After doing some research online I'm glad they didn't go with an old school name like the Sacramento Geckos. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sacramento_Geckos
i lived in Sac for a few years and it always frustrated me, in the years before easy internet access, that the Bee would never cover MLS. at all. like a lot of crappy newspapers they would cover highschool soccer but not pro soccer. and i always wondered if it was somehow the fault of the Geckos. or 'Team Sacramento'. i thought maybe the sports editors took one look at that team and decided to never cover soccer again. but eventually i just stopped reading the newspaper... anyway i hope it will be different this time around.
There was also the Sacramento Senators from 1989. I think the name was also used for a minor league baseball team. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sacramento_Senators_(soccer)
personally i'd like to see them form a partnership with the Sacramento Gold, take that name and have a pro team and a development team. that Sac Gold crest is pretty boss. better than most in the USL...
I agree, I love the Sacramento Gold FC name. A slight modification to the logo, change in jersey colors and they would be set.
The Sac Bee still doesn't cover MLS, much less soccer, at all. Sure, they have the standings relegated to a 1-inch box in the back with everything else, but they take NASCAR, tennis, MMA, and cycling more seriously than they do soccer. It's the standar good ol' boy sports editors, no doubt - holding baseball on a pedestal as the greatest sport ever, while refusing to take soccer legitimately and refusing to cover it whatsoever.
I used to get upset about this kind of thing. Now I know they're just dinosaurs -- a dying medium fixating on a waning sport.
Judging from the availability online, I'd say they have at least 10k sold already. Not many more sections available.
I went to a commercial shoot last night. Those of us who stayed late got free tickets to the Sac Pro Soccer day. Also got a voucher for a free ticket to the first game next year. On another note, they have already selected the name and showed us the badge. Since I signed a non-disclosure agreement I can't say much more than that.
Can you say if the name was one of the ones from the contest list or was it an unlisted name? Also, without giving anything away, what's your opinion on the name and badge? Better or worse than you expected? Lastly, did they say when the name and badge will be announced?
I also attended the shoot last night. Good fun. There were probably about 150 people there as "the crowd", we'll see how the shots they got end up looking. Adding to what HectorF18 said, I do like what they went with and hope the "refined" version will look a little better. I think what they've gone with is really good and will be good for the brand's growth. I just checked and see the contest is still up on the sacprosoccer.com website - don't bother voting anymore, as they've picked what they're going with, obviously. They let us see what the name, colors, and shield will be, but they didn't share with us what the kits will look like. All will be shared on July 18th - make sure you grab some tickets and get out to Raley Field!
Local news segment on the video shoot: http://fox40.com/2013/07/03/soccer-fans-gather-to-shoot-commercial-for-new-team/?pmsfr=true
If you pause the video at :28 and look at the players on the field, it appears that they're wearing gold/black colors.. but maybe that's just me. I took a screenshot (and if it's not clear enough, just go to :28) so you can look and see for yourself. http://imgur.com/dj7I6Zk
I believe that is the uniform that the Sac All-Stars will be using on Sac Soccer Day. Pretty sure that's not the official uniform. They mentioned the official jersey would be released in the Fall.
Indeed. But I am sworn to secrecy. It will be more fun for you guys if you find out on July 18! Hector's right - those aren't the official uniforms - they kept those secret from us and they will be revealing those at a later date. Those uniforms were just black and white from what I could tell. Oh yeah - for those who don't recognize it, that's Hughes Stadium, where our home games will be played. Not a bad I would say, perfect size to get this team off the ground. (could do without the artificial turf, painted American football lines, and track surrounding the field, but hey, can't be choosey at this point).
Speaking of artificial turf, my wife and I stuck around after they excused everyone. We watched them film two more scenes. One of the scenes was a goal celebration where the player was going to slide on the grass. Due prepare for the scene, they watered down part of the field and the player put Vaseline on his knees and upper legs to prevent rug burn. After about the fourth take and the player said he hurt himself and there was blood one of his teammates mentioned that there was skin left on the turf. Ouch. I hope the team is a success and they can move the games to a field with real grass, but for now it will do.