I was just thinking about the absolutely fantastic soccer history that San Jose possesses. Not being an LA or an NY or a major-major metropolitan city, San Jose has the distinction of: *being currently in MLS with an NASL historical pedigree *hosting the first-ever MLS game *playing in, probably, the most exciting MLS game ever (playoffs vs. LA, down 4-0 aggragate, rallying to win, 5-4) *leaving San Jose (through no request of anyone local), then returning with the same name, colors, logo, and championship records *now holding the Guiness world book record in groundbreaking with 6,356 people involved Those are just off the top of my head. Can you add any more?
San Jose has an Open Cup trophy won by an amateur team playing home games in a local park. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/San_Jose_Oaks
The San Jose Earthquakes are currently the only MLS team to have inducted NASL Earthquakes into their Hall of Fame.
San Jose is the only MLS community with a collaboration among its fans, pro team and local history museum to preserve its history. http://www.ssvcf.org/historyexhibit.html.
We are also the only club to have cheerleaders greet the opposing players at the airport with Champagne:
There is no other situation anywhere in the US, not Seattle, not Portland, not Vancouver, where you see this. The original lead owner of the original team in 1974, inducted into the club Hall of Fame. Standing there with members of the original 1974 team, plus an equipment kid from that team, plus the crowd instigator from 1974, who, consequently, went on to transform the entire crowd landscape of American sports thereafter. You could put 70 million people in the stands in Seattle; it doesn't matter. It doesn't compare to this. No one has the multi-generational family that the San Jose Earthquakes have.
While I love the message, I will to disagree on a couple of items: San Jose is the tenth largest city in the US. It's a major metropolitan city and is only getting more metro. They didn't return with the same colors or logo. Black was not our color. Having NASL pedigree is not unique to San Jose (Portland, Seattle, Vancouver). You missed the most unique part: Soccer Silicon Valley. No wear other than maybe Green Bay can a grass roots organization take the credit for bringing back a team and keeping the histroy alive.
Funny. From the last couple of games in 1974 through 1983, we (I) attended all the home games, but we never went to an indoor game.
Of all people I thought you would know this. San Jose Earthquakes, Portland Timbers, Seattle Sounders, Vancouver Whitecaps were all teams in the NASL.
Home games, including the championship, were at the Cow Palace. A photo of the Quakes hoisting their '75 indoor championship trophy is in Gary Singh's recent Metro article: http://www.metroactive.com/features/columns/san-jose-earthquakes-reunion.html. The trophy is in the History San Jose collection (and was displayed at City Hall in last year's City of Champions exhibit), courtesy of Johnny Moore. You can purchase a postcard copy of the photo at the museum gift shop at History Park, in San Jose's Kelley Park. (Item # 2010-46-1).
Yeah but he said... What doesn't that mean in English that its not unique? I mean it is unique because they are the only teams with NASL names.
Wow, that is just bizarre, including the plaid bell-bottoms, which of course weren't all that bizarre for the time.
You said it Gary! But wasn't this in 1975 when the SJ Earthquake Shakers greeted Dallas Tornado superstar American forward Kyle Rote Jr. at the SJ airport who was in town doing color commentating for CBS for the Soccer Bow featuring Tampa Bay & Portland? I think plaid was in!
He means San Jose is not the only team with NASL heritage now (though they were, up until Seattle joined). So at one time San Jose was unique in that it was the only team that had NASL heritage, now it no longer is and he lists the other teams that also have NASL Heritage.
Yeah ok but from what Don told me Vancouver and Portland cared nothing about the NASL heritage although I think Seattle might.....