I'm not calling for Vermes to be fired. In fact, as long as he wins an open cup every two or three years, we're good. But I think it's clear to all of us why he'd make a terrible national team coach - if he approached it the same way he approaches Sporting. His dogma lends stability and surety. Players know their roles. But his lack of squad rotation, and even in-game substitutions, burns the team out year after year after year. His unwillingness to tinker with strategy and alignment based on the players at hand as opposed to forcing players into specific roles would also be an abject failure at the international level unless you were just lucky enough to have the right players at the right time. Rubio - and many others - are not designed to play on an island. I'm not even sure Dwyer was best that way, but he made it mostly work. And the worst thing is that he isolates a striker, then puts wingers that don't score goals on the top line with him - Gerso, Zusi, Peterson, Saad, and so on. It's not like defenses don't know where are goals are likely to come from during the run of play. I just want to see some sense that Vermes understands that "Sporting Fit" has become more of a punchline than a proud brand.
All that said, the last three years could've been very different. We lost to two MLS Cup winners - one on the most perverse PK miss ever and the other on a pair of unequally called offside goals. And we are in the playoffs. And Tyler Deric can't have the game of his life every game.
Stats wise, most surprising to me was Benny's assist total. I knew he had an off year, but 3 assists for a No. 10. Yikes.
Just waiting for another call to renew my half-season tickets. I ignored the first 3 or 4 calls. I think this time I'll tell them I'll just hold off until I see how they spend that Dwyer money. I'm not renewing for a team that doesn't even try to sign proven scorers. Maybe if I lived in KC it wouldn't be a big deal. But when I have to drive 2 hours to the games, I simply have to demand more. I hate being "that guy" but it's all I can do at this point.
I love how we're all talking here like the season is over. I mean, it's not, but it sure feels like it is, right? Nothing really has gone right since that fun open cup win.
i decided not to renew my season tickets for next year. it was mostly because of the sporting blue for life crap becoming mandatory and the increase in price again, but these performances have definitely made me feel very comfortable about it.
Will certainly be rooting for them. Of course. But it's tough to win when you're hoping for 1-0. Especially with how horrible and disorganized we looked yesterday. If they can't hold shape better than yesterday, it'll be over before it starts.
i don't know what this means. i'm assuming you meant 'did not' instead of 'did,' right? still don't know what uptick the cost means, though.
I don't understand this at all. Sporting Blue For Life is literally no different than how you purchase season tickets regularly. It's just a marketing gimmick. And it's not mandatory, which you proved by not renewing.
it is mandatory (according to my rep - tara) starting this year. they started it last year, but i was able to renew without signing up for it. this year, there wasn't an option to renew without clicking the box that gave them consent to sign me up for the program. as far as i can tell, you can't be a season ticket holder in 2018 w/out also being signed up for the sporting blue for life "benefit" program. the difference is that it used to be an opt-in purchase. now, it's an opt-out purchase. while, yes, it's a small change to how you'd renew in the past, it's also a fundamental shift in the business-customer dynamic. for most people, season tickets are a considerable purchase. the default position for those types of purchases should always be "no" until i say "yes." this shifts that default position to "yes" until i say "no," putting the benefit of the doubt in the hands of the business. i know most people don't give a damn about that, or don't bother thinking more than 5 seconds about what that means, but i do. i'm presuming you'd be one that doesn't give a damn. it's trivial, so who cares, right? honestly, i don't really care that the program exists. if people want that option, then go for it. my issue is that there's no way to be a sth now w/out also signing up for that, and thus, endorsing that business decision.
Sorry, my brother told his rep he wasn't going to renew because he didn't want to sign up. They told him that for a 10% uptick in cost that he didn't have to sign the sporting for life contract.
Which tells me there's been pushback and non-renewals. If they planned that they'd have been up front that Sporting for Life comes with a 10% discount.
You are correct that I think it is trivial. But you're not the only person I've talked to who has a *major* hangup with it. Personally, when 90%+ of the fanbase renews every year, I don't know why that wouldn't be the default position. It just makes it easier on the ticket reps. It's not much different than something like an insurance policy, which assumes you're going to renew until you don't. I understand there is a component of assumption on SKC's part here, and people hate assumption, but, IMO, it's a valid assumption. I just think it's silly that it actually chases away fans - that people get so upset about how a product they want is presented to them that they no longer want it. That being said, a marketing gimmick that chases fans away is an incredibly stupid marketing gimmick.