Don't worry about being called out as a troll here, we all know, more than anyone, how terrible he is at um...his...well, not exactly...but...um, whatever it is that he is supposed to, y'know, do
We know exactly what he is supposed to do. That is, do whatever Kraft tells him to do. Which is usually nothing. That is how Kraft likes it. Yes-men who do nothing.
This interview, together with Mike Burns' continued employment, convinces me more than anything that nothing will fundamentally change with the organization in 2012. The new coach will simply be a kewpie doll in the shop window to distract the few remaining customers.
I've been saying this since they made Nicol the scapegoat. It's just going to be the same exact situation that we've always seen.
I've been saying it since 1995...elation and depression in the same instant I found out Boston had an MLS franchise and that Krafty was going to be the puppet master..!
That guy's screen name was "Steve." Hmmm, well, obviously it isn't the real Steve who would know exactly what he does, but I thought that was pretty funny. I wish that "Steve" would come here an elaborate on exactly what Burns does, because even with Brian's best efforts, we still have no more of a clue than we did before. A written transcript of an interview leaves out things like the tone of voice or certainly body language and other things that you just can't accurately capture in only text, but wow, he really does come off as a very defensive, evasive, unprepared incompetent. Give him points for accepting the interview, but take those points away for not being smart enough to use it to his advantage. This was an opportunity for him to clarify all of the ambiguity (trust us, Mike, there is ambiguity) and also come across in a positive way and spin a couple of talking points that at least some of the people will buy. Be friendly with the media, let them help you get your message across. Most of all, prepare your answers for these "gotcha" questions. Honestly, he reminds me of some people who have run for public office in recent years who are completely unable to pass the first hurdle of a softball question. None of these questions were very difficult, and with a little, tiny bit of thought he could have made a positive impression that, if it didn't instill confidence in the fanbase, at least it wouldn't make people want to jump off the nearest bridge...
The only thing this interview clarified is that Burns is a complete, unadulterated corporate tool. I love how they found out about Fagundez because he was playing in the Revs Academy.
Mike Burns Cuts An Unsympathetic And Infuriating Figure http://www.thebentmusket.com More or less contains the same points raised already in this thread. For me what defines his percieved defensiveness from the interview was his repeated use of the word "listen" as though Brian O’Connell wasn't. I also wonder if there is an element of Mike Burns knowing what he wanted to say but not quite executing it correctly. Either way, if he is to be interviewed in future, probably should work on his preperation / technique better.
Very nice writeup. You captured what a lot of people are thinking. Yes, he doesn't have to divulge top-secret information, but as Doctor Evil would say, "throw me a frickin' bone." Not for nothing, but back in the early years when I'd go in the locker room and talk to players post-game, I did speak to Burns once or twice. I thought at first it was because we were an irrevrent fanzine that he didn't care for us, but he was like that with everyone. The guy has so little personality, so little interest in even having a conversation about soccer with anyone. Most players would go out of their way to talk, even if they were careful about what they would say. One prominent player even laughed and said "Now you know I can't give you the kind of answer you'd like to hear..." when I asked a particularly pointed question about the league. But he did continue the conversation about other things and shed a lot of light on some other stuff. All good, and very worthwhile! Burns was the captain of the team, and he should have at least had basic polite conversations with media, recognizing that it is indeed part of the job, even if you don't care for it. Guys like Moore and Baba, and later, Twellman were not exactly chatterboxes, but they would certainly talk soccer with the writers. It isn't too much to ask of a player, but as a club exec, he should understand the PR benefits of at least acting like a decent human being and having a pleasant conversation, even if he prefers to hold the company cards close to his chest.
it amuses me, because he thinks that the "public opinion" really matters to the Revs. For the scores of people who read his blog, and the dozens who read the soccer section on the Revs in the globe, there isn't enough people for the "outrage" to actually effect the Revs. Kraft has done a great job of quelling interest to a point where even if they piss off all their most passionate fans, the public perception is so minimal that it won't effect anything.
You know, I was just getting ready to update my sig. Now it has to stay longer. I don't hold it against the man that he doesn't have the skills to conduct himself properly in an interview. I don't either. Unfortunately, it's a requirement for the particular job that he is in right now. How many signings did we lose out on because they sent a guy with no personality to close the deal?
I haven't read through this thread as I frankly don't have the time, but good lord is Mike Burns standoffish in this interview! If this was how a politician or even political candidate approached the media, they'd be dead in the water. Seems to have an arrogance, or at least sternness about him that is really unnecessary given the questions asked.
I think Burns wasn't expecting such an aggressive line if questioning, as I wasn't, but he does come off as being amateurish.
Can someone please explain to me once and for all why Caraglio was a DP if he was only making 54,000? was it just because he was on loan? Does it positively impact the cap in any way? I thought the first $300,000 of the DP's salary counted against the cap.
Sorry, Mike Burns. Part of your job involves dealing with the media. And you suck at it. Consider this an open plea to Lizz Summers to force Burnsie to hire a media consultant or SOMETHING. He ain't makin' your job any easier, Lizz.
Because of loan fees or partial ownership of his contract. In other words, if we paid loan fees, or bought a percentage of his contract, MLS rules dictate that the money we spend in the process has to count against the cap.