The invitations were sent. The restaurant was booked. There were going to be hype videos and a fashion show and, probably, a standing ovation.
FC ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥â€™s March 18 jersey reveal party never happened, however. Just like almost everything else in sports, it was canceled because of the coronavirus outbreak.
Amanda Powers’ first crisis as FC ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥â€™s club president came with both an emotional and financial cost. The team had already ordered tens of thousands of dollars’ worth of merchandise to sell during the 2020 season.
“Because everything went on hold,†she said, “we’re stuck with the bag.â€
And 1,000 opening-day flags. And another 1,000 bandannas. And, of course, the jerseys.
FC ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ unveiled the new gear on Wednesday afternoon — “520 Day†— and is now selling jerseys, hats, hoodies, scarves and more on . The new jerseys are $75, with a $20 upcharge to add the name and number of any current player on the city’s pro soccer club. Fans who purchase jerseys will receive a hand-sewn FC ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ mask for free. (Local orders can be picked up at The Shop, 3130 E. Fort Lowell Road.)
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Place a merchandise order with FC ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ and there’s a good chance club president Amanda Powers will fill it.
COVID-19 has been devastating for ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥â€™s professional sports teams, all of which operate with razor-thin margins even in the best of times. The Indoor Football League’s ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Sugar Skulls saw their season canceled during training camp. The ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Roadrunners were cruising toward the Calder Cup playoffs when the American Hockey League suspended, and then ended, the 2019-20 season.
All three teams are selling merchandise online during the shutdown. Buying local both supports the teams and helps them cut down on excess inventory. Powers, for one, has been warehousing countless boxes of FC ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ gear in her home. Purchase a T-shirt, hat, water bottle, scarf, jersey or bandanna, and the team’s new president — she was hired in January — is likely to be involved in fulfilling the order. She takes jersey orders to The Shop, which has them waiting for fans via curbside pickup.
Similarly, the Sugar Skulls have launched an online sale of hats, tees, commemorative footballs and other gear. A never-before-seen alternate jersey — the Sugar Skulls were planning a “red-out†for their March 29 home opener — can be bought for $80 . Black home jerseys have been marked down to $40, and select tees can be had for as low as $10. The Roadrunners continue to sell jerseys, shirts and hats and at retail outlets throughout the city.
The Sugar Skulls and Roadrunners gear is timeless, meaning leftover stock can be rolled over to next season — whenever that starts.
FC ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥â€™s new jerseys, however, include a 10th anniversary logo on the sleeve. The team plans to celebrate the milestone this season, whether games are played or not. The logo — a Roman numeral X — comes with dashes of local flavor: a rattlesnake skin pattern, a river signifying the Santa Cruz and a lightning bolt that the team says is “a symbol of ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥â€™s energy and illumination of the desert skies.â€

F C ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥â€™s new 10th-anniversary logo.
FC ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ will continue to wear black at home, as well as some gray. The white road jerseys include a new wishbone collar. The kits themselves are being made by Macron, an Italian sportswear company that also outfits USL Championship’s Phoenix Rising FC and Miami FC.
Powers, a member of the USL’s coronavirus task force, said she expects to learn within the next 10 days whether USL League One and its parent organization, USL Championship, plan to play a 2020 season. She said games could begin in July and run through November in front of about 25% capacity at stadiums. Players and coaches would be tested frequently for the virus.
There are major issues with the July-November schedule, however. One is financial: Few teams in USL League One can make money with their stadiums at 25% capacity. The other is travel: FC ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ flies commercial. Had the 2020 season started on time, the Men in Black would have already played in Orlando, Florida; Chattanooga, Tennessee; and Greenville, South Carolina, with multiple flight legs on each trip. The team would have spent Friday traveling to Nebraska for a match against Union Omaha.
“How,†Powers asked rhetorically, “do I social-distance on my way to Georgia?â€
To solve that problem, Powers and others are exploring a 10-game season spread over 45 days, with opponents coming from both USL League One and the USL Championship sides. FC ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ would play Phoenix Rising FC, New Mexico United, El Paso Locomotive FC and other regional teams, traveling to road matches by bus and spending one night per trip in a hotel. The plan in some ways mirrors that of Major League Baseball, which has discussed playing a regional schedule designed to cut down on plane travel and hotel stays.
The club has also pursued a scenario where ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ would host up to 30 teams for a 60-day World Cup-style tournament at Kino North Stadium and Kino Sports Complex. That model, which would require multiple hotels and pre-match quarantining, is the most ambitious of the options.
“Whatever the case is, I’ve got merchandise,†Powers said. “2020 is a year that’s going to be forever in the history books with that asterisk on it. Why not launch a jersey with this emblem on it?â€
Photos: Racing returns to ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Speedway
ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Speedway

A Legends car runs through the No. 2 turn and the last rays of daylight during a practice session at ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Speedway as the track opens for the first time since COVID19 closures, May 16, 2020, ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥, Ariz. Racing is expected to take place next weekend.
ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Speedway

The flagman drops the green for the drivers on the track, May 16, 2020, ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥, Ariz., to start their practice laps at ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Speedway, the first action on the oval since COVID19 closures.
ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Speedway

Hornets driver Tish Hiestand glances upward while she and her crew sort out her car for a practice run at ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Speedway, May 16, 2020, ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥, Ariz., the first time the oval's been open since COVID19 closures began several weeks ago.
ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Speedway

Driver Dylan Jones begins to back his car out of the team's work area to head out for a practice run at ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Speedway, May 16, 2020, ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥, Ariz.
ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Speedway

Legends racer Bradley Erickson bides his time in line with other drivers waiting to clear inspection at the beginning of a practice session at ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Speedway, May 16, 2020, ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥, Ariz.
ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Speedway

Jacob Corneliusen and his crew work to get his car up to snuff in the inspection area, as drivers get to test the track for the first time since COVID19 restrictions at ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Speedway, May 16, 2020, ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥, Ariz.
ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Speedway

Crew chief Chad Mannor helps ease driver Bill Engle and his car out of the trailer for a practice session at ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Speedway, May 16, 2020, ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥, Ariz.
ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Speedway

A sculpture in turn one stands over drivers taking practice laps at ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥ Speedway, May 16, 2020, ÃÛèÖÖ±²¥, Ariz., as the oval opens up for the first time since COVID19 closures,