Editor's note: Periodically, we accept submissions from the community. This is one such example. Arthur first wrote this as a letter to his season-ticket rep, but asked that we publish it here. If you’d like to have something considered for publication, email us at support@sounderatheart.com.
I never thought I’d be writing these words, but I’m seriously considering giving up my Legacy Season Tickets after 17 years.
I’ve been a season-ticket holder since the inaugural 2009 MLS season. I’ve attended more than 40 away matches, traveled halfway around the world to Morocco for the FIFA Club World Cup, and proudly held onto my Legacy Season Ticket Holder status because it meant something to me.
At first, I wondered if this was just nostalgia talking. But the more I thought about it — and the more I talked with other longtime season-ticket holders — the more I realized I wasn’t the only one feeling this way.
We all felt the same.
The Sounders used to create memories. Now they fulfill obligations.
The ambition has changed. The Sounders built their reputation by setting the standard in MLS. Winning wasn’t enough — we expected to compete for trophies every year and push the league forward.
Today, MLS has changed dramatically. Clubs are investing aggressively in elite talent, and I don’t feel like the Sounders are matching that ambition.
I support investing in Longacres. I think the academy has become one of the best in MLS, and that’s something the club should be proud of. But the academy should complement the roster, not become THE roster strategy.
I also don’t think Brian Schmetzer is the problem. If anything, Brian has delayed this conversation by consistently getting more out of his roster than many coaches could. But even Brian can only keep overachieving for so long. Eventually, the organization has to match his effort with a roster capable of competing with the league’s elite.
I’m also worried about the idea of leaving downtown Seattle. I understand why Longacres is an attractive investment, but the march to the match, Lumen Field, Pioneer Square, and being in the heart of Seattle aren’t just traditions to me — they’re part of what makes the Sounders feel like the Sounders. I honestly don’t think that can be recreated somewhere else. The recent World Cup in Seattle only reinforced that feeling. Watching the city come alive around the tournament reminded me just how important being in the heart of Seattle is to this club's identity.
The second thing I noticed changing was how the club treated its supporters and fans.
I still remember Drew Carey showing up before the Houston playoff trip and buying everyone pizzas. I remember him buying out Fuel before matches. I remember major players regularly showing up at ECS events throughout the year. I remember Gary Wright treating supporters like partners instead of customers. I remember in-person end-of-season meetings where the FO couldn’t hide behind a computer screen.
The club did it not because they had to, but in order to connect with us.
Today, too much of the supporter experience feels like doing the minimum required.
When the club announced the commemorative 50th anniversary wooden box, I thought it was unusual that supporters had to purchase it. But what really surprised me was opening it and finding that the only thing inside was my ticket representative’s business card.
This wasn’t really about the box. It was about everything the box represented. It didn’t need to contain anything expensive. A scarf, a pin, a patch, a keychain, even a handwritten thank-you note — anything that showed someone had stopped and asked, “How do we make this memorable?”
Instead, I walked away feeling more like a transaction than a valued supporter.
I’ll also mention something the club probably wasn’t aware of. In many Asian cultures, giving someone an empty box is very offensive. I know that wasn’t the intent, but it made an already disappointing experience hit a new low.
The training event connected to the box felt the same way. We watched practice. The players came over for a few minutes afterward. Then everyone went home. No emcee. No refreshments. No snacks. No celebration.
Again, it felt like the club was just going through the motions.
That feeling kept coming back.
The club’s 50th anniversary should have been unforgettable. Instead, outside of the Circle of Honor ceremony and the normal matchday activities, it felt surprisingly ordinary. I remember thinking, “If the club won’t go all out for its own 50th anniversary, what will it go all out for?”
The same thing happened with the CONCACAF Champions League.
Becoming the first MLS club to win CCL wasn’t just another trophy. It was history.
Giving away a piece of the CCL Championship net was a wonderful gesture, but making supporters pick it up at one specific match felt like another missed opportunity. Mailing it, creating a supporter championship patch, coin, or ring — those are the kinds of things supporters keep forever. Instead, it felt like another missed opportunity to create a lasting memory.
I was fortunate enough to travel to Morocco for the FIFA Club World Cup. I appreciated the buses the club provided, but I couldn’t stop thinking about what else could have been done. We had all traveled halfway around the world for the biggest match in club history to that point.
Why not host a supporter celebration the night before the match? We were all there together anyway. That was a chance to create a memory none of us would have ever forgotten.
To be fair, not everything has been negative.
The ticket credit exchange program is one of the best ideas the club has introduced in years. When it was announced, I remember thinking, “That’s exactly what the Sounders should be doing.”
But one great program can’t carry the entire supporter experience.
These days, I only make it to a handful of matches each season because life has gotten busier. But I still watch nearly every Sounders match. My connection to this club hasn’t changed — what’s changed is how connected I feel to the club. That’s why I’ve kept my tickets all these years.
Being a season-ticket holder wasn’t just about having seats. It became part of who I was as a supporter.
I’ve watched friends quietly decide not to renew over the years. Every time it happened, I thought, “That won’t be me.”
Now I’m not so sure.
For 17 years, I’ve proudly called myself a Legacy Season Ticket Holder. I know that once I give that up, I’ll never get it back.
The fact that I’m seriously considering it should tell the club everything it needs to know.
I don’t expect every supporter to agree with me. Some may love the direction the club is headed. But if you’ve been around since the beginning of the MLS era, I have a feeling at least some of this will sound familiar.
Over the last several years, too much of the supporter experience has started to feel like the club is simply going through the motions.
That’s never what made the Sounders special.
The Sounders didn’t become one of the most respected clubs in MLS by going through the motions. They became one of the league’s standard-bearers by creating moments people still talk about 15 years later.
The Sounders used to create memories. Now they fulfill obligations.
