2011 Sporting Kansas City

[KCPowercat]

I think they are coming back for training or something. I follow special k on twitter and he has been in LA for weeks prior to this.

[szazzy]

Kamara spent some time back in California, but has kept his place on the Plaza and been back for a few weeks. I know he sends a lot of money back to Sierra Leone, so having 2 places on a MLS salary is probably not happening for him. He's doing alright for himself, but he's down to earth and probably wouldn't waste money on something like that. He was talking about dropping his gym memberships and shoveling driveways for KC people as a way to save $$$ this winter. 

Besler and Kempin are local - I'm guessing Kempin is still living with his parents in Overland Park. Besler probably has his own place on the Plaza somewhere.

Michael Harrington probably came back early to KC to sign his deal, but I doubt he's leaving again as preseason will start soon. I heard Craig Rocastle is back now as well.

[KCMax]

Sporting KC's Teal Bunbury scores for the national team against Chile.

I really hope that announcer's call on the goal catches on.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iwqlziAnqSg

[bobbyhawks]

Sporting KC's Teal Bunbury scores for the national team against Chile.

I really hope that announcer's call on the goal catches on.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iwqlziAnqSg

I like that Boon-boo-ree.  Pretty hilarious.

The Wizards have been tweeting that one all over the place.

[szazzy]

I like that Boon-boo-ree.  Pretty hilarious.

The Wizards have been tweeting that one all over the place.

The US Soccer goal has close to 100,000 or so views in a few days. It's a normal goal, but an epic call. Who thinks of that on the fly? If the call had happened at a wizards game it probably wouldn't have taken off. Instead there was a remix out by the time the game was over, a ringtone, and a t-shirt design contest over at Sporting's facebook page.

It's actually going to really help the Cauldron this year, as the team is donating $5 for each shirt they sell to us. It's also raised the Cauldron's facebook peeps by about 100 in the last day. I'd love it if anyone here bought one. We're trying to re-organize this year before the season, and I think interest is at an all-time high, but are starting from zero funds for banners, flags, tifo displays etc. We're going to take a couple of the losing designs and make them into banners, stickers etc

[szazzy]

Do a lot of the players make their homes here? I guess I just kinda figured after the season they went back to their permanent homes, or played in winter leagues in the southern hemisphere or something. Really cool that Kamara lives here and is embracing the community.

From the Backpost.net's interview with Jimmy Nielsen http://www.backpost.net/2011/01/jimmy-n ... 52011.html, it sounds like he spent most of his offseason, including Christmas in Kansas City, rather than Denmark.

[szazzy]

[url=http://The%20boonbooree%20t-shirts%20are%20on%20sale%20through%20February%209th]The boonbooree t-shirts are on sale through February 9th[/url]. The Cauldron launched a "waiting site" http://www.boonbooree.com until the new kccauldron.com is designed. The team printed the top 2 designs, and 5 bucks from each goes to support the Cauldron's efforts. Also there's a road trip to Chicago for the March 26th game, you can get a spot on the bus/es we're chartering through the same link. If you pair/quad up, you can do travel and lodging for under $120. Rumors are that your game ticket will be provided as part of the new Membership model, but I can't promise that yet.

If you ever wanted to get the full experience of what makes soccer tick around the globe, catching an away game with supporters is the best way to find out. Anyone is welcome.

[szazzy]

The Cauldron fundraiser ends today w the boonbooree t-shirts at 5pm. Last second impulse buy...click it....you can't resist.

http://www.boonbooree.com

Sales have actually gone really well for what it is - around 200 right now. I thought we'd sell 30-50, kind of a niche of a niche idea. We put that money back into color, banners, making away support cheaper for fans etc. The idea is to make this a self-sustaining supporters association that makes what fans want to do to support the team easier, bigger, and better. I guess like an alumni association but with beer pong, no dues, charity work, and blue collar folks.

The supporters roadtrip to Chicago on Mar. 26th is coming along quickly as well. It might be our largest travelling away group in team history. Even if you don't ride on the $80 roundtrip charter bus/es but you want to catch this game with us, you can reserve a room at the Marriot out of our block of rooms. Send me a PM if you think it sounds fun, but a little weird going on a trip with a bunch of fans you don't really know.

Also, does anyone have any ideas on how we can reach out to find Kansas Citians that live all over the country? We want to get KC people that live in LA, Chicago, Dallas etc to come and stand with us. There are always Wizards fans at every game on the road, we just want to get those fans together so it's a better experience for everyone who enjoys being w/fellow fans.

[KCMax]

2011 Schedule is out. First ten games on the road of course. Grand opening of the new stadium is June 9 against Chicago on ESPN 2.

http://www.sportingkc.com/news/2011/02/ ... s-schedule

[KCRoyal]

According to the Sporting KC schedule, the stadium's name will be "Sporting Park".  Is this official?

http://www.sportingkc.com/schedule

[KansasCityCraka]

If it is they just announced it in the past 2 days. I looked at the schedule on Wednesday and it still had it listed as KC Soccer Stadium. I can't find anything else about the name online.

[KCFutbol]

Should be a placeholder until the sponsor is announced.

[KansasCityCraka]

Should be a placeholder until the sponsor is announced.

Have they announced that they have a deal in place with a company already? Or just speculation?

[KCFutbol]

Have they announced that they have a deal in place with a company already? Or just speculation?

Informed speculation on the stadium sponsor. There should also be a shirt sponsor announced soon.

[zonk]

Stadium sponsor?  Field sponsor?

Who's a likely corporate candidate for sponsorship?  someone local....Garmin?  Who else local could?

[KCMax]

Stadium sponsor?  Field sponsor?

Who's a likely corporate candidate for sponsorship?  someone local....Garmin?  Who else local could?

Cerner?

Garmin seems like a natural fit. They sponsor lots of outdoorsy sports stuff, and the soccer crowd seems to overlap with their marketing audience a bit.

[Ez Street]

Doesn't make sense for Cerner to sponsor. I think they've ruled that out also...

Fans seem to want Boulevard for a shirt sponsor, although I doubt that's who it will be. Garmin would be nice for the Stadium.

Garmin Park
Garmin Sports Park
Garmin Field
Garmin Stadium

Meh.

[szazzy]

Bunbury out for a bit with a dislocated elbow. They're saying 4 weeks or so right now. It came after a challenge from Andrew Hainault. TMZ style speculation was immediately that Hainault, being Canadian, "was out to get" Bunbury for picking the USA over Canada. Don't buy it, but supposedly there is some resentment from Canadian players like Pat Onstad etc.

[szazzy]

Fun site we did to try and get the USMNT team here this summer - it wouldn't be a world cup but this will bring tourists from all over the country to downtown KC and the new stadium.

WE WANT THE USMNT JOB THIS SUMMER! AOKCdoesnotstop.com #givekcajob

To the American Outlaws, the KC Cauldron, and all those in Kansas City who love the beautiful game: Many of you have heard that we have a good chance to host the US Men?s National Team here this June for the 2011 Gold Cup. The Gold Cup is a long-running, prestigious tournament that decides the Champion of CONCACAF and awards a berth to the Confederations Cup. The last time the US visited was over 10 years ago and fans have been anxiously waiting for their return ever since.

A few weeks ago members of AOKC & the Cauldron decided it wasn?t enough to wait and see if we were chosen. We wanted to show the United States Soccer Federation that nobody will support our boys like we can in KC, and that this should be a no-brainer for them.

To do that we needed to ?earn the job? by working the hardest for it, showing the most desire to host it. We?re tired of being unemployed supporters, forced onto the road to look for USMNT work in Chicago, Nashville, and New York.

Kansas City is the greatest city and don?t let anyone tell you different. We have incredible fans, a new stadium on the way, and a beautiful city. This is the year that we make KC and the rest of the country take notice of what we?ve built here.

We created the website www.AOKCdoesnotstop.com to be our resume. If you go there before 10am, you will need to enter ?aokc? in the username and ?flipcup? in the password boxes, without the quotes. We will submit our resume to the USSF around 10.

This is where we really need your help!

None of this means anything if people don?t see it. We want you to send the link AOKCdoesnotstop.com to US Soccer?s official accounts and emails, journalists, friends, KC people and family and tell them to #givekcajob . That?s the twitter hashtag we?d like people to use so they can spread the word. Spam them if you have to. We don?t care.

If we are given the honor of hosting our country?s national team, we begin work that day to make June historic. We will thank the USSF through this site, and use it to blow up the pre-game, in-game, and post-game plans. We want to throw the most successful US Gold Cup celebration, and the best American Outlaws party ever.

Buckle your seatbelts, boys and girls This is going to be one amazing summer for soccer in Kansas City.

[zonk]

http://www.kansascity.com/2011/03/08/27 ... trong.html

Sporting KC has a new stadium name...!