Bobby Boswell (BobbyBoswell.com)
Sunday’s game
Well, it definitely wasn’t a great performance by our squad, but considering we were coming off a long break, were missing three vital players, and on the road in a tough place to play, I think that getting a point is a good result for us. So, that’s good.
I will tell you what isn’t good – the overall trip to Chicago. If my memory serves me correctly, my first year in the league we traveled to Chicago at least four times. We stayed right on Michigan Avenue down in the heart of the city. Other than the fact that guys would spend all of their per diem at the local shopping area, everything was excellent – walking distance to everything, nice places to eat, the lakeshore, movie theaters, etc. And we got to play at Soldier Field, which was a pretty sweet stadium if you ask me.
Now, when we travel to Chicago, we stay right by Midway - which is far less cool than O’Hare based on history alone. Speaking from memory, I think the story is that Butch O’Hare was a war hero who won the Medal of Honor and had the airport named after him. He was also the son of Fast Eddie (maybe I made up the “Fast” part), who was Al Capone’s lawyer. Something like that. I read about it in the “cool” airport once. So anyways, now we stay in a “hotel park” as I like to say, which has something like six hotels, and a TGI Fridays. That’s it. Now, I have nothing against Friday’s - I love me some potato skins - it is just not a place I would prefer to eat my pre-game meal the night before a game.
And although I am a huge fan of soccer specific stadiums, there is always something odd about the grass at Toyota Park. It always plays slow and heavy, making it harder to play a possession game. Many guys around the league agree with my thoughts on this, and so does our PR guru Doug Hicks (I was eavesdropping on his conversation and heard similar thoughts). I should say, though, that one of my favorite games ever was beating Chelsea last year in the All-Star game at Bridgeview and the Fire usually seem to get a good crowd, so it does give them a home field advantage.
Although I have never heard this with my own two ears, I am willing to bet that D.C. United wants our future stadium to be in the District to prevent feelings like this from players, staff, and soccer enthusiasts. Having your own home is obviously the most important part, but having it in the city is also vital. I don’t want to Jim Rome this topic, but MLS has teams in some great cities and it’s a shame when the stadiums aren’t a part of them. I know our ownership group and Kevin Payne understand this. I hope the District leadership understands it, too, and will work with the club to get us a D.C. stadium.
Or you could just build a stadium out in the boonies and have to pay a $40 cab fare each way to experience the city and eat some decent pasta. Oh wait, I just did that.
[Note from The Management: Dan Steinberg asked Mayor Adrian Fenty on Sunday about United's future in D.C.]
Posted September 24, 2007 @ 9:26 pm in D.C. United & MLS
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http://www.dcunitedpetition.com
In favor of United’s proposed Poplar Point stadium plans
From: Adam on September 24, 2007 @ 9:35 pm
I am all for keeping United in the district. If they won’t give you Poplar point can there be an agreement to stay at RFK? A little paint some awnings would go a long way and for most locals that place is home someone should keep it alive. Lowering the rent to United has to be more profitable then letting the occasional concert go on.
From: B.F. on September 25, 2007 @ 8:45 am
Well spoken Bobby:) Michigan Ave. is def. a better spot to stay… and I completely agree about the stadium actually being “in” the city… Oh, and I would share a cab with you anytime;)
From: CR on September 25, 2007 @ 8:47 am
Bobby–too bad about the crappy Midway ‘port. We were headed back into the city after the first half of the reserve game and could have given you a ride to one of many fine drinking establishments and you could have been a big boy and taken the Orange line home for $3. (PS, Mr Hicks knows me and my friends and could vouch for the fact that we are not psychos nor stalkers.) Plus there’s some excellent “sunday night” bars in the city. Luciano could have really torn up James Blunt in one of them. Oh, that would have made my day.
From: MR on September 25, 2007 @ 3:19 pm
Some paint and new awnings may be all many fans need, but RFK has a lot of problems that go deeper than the surface. Everything from leaky pipes, to electrical/heating problems, to crumbling concrete, to limited office space for the team… the old girl just doesn’t have much time left in her.
Not to mention that I’m sure that like most sports teams, United is counting on being able to sell luxury boxes as part of their sales strategy going forward.
There are a lot of things about RFK that are great, but unfortunately, it is not a viable long-term solution.
From: Goose on September 25, 2007 @ 3:23 pm
To me one of the key selling points of RFK is the public transportation availability. This makes DCU accessible to everyone (who can afford a ticket and metro/bus fare).
I’ve now been living in Boston for 4 1/2 years, and the most disappointing aspect of the soccer set-up here is the complete inaccessibility of Gillette stadium to city-dwellers without cars during soccer season (for Pats games they run a commuter rail train). A close second would be that when there’s a game not available via MLS.tv there’s not a bar in town that’ll show it, even the few that pride themselves on their EPL coverage, over another sports game. I suppose on that point though I’m preaching (read “whining”)to the converted.
From: JH on September 25, 2007 @ 9:48 pm
Funny post Bobby. As a Fire fan, I agree with you on the location of stadiums, ideally, it would be great that they can all be like Soldier Field in Chicago. Unfortunately, that isn’t always a reality with the economics and politics that come into choosing stadium sites.
But a $40 cab ride?? Next time Bobby, if your close to Midway, just cab it over to the Orange Line “L” stop @ Midway, and ride into downtown like that. You’ll save alot more that you can use towards booze…. I mean souvenirs.
From: Felix on September 26, 2007 @ 12:29 pm
Why doesn’t the team just stay in downtown Chicago and charter a bus that carries the team from their hotel to the stadium on gameday?
From: Fuego Fanatico on September 26, 2007 @ 12:52 pm
Because like the Fire building in the burbs, D.C. is also cheap.
From: Tony on September 26, 2007 @ 1:01 pm
So, Allow me to nit pick here… your last meal before a 2 pm game takes place the night before? Or is it that meals from the day before a game still count as “pre game meals”? Was my lunch from today my “pre weekend meal” since it took place before next weekend?
From: Jason on September 26, 2007 @ 1:46 pm
I hate, hate, hate going out to Bridgeview. That was a huge mistake by the Fire. Even if it saved them money.
From: Mr. Goodbar on September 26, 2007 @ 3:45 pm
BB,
The biggest drawback of the FIRE stadium is its proximity to the “El” (in that it isn’t proximate at all), which in turn is the biggest plus of RFK. In the coming years there will be a bit more vibe to the stadium area with the building of a hotel with an indoor water park. Think of the fun you’ll have on the slides! For the grown-ups there will be some sort of adult beverage facility on site.
I think there is a misconception about how “in the boondocks” the FIRE stadium is. Even Dave Checketts himself gushed about RSL new site being central while Bridgeview is “so far our”. (BTW – Bridgeview is 15.7 miles out of downtown and RSL’s site is 14.7). Considering that the FIRE were contemplating building near Elgin (map it), Bridgeview is positively central!
Lastly, the FIRE didn’t build there to save some money, they did it to save a s*%tload of money (to paraphrase the Mel Brooks classic “Spaceballs”). Bridgview picked up the entire tab.
Cheers,
Mark
P.S. – I just ate at the TGI Friday’s Monday. I had the extreme fajitas.
From: Mark on September 26, 2007 @ 4:59 pm
Hey Bobby, I know it’s all the rage to complain about how Toyota Park sucks, but how would you have felt about the surface at Soldier Field after 3 Bears games have been played there? And how would you have felt about playing your game there in 2 weeks because of the Bears blackout regulations on the facility? As far as Michigan Ave, it was $2 away from Midway on the Orange line. It sure is funny to see that visiting players have all of the same gripes about the stadium not being in a “cool” location, it just means all the more home field advantage for us.
From: Go Fire Go on September 26, 2007 @ 5:15 pm
The mayor wasnt about to give up any of the real expensive downtown real estate for soccer. Thou in retrospect he shoulda with the olympic bid in mind. Girdanos is within walking distance at 63 cicero. Hooters is at 95 Cicero, Home Runn inn on Archer/meade. Theres places by the stadium you just have to look. I went to DC in may and had a hard time finding a place to eat there.
From: MIKE RUZE on September 27, 2007 @ 2:23 am
I’ll agree with you there. I live in downtown Chicago without a car. I can get to any of the pro sports venues in town just by hopping the El… but no, the Fire had to go build out in Bridgeview where it takes an hour plus to reach after taking the Orange/line and then the slow, slow, slow shuttle bus to the park.
It’s a good thing the Fire has a really dedicated group of supporters, because they’ll never find a real city following when half the city just can’t get there.
From: BC on September 27, 2007 @ 9:14 am