, sorry, my post was a "the sky is falling" it just sounded in here like everyone thought the sky was falling, and nope, no public financing of the stadium , we're all good
I knew Bill from when I lived in London and worked with the London Monarchs. He is a good guy. He is an astute businessman and also has the contacts to be able to network some people. I think its a good choice. When the league first started it was the World League of American Football and had US and Canadian teams. It then became the World League with only European teams. Then NFL Europe. The London franchise was a real circus. Bill and I had more than a few beers at the TGI Fridays in Bayswater after a few games. They would bring in a bunch of executives sons fresh out of college who thought it was cool to work for the NFL. They would dump them in London as these kids didn't want to go somewhere other than an English speaking country. - The Monarchs once spent about 85K on advertising in the London Tube, huge posters. The phone number listed on the ad to buy tickets was wrong. -Played mostly at White Hart Lane, but Hotspurs groundsmen got upset at how the team was chewing up the field. Players were bused all over London, to practise. They all grumbled about the food the hotel was feeding them. - We once scheduled a bank holiday Monday game at Stamford Bridge, then Chelsea had a replay and needed the stadium that day. Chelsea called us and told us we couldn't have the date. So we were able to switch the venue and played in Leyton Orients stadium. Problem was nobody alerted the promotions people who still thought the game was in Chelsea. They promotions were all about the game being in Stamford Bridge. Some people from the promotions department even went to the wrong stadium. - The last year was a disaster. I had married a UK Citizen and she wanted to move to the States. So the Monarchs changed their name to the England Monarchs and played in Bristol and Birmingham. The stadium in Birmingham was a dump, it had a 400m running track around the field, the lighting was horrid, the field was uneven, the dressing rooms were too small. Parking was bad, which was ok because so was attendance. After that I moved to RI. I had lived in Canada and the UK for work, re-adjusting to the US took some time. I really miss SKY TV to this day. Throughout it all Bill and I would catch up and have a few when he came to town. I like him. But that story about him sneaking into the Nou Camp to see FC Barcelona was not true. He got the tix via the Barcelona Dragons, not sneaking in. I know this for a fact.
I don't think that's that big of deal. A handful of us freaking out on BigSoccer isn't a bad price to pay if the "crazy talk" nets beneficial results from its intended targets.
Yes. And I believe a majority of the current teams management were against the split schedule as well. My guess is that it will be back to a single season next year. YMMV.
I don't like anyone getting their thug on in front of little kids and then demanding an apology from everyone up to the top of the league.
At the same time Peterson needs to act like a professional. As the commissioner he shouldn't be going off on Twitter at people. Kind of puts the league in a bad light and they don't need that.
Well lucky for him the NASL doesn't get any media coverage. Outside of the occasional nostalgia article. Hey remember when these two teams played each other in the 1970s? So outside of offending a few hardcores, it won't really matter. Now if this were Garber, or someone else with gravitas(I love that word), there would be mainstream soccer media coverage and a 30 page BS thread with all the usual suspects flailing around with calls of boycotts. But not many people care what the commish of a minor soccer league says on twitter to a fan. Peterson is spared by his own irrelevancy. That said, if this happens again, then it might become an issue. You can only get away with acting like Dana White with fans when you control the industry like UFC does for Dana White.
The split season with 2014 WC break is happening officially. If it doesn't I will be real shocked. As for the ridiculous theories-- the Cosmos planned it this way, that Peterson made the split season schedule to accomodate the Cosmos, doesn't take into account this was Commissioner DOWNS' plan all along and that he said he had the unanimous support of the board in adoption of the split season. Surprise. http://goal.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/10/02/q-a-with-n-a-s-l-commissioner-david-downs/?_r=0 Isn't it something that he retired a month later-- and that Peterson has fought tooth and nail to preserve what Downs instituted? Even more interesting, why has the entrenched opposition downplayed that this was David Downs' long term strategy? Questions for those capable of thinking on their own.
Not that it justifies anything, but considering the Rowdies fans were retrieving things that Cosmos fans had swiped from them, I'm pretty sure your holier than thou attitude is out of line. Sounds like stadium security for large away fan groups is a recurring issue for NASL and that needs to be cleaned up.
Nope, it doesn't Allegedly... Yet just today, I've seen admissions that A) RM initiated the violence B) RM denied it occurred in front of women and children and then "took it back" C) It's a specific, small group of repeat troublemakers-- who seem to make the away group as in this time. This is not about Rowdies and Cosmos fans. THis is about individuals who crossed the line into violence. But when Ralph's Mob goes on rants about mistreatment, we repeat-- this is about individuals.
Hey guys, I'm the fan in question. And I was speaking on behalf of our entire supporter group, as well as indirectly some others, when I tweeted at Peterson that a simple email response would be nice. We've been emailing all season about the security issue, but hadn't received so much as a"thanks for your email". Now the commissioner is resorting to telling anyone who will listen that they HAVE been trying to call me since this blew up, but funnily enough my phone records don't agree. I'm apparently a big fat liar if Mr. Peterson is to be believed.
Well at least Peterson has endeared himself to all our resident Cosmos fans it seems. Regardless of any facts in this story, the Commissioner for the league shouldn't be using Twitter to throw a fit. Very very unprofessional.
LMAO You continue to have no clue whatsoever. If you think Downs was instituting anything other than Traffic's will, I have a bridge and some swampland at the right price I know you'll just love. And, if you think Peterson isn't anythng more than Aaron Davidson's mouthpiece, well except when he's his own ignorant mouthpiece pissing off fans with ass clown comments, then I'll double the price on the aforementioned properties and you'll love them even more!
Would you move on from this if Peterson provided phone records showing he tried to call you? Not saying he will just a simple question since this entire thing seems to have been caused by a he said she said about a call that may or may not have been placed.