Comments on: Philadelphia Union: Join or Die! http://www.phinallyphilly.com/2009/05/06/philadelphia-union-join-or-die/ Sports analysis and newspheed. Thu, 11 Mar 2010 22:26:00 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Philadelphia Union names first 10 players – Phinally Philly – Sports analysis and newspheed. http://www.phinallyphilly.com/2009/05/06/philadelphia-union-join-or-die/comment-page-1/#comment-1506 Philadelphia Union names first 10 players – Phinally Philly – Sports analysis and newspheed. Tue, 01 Dec 2009 19:00:51 +0000 http://www.phinallyphilly.com/?p=2071#comment-1506 [...] been five months since the first Philadelphia Union post went up here at Phinally Philly.  A lot has happened since [...] [...] been five months since the first Philadelphia Union post went up here at Phinally Philly.  A lot has happened since [...]

]]> By: Rogo99 http://www.phinallyphilly.com/2009/05/06/philadelphia-union-join-or-die/comment-page-1/#comment-678 Rogo99 Wed, 13 May 2009 01:37:38 +0000 http://www.phinallyphilly.com/?p=2071#comment-678 A. I do believe I read that one of the rationalizations for the possiblity of a soccer team's success in this area is the growing Latin American population. I resent the slurs. You both should apologize. B. Arena football? Puh-leeze. Hey, wasn't there a soccer team here in the 70's or 80's that had Peter Frampton (at the height of his popularity) attached to it? And wasn't there a team in the earlier league (the one with Pele and the Cosmos) that won the league championship? Like the Soul? Go Atoms!! Go Fury!! I have admiration for pragmatism, logic and history. C. As noted, I do have Chester roots, and really do hope that the whole deal and all of the outlying ideas succeed. But as of now, Chester remains a city with a prison, casino, and soccer stadium, but no supermarkets. Thank you for the lively debate. A. I do believe I read that one of the rationalizations for the possiblity of a soccer team’s success in this area is the growing Latin American population. I resent the slurs. You both should apologize.
B. Arena football? Puh-leeze. Hey, wasn’t there a soccer team here in the 70’s or 80’s that had Peter Frampton (at the height of his popularity) attached to it? And wasn’t there a team in the earlier league (the one with Pele and the Cosmos) that won the league championship? Like the Soul? Go Atoms!! Go Fury!! I have admiration for pragmatism, logic and history.
C. As noted, I do have Chester roots, and really do hope that the whole deal and all of the outlying ideas succeed. But as of now, Chester remains a city with a prison, casino, and soccer stadium, but no supermarkets.
Thank you for the lively debate.

]]> By: Mike Santa Barbara http://www.phinallyphilly.com/2009/05/06/philadelphia-union-join-or-die/comment-page-1/#comment-676 Mike Santa Barbara Tue, 12 May 2009 05:16:48 +0000 http://www.phinallyphilly.com/?p=2071#comment-676 I've heard the same kind of ignorant arguments, and you say Chester's hopes are riding on this soccer team? Seriously? And just because Soccer is popular amongst certain peoples doesn't mean that's all it's geared towards. And if you think the stadium will only be used for Soccer your foolish. And it's not like there isn't going to be expansion in the area around the soccer stadium. The Wilmington waterfront is not the greatest example. It's biggest draw was lost due to legal troubles with the owner. That property is tied up in the courts. Other then that, it's beautiful and yes had some failures but it does draw people. The expansion is not complete. So if you maybe give it some time and not jump to your negative conclusions so early maybe just maybe you'll be proven wrong. I know that it's hard for you to grasp that people not named Jose would want to go watch a Soccer game and actually take pride in the fact that the name on the jersey represents them in some way. Is it a gamble? Yes. Of course it is, but if we always went the safe route what would that make us? I’ve heard the same kind of ignorant arguments, and you say Chester’s hopes are riding on this soccer team? Seriously?

And just because Soccer is popular amongst certain peoples doesn’t mean that’s all it’s geared towards.

And if you think the stadium will only be used for Soccer your foolish. And it’s not like there isn’t going to be expansion in the area around the soccer stadium. The Wilmington waterfront is not the greatest example. It’s biggest draw was lost due to legal troubles with the owner. That property is tied up in the courts. Other then that, it’s beautiful and yes had some failures but it does draw people. The expansion is not complete.

So if you maybe give it some time and not jump to your negative conclusions so early maybe just maybe you’ll be proven wrong.

I know that it’s hard for you to grasp that people not named Jose would want to go watch a Soccer game and actually take pride in the fact that the name on the jersey represents them in some way.

Is it a gamble? Yes. Of course it is, but if we always went the safe route what would that make us?

]]> By: Monica http://www.phinallyphilly.com/2009/05/06/philadelphia-union-join-or-die/comment-page-1/#comment-670 Monica Sat, 09 May 2009 21:25:00 +0000 http://www.phinallyphilly.com/?p=2071#comment-670 Rogo99, since the soccer team doesn't have big names like "Jovi" or "Jaworski" attached to it, it will fold... Oh, wait, the crapbag arena football team in the REAL city beat us to it. Your concept of reality is grossly skewed. You will never understand the game or its fans ("Can't believe we leveled some crack dens for a lame-o sport that only the spics watch"). Sounds like you only have admiration for the almighty dollar. Go Eagles. Rogo99, since the soccer team doesn’t have big names like “Jovi” or “Jaworski” attached to it, it will fold… Oh, wait, the crapbag arena football team in the REAL city beat us to it. Your concept of reality is grossly skewed. You will never understand the game or its fans (“Can’t believe we leveled some crack dens for a lame-o sport that only the spics watch”). Sounds like you only have admiration for the almighty dollar. Go Eagles.

]]> By: Rogo99 http://www.phinallyphilly.com/2009/05/06/philadelphia-union-join-or-die/comment-page-1/#comment-669 Rogo99 Sat, 09 May 2009 03:16:54 +0000 http://www.phinallyphilly.com/?p=2071#comment-669 First, let me say that nobody is a bigger booster of Chester than I am. My family had a business there for over 30 years, and I have family members who grew up there. We have many contacts and remember Chester's heyday. The fact that lifting up Chester will lift up Chester Township is daunting. However, using a soccer stadium as the centerpiece of a redevelopment project is a LOSER. Some of the ideas put forth by the boosters are not necessarily sensible, and when the team folds, as many already have, you'll be left with a multi-million dollar white elephant. For instance, "they" have been trying to shove soccer down the throats of the American sports fan for years. The experiment that is David Beckham is a colossal flop. When the youngsters playing the game grow up and discover that it's more fun to play than watch, they'll lose interest. The idea that a growing Latin American population will buy tickets for their national game is also not necessarily correct. The Latin American people I work with are more fans of their country's teams, and identify that way. The name "Philadelphia" (or "Chester") on their jerseys will mean little to them. And, as noted in an article published a couple of years ago in the San Diego Union-Tribune, 2005 average attendance at MLS games averaged just about 10,000 paid, and franchises give tickets away to the tune of an average of 3900 per match, and almost 600,000 over the season leaguewide. The highest average paid attendance is in pre-Beckham Los Angeles, where the average is just under 20,000 tickets sold. The MLS routinely "papers the house" with the freebies, and announces attendance figures higher than the actual amount. (http://www.signonsandiego.com/sports/soccer/20060927-9999-lz1s27goal.html) To see how the surrounding businesses that might depend on attendance would fare, you don't have to go any further than Wilmington's Shipyard Shops, a great idea that now has 4 or 5 stores left after a great start. My idea would be to use the money to build a new 10-12,000 seat all-year-'round arena, along the lines of the Sovereign Centers in Reading and Trenton, or the Giant Center in Hershey, as the centerpiece of the development. With the demise of the Spectrum, this would be a venue that could attract the Phantoms (5000-8000 people over 40 nights), the circus, indoor soccer, conventions, the concerts and other events that populate that building now. If you think about it, that is a much better use for the land and taxpayer money than a structure being used a couple of dozen times per year. With Chester's hopes riding on this development, we cannot afford to it have fail. I have great admiration for the investors in this soccer project, but past experience is the best indicator for future success. Thank you for your attention, I hope that the few thousand fans profiled in your article enjoy the team while it's here. Obviously there is more riding on the team's success than entertaining them. First, let me say that nobody is a bigger booster of Chester than I am. My family had a business there for over 30 years, and I have family members who grew up there. We have many contacts and remember Chester’s heyday. The fact that lifting up Chester will lift up Chester Township is daunting. However, using a soccer stadium as the centerpiece of a redevelopment project is a LOSER. Some of the ideas put forth by the boosters are not necessarily sensible, and when the team folds, as many already have, you’ll be left with a multi-million dollar white elephant. For instance, “they” have been trying to shove soccer down the throats of the American sports fan for years. The experiment that is David Beckham is a colossal flop. When the youngsters playing the game grow up and discover that it’s more fun to play than watch, they’ll lose interest. The idea that a growing Latin American population will buy tickets for their national game is also not necessarily correct. The Latin American people I work with are more fans of their country’s teams, and identify that way. The name “Philadelphia” (or “Chester”) on their jerseys will mean little to them. And, as noted in an article published a couple of years ago in the San Diego Union-Tribune, 2005 average attendance at MLS games averaged just about 10,000 paid, and franchises give tickets away to the tune of an average of 3900 per match, and almost 600,000 over the season leaguewide. The highest average paid attendance is in pre-Beckham Los Angeles, where the average is just under 20,000 tickets sold. The MLS routinely “papers the house” with the freebies, and announces attendance figures higher than the actual amount. (http://www.signonsandiego.com/sports/soccer/20060927-9999-lz1s27goal.html)
To see how the surrounding businesses that might depend on attendance would fare, you don’t have to go any further than Wilmington’s Shipyard Shops, a great idea that now has 4 or 5 stores left after a great start.
My idea would be to use the money to build a new 10-12,000 seat all-year-’round arena, along the lines of the Sovereign Centers in Reading and Trenton, or the Giant Center in Hershey, as the centerpiece of the development. With the demise of the Spectrum, this would be a venue that could attract the Phantoms (5000-8000 people over 40 nights), the circus, indoor soccer, conventions, the concerts and other events that populate that building now. If you think about it, that is a much better use for the land and taxpayer money than a structure being used a couple of dozen times per year. With Chester’s hopes riding on this development, we cannot afford to it have fail. I have great admiration for the investors in this soccer project, but past experience is the best indicator for future success.
Thank you for your attention,
I hope that the few thousand fans profiled in your article enjoy the team while it’s here. Obviously there is more riding on the team’s success than entertaining them.

]]> By: bobdavisnpf http://www.phinallyphilly.com/2009/05/06/philadelphia-union-join-or-die/comment-page-1/#comment-663 bobdavisnpf Fri, 08 May 2009 02:04:29 +0000 http://www.phinallyphilly.com/?p=2071#comment-663 Well done, gents! Welcome to the MLS! I especially like the tie-in to Ben's snake... well I guess since it's a coiled snake it's more related to the first marines... http://www.foundingfathers.info/stories/gadsden.html Well anyway, cheers, and we will look forward to seeing you in Seattle! Well done, gents! Welcome to the MLS!

I especially like the tie-in to Ben’s snake… well I guess since it’s a coiled snake it’s more related to the first marines…

http://www.foundingfathers.info/stories/gadsden.html

Well anyway, cheers, and we will look forward to seeing you in Seattle!

]]> By: Simeon http://www.phinallyphilly.com/2009/05/06/philadelphia-union-join-or-die/comment-page-1/#comment-662 Simeon Thu, 07 May 2009 14:54:33 +0000 http://www.phinallyphilly.com/?p=2071#comment-662 This is just awesome! Can't wait for Philly to get in the MLS. This is just awesome! Can’t wait for Philly to get in the MLS.

]]> By: Bryan SoB http://www.phinallyphilly.com/2009/05/06/philadelphia-union-join-or-die/comment-page-1/#comment-661 Bryan SoB Thu, 07 May 2009 14:41:04 +0000 http://www.phinallyphilly.com/?p=2071#comment-661 You guys are welcome to join us at 9 AM Monday morning at McGillin's where the Sons of Ben are expecting over 100 members to pregame before heading over to the announcement. You guys are welcome to join us at 9 AM Monday morning at McGillin’s where the Sons of Ben are expecting over 100 members to pregame before heading over to the announcement.

]]> By: AJ http://www.phinallyphilly.com/2009/05/06/philadelphia-union-join-or-die/comment-page-1/#comment-660 AJ Thu, 07 May 2009 04:36:19 +0000 http://www.phinallyphilly.com/?p=2071#comment-660 this is great news!! this is great news!!

]]> By: Kieran Kelly http://www.phinallyphilly.com/2009/05/06/philadelphia-union-join-or-die/comment-page-1/#comment-659 Kieran Kelly Thu, 07 May 2009 03:44:41 +0000 http://www.phinallyphilly.com/?p=2071#comment-659 Just to let others know, I'll let them in on the fact that ACRR stands for All City Riff Raff, John's new football firm. I don't know why I'm so excited for this team to start, but I really do want this team to do well. Philly has shown that we will support our "minor" teams. -KK Just to let others know, I’ll let them in on the fact that ACRR stands for All City Riff Raff, John’s new football firm.

I don’t know why I’m so excited for this team to start, but I really do want this team to do well. Philly has shown that we will support our “minor” teams.

-KK

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