March 23: Alexei Lalas, Bloomberg:
“There’s a blase, spoon-fed generation that really has no idea what it means to have passion not only for your team but for the sport.”
“It’s very difficult to explain to an MTV generation what it means to go to a professional sporting event in other countries.
“You can have all the bells and whistles you want, but when it’s organized and from the heart, whether it’s singing or chanting, it’s 100 times more powerful than any fireworks display, dry ice or video board.”
March 28: Red Bull New York press release:
Red Bull New York announced today that there will be a host of events and activities both inside and outside the stadium surrounding the team’s home opener at Giants Stadium on April 8 against the New England Revolution.
“This is a historic night of soccer entertainment and we’re going to celebrate before, during and after the game,” said Red Bull New York President and General Manager Alexi Lalas. “It’s a completely new way to experience professional soccer at Giants Stadium and you’re going to want to be there!”
The Red Bull Energy Station will be located outside of the stadium between Gate C and the South Tower, and will be the focal point of the pre-game festivities. The Energy Station, which is open to Red Bulls season ticket holders, is a unique, two-story structure that will serve as an oasis for guests to mingle and get fired up for the game. It will be open from 5:00 – 7:00 p.m. ET.
Next to the Energy Station will be the Motocross Big Air Demo which will feature Tommy “Tomcat” Clowers and “Mad” Mike Jones, who are two of the most recognized names in freestyle motocross. Clowers has medaled in every Winter and Summer X-Games motocross discipline. Jones is one of the pioneers in extreme motocross, and in the two decades he has spent racing and jumping bikes, he has broken upwards of 17 bones. The two legends will be executing some of the biggest tricks of freestyle motocross, including the “Rock Solid”, no handed t-whips and double nacs. This event is open to all fans in attendance.
In addition to the outdoor pre-game elements, the Giants Stadium bubble will also be bursting with activities, as it will host an interactive zone including a BMX Flatland Demo, a breakdancing exhibition and multiple FIFA Street Video Game Stations. This event is also open to all fans in attendance.
The BMX Flatland Demo by Terry Adams, who finished fourth in the 2004 World Championships and clinched the first place title at the 2005 Asian X-Games South Korea, will feature Adams riding on smooth flat surfaces at slow speeds and balancing on various parts of the bike while spinning it around beneath him.
The breakdancing demonstration will be headlined by Richard “Crazy Legs” Colon, and members of the legendary Rock Steady Crew. Crazy Legs has been a breakdancing legend for over 30 years with credits including many of the first Hip Hop tours in the early ’80s as well as a variety of motion pictures, including Flash Dance, Beat Street and Wild Style. Crazy Leg’s success and acclaim has truly helped set the foundation for what hip-hop culture has become today.
To compliment the array of out-of-stadium activities, there will also be a dazzling pre-game show that will feature a game-ball delivery by the Red Bull Air Force, an appearance by “Challenger” (a bald eagle), and a special tribute to pro soccer in New York.
The Red Bull Air Force is an elite crew of professional skydivers who will jump from a Eurocopter Twinstar Helicopter into Giants Stadium with the official game ball in hand. The skydivers jump from the aircraft, freefall for a few seconds, and then deploy their parachutes, all while igniting smoke bombs, which allows everyone on the ground to see the dynamic arcs they carve through the sky. Once they skydivers land in Giants Stadium, they will deliver the ball to the game officials.
“Challenger” is the first bald eagle in U.S. history trained to free-fly into major league sports stadiums during the presentation of the National Anthem. He has participated in five MLB World Series (2003, 2002, 2001, 2000, 1998), three NFL Pro-Bowls (2004, 2003, 2002), the 1999 Fiesta Bowl, and the 2005 NCAA Men’s Final Four Basketball Tournament. He will perform a free-flight demonstration prior to the New York Red Bulls’ game at the conclusion of the National Anthem.
See also: MLS, Red Bull by TBG | Comments Off
Travelling Eugendorf fans welcomed their new opponents to the league with banners in support of their ‘greatest victory over modern football’, but the visitors’ warmth wasn’t reciprocated on the field as they were defeated 2-1 by the fledgling Salzburgers.
Meanwhile, over in New Jersey, a travelling circus named after a soft drinks firm drew a crowd way short of the anticipated 80,000. Those who turned up watched empty-headed as ringmaster Alexi Lalas attempted the death-defying removal of his head from his own arse while a football match was simulated in the background.
At 19.33 precisely, almost a year to the day since Red Bull outlawed the colours and those wearing them, 600 football-starved devotees gathered in a Salzburg bar to catch a glimpse of a whole new squad of players and their brand new violet and white strip (left). It’s so new, in fact, that it still bears the tags as it’s worn here for the first time by Milan Pavlovic, former Austria Salzburg midfielder and new club captain.
