Quality Of Life: Offseason 2012

With New England Revolution pre-season starting Monday, it is officially time for our Off-season 2012 Revolution Quality of Life Index. Since it's a new season we'll go over how the QoL works for those who forgot or the uninitiated.  If you are from the Boston area and read the Weekly Dig you will realize that I am 100% stealing this idea from them, so  don't tell me about how I am unoriginal and stealing and idea... I know.  Secondly, all numbers are absolutely arbitrary and decided by me and solely me. The QoL works on a PLUS/MINUS system and the total is at the bottom along with a link to the last QoL.


Front Office "Restructuring"




So with many clamoring for sweeping changes to be made in the Front Office after years of on and off the field decline, those sweeping changes happened.... well at least in the minds of Krafty JonBob... not so much to everyone else.

Yes they actually promoted Brian Bilello and Mike Burns.  I'm willing to give Bilello a little more wiggle room and time now that he has assumed the role that absentee club President Sunil Gulati once held.  However it's no secret that I do not care for Mike Burns and the fact that he now has more control over this team, a team that's fallen behind during his tenure, scares the shit out of me.  I still don't understand why the Krafts want to reward failure... not to savvy if you ask me.  MINUS 25

The New Deal (and Jersey)

The New England Revolution have re-signed Shalrie Joseph, for a tenth MLS season with the Revs.  While length and terms are not available he has been signed as a Designated Player.

For us this was really the only reasonable option if Shalrie were to come back this season.  This move frees up extra cap space for next season, as well as clearing up allocation money that was needed to pay down his salary cap hit over the last few years.  This is a win-win situation for the everyone involved, the face of the franchise and a club legend is back, Shalrie gets a solid contract, and the club clears up room financially to bring in more and better players.  Some may complain about using a DP spot, but we can use up to three... and well does anyone expect the Revs to actually sign 3 DP caliber players this season (or any season for that matter)?

New England Revolution To Announce Major Partnership

Not real... but it might be on Friday...

The New England Revolution sent out a press release today about a partnership announcement.  The event is to take place this Friday with UnitedHealthcare during a soccer clinic that is being held at Gillette Stadium.

If we were betting men we would say this it the elusive kit sponsorship that we all have been looking for, and since we are betting men we flexed our Photoshop muscles. Notice 'photoshop'... that image is not real or from the team it's a mock-up that we did.

"UnitedHealthcare is an operating division of UnitedHealth Group, the largest single health carrier in the United States. Our family of companies delivers innovative products and services to approximately 70 million Americans. UnitedHealthcare's nationwide network includes 661,257 physicians and health care professionals, 80,000 dentists and 5,147 hospitals. Our pharmaceutical management programs provide more affordable access to drugs for 13 million people"

UnitedHealthcare is a publicly traded company based out of Minnesota. More info on them here.

DC United Release Third Kit

 

I must say this are mighty slick... way better than Seattle's electric yellow kits that were released last year.  DC released the kit today during a special event at the Washington Auto Show.  In addition there is a giant 15x15 foot version hanging in the main lobby of the Washington Convention Center for the duration of the auto show.

A portion of the sales from these jerseys will got to Red Card Cancer, a fundraising initiative for cancer research in partnership with Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center.

Red Card Cancer

Chivas Have Some Coronas... What should the Revs have?

"CARSON, Calif. (Tuesday, January 25, 2011) – In a landmark agreement between Club Deportivo Chivas USA of Major League Soccer and Grupo Modelo, the leading beer company in Mexico and one of the top brewers in the world, Corona Extra has become the presenting sponsor of Chivas USA. The multiyear agreement will see the logo of Corona Extra, the leading brand in Mexico and the top imported beer in the United States, on Chivas USA team gear, as well as having a significant and visible presence at Chivas USA’s home games and other events." (link)

So Chivas has officially picked up Corona as their new jersey sponsor, in light of that news we drew up some what if's for the Revolution... remember support your locals.  (Although the free money from a jersey sponsor sure would be great to pay for a Designated Player or something...)

Things that make you go hmmm... Revs Third kit? Sponsor?

So this surfaced sometime last night and I know we are slow to the draw but we have to post this... It looks to be a third kit sporting Papa Gino's as a Jersey sponsor... they look to fake however they are pretty elaborate fakes.

So the only conclusion we have is the Papa Gino's had the best pizza parties for birthdays and they used to let you make the pizza and try to toss the dough in the air if it was your birthday... and everyone fought over the jukebox...

Nobody Beats the Wiz, Except Sporting Kansas City

So say goodbye to one of the worst names in Major League Soccer and hello to Sporting Kansas City SC, ain't that a mouthful?  Yes the Wizards are now Sporting KC, or KC Sporting SC, or Sporting SC, or well we aren't to sure what to call them yet.  Anyways the name and crest were officially revealed last night in Kansas City. The wizar.. er Sporting have will have a brand new stadium opening up June 9, 2011 and have gone through a re-branding process to coincide with that.

Many things were mentioned by club president Robb Heineman but the things that caught our attention was the mentioning of free tickets for supporters for away games and the hinting at truly wanting to become a sports club when talking about the SC in the crest. Among the sports mentioned that we may see the crest on jerseys for were rugby and lacrosse.   Could Sporting be taking a page out of some of the Euro clubs (i.e. Barcelona) and casting a broader net?

Here from the Sporting press release is a more in depth look at the crest:

"The club crest, which will be used as the team’s primary logo effective immediately, is a combination of symbolic elements to reflect the distinct history, culture and geography of Sporting Kansas City, as well as the vision for the organization. The crest pays tribute to the original Wiz shield and its upside-down teardrop shape that introduced the team to Kansas City and serves as a permanent tribute to the tradition of the club. The words “Kansas City” arch across the top of the crest, with their position at the crest’s highest point symbolizing the local ownership group’s commitment to their hometown.

The name Sporting, prominently written inside the shield beneath Kansas City, represents the vision of Sporting Club to integrate additional sports and entertainment properties into the organization, with Sporting Kansas City as the foundation for future enterprises, and transform the way a professional sports team connects with supporters.

“Our goal is to revolutionize the way a professional sports team connects with fans through premier experiences and spaces,” Heineman said. “We believe a change in identify for the club was necessary to effectively live and breathe this vision. The name ‘Sporting’ represents our desire to become a dynamic organization focused on creating opportunities for social, cultural and athletic connections.”

The left side of the crest features 11 diagonal lines, a nod to the starting 11 players of past, present and future that have played for Kansas City, and are comprised of six Sporting Blue lines separated by five Dark Indigo Blue lines between them. The Sporting Blue color will be the primary color for the team and their uniform, previewed at Wednesday’s announcement, and is similar in shade to the original Wiz blue that club founder Lamar Hunt selected as the team’s identifying color for the inaugural season in 1996.

The right edge of the lines forms a shape familiar to all Kansas Citians, signifying the state line between Missouri and Kansas. Sporting Kansas City has roots on both sides of the state line, with the new stadium being built in Kansas City, Kansas and their current offices and training facilities located in Kansas City, Missouri.

Finally, a stylized SC ligature fills the right side of the crest as an iconic image linking the team to its parent organization, Sporting Club, while also drawing inspiration from individual elements: the rod of the Greek god Ascelpius (health and fitness), the Hellenistic statue of Winged Victory (strength and movement) and the Spanish architecture of Kansas City’s renowned Country Club Plaza."


You can find out more information about the new Sporting KC/SC whatever they want to be called at the new site www.sportingkc.com while there take a virtual tour of their new stadium as well... If you view the video of the announcement you can also get a look at the new kits towards the end... they actually look pretty nice, we'll post photos when we can get them.

TFC Fans are Design Mavens

Ever think your teams kit is garbage? Ever want to drag out said kit designers to the street and shoot them... well TFC fans you'll have to commit suicide en masse if you don't like your kit next season. TFC is currently running an online contest where the fans can design next years kit. So Canuckistanis here's your chance to do better... don't blow it.