RSL #2 in season ticket sales

[mckid]

wasn't it the Utah Freezz? not the Salt Lake Freezz?

[Deuce]

The following is my email to that guy!

Dear Mr. Robinson,
I am writing to you in response to your column titled 'Soccer is great as long as it's free,' fans say'! I am dumbfounded by this column and your apparent animosity toward the 'Beautiful Game'!

In 1979 everyone in the sports industry and in the local press said that "Professional Basketball will never work in Salt Lake City."
Now the Utah Jazz, although in the second smallest market in the NBA holds many records for fan support...

What would you say to those people now?

In response to your column I offer the following;
Your column is one of the most biased and factually deficient pieces of rubbish I have ever read.
Here are a few facts for you to ponder!
Utah has the highest per capita youth involvement in soccer for the entire country.
Utah and Real Salt Lake, without playing a single match, already surpass many other "Soccer Communities and their teams" in season ticket sales.
Which if I am not mistaken is one of the main indicators for a successful professional team in any sport or community.

The Utah Blitzz? A successful soccer franchise in Utah that you neglected to even mention in your column!
Utah Blitzz, the team that set many attendance records, had a solid fan base that was extremely supportive of the team. Utah Blitzz, the team that won two (2) National Championships.

The team you use as the apparent basis for your entire article was, just for starters, an indoor soccer team! This is a completely different experience for fans, more akin to basketball than proper soccer.
The team that played outside, that can be used to effectively compare to Real Salt Lake because the experience is similar, you neglected to even mention, and by the way was successful! That was who? Utah Blitzz!

Did the success of the Utah Blitzz not fit into your column? I believe you neglected to mention them because that single success story undermined your entire argument.

The fan base of the Utah Blitzz, now that the team has, unfortunately, been disbanded because it will not be able to compete with Real Salt Lake. Those fans now by all accounts are fans and/or season ticket holders for Real Salt Lake! Hmmm!?!

The reasons for the failure of other leagues in this state are numerous; advertising, owner support, league support and in some cases maybe even fan support.

I have lived in Utah for the better part of 27 years and had never even heard of the Freezz until it was already bankrupt! So maybe it was a failure in advertising not fan complacency or willingness to pay. If people don't know about the team then they won't go will they?

Mr Jorgenson, If he were a true fan of the game would get behind the new franchise and do everything to make soccer happen in this state... NOT just pay lip service to the "I wish soccer were more popular" crowd while saving his money to go somewhere else to see soccer…

[the cup]

Originally Posted by SoccerPrime

Its Anti-Soccer Propaganda.

The man is damn Communists and if I ever see him I will spit in his face and tell him he has ugly children.

By the way Deuce and Lucky 13, your emails to him were great.

Maybe the punk needs to know RSL in number 2 in ticket sales. Choke on it!

[Dadof3]

I jumped in as well...

"Wow Doug!

I'm hoping you have your asbestos suit on...the soccer fans that do exist (contrary to your article) also tend to be a rabid bunch who really like e-mails. Have fun with that.

I do wish that your article had a bit more balance, or perhaps some facts. How about a brief review of the organization and capitalization of each of the folded soccer leagues you mentioned, and then a comparison to MSL? Judging by your article, you must be suprised that MLS is now in its 10th year...that MLS has figured out how to be profitable with 15-16k in the stands...that 15-16 k actually ranks in the top 15 worldwide for league attendance in soccer (football, futbol, calcio)...that MLS is ONE soccer stadium away from breaking even (that is NY...they've been losing somewhere between 5 and 7 mil a year playing at Giants Stadium, and are on record that their new stadium at Harrison (if it get built) will leave NY, and therefore the league, in the black).

BTW...Gaylen is a friend of mine...does he know you were planning on using his interview in this poison-pen piece. I cannot imagine he would be happy about it.

And most of all, thanks for your effort to derail Real Salt Lake before they even get started. I do expect a rather lengthy retraction when RSL does well at the gate...(what, to date RSL is 2nd in season tickets sold in MLS? Another pesky fact)." Hey...I even tied my e-mail conclusion to the subject on this thread... :D

Scot

[montgjules]

Wow, go get 'im, guys!

If I wasn't so mentally out of it from all this pregnancy stuff, you can bet I'd write a really blistering reply! (Couched in the kindest possible terms of course.) As it is, I'll leave it to y'all.

[Jim Umber]

Originally Posted by Jose Luis Luviano

Somebody need to clue in this guy. .

Someone needs to save this article and send it back to him, AFTER RSL is successful.

[Czar Jake]

Here's what I sent.

Doug,
Just thought I'd write in and remind you of what I'm sure others have already mentioned: Real Salt Lake is second only to LA right now in season ticket sales. That's before a single game. Heck that's before we even have a full roster! LA by the way averages over 20,000 fans per game and their median attendance is in the 17-18,000 range. That's as much or more than most NBA teams, am I right?
I, too, think you made a lame comparison of an indoor soccer team to a traditional team in Major League Soccer. That's like comparing an Arena Football team's success to an NFL team's success. Apples and oranges, son.
But look on the bright side: you'll be able to pretend you were behind the team from day 1, after they are a success of course. In the meantime, there is no need to justify your insecurity about soccer by trying to convince people it will fail. Instead why don't you give it a try, you might catch soccer fever (it's going around!).

Thanks,
Jake (RSL Season-ticket holder (and they weren't free))

[Deuce]

The sad part about all of this is the poor guy, before he wrote that article, probably only had 10 regular readers!

Now he is going to think he is popular! poor sap!


side note!
Czar I tried to give you rep for the 'and they weren't free' comment but I hit enter instead of shift... yeah that was me! :D (How do you spell I am a schmuck!?!)

[Czar Jake]

You've got to love the furious response of soccer fans. There may not be as many of us around here as NFL fans... but we are fiercely passionate! Anytime anyone bashes soccer you can bet it gets lots of responses like ours!

[Loyal1]

While we're at it I'll mention that he quotes someone who hasn't paid their Loyalists dues.