I am sorry. I must have clicked on a trending thread and didn’t realize it was the rapids forum. My comment was out of line for this.
"Moody, egotistical asshole". Based on what I have seen on the field, seems like Howard also fits that description. At least the Defenders probably think so. rod.
And Howard doesn’t skip out of practice regularly (and get suspended) due to moodiness. Based on what’s out there on McCormack (as recently as his last loan in A-League), he makes Howard look like Drew Moor.
Funny this is......I was going to say that but I was like that goes without saying. We all know that. We’ve all seen it.
Have you been to Melbourne? I’d skip out and go to the beaches. If he scores 14 goals in 17 matches, like he did in Melbourne, he can skip as many training sessions as he wants. Seriously though, I hear what you are saying. I get it. I agree with some of it. McCormack would come with some baggage. Questionable baggage, too. I am going to defer to Hudson on this one. Hudson comes across as a no-nonsense kinda guy but also a guy that’s in-tune and a “players coach”. I sense he’s not the type of guy that would go after some knucklehead, dipshit and would complete proper due diligence before inking a player.
Some of this thread is starting to sound like the used car shopper trying to convince himself that the seven-year-old sedan in the corner of the lot is the best option, even though it has a history of being in the shop for repairs and a puddle of oil beneath it. What happened to "the RFO darned well is expected to make this team a contender this offseason"? Have those expectations really been lowered to "oh, well, this is the best we probably can do at this late date"? If so, isn't this just sierra squared, delta squared? Two decades of long-on-promises, short-on-delivery have made me a tad jaded.
Feel similarly. We’ve all encountered this in other aspects of life (e.g., dating, house search, etc.). When times are tough in the dating world, the next step is often the infamous lowering of standards. I think we are at this point in the striker search. Hopes were high initially. Not anymore. And it seems that many on this thread (myself included) are struggling with the reality that we are at that precipice, facing that reality of lowered standards and trying to resist it (e.g., McCormack, Mason...). We all know what happens when one progresses further into the desperation phase. Trouble. ;-)
Well, I'm impressed with the Rapids effort if not the results. This is a team that threw away one of the top few draft choices that would get a player who could contribute right away. The academy sucks. The owner is disinterested and not willing to pump in a lot of cash. The DP budget is tied up in an aging keeper who is paid 10X what a younger replacement would earn. The team has an awful reputation with agents and seems to have no chance at attracting any of the rising South American kids. The list could go on and on. At this stage in their existence, the Rapids are basically an expansion team with none of the perks of a new team. There doesn't seem to be many options except for searching the European bargain basements for serviceable players. With all these problems, there's no way that any front office can expect to build a squad capable of competing for a championship in only one year. If the current RFO can sort out this mess and get the team to where they are watchable and maybe lurking around the last couple playoff opportunities, then it will have been an amazing season. Maybe in a year or two, when Tim Howard retires, there might be something here to build on.
So both McCormack and Mason come with big, if different, question marks. At this time it looks like they are both likely to sign with the Rapids as their options in England are limited and coming to Commerce City gives each a fresh opportunity. Whether or not one or the other will make a difference is impossible to tell. Mason has had some injuries - in particular has appendix - that have cut down his opportunities. With McCormack it's something different. If they sign I hope neither gets DP level money and both have relatively short term contracts with option years. The highlights of Mason (the are what about five years old meaning he was 21?) showed skills the Rapids could use. He seems to have a nose for finishing. Both Pádraig and Hudson do seem to be dedicated to doing their due diligence when it comes to signings, but both of these seem like they're pushing the envelope. I would have preferred to have had Billy Sharp rather than McCormack even at his age. But that appears highly unlikely. I'll be upset about this even after Howard retires. And I get frustrated when Pádraig keeps talking about how he's the greatest American keeper of all time and still has it. Regardless, no keeper is worth a DP contract in MLS. The Howard signing is the one remaining mistake of the Hinchey regime that hasn't been erased yet.
And I'll keep being upset about fans missing what that signing accomplished (that was, to be fair, thrown away by the prior leadership last offseason). The Rapids needed a major signing like Howard, in fact Howard was likely the only signing that could have checked all the boxes. He immediately brought the Rapids back into the picture on a national stage, drove ticket sales and sponsorships, and in 2016 was the best keeper in the league. That should have been the foundation to rebuild the disaster the club had become by the end of the 2015 season. And any complaints about money wasted ignores the fact that without Howard we don't have Transamerica, which covers his salary (and more) according to reports. So really the only thing that was wasted was not having a different DP. Considering how badly the prior leadership wasted DPs (Torres, Ramirez) and the fact that the current leadership appears to be leaving a DP slot open going into this season its hard to call that a waste. Without Howard in that slot we likely would have had no DP anyway or a DP that added nothing to the team on or off the field.
Absolutely. I am one that forgets this when I am frustrated. Your point about Howard have been somewhat of a "savior" in the short run is important. Still, I feel that a keeper is just not the best use of DP money. I state this knowing that without Howard there may not have been the Transamerica deal. But the squandering of what that brought to the Rapids in 2016 is really maddening. And the new group in the FO is having to work really hard to overcome it.
Well, now that the Joe Mason signing has been made official per Hudson, it’ll be interesting to find out the price tag. Given the question marks with him, I hope they don’t consider him “THE guy”. Also, Enzo Martinez’s hustle pays off! Well, at least the roster is taking shape.
Yay Enzo, boo for us! I'm just mad someone in our SG came up with the nickname "Bearded Beast of the East" this offseason and we only used it once You just gained a bunch of Rapids fans here in Charlotte.
This. The problem isn't that the Rapids have Howard. It is that they no longer have Cronin and Burch. That trade was an unmitigated disaster, darned near on par with Beckerman-for-Ballouchy.
Although I was also one that thought the Howard money might have been more helpful elsewhere, it turned out well. The Pablo Ball style needs Howard and his presence in the goal psyched out the LA PK's at the end of overtime. We had that won before the first kick. BTW Gashi nailed the equalizer with skill over a sound defensive positioning in a huge situation. Credit where it is due...... The Cronin trade irked me more than the Moor trade (injuries count), but I am pleased to see someone else bring up the Beckerman giveaway trade. I do note that the roster has been really done over. I guess I should give it a shot as this re-do is more promising than the 15 or so other re-do's. Where is that Zizi Roberts signing when you need it ?? I have no idea whom the starting 11 will be. Howard, and ummmm...... R
Roster update: We have 26 of 30 roster spots filled (not counting Da Fonte) and we have 10 internationals signed and 8 international slots. We also have one open DP slot. This does not take into account the possibility of sending Wynne to Charlotte (opening up an international slot) or the possibility of Badji getting his green card (also opening up an international slot).
Glad he got a another cup last year, looks like they will be phasing him out this year with their Defender signings.
May not get McCormick.... http://www.hitc.com/en-gb/2018/02/20/report-colorado-rapids-miss-out-on-ross-mccormack-deal/
Yea. Mason in, and McCormack apparently out. However, FWIW, this morning on a 9NEWS TV promo interview for tonight's match, Padraig once again went out of his way to directly emphasize that the club will hopefully still be bringing in more players. Also, the club announcement for Mason hasn't had much/any fanfare. Kinda like Blomberg's or Wilson's. Interpretation: It's an addition, but not considered a standout. Still holding out hope. #AreYouSayingTheresStillaChance?
While others may disagree for fair reasons, I think the miss on McCormack is a good thing given his, shall we say, persistent locker room drama antics (and the fact that we wouldn't want players to get busted by Commerce City for "flytipping" (illegal dumping) as he did). And, of course, NOT getting him leaves the chance open for a bigger name with a better record. Sure, why not? Or maybe Harry Kane? Hey, one in a million is still a chance, right? Ya know, as a hardcore pessimist, I just realized that the new RFO and its transparent, direct approach to rebuilding his team (unlike the usual lip-service and exaggerations of the past RFO) is apparently instilling some hope and belief in me. So, as others have mused, this new, refreshing vibe is a big step in the right direction for this club and seems to be paying some dividends in fanbase. [Disclaimer: Poster withholds the right to redact this post if Rapids go 0-34-34 over the next two seasons.]