Photo: Earl Gardner
WOW. What a run this is. I am so excited for every game to see what magic the boys in blue could conjure. I’m treading dangerously close to permanent residence on the island of belief. This is not a common place of residence for Philadelphia Union fans. The team has had a bumpy ride in its five years. The recent soap operatic roller “coachster” is enough to make you hurl. But you can see something brimming in the players. It’s confidence. In honor of this swagger and (I believe) unprecedented run of form, I’ve decided to laud the Union for what they’ve gotten right over the years. Gold stars all around.
Off the field
PPL Park: While I personally think the proximity to the city leaves something to be desired considering all other sports stadiums are a MacMath punt within distance of each other, this stadium is a JEWEL. I’ve been lucky enough to see game action from various points in the park and there are about 10-15 seats that have a mildly obstructed view. Not to mention, it’s a sight to behold, the stadium is beautiful and the view of the bridge is one of the best in MLS. I’d say probably in the top five. I love exiting 95 and seeing it appear as we spiral down toward it…now can we move it?
The 3rd Jersey: Pure sex. It’s so well done. It captures the history of Bethlehem Steel FC (which had a pretty gorgeous logo itself). It’s black which is the best jersey color, hands down.The Bimbo logo is actually incorporated and also fits into the throwback theme. Now, I’m a sucker for a throwback jersey, so maybe I’m overrating this here, but I think it’s arguably the best looking jersey in MLS.
Fan Experience: So many factors combine here to make this such a high note. Part of it is PPL Park as mentioned above. You can be so close to the action for such a reasonable price. Meet the players events before and throughout the season allow incredible access to the players. The players themselves are accessible, they’re active on Twitter, sign autographs, and will talk to you after games. The ticket office bends over backwards to help you out. They hold fan forums to get feedback on the team. I think the way this team plays to its fanbase is incredible, especially now that things seem a bit more transparent.
Free parking for season ticket holders: Incredible, simple gesture. Make this an annual thing once people have held tickets for 5 years or so.
Victory Brewing Co. Beers a concessions: Ok, it’s only one stand. Please increase the deliciousness, but good on you for having at least this one.
On The Field
Bringing Back Le Toux: While letting the Frenchman leave our team could be on the opposite of this list, bringing him back into the fold cannot be understated. When he left, it felt weird and wrong. When he’s in the blue and gold, it feels right. He’s the Union’s talisman, the franchise’s best player, and the very definition of what it means to be a Union player. As much as any manager or front office person, Sebastien Le Toux has defined the style and character of this team.
Drafting Amobi Okugo: The only original man left. Amobi has been a solid contributor since he first stepped on the field. He’s lent the kind of consistency and quiet professionalism, a young team needed even while he grew up on the field. The Union and Okugo grew up together. It’s nice to see them maturing together as well.
Signing Edu, Maidana, Nogueira, Mbolhi: Whether or not you agree with all of the signings — the jury may still be out on Mbolhi due to small sample size — you can’t argue with the ambition such signings showed. It was a slow crawl to get there — it was hard to know what was going on as we hoarded more and more allocation money — but when we were able to pull the trigger on three signings in the winter transfer window, it was SO exciting. We didn’t even know what we had yet and we’re only now starting to figure it out and that’s even more exciting. Finally putting their money where their mouth was meant a lot to me as a fan and it is surely more exciting to be a Union fan knowing we’ve got the guts to make real moves.
It’s easy in any city to get down on the team you root for. In fact it’s part of being a fan, we care so much about these guys that it’s difficult sometimes to take what they’re doing and see the good. It’s much easier to focus on the negative. This recent run of form has really allowed me to be objective and see some of the light instead of the dark. So gold stars for the Union on these — feel free to add some of your favorites in the comment section –may they contribute to us getting some silver in the near future.
Another reason why I love this fantastic website.
Thanks Gau!
Good stuff Seth! I’d add the loyalty rewards program & Union dollars as an Off Field positive. I’ve cashed in points for some pretty cool experiences (FIFA tournament with players, my son as a player escort at last week’s Toronto match, stadium tours), and appreciate the discount at the store and concessions when using Union dollars. Nice overall program for STHs.
Philly is not my first MLS team, but you make me want to root for them over any other! Great job highlighting everything the Union is doing right.
One thing you left out about the fan experience is how friendly everyone on the PPL Park staff is. From the parking lot attendents to the ushers to the concession staff, I’ve never had a bad word to say about any of them. And that especially goes for special events like the River Cup. We must have had 3 people thank us for coming out and wishing us a safe drive home as we were leaving.
Great point Andy!
The staff there is top notch, I agree.
I mostly agree with everything you mentioned including the reader comments. But I have a different opinion on the location of the stadium. I live in south Jersey and I much rather have the stadium where it is than mixed in with the massive stadium complex in South Philly. Once the match is over It takes me less than 15 minutes to get to my car and get on the Commodore Barry bridge back to Jersey. It would be a real nightmare trying to get home after a match if we had to deal with Phillies or Flyers or Sixers or concert traffic. My only complaint is not having the parking lots paved. Management needs to get this done before the start of next season.
With the way this team draws a crowd, even being in Chester, I feel they would easily be able to draw enough to expand the stadium if they were close to the city. I could see them getting 25000-30000 people in the stadium on a Saturday night if they were in South Philly. It’s so much easier getting to the games for people living in the city.
I agree that it’s nice to have a Victory beer stand at PPL, but they need a lot more them (along with other craft beers) at the expense of locations where Bud, Bud Light, etc. are sold. The ratio of AB-InBev taps versus taps with craft brews seems about right for Eagles fans, but it is way too high for Union fans (come on FO, know your fan base!). The lines for the AB-InBev products are always much shorter than for the Victory and Dogfish taps, and it seems like those kegs are always kicked before kickoff every game.
There are Dogfish taps? How did I not know this?
Please share location of Dogfish taps! Perhaps if we legitimately overload them they will get the picture!
There is one Dogfish tap I am aware of in the “Beers of the World” beer stand near section 130. It is a generic Dogfish tap, but I think it’s usually 60 min IPA. For more information on this topic, google “beer guide to PPL park”. One dedicated fan put together a comprehensive list of all the beers available.
Gotta say it’s been great since day one! Hope Tuesday is a repeat of the first game at ppl park
Very nice piece (so non-Negadelphian!). I agree with everything you said, though I don’t beef about the stadium location — don’t forget that they needed state support to build it, so there’s a good reason it’s in Chester. I only wish there were a reasonable public transportation option to get to the stadium! But the drive is not bad at all from where I live in the lower Main Line, and I LOVE the fact that you can park for free on the Chester streets.
—
Also +1 for the beer! It makes me SO HAPPY that I can drink fine craft beer while I watch my favorite team! And considering that they’re served as 20 oz. drafts, the prices aren’t even too bad.
Very nice Seth! I really like the feel of PPL Park.Riversharks have a bridge in the outfield…PPL has the bridge and all sorts of ships passing the river end.I think it gives the park a special identity all its own. Love the different beers in the park also!!