2016 Tulsa Roughnecks Season Thread

[davideinstein]

Saint Louis tonight. We are miserably bad but drinking is fun?

[TulsaRufnex]

Team has no heart, no sense of urgency at home, now against their biggest rival... first time I saw that on display was the uninspired effort at home against Portland Timbers 2.
I'd fire that coach so fast he wouldn't know what hit him (except maybe the door on his way out).

Roughnecks FC's next game is a "friendly" at FC Wichita of the NPSL this Tuesday night, June 7th. Tickets are $12 each.
The teams have one common opponent they played last month in the US Open Cup:  the Des Moines Menace.
FC Wichita lost to Des Moines 2-1 on a late goal in Wichita while Tulsa lost to Des Moines 2-0 in Des Moines.
This will be the Roughnecks third exhibition match this season against FC Wichita, playing preseason in Wichita previously on April 9th and in Tulsa March 19th.
Yet they refuse to play across town against the Tulsa Athletics, who happen to be in the same league and conference as FC Wichita.
Pathetic.  Just pathetic.

http://www.fcwichita.com/product/june-7-vs-tulsa-roughnecks-ga/
http://www.tulsaroustabouts.com/event/1166/
http://www.futbolwichitalive.com/2015/04/02/fc-wichita-vs-tulsa-roughnecks-april-9-at-700pm/
http://www.fcwichita.com/2015/04/friendly-tulsa-roughnecks/

[davideinstein]

Nightmare season.

[shavethewhales]

Yeah, that Energy game was brutal. They're just kicking the ball around to each other until someone from the other team gets ahold of it and makes a shot. A couple flashes of competency here and there from some players, but hardly any teamwork.

The Energy supports once again out-shouted the home crowd, despite now having two separate supporters groups on each side of the field. The supporters didn't have much to say during the match. I am surprised there wasn't more of an attempt to stop the cursing from the Energy section though, you could here the F-bombs pretty clearly all around the stadium. This is a stadium with a splash pad and playground inside and a team that relies mostly on parents of soccer-playing kids, so they really can't let that slide.

I know a lot of people were really upset at both the cursing and poor play. The fireworks were the only saving grace. They are going to loose a lot of support this year if they don't turn things around.

[TulsaRufnex]

Tulsa Roughnecks FC oddly cancels their scheduled friendly this evening with FC Wichita at the very last minute...

http://www.fcwichita.com/2016/06/fc-wichita-opens-the-door-for-local-players/

"In the wake of Tulsa Roughnecks canceling their trip to Wichita at the last minute, we have an exciting make-up match that is sure to intrigue the local soccer community."

"All Pre-Order Tulsa Roughnecks tickets will be honored as admission and you will also receive a free ticket to the TIGRES U-23 (MX) vs FC Wichita match on June 27."

[davideinstein]

Yeah, that Energy game was brutal. They're just kicking the ball around to each other until someone from the other team gets ahold of it and makes a shot. A couple flashes of competency here and there from some players, but hardly any teamwork.

The Energy supports once again out-shouted the home crowd, despite now having two separate supporters groups on each side of the field. The supporters didn't have much to say during the match. I am surprised there wasn't more of an attempt to stop the cursing from the Energy section though, you could here the F-bombs pretty clearly all around the stadium. This is a stadium with a splash pad and playground inside and a team that relies mostly on parents of soccer-playing kids, so they really can't let that slide.

I know a lot of people were really upset at both the cursing and poor play. The fireworks were the only saving grace. They are going to loose a lot of support this year if they don't turn things around.

If you don't like cussing then soccer games might be a bad idea. Support groups are the lifeline to any successful club, not a family that is offended by a word they give power to.

[davideinstein]

Tulsa Roughnecks FC oddly cancels their scheduled friendly this evening with FC Wichita at the very last minute...

http://www.fcwichita.com/2016/06/fc-wichita-opens-the-door-for-local-players/

"In the wake of Tulsa Roughnecks canceling their trip to Wichita at the last minute, we have an exciting make-up match that is sure to intrigue the local soccer community."

"All Pre-Order Tulsa Roughnecks tickets will be honored as admission and you will also receive a free ticket to the TIGRES U-23 (MX) vs FC Wichita match on June 27."

Weird.

[shavethewhales]

If you don't like cussing then soccer games might be a bad idea. Support groups are the lifeline to any successful club, not a family that is offended by a word they give power to.

It doesn't bother me either way, but myself and the support groups are hardly the bread and butter of this production. There's no way you can argue that families don't represent the vast majority of their income. Not to mention being able to bring in the big group sales and renting out the pavilion for corporate dinners.

I know soccer fans like to defend bad behavior at all costs, like somehow the ball being kicked around makes it all OK, but they don't control anything here. As a business they have to pick one or the other and the choice should be obvious.

I know that's why there's a big rift between the FO and actual soccer fans. The way this club has been inserted into OneOK stadium makes it more of a production event than an actual soccer club. That's a whole other tangent though, but that's just the way it is.

[davideinstein]

It doesn't bother me either way, but myself and the support groups are hardly the bread and butter of this production. There's no way you can argue that families don't represent the vast majority of their income. Not to mention being able to bring in the big group sales and renting out the pavilion for corporate dinners.

I know soccer fans like to defend bad behavior at all costs, like somehow the ball being kicked around makes it all OK, but they don't control anything here. As a business they have to pick one or the other and the choice should be obvious.

I know that's why there's a big rift between the FO and actual soccer fans. The way this club has been inserted into OneOK stadium makes it more of a production event than an actual soccer club. That's a whole other tangent though, but that's just the way it is.

Spot on outside of something being labeled bad behavior. The last part will kill the franchise.

[Conan71]

If you don't like cussing then soccer games might be a bad idea. Support groups are the lifeline to any successful club, not a family that is offended by a word they give power to.

No, great play and entertainment is the lifeline of any successful club.  When did hooliganism, bad sportsmanship, and profanity make sports teams sustainable?

Were you even alive when the real Roughnecks packed them in at Skelly Stadium?

[davideinstein]

No, great play and entertainment is the lifeline of any successful club.  When did hooliganism, bad sportsmanship, and profanity make sports teams sustainable?

Were you even alive when the real Roughnecks packed them in at Skelly Stadium?

No but I've seen enough lower division soccer games along with the national team to know what the lifeline is.

Go to a Sporting game and tell me what the lifeline of that club is. Go to the US and tell me the Outlaws aren't the lifeline of that team. Go to Portland and tell me the Timbers Army aren't the lifeline of that club. Go to Detroit and tell me the Northern Guard aren't the lifeline line of that club.

Nobody at these games is a hooligan. Profanity is passion. Tulsa doesn't get it.

[davideinstein]

Actually, some Tulsans get it. Just not the ones operating Oneok. They get only the entertainment part, not winning or supporter culture.

[Conan71]

No but I've seen enough lower division soccer games along with the national team to know what the lifeline is.

Go to a Sporting game and tell me what the lifeline of that club is. Go to the US and tell me the Outlaws aren't the lifeline of that team. Go to Portland and tell me the Timbers Army aren't the lifeline of that club. Go to Detroit and tell me the Northern Guard aren't the lifeline line of that club.

Nobody at these games is a hooligan. Profanity is passion. Tulsa doesn't get it.

Personally, I could care less what is said.  However, this team is located in the absolute most red and fundamentally Christian state in the union.  Remember who the bulk of the audience is.  Most people may not share our indifference to the F-bomb.  If people with small children have an issue with it, they won't buy tickets. 

A pro soccer team will fail without youth league kids bringing parents to games.  Ever since the real Roughnecks left, there has been one failed venture after another.  It's not the 1000 or so really dedicated adult fans who float a team.  It's not even the other 1000 or so occasional fans like CF and myself who will help float a team.  It's all those Bible thumping families from Owasso, BA, Jenks, etc. who will buy the majority of the tickets.

Profanity shows lack of serious thought or creativity.  True passion can be expressed without it. 

All I'm pointing out is the real Roughnecks of the 1970's and 1980's easily pulled more than double the numbers this team has mainly by playing really great soccer, winning, or at least making it a close game and creating a family atmosphere.  I played in Green Country Soccer back then and were it not for the family support of the sport and youth league soccer's overwhelming support, it may never have achieved quite the popularity it did.

In addition, that club had recognizable heros like Alan Woodward, Billy Caskey, Charlie Mitchell, and others.  Even the Oilers revival in the early 1990's knew and appreciated that formula.  Even though the athletes were only making $400 a week, they were still recognizable people in the community due to great marketing.  Every casual sports fan would recognize Luc Beausoleil or Tom Karalis out and about town.

That's another failing of not just the pretend Roughnecks, but the Athletics as well.  They need to do a better job of creating recognizable heros in the community.

Again, the success of a pro sports team is not owed to the mosh pit of people who refuse to grow up.

[davideinstein]

http://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/detroit/2016/05/20/detroit-city-fc-moves-new-home-faces-new-challenge/84540324/

[davideinstein]

I think it's different now than it was back then. I think you misunderstand supporter groups though.