Tip of the Hat to Sacramento Republic

I am fortunate. I get it. I grew up in the late 70s/early 80s in New Jersey. We lived in an area where you could watch some great sports. The Yankees were in 4 World Series and the Mets won the World Series in 1986. The 76ers won two NBA titles and made it to a 3rd championship series. The Rangers made it to the Stanley Cup Finals, the Islanders won 4 in a row and 4 out of 5, the Flyers made it a couple. The New York Arrows won the MISL championship (even though we grew up as fans of the Philadelphia Fever). And then there was the best collection of players in a sport - ever. The New York Cosmos won 4 NASL championships and lost a 5th.

It is simply not an argument that the Cosmos had the greatest collection of players at any time. Pele. Beckenbauer. Chinaglia. Roth. Carlos Alberto. Bogie. Chinapoo. Rick Davis.  Messing. And that is without thinking about it too hard! Simply no better collection of stars on one team in any sport ever.

So growing up, it was pretty easy. I went to Yankees games at Yankee Stadium. I went to Phillies games at the Vet. I went to Mets games at Shea Stadium. Flyers and 76er games at the Spectrum. Rangers were at MSG with the Knicks and the Isles played at Nassau Coliseum. Of course, the Cosmos were at Giants Stadium at the Meadowlands. Every where I looked, it was winner-winner-chicken dinner.

I was also fortunate that my dad and his friends knew a lot of people. A lot of people. I sat close to the floor for the 76ers. I went to a player meet and greet with a friend in NYC and the friend's dad got us autographs from all of the stars. I met several Cosmos, including Pele and Werner Roth, my soccer hero growing up. It was a special time - and sadly one I didn't realize was special at the time.

Last night I went to the Sacramento Republic FC game. I have been a handful of times. And let me tell you - these people simply get it. When we arrive, there is music. There are food trucks. There are souvenirs for everyone from the babies to the granddads (and grandma's too!). There is a crowd ready to cheer on their team. But it is so much more.

Tell me what other sports team has the owner walking around mingling with the fans. And while he could cop the "I own this team and you don't attitude," he simply doesn't. I refer to him as Mr. Smith, but plenty of fans call him Warren. And he responds to that! I know we are less formal these days and my clients call me by my first name and not Mr. too. I also don't own the most successful soccer team in Sacramento! I even saw him doing some manual labor pre-game to make sure everything goes off without a hitch!

Next I see Fred Matthes, VP of Ticket sales, moving chairs and making sure everything runs smoothly. He talks to everyone from the VIPs to the season ticket holders to people who bought tickets just for the 1 game. Of course, he is assisted by a great group of people including Megan Springmeir, who might be the best Corporate Account Executive in the country. Seriously. She understands how to deal with people.

I could go on and on about these people. Brent Sasaki walked around and was talking to people, answering some questions about things like why the clock stops at 45 minutes to talking to sponsors. They were all so approachable.

But beyond the personnel, there are the players. I remember the glory days of sports. You could sit at Giants Stadium after a game and get autographs. You could hang out by the players entrance and get autographs. An autograph as a kid was a huge deal. Somewhere along the way, this changed. I blame idiots who try to monetize sports memorabilia.  Anyway, it changed and it was no longer possible to get autographs.

But at every game I go to, the players are signing autographs. After the game, they walk up to the stands and thank the fans. They sign shirts for the kids, they sign balls and programs and anything else. They do it with a smile and a few nice words to the kids.

Now, to you and I, this may not be a big deal. But to a 5 year old or a 10 year old or a 12 year old, this is a huge deal. The kids look up to these guys. They are "heroes" although I hate to use that word. But the kids want to be like these guys. They see the players as role models, especially ones who want to grow up to play professional sports. So the attitude and friendliness of the players makes all the difference in the world to the kids.

And notice that in all of this, I never mentioned the quality of the play. It is excellent. It is, by far, some of the best soccer you can see. I don't care if you call it "minor league" or "lower division." These guys can play. And play well. But, despite being the league champs, they come out to play their hardest every game. Every single time. Its just such a joy to watch.

I get professional sports. I have seen it when it was accessible. I have seen it when the best of the best play together, but also make sure the kids get that experience that you can only get from sports. Sac Republic gives that experience still.

So there you go. A big tip of the hat to Sac Republic. Warren Smith has assembled a fantastic group of people and they know what they are doing. If you have not been to a game yet and you are a soccer fan, make sure you go. If you have not been to a game yet and you are not a soccer fan, make sure you go. It is such a tremendous experience for your entire family. Congrats to everyone at Sac Republic!