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December 22, 2005

Holiday wishes from SSV

We look forward to completing our mission in 2006. In the meantime, please accept our best wishes for a happy holiday.

Posted by Jay at 10:15 PM | Comments (0)

December 16, 2005

SSV Founding Member Q and A

We would like to invite you to the Downtown Britannia Arms, 173 West Santa Clara Street, San Jose, tomorrow for a Q and A with SSV's founding members. We're going to try to answer any and all questions about the last year and a half and to celebrate, as best we can, the wonderful history we all share as fans of the San Jose Earthquakes.

The Q and A will begin at 1:00. Feel free to show up before that, as many of us will, for a meal and a pint.

Also, a number of us will also be at the downtown Brit tonight until roughly 6:00 p.m. If you can't make it tomorrow, this is another chance to talk to us in person.

For those who are unable to attend either event, please leave a comment with your question here. (If you are concerned about your e-mail address being visible to the whole world, just enter a web address into the space marked "URL." The URL will be visible and not your e-mail address.)

Posted by Jay at 03:30 PM | Comments (27)

December 12, 2005

Progress continues towards stadium in DC

The Washington Post checks in today with a story on DC United's efforts to build a stadium at Poplar Point in southeast Washington. Their work focuses on a number of different levels, including a grassroots campaign to convince the local community that soccer and everything that comes with it will be a benefit to everyone living there.

The story contrasts recent efforts by the area's other teams—the NFL's Redskins and Ravens and baseball's Nationals, all of whom focused only on getting political approval for new stadiums—with DC United's approach:

...United, while quietly working the political angle, took its quest for a new facility to the streets, inviting residents to lunch and hosting dozens of meet-and-greets, including the Ballou event that incorporated gospel singers, teen models and the school marching band. United players handed out soccer balls and signed autographs into the evening.

United officials hope the campaign will ease the approval process and help extend the team's fan base in a part of town where few people have played or followed the game and don't count themselves fans. United is starting a youth soccer league there in the spring to change that.

Best of luck to the team and fans in DC, which is still the only team in MLS with more championship trophies than the Quakes.

Posted by Jay at 08:08 AM | Comments (1)

December 11, 2005

A little help from our friends

The Mercury News ran an editorial today from Brandi Chastain and Gary Fazzino. Their letter does a great job in summing up the opportunity that exists to keep the Quakes in the South Bay.

Brandi, who lives in San Jose, is well known to soccer fans around the world for scoring the PK that won the Women's World Cup in 1999. (She would have been at Tuesday night's City Council meeting, too, except for her duties as an ESPN commentator. We'll also add that her recently-published book makes a great holiday gift.) Gary is also a soccer fan and is currently serving as the chairman of the San Jose Sports Authority.

It's nice to have friends in high places. Thanks to them both for their support.

Posted by Jay at 06:56 PM | Comments (0)

December 07, 2005

The rest of the story

First off, thanks to everybody who attended, watched, or simply sent good vibes to the SJ City Council meeting last night. It was truly an amazing evening. (You can see the video now, too. It's just been posted on the City Council's web site. Jump to the "Open Forum" section to see the proceedings.)

There's one small bit of unfinished business that we here at the SSV blog wish to take care of from last night. Jay Hipps' presentation to the council was cut short at the end due to the two-minute time limit set for public comments, cutting off a stirring finish to his story. We are pleased to present his full comments, below.

You may be wondering what it is about soccer in general and the Earthquakes in particular that brings all these people to a City Council meeting on a cold Tuesday night.

Better writers than me have tried to define what it is to be a soccer fan but I'll try to define the Earthquakes experience for you.

The best example of what it means to be an Earthquakes fan—or the best example so far—came on a rainy day in November, 2003. The Quakes were playing the second leg of a two-game playoff series against our rivals to the south, the L.A. Galaxy. The series was to be decided by the total number of goals scored in the two games, the first of which took place at the Galaxy's new stadium while the second was to be played at Spartan Stadium. The rain which had been falling much of the week finally let up the morning of the game and fans from around the Bay Area descended on Spartan.

The Quakes had lost the first game 2-0, leaving them in a hole for the return leg. the situation got much worse when the Galaxy scored twice in the first 20 minutes, taking what in effect was a 4-0 lead.

I don't know how much you know about soccer but you probably know that goals are hard to come by. (Many people see this as a failing of the sport but it is, in fact, one of its beauties.) A team can play an entire season without scoring four goals in a game, so the outlook for the Quakes was bleak.

Still, the fans would not give up. No one gave up. There was a small banner hung at one end of the stadium that said "We Believe," and we did just that. We believed, fan and player alike, that we could win. And when the team crept back into the game, scoring two goals before the half and two more afterwards—the last coming in the final minute of play—the fans in the stadium reached a loud, tumultuous frenzy, because we all knew that a miracle was about to occur. (That's what it's called when a dream comes true.)

So when Rodrigo Faria scored the only goal of his Earthquakes career in sudden death overtime, it was an experience the likes of which many people have never experienced. We believed and it happened.

To top off an evening of what felt like divine intervention, the rain that had let up for the day began falling again moments after that goal was scored.

That's why we're here now, because we believe. We believe that soccer is a blessing to this community and that San Jose is worthy of this great team. Please do whatever you can to ensure that they will be here for years to come.

Posted by Jay at 08:24 AM | Comments (6)

December 06, 2005

Jimmy Conrad reveals San Jose secrets

Jimmy Conrad—the stalwart defender for the U.S. National Team, Kansas City Wizards, and a former Earthquake—makes a significant contribution to the discussions about San Jose's future in his latest column for ESPNsoccernet.com. Does he reveal the deal that the City of San Jose is considering to aid the Quakes' stadium efforts? Does he reveal the selling price of the team? A numerical analysis of the team's stats worthy of his credentials as a UCLA graduate with a degree in mathematics? No, nay, and nuh-uh. But if you check out his column, you'll find the *real* reasons MLS is considering relocating the team.

(And yes, his tongue is firmly in cheek.)

See you all tonight at the City Council meeting.

Posted by Jay at 07:14 AM | Comments (0)

December 03, 2005

Chicago Fire's stadium shows continued progress

The Daily Herald, "Suburban Chicago's Information Source," checks in with the news that the sod has been laid at the Fire's new stadium in the suburb of Bridgeview. While the grass won't grow through the winter, the article explains, getting it down now avoids any potential problems with mud in the spring.

(Not much of a news item, we know, but we at the SSV blog are suckers for photos of new soccer stadiums...)

Posted by Jay at 07:56 AM | Comments (0)