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Here's hoping there IS a 2011 Season

 
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Hawkeye



Joined: 10 Aug 2010
Posts: 760
Location: Houston, TX


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PostPosted: 09/12/10 3:54 am    ::: Here's hoping there IS a 2011 Season Reply Reply with quote

2010 Regular Season is complete and more and more people are going away from the league. In 2009 there were 70 games drawing 327,878 fans for a 4,684 average. Not bad for a first year.

However--
For 2010 there were 87 games played. In 17 more games played attendance dropped to 313,272 for a 3,601 average and a 4.45% drop. Not a big percentage but falling attendance in more games isn't good.

I'm looking forward to seeing a 2011 season there just isn't a team near Austin I can go to and since I don't have a Nielsen box, my TV watching doesn't count. Sad

I still hold true that if you can't find 5,000 people to come watch your team play (the size of most of the stadiums) then the marketing/PR people are failing and need to be replaced--failing that the team needs to relocate to a place where at least 5,000 a game can be attained. It shouldn't be that hard to do, especially in the sized markets the teams are in.


five_to_the_third



Joined: 24 Aug 2007
Posts: 695



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PostPosted: 09/12/10 9:13 pm    ::: Reply Reply with quote

As a selfish example of what you're saying, I question the decision by "NY/NJ Sky Blue FC" to play so deep into NJ that it's not convenient at all for NYCers. I certainly understand that they can't afford to use the 20,000 seat Red Bull Arena, but it was sad to see that from the train last night on our way to Yurcak when we still had 45 minutes of train plus a cab ride ahead of us.


Hawkeye



Joined: 10 Aug 2010
Posts: 760
Location: Houston, TX


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PostPosted: 09/13/10 3:56 am    ::: Reply Reply with quote

I'm not good on my New Jersey geography--but how close to NYC is Newark?


Hawkeye



Joined: 10 Aug 2010
Posts: 760
Location: Houston, TX


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PostPosted: 09/13/10 3:58 am    ::: Reply Reply with quote

And WPS really needs a team IN New York--natural rivalry with (DUH) Boston as well as one with Sky Blue FC. (That's suck a crap name--they should be renamed the New Jersey Sky Blue as well as FC Gold Pride the Bay Area Gold Pride or San Francisco Gold Pride)


five_to_the_third



Joined: 24 Aug 2007
Posts: 695



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PostPosted: 09/13/10 12:05 pm    ::: Reply Reply with quote

Newark is very close -- 15 minutes from midtown NYC on a commuter train or 22 minutes from downtown NYC on a different, more subway-like system.
Agree with you about the naming issue, also -- "Sky Blue" is sort of cute, in the abstract, but gives no clue as to geography, and then you have the problem of Sky Blue playing the Red Stars when "Sky Blue" is wearing orange unis and the "Red Stars" are wearing light blue...


toad455



Joined: 16 Nov 2005
Posts: 22470
Location: NJ


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PostPosted: 09/20/10 3:33 pm    ::: Reply Reply with quote

most people don't even know the league exists. ESPN doesn't do any coverage at all, and the average person doesn't have Fox Soccer Channel. Living in NJ, none of my local news stations coverage FC Sky Blue, NONE. I'm hoping the league can make, but the economy still sucks and they barely advertise.



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toad455



Joined: 16 Nov 2005
Posts: 22470
Location: NJ


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PostPosted: 09/20/10 4:16 pm    ::: Reply Reply with quote

well, hopefully after reading this article about expansion into Buffalo/Rochester for 2011 that the league will indeed be around next season. Adding the Buffalo Flash plus possibly the return of LA would bring the league to 9 teams.

Buffalo Flash article:
http://equalizersoccer.com/WebPages/blog.aspx?postid=e83abddc-0017-4c8d-8157-69a983a6a05f

Plus there was a NY Times article recently about the league looking to add 1-3 expansion teams in 2012 as well(sorry, I couldn't find it). Seattle, Toronto & Dallas are believed to have potential owners looking to start up teams. Hopefully this all works out and by 2012 we could see the league like this:

Atlanta Beat
Buffalo Flash
Boston Breakers
Chicago Red Stars
Dallas 2012
FC Gold Pride
LA Sol
Philadelphia Independence
Seattle 2012
Sky Blue FC
Toronto 2012
Washington Freedom



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Hawkeye



Joined: 10 Aug 2010
Posts: 760
Location: Houston, TX


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PostPosted: 09/20/10 5:41 pm    ::: Reply Reply with quote

So Buffalo wants to play games regionally with some in Buffalo and some in Rochester--over an hour away (74 miles). That is mistake #1. Good luck to them--One can only hope that they can draw more than 4,000 a game.

Did I just hold out hope for a pathetic attendance of 4,000--wow this league needs some SERIOUS marketing help.


jimmyk



Joined: 10 Feb 2005
Posts: 4028
Location: Bristol. TN


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PostPosted: 09/21/10 7:44 pm    ::: Reply Reply with quote

The problem is, I think the league has some great marketing stuff. Their commercials for the league are light years better than anything the WNBA has ever offered. I absolutely adore their commercials. And the girl kicking her teddy bear off the bed when her team scores? I think it's a Puma commercial. That's an absolutely fantastic 30 seconds of TV as far as I'm concerned.

As much as I love FSC, the WPS needs to get hold of more of the Fox regional outlets. They don't have live games on anywhere close to all the time, and they can easily make a schedule where they fill in FSN's programming gaps.

That's where the problem is. FSC is fine, but no league will survive with TV coverage on a second tier cable network.


Hawkeye



Joined: 10 Aug 2010
Posts: 760
Location: Houston, TX


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PostPosted: 09/22/10 1:49 am    ::: Reply Reply with quote

I'd have to agree jimmy--I dig fox soccer channel but a great number of people don't get the channel. There are a plethora of fox sports channels and SHOULD be quite easy to fit in the schedule to them.


jimmyk



Joined: 10 Feb 2005
Posts: 4028
Location: Bristol. TN


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PostPosted: 09/22/10 7:02 pm    ::: Reply Reply with quote

OT: Hawkeye...Do you miss Terri Leigh as much as I do? Smile


Hawkeye



Joined: 10 Aug 2010
Posts: 760
Location: Houston, TX


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PostPosted: 09/22/10 7:19 pm    ::: Reply Reply with quote

REALLY PHILLY?!?! REALLY!!

Philadelphia is a first-year club and they make the playoffs.
Philadelphia even gets to HOST it's first ever playoff game against Abby Waumbach and the Washington Freedom--and all you can manage for the PLAYOFF game is 2,378 people?!?!

I always though Philly fans were finatic and passionate but I guess they can't be bothered with the WPS team. The showing was simply pathetic and embarrassing for you. The team, like the rest of the league, can't market itself out of a paper bag.


MattinDE



Joined: 24 Jul 2008
Posts: 325



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PostPosted: 09/26/10 4:20 pm    ::: Reply Reply with quote

Hawkeye wrote:
REALLY PHILLY?!?! REALLY!!

Philadelphia is a first-year club and they make the playoffs.
Philadelphia even gets to HOST it's first ever playoff game against Abby Waumbach and the Washington Freedom--and all you can manage for the PLAYOFF game is 2,378 people?!?!

I always though Philly fans were finatic and passionate but I guess they can't be bothered with the WPS team. The showing was simply pathetic and embarrassing for you. The team, like the rest of the league, can't market itself out of a paper bag.


I really think that will improve next year. The Independence played in West Chester, PA this year because PPL Park in Chester wasn't ready for the start of the season. West Chester is tough to get to because commuters have to deal with either Rt. 202 or Rt. 322 & I-76 (both routes are a PIA to drive).

However, PPL Park is now complete (and used by the Philadelphia Union of the MLS). It's a gorgeous stadium that, by next year, will be VERY easily accessible. It's located right next to the Commodore Barry Bridge in Chester. At the present time, an off ramp is being built that will allow commuters to exit 322 right before crossing the bridge and go into Chester right by the entrance of the stadium. Whoever put the soccer stadium plan in place really had their shit together. Next year will be better for Independence attendence...you'll see. Very Happy
Hawkeye



Joined: 10 Aug 2010
Posts: 760
Location: Houston, TX


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PostPosted: 09/26/10 6:00 pm    ::: Reply Reply with quote

MattinDE--Dude I SO hope so. It really can't get much worse-at least I hope it can't. Philly averaged 2,967 a game this year, so doubling that should be the goal for 2011--getting 6,000 through the doors in a city like Philadelphia should not be that hard. Just saying (and I know it's men's soccer) but Saturday in Austin, a day when University of Texas had a home game and got creamed the USL (division 2) team versus St. Louis drew 5,885.

Getting 6,000 to a WPS in a large area like Philadelphia should be the base where you start and not an end goal. Here's hoping playing at the new park in 2011 pays off for them.


MattinDE



Joined: 24 Jul 2008
Posts: 325



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PostPosted: 09/26/10 7:30 pm    ::: Reply Reply with quote

MattinDE wrote:
Hawkeye wrote:
REALLY PHILLY?!?! REALLY!!

Philadelphia is a first-year club and they make the playoffs.
Philadelphia even gets to HOST it's first ever playoff game against Abby Waumbach and the Washington Freedom--and all you can manage for the PLAYOFF game is 2,378 people?!?!

I always though Philly fans were finatic and passionate but I guess they can't be bothered with the WPS team. The showing was simply pathetic and embarrassing for you. The team, like the rest of the league, can't market itself out of a paper bag.


I really think that will improve next year. The Independence played in West Chester, PA this year because PPL Park in Chester wasn't ready for the start of the season. West Chester is tough to get to because commuters have to deal with either Rt. 202 or Rt. 322 & I-76 (both routes are a PIA to drive).

However, PPL Park is now complete (and used by the Philadelphia Union of the MLS). It's a gorgeous stadium that, by next year, will be VERY easily accessible. It's located right next to the Commodore Barry Bridge in Chester. At the present time, an off ramp is being built that will allow commuters to exit 322 right before crossing the bridge and go into Chester right by the entrance of the stadium. Whoever put the soccer stadium plan in place really had their shit together. Next year will be better for Independence attendence...you'll see. Very Happy


The new stadium was hyped up in Philly this year. Because of that, the atmosphere, and the Union never quitting on a game; the Union sold out (or damn near sold out) many home games. Hopefully, the Independence will team up with (or, at least, benchmark) the Union's marketing people and make it happen.
Hawkeye



Joined: 10 Aug 2010
Posts: 760
Location: Houston, TX


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PostPosted: 09/27/10 1:45 am    ::: Reply Reply with quote

The supporters' group, The Sons of Ben, have already done this--can't recall the name of the Independence supporters group but there is one. I'd like to see the team and the league do well and play in 2011 and beyond--we'll see how it goes.


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