I'm Not Excited About The Revolution...

...but I am excited for the 2013 season.

I know, mind blown right?

Let me explain a bit.

Last year I did not renew my season tickets. I felt that continuing on as a season ticket holder said that I approved of the actions and record of this team, that I approved of the way myself, friends and fellow supporters were treated through Fortgate, that I thought things were ok. I missed only 3 or 4 games last season, the most I had ever missed since I started avidly going to games. I managed to get plenty of free and discounted tickets and in the long run probably spent about the same on tickets as I would have if I had renewed.

I really hoped that I would see a change in the team and organization this past season that would make me re-up this season. I have not had that revelation of "Shit I need to get Seasons again!" I thought it might be close with the annual stadium talk around renewal time. Conspiracy theory or not, you cannot discount the fact that stadium talks start up around renewal time every year... you can almost set your watch by it. The Revs were better only marginally last season. Conversation with Jay Heaps got me excited... he said the right things and truly wants to do right by the team but I'm not sold that he knows how or what he is doing. Staff promotions and additions were questionable. The team stagnated in the summer.

We had our annual big attendance in the fall. Why is it that the ticket and marketing staff try to blow their load on 1 or 2 games towards the end of the season? Why isn't that happening all season... especially in the middle when it is most needed, or even gasp... the beginning games of the season. Why aren't we trying to sell people for the long haul of the season? I'm annoyed by the throngs of youth soccer teams, high school kids, and possibly college kids on college night... although I haven't really seen many college kids on college night... That being said if this team is going to build it's abysmal attendance and following they need to get the product in front of more people.

I am less excited about this team than I ever have been. I have not been wowed or excited by any signings thus far. I am unimpressed with the effort to improve this team. The Revolution is my team however through thick or thin. I love the sport, the community and the culture of the sport, and for better or (mostly) worse this is the only game in town that can fulfill that need.

So why am I excited for the season? I am excited for seeing group of friends that I have that revolves around this team on a more regular basis again. I am excited to drink ice cold beers in the hot summer sun, blast punk rock and eat bad for me but delicious tailgate food. I am excited to be the loudest asshole I can possibly be in the Fort, calling people out for not participating, and generally trying to make sure that my group that while small... is louder and better than everyone else. I think when it comes down to it I feel more allegiance to the Rev Army than the Revolution. They are my friends, they have my back and I have theirs, we're more than a supporters group. Somehow being part of our elusive, highly critical and even quite frankly elitist group is all that keeps me going. Somehow that is enough.

Sometimes you just need a reason to keep going.

MLS on NBC x Black Flag

I still can't get over how much I love this ad. Black Flag the iconic hardcore band in an MLS ad. I think it's great, maybe its pandering but as a lover of subculture (especially the punk rock subset), and a lover of soccer, which in it's own right is subculture, I really don't care. Worthy of note is the inclusion of New England supporters and especially the inclusion of the logo of our friends the Midnight Riders.

Those of you uninitiated may just be wonder who the hell Black Flag is... guess what here's a primer...








Black Flag is one of the seminal bands of the early punk and hardcore scene in the United States.  The message of Black Flag is one that helped drive the anti-authority punk rock subculture in the US, and inspired many of the earliest punk band hardcore bands. Started in 1976 in California the band is respected and followed world wide. In 1980 Henry Rollins became he lead singer, Rollins now is well known in his own right as a author, television and radio host.

And because we are a New England based blog... here's Black Flag at UMass Amherst in 1984.

New Beginnings...

We haven't been around much eh? Life gets in the way and things change.

Speaking of changes do you like the new look?

When I started this blog a few years ago I meant to be more of a culture and subculture blog with a soccer tilt. The blog ended up taking a life of it's own and becoming more of a directly New England Revolution centric blog.  I made a point of jumping on stories and adding my own commentary to everything I could rather than just reporting the same thing that every other of the Revs blogs did in the same droll journalistic or wannabe journalistic style (seriously guys... some of you are journalists... most of you aren't... accept your role as a blogger).

So I never meant to be a news site and we more or less became that. TDIF will be trying to get away from the news element this season. We will continue to do commentary on the Revolution, cover major stories and generally be the thorn in the side of the FO whenever possible. We will continue to write about what others won't and we still aren't afraid of offending anyone. We're not looking to buildup the most clicks or views just looking to write something that you want to read and that engages you.

That being said we're are going to take more of a magazine approach rather than newspaper approach.  We'll be doing a lot more articles on music, movies, style, and history of and current culture of the soccer supporter. I'm also going to be open to submissions. If you are interested in submitting an idea or an article get in touch, but overall it must fit within the theme of TDIF, and must not be something we already have in the idea bin. I've always believed in being advertising free, ads are ugly, it muddies the message and then you have to keep them happy, so we will continue to be ad free. Products that may be featured here will not be advertorials but written by us because we like the product

We hope you like the new direction, we'll be tweaking things as we go so bear with us. Thanks to everyone that has been reading our stories and supporting us over the past few years... it has not gone unnoticed. To the haters, those who think it's wrong to have an opinion, and those who think there is no place for criticism... fuck yourselves.

Thanks,

-Brian Smith

You've got to be kidding me BVSC.... (UPDATED)

YOU TOO CAN NOW OWN A PIECE OF A BULLSHIT CLUB!

You know I really wanted to give Boston Victory the benefit of the doubt. I'll be honest I haven't followed them much at all, I know they are not playing this year, and I know that there was some sort of split between Sergia Taborda and some staff that went off to form Boston Real Rams and that's about as much as I've cared or even bothered to find out.

This however this is hilarious... from BVSC's Facebook page.

"YOUR CHANCE TO BECOME A OWNER OF A PROFESSIONAL FOOTBALL TEAM.

"I own a Football Club" is a project to bring Victory Soccer Club to play in a Professional League in the United States of America by the year 2014.

The objective is to build a community where the members can be "Passionate" about their Team and at the same time have a share in the profits. United we can...

Every member will purchase a minimum of one share to be part of this project. Members will receive dividends and will be participating in the decision making of the Club.

When you request to be a OWNER you will receive a comprehensive Business Plan.

If every single one of you purchase one (1) share, BVSC will be playing Professional Soccer next year. And we can bring International Teams to play against BVSC. If you want a Club that you wanna call my Team, here is your change.

Are you 100% VICTORY?

To be a Football Club OWNER,

contact me at: IownaFC@live.com or just press "going" on this event.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/IownaFootballClub/"

Cool so buy into a club that is not playing this year because the owner/coach pissed off his staff... is that included in the business plan? The real kicker is this image however...

 

It would appear that BVSC has stadium plans!! HOLY SHIT SOMEONE IS GOING TO BUILD A REAL SSS! THEY EVEN HAVE MOCK-UPS DONE! THEY ARE SO MUCH BETTER THAN THE REVS!!  Wait what's that....

 Is that a logo? Doesn't look like BVSC's... wait a minute....

...it's a Salvation Army Logo.... on BVSC's mock ups... how could that b.... oh wait... they are stealing images again. Stealing images was bad enough when they were just adjusting them to their own marketing material, now they are using it to hit a sore spot for local soccer fans and scam you.They are not going to build a stadium. BVSC was a failure. My guess is Taborda wants another go but is broke and needs you suckers to buy into his scam. Good luck asshole... you've lost me and any interest or support I might have had for you.

P.S. a beer to whoever can find the original website for this Salvation Army stadium mock up.

UPDATE: This is the Brita Arena in Wiesbaden Germany.  The crest appears to be an old crest for SV Wehen 

 

Thanks to Nora Levy for the heads up on this.

 


---------

We know we've been quiet recently.  We are working on a relaunch towards the start of the season but going a bit of a different direction. More details to follow....