So it was a cool idea, but apparently the Supporter's Shield is now firmly under the control of the MLS Corporate Asshats. Used to be, you know, a supporter's thing. Kind of unique, the sort of thing soccer does better than other sports. So right after the issue was decided this year, Sam Pierron posted to the Crew Forum: Yet, very puzzlingly, Sam refused to respond to fidlerre's many efforts to contact him by email or PM, (kind of rude at the very least, even if he is embarassed to have sold out). We still have not heard from dear old Sam. Perhaps he died. And now we get word from some MLS stooge calling himself "galaxycrazy" (which seems kind of odd): So it appears MLS was not comfortable having something around that they didn't control and they've taken it over. Funny that Andy Mead hasn't talked much about this. Perhaps there's some explanation I'm not thinking of here, but I find Pierron's refusal to communicate on this issue somewhat puzzling. It also brings up the question of who exactly are the corporate stooges planning on giving the thing TO exactly, since no Crew fan that I am aware of has heard anything at all about it. A very strange set of circumstances. Maybe the guys who used to handle it got coopted for an invite to a free buffet and a couple tickets to the ball. Amazing the power the cool kids table has. Still, it's disappointing that it's nnow being handled by the sports marketing heeks at MLS instead of by fans themselves. And even more disppointing that they haven't bothered to mention it.
I think he's saying that if not a fan group giving it directly to another fan group, then it's de facto MLS control.
Yeah, I am not quite sure I get what you are saying either. I havent seen anything as yet to indicate that its "sold out". By the title of your thread I was fully expecting to read an article where the powers at be for the SS were announcing a new name (such as Honda Suppoters Shield) suggesting that a large some of money had been paid for the naming rights to the trophy. That to me would be truely selling out. Perhaps maybe you are being alittle overly sensative just yet? I am curious to know how this all turns out though.
Fair enough. If I'm wrong about this I'll be the first in line to say so. Perhaps I should have called it "Supporters' Shield Coopted" but it would have driven too many people to ask what the hell chickens had to do with it.
What? The shield was presented at the Fire's first playoff game last year too. And there was the symbolic presentation to the team's supporters in LA as well as the usual presentation at the Awards Gala. I thought this was going to be about selling naming rights or something for prize money. That would have been great.
WHEW!!! By the title of this thread, I thought MLS asked Jim Rome to present the shield. False alarm.
I don't see anything contradictory in the two quotes in the first post. Both agree on the team who won it - Columbus. MLS has used the term "Suppportes Shield" before - in press releases, advertisements, etc... I don't see why they wouldn't now. I don't see any co-opting. Am I blind?
The original post seems to be saying that the SS was taken out of the hands of the supporters. That's unfortunate because it was a unique circumstance in American sports. Why would MLS want to take control of it? Over in LA it makes sense. The FO loves to use supporters as unofficial spokespeople (photos in print ads and on the internet), but hates to have supporters speaking up or trying to to anything without them being in the loop. And once you bring them in the loop, they squash it or put it off for 60-90 days. We've been nuetered in the respect to what we can do and say, yet the FO turns right around and uses images of us on the website showing us in our pre-neutered incarnation. So to an LA supporter this SS scenario sounds very likely. I might be jumping the gun, but what could the reasons be? The only good reason I can think of is that MLS is recognizing the SS and trying to add some draw to the award by giving it a league sanctioned feel. Could it be that MLS is trying to make the SS something to strive for? This is the only thing I can see as a postive. Other than that, it should be in the hands of supporters throughout the league.
Hey, wait a minute; some moderator here removed about 2 or 3 of the funniest posts from this thread!!! Is this legal??? Where's a good lawyer when you need one.
Fred, The Shield was "presented" at the Fire's playoff game against New England last fall for public and media consumption. Then it was officially transfered from the Galaxians to the BarnBurners a week later at the Supporters Summit, and presented again that evening at the MLS Awards Gala. A show and tell in Columbus this weekend is just good media, and it doesn't preclude a traditional supporters transfer.
El Cahpulin, I read your post just as I was about to add my take, and I see I'm following on to what you've said. I think it's a good thing that MLS recognizes the Supporters Shield exists. About a month ago, I read a post about how it was meaningless because only hardcore fans knew what it was.
Even heard JP Delacamra and his bonehead color man (forgot his name-Kehoe?) mention it on a few ESPN broadcasts a couple of seasons ago. So it is in the lexicon? of MLS lingo.
I guess maybe a better question is why the trophy didn't appear to be presented to the captain of Columbus like you do with trophies a team wins. You can do the fan thing at the summit if you want...but the club won the trophy and deserves to be treated as such, with the requisite presentation to the captain.
Good point. Only problem is that the SUpporter's SHield trophy was presented before the match to some old fat broad along with a couple twelve year old girls. I hope you caught the picture on ESPN2. Really llooked stupid, this clueless loking woman who never even heard of the damn trophy standing there at midfield holding it. Unbelieveable. Where did they come up with this woman, who is she, who decided she should be the recipent? What the hell is going on? Really ridiculous. I stand by everything I wrote. The Supporter's SHield has become just another MLS corporate doohickey..
All i know is when chicago won it last year they did the tranfer thing at the summit, did a presentation at the gala, but had the thing awarded to Chris Armas at the first home playoff game and kept it most of the year in the club trophy case and not on someone's mantle. Not that I don't think the originators of the trophy don't agree with me but if the trophy is to be taken more seriously by the clubs it needs to be treated as such. Award it to the captain, have the club keep it with the other trophies they've earned, don't pass the thing around the fan club section during a game or something, and maybe offer something like 50,000 to the winner. It doesn't have to be an incredible sum but a bonus would be nice and give it some weight to the thing along with the CONCACAF place. I'm for selling naming rights to the thing if it get this done...I wouldn't mind it personally but it's not my call obviously.
Gee Ben, did you see the game tonight?? Did you see the opening, showing an old fat woman (who reportedly is Greg Andrulis Sister-in-law) standing there at midfield holding the trophy along with a couple twelve year old girls? Did you see the post from Sam Pierron over on the Crew board where even HE is shocked by what happened??? It appears, Ben old boy, that the only "idiot" here is YOU. The main REASON for this is shooting your mouth off without having even the first damned clue what you were talking about. But thanks for sharing. Next time, though, wear softer shoes. They make it easier when you end up with your foot in your mouth.