MLS Cup Sets Template For Future Soccer Success…

November 24, 2009 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

One of the most significant games in the history of professional soccer took place in the Pacific Northwest in the late summer of 1977, when the New York Cosmos, led by the legendary Pele, won their first North America Soccer league title by defeating the original Seattle Sounders 2-1 in Portland Oregon. This past weekend, perhaps the most important game since then in the evolution of professional soccer in the United States again took place in the Pacific Northwest, where a crowd of over 40,000 saw Real Salt Lake defeat the Los Angeles Galaxy 2-1 on penalty kicks to take the 2009 Major League Soccer title?

Nets, Blues Both Try and Fill Seats By Reaching To Those Struggling With The Economy

November 12, 2008 by Joe Favorito · Leave a Comment 

While the Red Sox today announced a ticket freeze, both the Nets and the Blues have looked to those in job and financial difficulty this past week to try and find a promotion that gets buzz, puts butts in seats and maybe, just maybe, brightens the outlook of those casual fans struggling with the current times.  Dave Waldstein in the Newark Star-Ledger touches on both promos, with the Nets looking to exchange tickets for those supplying a resume to a job bank they have created,  while the Blues go one further by actually offering up financial assistance for those in home owner hell on select Saturday nights through a lottery.  Both obviously got some buzz and show that the teams are reacting to the needs of the fans and the economy  (and they both have a need to fill distressed inventory), but the Blues program really hits home for those who have trouble paying bills.  The Nets program is also a good one, although it really isn’t too far away from the “job night” programs many teams already do.  Still, both teams got their brand closer to the casual fan, which may lead to both more social responsibility and fan loyalty going forward.