Revs GM Steps Down, by Gus Martins, Boston Herald Can't blame him for wanting to "get off this roller coaster" right now. Although would obviously wonders if this wasn't a preemptive move for something he knew might be coming. I really wish him good luck.
And the Globe article: http://www.boston.com/dailyglobe2/250/sports/Revolution_s_Smith_resigns+.shtml
So what is the real story here? Too coincidental with the other staff reduction and reorganization for one to conclude that more than "a chance to pursue something different" is the reason. I'd rather see Sunil go too. In fact, if I had to pick only one to go, Sunil would have been my choice...
I agree. I think there are some other things that need to be changed over there. That said, I have no idea what SG has ever done anyway for his place in the organization...just get the feeling its a bad structure all the way 'round. If they are going to make these kind of sweeping changes, I think you'd have cleaned the top out completely...left some of the staff in place and start totally over. Unless others are going too...I don't see the situation getting much better in the long run.
Finally, a change in management, maybe now we can bring someone in that can do a good job with the team, nah, we are the revs.
Let us not forget that Todd is relatively new to the organization, we ALREADY had a change in management. Also, given the fact that the coach has had a lot to do with trades, drafts, etc. the Revs have been through a lot of management change. I'd be interested to hear from "the insiders" on the list what it is that has remained constant in management over the years that may explain the consistently poor performence of the team. And the other big question is "What's Nicol's status now?" I would assume that this close to the end of the season that no change will be made, but will he be in or out with the new management?
This is the end With Smith resigning I would have to say I have had it with the Revs. I honestly thought with Smith's hiring in early 2001 that the franchise was headed in the right direction. A-League guy who knows how to get a team out there the old fashioned way. I agree there were some bad moves made with players during the season but other than some great players we picked up in the dispersal draft which marquis international did we ever get? It seems everyone affected by this move were the real movers and shakers. Isn't it Sunils job to bring in internationals? Who has he ever brought in? Sunsing, Wright, and wait I am drawing a blank.....that's because its no one to speak of. I want to support the Revs but they constantly shoot themselves in the foot. I hope all of those staffers including Todd go work for another team where they are truly appreciated. I am never going to buy another ticket to go to that stadium to watch soccer, not while the Krafts/Sunil are making decisions.
Word is the original axings came without Todd's input, and he was livid. As the GM, you would expect those kind of changes being to go directly through him, but, as the Krafts still try to tinker in a business they don't completely understand..... this is the result, and understandably so.
someone "in the know" posted/told me that c.t. "brought sunsing in".....so you can scratch that off sunil's resume.
CT I don't think that Craig has that kind of input or pull to get internationals. He certainly couldn't pull off the deal. He is a ticket guy. I don't think he is involved in the player acquisition aspect of the Revs. Maybe I am wrong.
Todd Smith was... ...in over his head. Someone has to be accountable for the fact that the league handed the Revs the opportunity to have an MLS Champion caliber team through this years Dispersal Draft. Only one of the five picks was worth it - Ralston - and he was the fourth player picked ! Others have stated the problem with the Revs before that has yet to be solved - there is no consistent policy/attitude/style of play being promulgated from the top. I don't blame the Krafts directly. They are not soccer people and they admit it. Frankly they have gotten bad advice and made bad hires when it comes to Directors of Soccer Operations, GM's and Coaches. Not all of these individuals can be blamed either. Look at Nichol. Whether he is a good coach or a bad one is hard to determine because his present roster was put together by several other people, without regard to the overall style of play that the organization was looking for. Why pick a guy like Chacon ? He just doesn't fit in with Nichol's style. This pick was a waste. Unless you have a smart person at the top whose personnel decisions are long term with a unified approach to the game in mind, this team will continue to flounder. As for Todd Smith, sorry, its time to clean house (again). But this time lets see someone full time a the top who knows both the game of soccer and the business of soccer and has a plan for the coach and personnel to be on the same page.
Let me toss out the question not having been put forth yet: You think Sunil might be interested in Todd's job, even with a wealth of obligations and commitments away from the Revolution that could make that seem unlikely? The Magpie
No Shock Here Apparently, Todd was not involved at all with the restructuring decisions, which gives an indication that the organization really wasn't interested in keeping him around. How do you fire a guy who has been fighting for his life all year? You don't...you do something to make him do it for you. From what I'm hearing and reading, my powers of deduction say that this all seems to have been a coup by Pats VP Lou Imbriano who also really didn't have much more value to the Kraft's himself now, because most of his work has revolved around getting long-term sponsorship for the stadium and the organization...that work is done; Apparently, he has also never liked the way the Revs staff conducted themselves; business casual (at best)atmosphere every day; interacting with the players on a more personal level to try and make them feel comfortable; trying to make direct connections with Revs fans in the hope of fostering long-term fanatical support of the club, as opposed to the soccer mom groups whose support is fleeting at best; actually giving opinions, not being "yes" men and women, and trying to come up with creative and low-cost ways of generating publicity and attention within the soccer communities, because they might offend his sponsors. The whole soccer smiles thing is really a great idea...but its only half of the battle, and unfortunately the real fans are being squeezed out, and the people left working on behalf of the Revs will have neither the time or the inclination to do more than try and get as many groups as possible to attend to make up for the lack of actual fan involvement and interest in a team that has now completely lost touch with real soccer fans. From what I've heard, there are now only four people left in the office who are Revolution specific employees...everyone else now has additional Pats and stadium duties to clog up their lives. Todd is being careful in what he said, because he doesn't want to burn bridges, but if you read between the lines, this sounds like a guy who has lost all faith in the upper maganement of Kraft Sports to do what is right for the survival of MLS and the Revs. The Kraft's are probably not getting out because for everything else, they're not stupid...they recognize that, had the team been even just as good as Colorado, attendance will go up, and if we were as good as SJ, forget it, the numbers go through the roof, and most of us here aren't complaining as much. They recognize on some level that pro soccer can be successful in the US and in New England, but they don't seem to have a clue how to actually create a die-hard (die-never, was it?) fan base. I pray that someone there has the sack and the clout to get this organization to operate more like, I don't know, the Fire or DC I guess, but I think that will not happen until the numbers on game-day are so bad that even Lou and Jonathan will have to say, "Whoa, what happened?" That's our job, gang...I'm a founders club member, and I think this is it for me. Do not support the Kraft's with your money anymore until the management of Kraft sports actually starts to support and love this club the way we do. The Revs staff were the only people there who actually did care on the same level as the fans. That loss of passion will be felt on the business end soon enough.
We have, before tonight, three games left with a slight chance to escape relega- oh, sorry, make the playoffs. The team has been playing hard and relatively effectively and is certainly on the same page despite their limitations. Some people, including myself, even feel midly optimistic about the direction they are/were heading in. Then, this! Now it may be that Todd Smith didn't perform effectively and there is just a sliver of possibility that the Rev operation as a whole will be better run when folded into the overall Kraft Sports. But from where I sit )in the Fort) the timing couldn't be worse. With three weeks left in the season why not respect that and leave everything alone until after the last match? If I were a player all the turmoil would just serve to sap any interest I had in performing for this lot. But then I have no idea of the relationship between players and management with the Revs. What I do know is that two weeks ago the Rev played in Chicago to a sellout, rowdy, souped up crowd of 16,000 in an overblown high school stadium on a crumby pitch. The atmosphere was great, the game tight and the whole spectacle very much like you might find in other, football-mad countries. Yet, at the same time there was plenty of room for the SUV crowd. The same was true at Columbus last Saturday night. Then you go to Foxboro and whether the crowd is 16,000 or 24,000 and we have had both this year, the atmosphere is like a morgue. Sure the pitch is great, even though the idiots have shortened it to conform with the outrageous football lines! Sure the view is pretty good, certainly better than it was at the old 'Boro but the scene is D E A D, tragically. I somehow cannot believe that a Pats-heavy organization is going to have the slightest idea on how to cope with the problem. In fact, they may not even see it as a problem at all. It may have been time for a house-cleaning but couldn't they wait and let the season sort itself out? Further, why are they letting go all the people with serious community ties? Does that not matter? Confused, totally..... JIM DOW
Based on the fact that he's staying through MLS Cup and that, according to Gus, they offered him the job of Director of Soccer makes it sound like it was his call and he's about had it. Just a guess, but if you're running the show in a low budget operation that is CUTTING staff as opposed to hiring it, the work load and pressure would only be increasing. Given what he's had to deal with over the past year, I would take his comments at face value when he says he wants to try something new. But this really looks to be an organization in turmoil. And it also looks like they have no idea where they are going. If you fire Nicol now, you're almost back to starting from scratch. For that reason I'm going to conclude right now that he has to be kept on and signed to a 2 or 3 year contract. At least get the on field stuff stabilized. As for the other stuff, like marketing, relations with fans etc, look to Columbus and Chicago and try to replicate what they're doing. They're doing something right. In every other sport, the successful teams get copied. Why not here? But it also takes a commitment by ownership to do it if you're going to make major changes and by committment I'm talking $$$ and support. You can have the best coach/gm/ceo in the world, but if you're not going to give him the tools he needs you have very little chance of succeeding. And giving someone the tools doesn't mean having a guy like Sunil on board with no clear delineation of duties when it comes to scouting, acquiring players etc.
I don't think we should read too much into Todds going or the timing or any of the X-File questions that are constantly surfacing regarding the Revs. The Revs and Pats are a sports business for the Krafts and as such, esp in light of the Krafts taking a real bath in this down market, making good business decisions is the priority, not any one individual. Economy of scale says that blending the business structures of the two teams makes sense. TV, WEB and general marketing were dead under the current Rev management and may improve when some of the Pats staff can apply their talents to the project. I don't see any real down side here. Having his turf cut in half may have been too much for Todd to swollow--who knows. Thats for him and Kraft Group to know. What we really need is a knowledgable person who knows how to make the soccer specific decisions. Someone who will be talking schedules, league rules, player management decisions for next season, roster improvements etc etc etc. The rest of the stadium stuff, marketing etc isn't a big deal and isn't soccer specific. But things like salary cap, roster size, a youth player developmental system and other player matters need to Rev imput and that imput needs to come from a real soccer management star. I for one don't know if Sunil can handle the job. I believe that he thinks he can but everything I've ever read, seen or heard about him makes me doubt that he would be an improvement over Bryan or Todd. Hell, maybe they will give the job to Craig T.
I think that if there is to be a true re-organization as opposed to just the changes we have seen virtually every year, then it should start with some type of clearly defined duties that Sunil provides to the organization. I ( and I am assuming that most of us) look at titles like GM, coach, owner and have a basic idea what we believe their duties and functions to be within an organization. However- every time we have any "out of the blue" changes, trades and such- it's usually Sunil that is quoted? So it is obvious that he has some input on things, but as to what type and at what level is very unclear. It is very hard to figure out where things are wrong- without knowing who is/was actually responsible for what with all the different things that have happened, especially this year. We "drafted" a great core of players- but then tried playing a style that did not suit the style of the players we drafted- we got rid of that coach- brought in a new coach- but also got rid of some of the new players- and brought in another group with again based on past play- different playing styles than the new coach historically has used- so again we seem to be making changes for the sake of making changes- instead of setting a course and trying to actual "build" or create some type of foundation for next year. It is amazing that after 7 years- I can still not define a style of play for my own team that I have sat and watched for all but 2 home games in 7 years- and have gone to see on the road over 20 times!! Yet with some other MLS sides - you watch them two or maybe three times and you see they have a system and a playing style- so when someone goes down or is called up to Nat duty- their role players- know exactly what is expected of them and low and behold- there is not as much of a drop off as we have when anyone goes out?? I don't know the answers but I think we are in for another year of "well that didn't work, so we're going to start all over again". I predict that we will have a lot of new faces again next year- from GM, coach and players- because that will be the easiest way to try and convince some of us to give them "one more chance" and renew our STs. Jon
He probably thinks he already has it in the bag. Kind of like being the winner in the front office version of "Survivor." But think how rediculous that would be. The Revos would never do something so foolish. Then again? I don't see Nicol being Gulati's man in any way, shape or form. The handwriting isn't just on the wall. It is sprayed on in neon. Think the players can't see it, or does remaining management think they are all colour blind? The final three games will be interesting, and telling.
Re: Todd Smith was... Hel-lo? Chacon was chosen while Clavijo was coach. Clearly Nicol doesn't think much of him, but quite likely Clavijo did. As for the housecleaning, clearly Smith was put in an untenable position having his staff fired without any consultation. Which leads us back to Sunil. If he's actually running the soccer show then, dammit, he's actually gotta be here! All the information I have says he still lives in NYC. How on earth can he "run" an operation by remote control. You want an explanation for the organizational chaos? The Krafts' putting up with this crap has gotta be Exhibit A. Either he's here 100% of the time, or he should get the boot too!
But, George, "TV, WEB and general marketing were dead under the current Rev management and may improve when some of the Pats staff can apply their talents to the project." The reasons for this is that the Pats marketing management, led by Mr. Imbriano, shot down Revs attempts to do anything to spice these areas up. The Kraft Sports teams higher-ups have always had the final say on the direction of the Revs various departments, and usually the word was "NOOOOOOOOO!" The only way things would change for the better is that now accountability for everything on the business side has just been officially placed with Imbriano and his chain gang...if nothing changes, there's no Revs staff left to cut up and blame...it's all focused on the Pats/stadium now, and I do admit that could be a good thing, but their lack of passion and vision about the direction that soccer should be heading will get in the way...I just think they'll keep making the wrong decisions.
After thinking about all this for a few hours I would venture the following..... 1.) If the team plays well for the last three matches, then Nicol should have a two year contract and the right to shop for all groceries. If he can keep their eyes on the job in this mess then he is a fine motivator and coach. 2.) If Gulati runs things he needs to be in F'boro full time, full stop.. 3.) If another person is brought in to run the football side he needs to be equal or under Nicol. 4.) If the idea is Coach - Gulati heading football ops and this Patd guy heading the business side then Nicol or whoever needs to be able to tell Gulati to shove it and the business side to loosen up when needed. Otherwise we are just a tractor-pull summer sideshow for the bloated gorilla ball operation. On the other hand, if things are well run with attention paid to people who know football (Nicol, if he is here, Gulati, if he is here, Craig, if he is here, etc. then maybe, just maybe, we'll be OK. Whatever, though, they need to watch Chicago and Columbus as the flagship franchises in the league with DC a close runnerup. Finally, all the very, very best wishes to Todd Smith. I wish you were staying but I sure can understand your going. May your future be bright. JIM DOW
I second this. Todd was courageous both personally and professionally. Not everybody approved of his decisions, but he got off the mat to make them. Good luck Todd, in all your future battles! -john
testa-de ferro The more I read the more I tend to agree that this is a Patriots take-over and Sunil is just a testa-de ferro (frontman). He is just reading the script for the newsmedia. How can he be in charge of anything when he is always quoted being somewhere else? In the old days one would see REVs people at LASA games etc. Who now?
When you are perceived as screwing up in the Kraft's organizations, they cut back on your influence. If they did it to Bill Parcells, they'll sure as hell do it to Todd Smith. Smith saw the writing on the wall with the staff cuts going through around him. My biggest concern is that just when Nicol seems to be proving himself, the chances of retaining him are greatly reduced. Almost always, a new GM will want his own guy.