I just got off of the telephone with one of the Q's fan relations staff who was very courteous and professional. Basically - drums are going to be limited to only 4 in Sec 109 (the Casbah and Ultras).
Q's: Because the Ultras do not like drums, you could bring your drums in "to be part of the total 4", but you will have to move to Sec 109.
R: No - we do not want to move to Sec 109
Q's: That is all we really can do. I was hoping that we could come up with a solution for you. The policy will reviewed after 3 games - and if more changes need to be made, they will change them. We have also had growing complaints about the supporters groups and drums (Note: I know that there is unrest between the supporters groups, but was totally unaware of the general complaints about the drums.)
R: That's ridiculous to jerk the fans around like this.
Q's: We really can't do anything else. We would really love to have you as a supporter the remainder of the season.
R: How do I get my refund?
The match is over. The Quakes LOSE.
Oh, by the way, "DID YOU FEEL THAT?"
(Lisa, Ed, Sharon, Jeff, etc: Sorry to have this end this way. We will really miss seeing you all - it was such a great time last week (and the past 2 seasons). This whole drum issue and the feeling of being treated as "nothing" has drained both H and I completely. )
Although we have not spoken to anyone in the front office yet - H and I have discussed this whole drum thing and have decided that our relationship with the San Jose Earthquakes must end. We have supported this team as best we know how - in the stadium and outside. We have brought many friends and organzied groups to come to Quakes games. San Jose Earthquake logos adorn each of our vehicles.
I guess all of that really doesn't matter anymore. Unless a miracles happens, this blog might be transforming into the, "Lion's Den" (FC Gold Pride).
Just received an email from Quakes fan relations and they said upon further review - only 2 drums will be allowed per supporter group and they will only be allowed in Sec 109.
This means that the Q's are taking a stand on this and leaves H, me, and others in Sec 108 out in the cold and drumless. We do our best to drum WITH the supporter groups - not against them - but I guess that doesn't matter.
The Quakes tried to work with us by allowing us to bring our drums in if we entered with the "official supporter groups". Clearly, this "accommodation" has ended. Period.
Do I need to get a petition signed by all those in Sec 108 that support our drumming? My initial letter to the front office was a warning shot. Time to bring out the heavy ammunition I guess. (The interesting thing is that I understand it is the "official" supporter groups that want this rule enforced. Thanks for the support you guys.)
FC Gold Pride is starting to look really good right now...
Just before I left the office today, I received a telephone call from a Quakes fan relations specialist. I really can't capture the entire conversation here. I appreciated the professionalism of this staff person, but I think this is the only response I will be getting from the Quakes (I sent my letter to the President and the Owner of the club - but have not heard a peep from them.)
Bottom Line: Drums will not be allowed unless they are approved as part of one of the official supporters groups (currently the Casbah and the Ultras). Drums are going to be limited to a certain # of drums - still TBA (kinda strange that a big decision like this has not been made and opening day is this coming Saturday. Hello? I am also concerned that the Q's decision to physically join the Ultras and the Casbah into one section (Sec 109) to "unify the cheering and drumming" will backfire horribly. The Casbah has been in existence since 1996. My question to the Q's is,"Don't you think there is a reason why the current Ultras didn't just join the Casbah instead of starting a new supporters club? Hello? They are both great groups - but they are very different in culture. I see joining them together in the stands creating more chaos rather than an improved stadium environment. As H has said, it feels like we are being told when, how, and how much we should be cheering and making noise. Doesn't that sound like fun?
Do I keep my season tickets? A HUGE question to answer.
Still no word from the Q's organization - but due to when I sent my letter (last Thursday), they could have not received it until yesterday.
Soccer Fours:
I've finally returned to playing with Soccer Fours - the 4 v 4 program. After having great success at their San Francisco site (Franklin Park), Chris has decided to expand a little and now has weekly sessions in Marin and in Oakland. Naturally, since I'm located in the East Bay, I decided to check out the Monday night Oakland session last night. They are held at Raimondi Field in West Oakland. This complex was renovated in 2008 (replacing the grass field with turf). As I expected - after not playing for several months - the little endurance that I built up from the SF sessions was a distant memory. It was like starting all over - but the other players were great and it was alot of fun. First time using my new boots - Nike Ronaldinho Dois FG (I discovered this single pair at Ross in my size a month or so ago - $19.99 and couldn't resist). They were really comfortable and "looked fast" when I slipped them on, but alas, speed, quickness, and endurance on the pitch depends more on the person wearing the boots vs. the boots themselves :)
Montez sent out one of her "Quakes Insider" emails this morning, but she did not respond to the email I sent to her yesterday re: drums issue. I replied to her Q's Insider email by aying I was disappointed that I received no response from my email to her.
I did finally get a reply later in the morning - she said that she is working with stadium operations on the issue and was certain that a resolution can be found + that I coould continue to bring my drum to Buck Shaw. Then she asked if I was coming to the Sat. pre-season game against the Portland Timbers - and if so, she would personally escort me and my drum into the stadium.
I replied and thanked her for her email. I am waiting to hear from someone higher on the Quakes food chain and I said that I wanted to hear something before the home opener on Mar 27th.
The Q's are gearing up for a couple of pre-season games coming up next week - Wed 3/17 vs Houston Dynamo (at Kezar) and Sat 3/20 vs Portland Timbers (at Buck Shaw). What can we expect from this coming season? I haven't a clue. We will have a completely different team than the one that we started with at the beginning of last season. Playoff hopes? I think we should keep those to ourselves for now.
I am looking forward to getting back into the swing of things at Buck Shaw and banging our drums loud. Sec 108 - let's rock!
I have been keeping busy with my EPL club - Aston Villa FC. I am actually the chairperson for the Aston Villa supporters club here in California called "AVFC California". Villa is still in the hunt to break the Top 4 and qualifying for the Champions League next season, made it to the League Cup final (aka Carling Cup) - but fell to Man Utd, and are making a run for the FA Cup still (semifinal match v. Chelsea in early April).
The Q's have again scheduled 2 games this season at the Oakland Coliseum - the 2 home games with the LA Galaxy. Of course, they were anticipating the presence of a Mr. Posh Spice to bring in a larger crowd - but this won't be happening this year since Mr Posh is staying in Italy until after mid-season.
I am hoping that there will be a decent crowd, but I am not going to get my hopes up. I just hope that it doesn't turn out to be a huge stadium with a small crowd. H and I will be there - no matter what - to support the Q's. I think the confines of the SB San Siro give us a better home pitch advantage.
H texted me about this: A couple of first-round CONCACAF Gold Cup games will be played in Oakland this year on July 5th. Here is the schedule and US venues:
SCHEDULE
First Round
July 3 – The Home Depot Center (Los Angeles)
July 4 – Qwest Field (Seattle)
July 5 – Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum (San Francisco)
July 7 – Crew Stadium (Columbus, Ohio)
July 8 – Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium (Washington)
July 9 – Reliant Stadium (Houston)
July 10 – Florida International University Stadium (Miami)
July 11 – Gillette Stadium (Boston)
July 12 – University of Phoenix Stadium (Phoenix)
Quarterfinals
July 18 – Lincoln Financial Field (Philadelphia)
July 19 –Dallas Cowboys New Stadium (Dallas)
Semifinals July 23 – Soldier Field (Chicago)
Final
July 26 – Giants Stadium (New York)
(*Gonna have to talk to Adam Z about tickets....)
QUAKES vs GALAXY April 18th in OAKLAND
I have a group attending this game - I've promoted the game with a flyer featuring Joe Cannon, Becks, and post-game fireworks. So know it sounds like Becks will still be in Milan for this game - so the fireworks show better be good. (Actually, I already have 44 out of the 50 tickets sold already so we should be in good shape).
QUAKES STADIUM
With the recent news that the A's are not going to move to Fremont and that San Jose is eyeing them, I can't help but wonder if this will affect the progress on the soccer-specific venue for the Q's. I hope that Lew doesn't start thinking about a multi-use park - for the A's and Quakes to share. I think I would prefer to stay at our current home - the South Bay San Siro (aka Buck Shaw) - than have Q's games played on a field with huge portions being infield dirt!
It was a pretty epic battle on the pitch between the Dynamo and Quakes last night. Ronnie O'Brien's first half goal was amazing from the right side. Too bad we just couldn't hold onto the lead. DeRosario and Ching didn't start for the Dynamo (rumor was they were getting rested from national team play), but both were brought into the game in the second half and Houston got the equalizer from Ching. The game ended in a 1-1 tie. We did get one point, but we really wanted to get the three. Next Saturday we play Houston again, but this time at their place.
Warrior - Nick Garcia
Nick sustained a cut above his eye during the game and stayed in the game after having his head wrapped (looking like someone that got treated at a M*A*S*H unit or something. He played tough defense all night long despite the injury.
Sellout at the SB San Siro
It was a sellout at the SB San Siro and the crowed really got behind the team in a loud way. It was really exciting to be in the midst of the "epicenter"! Here is "The Fault Zone" banner in all of its glory prior to kickoff in front of Section 108.
Well - since we didn't win, fried fish at the Chalatecho just didn't seem appropriate. Instead we ended up at Hot Pot City in Milpitas. Another first for me (although I had heard about it alot from H and my brothers). The food was great and we also got the post-10 pm discount!
From the HPC website: We are the original Authentic Taiwanese Hot Pot Restaurant in the Bay Area. Established in San Francisco with our first restaurant on 9th Avenue in the Sunset District, this Asian cuisine is where you cook your own food at the table in a fire induced hot pot that has s simmering broth with a circle grill for barbequing.
The Hot Pot City in Milpitas offers the restaurant patrons an All-You-Can-Eat Buffet Feast for less than most meals in the Bay Area. With this style of cooking method, everyone can enjoy cooking their favorite food in our sizzling soup base or simply barbequing them on the side.
We offer large variety of fresh food item such as shrimp, mussels, fish, squid and our fresh meat selections are beef, pork, lamb, chicken.
In our preparation of the special marinated meats for barbequing, there is no MSG added. *for the health conscious, please ask your server id you would like to substitute margarine instead of butter for barbequing your meats.
Also included are freshest seasonal vegetables from local farmers, tofu and noodles and much much more. One of the most important steps in Hot Pot cooking is the dipping sauce. The most common and favorite sauce is the Satay Sauce, Sometimes called Taiwanese BBQ Sauce. The basic principal for this dipping sauce is to add a variety of condiments to suit one¡¦s taste (green onion, garlic, soy sauce, etc.) in a small bowl and dip your food into the sauce just before eating the food.
For the enjoyment of the first timers, it will be our pleasure from attentive staff to guide you on this very unique way of cooking and eating this style of Taiwanese Hot Pot
Despite the slow start, this inaugural Quakes season has been great and alot of fun. The South Bay San Siro (aka Buck Shaw stadium) has "grown" on me and we try every game to make it a home advantage for our boys in blue/black. Sec 108 is our home during the season and it has been great fun getting to know all the fans that sit around us. Couples, families, children. Parents with children who play, a youth soccer referee and his family, and we are neighbors to those in the Colonel's Corner (KFC's promotional section). We even received a "cheer" request from a grandfather - he wanted us to drum and yell a cheer for his grand-daughter. Duh-duh- duh duh duh - duh duh duh duh - KALIA! :)
We love hearing the song and cheers coming from both the Ultras and the Casbah. We contribute with some drumming and cheering ourselves - at least the best we can. We (H and I) bring 3 drums to each game. One for the each of us and a third to use as a "community" drum. We share it with kids mostly - and they have a great time supporting the Quakes. We refer to our little Sec 108 family as, "The Fault Zone". You can see our banner on the rail in front of Sec 108.
Controversy in Section 108. At the Quakes recent home game vs the KC Wizards, my cousin H was at the game with his friend J. (Remember, I couldn't make the game because of the Cal gridiron game in Berkeley).
Anyways - H was approached by a female at the beginning of the game (pretty good start to this story wouldn't you say?). She asked him............if he wouldn't mind if she traded seats with him so that she would be sitting BEHIND the drumming instead of 2 rows in front of the "beautiful noise". I think this threw H for a loop at first. Huh? Our first formal percussion penalty? A red-card without warning? It is like asking someone to stop singing "Take be out to the ballgame" at a baseball game! Drums = Football Fans.
Well, after doing some in-depth research (a quick google on "Drums and football" - I found this discussion thread on the subject. Looks like DRUMS ARE IN. One of FIFA's mottos is "Fair Play". In part this means, "Don't discriminate against percussionists!!"
Our Quakes played Chivas USA tonight down at the HDC. No television coverage (only Spanish radio). I looked at the box score and the game appeared pretty even, except that the Q's had a corner kick advantage. Despite that, the game ends nil-nil.
We are still hanging out in the basement of the MLS right now, but we didn't lose ground as many Western Div teams also lost this week. The remaining games on the schedule include a majority of them at the SBSS (South Bay San Siro). The home field support should make a huge difference as we see if we have enough kick left for the final sprint (...too many hours watching the Olympics!).
Next home game is Aug 30th versus the KC Wizards. The dilemma I have is that is also the opening day for Cal Football (vs Michigan State) in Berkeley. Despite my clear preference for "real" football versus American football, the California Golden Bears are my first love in terms of sports. My alma mater is finally showing life as a college football program after years and years of (personal) agony.
Section 108 Percussion: My cousin H and I form the Sec 108 percussion group at the SB San Siro. Sometimes we are joined by T as a third. We are toying with the idea of adding some variety to our cheering with cow bells, etc. We'll see how creative we can be. We also need to practice our "Oh Huckerby" cheer (the one that is on this You Tube video - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=15xlpBjpUP0 )
Another night at the South Bay San Siro. Despite breaking into the scoring column, the Quakes lost to the Columbus Crew 3-2. The Quakes are missing a strong "go to" person that can "finish". Maybe a current player will develop into this or it will come from a new addition - but we are not there yet. The defense also broke down after the Crew scored the equalizer to make it 1-1. The Crew pummelled us with back-toback goals to take a commanding 3-1 lead. It was exciting in the SBSS and the crowd really got loud as the Quakes attempted to come back late in the match.
A couple of gripes about the SBSS. Entry and exit points are so limited. There is not any easy way to get in or out of the stadium. Concessions are limited at best and everything just looks "temporary". Yes - the plan is to only be here for 2-3 seasons, but come on. The dedicated fans that come to these games should feel like they are in a MLS venue.
Let's hope that next week's game on the road against New England will bring some points to the Quakes.
I went to the first home game for the Quakes at the renovated Buck Shaw Stadium on the campus of Santa Clara University. It is a cozy facility (only seating about 10,000), but the atmosphere was great (it was a sold out game). Although the Quakes came away with 0-0 tie, the game was alot of fun to witness. My futbol buddy, my cousin H, and I went to eat at a place before the game called "Su's Mongolian Barbeque". An AYCE joint just minutes from Buck Shaw. A great way to kick-off futbol in Santa Clara!
We are working on our drumming so that we can keep up with the Casbah and Ultras booster groups. We seem to be the unofficial percusionists for the "chicken corner" (sponsored by KFC). The haltime contest was called "kickin' for chickin'". I wonder what Earthquakes intern came up with that one.
I am now refering to Buck Shaw Stadium as the "South Bay San Siro" (the San Siro being the home stadium for the mighty A.C. Milan in Italy).
NEXT GAME: Sat May 10 vs Columbus @ South Bay San Siro
San Jose Earthquakes Supporter & Season Ticket Holder. Also supporter of AC Milan (Serie A - Italy), Aston Villa FC (EPL - England), FC Barcelona (La Liga - Spain),U.S. National Team, University of California Men's Soccer, and Shaolin Soccer
