I got most of my pics and videos uploaded late last night. Feel free to browse them there is some good stuff I think. I like the post-game video of the drums. I have a few more videos to upload. http://s156.photobucket.com/albums/t23/gosh1976pics/ here is the part of the national anthem. I don't think any of us are going to be winning American Idol. http://s156.photobucket.com/albums/t23/gosh1976pics/?action=view¤t=AshleyandJoey2006-7091.flv drums and Ecuador chicks: http://s156.photobucket.com/albums/t23/gosh1976pics/?action=view¤t=AshleyandJoey2006-7154.flv more drums: http://s156.photobucket.com/albums/t23/gosh1976pics/?action=view¤t=AshleyandJoey2006-7146.flv
Post-Game back at MacDinton's just a few minutes before I dropped a pint of Bass. They should have kept serving me in plastic cups!!
Nice...had to be taken late in the game, because we're in it! Brown shirt guy and light blue shirt guy (me), very top row, furthest to the left.
Great Pictures!!! Glad to see that I came out in a few of them, since I didnt take any myself I have tokens from my first cap, thanks for posting!!
It was good to see you too, Andy -- albeit briefly in that clusterf*ck that was the ticket line. I hope all is well...now that I live in Texas I'm trying my best not to lose touch with my Florida peeps. Thanks for the link, Ron. Bill interviewed me, about 10:45 into it. Yeesh, I sound kinda cheesy when describing how we're evolving, but I really feel that soccer is starting to grab a foothold in this country.
Thanks, Warren. Your statements were well made. This ticket box office fiasco gets more and more strange. Tampa Sports Authority says that is was the fault of US Soccer! Check out this email exchange: Mr. Collins: I am sorry that you had an experience that was not to your liking here at our stadium. The Tampa Sports Authority/Raymond James Stadium does not sell tickets to any events held here, nor do we operate the ticket windows for any events. The ticket offices are operated by whomever is hosting the event. In this particular case, the windows were operated by US Soccer. Please contact US Soccer before Friday, March 31, 2007 at tickets@ussoccer.org. In advance of your email to them, I also have forwarded your email to them. BARBARA L. CASEY Director of Communications/Marketing Raymond James Stadium/Tampa Sports Authority 4201 North Dale Mabry Highway Tampa, Florida 33607 813--350-6504 office 813--673-4312 fax bcasey@tampasportsauthority.com www.tampasportsauthority.com -----Original Message----- From: Ron Collins [mailto:collins@tampabay.rr.com] Sent: Monday, March 26, 2007 8:01 PM To: Henry Saavedra Subject: USA vs. ECU What's up with the box office problems???? Mike Squire at US Soccer said that they were a warned about the usual walk up problems in Tampa and they were assured you were ready. You weren't ready.
Those aren't the full size files I uploaded to photobucket. If you would like a copy of any of the full size files just PM me which ones you are in or any other ones you would like and I'll see about getting them to you. Not sure how good the quality will be if you try to make a print of the ones on photobucket. That goes for anyone else too I'm sure quinella box is in one or two and surely some of the others of you.
all the problems at the ticket windows i didn't know about, but did anyone else get stuck in food lines at half time? i missed both 2nd half goals
I started moving toward the beer line before the half time whistle and there was already a pretty long line. It still pretty much the entire half time and then a couple minutes to get back to my seat. In line I got to meet uh well I forgot your name already the one dressed goofy in the mickey gloves colored red, white, & blue that led allot of the chants and came out from LA. So the conversation and people watching made it bearable that said the employees though friendly enough did not seem to be in a hurry at all.
US Soccer needs to start thinking bigger they think games are still gonna draw 10-15k. In my opinion the person who in charge of makin that decision to put 8 windows open and not have a will call window is totally clueless and should be fired. I remember somethin happening very similiar in 2003 Gold Cup v Brazil at the Orange Bowl.. I got the to the game late becuase of traffic and i had my tickets but there were 10 lines with each 50 people on it. If i could remember correctly they let the people in for free at half time. ( Maybe someone can correct me on that) One other point any particular reason they put Sams Army in the corner and not behind the net. We mind as well been in the upper section.
JcUSA: Good points. To answer your question about why they stuck SA in the corner, I think it comes down to one word (well three actually) Glazer/Ticketbastard/Money. US soccer knows they have to make a section available for SA. And we know that the tickets for those seats are much cheaper ( = affordable). So the Glazers---don't overlook that they make ton of money off of ANY event at the stadium----and ticketbastard will allow it, but they gave up as little space as possible. That's why we were tucked in the corner. I have some contacts with the press. I'll see if someone wants to do a follow up. However, i suspect it's just all water under the bridge at this point.
Actually, your last point strikes a chord with me. Seems not just U.S. Soccer, but Sam's Army needs to get more organized when it comes to this. There is no reason Sam's Army should not take up a whole endzone section. I heard plenty of people on here complaining about not being able to get tickets in the Sam's Army section, but then there were quite a few Ecuador people in the section. I'm sure they didn't really want to be there (or maybe they are masochists, dunno). But it seems Sam's Army could use a bit more organized leadership when it comes to matches, their website, and preparing people for what to expect. I mean for goodness sakes, their website until just recently had an interview with Eddie Lewis on the front page that had been there since before the World Cup. I would think we/they could do better.
Hey, guy from the Redneck Riviera.....ease up on SamsArmy. It used to be the ONLY website out there..and it was (is still..perhaps) run by a couple of guys for free (relatively speaking). Then all of the other websites sprang up and started being pretty good (Soccernet...etc....bs..YA..USplayers..etc..). In addition MLS supporters' websites began to crop up as well. Folks, myself included, became less dependent on SA's website . It's one thing to say that "they" need to get more organized...but it's not that easy.. "They" is "you"..and me... Most of the support for the local events simply comes from people who are willing to make the time and effort to grab the bull by the horns. RE: Ticket screw up. I've learned that there will be an article in this Friday's paper...i think the SP Times about the ticket mess and lines at the game. When it's posted I'll pass it on...... ...thereby ensuring that this thread continues long after the the March 25th game day....
Matt, I acknowledge what you are saying, thus the we/they reference. I'm all for doing whatever we can to make the SA website and USMNT following more organized. There are plenty of people out there running free websites who still manage to do such (e.x.; www.fulhamusa.com ). JcUSA and Ron are right. US Soccer (and its fans) need to start thinking bigger, and it appears that for right now, no one is ready. People get ready!!! Still, me and the rest of the crew had a fantastic time, thanks in no small part to Mr. Cardillo. Cheers!
I was just thinking that in a way it's actually great that we have some of these things to complain about. Those that grew up in the 70's and 80's playing and following the sport should know what I'm talking about. People want to be in the Sam's Army Section and that's great. When I started watching International soccer at soccer camp in the summers and at the local soccer store a little later there were probably hardly enough people attending US games to fill up one section with everybody in the stands much less have overflow for a supporters section. It's great that we have new people but it can be annoying if they don't know the Gen admission policy and other Sam's Army traditions. I went to the stadium early so I could get to my assigned seat just in case I ran into this and I did we were in our row but not in front of our seats it all worked out in the end but if you have to move if someone wants their seats and it's usually because they don't know the traditions. I just wish US soccer warned people of the sam's army policies when they are handling the ticket sales. The problems with the walk up sales and the will call window (or lack of one) really sucked for those dealing with it but in 1988 who would've thought such a problem could possibly manifest at a USMNT game. That's just great to have this quality of problems associated with soccer in the US. Now let's just hope that US Soccer and the soccer community in general keep moving towards solutions so that we can have even better stuff to complain about in the coming years!! I hope explained myself well enough to get what I was thinking across!
I understand your point but we need new people in place to deal with our new problems because the people currently handling this at US Soccer cant get the job done.. The problems shouldnt be goin on. US Soccer should be thankful that people are paying their hard earned money and taking their time in some cases driving hours ( like myself) to go see a game. Its all about planning and thinking big.. The game is here to stay.. WAKE UP
True it does seem that in too many ways US soccer still has the same mentality that it had in the late 80's and early 90's. We clearly need some new ideas for this new era in American soccer. As Matt metioned much of that is up to us at the grassroots level but somethings are just way beyond our control. I was thinking along the lines as well of things like having commentators to complain about on regular broadcasts or players playing abroad that we don't get to see enough of or have to pay a few extra bucks to get access to channels that show the leagues in which they play. We have a growing and thriving soccer culture in the US with influences from around the world and influences from other sports here in America let's just hope the powers that be can keep up with the needs of such a growing soccer community or more aptly put that they can catch up to the needs of such a community. Atleast we have soccer organizations that are willing to help with the grassroots organizing that goes on like we saw in Tampa at the charity event. We have a federation and players that in most cases love to do what it can to help the fans and to help promote the sport. Contrast this to England where you can't even publish a schedule of the EPL season without written permission. I imagine after driving 7+ hours to Tampa if I had experienced the trouble at the ticket window I would be a little less forgiving and philosphical about the matter. oh yeah another thing it's great that I can complain about is not getting work done becuase I'm watching live feeds (if it works today) and having discussions about the game all day. edit: I don't mean to be so long winded
No need to apologize, gosh. These are the conversations that need to happen for people to start realizing what is happening and to start acting. The trick is to not get caught up in the internet based ideas about what is going on or needs to happen, and actually doing things that will manifest in to real change or improvements. It is sometimes amazing how much a well drafted letter to someone in particular, who you know makes some of the decisions, will make.
Same here. I left one minute into injury time and got back to my seat having missed 5 minutes of the second half. If you sell out the lower bowl, you'd think you'd open all the concession stands in the lower bowl. They didn't.