August 12 really is the deadline!!!

Deuce · 07-14-2006, 10:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fuegote

<nose snort>
we're supporters who support the team but also have a critical voice when warranted.

It is not about a critical voice it is about all the people saying they will no longer support the team...
I said nothing about being critical...

Burninator · 07-14-2006, 11:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fuegote

I sense the need for an animated smiley with a short mp3 attached to it...

I_Believe_In_Kreis · 07-14-2006, 11:49 AM

As most of you know, I'm a professional coach for Sparta United. I get to bounce from team to team doing training sessions......I meet a lot of players and their parents. I just sent the following e-mail to every parent I know:

Quote:

Dear Parents,

Sorry to be spamming you all, but I felt it was important to issue a call to action regarding Real Salt Lake and its future in Utah. As you know, the SL county council voted against allowing public money to be used for infrastructure around the new stadium. This basically means that RSL is in big trouble. Last night RSL's owner said that if a stadium deal isn't approved by the Real Madrid game on August 12th, he will sell the team and it will be moved out of Utah.

That would be disastrous to the state for many reasons, but even more so to the youth soccer community. Role models for our kids (on and off the field) would no longer be here. Things like our upcoming clinic with Jamie Watson would never happen again. Youth soccer would lose almost $8 million of funding. I personally have no finanical interest in RSL (in fact, they cost me more than I care to say), but I don't want to see this happen.

If you want to see RSL stay in Utah, there are things you can do to get involved.

1. Write RSL's general manager Steve Pastorino (spastorino [at] realsaltlake.com) urging him to look at every option (including the ones where RSL pays for the infrastructure itself), and expressing your continued support of the team.

2. The county council is putting the Sandy proposal to another vote. Write the councilmen who voted no (Wilde, Wilson, Bradley, Crockett, Hendrickson) and express your support of RSL. They need to know that this is important to us! Their e-mail addresses are here: http://www.council.slco.org/html/contact.html

3. There is a great deal of public misinformation out there regarding this issue, so please help your friends/family/coworkers to understand the facts: (A) Not one penny of public funds is going towards the stadium. (B) There will be NO tax increases. (C) By state law, RSL cannot play at Rice-Eccles Stadium after 2007 no matter what. (D) This is the same funding model used for the Delta Center and Franklin Covey Field - Larry H. Miller did NOT fund his own infrastructure.

Usually I'm not too interested in politics, but I thought this might be important to some of you. So please do what you can - it DOES make a difference! See you all Saturday morning for our clinic!

IBIK

I've just fired my first shot....what have you all been doing?

Aerick · 07-14-2006, 11:52 AM

Good thinking man. An email campaign! I'll send a similar email to people I know and have them pass it on!!! We should have something to start from, like IBIK's email that goes over the facts and disputes the rampant misinformation, as well as highlights all the benefits this brings! I'll start adding to what you've done IBIK and post it here...

Stucki · 07-14-2006, 11:53 AM

That is great IBIK. That is part of what we need to be doing.

Aerick · 07-14-2006, 11:54 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aerick

Good thinking man. An email campaign! I'll send a similar email to people I know and have them pass it on!!! We should have something to start from, like IBIK's email that goes over the facts and disputes the rampant misinformation, as well as highlights all the benefits this brings! I'll start adding to what you've done IBIK and post it here...

By the way, did you really sign it "IBIK"? That would be kinda scary.

Aerick · 07-14-2006, 12:07 PM

Here's what I sent:

Sorry to be spamming you all, but I felt it was important to issue a call to action regarding Real Salt Lake and its future in Utah. As you know, the SL county council voted against allowing public money to be used for infrastructure around the new stadium. This basically means that RSL is in big trouble. Last night RSL's owner said that if a stadium deal isn't approved by the Real Madrid game on August 12th, he will sell the team and it will be moved out of Utah.

That would be disastrous to the state for many reasons, but even more so to the youth soccer community. Role models for our kids (on and off the field) would no longer be here. Youth soccer would lose almost $8 million of funding. I personally have no finanical interest in RSL (in fact, they cost me more than I care to say), but I don't want to see this happen.

If you want to see RSL stay in Utah, there are things you can do to get involved.

1. Write RSL's general manager Steve Pastorino (spastorino [at] realsaltlake.com) urging him to look at every option (including the ones where RSL pays for the infrastructure itself), and expressing your continued support of the team.

2. The county council is putting the Sandy proposal to another vote. Write the councilmen who voted no (Wilde, Wilson, Bradley, Crockett, Hendrickson) and express your support of RSL. They need to know that this is important to us! Their e-mail addresses are here: http://www.council.slco.org/html/contact.html

3. There is a great deal of public misinformation out there regarding this issue, so please help your friends/family/coworkers to understand the facts and the benefits:

(A) Not one penny of public funds is going towards the stadium.
(B) There will be NO tax increases.
(C) By state law, RSL cannot play at Rice-Eccles Stadium after 2007 no matter what. Even if state law was changed to accommodate this, RSL would continue to lose money at RES and would likely need to relocate. Also see point "E" below.
(D) This is the same funding model used for the Delta Center and Franklin Covey Field - Larry H. Miller did NOT fund his own infrastructure.
(E) Part of the deal RSL had with MLS included the agreement to build a stadium, and to do so quickly. "Waiting it out" to see if the team succeeds in 10 years before building a stadium is not an option.
(F) Public/Private partnerships are the reality of sports franchise facilities. If we lose this team on the principal that no public funds should ever be used to subsidize a professional sports franchise - even just for infrastructure costs - it's doubtful that any other professional sports franchises will ever want to come here. It's also likely that if we lose this team and if/when soccer reaches a level of popularity that the community wants it back, we'll have to fund the entire construction costs instead of just infrastructure. It's a much better deal now, than it will be in 20 years. Kansas City has had to build an NBA worthy stadium just to try and woo back the NBA after losing an NBA franchise over 10 years ago.

Please forward this to anyone you might think is interested and/or may be misinformed on this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Utah. Losing this team is bad for anyone who likes sports and the increase in the quality of life this project/team would bring.

luvmyboys · 07-14-2006, 12:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by I_Believe_In_Kreis

As most of you know, I'm a professional coach for Sparta United. I get to bounce from team to team doing training sessions......I meet a lot of players and their parents. I just sent the following e-mail to every parent I know:

I've just fired my first shot....what have you all been doing?

IBIK, maybe it would be a good idea to pass this on to the UYSA office and ask them to send it to every club in Utah.

Deuce · 07-14-2006, 12:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by luvmyboys

IBIK, maybe it would be a good idea to pass this on to the UYSA office and ask them to send it to every club in Utah.

Yes that is a great idea....

soccerman · 07-14-2006, 12:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Deuce

See there is the problem...
Dave is not losing his most loyal fans...
Yes he is losing fans but the ones that are bailing out this early in the game are not loyal fans... they are just pissed off normal fans.

Oh that I can someday reach the lofty heights of true fandom where the air is pure and Deuce and Aerick sit around talking about what a scrumdiddlyiumptios job Davey Checketts and his superriffic coach are doing.

P.S. How many tickets did either of you sell to the ESPN game? Oh you were probably busy planning love ins at the FO or something.