I suspect that the primary functions of the President will be to ensure that the Quakes continue to have lucrative stadium and jersey sponsors, significant advertising revenue, and a decent TV contract. He doesn't need to be a soccer guru. We already have those in place.
I hope this is true and it works out well $$$$ for the Quakes...Fox can handle the business side of things......leave the soccer part to Jesse.....
My main point was more that the president of the San Jose Earthquakes is going to have exactly zero impact on whether or not MLS teams field more or fewer American players, so worrying about Fox coming from English soccer makes no sense as an argument. I definitely understand the view that the league should used to foster American players, I just think it is foolish. The reason more British players aren't on EPL rosters (the complaint referenced in the post) is because they don't create that many top level players relative to other countries for a variety of reasons. The US faces similar issues. If the league were to be geared toward generating American talent, the quality of the league would suffer, probably not permanently, but for a significant amount of time. Given that I don't care where players come from, I'd rather the league find players from wherever possible to produce the highest quality soccer possible under the current spending limits. If they are American, great. If they are not, also great. Maybe age has something to do with it. I personally don't hold players like Wondolowski in higher esteem because of where they're from. I generally don't care at all about pro athletes personal lives either (unless it involves criminal behavior, in which I don't want them to be pro athletes anymore). I get a lot more excited about players who are good and contribute, regardless of origin. Part of that is because I don't hold international soccer in very high regard anymore. I think FIFA has completely ruined whatever was interesting about it, and I'd prefer pro leagues like MLS to eventually cut ties with FIFA so they can either create a new governing soccer body together, or just go their own way. Since international soccer is an extremely low priority for me, I then do not particularly care about whether or not Americans in particular become better at the sport. All that said, I do have some investment in local players doing well since MLS has rules established now that benefit teams who develop their own players (who are obviously likely to be both citizens and relatively local). Their citizenship status, itself, doesn't interest me, but since it's likely homegrown players are going to be citizens, then it's certainly tied together to some degree.
I'm sure I'm going to be putting my foot in my mouth here, but I think this is generally how pro sports organizations in the US are organized. GMs tend to be in charge of sports operations while team presidents are responsible for running the team from a financial standpoint. The Quakes would be unremarkable if that was how they divided responsibilities, though I think it is the most logical way to do it. I'm still waiting to see Fioranelli really put his stamp on this team. We've seen hints here and there, but it's hard to know exactly where his influence is being felt with regard to the first team. As far as I'm concerned, the less we hear about Fox's influence, the better. So long as money is coming into the team, that's all I need to know. If they keep playing like this, though, season ticket sales will continue to fall and, one would guess, sponsorship dollars would follow.
NedZ and I attended on behalf of SSV. Ned gave Tom Fox a copy of Gary Singh's book on Quakes' history. (Thanks, Ned, for introducing me to the new president. ) Fox was very polished and didn't offer much in the way of substance. His most candid line was that he was cold sitting in the Avaya concourse. Several media, including Singh, Center Line Soccer's Robert Jonas and Mercury News reporter Elliot Almond, were on hand, along with a "kid" named Alex (he may be of drinking age, but from my graying vantage he's a kid ) from another social media site. No more than a couple handfuls of actual fans, as far as I could tell. Dave Kaval introduced Fox, and there were many Quakes staffers on hand, including Jared Shawlee, Jesse Fioranelli and another Alex (whose last names escapes me), the director of methodology, all of whom I was able to chat with. Singh and I also talked with Joe Cannon in the parking lot on the way out. Worthwhile diversion if you could spare a few minutes from work, but otherwise nothing newsworthy.
I also attended and was happy to chat with the folks there including Ned and Don from SSV. While nothing newsworthy was said by Kaval or Fox, I was pleased to see a pretty full audience although a lot of the folks there were staff. But it looked well attended with a handful of fans there. I chatted briefly with a few folks but had a longer conversation with Jesse. For me, he remains the person to chat with to see how the on field efforts are progressing. To discourage the many of you praying for Kinnear's departure, it is clear from Jesse that he is not considering a coaching change. At least that is his public stance and I agree with his view. (Maybe I'll share what I think about Dom in the Dom thread but my thoughts are not in agreement with the "group think" going on about Dom). He was quite positive that Dom is doing a good job with the group of players he currently has on a team that is "not quite there" in terms of being a complete team. So, Jesse is focused on fixing that by bringing in reinforcements in early July. Jesse reminded me that the transfer window opens July 11 and he is expecting to have everything ready to go once the window opens. He may have everything ready in time for announcements by the end of June but the player(s) would not be here until after the 11th. Another person challenged Jesse about the fact that the high profile Euro stars were only attracted to LA or New York. Jesse was smiling when he said that that is not really the case. He said we might be surprised at some of the names and talent that are quite interested in San Jose versus LA. Of course, that does not mean that any deals for those high profile players are in place. And Jesse is quite clear that he wants players who WANT to be here and WANT to play and not just looking for a place to end their careers. To that end, he is not looking for names as much as top talent to fill out the holes in the roster. I continue to be impressed with Jesse and that he understands what we need. He does acknowledge the frustration that the fans are feeling and needs a bit more time to pull together a roster of players that he expects will move us to the top tier in MLS and keep us there. He also reiterated that the owners are committed to moving the 'Quakes to the top tier and that funding will not be a constraint. I hope he is right on that.
That is exactly how I thought that Jesse would be thinking about now, and I have expressed those thoughts in previous posts. He's not going to blaming Dom - the BigSoccer and reddit narrative that Dom is on thin ice and could go at any time is delusional group-think, whether or not you think that should be happening. Jesse is going to be focused on getting better players. That has been the plan all along, right? Wait until the summer transfer window to make the more impactful DP signing(s).
Not a complaint... Which smiley is the sarcasm smiley? (Maybe we need the green sick one with a foil hat?) I was being sarcastic with that comment about an EPL manager causing a loss of American players on the roster. (admittedly, I was ignorant of the fact that Tom Fox is a Yank as well). I share the opinion that there are fewer top level players from the UK in the EPL because there are just way more good players from other parts of the world where there is no unfounded superiority complex like there is in the land that invented the game.
Absolutely. It might not be your personal complaint, but it is a complaint that was often heard with the rise of talent being brought in from abroad. Not to get too political, but I am curious what ramifications England will face once they are fully exited from the EU. It seems the EPL and other English leagues were beneficiaries of imported talent from across Europe, since they could no longer count as foreign with regard to working laws...although saying that, I'm sure I'm missing something. But, I wonder if the EPL will figure out a way to still get players from abroad in order to maintain the high level of play or if they will be forced into actually playing more British players. I think fans of EPL who complained about not enough "local boys" playing or whatever other stupid phrase one wants to use might change their tune when their games become more and more unwatchable as the talent pool dries up. Being what it is and how much money is at stake, I'm sure pro soccer in the UK will be allowed whatever it wants, but I'm more curious to see whether or not European players opt for Germany or Spain instead, when possible. Although, since African countries provide a great deal of the talent in the EPL, it might not matter as much as I think it might? Just pontificating, here.
Thanks for that detailed recap. My hope is that he is more critical of Dom's performances than he is letting on, but there certainly have been no signs that a coaching change is in the works. And at this point in the season, it's unlikely one will take place. That's unfortunate, as the possibilities for the team are going to be hindered by him remaining with the club. That said, the roster certainly needs improvement, but it was clear from the beginning of the season that we were seeing an incomplete squad. There are not enough players in numerous positions (forward and central defense being the most obvious), but I think even a greatly talented team will achieve whatever they do in spite of Dom and not because of him. I would love to be proven wrong here, but I have not seen any sign that there are significant, longer term progresses being made. I'm sure some of that is due to injury, guys not playing in optimal positions and the like, but a great deal of that is the coaching level ceiling being too low.
I think that he is "critical" of Dom but in a positive way. That is, he does not necessarily agree with Dom on everything but works with Dom to "guide" him. Then over time, he can observe to see how well Dom adapts to the new "direction" he is being given. So far, it seems that Jesse is satisfied that Dom is moving the team in the right direction. And I don't disagree. (I commented on this at some length in the KinnearOut thread). On thing that may be valuable to note is this. Jesse consistently says that the team is very positive and energized together as a team. A lot of that is apparently coming through Flo who is having a ball playing in San Jose. So are Hyka and Hoesen. And Jesse feels that Dom is keeping the team positive and energized. I think there is consensus that this team rarely gives up. I thought they played hard after going down a player in Portland. Dom certainly did not give up and kept working the guys to try and grab a goal on the counter. As an aside, did people notice that Portland could not do much at home against a 10-man 'Quakes team? Yes, they scored a garbage goal in Stoppage time at the end when the game was already over, but they could not do much for most of the game. I note this because there were negative comments about how the 'Quakes could "only beat a team with 10-men" as if that were an easy task. A 10-man team bunkers a lot more and it is much harder to break them down, as evidenced by a number of recent games. (e.g. Chicago failing to score after more than half a game with a man advantage).
To add to Don and SeaJaybee: When asked about players like Jelle Van Damme who say players want to come to New York or LA, Jesse said true, there were those attracted to the "flashy" places. However, he pointed out, California itself is also a big draw and does not mean that LA is the only desirable location. For those of you who have not read Gary Singh's book yet, you really should and should encourage others to do so (buy books as gifts and hand them out as well). Jesse told me he read and enjoyed the copy SSV gave him. In addition, both Jesse and Jared Shawlee told me that at dinner last night they told Tom Fox about the book and recommended it. He said he wanted to read the book, so he today he was pleased when he was given a copy. (In fact, if you saw the Facebook Live interview of Fox, he held up the book and said he'd be reading it.). He told me that when he first came to Arsenal he was given three or four books about the club and told he had to read them. ;^) This was encouraging to me because it appears to me that Jared Shawlee, Jesse, and Tom Fox are all on the same page. They all seem to believe that the "next step" is for the EQ to try to promote and capitalize on "The Club" concept. As you can imagine, that is music to my ears since it it that connection by franchise and fans to "The Club" and its heritage as formulated by Johnny Moore which SSV has been pushing for many years. When they were introduced to the public as EQ execs, both Jesse and Tom spoke about the importance of the "Club" mentality. Of course, we'll have to see if and how this is accomplished, but at least everyone is now talking the same game, unlike earlier years in MLS. The Giants have their ballpark, I think Dave Kaval can build one for Oakland and thus the A's to San Jose movement will close up shop.. San Jose has the Sharks and the Quakes; so Fox may be right that the opportunity is here for the EQ to become iconic for San Jose. I will add that back in 2004 I remember Don G. telling the politicians and movers and shakers in town (who all thought this was and would be a baseball town and a future home of the Giants or A's) that soccer could be big and define the place, and that if the EQ were supported they could become a world-famous club someday. Most scoffed then, but listen to the Press Conference video from today, where they are singing Don's tune now, 13 years later. So I agree there isn't too much actual "news" today, but I have to say I thought I was at least hearing the right things compared to, say, 2005 or 2008.
Thank you Ned, Don, and SeeJayBee! Great, thorough reads, very insightful. But, ultimately, we need to win. And on the Q&A with Fox, he was asked how do the Club intends to market itself around the Bay, and Fox simply said: "Just win" (he did attribute the quote to its creator). And that ultimately is what is needed: Just win. As far as I am concerned, we are currently out of the playoff position, and is on a downward trend. At this moment, we have less points this season than last (same game numbers). We have simply not improved enough. Outside of Jesse, there is nothing to cheer about when it comes to this Club. Nothing exciting. Just the same old stale shit, different day. And the thing about ownership wanting to be top tier, bla bla bla? We've all heard that before. Folks, we're attending Club games in a 3/4 ass of a stadium, with holes in the roof, no monuments, no signage that would tell people which team plays here, no promised bike lockers, no pulleys for tifos, no safe stands, and no goddamn exterior skins. I don't want to hear promises anymore. I want to see actions. I want to see Quakes pony up for $4-5 million dollar great players. I want to see them move quickly on an actual world-class academy facility. I want them to put the damn skins on the stadium. I don't want to watch "bang for the buck" players, I want to watch great players. I want to watch a winning team.
I horned in on SeaJayBee's discussion with Jesse yesterday to ask what has he learned about the league in the time he has been here that has made the biggest impression on him. He said it was that in MLS, and especially the Western Division, the teams had mostly similar results. This contrasts with many European leagues where there are perennial top and bottom clubs. Then he spoke about the good spirit and fight in the players he was seeing, such as was demonstrated by Tommy Thompson when he entered the game. He also mentioned Florian who, even when exhausted late in the game, still ran an extra 30 meters to encourage another player who had done something positive. He said that if the players kept that up the team will succeed. I commented that he was now experiencing the "June Swoon" the fans have seen over the years. He said he thinks the June games will be very important. I inferred from all of this that he sees MLS parity as the essential element: the team which can keep itself together and play the right way throughout the entire season can make the playoffs. This is not earth shattering news, but if you add that to what SeaJayBee mentioned in an earlier post about reinforcing the roster in July and players who want to be at this club it gives you some idea of his perspective. He isn't looking for the single superstar DP who will win all the games by himself, or expecting to have a Premier League player bench laced with multimillion dollar talent who may or may not care which club they play for. It reminded me a little of the way Johnny Moore described the old Quakes who fought for each other and didn't put up with prima donnas.
Here's the video: https://www.sjearthquakes.com/post/...nference-club-president-tom-fox?autoplay=true
Nice post. While I love Wee Man and have fond memories of the NASL Quakes, most of the teams were not very good. They may have fought for each other (and with each other), but the results weren't there. Fast forward to the Quakes MLS Cup Champions Teams. The team had two players who had prima donnas tendencies in DeRo and Dononvan. Yes, they had Dayak, Ekelund and others to offset and probably make your point to the "old" Quakes, but without the two prima donnas, the Quakes don't win champions. My point is that we need both players who will fight as a team and have talent. All I see is fight at the moment mixed with occasional boughts of talent.
The Quakes have players with talent who never see the field, others who are sometimes given cameos while deserving larger roles, and still others who are played out of position. They're all under express orders not to make mistakes, obvious directives not to freelance, and seeming demands to play for a clean sheet at all costs, the result is that the team is strategically stymied.
His statements about money and spending are backing off kavals old commitment to being in the top half of the league in spending. Not a good long term sign. The new stadium was supposed to increase our financial position in the league. Im not demanding top 5 or anything but we should be in the top 10 given size of this market.