Steve Pastorino, SL Trib new writer

I didn't see much of that in the article...and the chance was there. It will be fascinating to see how Pastorino handles this opportunity. In his blog he has consciously avoided ripping RSL, but this is the Trib now...we all know they will take any opportunity to rip away.

If he does decide to name names, I'd like to know how and why Howes was allowed to pressure the sales staff about $$, rather than listening to those with experience (Pastorino and Keeney) about builidng relationships. It doesn't take Sherlock Holmes to notice that the FO's treatment of the fan base and supporters groups has disintigrated since Keeney left (deserting the sinking ship?) and Pastorino was fired.

I agree wholeheartedly re Tejada though. Sorry Steve, this just reaffirmed to me that your biggest strengths were always organizing a front office (when allowed to do so), working the business community, and creating relationships...NOT identifying players. That was supposed to be Ellinger's strength, unfortunately he was unable to evaluate worth a damn re any player over the age of 17.

 

Interesting article, and I look forward to reading more. Most of the points are well made, though characterizing the trades as throwing veterans overboard constitutes some biased language. The only thing I take real issue with is that he seems to imply that staying the course last year was the way to go, when I don't know anyon who questions that, just whether Kreis and company was the right way to go.

I hope he comments in a future article about why he traded two YI spots away permanently in exchange for Jeff Stewart and Adolfo Gregorio. That's been more and more onmy mind lately.

 

That's more what I meant to say, and better said!

 

I'm hoping he concentrates on the current state of RSL as it evolves rather than focusing on the past. It is a newspaper not an oldspaper, after all. They won't keep him around to write about the past.

 

Good for him. I don't know much about him. I was completely oblivious to the inner workings of RSL until after Ellinger was fired. However, I do read his blog occassional, and I do appreciate his writing style and his candor. At least the Trib has a writer onboard that knows a thing or two about the sport, the league and RSL.

 

Those trades seem so much worse than wasting time on Tejada -- as bad as that was, it probably only killed 1 season. Who knows how much we'd have to give up to get those slots back? RSL is going to have to deal with that mistake for a long time.

 

Snow Lion Expeditions? Wow.

How the mighty have fallen...

 

He should move on with his life. He and Ellinger made a mess of things and I think his article is just sour grapes..

 

I think you are right, there are definite some strong undertones of "what the hell are you doing" in this article. (And maybe its a good question. I am as optimistic as anyone about RSL, but Im still waiting for the full vision.) However, when you think about what Pastorino has gone through, your tendency would be to be very bitter and not understand it and I get the sense that he really is trying to be open minded. One thing is for sure, if he is printed periodically we'll see exactly where he stands.

BTW - He responded to some of our comments. http://www.notjustahatrack.typepad.com/

 

I would love to hear the "inside story" on the two YI trades. Did they just not realize how valuable those would be? Gregorio looked decent his first couple of games, but I'm not sure what player would be valuable enough to trade away slots permanently... Granted, the importance of foreign players in MLS seems to be expanding exponentially over the past two seasons, and those spots are more valuable now maybe than they were a few years ago. But that's precisely why a forward-thinking GM would never trade something away "permanently", right? Let's see some discussion of this topic on the "Hatrack".

 

Snow Lion Expeditions, Bring Ugly People to Asia since 1992:

 

I think the Sltrib is going to hire John Amaechi to cover the Utah Jazz also.

 

this is such a hard topic for me, because on the one hand, I love Steve Pastorino as a person. Great guy!

why are we comparing JK to Pasto? JK should be compared to Ellinger.

I have to admit, I love that the argies were brought it and brought back some life into the team. I am sad to see people like Jeff Cunningham go...

 

The Feature could be called "John Amaechi: Out with the Jazz"

 

Probably because JK acted as de facto GM until Lagerwey showed up (in September, right?).

 

I was just sitting here thinking the same thing. It will be nice to have someone who knows something about soccer writing in the local paper.

Whether he has an axe to grind or not, i'm sure he'll provide much better soccer coverage than others currently on staff. Who would you rather read? Gordon Monson?

I think it will be a good thing to have Steve P. there to give fans good coverage about RSL and hopefully other local soccer like the PDL's Ogden Outlaws and BYU Cougars (hint, hint, Steve).

 

I think one can assume his writing will be biased by his own experiences with the team. Isn't that why his articles will be so enjoyable? And if he has an "axe to grind" that just makes the articles more entertaining for us. I thought the first article was fascinating and I enjoyed it immensely.

 

Oh please don't say that. Please don't say things like 'It's nice to have someone who knows soccer writing for the local paper'. I'd have Monson over SP anyday and twice on Sundays. Pastorino knows as much about soccer as he can research on the internet. It was a standing joke amongst the team and FO that his knowledge of the game and players came from the internet. Any time I spoke to him I found him to be completely ignorant of anything soccer related that didn't sound like he had memorised something he read somewhere else.

The reason he is on the writing staff at the Trib is that his running partner is none other than Michael Lewis .... no more no less. He sucked as a GM, failed the team, failed in everything he touched except for fans with little knowledge of the goings on behind closed doors liked him because he bought them beer or pizza occassionally.

Can he just crawl away and live somewhere else (just not CA), just do something different, or perhaps no other team in sport will hire him with such a sterling track record? In Chicago he lived off someone elses success and the only time he had his own chance he sucked. Maybe he has to stay in SLC and write articles pretending he knows Utah, SLC and the Valley for Delta Sky Magazine because he has no other choice and getting a pal like ML to get him a job at the Trib is the best way to convince himself he did a good job and that JK sucks? Funnily enought JK does suck but it isn't because of the cock up that he inherited it's just that he sucks too.

Seriously, just go away, I'm only interested in the future - and SP - that ain't you.

 

I'm baffled by all the hostility towards what should be seen as a fantastic development for RSL fans. Why the insecurity? Aside from it's obligatory beat coverage, The SL Tribune has never shown much interest in covering RSL properly. That requires a columnist with the requisite MLS interest & enthusiasm & insight. Steve Pastorino possesses all of those attributes--his past mistakes notwithstanding. He happens to be a technically gifted writer to boot. SLC is badly in need of independent, informed opinion about RSL.

Again, why the insecurities? Are you afraid he might--God forbid--be critical of certain things RSL is doing? That's exactly what mature soccer coverage entails.

The alternatives are these: A) Pastorino's well-positioned insights, or B) press-release regurgitating beat-coverage + Brad Rock, etc.

We really needn't fear opinions different than our own. It's healthy.

 

Did you actually just say what I think you said? You want to hear someone elses opinion?

It's like you didn't even read my post. I disagree with you that Pastorino has any credible knowledge of the game, he has no credibility in my eyes and certanily none in the soccer world so if we are looking to make RSL look even worse lets have him as the credible writer in SLC. Nice. He wasn't well positioned - apart from the golf course - when he was GM, what makes you think he is now? that he still lives because nobody will hire him away from SLC? Nice reason. I have no insecurity, I have nothing to be insecure about, supporting RSL would be the wrong team if I'm insecure about anything. I didn't make any comments about his writing skills being bad, I don't have an opinion on them, I think which writers like is purely a personl thing so I can't comment on it.

Since when did you become Pastorinos biggest fan? And as for him being independent .... I can only sit down as I laugh, he couldn't be less independent. I really like reading your posts for the most part but seriously Stev P independent?