Customer “service?”

OnGoal has been the owner of our beloved Kansas City Wizards for two years now. There have been many wonderful things done since they took over ownership: new stadium plans, a temporary home, and they are showing some signs of support towards the group of fans who stand in the Cauldron.

Their stated goal is to grow the Cauldron through a grassroots campaign. Those efforts paid off immensely last season with a huge influx of fans to the section. I admire the work that has been done by both OnGoal and the leadership of the Cauldron, however there are storms-a-brewing which may result in those efforts being for naught.

Customer service should be a primary tenet of OnGoal.

During the middle of last season up to 3:00 pm, the Friday before game day Cauldron tickets were reduced in price, below the level of what Cauldron season ticket holders paid, in an effort to continue to grow the section. OnGoal promised to compensate the Cauldron STHs for this with the offer of a jersey at cost. Here we are, a year later, and we still have yet to see the fulfillment of this promise. And no, free customization does not count.

Community America Ballpark was chosen as the temporary home of our team. To accommodate the Cauldron, the left field berm was paved and bleachered. This cost has been passed on to the Cauldron in the form of higher ticket prices compared to previous years. Not in and of itself a big deal, but the way in which it was accomplished left a bitter taste in the mouth of some fans thus spawning the creation of this collective.

Since the collective started, pressure behind the scenes has been brought to bear on another member of this collective to edit a post critical of the Cauldron in CAB. The tactic was effective and the offending entry was changed. Nothing was said publicly by the blogger but it was certainly noticed by regular readers.

We move to this season and the discovery that it is possible again to buy Cauldron tickets cheaper than STH prices (granted it’s by a minuscule amount but cheaper nonetheless). This, despite claims by OnGoal , they would not undercut their valued STH base like they had done last season.

When this was pointed out on Big Soccer, there was quite a dustup as a member of the organization came in to defend the action. Might this have been the same person referred to in the Collective post: Wizards Employee May Not Support First Amendment Rights. And if it was, perhaps said person has been pressuring others to change posts as well. Or maybe even call in a flash mob of non-employees to help stoke the fires of support for the team.

As the owners of the Wizards, OnGoal should have customer service as one of their top priorities. They have reportedly 10K paying customers for every home game. Keeping those customers happy should be nearly as important as putting quality on the pitch. Currently, OnGoal is not doing so well on the former. I can only hope this situation improves.


This has been,
Baine’s hunt and peck finger.

Our Needs

It's been too long, but time for another post. The US Open Cup is upon us, and surprisingly, the Wizards will get to host either LA or Colorado in their qualifier on June 4th. For season ticket holders they can use their Special Game A ticket. For people that want to buy tickets, it's $20.

$20? For a US Open Cup game? The US Open Cup has been a tournament that has been notoriously undervalued by MLS sides, as they normally throw reserve teams out until the semifinals or finals. And in fact, we aren't even talking about the real Open Cup, we're only talking about qualifiers to get into the Open Cup. $20 to watch the Wizards play at a high school stadium with permanent football lines on it. Talk about trying to get a hung bang for your buck, how many people who aren't season ticket holders are going to drop $20 on a game that will likely be mostly reserves. In the past these games have been $5-$10. A double to quadruple increase in ticket prices from years past for US Open Cup games. What has changed so drastically that they can justify having fans pay that to go to a game? You can get cheaper tickets at Wizards league games then you can for this game.

The Wizards front office better be hoping and praying that LA beats Colorado so that they can play up the Beckham possiblity. He won't be there though if they get through. As has been pointed out on bigsoccer, England plays Trinidad and Tobago in Trinidad 3 days before the match, and they play the US 3 days before that. Beckham's been called into camp for the matches. The Wizards won't care though, they'll still advertise Beckham possibly being there. In the end when he doesn't show up, they'll alienate a few more possible fans who were led to believe Beckham was going to be there.

As for season ticket holders and their Special Game A ticket. How does this justify a “special game”. In the past when special game tickets have been used for US Open Cup games, there has been some kind of deal involved with it, usually a 2 for 1 type of deal where your ticket got you and someone else into the game that night. But that's ok they'll say, we're still waiting for that international friendly tournament we've heard about this offseason. I just can't contain my excitement waiting for that announcement (end sarcasm).

The front office is already spinning this site towards the positive, saying it best fits “our needs.” This is the same kind of talk we heard when CAB was announced as the temporary site, and there has only been 1 sell out at the stadium, only ONE game over 10,000 in a stadium that seats just over that amount. That doesn't sound like a site that fits all “our needs”. The site has really poor site lines for much of the paying customers, and the team has already realized that by making the part behind home plate GA along with the berm, because those seats were ALWAYS empty in the 4 games so far this season.

Forgive me for not being overly excited about spending $20 or my Special Game A ticket to watch a QUALIFER for the US Open Cup. The Wizards front office have shot themselves in the foot again and are overestimating their fan base's willingness to pay $20 for what will amount to a reserve game for the most part. As I said though, it won't be advertised as such. Should LA win it will be advertised as “Come see David Beckham on a high school field” cue my rolling eyes.

As always, this has been
Baine's Right Leg.

Wizards Get 3rd Billing.

Today the Wizards released their promotion for the first game of the season. This fact has caused quite a stir on bigsoccer, with many people not in favor of the idea. The team has come back with a response on their official blog, Hillcrest Road.

To me, the team completely misses the point of many of the people's arguments against it. In the press release that the Wizards sent out to the media, the team says "Kansas City Wizards to Host Dora the Explorer, Scooby Doo, DC United Saturday March 29 at Community America Ballpark in KCK." The problem is the order at which the game appears in the release. To posters like AndyMead and kuhnscoot on bigsoccer the game looks like it is playing third wheel to the two cartoon characters that will be at the game. I have to agree with those two, and I'm sure we're not the only ones. The fact that the opponent on that day appears third on the list of things hosted by the Wizards says to me that the team cares more about the outside activities then the actual event.

This is a press release that the team sent out to the media. What's that say about the importance of your product in the eyes of the people that read that release?

Even in their own blog entry, the team seems to miss the point. The post talks about the fact that the team has events planned out for people of all ages and that this is just one of the things that is planned out for younger fans. They also mention that there will be an event for the 18-35 year old crowd in Lawrence coming up (the fact that the Kansas City Wizards are having their big party for that age group in Lawrence is a completely different thing). But as I said, the team misses the point. The fact is, it's the importance that the team appears to put on this event instead of the game. Even on their website when they talk about the event, is it a picture from a Wizards-DC game last year or some other thing about the team? No it's a picture of Scooby Doo in the article, and on the main page is a picture of a Dora balloon.

OnGoal and MLS have said in the past that they are in support of the "Game First Initiative " yet this seems to go against that.


This has been,
Baines Right Leg

Fire Sale

On 14 January Cerner Corp. cuts 97 jobs in the KC area. Company spokeswoman Kay Hawes said that the local layoffs were part of global job eliminations totaling 152 positions. This is not good news for Cerner Stock holders. As if the 3rd quarter report of Cerner shares losing $5.93, or 9 percent was not bad enough.

I know you all are thinking this has no effect on us or the Wiz. Or does it?

That's 97 former employees that will not buy tickets for themselves or their family. I might go as far as to say some will probably never have anything to do with any of Mr. Neal Patterson's holdings.

As for the the Wizards they are saving money by trading away Nick Garcia and Jose Burciaga . And look at the cash they save in salary and make in transfer fees by letting Eddie Johnson go with out a fight.

Now we hear that Sasha is out the door too. Who will be next, Jack Jewsbury , Kerry Zavagnin or even Jimmy? Will we have any experienced starters left?

Now if we can have a moment of silence for those Wizards you may not have ever heard of. Yes I mean our waivered Youth.

Edson Elcock - waived
AJ Godbolt - waived
Chris Konopka - waived
Willy Guadarrama – waived

I would like to thank you all for your service to the Wizards and the community. Some of you have been kind enough to volunteer your time to this community. Some have taken leadership roles, others have sold themselves.

Strange how both Cerner and On Goal LLC. seem to be cutting costs.

This has been,
Baines Breath.

The season is right around the corner.

Yes, believe it or not, the fans are getting excited about the draft.

Lets be brutally honest, the fans opinions really mean nothing when it comes to player personnel decisions. What am I really saying? Peter and Curt could care less what you and I think. Just send the sales department your money for those tickets and Sing and Chant. Face it you and I do not know what is best for the Club. If we did we would be working for them.

I have to say that BenC1357 might be right. " I mainly have this feeling because the top players in the draft usually use MLS as a stepping stone toward Europe and MLS never sees their best days, or they simply flop. " And Curt's is quote in the Star, “We want to be a franchise that’s selling players all the time” makes BenC1357 correct.

But lets look at who we might get anyway.

Patrick Nyarko He is 21+ and a 6 footer. Not bad height for a MLS but a bit short for most European teams. Comes with ACC honors and could develop into something special. Conclusion Curt would sell him.

Sean Franklin Nice career at Cal State, does have international experience. Short but fast. Can play DM or D. Current Club San Fernando Valley Quakes

Julius James All-American honoree and collected BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Year. Nice size for a physical defender and has the potential of representing Trinidad and Tobago. What does this mean? If he wants to play for MLS, he will only be a Youth International (YI) for one season. This is a serious problem for him and undercuts his value.

Chance Myers First-team All-Pac-10 honoree. Another DM and has been chosen to Participate in under 23 service. Hello Beijing. Could be a problem. I as a fan hate to lose half the team to national call up.

Eric Avila A true midfielder, M.A.C. Hermann trophy candidate. Someone who might step up in Davey's absence.


What the Wiz need is are forwards, defenders, wing and center back (now say goodbye Nick and Jose). And anyone who went to a match last season knows they need a Midfield. Just watching the ball go from a defender to a forward was getting pretty boring.

Lets Face the facts. We have traded away talent and are rebuilding. This means as fans we may as well admit that we have the potential of losing a lot of our games, although the Wizards will find a pretty way to package the truth and won't admit to rebuilding.

All of this really does not matter because Peter and Curt have already made their decisions. They will pick the players that have the most value, or should I say resale value.

Enjoy the baseball stadium, Stand a chant, and watch us rebuild this team for a winning inaugural season in the SSS.


This has been,
Baines Breath.

The Cauldron

There's been a lot of talk lately in blogs and on message boards about the Cauldron and it's location at Community America Ballpark. The arguments have gone from the pricing of the Cauldron season ticket to the support of the section.

The price for one season ticket in the Cauldron for this coming season is $299 for a 15 game regular season, and apparently 3 special game tickets. So over the course of the season, people are paying $16.61 for a ticket to the game. Of course that's if the Wizards use all 3 special game tickets this season. Which personally I don't see happening. Usually you get 2 special game tickets, 1 for the first round of the playoffs and one for the conference final. Does this mean the Wizards have a friendly with a team on the horizon for the coming season, or are they just adding the extra ticket so that they can make the ticket prices per ticket for ALL season tickets look lower?

Since we haven't played a friendly at home since 1997. I have my doubts that it's for a friendly.

Many people that have been part of the Cauldron for years are now having to look at possibly relocating to the berm where the tickets are cheaper. They aren't doing so without complaining though. A big part of the Cauldron's growth this past season was the fact that the Cauldron was the cheapest ticket for the games. Will it still be so without that fact this season? That's hard to tell.

What can Cauldron members who are pissed about the price and the move out of the section do? Accept it? Or do like La Porra has done and be organized? Kansas City's Argentine supporters group received discounted tickets last season for the Cauldron, and I would not be surprised to see them receive it again this season.

My suggestion is to get organized. Start the push for dues or to get the Cauldron more organized. Supporters groups all around the league are able to have some kind of pull with the front office because the group is organized. Paying members of the Red Bulls, ESC get discounted season tickets as a perk of being paying members of the group. Barra Brava lists some of their benefits on their website. Included in their benefits are discounted tickets and even discounted parking among other things. I'm sure that other supporters groups have similar benefits too. Why can't the Wizards work with the Cauldron's leadership to try to get similar benefits for the paid Cauldron members if and when they start collecting dues?


That can't be the only benefit for members though. There has to be more to it then that. And all of it can't come from the team. Barra Brava has t-shirts, the Midnight Riders list their benefits on their website. Those extra benefits have to come from the group itself.

This is not to say that the section should become a reserved section for only those paying dues, no. The section should still be GA for the group of the group.

If you agree, contact the Cauldron leadership, all their emails are on the website, and tell them you want the group more organized.

This has been,
Baines Right Leg

Sense For the Centsless

Thank you Dave (Ficklin) and Dave (WizardsCharter) for making the most sense out of this yet. I am a firm believer in communication. I believe this to be true of most people that if you explain the reason(s) behind decisions most people will accept the decision easier than handing it down as law.

This being said I want to say I was originally quite frustrated by the new costs to sit in the Cauldron. I do not have a lot of disposable money and my entertainment dollars go almost entirely to the Wizards. It was pretty hard to understand how the FO was doing us a favor by charging such a price for metal bleacher seats that the T-bones are getting to keep.

I could begin to justify this more in my mind if I believed that part of the 2008 STH Cauldron price was to begin to pay for a new stadium. I wish it were more about building on our future and less about covering construction costs for upgrades to a minor league ballpark.

I am grateful that Kansas City still has a soccer team and we didn’t have to see them leave only to have to bid on an expansion team once we finally had a SSS built, assuming that Kansas City would have continued to prove that it loved the beautiful game enough to make this happen. Perhaps its easier to be short sighted and complain about costs than to look into the reason for the price hike.

I accept this price hike like swallowing a double-edged sword. On one hand I see the need to cover the construction costs at CAB and to begin to build the Cauldron foundation outside the “hallowed” walls of Arrowhead. (Alas this foundation will cost quite a bit to move yet again.) On the other hand I also see the FO for the crafty foxes they are. Similar to the oil companies it’s easier to stomach today’s fuel prices after having paid in the low 3s earlier this year. Raise the price, knock it down, raise it again. By the time we move into the Three Trails SSS we won’t choke quite so quickly on the price they will want the 12th man to pay.

Oh but the price would be greater without a home team. The price of silence, beauty lost, aspirations fading. I will pay to keep the cacophony of the Cauldron, the beauty of the game and the dreams of the youth who play to one day be a Wizard.



"As long as Qi flows freely through the meridians and the Organs work in harmony, the body can avoid disease."

This has been,
Baines Qi

TIF Commission reschedules Bannister Mall

The TIF Commission of Kansas City has decided to hold a special meeting on Wednesday Nov. 7 to review the $943 million redevelopment proposal for Bannister Mall and surrounding area. My understanding is this does include what remains of Benjamin Stables. Aaron March, a lawyer with White Goss Bowers March Schulte & Weisenfels PC who is representing Three Trails Redevelopment LLC asked the commission to hear its request a week before the next regular TIF meeting. Aaron March said the earlier date would let the Kansas City Council consider the commission's recommendation this year. Waiting another week probably would have pushed the council's consideration into January.

Out of the $943M Bannister Mall plan, $55.5 million in TIF has been requested covering roughly six percent of the anticipated budget. Reportedly, this is the largest plan to come before the commission since the Kansas City Council passed the new incentives and economic development policy in August that Mayor Funkhouser pressed for. This policy was changed as a result of the former city auditor’s publicly stated view that the commission was too lax in administering incentives.

Hell I wish I knew how much the stadium they have planned will cost. $943M WOW. Do you think the Stadium will cost $55M? Do you really think that OnGoal and the developer want the city to pay for the stadium? Get real. More than likely the $55M will be used to tear down the buildings, rearrange the infrastructure, redeveloped the utilities and possibly pay for environmental impact studies. What I am saying is that the $55M TIF will be used to clean the place up, and make it consumer friendly. I doubt they would move the new Fire station.

That leaves approximately $886.5M coming out of the pockets of the redeveloper and the Kansas City Wizards for a kick butt Stadium hosting men’s and women’s soccer and some youth fields. Keep dreaming. Maybe $50M of the $886.5M would go to stadium and youth field development, but I doubt it. That leaves a lot of cash to develop a currently large expanse of wasted land. With what you ask? With office space, retail shops, and of course great restaurants. Sorry Mr. Woody Woodruff that does mean jobs for the local community. I know you hated hearing that, but a job is a job.

You out there. Yes you. If you live in Kansas City proper start writing your councilmen and women. Let them know you support redeveloping Bannister Mall. Show up at the TIF meeting and be seen and heard. You can make a difference. If you are like me and live outside Kansas City ask your co-workers and friends to write their council member as well as the TIF Commission appointees like Claudia Oñate Greim, and Margaret May. Here is your chance to be heard and make a difference.



Please be a part of the solution.
This has been,
Baines Breath

Wizards Employee May Not Support First Amendment Right.

Sam has posted comments for all to enjoy. So if I may I shall reply to his comments.

As all can see, Sam your first amendment right exists on this Blog. I have not and will not alter your comment in any way. If you would like to have a page to state your observations feel free to e-mail Baines Breath. It will get published. After all this is a collective.

As for Anonymous blogging, I as well as others, have posted on BS for years feeling we have to hold back at times. Granted Sam you have no ability in BS to moderate us, yet it has been stated in conversation that some have received calls, email and AIMs from you requesting we delete posts. Why? Did those posts get your goat, jeopardize your future position with the Wizards, or was/is the front office not able to handle criticism. I think it is not the latter of choices.

I know this is not rubbish. You Sam have done that. Tuesday you called Baines Finicky Liver and told him he was wrong and needed to correct his statement. This is a fundamental problem driving those pressured by you to join the collective. Do not think of it as a Blog but as an open forum for all to read. You do not need to be a member. You do not need to worry about personal attack. You cannot be called an idiot here. (I delete name-calling) Just e-mail something to Baines Breath and voila it is published. Yes it’s open to all. The best thing about this Blog, come closer…no… closer, YOU DO NOT HAVE TO READ IT.
Now, I bid you, good day Sir.

FAQs:
Why did I start this Blog?
It’s a not a secret that OnGoal has some unhappy fans. I started it to say out loud what your fans say behind your back. You see some may say they speak their mind but they really don’t because they might get a phone call, AIM or e-mail from the great and powerful Sam asking for them to play nicey nice. When someone says something to the front office directly they receive the pat answer, “be patient, we plan to announce something in two or three weeks. ” Rather than submitting their thoughts to the Wizards only to hear the same mantra, some choose to keep it to themselves or share it with me. This gives me fodder for blogging. Thank you for your mafia style censorship.

Does my, Joe Baines, opinion matter?
Every person’s opinion matters. That is why the collective is here. Please in the future do not pressure someone to make an addendum to their Blog, just write something yourself and state your opinion.

Is there an Emotion Quotient test I can take to measure my commitment to the Cauldron and the Wizards?
Sure. Just e-mail Sam Pierron with the Wizards and he can provide you with the test.

In closing. As for your statement, “Just trying to help, because nobody has more emotionally invested in the success of the section as I do.” I personally know of at least 25 Cauldronites and Big Soccer posters who also step up every time the Wizards and Heart of America Soccer Foundation ask them. They spend their own money and ask relatives for favors to get things done so our section looks good on camera. Have you stepped up this season and offered to pay for the 50 new flags? All the new Banners? These are the same volunteers that are/were at every game under our new ownership and while ownerless, putting the club before themselves. They have just as much emotionally invested in this section as you do.

Again, thank you Sam for all you have done.
I would also like to thank those that have bought celebration materials, beer, and food and donated their precious time to the section.


This has been,
Baines Breath

Lost In Translation

When you write 3,000 words on a topic that you have a 1,000-word limiton, sometimes the original meaning isn't going to come through clearlyin the wash. Especially when discussing a topic that generates such passion.

After re-reading yesterday's missive, there seems to be a disconnect between the meaning of "nothing" in my head and the meaning of"nothing" as it may be interpreted from the final product on the page.

I suppose that it's more important to look at the context. When Mr.Maday asked that question, I interpreted it as "What large scale, proactive and tangible things has OnGoal done to help the Cauldron grow?" (Yeah, I managed to parse all of that out in the half-second Ihad before answering...)

So many of the things that the Cauldron has done throughout the years have been of our own accord and in spite of the previous ownership group. Aside from the openness and willingness of OnGoal to accommodate us, the initiation has remained largely unchanged this year. From the scarves that we've done, the Man Of The Match scarves that are presented to the Wizards players, the t-shirts that you see on our members, the flags that hang from the railing in front of our section and flying in our section during the game, and the intricate tailgate (which is open to the public, by the way... Don't be scared, we don't bite.) put on before each game, all of that has come to fruition through the sweat and hard work - and in some cases considerable financial outlays - of the denizens of the Cauldron.

I certainly didn't mean to slight the many things that OnGoal has doneto help grow the Cauldron throughout the 2007 season. From the increased and improved marketing of the Wizards and the Cauldron experience to a college-age audience to the efforts to broker a deal for an appropriate level of self-policing in the Cauldron to their assistance with the flags that have recently made an appearance,OnGoal has indeed done considerably more than "nothing."Has the Cauldron received help from OnGoal? Yes, definitely... We couldn't have done some of the things that we have done without their help. We asked and were certainly pleased with the help that the newownership group has provided. And there are some things that theyhave done that we haven't taken full advantage of.

Do we appreciate it? Cautiously, I'll say that we appreciate it more than the people who are providing the help know. (Yes, we're a bitgun shy. After the missteps this year and several years of conditioning to expect the worst, it's only understandable.)The interest is there. The efforts have started. But if I were asked the question again, I still don't think I'd change my answer, and I hope you understand why.

This has been (again)
Baines Finicky Liver

Kudos to Mr. Maday of OnGoal, LLC.

Lest the complaints be thrown around that the Baines Thought Collective is just a bunch of negativists, here are some kudos for OnGoal, LLC.


On Friday, Greg Cotton stopped by the tailgate with an odd gift for the Cauldron – 80 bottles of Kansas City’s finest barley pop (Boulevard) – inspiring comparisons to Steve Pastorino (Real Salt Lake) and Stan Kroenke (Colorado Rapids), both of whom have made a regular effort to contribute to the respective supporters groups, as well as Peter Wilt, a man whose dedication to the fans is legendary within MLS circles. As anyone who has been around the Cauldron in any fashion can tell you, we always enjoy a good beer (or several) before a game. Marcelo Balboa can even attest to the fine beer tastes of the Cauldron, as he enjoyed an Irish Car Bomb with us at the US-Mexico World Cup Qualifier over Labor Day weekend 2005. Not surprisingly, Mr. Cotton’s gift was well received.
But what was more intriguing was a discussion that Greg Maday had with some of the gentlemen who are behind the tailgate itself. After sampling the fine array of smoked goods offered up and proclaiming it better than anything he’d tasted at the American Royal (you know, the big assembly of the “best” competitive BBQ teams in the country held in Kansas City every year), Mr. Maday asked what the front office had done to help the Cauldron.
The reply – nothing – surprised him. True, the reply wasn’t entirely accurate by the letter; the Front Office stepped in to make arrangements for a traveling group of fans to stay at the team’s rate in the team hotel in the Wizards’ visit to the Dick (Dick’s Sporting Goods Park) to play Colorado, and coordinated a bus to transport fans to the game and back in Chicago in more recent memory.
He questioned why. The answer is that we have never asked. After several requests and years of abysmal treatment by the previous ownership group, the Cauldron had learned its lesson. We have had to grow on our own, often fighting Hunt Sports Group and Curt Johnson tooth and nail for every little concession.
What impressed me most about the conversation with Mr. Maday was his sincerity as he said that there has to be something the Front Office can do to help. While there have certainly been some stumbles this season on both sides, the increase in atmosphere and sheer numbers of folks exhibiting real passion for the Wizards has been evident.
Sure, the many season ticket holders who purchased season tickets under the promise (later broken) that the Wizards would be a) playing games in a smaller, temporary venue; and b) wouldn’t be offering any random ticket discounts ala the oft-abused “Zard Card” of years past have a legitimate complaint, one still needing to be made whole and not necessarily by the opportunity to spend more money with the team.
No, the sincerity of Mr. Maday’s conviction that OnGoal can do something to help those who have supported and inspired this team with passion and vigor, traveling hundreds of miles to away games and standing throughout the entire 90 minutes of each home game to lend voice and desire to the men on the pitch, was impressive. Not just because he was out there – Curt Johnson used to come out to one tailgate a year and allow the fans to ask him any question – but because he was earnest and sincere about wanting to support those fans who have given so much in support of this team.
And it’s not just Mr. Maday that has shown that belief either. Neal Patterson and his wife have visited many a Cauldron tailgate, even going so far as to pump the keg for one of the traveling fans in Denver, and Robb Heinemann sported a Wizards away kit with “Cauldron” and the number 1 on the back at Friday’s match.
Whether these sincere promises become fulfilled or leaves us longing for the days of the Hunt Sports Group – where we knew that we were going to be shat upon, but it didn’t cost as much – remains to be seen. On the whole, however, it is encouraging. It is a sign that we finally have an ownership group who “gets it” about soccer.

There are missteps and problems that will need to be worked out as we both grow, but this ownership group finally seems to realize that taking care of your best customers – the ones who are addicted to your product – will have marked benefits in the long run in attracting additional customers. To put it simply, it’s easier (and cheaper) to take care of your existing customer base than it is to generate new customers, and much easier than to win back old customers.
To co-opt a line from a movie, if you build an atmosphere at a soccer game that rivals the atmosphere at a Chiefs game, people will come. You can’t build that atmosphere with corporate suits and soccer moms. That is not to say that the soccer moms, corporate suits and plastic eurosnob scenesters of the Kansas City metro – that made an abundant showing at the LA Galaxy game (you know, the one allegedly set to feature a certain England midfielder) don’t have a place in the success of the Wizards, as they’ve all ponied up and purchased tickets, but they’re not as profitable to the bottom line as the long term season ticket holders and the Cauldron.

So in closing, allow this collective to express a sincere, generous but cautious thank you to OnGoal, LLC. If your actions speak as loud as your words, there is a great deal of potential as we move forward.

This has been,
Baines’ finicky liver.

Tax Increment Financing Commission

It has been brought to my attention by a friend that works for one of the redevelopment firms here in Kansas City that some interesting things might be happening at the October 10 Tax Increment Financing Commission meeting at 9:00 am.


Agenda:

Tax Increment Financing Commission
Board Meeting Package
City of Kansas City, Missouri

DATE: October 10, 2007
TIME: 9:00 a.m.
PLACE: Economic Development Corporation Board Room, 4th Floor
1100 Walnut, Suite 1700
Kansas City, Missouri

1. Roll Call.

2. Consideration of approval of Minutes. (Jessica Middleton)

3. Finance: Consideration of Financial Report, and other matters related thereto. (Stefany Williams) Exhibit 3

Public Hearing – 9:30 a.m.

4. 1200 Main/South Loop TIF Plan – Seventh Amendment: Consideration of approval of the Seventh Amendment of the 1200 Main/South Loop TIF Plan, and other matters related thereto. (Missy Wilson) Exhibit 4

Public Hearing – 10:00 a.m.

5. 43rd & Main TIF Plan – Fifth Amendment: Consideration of approval of the Fifth Amendment of the 43rd & Main TIF Plan, and other matters related thereto. (Jenna Wilkinson) Exhibit 5

Public Hearing – 10:30 a.m.

6. Three Trails TIF Plan – Second Amendment: Consideration of approval of the Second Amendment of the Three Trails TIF Plan, and other matters related thereto. (Steve Rinne) Exhibit 6

Public Hearing – 11:00 a.m.

7. West Edge TIF Plan – Second Amendment: Consideration of approval of the Second Amendment of the West Edge TIF Plan, and other matters related thereto. (Drew Kloeppel) Exhibit 7

Nothing out of the ordinary so far.

A friend involved with the EDC was gathering some information on the meeting and learned that Mayor Funkhouser has asked for time to speak at the meeting. Should this be that shocking? I hope not, after all he's for "special" TIF projects today and against other TIF projects tomorrow. I hope the developers and On Goal LLC/Wizards have made sure they padded their proposal for the Three Trails TIF Plan. It would be nice to see one sport franchise assist the community instead of raping them like the old guard sports franchises do.

Also some members of the Commission wanted to postpone the meeting to be its own. Is this a ploy for they believe that the Three Trails TIF Plan as it's been proposed will not succeed. We won't know until the 10th. After all how many times have they tabled the Three Trails TIF Plan so far?

Pray for a positive conclusion.

This has been,
Baines Breath.

Season Tickets

I’ve been hearing rumors lately that you can call the Wizards offices to put down your deposit for 2008 Wizards season tickets. Call me crazy, but don’t you need to have a venue to play in before you should start doing that? Last year I had trusted in blind fate that the team would have somewhere for the team to play this year, so I had no problem throwing down my $50 deposit. Maybe it was the newness of having new ownership, or the fact that they were doing it while the season was still going on, instead of in January, like the previous ownership.

Not any more. My season tickets will not be renewed until I have seen a confirmed release on where the team will be playing next year. From listening to the radio and reading blogs, it had sounded like an announcement was suppose to come around the time of the Beckham game, so that the team could capitalize on that. Well, here we are going on two weeks since that game and still no announcement on where the team will be playing.

I’d also heard from Greg Cotton in a radio interview that he had stated that they hoped to have the permanent site announced as well. This is a little more excusable, as the whole process is currently out of their hands, waiting for the KC TIF council to decide on whether the Wizards and Lane4’s plan for the former Bannister Mall location is worth the TIF that they are asking for.

My point still remains, though; I will not be sending the Wizards any money towards the 2008 season until I have seen where the team is playing next year. I’d like to close by thanking Baine for the opportunity to post here in his collective.

This has been,
Baines right leg

Larry Baines

No my name is not Larry Baines. I am not a graduate of Shawnee Mission West. No I am not a guidance counselor there either.

I am a Wizards fan though. Tonight at the Wizards season ticket holder galla at the Zoo they are going to say thank you to all of us and then we will relive all of those great moments of 2007.

In no way tonight are they going to ask you for your deposit for the 2008 season tickets. We all know that they would let us know where we are playing next season before they will ask us for our money. But, they have already started asking for money. Hmmm.

Here's to one more season at Arrowhead. So the Legend goes in Kansas.

Legends has it,
This has been
Baines Breath

John Hancock Lives

Thanks to freedom of speech, congratulations should go out to Wizards Fans everywhere. Also kudos to the voice of sanity in the front office.

What am I talking about? Here's the low down. An attempt to appease the fan base has been made by the Wizards organization.
Dateline 09/25/2007 6:49PM
Wizards announce benefits for Thursday ticket-holders

Great stuff here.
They are giving us Free Parking! For those of you that have been to a match this season so far nothing has changed. If you’re a season ticket holder, remember when they informed you that parking was included in your ticket package for the Beckham game? You get nothing and will like it.

"Buy one playoff ticket; get one free playoff ticket for the first home playoff game." It gets no better than this, especially if we make it to the playoffs. Woe is the season ticket holder who should use Ticket A, and B. Now, if you the season ticket holder wish to purchase extra tickets you may take advantage of this offer.

"A drawing for three kids to have a Wizards starting player...visit their school." Yes, your child has a 1 in..... lets see.. 25 to 30 thousand tickets sold for this match, and say 24% of those are children under 14 years of age. A 1 in 7,500 chance of being that lucky child. Just face it the odds are completely against your child winning this drawing.

NASCAR driver David Ragan signing autographs before the game. Not sure what car he drives but this is cool. Of course where in the Metro can you not meet a NASCAR driver this weekend?

A performance by the band Liverpool. Love their version of the White album. Excuse me. Do we not have a band at every game?

"[A] special pre-game tribute to Galaxy midfielder Cobi Jones." Please make sure you keep beer away from all kitchen utensils, spoons in particular. We do not want beer to be flung at Cobi again.

"The first 10,000 fans into the stadium will receive blue and white thundersticks courtesy of game-sponsor M&I Bank, and the game ball will be delivered to mid-field by jet pack. After the game there will be a fireworks show and then Wizards players signing autographs." I like Fireworks. I liiiike Fireworks! I LIKE FIREWORKS!

Lets not forget the Blue Flags in the KC Cauldron. Start at post#28

And last but not least do not forget tea bagging 2007. Just a little reminder. Thursday night, when the the game clock reads 12 minutes 16 sec, we throw 2 tea bags high into the air as a symbolic gesture of protest, such as our fore fathers did on Thursday December 16, 1773 to protest the Tariffs the British imposed on them. The 2007 Kansas City version of the Boston Tea Party.

One Last thing. What are the Wizards going to do to make the season ticket holders feel better about those extra tickets they purchased? With the exception of NASCAR driver David Ragan, and of course we can't forget the jet pack ball delivery, it sounds just like every other home game.

This has been,
Baines Breath.