Submit Questions/Topics For End Of Year Alliance/Team Busines Meeting
In order to have less repitition and more complete answers we are taking submissions for the end of year business meeting. The meeting is being co-planned by Council and the Front Office so hopefully it will be what you want.
7 months ago
Dave Clark
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Why can't we vote on a 3rd kit?!
seriously, what is the point of all this if you can’t at least throw us that bone?! “Democracy in sports” my ass… :-(
...and you will hear us scream
by malcontentjake on Oct 20, 2011 10:17 AM PDT reply actions 1 recs
Well, Democracy isn't an either/or option
But this is a question we will see addressed
I am not a Supporter | I am not a Fan | I am a Sounder
Sounder At Heart
You mean you don't want a Purple "Kinect" kit?
A purple “Kinect” kit would be great for screwing around in. Then again, everyone knows it would be terrible for games.
by Jack Brando on Oct 20, 2011 11:34 AM PDT up reply actions
i read this exact comment somewhere else...
Editor/writer at Sounder at Heart, MLS editor SB Nation. Follow me on Twitter. You'll Never Yacht Alone.
by Jeremiah Oshan on Oct 20, 2011 1:00 PM PDT up reply actions
I just don't want any bra straps.
Thats the only reason I didn’t buy one of the shale kits. I can’t imagine they have gotten any positive feedback about those straps.
by TS6 on Oct 20, 2011 2:51 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
I assume it's cuz marketing guys know what they're doing.
And I assume that the general public would vote on something safe and boring rather than risque and exciting. Sure I don’t like the bra strap, but it’s only for 2 years, so it’s whatever.
the same marketing guys who came up with "Alliance", "Republic" and "F.C."?!
you make a good point. “Sounders” is so safe and boring
...and you will hear us scream
by malcontentjake on Oct 23, 2011 1:57 AM PDT up reply actions
I voted with my wallet
I did not buy the bra strap jersey and kept my original 2009 which is ready for retirement soon….
But I hear you, Jake.
Nos audietis in somniis, Nos audietis in altum: You will hear us!
In all honesty, without bra straps, I probably would've bought both kits, authentic, short and long sleeve.
I really wonder what the kit sales have been like compared to the previous years. Doesn’t seem to be the best decision to throw those things out there, and then completely ignore that a significant chunk of your fans really can’t stand them.
You do all the work for us, Honey Badger, and we'll just eat whatever you find.
I'm sure these are givens...
- With the attendance records set (again) what the plans for increasing capacity for each regular season game?
- With the huge success and support of the Cascadia derbies, have any talks begun about expanding the 500 away supporters’ tickets?
by chrisperry1983 on Oct 20, 2011 10:32 AM PDT reply actions
Here are a few:
- Assuming we can’t get grass, what are the plans to replace the turf? Can we get something new before next season starts? Don’t wait until 2013. Even by astroturf standards that field is crap right now.
- Everyone assumes that the Sounders are the richest team in the league. Can we get some insight into how the team is investing its resources into scouting and other non-player salary related items? Also, how will the new TV contract impact revenue for the league?
well you're in luck on No. 2
That exact question was asked of Adrian at “Date with Sounder at Heart” and we’ll be releasing the ful Q&A shortly.
Editor/writer at Sounder at Heart, MLS editor SB Nation. Follow me on Twitter. You'll Never Yacht Alone.
by Jeremiah Oshan on Oct 20, 2011 1:01 PM PDT up reply actions
More seriously
Could we have a single “Pay As We Play” option for season ticket holders for all competitions? I’d love to be able to set it and forget it as Ron Popeil would say, and just have them charge my card whenever we progress in a new competition. It would be a way for them to know ahead of time about how many people will be at matches in the USOC, CONCACAF, and MLS Cup. Let’s say that half of the people choose that option. Then they know they have 16,000 tickets sold to any of those matches right off the bat. It would probably mean no more Starfire matches, but then again, it’s also more revenue.
by CarlosT on Oct 20, 2011 11:03 AM PDT reply actions 5 recs
Another alternative would be like a Season Ticket Plus option
It would like the “Pay As We Play” option above, but instead of getting individual tickets, a Season Ticket Plus member would get a card with a bar code on it that would get them into any Sounders home match. Just present it at the turnstile and have it scanned. The system would check if it’s valid for that match, just as it does with any other ticket. There may be some tweaking involved, but one advantage is that it would be more green. Instead of a whole booklet of tickets, they could produce one card.
This was going to be my question. I've been wanting to ask about it for awhile.
Pay extra up front and be guarunteed a ticket to every match. I don’t know how it could be handled if they got eliminated in early rounds of open cup and CCL though. Might make some people feel its a bum deal.
"The fans are excited. And the stadium, well, it ignites with explosion."
by DarthGreedo on Oct 20, 2011 11:11 AM PDT up reply actions
Just like the Pay As We Play option they have now
But set it up as you buy your season tickets. If the Sounders get eliminated, no worries, because you haven’t paid for any tickets for later rounds. But as soon as a match is guaranteed, they add the tickets to your entry card and charge you.
Member card as season ticket is great for those who can make it every single game
But if you are splitting with a friend or happen to be out of town for a couple games, that could get more complicated.
You could opt-in
However, system implementation might be costly and time consuming for the FO
The SAH Links Guy
by Dizzo on Oct 20, 2011 7:24 PM PDT via mobile up reply actions
They already have ticket printing and forwarding on the Sounders website
If I invite a friend along I often use that option. All they need to do is leave that option in place.
Iphone App.
Love it, Genius idea and great implementation. Any plans on improving it? Could match notifications be added for example? MLS App sucks and notifications are slow to arrive and many times wrong.
"The fans are excited. And the stadium, well, it ignites with explosion."
Or howsabout adding an Android app?
by Aaron Campeau on Oct 20, 2011 11:16 AM PDT up reply actions 3 recs
I was going to ask this
but i replaced my Android phone for an Iphone recently. So not important anymore! ;)
"The fans are excited. And the stadium, well, it ignites with explosion."
by DarthGreedo on Oct 20, 2011 11:21 AM PDT up reply actions
I second that
I need an Android app. The MLS app sucks
-Ben R.
by reesebw on Oct 20, 2011 12:12 PM PDT via mobile up reply actions
Matchday live
Any chance you could use your influence on the league to make get the seattle region out of the Portland’s blacked out list so their games aren’t blacked out? There are already enough blacked out games as it is.
Also, is there any chance the league could start offering both teams feed of the game so we can choose which feed to watch and i don’t have to listen to the Revs or San Jose announcers ever again?
"The fans are excited. And the stadium, well, it ignites with explosion."
by DarthGreedo on Oct 20, 2011 11:22 AM PDT reply actions 1 recs
Game replays
For those of us without DVRs, can we get replays of the locally broadcast games available for streaming?
Every regular season game is available 48 hours later on Matchday live if you want to watch a replay that way.
Its not always the Sounders feed though so you have to listen to other broadcast teams talk about inane bullshit alot.
"The fans are excited. And the stadium, well, it ignites with explosion."
by DarthGreedo on Oct 20, 2011 11:53 AM PDT up reply actions
They're blacked out when they're televised on Root Sports
which is in the Seattle market
Nos Audietis
Fan Envolvement
Is there a way to get more of the stadium involved in ECS songs and chants? I feel that many people just don’t know the lyrics, and therefore don’t participate. Imagine the atmosphere if even half the stadium would sing along.
I agree, but is that up to the club?
I feel it is more up to the supporters. Maybe get chant cards handed out outside before the game? Or have them handed out throughout the stadium rather than just in the area above GA/ECS?
There's a lot of people in GA that don't even participate
and complain about flags, etc. They’re like the grumpy old men that yell at kids to get off their lawn.
by chrisperry1983 on Oct 20, 2011 2:49 PM PDT up reply actions
I am a big fan of this idea.
Perhaps we could recruit like section reps or something.
Im in 112 I dont think all people would cheer just because they were exposed to the lyrics. But I would be optimistic that a majority of the section would join in at least 2-3 more song than the current collective menu if there was more exposure.
Timbers
I know the timbers have quite a few sections outside the TA area that seem to communicate pretty well online. Perhaps that is something the front office could help organize… Something where you can post to your fellow ticket holders to organize things before the match?
Speed of sound becomes a factor
I’m in section 105, at just about the farthest end of the stadium away from ECS.
Boom-Boom-Clap is easy to synchronize because of the visual cue. Call-and-response is pretty easy, especially “Seattle Sounders”. I liked the call-and-response with Lamar Neagle’s name in one of the CONCACAF matches, but that only worked because there was less stadium noise overall. ECS tried that for Keller in the last home game, and it took several repetitions before I realized that they were saying “Kasey,” so I didn’t know what I was supposed to be chanting back.
For any other chant, even if I know the words I can’t distinguish them when ECS sings—there’s just too much other noise, echoes, and time delay. Unless you add some sort of visual cue that lets the stadium know which chant you’re starting, as well as some visual way to dictate tempo (30-foot-tall conductor?), trying to get the entire stadium singing the same thing at once isn’t going to work. If we sing along with what we’re hearing, we’re already a couple of beats behind the ECS, and by the time that they hear us, it sounds even more behind.
It’s not because the passion isn’t there. Was anybody else here in marching band?
by myrias on Oct 20, 2011 5:11 PM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
Cheap beer?
I know it will be denied but $9 is outrageous. I understand a need for profit but I feel that if they ran the numbers they may find higher profits at something like $7. I know I would buy 1 at $7 every game but have only bought 1 $9 beer in the past two years.
So the question is … "can we please have ‘cheap’ beer?
Flasks are my friend now that...
…the equity line of credit on my house was cancelled due to the mortgage fiasco.
I only buy a single beer now so I have a cup to drink my liquor out of. I make plenty of money but $8.50 for f-ing Bud Light is just BS.
by SoundersForever on Oct 20, 2011 1:45 PM PDT up reply actions
It is a shame and a blessing both
that we have to resort to the flask. Please see my comment below about creating a beer garden at the NorthWest side of CLink that we might enjoy after the march to match or in any case right before the match, but still immediately around the entrances so we dont miss kickoff.
I think that's the price we pay to the caterer
Stadium might have some say in it but in the end I think it’s Worldmark or whatever that sets the price.
by chrisperry1983 on Oct 20, 2011 2:50 PM PDT up reply actions
I would like the issue of a capacity increase for Cascadia matches addressed
We drew 64k for a soccer legend that played three years here, do you think we could pack the Link for a rivalry match? At the very least, open up more seating for the Portland match.
I met a possum.
by s0merand0mdude on Oct 20, 2011 1:26 PM PDT reply actions 1 recs
Starfire games
I hate hate hate the parking situation at Starfire. Open cup games are shown online… but reserve matches are not being shown (as far as I know). Good opportunity to see young talent on both teams.
Can reserve matches be watched online?
Perhaps better quality duing transmission also…
by ravegreen1 on Oct 20, 2011 2:35 PM PDT reply actions 4 recs
Love the idea of broadcasting Reserve games online.
Could get a reserve broadcaster to broadcast the games just in case, god forbid, Arlo get sold to a giant European Club for a hefty fee.
In all seriousness a broadcaster training during reserve or youth games would be good for developing someone for radio or tv in case we want to get rid of the simulcast or Arlo gets stuff in Europe when iceland erupts again.
"The fans are excited. And the stadium, well, it ignites with explosion."
I think they already have a broadcaster training program
I can’t imagine that the stadium announcer during the Monterrey game on Tuesday was a paid professional. He got almost every substitution backward.
anything new?
anyone have a question that has not been asked and answered over and over already?
by Kameha on Oct 20, 2011 2:36 PM PDT reply actions 1 recs
Like "What about incorporating elephants at half time somehow"?
by SoundersForever on Oct 20, 2011 2:50 PM PDT up reply actions
And here I thought
that the Seahawks offensive line was bad for the turf.
Can we do something about...
…pushing for licensing changes/permission changes or whatever else is required to get some sort of outdoor beer garden near the North entrance to Qwest?
I noticed they added that Taco Truck, right around in there somehwere there should be a beer garden.
Right before game time the pubs immediately around the stadium are too full so there’s demand for more. I don’t want to miss kickoff or get even more stadium beer so you cant hang out at more distance locals forever and still get kick off.
Yup, this is my main concern.
You guys see to the Sounders making this happen wont you?
Thanks
Are the comments here going to be passed along?
Or do we need to comment on the linked site?
I’m assuming Dave will pass along only the good comments/questions.
whoops.
I didn’t even notice the link to the main website… and now that i did i remember why i don’t click on the fan blogs or the forums on the main site. I am so thankful S@H has remained a good place for discussion. It really is the best place for Sounders fans to have real conversations on the web. Thanks guys
"The fans are excited. And the stadium, well, it ignites with explosion."
Since I'm the one collating the responses
I think I handle both areas.
I am not a Supporter | I am not a Fan | I am a Sounder
Sounder At Heart
More Reserves vs Local teams?
I remember somebody mentioning this before, but I was wondering what the general consensus of this was, or if there were logistical barriers.
More exhibition matches of our reserves versuses local teams to give our boys more play time, and also help raise the profile of local soccer clubs.
by hormd on Oct 20, 2011 3:32 PM PDT reply actions 1 recs
I think a follow up with this could be preseason games.
I think it would be cool if they did a mini tour for preseason games. Actually playing at the smaller clubs home venue. For example, I grew up in Kitsap County and my parents still live there. They keep saying how they would love it if the Sounders would go to the Pumas and play an exhibition game there
"The fans are excited. And the stadium, well, it ignites with explosion."
rise the amount of tickets
we need to expand tickets from 36,500 to 40,000 I wanted to go to sum games this year and wasn’t able to cuz the amount of seats I needed
by alexyepz on Oct 20, 2011 3:33 PM PDT via mobile reply actions
Did you go to the Keller game, Open Cup or CCL?
I am not a Supporter | I am not a Fan | I am a Sounder
Sounder At Heart
I can attest that I personally attened both of the MLS matches where they opened the upper deck
I would have loved to go to the USOC final, but it didn’t fit in my schedule. Same with CCL. I personally don’t have the income to be a STH (being in high school and all), but I would love to be able to get in on a few more matches than the six that don’t sell out and are decently priced. I would be willing to pledge to go to both Casadia matches if they opened the seating and sold the upper deck for $20 (more than they did this year, mind you). I think I speak for a majority of the more casual fans when I say that.
I met a possum.
by s0merand0mdude on Oct 20, 2011 7:05 PM PDT up reply actions
Good for you for supporting your team while in high school
And for posting intelligently on here. Don’t see that very often from HS students. You are wise beyond your years
by chrisperry1983 on Oct 20, 2011 7:15 PM PDT via mobile up reply actions
Just tell that to the Lookout Landing crowd
Then again, somehow soccer has become my strong suit even though I’ve played baseball for nine years and soccer for zero.
I met a possum.
by s0merand0mdude on Oct 20, 2011 7:17 PM PDT up reply actions
Video Replays
please. On ALL controversial calls. I know most of the SaH guys don’t agree. Personally, I find it offensive to the extreme that they refuse to show ‘em. It’s a clear indication that they don’t believe that folks in Seattle have the maturity to disagree without rioting. Well, gee, guess what? I’ve lived here 59 years and there has not been a single incident at a Seattle sporting event of this type. Streakers? Sure. Jokers? Sure? Violence. Nada. Scream like hell? Check!
One final thing…. half the time when I’ve waited until I got home to see the replay, I found out I was totally wrong or that the call was much more difficult than I thought.
I find them to be a bigger distraction than it's worth
When you watch the replays you might feel like you were totally wrong or the call was much more difficult than you thought, but you probably know more about the rules than a lot of folks at the game. Take the handball rule, for instance. The rule is hard enough for refs to interpret, most fans are just going to see it the way they want it to be.
At any rate, the biggest reason I find it to be a distraction is that showing the controversial replay to the crowd is never going to change a bad call.
Will Kasey Keller be eligible to play in the Corporate Cup?
Seriously, I wanna win in all competitions we’re in.
Some of these are probably covered already.
#1. Single game ticket purchases (for MLS, USOC, CCL): get the upgraded Ticketmaster system please to let you pick explicit seat assignments, not just the crappy “this section/roll your dice” method.
#2. Voting on uniform designs (not just the 3rd kit) once in a while.
#2a. No bra straps.
#2b. I don’t know how stringent Adidas or MLS is with design control, but why not open the doors for fans to submit kit designs for one of them? The home and away regulars don’t have to exactly match in symmetry surely—many teams all over the world have varying designs. Let fans submit kit designs to the Sounders in a time window. The Sounders office then narrows it down to, let’s say, the top few options (with presumably MLS & Adidas input). The fans then vote and that one is the uniform for two years. Give the winning designer a nice prize and credit.
#3. Field Turf. Can we replace it or spray paint it one shade of green?
#4. Add more Top Pot stands across the stadium.
#5. Add more Top Pot stands across the stadium.
#6. Add more Top Pot stands across the stadium.
#7. This one is going to be a little rough, and will need refining. I hope it’s obvious what I mean.
Try opening a couple of extra sections of the stadium and sell them at a discounted rate—for SCHOOLS. I was walking by Safeco one day this summer to buy tickets for a game, and they had some free open admission high school tourney going on. As in, these high school kids were playing in Safeco for a (I believe) weekend long 8 team tournament while the Mariners were on the road. They qualified by being the local teams to sell the most Mariners tickets as some affiliate program, with some of the money going to charity for the schools.
I don’t know the specifics, but something like $3 lets say of each ticket went to the school programs as charity, AND the kids got the tournament as a reward. Why not something like this for the Sounders? Hell, even better, just sell out a whole section or three at a crazy rate that is break-even or a little profitable per match for local schools. Week 1, three elementary schools. Then some high schools. We get more seats in, the team makes a little more money, we indoctrinate—I mean, er, introduce them to soccer.
Upsides: a little more money for the Sounders, a fun time for kids, another couple hundred or more per game, etc., growing more fans and an interest in soccer. At least a few elementary schools per home game. Between just Seattle and nearby districts like Highline, Bellevue, Lakewood, etc — that’s a LOT of kids per season.
tl;dr version of #7: open a couple of closed-off sections at subsidized, somewhat profitable, or revenue-neutral rates that are exclusively each game for organized school trips; pack in a couple hundred to 1000 extra kids per game to scream and learn soccer. Maybe tie it into a charitable promotion back to the schools somehow. The Sounders office should talk to the Mariners office.
A soccer game is not the best place to take elementary school children.
Middle school? Maybe. High school? Definitely. But elementary school? What to tell the parents when their kids come home and tell them about YSA? Some will just shrug it off knowingly while others will freak out (I know this, I’ve lived it). I like the idea, but for middle & high schools, not elementary.
I met a possum.
by s0merand0mdude on Oct 20, 2011 9:00 PM PDT up reply actions
I disagree...
I took my 7 y.o. daughter to the last match I went to. Granted, we were up in the cheap seats quite a ways from the supporters groups. We both had a blast.
YSA isn’t any worse than what’s said on elementary school playgrounds these days. We’re not living in Leave It To Beaver anymore.
by central_scrutinizer on Oct 20, 2011 10:22 PM PDT up reply actions 2 recs
The whole "but what do I tell my kids?!?!" argument is massively annoying to me.
You tell them some people in the world say things that aren’t necessarily polite or appropriate. No one would ever question taking a kid to a college football game but some of the most vile things I’ve ever heard I heard as a 4-year-old watching Memphis at the Liberty Bowl. It was fairly easy for my parents to let me know that just because other people said things that didn’t give me license to say them at the stadium or anywhere else.
So many things in society are completely sanitized because people are terrified of actually having to teach their kids how to behave appropriately because god forbid, that might be difficult and require some actual parenting. It’s infuriating.
by Aaron Campeau on Oct 21, 2011 9:11 AM PDT up reply actions 1 recs
Yes, it's annoying, but as I've said, I've been through it
I had a music teacher in elementary school who decided it would be a good idea to organize a student choir to sing at peace rallies, and there was a shitstorm when some of the kids went home and told their parents about some of the words they saw on the signs or heard in the chants. While yes, parents should buck up and tell their kids about what is and isn’t appropriate behavior in different situations (like mine did for the record), the problem is still there.
I met a possum.
by s0merand0mdude on Oct 21, 2011 3:49 PM PDT up reply actions
"The Sounders front office should talk to the Mariners front office."
For tips on how to make the team so bad they have to all but give tickets away in order to have decent attendance?
by Aaron Campeau on Oct 21, 2011 9:05 AM PDT up reply actions
Well, that.
But I meant for inquiring as to the specifics of that baseball game tournament’s structure and mechanicals. Imagine a Sounders-hosted local annual high school charity soccer tournament at the stadium? The Seattle Sounders High School Invitational, open for the best team in all the nearby school conferences—like a little high school USOC. Top 4 teams play it out at Centurylink or something. Teams that sell tickets get a first-round slot, and the actual conference-winning teams get a 2nd round bid. Play it all out from there.
The average schools get some charity money for their teams and programs and get the chance to play against top opponents at least once and have a shot—albeit long, but that’s the fun of sport—to reach Centurylink and have Sounders players perhaps hand the winner a trophy on the field. The Sounders get more seats per game filled and even get a little free local scouting opportunities for their youth teams, academies, and whatnot.
Ohhhh, I gotcha.
That would in fact be a pretty cool idea, although the Mariners have a lot more control over Safeco than the Sounders do over Century Link.
by Aaron Campeau on Oct 21, 2011 9:36 AM PDT up reply actions
Arlo's Full Game Audio
I remember seeing Arlo posting links to his full game audio. But I can’t find it anywhere. Anybody know where it is?
My suggestion is that the Sounders put the link on their site. Preferrabily the their Matchday page.
found it
http://feeds.feedburner.com/Sounders-FC-Match-Highlights
Seems like they only keep audio a from month ago. And he earliest one happens to be the USOC Final :)
Perks for Sounders players
I just submitted this question on the team site:
Given that we have the highest attendance in the league, I have to believe we have the most positive cash flow in the league as well. What types of benefits, amenities, or other incentives do the Sounders provide to their players that help differentiate them from the rest of the teams in the league? What types of things make it better to play for the Sounders than for other teams in the league?
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