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A call to arms: Playoff Media Coverage


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#1
Bleed_For_Metro

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Mostly lurker of MetroFanatic, so my opinion may fall on deaf ears, but I'll give it a whirl. Hear me out.

There's a painfully obvious lack of media coverage for this team and it's playoff run by the NY/NJ area.

If there's one thing that's abundantly clear, it's practically every team in the area [at this moment] is just plain bad. And that's all that's discussed.. in print, radio and TV. Being perfectly honest, this underdog team is the greatest sports story in the area.

We all hear the gripes of the lack of marketing, cheapness, whatever the issue is. But instead of pushing the 'woe is me' rhetoric, the fanbase themselves should be pushing back against the daily discussion of underperforming teams. Why don't WE force the discussion of this team and the sport?

Amazingly, RBA will be overcapacity for this match. Secondary market prices of the tickets remaining are soaring and it's hard to get hands on it. That shows there's an honest and motivated fanbase that's in tune of where the team is... WITH nearly no media discussion.

There's SO many more ears and eyes out there have 0 idea of whats going on and the excitement surrounding this team. I'd hate to see the great attendance AT the game.. but horrific TV ratings up against the NFL on Sunday. Maybe they can't fill more seats, but more should be following from home.

To the point...

I'm going to attempt calling WFAN and Mike'dup Francesca on my drive home today. Plenty of people listen, assuredly I will be berated back by him as "noabahdy cahyus", but that's evidently wrong. Remember how foolish he sounded during the World Cup?

Want this team's success of drawing excitement to Harrison, amidst NYCFC's arrival next year? Let it be known and unavoidable that this team and this passionate fan base is here and its vocal...outside of the South Ward.

Posting this here because I hope others join in and push the issue on WFAN, ESPN Radio, etc. If I don't get through, if 20 others trying to call, others will.

Change the talk of the town to something that is a great and exciting story. Maybe Red Bull GmBH doesn't deserve it, but Mike Petke and the boys do... even just for today.

Hope not to sound too 'rah rah, go team!', but if there's any time for it, its today.

/soapbox



#2
Mouth of Sauron

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Boomer and Carton received a box of cupcakes from the team this morning. They were tweeting about it saying they appreciated it.

 

A fan tried to call in and talk soccer and was hung up on by the screener. They then tweeted that they have no interest in talking soccer.

 

 

 

 

So... good luck?


Is there any in this rout with authority to treat with me? Or indeed with wit to understand me?


#3
gravediGGer

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Sounds cool, but what do we as MetroFanatics gain from coverage on outlets such as WFAN or ESPN radio or whatever else there is? Other than more demand, higher prices and bunch of  bandwagon fans. This game sold out with no media coverage and RBA will be packed by people who truly care for the success of the team, so why reach out to soccer fans that only watch the world cup and why reach out to fans that think soccer is a child's game and why should we have hosts who shit on soccer any chance they get to promote our little club?

 

I like where we are and where we are going as a fanbase without all the haters/bandwagoners in tow. We see that a winning team gets people in seats, at least during playoffs, no major media outlets are needed to sell seats, or to cover the team. Lewis, Martinez, Dyer, Panizo do a great job and thanks to internet we don't need them to post their coverage in old school newspapers or radio.

 

Soccer in this country is new and exciting, old school media sources can fight over who can write a funnier headline about the NFL, NBA, NHL, MLB, leave the MLS to the fans of the sport, not fans of money the sport brings.


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#FUCKredbull


#4
Rooney22

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Boomer and Carton received a box of cupcakes from the team this morning. They were tweeting about it saying they appreciated it.

 

A fan tried to call in and talk soccer and was hung up on by the screener. They then tweeted that they have no interest in talking soccer.

 

 

 

 

So... good luck?

Easy fix just tell his screener that you want to take about his snow blower. 

 



#5
Brian.MLS

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NBC News also had cupcakes and scarves on this morning. Michael Gargiulo seems to be a fan of the team. Knows the players (and correct pronunciation) as well as game times and channel while head turned away from the cameras. Even knew about the lack of trophies. Spent about two minutes talking about it.

Saw Carton rocking the scarve as well.


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#6
iced1776

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Sounds cool, but what do we as MetroFanatics gain from coverage on outlets such as WFAN or ESPN radio or whatever else there is? Other than more demand, higher prices and bunch of  bandwagon fans. This game sold out with no media coverage and RBA will be packed by people who truly care for the success of the team, so why reach out to soccer fans that only watch the world cup and why reach out to fans that think soccer is a child's game and why should we have hosts who shit on soccer any chance they get to promote our little club?

 

I like where we are and where we are going as a fanbase without all the haters/bandwagoners in tow. We see that a winning team gets people in seats, at least during playoffs, no major media outlets are needed to sell seats, or to cover the team. Lewis, Martinez, Dyer, Panizo do a great job and thanks to internet we don't need them to post their coverage in old school newspapers or radio.

 

Soccer in this country is new and exciting, old school media sources can fight over who can write a funnier headline about the NFL, NBA, NHL, MLB, leave the MLS to the fans of the sport, not fans of money the sport brings.

 

Sorry but this sounds a little crazy to me. If I'm to understand this correctly, we DON'T want new fans because they're somehow disingenuous if they heard about the team from more traditional media? That a single playoff sellout is a sign that the team doesn't need help reaching out to the community when we barely had one the entire regular season? Did we even have a regular season sell-out? For a group that so regularly complains about how empty the rest of the stadium, I'm surprised to see people here supporting the idea of turning fans away for any reason, let alone one as trivial as where and when they heard about a game.

 

These mainstream media guys don't avoid talking about soccer because they love shitting on the sport. Dave Martinez responded to such a statement on Twitter saying that he played alongside Carton in the RB media game, and that he's a fan of the sport and a good player. They avoid talking about soccer because they don't believe their listeners care to hear about it. Doing what our buddy Bleed_For_Metro wants to do is the sort of thing that may help change that perception, even if its a long shot to actually get on air.

 

There's a common saying that no player is above the club. Well, no supporters are either. Its selfish to discourage fans from following the team just because it won't feel like a secret club in the SW anymore.



#7
ig101

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Man, Mike'dup Francesca is going to hang up on this dude so fast.  :lol:



#8
Bleed_For_Metro

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Boomer and Carton received a box of cupcakes from the team this morning. They were tweeting about it saying they appreciated it.

A fan tried to call in and talk soccer and was hung up on by the screener. They then tweeted that they have no interest in talking soccer.

 

 

 

 

So... good luck?

 

Easy to avoid: Planning to say I'm calling about Joe DiMaggio's 56-game hitting streak and how that it really should have ended at 35 and not count. On June 24 1941 against St. Louis, DiMaggio was hitless when he batted in the seventh inning, and Browns manager Luke Sewell ordered Bob Muncrief to "walk him!" Muncrief refused.
 
That's a near guarantee to get on the line! 
 

Man, Mike'dup Francesca is going to hang up on this dude so fast.   :lol:

Likely... but that's the point. Want others to follow along, since I know people get up into a shitstorm when he has given the "don't cayuh" treatment to the sport. 



#9
BLewis1968

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Sorry but this sounds a little crazy to me. If I'm to understand this correctly, we DON'T want new fans because they're somehow disingenuous if they heard about the team from more traditional media? That a single playoff sellout is a sign that the team doesn't need help reaching out to the community when we barely had one the entire regular season? Did we even have a regular season sell-out? For a group that so regularly complains about how empty the rest of the stadium, I'm surprised to see people here supporting the idea of turning fans away for any reason, let alone one as trivial as where and when they heard about a game.

 

These mainstream media guys don't avoid talking about soccer because they love shitting on the sport. Dave Martinez responded to such a statement on Twitter saying that he played alongside Carton in the RB media game, and that he's a fan of the sport and a good player. They avoid talking about soccer because they don't believe their listeners care to hear about it. Doing what our buddy Bleed_For_Metro wants to do is the sort of thing that may help change that perception, even if its a long shot to actually get on air.

 

There's a common saying that no player is above the club. Well, no supporters are either. Its selfish to discourage fans from following the team just because it won't feel like a secret club in the SW anymore.

This. And just to be clear, not sure which Lewis you were referring to, but if you meant me I certainly appreciate any kind words, Grave, and being included in that illustrious company. But whatever coverage any of us are able to provide - be it either for pay or for free - would be multiplied exponentially and also improved if he had bosses that assigned us days to cover the team. Whatever coverage you get would be not only more frequent but better if it were prioritized by the local outlets. Which, for the most part, will be driven only by demand, ie, massive clicks on the websites, better TV ratings, regular sellouts, etc.



#10
Elder Statesman

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Arguing with people who don't care about soccer is only going to make them agrier and hate the sport more.  If you really want more media coverage, go to soccer websites and online newspapers on a daily basis, click on the soccer ads and click on the banner ads.  The more clicks they get, the more money they make and the more coverage they will provide.



#11
nlk10010

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I could have sworn that one day earlier this week I heard a caller on B&C ask which local team they thought would be the next to win a championship and Boomer blurted out "Red Bulls". He then immediately looked away from the camera as if ashamed he had even uttered those words.

 

Don;t forget, a lot of these radio hosts have their sense of self-worth intertwined with the popularity of mainstream sports. The more important, say, you think baseball is, the more important knowing something about it, or at least being able to talk like you do, becomes. The popularity of those sports gives them what they take to be power (sadly). Also, they grew up loving baseball, football, etc. and take the encroachment of soccer as an attack on everything they hold dear.

 

All I have to do is watch B&C for 5 minutes and I realize why I don't care what they think.


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#12
ianuaditis

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B & C gave last year's playoff run some coverage as I recall.  Maybe they were taken to task by the program director for mentioning it so now they avoid it?

 

you can tell people like Francesca and Benigno actively don't like the sport, but there are others who you feel would probably give it a fair chance if only out of professional obligation.  You feel like there has to be some broad animosity given the time they spend talking about other niche sports like horse racing, golf, college football, etc.

 

ESPN radio during the world cup took a very enlightened approach.  We will see if that is maintained next time when they are no longer carrying the games.

 

While it would be nice for the sport to be validated in the endless vicarious mental masturbation of sports talk radio, it wouldn't necessarily add to my personal enjoyment of the game.   On the other hand, you will know that MLS has arrived when you hear a fat ass with an 11th grade education argue for two hours with callers about the color of Henry's shoelaces...

 

finally I'm curious to see what happens with Francesca when FS1 is broadcasting MLS games.


Don't blame me, I voted for Kodos.


#13
ianuaditis

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I just read Mouth of Sauron's link to the NY Post Henry interview, and what makes me sad/upset/whatever about the lack of sports radio coverage is that you have in Henry a player on the team who is not only almost certainly the best player to ever play in the league, but is also a great interview and media presence who totally gets it.  

 

These shows have weekly spots where the athletes call in - could you imagine Henry once a week?   If I worked for RB four years ago I would have called FAN and said we will pay you to put this guy on for a season.  

 

It becomes a vicious cycle:  sports radio hosts think no one cares about soccer, because no one bothers to call sports radio to talk about soccer, because the hosts either don't know a damn thing about it or insist that no one cares about it because nobody ever calls them to talk about it, and they are the voice of NY sports, etc.  And even if they did, they wouldn't get through - the call screeners get crap from the hosts and the program directors if they let those fringe soccer assholes on the air...


Don't blame me, I voted for Kodos.


#14
RedBullScouse

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I had a conversation with a guy in sports radio ad sales, and he explained it like this - there no doubt is a significant and rapidly growing audience for soccer.  That is not in question by anyone.   The problem is, the hardcore baseball and football fans that make up the bulk of their audience is openly antagonistic towards soccer - they hate it.   They aren't just bored by it (like hockey or horse racing).   They hate it.    Its an assault on their 'murican way of life.   They don't see soccer as a growth thing, adding new listeners, because the belief is that for every soccer person they pick up as a listener, they will lose 20 of their traditional listeners.   He said when they mention soccer in anyway around their big advertisers (car dealerships, etc.) those guys hate it, too.

 

 

It will be very interesting to see how the whole thing evolves with the Yankee putting their juice behind it on WFAN, but my suspiscion is they will broadcast the games they have to, and all discussion - if any - will be relegated to overnight hours and early Sunday morning.


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#15
nlk10010

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Cannizzaro's article in the Post today was the best media piece I've seen on the Red Bulls to date. This is not to denigrate BLewis' work, by "better" I don't mean really better, or more informed, I know Brian's our go-to-guy. I just mean this is the first article written by a guy who is NOT a regular footie contributor and it's of the same kind you'd get for the mainstream sports:  Knocking the coach. It's great, nothing gets a fan base exercised like the possibility of venting their frustration by bashing a member of the team.

 

I also heard B&C this morning discussing yesterday's game. Not for long, of course, but the whole "yellow card" thingie came up.


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If they could, they'd go to strip clubs and throw naked women at money."





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