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BALTIMORE (Map, News) - Stephanie Horney remembers exactly where she was after the Blast defeated Milwaukee to win the Major Indoor Soccer League title in 2003: on a 14-hour bus ride from Wisconsin to Baltimore Washington Thurgood Marshall International Airport.
But Horney, a 62-year-old resident of Parkville, wasn’t alone that night. She was among a group of 60 of the team’s most devoted supporters — The Detonators. The team’s fan club chartered a bus for the 1,600-mile round trip, with the bus arriving at the airport just in time for the fans to cheer their favorite soccer players as they deplaned.
“Blast fans are kind of a unique bunch,” Horney said. “If you’re a member of the fan club, you get to know the players on a personal level. You get to know their families, their wives and their children.”
Horney and The Detonators’ latest trip didn’t take nearly as long as that journey five years ago. Horney was among 54 fans who paid $55 for a round-trip bus ticket and admission to attend the Blast’s series-clinching victory over the New Jersey Ironmen in Newark on Saturday.
“It was kind of hard finding some busses,” Vickie Dulko, the fan club’s president, said. “We made it up with one bus of 54 people. Most of them were fan club members. It was a nice trip.”
The Detonators’ presence in the crowd of 4,000 did not go unnoticed at Prudential Center. Their boisterous cheers negated the Ironmen’s home-field advantage. New Jersey’s fans had to be reminded by the public address system that Prudential Center was “their house.”
The Detonators returned to Baltimore happy, as forward Aduato Neto scored the decisive goal in a 6-4 victory with two minutes, 20 seconds remaining.
“We couldn’t ask for more,” Neto said after the victory. “They’re probably the best fans in the league and they showed it today.”
In fact, the Blast’s fans have been showing it all season. The Blast averaged 7,229 fans for their 15 home games this season, marking the fourth straight season the team has lead the league in attendance. The Blast (21-11) could draw its biggest crowd of the season on Wednesday night at 7, when it hosts Milwaukee (22-8) at 1st Mariner Arena in the first game of a two-game semifinal. Game Two is set for Sunday afternoon at 3 at U.S. Cellular Arena in Milwaukee, which could be invaded by fans cheering for the visiting team.
“Trying to get busses is just a little tight right now. It seems like nobody has busses,” Dulko said. “We’d love to go up, but it’s a long trip.”
swelsh@baltimoreexaminer.com
Comments from Examiner Readers
8:53 PM MST on Tue., Jun. 24, 2008 re: "Hale working on new arena"
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7:50 PM MST on Tue., Jun. 24, 2008
re: "Fizzled franchise?"
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7:26 PM MST on Tue., Jun. 24, 2008
re: "New arena could work for Baltimore"
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10:25 AM MST on Mon., Jun. 2, 2008
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8:24 AM MST on Mon., Jun. 2, 2008
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6:48 AM MST on Mon., Jun. 2, 2008
re: "MISL gets the boot"
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7:17 AM MST on Thu., May. 8, 2008
re: "MISL once again in flux"
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6:26 PM MST on Mon., Apr. 28, 2008
re: "Blast off to a dynasty"
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2:30 PM MST on Mon., Mar. 24, 2008
re: "Future stars have a Blast at youth soccer clinic"
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12:40 PM MST on Mon., Mar. 3, 2008
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7:37 PM MST on Mon., Feb. 18, 2008
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6:19 PM MST on Mon., Feb. 18, 2008
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8:48 AM MST on Mon., Feb. 4, 2008
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9:15 AM MST on Sun., Feb. 3, 2008
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9:04 AM MST on Wed., Jan. 30, 2008
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11:29 PM MST on Sat., Jan. 26, 2008
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3:29 PM MST on Mon., Dec. 3, 2007
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11:56 PM MST on Fri., Nov. 16, 2007
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5:07 PM MST on Thu., May. 17, 2007
re: "New arena could work for Baltimore"
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1:59 PM MST on Thu., May. 17, 2007
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7:33 PM MST on Wed., May. 16, 2007
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10:38 AM MST on Tue., May. 15, 2007
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8:11 AM MST on Tue., May. 15, 2007
re: "Will Blast get blasted away?"
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12:06 PM MST on Wed., Apr. 11, 2007
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MJ said:
THE NEED FOR A NBA OR NHL MAY WORK AT FOR BALTIMORE! Most cities like Sacremento, Milwaukee, St.Louis or Minneapolis don't seem to fit in the NBA or NHL, but they have major support for their indoor franchise(s) and so as Baltimore. Many believe MLB and NFL don't fit into Charm City's act but the Orioles won 3 championship and the Ravens first 4 seasons won a Super Bowl. So the start for a NBA,ABA,NHL,ECHL,NLL, or AFL franchise can boost B-MORE's attraction. So a new major league size arena can bring in lots of fans and millions of dollars an year for the city. The biggest spots are Port Covington and either Canton for a 19,000-20,000 seat facility.
3 agree | 3 disagree
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MJ said:
Port Covington is a great spot for a new 19,000-20,000 seat arena that can attract an expansion NBA or NHL franchise, its a good spot first of all its next the Bay, facing Interstate 95 and plus a big area spot. Now bring the biggest event to Baltimore ever.
4 agree | 4 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
The MDC and MSA should propose the new arena site at Port Covington shopping area because more space than the current site, the new arena site can propose an 19,000 seat facility that can bring in more events and also rebuild the Baypoint and also start a new residential and suite area.
4 agree | 4 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
These are hilarious comments. Many of you are showing your abject ignorance .
4 agree | 6 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
The Blasts WON the championship!!!! They played excellent especially when #6 Scott Buete returned from his injuries. The games were exciting. I just hope that the Baltimore Blast is able to become part of a new league.
4 agree | 3 disagree
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Patrick said:
I'm glad to see the Truth finally came out. This whole MISL situation has been handled poorly for years by everyone involved. The players not knowing as indicated in Sean's article is a joke!
5 agree | 5 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Let's drop Fox Soccer Channel from coverage. Their performance during the championship telecast receives a failing grade. Aside from the techincal difficulties which led to only a portion of the game being viewed, their commentatores proved to know little about the game nor the teams involved. The championship game should be played in front of at least one of the team's fans.
7 agree | 9 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
this soccer league is not major league . 6 teams and no television what kind of league is it anyway when every year 2 or 3 teams fold??????
6 agree | 9 disagree
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Rocko Mango said:
Someone ought to tell these boys that soccer is a girls' sport. They should have some self-respect and play football or lacrosse.
14 agree | 20 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
i think that if we have a new arena it should seat 20,000 or more and to say Baltimore does not have a shot at getting an nba or nhl team is not rite anything can happien just like they sayed baltimore was not a good place for football and we got one an it is doing great
61 agree | 59 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Anybody really follow this 'sport'? I mean, besides the 10 or 12 that go to games?
54 agree | 65 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
The Blast are great but danny kelly is a backstabing chump.
73 agree | 68 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
The Blast are getting hot at a good time. This run reminds me of the playoff run 5-6 years ago when we won our first title in 20 years. Support this team! They're the only Baltimore likely to have a winning record or title shot this year, and they're mostly local boys.
76 agree | 52 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Peters knocked this one out of the park. He's going places.
88 agree | 86 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Mike Peters is an amazing sports journalist.
94 agree | 83 disagree
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Examiner Reader said:
Yawn.
Can we get a professional sport in the winter?
Nothing worse than a bunch of sissies running around squealing "don't use your hands! don't use your hands!"
95 agree | 91 disagreeVote on this comment: I agree or I disagree
Anastasia B. said:
The Blast is an awesome team and I love you Robbie! You keep the team together and strong. You'll always be there for them. You Rock!!!
195 agree | 130 disagree
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Soccer Fanatic 01 said:
I love your team and how they put forth the effort they need to win the game. I was at the game in Baltimore, on Friday the 16th. When they played the Team La Raza. And I've got to say that Team Blast was really fun to watch. My friend and I had a "Blast" thanks, ~sincerly, soccer fanatics!~
182 agree | 145 disagree
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Neil said:
The state screwed up when they built the convention center 10 years ago on a spot that would have been so much better utilized on a new arena. Now, however, they need a new place. I actually think Westport would do well, since the city wants to do something positive with that cesspool of a neighborhood, that just so happens to be in a great location. It's right next to 95, 295, the water and it has a light rail stop. Also, while the Blast gets a new arena, bring on the AHL, the AFL, and the NLL.
428 agree | 274 disagree
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Jimmie said:
I know a place that the Blast can play - the Baltimore Athletic Club for women.
267 agree | 296 disagree
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Ken said:
Hey Jimmie if you know a place the Blast can play in while they build a new arena name it. If the Blast are so lame like you say why do you care about a new arena anyway. And by the way it has not been called the Civic Center in a very long time. Dave is right you must not know much about a good team and it's owner looking out for his team and it's fans. What are you a Peter Angelos fan. lile that guy takes care of his team or cares about it's fans. We need to build a new arena, But in a new location. Hopefully Mr Fry and Mr Brodie and The Stadium Authority will realize the Blast are too good of a thing to loss and will either find a place for them to play while a new arena is build. Or better yet find a new location to build a arena, Like Canton. makes to much sense close to I-95. GO BLAST!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
270 agree | 284 disagree
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Dave said:
I guess "Jimmie" is not a follower of the MISL. If he was, he'd know that nearly every team that has had to drop out of the MISL for one reason or another has folded permanently. The Blast are the oldest continuously operating franchise in indoor soccer -- 26 years in this city, with four championships. What other Baltimore team can even compare to that success ratio? And even our fiercest rivals say that they'd rather play in Baltimore than any other road destination, because our fans are the most fervent and knowledgable in the league. And the Blast are still the best sports bargain in town -- I have to take out a second mortgage to go see the Ravens or Orioles, but I can afford season tickets to the Blast, and have for the past 15 years. So let's build a new arena -- but let's not shut down the Blast to do it.
316 agree | 491 disagree
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Jimmie said:
Tell Ed to stop whining. There are venues in and around town where the Blast could play while a the Civic Center is torn down and a new arena built in its place. Hale is just trying to strongarm the city into going along with his Canton arena plan. Poor Ed and his lame soccer franchise.
365 agree | 321 disagree
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William Kennedy said:
Baltimore has needed a new arena since 1964. When the NHL first expanded, Baltimore was a prime location, but when the league executives toured the Civic Center the deemed the new arena completely unfit. It hasn't improved since then. A 12-15,000 seat arena would do nicely for the Blast and the new indoor football team, but in order to get prime events such as an NCAA 1st & 2nd round or Regional basketball tournament, or FROZEN FOUR Hockey tournament or woment basketball regional or FINAL FOUR and some of the larger musical acts, a 20-22,000 seat venue is neccessary. Mr HAle, don't undersell Baltimore or yourself by thinking too small on this project.
55 agree | 47 disagree
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