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Roughnecks Purchased by Craft Brothers

Started by shavethewhales, August 23, 2019, 11:53:42 AM

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shavethewhales

https://www.publicradiotulsa.org/post/three-local-brothers-new-owners-tulsa-roughnecks

Considering the trajectory of the team, this can only be a good thing. It means the team has another couple years presumably to sort things out rather than folding like many of us assumed they would. The team has lost most of their games this year, similar to last year, and attendance is continuously dwindling. As I understand it, they were off to an OK start this year, but lost one of their best players to an on-field racial scandal? Someone better informed of the team feel free to correct me.

Point is, despite all our mixed feelings about this team, here is a fresh opportunity to start things over again. I haven't been to a game in a couple years, but I think I might stop by next week just for the sake of new beginnings.

If things take off for the team, these are the kinds of owners that could get us a soccer specific stadium.

sgrizzle

I think they are missing out on making beer named after themselves.

D-TownTulsan

Anyone notice the name change on social media / new logo? "FC Tulsa" seems to be the new direction the franchise is heading in.

rebound

 

shavethewhales

I don't get it. I understand they want to infuse fresh energy into the team, but the Roughnecks had a good brand built up, at least from the outside looking in. I wonder if there was some bad blood with the name due to the old front office or something... Maybe trying to get spurned fans back on board.

This new name and logo is so generic and boring. There's already a soccer team down in OKC using a scissortail on their crest: https://www.oklahomacityfc.com/aboutus

D-TownTulsan

Quote from: shavethewhales on December 04, 2019, 01:12:13 PM
I don't get it. I understand they want to infuse fresh energy into the team, but the Roughnecks had a good brand built up, at least from the outside looking in. I wonder if there was some bad blood with the name due to the old front office or something... Maybe trying to get spurned fans back on board.

This new name and logo is so generic and boring. There's already a soccer team down in OKC using a scissortail on their crest: https://www.oklahomacityfc.com/aboutus

I think I sort of get it. The Roughnecks "brand" is pretty historic to the city so that is a little disappointing. However, this is more of letting the city (IE art deco) drive the brand of the team. Sort of brings it to a more -it's a bit of a stretch- "international" level. Personally I kind of like the color choice, even the patina green is kind of neat, though it did seem they had to dig a little deep (mid-continent tower roof) to justify it. I wasn't the biggest fan of the Orange/Navy blue & "paint Tulsa orange" rally cry as it seemed a bit too corny.

If anything, hopefully it will stir the pot a bit and create more interest in the program. It seemed to be dwindling, and perhaps a re-brand is what can kick-start some excitement.

TulsaRufnex

#6
Quote from: D-TownTulsan on December 04, 2019, 10:46:14 AM
Anyone notice the name change on social media / new logo? "FC Tulsa" seems to be the new direction the franchise is heading in.

I remember having a few conversations with a couple of them late last summer (ran into Ryan at Caz's of all places) and I recommended they either go "full cover band" and call themselves the Roughnecks rebranding with the original 1970s/80s red/white/black team color scheme or or try to create a new brand.  They chose the latter.  I respect that choice.

By paying players on the cheap for the better part of 5 years, the Drillers have decimated the 5k or so in average attendance this franchise could have maintained at ONEOk by fielding a reasonably competitive team playing an attractive style of soccer.  They showed their hand by not making any substantial midseason moves (other than firing a coach), even after they were playing horribly in the middle of seasons... and ended up finishing dead last in seasons two and four....

The Crafts brought in a couple of players after they took over in August.
Otherwise, the Roughnecks would have finished dead last in the Western Conference again, marking the 3rd time in 5 years they've totally sucked.
Instead they finished 16th out of 18 teams, one position behind 15th place OKC Energy.
https://www.uslchampionship.com/league-standings

This offseason, they've managed to re-sign some players who would have either been poached by other teams or stopped playing altogether.
So, I guess this is a good sign.... oddly, they recently signed 2 forwards and 2 defenders from Miami FC's NPSL club that beat Tulsa Athletic in the playoffs in Miami, handing the A's our first/only loss of 2019.  Miami FC recently joined USL-Championship, so either FC Tulsa has poached some quality players from them, or they're getting some hand-me-downs from a club that wants to upgrade to field a more competitive team in USL than they did in winning the NPSL championship two years in a row.
https://www.fctulsa.com/2020-roster

There's been an upgrade with a soccer specific front office, the season tickets are quite reasonable and I'm betting individual seats will probably be more reasonable priced once they announce them.  And the pitch has been flipped, meaning the field will run east/west instead of north/south....
   
http://bit.ly/38Vd7LA

The organization the Crafts inherited is worse off than if they'd been playing their first year as an expansion team.
I'd expect them to be decent enough this year to finish in the middle of the pack and maybe gain a playoff birth.
Problem is, they really need to do better than that to re-attract all the fans they've lost over the past 5 seasons.

Meanwhile, my Tulsa A's have accepted a bid to play in the US Open Cup and hopefully will have a shot at playing FC Tulsa.
However, the format this year puts us in the Cup at a time when our college players can't play for us, so we'll see......
https://tulsaathletic.com/2019/12/tulsa-athletic-selected-to-participate-in-2020-u-s-open-cup/
"Critics are like eunuchs in a harem; they know how it's done, they've seen it done every day, but they're unable to do it themselves."
― Brendan Behan  http://www.tulsaroughnecks.com

shavethewhales

Quote from: TulsaRufnex on January 03, 2020, 10:29:06 AM
...And the pitch has been flipped, meaning the field will run east/west instead of north/south....

Whoa, I didn't notice that. Is that because the field didn't perfectly fit the other way around, or is this better for seats? I would think that it was better for seating to have it the other way around, but maybe when you take into account premium seats they will make more with this orientation.