The "Ownership vs. Stewardship" Thread

Good job by Mike to point out the obvious to those outside of our depressing little corner of Planet Foxboro.

My biggest beef is the sheer laziness, lack of urgency, lack of ambition and the overall sense that the Revs simply don't matter in the grand scheme of things. As long as they don't lose too much money, and as long as the team on the field is OK enough on the field that they have a chance to maybe make the playoffs, good enough. This is the sports ownership equivalent of the football players who get the "Gentleman's C" in college.

This isn't a matter of spending money like NYC, LAFC or Toronto, or being a "Moneyball" team like KC or RSL or Portland. You can go with either approach, but you have to be committed to do it. To be a Moneyball team, you have to work harder, work smarter and have the right kind of people making decisions, We have none of that.

It's too soon to have the knives out for Friedel just yet, and while I'm willing to give him a fair chance (we have to, he'll be here for at least the next 3 years, regardless of results), the fact for the second time in a row, the Revs hired a coach with no prior professional experience. But hey, it was a "worldwide" search, or so we're told.

 

I believe Burns said Friedel was the obvious choice. I think he was the easy choice. I mean who hires a coach with very little coaching experience to take over a team that has average talent, was getting worse each year since they went to the MLS cup and take the reigns over from a coach that had no coaching experience other than the stamp of approval from a basketball coach? This was just another choice that showed a lack of ambition and signs of laziness

 

I don't believe that for a minute. And if it were true do High School coaches and local premier coaches count? if no then it was more like 5

 

I remember when the search was going on, Burns said that he "spoke to" a large number. But "speaking to" someone is different than interviewing them. I think I remember him saying he "spoke to" Bruce Arena, probably to ask what he thought of certain candidates, not to see if he himself would be interested in the job.

So for actual interviews, we know they interviewed Friedel, Soehn, Savarese, and probably a few others. For some reason I'm thinking there were a couple of college coaches (Stanford, maybe?), and surely others who slipped under the radar. The real question is which of them were seriously considered for the job.

 

Omid Namazi (USMNT U18 coach, long coaching resume) was also reportedly a finalist.

 

Or how many of them turned the job down after spending 5 minutes with Burns?

 

In an era when obvious bullsh!t emanates in a constant stream from "official sources" it shouldn't surprise anyone that the local side is one of the premier purveyors of bovine excrement. They'll keep doing it as long as we let them get away with it. It has to stop. I voted with my feet by walking away several years ago. We've tried calling them on it to no discernible effect. There are lots of other clubs who are doing an honest job of maintaining a respectable team. Let's all give them a bit of respect for their efforts. This bunch can go to Naples.

 

Is that, like, a new way of telling someone to go to H-E-double hockey sticks? When I get mad, I prefer telling someone to go to New Jersey, but that's just me....

 

Posted this is in the game thread, but outside of the Fort yesterday that was about as sparse and dead a crowd as you'll find anywhere. Forget about the results on the field, I'd say the engagement of the fanbase, or lack thereof, is the most important indicator about the state of the franchise.

 

If you get a chance watch the "highlights" from West Ham's game this weekend. The fans were practically rioting in the stadium against the owners and the team. A true inspiration for Rev fans!

 

FWIW, if you "interview" 30 guys for a job, you have no idea what you're looking for in a candidate.

 

They are losing money right now? News to me.

 

72,000 at Atlanta's home opener.

 

72000 is truly envious. 13k opening day with temps in the 30s to me is actually pretty good considering the ownership puts zero effort into advertising or promoting this team. Unfortunately crowds of 13-15k per game average is all anyone can expect without the Krafts getting behind their team

 

The Kraft's haven't done much yet so Im not holding my breath. One would think they might hire somebody to generate a report on what is going wrong with their investment. They are totally blowing what could be a major investment for them by their indifference and constant mismanagement by those that they hire.

We won't hit 13-15K until it warms up. By then, I think the coming losses will keep a lot of people away. I think we will lose a lot when we start playing better teams. There is no question in my mind that this is not a playoff team and that Brad was a mistake.

 

That wasn't what I was saying. If they are losing money, as long as it isn't too much--and they can lose a ton on paper so the Revs can absorb all the losses and the Pats pay less in taxes, that's not a problem for Kraft Inc.

My guess is that they are making a modest profit, but they could be making a lot more money if they put in even a little bit of effort. Sad.

 

Robert Kraft told Forbes magizine that they have turned a profit every year since year 5.

 

That sounds about right.

 

The good news is the revs perform well at home. If they can reel off a few scrappy home wins and Friedel can focus the team on what's in front of them, then they can do ok this year. Atlanta is over rated. TFC already lost at home. The revs go to to toe with NYC. Really just RBNY, Cbus and Chicago have their number but the rest of the east is manageable. Yes, even TFC. They have the talent; just need to put it together. It's such a parity driven league that a team's fortunes can change rapidly from one year to the next. Here's hoping the revs are on the positive side of the ledger come the fall.