RebKell's Junkie Boards

[psheehy]

On my flight back from the Caribbean yesterday they had a clip of Drew Carey on the Late Show talking about his new ownership role in the expansion MLS team, the Seattle Sounders FC.

He said that he has convinced the majority ownership to offer a Sounders Footbal Club membership option to fans where they pay a yearly fee (somewhere under $1000.00) to be a "member" of the club. This membership gives them a vote every four years on whether to fire the current General Manager of the team.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5lAQkw-3C8

He said that he pays for that privilege for Barcelona (Real Madrid offers the same thing) and thought it was brilliant. His pitch is that everyone knows when the GM needs to go, but it is hard to fire the person as an owner since you know them and their family. This way the fans do the "dirty work," since they are ruthless and expect their team to win. Only the member fans get a vote...not the organization.

Is this insanity, brilliance or somewhere in between? Would it be something the WNBA could look at doing down the road?

_________________
Coach Agler's 2014 Off Season Task List

1) Think about "what if?" he had gotten that lottery ball in 2015....
2) Remember to watch some NCAA games
3) Invest in mystical restorative ointments for hips, knees, backs and well everything.

[Slovydal]

[Orion]

I think it is a greedy way to gouge more money out of fans. I seem to recall reading about some pro football teams charging season ticket holders an extra fee to be able to buy their season tickets. This seems like more of that.

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An original Mystic fan.

[StevenHW]

This sounds almost like becoming a shareholder in the club. Loosely similar to the Green Bay Packers NFL team infrastructure, except that the "members" do not necessarily vote out the G.M.

I cannot imagine this happening in the WNBA. If it did, expect the ticket prices to soar at an astronomical rate.

[psheehy]

[Ottie]

Most (if not all) Aussie Rules football teams have different packages - membership payments, season ticket payments, and other packages (interstate member without the seasons tickets etc). As a member you don't get to vote on coaches, but many big decisions are voted on my members (eg possible mergers, electing chairman). You also get first dibs on finals tickets etc.

I think it is a good idea, and as long as membership and seasons ticket prices are kept separate.

[CompleteControl]

What many teams may try to do is to combine season tickets with other benefits. For example, the Mystics offer a special season ticket package for women who own small businesses. The team hosts events to enable them to network with each other. The Mystics also offer a special package to local youth-leagie and high school coaches, allowing them to attend coaching clinics run by Tree, Kenlaw, and Robinson. Mystics' management is in the process of designing more of these special packages.

I don't know offhand whether or not other teams offer packages like these, but I wouldn't be surprised to see this catch on.

_________________
But the day may come when you've got something to lose. Just when you think you're done paying dues. And you're saying to yourself, dear God what have I done? And hope it's not too late, because tomorrow may never come.

[psheehy]

The team announced how it will work yesterday.

Membership (which gets you a vote) is free to season ticket holders and $125 to other fans.

Membership is by nomination and they are then selected once per year...25 nomination minimum from existing members to get in the club.

_________________
Coach Agler's 2014 Off Season Task List

1) Think about "what if?" he had gotten that lottery ball in 2015....
2) Remember to watch some NCAA games
3) Invest in mystical restorative ointments for hips, knees, backs and well everything.

[SayTownSpurs]