of the stadium just thinks to themselves "What the heck did they just say?" Booze should stay on a personal level unless someone brings a keg for a personal milestone. One problem with the rent-a-cops and we could be in trouble with the front office. I know it hasn't happened yet, but it'd be a shame to have something like beer cause a rift between us and them. Color? Wear blue, bring signs, but I dont think we have any room for new banners do we? Now, on to the next topic, cost and benefits. When I first joined almost three years ago there was a cost that covered a pin, ECG, a card with discount tickets, and a few other things. The benefits are still there but I decided last year not to pay any dues. These days I see the Mystics as more of a group that leads section 114 and parking lot B5 in the celebration of the game. Memberships, status and the like only create a feeling of separation among those who approach us. We've seen a pretty good increase in the size of the Cauldron over the last two seasons, and I think that came from the Mystics becoming more inclusive than exclusive. To increase the numbers we need publicity. Notice how big the Cauldron grew to at a few of the games last season? I think that can be directly linked to the JumboTron action we recieved. Setting up people around the concourse and outside would be a good start. Not from behind a table, in recruiting you're taught that the table creates a separation that psychologically hinders the sale. Have three or four guys go up with their cooler and kick the ball around by the gates. People will stop and say "You're those crazy people", and the section get bigger. The move to B5 was great because we have a section that is set aside for us specifically. We have a wide open area to kick the ball around, or hit golf balls across the parking lot. But, it would be worth examining to see about a move closer to the main parking area. Outside when we're partying like normal people is the best time to recruit, not when we're inside acting like crazy, drunken soccer holigans and frankly more interested in the game than recruiting new Mystics. Just something to explore. Again, congrats. I'm confident you'll do a great job.
We used to pass out a game day flier in the parking lot. Which IMO was a great way to spread the word about us and it lets me work my magic. Banner's sure I would love to make a couple more but were the hell am I going to put them. I am not going to line the tunnel with them. I really don't want to put them over the tarp. We need to get rid of the cualdron sign right in front of our section. So I can put up the "Drunks" banner! J\k But we still need to get it moved so something more visible can be put there. If we want to bring in flags on a pole we need to find out what kind of pole we can use? pvc I assume. more later I have to head to work.
Congrats Kevin- the Mystics have changed in my short time sitting in the cauldron (3 years). The emphasis is more on the cauldron than the membership of the group, which I think is a good thing. Now it more focused on the tailgate and leading the cauldron, plus the occasional road trip. Bringing back the game day flier is a great idea. Print off about 50-100 more than are needed and hand them out to people coming into the stadium. This doesn't have to be a brand new stories or tid-bits, you can just copy and paste a couple of articles off the website once it gets going again. It is also a way to get some shameless plugs about tailgates and upcoming road trips to people who would like to particapate. Maybe a change of songs/chants, keep the good ones and throw out the bad. Simple is good but being overly repetitive gets annoying. Chant sheets containing the more difficult ones should be passed out either with the Free-kicks or at parking. See if we can get rid of the cauldron banner. Red on black just doesn't stand out that well. See if we can get a new one. The player of the month scarf has gone down hill. See if we can get this going again during warm-ups. Tailgating has become more of an event itself, keep this going. Beer is good, Keg beer is great. It can be difficult to break even at times, but if we grow the membership then it should be no problem. Road Trips, see if you can get us a group rates on hotels, and more people will be willing to go. Also see if you can advertise these trips to the Crusaders, they are a large group of people who highly enjoy the wizards. More people = better discounts. Plus the crusaders who are willing to travel might be the crusaders who are willing to become cauldronites/Mystics if only they knew some people. Malloy bros- great place to be, to bad I am moving down to St. Louis with Ben. Advertise this on a number of media, website, back of chant sheets, game day handouts. Hell if it is a crappy game, have two people leave and put stuff on peoples windsheilds.
First one is great! Try and push for a flier in the FreeKick, anything at all would be great. I don't see why something tasteful would be a problem with the Wizards. POTM scarf has been off the radar. Use BS and get the results fast. Then present it withing a week or two. I dont know about group rates for road trips unless the Wizards are going to be supplying the coordination. I doubt anyone will want to front the money on something like that, whether its the Wizards or a Mystic volunteer. BUT, involving the Crusaders in the knowledge of the trips would be great. I bold knowledge because we have to make sure these are Mystics road trips and not Crusaders road trips. On that note, finding a way to get these Crusaders interested in the Mystics. I know a few of the Crusaders, and a lot down want to give up there tickets. Heck, KCWIZFLAG (a new poster on our boards) has known me for at least 5 years and he still hasnt come over in the last three seasons. Many of them like where they sit too much to move, but many of them might come over once and stay like Matt and I did.
As for the type of pole you can bring into the stadium, PVC is all they will allow. That is what my flag is on(the big white one in 118). As for joining the ranks of the Mystics, I still like where I sit and will have to think that over. That certainly doesn't mean that I can't come over for a game or two just to see what its like. I'll bring the flag and sing and cheer!!!
It was a bloodless coup! You'd have to ask them for the whole scoop, but I believe they each wanted to get more of the fan experience. Nothing lasts forever (as I'm sure that my term won't). I will, however, be consulting with them often. There are other points that you guys have brought up in this thread that I'd like to comment on, but I'm currently in the middle of a very crazy work / sleep schedule (read as a lot of work and little sleep). So I'll have to post more later. Thanks for the kind words everyone.
I think that whomever is a crusader (I am one, just haven't managed a meeting yet) should pass out flyers that have the following information: tailgate info, bigsoccer's URL & breif description, and info on our psuedo organized road trip(s). If non-mystics/cauldronites can find out where to find info without personal contact, and can find out that we're all not psycho beer swilling fanatics (well we ARE, but not exclusivly)than they will be more encouraged to join our ranks, or at least give up the benefit of the doubt. We could section off a 8 1/2" X 11" into 1/4s and then print off a couple hundred. This will give us enough for just the crusaders, and thats a great start. Secondly, I hereby nominate myself as beer baron. I think we can always break even on a keg, since I already have the supplies in place, but I think maybe we need to make sure that there is enough desire for one (i.e., we didn't polish off either keg when I brought them last season.) Maybe we should tie it into the price of the tailgate. Maybe we should lower the cup price (was $5, maybe 3 or 4 instead?). I also volenteer to take over partial or all of the tailgating duties, if those who are currently doing so so wish. If not, that's cool, I just have a few suggestions for improving it. Also, I think we should post a sticky thread on this board so that every who by chance comes by, or if we do a flyer, that anyone can easily find the information they need.
I'm interested... (Mentioned so on the chant sheet thread) I'm happy to host the site, work on the maintenance, look'n'feel, etc... All I need is a bit of help with KC area reporting to supplement what I can't do from Wichita. I sent mikegone an e-mail about the website, and am waiting to hear from him. I'd love to get things set up before March 14, so we can get some publicity at the Comets game. As far as chant sheets, please check out the 'Chant Sheets' thread. I've ALREADY made contact with the front office, and we ALREADY have permission/blessing to hand out the chant sheets. I am going to front the cost for chant sheets for the home opener, which will also point fans to the wizardfan.com website. Something I've been thinking about writing, and want to get some input from others on, is a short essay on the difference between being a Mystic and being a Crusader. There are some that are both (me) and some that choose one or the other. There is a CLEAR difference between the two. Anybody interested in helping with this project, please drop me a line. To be honest, I've been a bit of a hanger-on, with seats elsewhere and haven't officially joined the Mystics proper. I am going to keep my seats (for date purposes) but I plan to be watching a majority of games from the Cauldron, and plan to join the Mystics proper. I can't wait to work with Kevin and build the Cauldron before I have to leave for the real world... (I'm going to be coaching or working in the front office for some professional soccer team, but I'll always bleed Wizards Blue.)
Aaron, you don't have to be a member of the Mystics to sit in the Cauldron. Then there are mystics who don't sit in the Cauldron at all, though there seem to be less and less of them. They are two different things, that is something that I think needs to be better explained. Think of the Crusaders as a marketing group, They have already identified themselves as people who want to see the wizards prosper. Now we have to identify those who want the game experience to grow as well. Find those who want to actually do something not necisarily with the Wizards organization, but with the actual game itself. We know about all the tailgating, but I don't think they do. All the information that can be gained about the tailgate is on the wizards website saying that the mystics have on in lot B-5. They don't know what the set up is, how much, what food, beverages etc. Those people must be marketed to. What other ways or places can we get are voice heard to these people. Wizards are hosting watch parties, those are the people the ones who like the fan expeirence of the soccer game, why else would they be there. Bring flyers to these and hand them out. As Jace pointed out handing them out at gatherings of soccer folk (like the crusader meetings) is a great way to get the word out to the right people.
I like the idea of handing out pre-game flyers. Like Ben & Spoon mentioned, meeting people face-to-face is important. Just leaving a piece of paper on somebody's car is easy to ignore. Give them a face & a person that they can assiociate with the Cauldron/Mystics. The real battle is getting people to come to the tailgates or to stand in the Cauldron for the first time. I think after doing it once, then they will want to come back again next time. I think that it's easier for people to make that first step if they know somebody there. Would also be nice to have somebody to introduce new people and make them feel welcome & part of the group.
I think this would be very helpful. After 5 years in section 135 I ventured over to the cauldron in the second half of last season. Despite my youngest kid whining I plan to be there most of next season too. (2 or 3 kids in tow each time, my 15 year old is a fair weather fan) The only person I really know by name is Sam. I would think any new cauldron-ites would appreciate the introductions.
I also agree with this sentiment. Not all of the Mystic's or potential Mystic's are in their 20's. Some of us geezers are old enough to be your parents. But we do have one very important thing in common. That's our passion for the Wizards and soccer in general.
Shameless plug... Bring your passion on the road trip(s) and let's show these okies how to cheer. (Tickets are still available )
I realize that you don't have to be a Mystic to sit in the Cauldron-The perception is that you "should" be one. My concern is that if I were to join the Mystics but stay seated where I am that I wouldn't be considered a "true Mystics supporter." That is the only reason why I haven't joined up. I know the Mystics want to grow their membership as much as possible, but I still think there is that feeling that the Mystics and the Cauldron are the same thing. As for the issues of chant sheets, flyers, word of mouth-any of that that I can help with I would be happy to.
Ok KCWizFlag you would not by any means be taken as a lesser Mystic. I don't blame you, I would have the same seats if I could afford them. Just yell and be roudy like us. Tell any of the other season ticket holders that tell you to sit down and shut up to pisss off. Kop look me up at the first game. I don't think I have ever meet you. I really think the flier thing should be renstated. Something easy, few easy chants, and where to go to get mot skinny on the Wiz. Bigsoccer of course my home away from home! There is too much good stuff in this thread.
Road trips- any US Open Cup game, but those are kind of done on the fly. Saturday May 10 at Dallas Burn- close drive, cozy atmosphere. Friday July 4 at Colorado Rapids- huge crowd Saturday August 16 at Dallas Burn Saturday August 30 at Columbus Crew Saturday Sept. 27 at Los Angeles- The Home stretch, plus if we start saving now, we might have enough money to go.
These two I'd really like to go to. Although with the number of people at the CO game we could have a problem getting seats together unless we had a planning person. Cbus doesnt fill their stadium so I'm sure we could all get together there. Oh, and if we get to play Milwaukee again, by god I wouldnt miss it for the world. (Unless its a Wednesday )
OK guys, I'll join up. Don't know how often I'll sit in 114, but if I can help create more atmosphere where I'm at then I'm up for it. And yes Spoon, if someone tells me to sit down, they will be "dealt with." Just let me know what I need to do to get this thing rolling. I'll also try to get some of the people around me to become Mystics as well. They may not change their seats either, but hell we all bleed Wizards blue don't we?