The owner & GM are both a piece of work. The fans & players should boycott and join the new expansion team in Philly. It's just down the road. Leave the mgmt behind to wallow in their own ineptitude.
Yes, because that's an intelligent response, and certainly what these hard-working women on the field deserve... Go to games because its actually good soccer (let's not forget currently tied for 3rd in the league!), not because of ownership.
Considering the franchise Model, you are putting money in the owner's pocket, the girls are getting paid. I won't be going to SB games in NJ any more, I can support them just as well by attending games games in Philly You vote with the pocket, the ownership is just as much the team as the players are... supporting the players at SB is supporting the ownership You want to make this a cause, If I don't like how a store is run, I don't shop there, even if the people are nice (See Circuit City) There are other contenders for my dollars
I don't like the owners of Fox aka Rupert Murdoch, but I like their entertaining shows, so I watch. Its about good soccer, and Sky Blue FC plays good soccer. This stuff about Ian, Kelly, and the owners, its only a side story. The real story is on the field. that's not a cause, its a sport. And at third place, with some exciting recent games, Sky Blue FC plays a good game. No cause argument there, only my humble opinion on how the team plays. End of the day, that's what matters in athletics. You make it about the owners, you're patronizing the women on the field. Then it becomes a cause, albeit in your opinion, a bad one. To stay on topic, not sure much else will come out about her resignation. Unless she says something soon, I wouldn't be surprised if this just dies out like previous controversy. Personally I'd love her to go on ESPN or something. Nice in depth interview with Robin Roberts or Mary Carillo. That would certainly make our league look like its up there with the other pro leagues. But I won't hold my breath. :-(
Don't get me wrong. I'm a SB fan. I do go to the games for the soccer. I bought the upper-end season tickets this year, which cost $65/ticket. I didn't have to pay this much, but decided to in order to support the league financially (for 1/2 the price, I would only be sitting two rows away). I thoroughly enjoy the level of play and definitely feel like I get my money's worth each game - if it were for the soccer, staff, & players alone. However, in the few interactions that we've had with Marrone throughout the season, he was very rude to us and made us feel like we weren't welcomed to the games. I can't speculate on the reasons Lindsey left, but given how he made us feel as paying customers, I can't blame her for leaving. I'll still support the players, but I won't be renewing my tickets as long as the current management is there. In general, I agree that the decision to support a team shouldn't be based on the ownership/management; however, if the management provides an unwelcomed atmosphere for paying customers, then they're a detriment to the team in the long term. BTW - I was also a season ticket holder of the Atlanta Beat during the WUSA days. With the Beat, I had several friends decide to also buy season tickets because they saw the value in it. That hasn't been the case with SB.
They have done well considering the upheavel & long may it continue. Although i hope they get a new coach next season Rampone needs to concentrate on playing only. She has done well to keep the troops motivated. http://www.usatoday.com/sports/soccer/2009-08-07-2714905160_x.htm
A FAN you are right losing 3 coaches in your first season is a side show..We are all stupid for following that story...I mean I am sure the players haven't even noticed the changes.. Serious are you kidding--I hope so
I've read through the 2 threads on this and I can't help but feel something doesn't pass the smell test. Ok, regardless if the owners are in the dumbass range or not. Sawyers was let go, players seemed to think that was the right move (or at least Rampone was quoted as that). Lindsey has been said to basically be close to him. Assistant gets let go over I guess something unethical happening. And she just bolts because she was offended she wasn't told 1st thing? Not necessarily that something unethical did or did not happen? Again, I'm sure there are valid complaints against ownership, but Lindsey's actions just don't match up with the "known facts" to me anyway.
That's what I've been most curious about. Was it the notification part, or was it the actual incident that led to the coach's dismissal she had an issue with?
It is your choice to watch again, you dismiss the statement with a weak argument, that we should go for the soccer and dismiss that fact that our dollars are going to the owners who each time they open their mouth they look foolish and do not. You make women playing soccer the cause that we should support with our dollars to bad owners sorry, I dont feel that way or work for the owners as you do
Well, let's hope that Rampone gets a little more help from her assistants next week. Down one and two goals throughout the second half of the final game of the season - needing a win to guarantee a playoff spot - Nobody, and I mean nobody, ever left the bench to get ready to substitute in. I was astonished that Sky Blue made no player changes during the run of play. I mean, come on. Ten minutes left, they should've put every attacking player they had on the bench into the game. For next week's do-or-die playoff game, I hope someone on the bench has the ability to make that call if Rampone is too focused on what's going on on the field to notice the the team needs a change - or to tell folks to get off the bench and start warming up. It's hard to lay this on Rampone. If she's distracted on the field, bad things can only result. But the team has to play the contingency game before the referee blows the whistle.
They made two subs: McCallum for Parker to start the second half, then Buczkowski for Schnur in the 69th minute. You'd think it would have been worthwhile to throw Kerri Hanks (the only offensive substitute left) in there as well, though.
I knew about the halftime sub. I absolutely missed the Buczkowski for Schnur. Now that I think about it, that's about when I made my move from one end of the field to the other. My bad. But they did not have any players warming up. Which is mindboggling. I can't recall a pro soccer game that a few players weren't jogging/stretching while the team had subs remaining. Injuries and cautions requiring substitutions happen. But, yeah, Hanks was the one I was thinking about.
Well, if people should decide which teams they support based on management, how the heck do you explain why there are so many Yankees and Cowboys fans? People don't give a rat's ass about Jerry Jones, they support the players on America's team (gag me with a spoon over that one). Yankee fans are supposed to ignore A-Rod and Jeter because of the Steinbrenner show? They cheer when they win, they complain when they miss the playoffs. But they still flock to the games. C'mon, people usually support teams in SPITE of management--see Raiders, Oakland. Sky Blue plays entertaining soccer. They have some interesting personalities. They actually seem to have fun when they play. They play hard, and most of the time they play smart. What's not to like? Forget about management, go see the show. In Washington. In the playoffs. Where Boston and Chicago, with their much bally-hooed management, will not be appearing this weekend. The players are what people pay to see. And Sky Blue's still playing. I, too, will be supporting Philly next season. Not because of their owners, but because it's my home city. I was a big Charge fan, just like you. Will they be competitive? Maybe, maybe not, but they'll still be my team. And when they're not playing, I'll be rooting for Sky Blue.
Sky Blue won inspite of the Management and against all odds. Even last week, they would not have been my pick. I like the players but for me to give up time and money in support.... I don't care for the way things are done and I have no ties You are talking about very established teams in very established sports... I most likely will not be following WPS next year, I became less interested in it as the season went on... I only watched only a handfull of minutes on FSC, I went to a few games at SB but that was it.
So then you just come here to argue with people and prove your point. So you could care less about the WPS, right? I thought you were a hardcore soccer fan and a fan of the women's game. What soured you on the WPS?
This post is about Kelly walking away. She did the right thing. Ownership brought in two coaches who they would dismiss with good cause. Kelly I am sure looked at it and said I need to get out of here to save her credibility. Some of you criticize her for the way she did it. But by the owners reaction and comments he made it shows there must have been things said behind the scene. If he was a supporter of hers he would have said, we are surprised and disappointed in the way she left but wish her luck. Instead he talks about how she wasn't ready and he had to bring Ian into the situation. He bashed her! Ownership and the GM are 100% responsible for the the people they hire. If it is a bad work environment employees have every right to go. Owners and GM's have no problems cutting players with no explanation or warning. PDAD has every right to have this impact the way he feels about the game. When a league starts fans look at all aspects of the team, not just the field. If you think the Dallas Cowboys has the fan base it once had before Jones you are wrong!! What ownership has done there with bringing in problem players the last few years has caused much ownership criticism and loss of respect for the franchise. The WPS needs to prove to us the fan! They have a long way to go! look at the stats and look at the lack of stats for many players. Judge this as a pro league and it will get better! Judge this with kid gloves and it will be gone!
I was a hard core soccer fan, now...meeech....not so much... there were a lot of issues that soured me on the Absolute greatness of the worship worthy Allmighty WPS.... too many to go into Not here to argue, just defending my POV when it is attacked, sorry if people get a HUGE bug up their Arse at my POV and Wear rose colored glasses when anyone is slightly critical of women's soccer SCCL and SoB Bolton - you don't know me, you have no idea what I have been involved in.... best of luck in keeping the faith
Thank you Soccerbs... you may not like what I say and do not want to hear it... I want the league to grow, but it has made a Sh-Load of mistakes
don't all businesses at one time or another make mistakes? hopefully they will be better for all the crap they have had and learn the things they did right and things they did wrong!