NY Times: "Toxic Culture" in US Soccer

Discussion in 'USA Men: News & Analysis' started by Unimane, Jun 25, 2019.

  1. WrmBrnr

    WrmBrnr Member+

    Apr 12, 2001
    San Carlos
    It all sounds pretty damning. I am not familiar with Glassdoor. How do they confirm the posts are by people who are actually employed by USSF?
     
  2. skim172

    skim172 Member+

    Feb 20, 2013
    The pundits on ESPNFC have become somewhat more outspoken on the USSF and CONCACAF (on the TV show, not the website so much). I imagine the fact that they are no longer the US Soccer broadcaster has a bearing on that.

    They're still not excoriatingly critical - but they are no longer behaving like Team USA cheerleaders. They're willing to point out mistakes in analysis of USA game - which seems like a basic thing, but Fox Sports is in full-on pep rally mode these days, and never acknowledge any shortcomings (except as a setup for a redemption storyline :rolleyes:.
     
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  3. pirozhok

    pirozhok Member+

    United States
    Jul 20, 2007
    Club:
    Los Angeles Galaxy
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    #28 pirozhok, Jun 25, 2019
    Last edited by a moderator: Jun 26, 2019
    Far From World Cup, Hints of Rebellion Inside U.S. Soccer
    Current and former employees have been excoriating the federation’s top executives online in an effort to alert leaders to what they called a “toxic” culture.


    U.S. Soccer, battered publicly after missing the men’s World Cup in 2018, is now facing criticism from within.CreditMarcio Jose Sanchez/Associated Press
    U.S. Soccer, battered publicly after missing the men’s World Cup in 2018, is now facing criticism from within.
    By Andrew Das

    • June 25, 2019
    EDITED BY MODERATOR: PLEASE DO NOT POST THE FULL TEXT OF ARTICLES HOSTED BY ANOTHER SITE.
     
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  4. mbar

    mbar Member+

    Apr 30, 1999
    Los Angeles, CA
    Club:
    Los Angeles Galaxy
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I don't know about that. Compared to private (for profit) businesses, nonprofits are incredibly transparent when you consider you can go on guidestar and see their tax returns (which include a ton of information) and most large organizations (including USSF) post their full financial statements and often board minutes, etc. on their website. That is actually a ton of information and it's the price they pay for being a tax exempt organization so rightfully so.

    https://www.ussoccer.com/governance/board-of-directors/meeting-minutes

    https://www.ussoccer.com/governance/financial-information

    I mean that is actually a lot of transparency.
     
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  5. Editor In Chimp

    Editor In Chimp Member+

    Sep 7, 2008
    Transparency isn't the same thing as accountability, though.
     
  6. nowherenova

    nowherenova Member+

    Jul 20, 2003
    Formerly Terminus
    "Dream job, nightmare organization" - :mad:
     
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  7. Jazzy Altidore

    Jazzy Altidore Member+

    Sep 2, 2009
    San Francisco
    Club:
    Los Angeles Galaxy
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I never said anything about transparency. The issue is that there’s no shareholder oversight of management. The board is full of insider friends.
     
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  8. mbar

    mbar Member+

    Apr 30, 1999
    Los Angeles, CA
    Club:
    Los Angeles Galaxy
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    fair enough. It is up to the board to make sure a nonprofit is run correctly and if the board isn’t willing to do that due to conflicts of interest or too close relationships then that is definitely a problem.
     
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  9. CMeszt

    CMeszt Member+

    Farewell Sweet Prince
    Jan 9, 2004
    Gentrification's Apex.
    Club:
    Philadelphia Union
    I think people vastly overestimate how much of USSF is dedicated to the actual on field soccer side of the national team.

    That said, a lot of these reviews sound pretty similar to complaints from people who've had low level sports industry jobs. Doesn't mean there ain't some problems though (I had friends in college who interned with the Lions under Millen....)
     
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  10. skim172

    skim172 Member+

    Feb 20, 2013
    Jesus.

    Did they survive? :oops:
     
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  11. yurch10

    yurch10 Member+

    Feb 13, 2004
    Yeah, agree an article based around Glassdoor doesn't do much for me...at the same time (and you will clearly disagree), my opinion on what has happened the last 3-4 years isn't because of our talent pool. It is because of a clear focus on promoting MLS/experience/etc...So who the hell knows, but I wouldn't look at this and just say "welp, means nothing", especially since they also spoke to anonymous current employees.
     
  12. schrutebuck

    schrutebuck Member+

    Jul 26, 2007
     
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  13. Editor In Chimp

    Editor In Chimp Member+

    Sep 7, 2008
    What I’m not entirely sure on is why Jay Berhalter is set to be CEO; has there been something on the commercial side that’s been a smash success? Because on the field hasn’t exactly been awesome.
     
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  14. Jazzy Altidore

    Jazzy Altidore Member+

    Sep 2, 2009
    San Francisco
    Club:
    Los Angeles Galaxy
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Copa America made many millions, and the World Cup will make 10x as much, so commercially you could say USSF is doing very well.
     
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  15. Editor In Chimp

    Editor In Chimp Member+

    Sep 7, 2008
    Yeah, but how much of that is Jay Berhalter, and how much was Sunil (in the case of the Copa) or just the inertia of events existing and the US competing in them? What does Jay Berhalter bring to the table according to his advocates, that makes him a potential CEO?
     
  16. tomásbernal

    tomásbernal Member+

    Sep 4, 2007
    Club:
    Portland Timbers
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Pro tip: if you do a google search for the title of the article and click on it there, then you'll bypass the 10-a-month limit.
     
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  17. USA-Zebuel

    USA-Zebuel Member+

    Mar 26, 2013
    Club:
    Colón de Santa Fe
    Doesn’t the article also quote anonymous interviews?
     
  18. yurch10

    yurch10 Member+

    Feb 13, 2004
    Read my last sentence...
     
  19. tomásbernal

    tomásbernal Member+

    Sep 4, 2007
    Club:
    Portland Timbers
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Anonymity for sources is a standard in journalism, unless those sources want to be named.
     
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  20. FeedhimtothepigsArold

    Apr 7, 2014
    Club:
    Oxford United FC
    Tin foil hat has some gold flakes in it.
     
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  21. Lloyd Heilbrunn

    Lloyd Heilbrunn Member+

    Feb 11, 2002
    Jupiter, Fl.
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    "More than a dozen internal and external candidates have been considered, but with little information leaking to the public, the perception has grown that the process is being managed to arrive at an arranged result that puts Jay Berhalter in charge."

    A one-word change of, Jay to Gregg, makes this the coach search...
     
  22. CyphaPSU

    CyphaPSU Member+

    Mar 16, 2003
    Not Far
    Club:
    Philadelphia Union
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I was just about to post that exact passage and comment on how that situation sounds so familiar...
     
  23. Jazzy Altidore

    Jazzy Altidore Member+

    Sep 2, 2009
    San Francisco
    Club:
    Los Angeles Galaxy
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Personally I have no idea, but I’m guessing he worked very closely with Sunil and the other guys in charge. The executive team isn’t huge.
     
  24. #1 Feilhaber and Adu

    Aug 1, 2007
    Empty seats and crazy ticket prices is exactly what Jay Berhalter brought to the table.
     
  25. #1 Feilhaber and Adu

    Aug 1, 2007
    SUNIL was the less of the other Evil's. He was complicit, but if you look at some of things he was going to approve, the moment he resigned and Flynn was given more power, Flynn scraped those soccer first ideas immediately.
     
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