I apologize for the bullet-point style of this post. Here's what you need to know: 1. You, as a fan, care about this final way more than the front office staff. I know for a fact that VP John Guppy has told his crew it's a "Mickey Mouse" tournament. Of course, Guppy also told his staff the Man U Tour wouldn't draw flies. 2. MFO thinks drawing for this game is the USSF's problem, not theirs. They're going to keep on pushing the Dallas and New England MLS games. Don't expect ANY marketing of the USOC final, even though we as fans know it's the biggest game in the club's history. 3. MFO has no regard for the players who busted their asses to beat Columbus, New England and DC to get into this final. They could care less if they played in front of friends and family on the 15th. They are way more concerned that the players sign autographs at the Willowbrook Mall. 4. We're the only ones who can help out our players in this game. I know it's cliche, but bring a couple of friends. Plan guys/girls night out. Anything. 5. I'm not saying it's the MLS Cup, but this is a step toward Metro becoming a respectable club. If you care about that, try to get a friend out. And remember, MFO don't care.
MLS Cup is a league championship. Open Cup is a national championship. To my way of thinking, the OC is the bigger prize, though MLS Cup is the best promoted among our soccer championships in the States. I'm getting in touch with anyone vaguely interested in soccer here at work. Two guys coming so far -- one lives in Jersey City, debating wheter to go home from work in Manhattan and take his car -- and pay the ransom to park it at the Swamp -- or take the bus from work to the game, then back to PA and then a third bus back across the Hudson to his home. Total drag, but he'll work it out. The trick will be to get another guy who went to the Champions World shows to come out to our match, one that really means something. He's never been to a Metro match. My understanding was that Nick really wanted the Final here. Now he's got it, he can't just sit on his hands -- can he?
Forget about the Metro Front Office. Don't let obsessing about them ruin what could be a great night for the fans.
There has never been a better time to bring people out to Metro. Win or loose this is going to be a very special night. The ESC is already working on putting together a major pregame rally at Nathan Hale's on the afternoon of the 15th. Details forthcoming. Bring co-workers, bring team mates, bring friends and family. Bring the noise.
Got him! The guy at work who went to the Champions World circus asked me to get him tickets to the OC Final. I just told him it was Metros first, and it was the national championship, and he said 'get me a ticket.' 4 so far -- counting my wife -- and working on more. The question is, can we get tix through MFO, and do we get our usual ESC101 'seating?' Gotta call Metro. I just hope they don't jackup the prices for this one.
There is no doubt that this is the biggest home game that Metro have ever had. It's as important as the Game 3 in Chicago in 2000. If you have suffered through the last eight years or some percentage thereof, you cannot in good conscience skip this game. This is the payoff. This is payback for Bora, Branco spitting, Lothar's French Riviera vacation, "knock your socks off", Mathis being left off the lineup card, Petke's ejection for kissing the ball, 0-5 to DC at home, missing the playoffs three times, watching the Scum raise trophies, and all the other Mickey Mouse crap that we, the fans, have endured. If you cannot show interest in a game where someone at the end is going to raise a cup that has been fought over in this country for 90 years, then I cannot help you. I would love to see full-page ads in the Ledger and NY Times to promote this, but we're talking about MFO here. Again, Vistula is absolutely right -- it's up to the fans to promote this game and get people into the stadium. I've got four coming so far, and that's in 12 hours of working on it. 13 days to go...
My understanding is that the Metros were kind of defaulted the game when the Fire couldn't offer the time slot that FSW wanted because of the URA/MEX game at Soldier Field the same day. That kind of sticks with your guys theory that the Metro front office doesn't care anyways.
This game is like a dream come true for me... for years i been tryin to get as many people out to the games as possible... i've been using free beer, free food and i have even offered to pay for tickets for my jobless friends to try to lure people out to the games. It has worked many times as i have often brought 4 or 5 extra people who normally wouldn't even watch the games on TV(the most was 8 for that last Metro-Fire home game). After leaving the game last night I began to make phone calls to let everyone know about the final.. so far it looks like i'm going to shatter that number 8. All i needed to say was CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH!!!!! oh yeah i also mentioned free beer! USOC FINAL!!!!! i'm proud to be and will always be a Metro till the day i die...
Obie, nice post! A few more... For Tab's legs, may they live on in pieces. For every save Tim Howard made that led to this! For every yellow card undeserved! For every red card and every player sent off! For Mike Amman, Crime Of the Century! This game is it! I will be there with two, working a third.... How sweet it is!!!!!!!
I usually cannot get to Giants Stadium for weeknight games 'cos I'm up in Connecticut but I'll be there on the 15th come hell or high water.
How much do you think it would be if us as fans baught ad space in, lets say the Daily News and the Journal saying congrats for getting here and listing the date and time. We know MFO is going to drop the ball on this somaybe us fans should take up the slack.
If we got the Final by default, due to tv schedule problems, then Nick received the ball at the top of the box. Does he turn and score or blow the chance -- with AEG watching. If he fails to promote the match, and the attendance is 12k or less, he makes Metro and MLS look bad. He also makes AEG look bad compared with Champpions World. True, there is no comparison between a domestic title and a travelling circus, but it's there to compare, nevertheless. ESC members, and others who care about the team, will endeaver to bring friends and family and to pump the importance and just plain fun of the match. But if ever the MFO needed to get out the word in a big way, this is the time. Ads in Spanish and English dailies, radio and TV are needed -- people need to see ads on MSG and Fox Sport World, and not just during soccer programming. Can we get Jolley on Letterman? He's studly, got a deep voice, and is well-spoken. He even has good things to say about WUSA; Letterman would like that, almost as much as Brandi on crutches. Hell, invite Brandi to appear at the match, kick out a ball or something. She might even do it. The 'Open Cup' promotion someone mentioned is a great idea: Plastic cups with Open Cup 2003 printed on them, hand them out at the gate -- good for one free Pepsi (expecting free beer is probably asking too much). Invite the mayor of Harrison and bigwigs from Bergin County, police and fire dept. soccer teams... It's a school night with an 8 pm kickoff, I wouldn't expect too many families unless the kids are high school aged. Somehow we need to shake some butts loose from the bar stools around town and get them out for this one, championship game, instead of an EPL re-run. 20k should be the goal; we once had 35k for a Thurs. night match vs. Tampa back in '96. It can be done.
Re: Re: The Bottom Line on USOC Final Crowd I realize Nathan Hale's is the home to the ESC - any chance you might consider doing something at the stadium (ie. mass tailgating) or at a local establishment near GS?
love this post, admittedly i did not put as much stock into the USOC as most, but seeing how leaguewide it's gained more and more attention after each round, and to see how this is rallying us all together, it's impossible not to catch the fever...if there are any pregame type activities, i'd love to cancel work/school for the day and start as early as possible...so please let me know here are a few more to add to the list: - for caricola's own goal - for steve shak - for '60-90 days' - for the d0uche german paper that called us "the worst team in the world" ***i would also prefer something closer to GS, in fact, i'd consider having guys here (my apt. is in clifton, right off of rt 3, 5 minutes away from GS)...i just gotta talk to my roomate if anyone's interested...this is the first of many future championship matches, lets do this right
Couple of things-- Does pregame have to be at NH? I'm ESC but I see no reason to travel all the way into the village, then hightail it out to the Swamp, I think a mass tailgate would be more in order... How much does a full-page ad in the Daily News or Post or Star-Ledger cost? Can ESC buy one congratulating the team and plugging the championship? It really sucks the match is on a Wednesday. I've got class Wed nites thats only once a week...already missed one for last nite...I have no idea the crap ill miss if I have to miss again... That's all
Someone has touched a chord. Whether there's 1,000 or 20,000, let's cherish this game. Someday, maybe, when we're all old men and women, an the club is massive, we'll look back fondly on the days when we felt Metro was ours and only ours. And, running counter to all the bad memories...let's do it... - For Roberto. - For Tony. - For Rhett. - For Captain Vermes. - Even for Charlie's vision to be "one of the great clubs of the world." - And, let's pray, for good people of Harrison, NJ. Oh, we want the Cup!
MORE RED n' BLACK... -Ezra, Shaun Bartlett -Sasa, both Zambranos -Hurtado to Zurich -semi-final loss at Columbia (my 2nd ever game) -last year's finale in NE -when one became two Remember folks, the last big game Metro was involved in was against these fucqers and we had to watch it on TV in a bar. Time to cowboy up, people. So let's bring it folks. Let this be the first of many... RED ARMY!!!!!
-Balboa and Moreno (dmaged goods that they were) -Undersized Jerseys that arrive halfway through the season -Turf Trays -Meadowlands County Fair -Stillano
The News or Post is at least $20,000 for a full page, up to $100K for the Times. That's a little out of the ESC budget, and a stretch for the MFO budget.
Do it for that poor schmuck kid whose parents take him directly from biddy league games and practices in his oversized jersey and mud caked cleats. He sits there game after game not getting it. Somehow he's got the idea that soccer is about blaring that big red horn and tyring to get on the TV camera so he can see his face up on the screen. Kid - Mom , please.... Mom - Sorry, it's a school night. Kid - Please Mom it's the Open Cup Mom - Well Ok, it's a special night kiddo, but only cuz it's a championship" During the play of the game, he'll forget to blow the horn, forget to stand in line during the first half for candy and soda and whaterelse the F they sell, he'll forget the TV cameras. Do it for him so that when he shows on Wednesday night something mighty grabs a hold of his heart and changes him forever. He gets caught up in the moves, the players, screams at every bad call from the ref, and that night he gets to see what glory looks like first hand. That night he becomes a Metro fan for life.