Editorials

A Tale of Two Cities

At least once a year I try and schedule a road trip to follow D.C. United to get a feel for how things work in terms of visiting team support and atmosphere and to report for the website from a different perspective, that of course covering the team from the opponents point of view. During this process I get a unique view of how other organizations promote their teams and more importantly I try and get a pulse of the game-day experience at said locations.

This past week afforded me a unique opportunity. The schedule had D.C. United traveling to Seattle midweek and then to Denver the following Saturday night. I always try and get to Denver each and every year (not because of their sterling 0-8-2 record there since 2000) mostly because my cousin Laura and her husband Paul live nearby in Coal Creek Canyon, located about 45 minutes northeast of Denver. Laura and Paul are just about two of my favorite people on Earth and any opportunity to go see them I do so with much anticipation. The fact that United had a game in Seattle three days prior to that visit was a pure bonus that I could not pass up. So, it took about 15 seconds to convince my older brother John to accompany me on the trip. About two days after the MLS schedule was released in February we scoured the internet for airfare and hotels in Seattle and it took me about 10 minutes the next day at work to secure tickets for both matches, even though I would get a media credential for both matches.

With the travel itinerary all set up, it was down to the waiting game for the trip. Another bonus that cropped up for me was the way that the Seattle franchise has absolutely taken off in terms of success on the field as well as off the field. Sell-out crowds of an average of nearly 30,000 is the norm these early days in Seattle and the reputation of the game-day experience was quickly spreading as MLS’ best. I had to find out for myself.

As for the Colorado Rapids portion of the trip, most of that trip (we flew out the morning after the Seattle trip to maximize our time in Denver) was earmarked for time with my cousins. I had been to a Colorado Rapids game before and it happened to be the first ever match at Dicks Sporting Goods Park, a dour 2-1 loss in sub-freezing conditions. That day saw what has become a rarity at DSGP, a sell-out. The stadium itself is absolutely beautiful and for my money is the best stadium in MLS in terms of presentation and beauty (though I have yet to visit RSL’ stadium in Sandy, Utah – which I’m told is breathtaking) but the absolute lack of atmoshpere was disturbing. Sure, they erupted when they scored their goals, but it really was like a morgue in terms of atmoshphere and passion from the stands. That might have had a lot to do with the temperature on the day, but I’ve seen more than enough half-empty games at DSGP on television to know better. More on that later..

So now it’s on to Seattle. My brother and I arrive mid-day to find the usual cloudy weather in the Emerald City, depriving us of the classic Mount Rainier view. A bit of a bummer to be sure. We got to the Seattle Sheraton a bit early and our room was not ready. No worries, we simply shuffled down to one of the hotel bars and got ourselves a decent meal and then got to our room around 4 pm local time. With game-time being 7:30 pm, we had some time to kill and we walked around downtown Seattle for a while before taking a nap before rolling out to Qwest Field.

Around 6 pm we left  for the match and got the easy directions from the front desk. “Just go straight down 1st Avenue for about 2 miles,” said the more than helpful front desk clerk. Sounds easy enough. Got the rental car out and took off. This is where it got interesting. From the first turn down 1st Avenue, I felt like I was transported to England on game day. The entire trip down the streets were filled with Seattle Sounders FC supporters in full battle gear. The Lime Green X-Box jersey with accompanying scarf. Every bar, and there were about 10 that I could see, was packed with FC supporters. The streets overflowed with people walking to the match in full voice and full of passion. It was unreal.

I’ve been to to stadiums in Europe, specifically in England and it reminded me of a similar experience in North London in 2000. Hopping off the Islington tube station in North London, I walked right into a dream. The streets flooded with the red and white kits of Arsenal supporters. Pubs stuffed with supporters who didn’t hesitate to offer you a pint, provided you were there to support the Gunners. I of course obliged them. I dare not tell them that I got tickets to sit in the away section for Sheffield Wednesday (ironically enough that match also ended up a 3-3 draw and also featured Freddie Ljunberg playing for the home side - how about that for a twist of fate?).

That day in Seattle I witnessed soccer at it’s best. Nevermind that the match was a thrilling 3-3 draw that saw United battle back from a 3-1 deficit. Forget the fact that about 95% of the 29,104 fans stood for the entire match. Forget that the atmosphere inside Qwest Field was electric for the entire 90 minutes. It honestly was the events outside the stadium that will stick in my memory forever. You could have flown over the most skeptical of Euro-snob fan  first class straight from the East End in London and they would have been impressed with what I witnessed on that day.

Although my stay in Seattle was brief, it left me with a thirst for more and hopefully, God willing, United will make it back in November to challenge for their 5th MLS Cup title. To be quite honest, there is no reason for me not to go to MLS Cup anyway, regardless if United is participating. I implore any and all MLS fans to make this pilgrimage this November. Take that Monday off and make a long weekend of it. I am seriously considering doing it.

Now it’s on to Denver. Again, most of the reason for this trip is spending time with my relatives and we arrive on Thursday afternoon and get to the house up in the mountains around 6pm local time. Awaiting us is my cousin Laura and her dog Grendel. Poor Grendel is getting on in years and isn’t her usualy bubbly self but she is a good host none the less. Paul arrives a few minutes later bearing Filet Mignon’s that are easily two-inches thick. After that coma-inducing meal, we let our hectic two days of travel get the best of us and we sack out rather early. The next day Paul is off to work while John and I are off to Mount Evans with Laura (who is a teacher in Denver and thus out of school already). We spend a good portion of the morning enjoying the spectacular views on the long climb up the mountain (in a car of course, we’re not stupid!) and spend the rest of the afternoon at the quaint little casinos in Black Hawk, Colorado. I won about $100 on the day but only because of the $5 maximum bet on all table games (bitter!).

So it’s on to game-day in Denver and before the match we head into downtown Denver to scope out  the Denver ChopHouse. Downtown Washington, D.C. has the same restaurant just outside the Verizon Center and this one was similarly located right across the street from Coors Field. A big crowd was filing in for the Rockies-Pirates game that afternoon, but we were undeterred. All I can say is that I am making my way down to the downtown location of the DC ChopHouse in the very near future. I had the Surf and Turf (8 0z Filet Mignon and 9 0z Lobster tail) with White Chedder mashed potatoes. Not a vegetable in sight. I should have known then the night would not have gotten any better.

We get to Dicks Sporting Goods Park at about 6:30 pm. The first sign of “trouble” was the ease in which we cruised into the empty parking lot. Not a tailgate to be found. Now, in defense of that, it had been an overcast day all day long and was starting to rain pretty hard. Not exactly tailgating paradise. We rolled up to the beautiful stadium and got in and took our seats. Mid-field, about 15 rows up and protected from the rain. Not too bad. That was the best part about the game-day experience at DSGP. The stadium slowly filled in and by game time about maybe 6 or 7,000 people made their way to their seats. I scanned the stadium for United fans as I usually do on the road and could find little pockets of them scattered through the stadium. What I was really looking for however was the rabid home-based fans. All I found was a small section of them in the corner of the stadium numbering about 20 or 30 or so. It’s tough to get jazzed about your home team when the place seems so dead. Don’t get me wrong, the lights were flashing, the huge gun fired before the game and after each subsequent time they scored (which sadly was three times in a poor 3-0 loss) and the loudspeakers were crackling with energy. It was just that the home crowd that seemed less enthusiastic than United did for the match. Granted, they got out of their seats and cheered loudly for all the goals,  but it just seemed to me to be a very casual affair. It was tough to go from the hustle and bustle and passion of Seattle to the rather pedestrian experience in Commerce City just three days later. Those same mythical skeptical East Enders would have given me a ton of stick had they tagged along.

I know this column seems hyper-critical of the bad experience I had in Commerce City and honestly I don’t mean it to sound as dour as it appears, but it is what it is. In comparison to Seattle, only D.C. United and Houston can compare and I’ve been all around MLS and it’s stadiums. Chicago, when they can get the people in the stadium, can generate the passion, as can the Galaxy and their fans on occasion. Other markets are doing their best to try and catch up. The smaller and more intimate atmospheres at San Jose and Kansas City are making some noise but places like Commerce City, Frisco, Foxborough and East Rutherford have a lot of work to do. New York Red Bull will have their own place next season (I flew over the stadium construction on Wednesday morning – very impressed and looking forward to the finished product) and will have a say in the argument going forward.

At the end of the day, in spite of the poor performance from United and the ho-hum experience of DSGP. the overall trip was a success. I got to see the best atmosphere in MLS and my brother and I got to spend quality time with my favorite cousin and her husband. While the record for United read one draw and one loss, it was a win in my book all the way.

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