Granted, the overall turnout for the Portland game helps, and we should get a few more sell-outs in Qwest MLS play before they have to decide.  Too bad the CBA is holding up so much.  I expect the flood gates to open soon after that issue is resolved.

• Doug Hamilton Executive of the Year: Gary Wright - Seattle Sounders FC
• Community Relations Department of the Year presented by MLS W.O.R.K.S: Seattle Sounders FC
• Operations Director of the Year: Bart Wiley – Seattle Sounders FC
• Concessionaire/Merchandiser of the Year: Sue Harris – Seattle Sounders FC
• Ticketing Executive of the Year: Chuck Arnold – Seattle Sounders FC
• Ticket Sales Team of the Year: Seattle Sounders FC
• Public Relations Award, Team: Seattle Sounders FC
• Marketing Executive of the Year: Stephanie Gray – Seattle Sounders FC

i think sometimes i write off the cuff and it rubs people the wrong way. there is no doubt that you will never agree fully with me, nor i you, and that is what makes writing and reading blogs fun. everyone likes to get affirmed in their beliefs as much as they like to get fired up about some of the crap coming from the blogosphere – this one fully included.

anyway, even though i felt like i was just saying something like, “i don’t like fashion shows”, a couple of emails i got wanted to sacrifice my young for not supporting charity.

well it turns out that i will be attending the sounders advisory board meeting this thursday along with the who’s who from around the world. “A” list celebrities, local billionaires and me will be discussing top secret secrets in how to rule the world all while still putting a good sounders team on the pitch. afterward, i will be walking via a red carpet to my vip suite to watch a fashion show. i am told a chilled bollinger will be waiting for me as well as cindi, twiggy, tyra and elle.

if you have to ask, well that is why you can’t join.
—-or—-
there will be a meeting to discuss what the whole advisory board should do, and i am going to go to the fashion show afterwards.

what? i gotta make it someone interesting don’t i?

First, on the Advertising side, the club has inked a deal with Wexley School for Girls to “create an integrated advertising campaign that covers TV, print, radio and web, with a focus on building a fan base using grass roots and social media tactics.” If you’ve driven down 5th Avenue in Belltown you have probably seen their offices and wondered about the “school”. The owners (“headmasters”) Cal McAllister and Ian Cohen were named two of the city’s Most Influential People by Seattle Magazine.

Wexley School for Girls is irreverent advertising firm that has made a name for itself through multiple touchpoint branding and seriously silly viral marketing campaigns. Its recent move to Belltown has received all sorts of press: McAllister and Cohen staged a faux Chinese restaurant in the front, and ripped a hole in the back so they could bring in a full-size camper. “Why would you be in this business,” Cohen asks, “if you are not going to have fun with it?” Despite this, both McAllister and Cohen repeatedly say the same thing: “We are funny, but we are not a joke.” They’re not.

For another Advertising Campaign, they built a two-story Being John Malkovich–style Dwyane Wade head for T-Mobile, where people could go inside and see how the basketball star’s mind works.

It will be interesting to see what types of stunts the Wexley School for Girls comes up with for Sounders FC.

From the marketing side, Digitara was selected to build a new Sounders FC website that will create a more compelling experience for fans online. The site “will feature fully integrated and interactive applications, social networking tools, and more multimedia content. The new platform will allow for the implementation of a new content management system that will expedite information to the team’s growing fan base.” [Press Release]

The new site will launch in February 2009.

These are two huge steps in gaining awareness of Sounders FC and creating an incredible and un-matched experience for the fans. We’re excited to see what comes about in the near future.

In building the team, the team announced they were using Scout7 for its recruiting information delivery system. [Press Release]

Sounders FC will be the first North American club to use the “ProScout7″ system.

Sounders FC will use Scout7 systems to assist in monitoring player prospects outside of the United States. Senior management staff can track the progress of both established and emerging talent across the world through the largest player database in world soccer, in addition to managing their own report information and personal notes on specific targets centrally and securely online.

Joe Roth at the Xbox Partnership Announcement

• Season Tickets reaching 17,000
• Seattle supports soccer as a major sport
• “We’re one player away from a starting team” to be announced over the next 6 weeks “from all over the world”

So who do you think will be joining LeToux, Keller, and Nyassi??? The best guesses obviously point to Ljungberg and Freddy Montero. The other likely players will probably be players who Sounders FC already have the rights to: Chris Eylander, Josh Gardner, Taylor Graham, Youssouf Kante and Leighton O’Brien.

Vermes with the US National Team (ESPN)

Ives Garcep is reporting that former US National Teamer and current KC Wizards Technical Director, Peter Vermes was offered and turned down the offer to be the first head coach for Sounders FC.

• It is the “center of soccer in the northwest”
• Plans on being the best MLS practice facility
• The Facility will still access for community use
• Construction will be completed by Dec 1

List compiled from a various sources: Seattle Soccer Style, Seattle Seahawks Management