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The Round Mound of Coaching
In a development which surprises absolutely no one besides John Carver, the Worlds Largest Coach© has been named MLS COACH OF THE YEAR.
After taking over from Zippy the Pinhead in 2006 he conducted probably the most merciless top-to-bottom roster demolition in MLS history, starting the season with only 3 players who had finished 2005 on the Crew roster. (Chad Marshall, Frankie Hejduk and Duncan Oughton).
I'll never forget sitting in the front row at the MLS Superdraft in Philadelphia watching Sigi holding a cellphone in each ear as he calmly traded away the bulk of his roster for whatever he could get - draft choices, money, bags of beans - stopping only long enough to pose for the ceremonial "freshfaced kid holding team jersey" photo, before scurrying - well, OK, more like migrating - back to his phones as Crew PR man Jeff Wuerth took back the shirt in preparation for repeating the performance in about five minutes.
All I remember thinking is "I sure hope this guy knows what he's doing."
In honesty, most of the players he drafted that day are long gone, and the two who remain see little action (although Kei Kamara did transmogriphy into Alejandro Moreno).
(And of course after the draft he jettisoned veteran GK Jon Busch, who felt he was never given a fair shot at winning the job. Busch has said repeatedly that while he'd love to be involved with the Crew when he hangs up his gloves for the last time, he will never, ever work for them as long as Schmid is involved in any way.)
As part of his contract agreement, Sigi had demanded and received absolute control over the team roster, a point he emphasized when he later remarked that "I don't tell (Crew GM) Mark McCullers who to hire to sell tickets and he doesn't tell me what players to bring in".
That kind of an arrangement can easily backfire, however, because when thigs go sour there's not another soul on Earth with whom you can share the blame.
And after two years on the job, with his team out of the playoffs yet again, it did indeed appear that Schmid was on thin ice. Feel free to insert your own joke here.
Yet, incredibly, the Crew came out of the box firing on all cylinders in 2008 and cruised to the Supporter's Shield with very few stumbles.
The only sour note in this tickertape parade is that HE MAY BE ON THE MOVE AGAIN as clearly the Seattle Sounders, only two weeks away from the MLS Expansion draft, seem to be waiting until after the season for someone they are unable to sign at the moment.
Like, for example, Schmid, whose contract will expire at the end of the season and thus is available for the right price to a group that seems to be throwing money around like drunken sailors on shore leave.
(Personally, I was hoping for the return of Alan Hinton, but some things are just not meant to be.)
Some organizations might find some embarrassment in not being able to come to terms with a coach in this situation, but HSG, whatever else you can say about them, is notoriously reluctant to pay top dollar to coaches, considering them more or less interchangeable.
And in an odd corporate quirk, they even refuse to negotiate with a coach through an agent, insisting that contract deals be worked out directly, a policy which has reportedly annoyed Schmid, who would prefer to focus on the task at hand.
In a somewhat related development, Hunt Sports group CEO Clark Hunt IS DENYING REPORTS THAT HE'S MAKING A BID FOR NEWCASTLE UNITED as was widely reported yesterday.
This would seem to leave the field clear for Uncle Phil Anschutz, who apparently either doesn't know or doesn't care that virtually everyone involved with the adminstration of international soccer, from to Sepp Blatter to Michael Platini, THINKS THAT HAVING ALL THESE AMERICAN OWNERS is bad for the EPL.
And HERE'S SOME BAD ECONOMIC NEWS with a silver lining for BS members. Just trying to look at the positives.
The Honda US Player of the Year will also be announced today. The finalists aren't much of a surprise, consisting as they do of Landon Donovan, Clint Dempsey and Tim Howard.
Most observers would be surprised if it doesn't go to Howard, but this one is very seldom all that clear cut.
After taking over from Zippy the Pinhead in 2006 he conducted probably the most merciless top-to-bottom roster demolition in MLS history, starting the season with only 3 players who had finished 2005 on the Crew roster. (Chad Marshall, Frankie Hejduk and Duncan Oughton).
I'll never forget sitting in the front row at the MLS Superdraft in Philadelphia watching Sigi holding a cellphone in each ear as he calmly traded away the bulk of his roster for whatever he could get - draft choices, money, bags of beans - stopping only long enough to pose for the ceremonial "freshfaced kid holding team jersey" photo, before scurrying - well, OK, more like migrating - back to his phones as Crew PR man Jeff Wuerth took back the shirt in preparation for repeating the performance in about five minutes.
All I remember thinking is "I sure hope this guy knows what he's doing."
In honesty, most of the players he drafted that day are long gone, and the two who remain see little action (although Kei Kamara did transmogriphy into Alejandro Moreno).
(And of course after the draft he jettisoned veteran GK Jon Busch, who felt he was never given a fair shot at winning the job. Busch has said repeatedly that while he'd love to be involved with the Crew when he hangs up his gloves for the last time, he will never, ever work for them as long as Schmid is involved in any way.)
As part of his contract agreement, Sigi had demanded and received absolute control over the team roster, a point he emphasized when he later remarked that "I don't tell (Crew GM) Mark McCullers who to hire to sell tickets and he doesn't tell me what players to bring in".
That kind of an arrangement can easily backfire, however, because when thigs go sour there's not another soul on Earth with whom you can share the blame.
And after two years on the job, with his team out of the playoffs yet again, it did indeed appear that Schmid was on thin ice. Feel free to insert your own joke here.
Yet, incredibly, the Crew came out of the box firing on all cylinders in 2008 and cruised to the Supporter's Shield with very few stumbles.
The only sour note in this tickertape parade is that HE MAY BE ON THE MOVE AGAIN as clearly the Seattle Sounders, only two weeks away from the MLS Expansion draft, seem to be waiting until after the season for someone they are unable to sign at the moment.
Like, for example, Schmid, whose contract will expire at the end of the season and thus is available for the right price to a group that seems to be throwing money around like drunken sailors on shore leave.
(Personally, I was hoping for the return of Alan Hinton, but some things are just not meant to be.)
Some organizations might find some embarrassment in not being able to come to terms with a coach in this situation, but HSG, whatever else you can say about them, is notoriously reluctant to pay top dollar to coaches, considering them more or less interchangeable.
And in an odd corporate quirk, they even refuse to negotiate with a coach through an agent, insisting that contract deals be worked out directly, a policy which has reportedly annoyed Schmid, who would prefer to focus on the task at hand.
In a somewhat related development, Hunt Sports group CEO Clark Hunt IS DENYING REPORTS THAT HE'S MAKING A BID FOR NEWCASTLE UNITED as was widely reported yesterday.
This would seem to leave the field clear for Uncle Phil Anschutz, who apparently either doesn't know or doesn't care that virtually everyone involved with the adminstration of international soccer, from to Sepp Blatter to Michael Platini, THINKS THAT HAVING ALL THESE AMERICAN OWNERS is bad for the EPL.
And HERE'S SOME BAD ECONOMIC NEWS with a silver lining for BS members. Just trying to look at the positives.
The Honda US Player of the Year will also be announced today. The finalists aren't much of a surprise, consisting as they do of Landon Donovan, Clint Dempsey and Tim Howard.
Most observers would be surprised if it doesn't go to Howard, but this one is very seldom all that clear cut.
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I know you're making a point, but Clavijo got rid of every player except for Mastroeni from the team he inherited in 2005.
Which, I guess just proves you actually need brains running an organization if you plan on demolishing the team from the foundation up.
Yes, but did he do it in two months?
No, it was closer to a year - after which we had Beckerman and Pablo left.Posted 11 Nov 2008 at 09:54 AM by RapidStorm 
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I remember posting a comment suggesting that Columbus should consider hiring Sigi Schmid. And I also remember you responding in your usual frothing, mad dog, sort of way that under no circumstances did you want that fat, washed-up, loser as coach of the Crew.
My, how times do change in Crew land.
I suppose it's possible, I honestly recall no such thing. However, I do recall sending Crew GM Mark McCullers an email on the day that Schmid was hired, quoting the famous Abraham Lincoln telegraph to U.S. Grant after he landed his army on the west bank of the Mississippi on the way to Vicksburg: "I begin to see it."
My ridiculous melodrama aside, that would seem to indicate how I actually felt at the time. Which isn't to say that I was entirely sold on the guy, just that after four years of amateur hour in CBus, it was a relief to have an actual professional around.
Either way, I'm not posting as a partisan here. I'm just pounding out the facts. If it was Tom Soehn winning the trophy this piece would be about him.
Posted 11 Nov 2008 at 11:23 AM by PJohnson 
Updated 11 Nov 2008 at 11:41 AM by Bill Archer -
Didn't your "zippy" win coach of the year in 2004? What does that say about the award itself?Posted 11 Nov 2008 at 01:23 PM by SonicDeathMonkey
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Hmmm. If Schmid wants complete control in Seattle...well then, he's likely to be in Columbus again in 2009.
You know, I didn't put those pieces together but it's a great point.
In an interview with the NYT two weeks ago Sigi specifically pointed to disagreements with Doug Hamilton over player signings as a big reason why he had to leave.
It does indeed seem unlikely that he'll happily retire to the clubhouse and just coach whoever happens to show up.Posted 11 Nov 2008 at 01:34 PM by GOALSeattle
Updated 11 Nov 2008 at 02:41 PM by Bill Archer -
Oh yeah. We forgot that the brains who run the Seattle supporters groups get final approval over player signings, team strategy, and the brand of coffee served at board meetings.Quote:Hmmm. If Schmid wants complete control in Seattle...well then, he's likely to be in Columbus again in 2009.
Posted 11 Nov 2008 at 01:44 PM by DoctorD
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Promise?Quote:Hmmm. If Schmid wants complete control in Seattle...well then, he's likely to be in Columbus again in 2009.Posted 11 Nov 2008 at 01:59 PM by tomwilhelm
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Yes, I promise. We have a very hands-on GM and technical director already. Seattle's head coach will have to share the soccer love with them, and vice versa. If Sigi wants complete control, he won't be hired by Seattle.
Posted 11 Nov 2008 at 02:18 PM by GOALSeattle
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One word choice (migration!) had already made my morning. Then you went and suggested Alan Hinton for Sounders coach, and I'm totally spooning with your blog.
Posted 11 Nov 2008 at 02:21 PM by Honore de Ballsac
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When you've got 18,000 season tickets and a $4 million per season deal with Xbox, you have the opportunity to spend. I'm glad Roth & Hanauer are already putting $$$ towards the product, because they wouldn't have to with so many seats already sold.
So...whatever Sigi wants...except complete control.
Posted 11 Nov 2008 at 02:37 PM by GOALSeattle
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Posted 11 Nov 2008 at 04:00 PM by GOALSeattle
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