Mark Bodmer the founder of Class VI, a supporters club for the Colorado Rapids, shares his thoughts on MLS, the role of Supporters Clubs, the Colorado Rapids and more. Mark has a great passion for the Rapids and soccer in general.
Soccer Banter: When did you first start going to Colorado Rapids games?
Mark Bodmer: I was there opening match in 1996. I had just moved from upstate NY to Colorado and was completely excited for MLS to start. I only miss a few games a year to go back to NY during the summer to visit family.
SB: How did Class VI evolve and what was your role in the start and currently today?
MB: Colorado being an original team went through those early MLS growing pains. All previous supporters groups had died out and there was nothing going on. There was hardly any support for the team at all and the atmosphere was horrible - you could be sitting in 70,000 seat Invesco field with 5,000 other people or a game where the Rapids papered the joint and it was nothing but youth soccer teams and people who were out for an afternoon of dipping dots and lemonades. Every game I was getting yelled at by soccer moms for standing or giving grief to a player or ref!!! And I really wasn't any different then I would be if I was at a hockey game.
When Stan Kroenke bought the team and announced they were going to build a stadium, I thought something has to be done. I came up with something I don't think has been done in MLS and thankfully in many cities like Portland, Toronto, and Seattle, there is no reason to do this. I created a section in the stadium for people that are truly there for the game. No youth teams - no soccer mommies that can't handle the passion.
But I also didn't want to be shoved into the corner with a crappy view of the game. I'm there to watch the game. The Rapids at that point hadn't ever seen supporters as anything but a pain in the ass that upset their family marketing fan base. So I chose to not have a standing section.
It started slowly, 30 people in 2005. We now have 250 members and have nearly filled section 108. Everyone can tell that it's a different atmosphere from sitting anywhere else in the stadium and the camaraderie and tailgates augment the game day experience so much, that when the team sucks or the game is dull, it doesn't matter because you still had the total experience of game day.
The standing section of the supporters had fallen apart again with a division among members on how to proceed and there was no leadership anymore. I picked up the remains and took on that challenge too. Then Toronto entered the league and everything changed. The Rapids took notice and began serious discussions about supporting the supporter culture for the first time in Rapids history. We were pushing for moving the Centennial Firm (the name of the traditional standing supporters group at the time) behind the net in the North End so that other fans around them wouldn't be upset.
That's when Rapids President Jeff Plush stepped up in a major way. The Terraces were his idea and was very welcomed. Excitement grew because it showed that the Rapids were really behind supporting the supporter culture. It took a lot of effort and planning with the Rapids on how everything was going to proceed with the Terraces. And when the opening day of the Terraces happened, it was fantastic.
A local soccer bar launched their own supporters group when the Terraces were announced and they brought a great number of supporters in by bus from the bar. It took us a bit more time to reorganize and rebrand our group since we had been focusing on the birth of the Terraces, but finding Dave Cleland to lead up the group, the Pid Army was born and everything has been moving forward since!
Soccer Banter: When did you first start going to Colorado Rapids games?
Mark Bodmer: I was there opening match in 1996. I had just moved from upstate NY to Colorado and was completely excited for MLS to start. I only miss a few games a year to go back to NY during the summer to visit family.
SB: How did Class VI evolve and what was your role in the start and currently today?
MB: Colorado being an original team went through those early MLS growing pains. All previous supporters groups had died out and there was nothing going on. There was hardly any support for the team at all and the atmosphere was horrible - you could be sitting in 70,000 seat Invesco field with 5,000 other people or a game where the Rapids papered the joint and it was nothing but youth soccer teams and people who were out for an afternoon of dipping dots and lemonades. Every game I was getting yelled at by soccer moms for standing or giving grief to a player or ref!!! And I really wasn't any different then I would be if I was at a hockey game.
When Stan Kroenke bought the team and announced they were going to build a stadium, I thought something has to be done. I came up with something I don't think has been done in MLS and thankfully in many cities like Portland, Toronto, and Seattle, there is no reason to do this. I created a section in the stadium for people that are truly there for the game. No youth teams - no soccer mommies that can't handle the passion.
But I also didn't want to be shoved into the corner with a crappy view of the game. I'm there to watch the game. The Rapids at that point hadn't ever seen supporters as anything but a pain in the ass that upset their family marketing fan base. So I chose to not have a standing section.
It started slowly, 30 people in 2005. We now have 250 members and have nearly filled section 108. Everyone can tell that it's a different atmosphere from sitting anywhere else in the stadium and the camaraderie and tailgates augment the game day experience so much, that when the team sucks or the game is dull, it doesn't matter because you still had the total experience of game day.
The standing section of the supporters had fallen apart again with a division among members on how to proceed and there was no leadership anymore. I picked up the remains and took on that challenge too. Then Toronto entered the league and everything changed. The Rapids took notice and began serious discussions about supporting the supporter culture for the first time in Rapids history. We were pushing for moving the Centennial Firm (the name of the traditional standing supporters group at the time) behind the net in the North End so that other fans around them wouldn't be upset.
That's when Rapids President Jeff Plush stepped up in a major way. The Terraces were his idea and was very welcomed. Excitement grew because it showed that the Rapids were really behind supporting the supporter culture. It took a lot of effort and planning with the Rapids on how everything was going to proceed with the Terraces. And when the opening day of the Terraces happened, it was fantastic.
A local soccer bar launched their own supporters group when the Terraces were announced and they brought a great number of supporters in by bus from the bar. It took us a bit more time to reorganize and rebrand our group since we had been focusing on the birth of the Terraces, but finding Dave Cleland to lead up the group, the Pid Army was born and everything has been moving forward since!
SB: What role do Supporters Clubs play in MLS?
MB: The Supporters Clubs have a vital role in the club. I believe the Supporters are the heartbeat of the team. They play the role of the 12th man and hold the team accountable for their failures and help make the celebrations that much more passionate. Supporters provide atmosphere and pride inside the stadium and enhance the game day experience for everyone. They are the ones that organize road trips, viewing parties, and other things that make the season memorable. Supporter Clubs keep the corporate element of MLS in check and keep the focus of the league on the fans and not entirely on the bottom line.
SB: Being a fan from the beginning of Major League Soccer, what are your thoughts on how much MLS has changed in 10 years...in 2001 the league has just lost two teams and was back to 10 members. MLS is now at 18 teams with most having soccer specific stadiums. As a fan, what has this ride been like?
MB: Like I said in my long winded history above, it's been a difficult ride for those of us that were around from the beginning. When the league launched, nobody knew if it was going to stay in business. The league had horrible gimmicky things they felt they needed to sell soccer to Americans and it alienated a lot of true lovers of the game. Every year, attendance was falling, true fans were abandoning the league and things were looking bleak. When the league contracted, the Rapids were one of the teams on the death list and would have died if we were Philip Anschutz home team.
The Rapids were tagged with a horrible reputation as nothing more then family entertainment. There was a lot of excitement of KSE taking over the team, because we were always the outcast in Anschutz' collection of MLS teams, and it was believed having a new owner was going to change things. Unfortunately, the family entertainment marketing focus continued even though we had one of the top stadiums in the country. And then, like I said, Toronto FC changed everything.
It's been nothing but up from there. And watching the Rapids, who have always been among the least successful clubs in MLS lift the Cup was something I'll never forget.
SB: Do MLS fans travel enough to make an impact at an away ground, if so which MLS club has had the best fans at Dick's Sporting Goods Park?
MB: Absolutely. Each year we have more and more supporters heading to Utah. Last season, we made an impression not only with the players on the field, but with all of Rio Tinto. The players get an extra boost when they see such a large contingent of traveling supporters there to see them succeed.
RSL has the biggest group of supporters that come to DSG Park. Portland's last game was amazing, but since that was their first MLS game, I don't expect them to return in numbers like that again.
SB: 2010 was a great year for the Colorado Rapids. What are your thoughts on the upcoming season, what current players are you must excited about seeing and can the Rapids repeat?
MB: 2010 was something Rapids fans will hold on to forever. Gary Smith has done an incredible job and doesn't get the respect he most certainly deserves. He is the first foreign coach without prior experience with US Soccer to win MLS Cup and that speaks volumes for his abilities. Steve Guppy has also played a vital role and deserves accolades too.
Gary took the approach of keeping the champions in tact for the most part and trying to add depth to the team for the upcoming season. The spine of the team is perhaps the strongest in MLS with Cummings, Casey, Larentowicz, Mastroeni, Wynne, Moor, and Pickens. If that core can stay injury free, then I feel the Rapids have a chance at MLS Cup 2011. But as we all know, repeating is extremely difficult. They are a playoff team for sure, and as we saw in last years playoffs, anything can happen from there.
There hasn't been much in the way of addition to the team from last year so we know what to expect from most players. Omar Cummings simply is among the top players in MLS and is so very exciting. I believe he's capable of taking his game to the next level. We also brought in Nyassi and I think he can challenge for a starting role. And every fan wants to see Steve Emory making it onto the pitch this season - he's a life long Rapids fan that made the team via open tryouts - and to see him succeed would be a wonderful story that could evolve.
SB: On your travels at other MLS stadiums, which stadium do you like the most and which fans have shown the most passion?
MB: I think Rio Tinto is a very nice stadium and the fans there are excellent support for their boys. Home Depot is also very nice but their prices for beer and everything else are out of hand! The best fans I've encountered however are in Toronto. Even though the game was between Dallas and Colorado, they were still loud and vocal and I can only imagine what it's like there on game day. Hearing the back and forth of "Seattle" and "Sounders" I must admit, brought a tear to my eye.
SB: Besides the Rapids, which team do you believe has the best chance of winning MLS Cup this year?
MB: Los Angles and Real Salt Lake are the two teams I expect to be challenging in the end. A lot of people are high on Seattle, but I don't see it. I feel the Western Conference is clearly higher quality then the East, but in the East I think Sporting KC are going to open a lot of eyes with the Philadelphia Union showing signs of being a contender for the Eastern Conference.
MB: The Supporters Clubs have a vital role in the club. I believe the Supporters are the heartbeat of the team. They play the role of the 12th man and hold the team accountable for their failures and help make the celebrations that much more passionate. Supporters provide atmosphere and pride inside the stadium and enhance the game day experience for everyone. They are the ones that organize road trips, viewing parties, and other things that make the season memorable. Supporter Clubs keep the corporate element of MLS in check and keep the focus of the league on the fans and not entirely on the bottom line.
SB: Being a fan from the beginning of Major League Soccer, what are your thoughts on how much MLS has changed in 10 years...in 2001 the league has just lost two teams and was back to 10 members. MLS is now at 18 teams with most having soccer specific stadiums. As a fan, what has this ride been like?
MB: Like I said in my long winded history above, it's been a difficult ride for those of us that were around from the beginning. When the league launched, nobody knew if it was going to stay in business. The league had horrible gimmicky things they felt they needed to sell soccer to Americans and it alienated a lot of true lovers of the game. Every year, attendance was falling, true fans were abandoning the league and things were looking bleak. When the league contracted, the Rapids were one of the teams on the death list and would have died if we were Philip Anschutz home team.
The Rapids were tagged with a horrible reputation as nothing more then family entertainment. There was a lot of excitement of KSE taking over the team, because we were always the outcast in Anschutz' collection of MLS teams, and it was believed having a new owner was going to change things. Unfortunately, the family entertainment marketing focus continued even though we had one of the top stadiums in the country. And then, like I said, Toronto FC changed everything.
It's been nothing but up from there. And watching the Rapids, who have always been among the least successful clubs in MLS lift the Cup was something I'll never forget.
SB: Do MLS fans travel enough to make an impact at an away ground, if so which MLS club has had the best fans at Dick's Sporting Goods Park?
MB: Absolutely. Each year we have more and more supporters heading to Utah. Last season, we made an impression not only with the players on the field, but with all of Rio Tinto. The players get an extra boost when they see such a large contingent of traveling supporters there to see them succeed.
RSL has the biggest group of supporters that come to DSG Park. Portland's last game was amazing, but since that was their first MLS game, I don't expect them to return in numbers like that again.
SB: 2010 was a great year for the Colorado Rapids. What are your thoughts on the upcoming season, what current players are you must excited about seeing and can the Rapids repeat?
MB: 2010 was something Rapids fans will hold on to forever. Gary Smith has done an incredible job and doesn't get the respect he most certainly deserves. He is the first foreign coach without prior experience with US Soccer to win MLS Cup and that speaks volumes for his abilities. Steve Guppy has also played a vital role and deserves accolades too.
Gary took the approach of keeping the champions in tact for the most part and trying to add depth to the team for the upcoming season. The spine of the team is perhaps the strongest in MLS with Cummings, Casey, Larentowicz, Mastroeni, Wynne, Moor, and Pickens. If that core can stay injury free, then I feel the Rapids have a chance at MLS Cup 2011. But as we all know, repeating is extremely difficult. They are a playoff team for sure, and as we saw in last years playoffs, anything can happen from there.
There hasn't been much in the way of addition to the team from last year so we know what to expect from most players. Omar Cummings simply is among the top players in MLS and is so very exciting. I believe he's capable of taking his game to the next level. We also brought in Nyassi and I think he can challenge for a starting role. And every fan wants to see Steve Emory making it onto the pitch this season - he's a life long Rapids fan that made the team via open tryouts - and to see him succeed would be a wonderful story that could evolve.
SB: On your travels at other MLS stadiums, which stadium do you like the most and which fans have shown the most passion?
MB: I think Rio Tinto is a very nice stadium and the fans there are excellent support for their boys. Home Depot is also very nice but their prices for beer and everything else are out of hand! The best fans I've encountered however are in Toronto. Even though the game was between Dallas and Colorado, they were still loud and vocal and I can only imagine what it's like there on game day. Hearing the back and forth of "Seattle" and "Sounders" I must admit, brought a tear to my eye.
SB: Besides the Rapids, which team do you believe has the best chance of winning MLS Cup this year?
MB: Los Angles and Real Salt Lake are the two teams I expect to be challenging in the end. A lot of people are high on Seattle, but I don't see it. I feel the Western Conference is clearly higher quality then the East, but in the East I think Sporting KC are going to open a lot of eyes with the Philadelphia Union showing signs of being a contender for the Eastern Conference.
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