Alert: Boycott the Revs

Discussion in 'New England Revolution' started by Mike Marshall, Sep 30, 2012.

  1. Mike Marshall

    Mike Marshall Member+

    Feb 16, 2000
    Woburn, MA
    Club:
    New England Revolution
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    To answer this point...

    1. I wanted to give the organization specific ways they should change. I'm not sure "get a better team" or something like that is specific enough. What's "better"? Playoffs? MLS Cup Championship? We'd have rightly been asked by the organization to define "better". And then we'd have been told that they're trying to get better.

    2. I thought it was important to give them a list of demands that could be acted upon in the space of a single off-season. If they agree to every item on my list, then I want to be there at the 2013 Home Opener.

    3. I could handle the team sucking. I wouldn't organize a boycott for that reason alone. What I can't handle is watching the team suck with the knowledge that Mike Burns got a promotion for overseeing the slow on-field decline of the franchise. Normal organizations with committed, involved ownership do not promote the team's Director of Player Personnel after four seasons in a row where the team got progressively worse each season.

    4. I think replacing Burns would be step #1 towards improving the on-field product, anyway.
     
  2. rkane1226

    rkane1226 Member+

    Apr 9, 2000
    Club:
    Stade Brestois 29
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I'm leaning toward 5. Certainly 4. They've really, really, really sucked for two.
     
  3. jass

    jass Member

    Oct 12, 2006
    Club:
    Parana Curitiba
    Nat'l Team:
    Mexico
    Not only will I boycott the revs....

    But Im actually going to be giving the pink cows some of my hard earned money soon.

    AND bringing friends.
     
  4. rkane1226

    rkane1226 Member+

    Apr 9, 2000
    Club:
    Stade Brestois 29
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    No, I'm very sure that I've been told, MANY TIMES, that a "real fan" ponies up and shows up, "no matter what!". And you aren't the only one who has done the telling.

    Removing Mike Burns, which I support, is no guarantee that things will turn around on the field. Recent Kraft behavior suggests that Brad, Jeff, or one of the ball boys will replace him; because of their loyalty, availability and super thrifty salary - not because they know what they are doing. Plus, we'd still be left with a head coach who has ABSOLUTELY no idea what he is doing.

    I expect the previously mentioned ugly pig will be capable of sustained flight well before I expect a Kraft owned SSS (defining Gillette as not a SSS).

    As I said, I don't think a boycott will work on the REVs. Huge parts of their crowds are there opportunistically (a discount offer, a youth team, etc.) and won't flock to the Boycott Banner. Many of the STH's won't either. Probably not even all of the FORT. The financial impact will probably just mean they run one more roster spot empty next season, at most. However, I do believe that people should stop paying for bad product so please continue.

    But, in the end, I think a boycott is to head on. Kind of like Saddam Hussein taking on the USA with his "4th largest" army in the world in the first Iraq war. He was doomed to lose. What we need is a guerrilla campaign. Sadly, I don't have specific ideas. I did kind of like the suggestion of a SG for a non-Kraft owned team.
     
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  5. Mike Marshall

    Mike Marshall Member+

    Feb 16, 2000
    Woburn, MA
    Club:
    New England Revolution
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    OK, let's get this out of the way.

    I'm sorry my boycott doesn't match your idea of a good boycott. As I stated originally, I've never done anything like this before. Maybe the demands are sort of all over the place. And maybe I should have demanded that they hire Jose Mourinho to replace Burns and Heaps.

    And maybe all this won't work. But I know that the status quo isn't working. And I believe this is a battle worth fighting. And I believe that if I can convince enough people to join the boycott, that this is a battle we can win.

    And I apologize if I come across as a little pissed off. Perhaps I'm a bit naive, but I put a lot of time and effort and thought into this, and I'm already being crapped on, despite the fact that I spent weeks asking for input. I'm sorry, but you had your chance to speak up, and that chance has officially passed. It's not as if I didn't accept ideas from other people. Hell, I wouldn't take the Commuter Rail to a Revs game if you paid me to.

    If you want to join the boycott, then that's great - I'm happy to have you on board. If you don't, then that's also fine. I never expected everyone to join. I'd just appreciate it if those of you who don't wish to participate would respect the decision of those of us who do. Even if you don't agree with our decision, we all want what's best for the club.
     
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  6. MLSinHD

    MLSinHD Member

    Apr 1, 2004
    Boston
    Club:
    New England Revolution
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Mike have you added this info to twitter or to the Revs hashtag?
     
  7. Revs In First :)

    Aug 15, 2001
    Club:
    New England Revolution
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I'll give you 4-plus for the downward slide, which for me all began August 6th, 2008 - the day after they won the SuperLiga. At the time, we were basking in the glow of our 2nd minor trophy. I believe we had 10 league wins already, and we had the Open cup semifinals and champions league to look forward to. A deluded fool could say that as of 8/6/08 we had one trophy in the bag and were contenders for 4 more (Supporters, Open, Concacaf, MLS Cup). And from there, the spiral began as we crashed out of the open cup and Champions league, sucked for the rest of the league season, and then died in the playoffs.

    As for the boycott, best of luck with it. I hope it helps, but I doubt I'll join in. I buy one Fort season ticket at this point, having downgraded long ago from 2 center midfield season tickets. I don't buy concessions, and I don't buy merchandise. The ticket account is one of the last things I have in my life that connects me to something I did with my late father. I give them far less money today than I used to while still being able to say I've been a STH since day one. I want to be able to pass a long lived account on to my kid someday. I'm just not ready to part with it. I've made my feelings known by spending less and letting them know why I spend less. May not say the same thing as spending nothing, but it is the best I am willing to do.
     
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  8. MLSinHD

    MLSinHD Member

    Apr 1, 2004
    Boston
    Club:
    New England Revolution
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    FWIW I think just the fact that its even gotten to this point shows how poorly the club has been run & ownership being nonexistent certainly does not help. Don't want the Krafts to make player personnel moves but when your club has been a punch line to many jokes that should signal major changes need to be made on who's making the moves and final decisions. Also even without a SSS there is no reason why going to Gillette couldn't be a better experience for fans. If the Pats were having losing seasons back to back the Krafts would make serious changes. As a Revs fan don't think it's asking too much that the Revs are treated with similar respect or have the same considerations.
     
  9. ktsd

    ktsd Member

    Jul 20, 1999
    Bethel, CT, USA
    I support you, Mike. Though I'm a bit of a distant voice.

    My atrophied lack-of-passion for the Revs basically already had me staying away this past season. If having another season (or more) away helps serve the message, all the better.

    Kevin D.
     
  10. Mike Marshall

    Mike Marshall Member+

    Feb 16, 2000
    Woburn, MA
    Club:
    New England Revolution
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Thank you, Kevin.

    Just to clarify, if you're ahead of me in boycotting the team, feel free to sign the petition if you'd be willing to come back if the boycott demands are met.
     
  11. NFLPatriot

    NFLPatriot Member+

    Jun 25, 2002
    Foxboro, MA
    Club:
    New England Revolution
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Mike,

    Thanks for doing this. The Revs problems are so many, that it is impossible to get everyone to agree on the solutions, but something needs to be done. I may not agree with everything on your list, but I agree with the overall sentiment, so I signed it.
     
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  12. ktsd

    ktsd Member

    Jul 20, 1999
    Bethel, CT, USA
    I would absolutely come back if the Revs got me excited about the product again.

    I applaud taking the time to digest the dissatisfaction many people feel about this team, getting your arms around the scope of the problem, and crystalizing the required changes in forms of tangible demands. Not many of us could have done it, so bravo!

    Kindly spare a few seconds to suffer the view from my perspective if you would:

    My wife has asked me this season: "Are we going to go to any Revolution games this year?" When my answer is "meh" and I don't really bite on the carrot, that's when I realized I had atrophied. I _know_ the desire is there. I would take my family of 4 (plus any of my kids' friends to make a more funner event of it) if I, the _barometer_ of Rev's commitment in my household, felt it would be a great experience and worth the effort...

    Feh. We've all gone 'round this train of thought here and off-board aplenty. That's the jist. Enough.

    I just want to be excited about the Rev's again, and these real changes and a show of true belonging and caring from the FO would do it, I believe.

    Kevin D.
     
  13. CottageRev

    CottageRev Member+

    Jun 13, 2010
    Club:
    New England Revolution
    I'm torn about joining on a boycott. I like going to Revs games because I very much enjoy live soccer, I'm not going to have the money to go see my Euro teams any time in the next half-decade or so, and the 1-2 times a year I'd go to a NYRB/Montreal game or international friendly costs me much more than the 6-7 Revs games I go to annually.

    At the same time, I can tell among my group too that interest has eroded and physically traveling to the games feel more like an obligation than a pleasure. My girlfriend has stated on more than one occasion she's more than content to just watch the games on TV.

    Times like these I really miss the Blazers (NLL). 2014 or bust!
     
  14. A Casual Fan

    A Casual Fan Member+

    Mar 22, 2000
    Mike, I think all of the items you list are good. And I agree that it is hard to quantify what "better" means.

    My comment is only that I want the team on-field product to improve so much more than I want any of the other things.

    The other things can all change, and I suspect that the fanbase, Fort and Morgue alike, will still be unhappy if the long-term "no winning" model stays in place.

    However, none of that is a reflection on the boycott proposal; it just means that there is a real risk that all of the boycott terms are met, but fans still are unhappy in a major way (shocking!).

    It is what it is.
     
  15. rkupp

    rkupp Member+

    Jan 3, 2001
    Whether or not that was the case, polls clearly showed that most fans thought he should be replaced (though not necessarily because it was his "fault". Kind of like how people felt about Nicol last year).
    I'm not suggesting that, but I think your demand/request should be for a GM with X, Y and Z skills/experiences or track record of success, or whatever.
     
  16. Brian in Boston

    Brian in Boston Member+

    Jun 17, 2004
    MA & CA, USA
    Frankly, in my opinion, anything short of a thorough purge amongst the ranks of upper-level management with the Revolution will amount to little more than a cosmetic change for the organization.

    While I'm in complete agreement that Mike Burns must be replaced as General Manager, if said ouster occurs without Brian Bilello simultaneously being replaced as the franchise's President, the former move is an empty gesture. Throughout his tenure as Revolution CEO and, now, President, Bilello has failed in his oversight of the areas under his purview - sales, communications, marketing, broadcasting, special events and overall operations - as egregiously as Burns has on the soccer operations side of the ledger. Their tenure together has represented a tandem of incompetence and failure on par with the worst that professional sports in New England has ever trotted out.

    Further, it is high time that Lizz Summers was shown the door. Communications in all its forms - media relations, public relations, corporate communications, and social media strategy - have clearly been a glaring weakness for the Revolution for years. Given that Summers, as Director of Communications, has been charged with oversight of all of these areas for the past six years, the Revolution's continued underperformance in this realm is a sign that she is out of her depth.

    I'm sure that there are those who could argue that given the franchise's moribund state, particularly in areas such as sales and marketing, that the likes of Craig Tornberg, James Mullins, and Cathal Conlon could also be shown the door. While I'm not necessarily against a clean sweep of the Revolution's front-office, I'd be interested in seeing whether or not the removal of Bilello - who, as CEO and President, has presided over the most apathetically dark days for this franchise - provides a wake-up call to these executives. If, in a year or two under the leadership of a new team president, the areas Tornberg, Mullins, and Conlon are responsible for continue to underperform, they could be replaced, as well.

    Still and all, it strikes me that, at the very least, Bilello, Burns and Summers must all be replaced. Not doing so amounts to nothing more than rewarding failure.
     
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  17. Kraft Out

    Kraft Out Member+

    Aug 2, 2010
    Boston
    Club:
    New England Revolution
    Yeah, after the smear campaign was put into full effect in October. You can rewrite history if you would like, but he was scapegoated and that is what fueled the fan fury.

    Also, your assertion that because one mistaken managerial change happened in baseball, that it somehow applies to any other situation, is unfounded. Every situation is unique to itself, and comparing and contrasting is only an effort to come up with truths for unknowns.
     
  18. Kraft Out

    Kraft Out Member+

    Aug 2, 2010
    Boston
    Club:
    New England Revolution
    Considering none of us are front office soccer executives in any capacity, suggesting potential GM's to ownership is laughable at best. Requesting one be fired, who has only ever failed at the position, for a number of years, is a completely reasonable request however. The failure for Burns has been tangible.
     
  19. Kraft Out

    Kraft Out Member+

    Aug 2, 2010
    Boston
    Club:
    New England Revolution
    you should see my inbox :)
     
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  20. ToMhIlL

    ToMhIlL Member+

    Feb 18, 1999
    Boxborough, MA
    Club:
    New England Revolution
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Well, it was Nicol's fault last year and he did deserve to be shown the door. That doesn't un-do all the good things he did for this team, and until someone wins an MLS Cup, he will still be the most successful manager we ever had.

    But the truth of the matter was that he had "lost" the team. The things that had worked in the past weren't working any more. The league had also evolved beyond the point when we had lots of success mid-decade, and Nicol and the Revs overall were not able to adapt. We can all speculate how much of this was Nicol and how much was the organization as a whole. That infamous list of "20 South Americans" that Nicol wanted to sign, where every single one was turned down, would suggest that it was more institutional than the actions of one man. Of course, the results by the same newly-promoted FO without Nicol suggest that any turnaround will take a lot more than just replacing the manager.
     
  21. RevsFanDan

    RevsFanDan Member

    May 24, 2005
    North Shore
    Club:
    SSC Napoli
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Bingo..! Bingo!

    Clearly..and I've felt this for a LONG TIME...Everyone being shown the door clearly coincides with Kraft being shown the boot by MLS! Perhaps a stipulation of the surge to MLS 3.0 and beyond is that New England Ship up and start showing some progress! The rest of the league surely has(Even Chivas, with the last round of ownership movement may be gearing up for big changes)

    For me that's THE BEST CASE SCENARIO. A new owner with all new people who may actually give a SHIT about the Sport!
    But, I'll take Burns and Bilello gone..and at the very least Burns. But, the evil still remains in force!
    Argh!!
     
  22. Kraft Out

    Kraft Out Member+

    Aug 2, 2010
    Boston
    Club:
    New England Revolution
    We're ********ed
     
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  23. Mike Marshall

    Mike Marshall Member+

    Feb 16, 2000
    Woburn, MA
    Club:
    New England Revolution
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    You know, I actually thought about asking for Bilello to be replaced as well. But what kept me from that more than anything is that I'm sort of holding out hope that there really is something to this stadium thing. And if there is, firing Bilello would set the whole thing back for years.
     
  24. red machine

    red machine New Member

    Nov 18, 2007
    Cape Cod
    A bit out of order however a quick suggestion on boycott. Might you all get more people to take part if we were to wear paper bags like the Giants did. One would think they would get the hint from the attendance figures this year, last in the league, however that is not the case.
     
  25. Brian in Boston

    Brian in Boston Member+

    Jun 17, 2004
    MA & CA, USA
    Sorry, but Bilello's tenure, to date, as CEO and President of the New England Revolution in no way, shape, or form convinces me that his participation in the process is crucial to the franchise successfully negotiating a deal to get a soccer-specific stadium built.

    If - IF - the Revolution organization is as close to getting a stadium deal done as recent rumors seem to indicate, I don't believe for a moment that Bilello is the business linchpin holding the deal together. In fact, based upon the tenor of Bilello's leadership of this franchise, I'd maintain that one of the primary reasons an agreement for a soccer-specific stadium hasn't been hammered-out prior to this is that Bilello - whether due primarily to incompetence, or the fact that he hasn't been empowered by the Krafts to do so... likely a combination of both - has been incapable of closing the deal.

    Bottom line? If and when a soccer-specific stadium for the Revolution is built under the Kraft family's stewardship of the franchise, the driving force behind the development will be Bob and Jonathan Krafts' willingness to spend money on such a facility, and a host community's desire to be seen through the prism of doing business with one of the region's highest profile businessmen. As for Bilello, despite the platitudes Bob and Jonathan may periodically bestow upon him, he is little more than a functionary delivering the facts and figures that the Krafts want him to to potential municipal development partners on such a project.

    Those who believe that Brian Bilello is some business guru, without whom a soccer-specific stadium for the Revolution will never see fruition, are - from where I'm sitting - deluding themselves.
     
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