The Rowdies are emerging as the area’s top organization, from a fan point of view. Cheap tickets, cheap-ish beer, unmatched atmosphere and a front office staff that is willing to do almost anything to keep you coming back for more.
Well, I went to a FloRida concert and a soccer match broke out.
That’s what it felt like at the Rowdies game, anyway. With an impressive record-setting crowd of just under 7,700 at St. Petersburg’s Al Lang Stadium, it was more of a wait-for-it-to-end scenario for many in attendance who were only there to catch the post-game concert.
The Rowdies kicked off the evening with a 1-1 draw. Two goals in the first 14 minutes of the match was the brunt of the action — not counting several near misses that should have won them the match — but many in attendance seemed confused at the enthusiasm shown for the team by the regular loyalists of the Rowdies.
There are certain rules one follows at Rowdies games: One does not “sit” with Ralph’s Mob is a biggie. If one wishes to sit, there are plenty of seats begging one for one's ass, but those seats are not located in section 307.
This brought great confusion to many first-timers at the game, who seemingly could have done without the sporting portion of the evening and gone right into the Apple Bottom jeans show of Saturday night’s spectacle.
Many faces reflected concern faces regarding the drunken rancor (ok, my drunken rancor), the persistent singing and the smoke bombs — yes, those are allowed now — during the match. These faces would have been more comfortable at say, a Rays game, but they’ve lost now 15 of their last 17 games, so why even bother?
The Rowdies are emerging as the area’s top organization, from a fan point of view. Cheap tickets, cheap-ish beer, unmatched atmosphere and a front office staff that is willing to do almost anything to keep you coming back for more. That includes a new policy that allows the use of smoke bombs by designated fans. No lifetime bans handed out Saturday night!
But let’s be real: Saturday night's main attraction was FloRida. The concert was put on by Hot 101.5 and Bud Light and took place after the match. My girlfriend brought me — begrudgingly — onto the field to see the rapper/singer/songwriter only to be blown away by not only the energy and vitality he brought on stage while dressed in a Rowdies jersey, but also by the fact that I (unknowingly) knew every song.
FloRida’s performance lasted an hour, and he was clearly excited to be there. Family, friends and fans joined him onstage through the course of the show and was carried around the audience on the back of an absolute tank of a man, surely the true hero of the night.
His genuinely happy attitude on stage added to the party he created on the field. Hell, he even made me smile. No one outshines FloRida. Except maybe the Rowdies organization, who once again, gave the fans exactly what they wanted.
Except for a win. They need to work on that.
This article appears in Jun 30 – Jul 7, 2016.
