Most Colorado Rapids fans have probably seen this Twitter thread from Inside Rapids, an anonymous fan account that’s accurately broken club news several times over the last few years.
On Tuesday, May 30, the account posted about MLS encouraging or even mandating the Colorado Rapids upgrade the infrastructure at DICK’s Sporting Goods Park. Players have potentially filed grievances with the MLS Players Association. The League may have stepped in as a result. Read the entire thread at the link above.
Burgundy Wave reached out to the club regarding these allegations, asking for comment on their legitimacy, whether players have filed any grievances with the MLSPA, what upgrades the club is planning for DSGP and their timelines, as well as the extent of the League’s involvement in said upgrades.
See the full response below:
“We are in the midst of a series of renovations to our team’s facilities at DICK’S Sporting Goods Park. We have replaced both the main stadium field and the first-team training field in 2022, as well as undertaking the expansion of our supporters section and the development of our new matchday experience, North Boundary, this year. Further upgrades and renovations to the facility will be carried out into 2024 and we have engaged external consultants to undertake a feasibility study with the aim of determining the best approach to meet our training and performance needs. We will continue to have ongoing dialogue with the League Office regarding our facility renovations, planned improvements and feasibility study.”
Key Takeaways:
Two things stand out in reading this. Firstly, confirmation that MLS is in communication regarding the Colorado Rapids facility renovations. Whether that’s by choice or by force was not specified.
Secondly, the statement does not address whether grievances were filed to the MLSPA and if so, whether they contributed to the League’s confirmed involvement. If the club knows for a fact that the MLSPA hasn’t received any grievances from Rapids players, it’s in their best interest to say so.
Make no mistake, the statement does not address all the questions that were asked.
The club did replace their two main first team fields last year. To our knowledge, as of last September, the stadium pitch was the original that was installed when DSGP opened in 2007. Every year, a few MLS teams get new stadium pitches. Playing on a pitch that’s 15-years-old is an embarrassment by modern MLS standards.
The statement confirms my reporting from back in March that the club is studying what can be done given the age of the facilities and the environmental realities of being in Colorado. This could result in changes to maintenance activities, subsurface infrastructure, replacement of infrastructure, etc. in 2024.
This work could have started before that time in March where the club sustained a rash of injuries, of which they are still feeling the affects. Aging and outdated infrastructure, plus one of the crazier winters since 1996, plus cold temperatures into late April. Field 20 and the stadium pitch were in preseason form until about a month ago. Sometimes, timing sucks.
Colorado’s facilities are outdating in many respects. They’re one of a few clubs to not have a training center separate from their stadium. USL League One’s Northern Colorado Hailstorm have an inflated dome over one of their fields for cold and snowy days. Multiple MLS teams have indoor pitches as well. Rapids Twitter has a running joke about the malfunctioning pixels on the video board and discolored signage.
With the shirt sponsor and broadcast rights deal in place, ownership is investing in the team, support staff, and infrastructure. It’s good the club’s taking action on this, no matter the League’s level of involvement.
It’s disappointing all this didn’t happen sooner. It’s disappointing DSGP has fallen so far behind the rest of the league. It’s disappointing that one of (possibly the primary) reason it got this bad is the lack of funding from KSE.
If MLS has yet to mandate the club address these issues due to a lack of faith that they’ll do so on their own, it would be in the club’s best interest to say so.
For player safety, hopefully this Twitter thread is inaccurate. If it is accurate, hopefully the Rapids take the necessary action to re-instill some faith in the direction of the club.
Burgundy Wave has reached out to the MLSPA for comment. No response was received at the time of publishing.
Photo Credit: Mark Shaiken.
Thank you for reading Burgundy Wave. If you want to support us, join our Patreon starting at $5/month.
[…] wrong against Columbus Crew and San Jose Earthquakes. Rabbi and Red break down the fallout from that Inside Rapids Twitter thread. We talk Darren Yapi’s disappointing time at the U-20s World […]
{"id":"65","mode":"form","open_style":"in_place","currency_code":"USD","currency_symbol":"$","currency_type":"decimal","blank_flag_url":"https:\/\/burgundywave.com\/wp-content\/plugins\/tip-jar-wp\/\/assets\/images\/flags\/blank.gif","flag_sprite_url":"https:\/\/burgundywave.com\/wp-content\/plugins\/tip-jar-wp\/\/assets\/images\/flags\/flags.png","default_amount":5,"top_media_type":"none","featured_image_url":false,"featured_embed":"","header_media":null,"file_download_attachment_data":null,"recurring_options_enabled":true,"recurring_options":{"never":{"selected":true,"after_output":"One time only"},"weekly":{"selected":false,"after_output":"Every week"},"monthly":{"selected":false,"after_output":"Every month"},"yearly":{"selected":false,"after_output":"Every year"}},"strings":{"current_user_email":"","current_user_name":"","link_text":"Leave a tip","complete_payment_button_error_text":"Check info and try again","payment_verb":"Pay","payment_request_label":"Burgundy Wave","form_has_an_error":"Please check and fix the errors above","general_server_error":"Something isn't working right at the moment. Please try again.","form_title":"Burgundy Wave","form_subtitle":null,"currency_search_text":"Country or Currency here","other_payment_option":"Other payment option","manage_payments_button_text":"Manage your payments","thank_you_message":"Thank you for supporting independent coverage of soccer in Colorado.","payment_confirmation_title":"Burgundy Wave","receipt_title":"Your Receipt","print_receipt":"Print Receipt","email_receipt":"Email Receipt","email_receipt_sending":"Sending receipt...","email_receipt_success":"Email receipt successfully sent","email_receipt_failed":"Email receipt failed to send. Please try again.","receipt_payee":"Paid to","receipt_statement_descriptor":"This will show up on your statement as","receipt_date":"Date","receipt_transaction_id":"Transaction ID","receipt_transaction_amount":"Amount","refund_payer":"Refund from","login":"Log in to manage your payments","manage_payments":"Manage Payments","transactions_title":"Your Transactions","transaction_title":"Transaction Receipt","transaction_period":"Plan Period","arrangements_title":"Your Plans","arrangement_title":"Manage Plan","arrangement_details":"Plan Details","arrangement_id_title":"Plan ID","arrangement_payment_method_title":"Payment Method","arrangement_amount_title":"Plan Amount","arrangement_renewal_title":"Next renewal date","arrangement_action_cancel":"Cancel Plan","arrangement_action_cant_cancel":"Cancelling is currently not available.","arrangement_action_cancel_double":"Are you sure you'd like to cancel?","arrangement_cancelling":"Cancelling Plan...","arrangement_cancelled":"Plan Cancelled","arrangement_failed_to_cancel":"Failed to cancel plan","back_to_plans":"\u2190 Back to Plans","update_payment_method_verb":"Update","sca_auth_description":"Your have a pending renewal payment which requires authorization.","sca_auth_verb":"Authorize renewal payment","sca_authing_verb":"Authorizing payment","sca_authed_verb":"Payment successfully authorized!","sca_auth_failed":"Unable to authorize! Please try again.","login_button_text":"Log in","login_form_has_an_error":"Please check and fix the errors above","uppercase_search":"Search","lowercase_search":"search","uppercase_page":"Page","lowercase_page":"page","uppercase_items":"Items","lowercase_items":"items","uppercase_per":"Per","lowercase_per":"per","uppercase_of":"Of","lowercase_of":"of","back":"Back to plans","zip_code_placeholder":"Zip\/Postal Code","download_file_button_text":"Download File","input_field_instructions":{"tip_amount":{"placeholder_text":"How much would you like to tip?","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"How much would you like to tip? Choose any currency."},"empty":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"How much would you like to tip? Choose any currency."},"invalid_curency":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Please choose a valid currency."}},"recurring":{"placeholder_text":"Recurring","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"How often would you like to give this?"},"success":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"How often would you like to give this?"},"empty":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"How often would you like to give this?"}},"name":{"placeholder_text":"Name on Credit Card","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Enter the name on your card."},"success":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"Enter the name on your card."},"empty":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Please enter the name on your card."}},"privacy_policy":{"terms_title":"Terms and conditions","terms_body":null,"terms_show_text":"View Terms","terms_hide_text":"Hide Terms","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"I agree to the terms."},"unchecked":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Please agree to the terms."},"checked":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"I agree to the terms."}},"email":{"placeholder_text":"Your email address","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Enter your email address"},"success":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"Enter your email address"},"blank":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Enter your email address"},"not_an_email_address":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Make sure you have entered a valid email address"}},"note_with_tip":{"placeholder_text":"Your note here...","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Attach a note to your tip (optional)"},"empty":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Attach a note to your tip (optional)"},"not_empty_initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Attach a note to your tip (optional)"},"saving":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Saving note..."},"success":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"Note successfully saved!"},"error":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Unable to save note note at this time. Please try again."}},"email_for_login_code":{"placeholder_text":"Your email address","initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Enter your email to log in."},"success":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"Enter your email to log in."},"blank":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Enter your email to log in."},"empty":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Enter your email to log in."}},"login_code":{"initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Check your email and enter the login code."},"success":{"instruction_type":"success","instruction_message":"Check your email and enter the login code."},"blank":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Check your email and enter the login code."},"empty":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Check your email and enter the login code."}},"stripe_all_in_one":{"initial":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Enter your credit card details here."},"empty":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Enter your credit card details here."},"success":{"instruction_type":"normal","instruction_message":"Enter your credit card details here."},"invalid_number":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card number is not a valid credit card number."},"invalid_expiry_month":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's expiration month is invalid."},"invalid_expiry_year":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's expiration year is invalid."},"invalid_cvc":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's security code is invalid."},"incorrect_number":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card number is incorrect."},"incomplete_number":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card number is incomplete."},"incomplete_cvc":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's security code is incomplete."},"incomplete_expiry":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's expiration date is incomplete."},"incomplete_zip":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's zip code is incomplete."},"expired_card":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card has expired."},"incorrect_cvc":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's security code is incorrect."},"incorrect_zip":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's zip code failed validation."},"invalid_expiry_year_past":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card's expiration year is in the past"},"card_declined":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The card was declined."},"missing":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"There is no card on a customer that is being charged."},"processing_error":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"An error occurred while processing the card."},"invalid_request_error":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"Unable to process this payment, please try again or use alternative method."},"invalid_sofort_country":{"instruction_type":"error","instruction_message":"The billing country is not accepted by SOFORT. Please try another country."}}}},"fetched_oembed_html":false}
this is so interesting, i pray it all get better.
[…] wrong against Columbus Crew and San Jose Earthquakes. Rabbi and Red break down the fallout from that Inside Rapids Twitter thread. We talk Darren Yapi’s disappointing time at the U-20s World […]