The sad part of this is that is seems like Manseuto/the Fire/MLS are saying to those of us, "Thanks for sticking with us and sorry about the 'Andrew Hauptman' years." Shame Joe has to pick up the tab, but I appreciate it!
It would've 'ruined' additional opportunities to get the team out in front of the media - for you and I and people that follow the team, sure, nothing could be ruined by announcing it today, but I feel like they're just trying to max out their 'local news has to cover this' opportunities, and grouping a bunch of newsworthy stuff together on one day is a good way to 'ruin' that visibility. Sorry if I didn't make sense earlier - in my defense, I was completely sober at the time. WGN - you really think that's a possibility? I thought they were getting out of the live sports thing with the Cubs going to their own network and NBC Sports Chicago having Sox, Bulls, and Blackhawks exclusively. I'd love it if they did, just didn't realize it was even on the table.
Keeping Bastian involved in the Fire is a good idea. I suspect he has a pretty nose for business. That has not worked out so far with Rodriguez. If he is "pretty mediocre" at navigating it, then 1) his understanding is less than decent and/or 2) he flat out sucks at his job. No thanks for more of that. Yuck, a "soggy old MLS retread" is exactly what they hired in Nelson Rodriguez. Carlos Bocanegra was not "somebody who understands MLS arcana in that role" and he has done pretty damned well in Atlanta. I suspect he knows it now. Darren Eales (Bocanegra's boss in Atlanta) was TD at Tottenham before moving to Atlanta. I doubt he had a great knowledge of "MLS arcana" and he seems to be doing pretty well. If I was Joe Manseuto, after the season is over, I would do whatever possible to bring Bocanegra to the Fire as President and GM. He can bring the knowledge he has gained in Atlanta about how to run a top-level MLS team. It would be a promotion (VP and TD to Pres. and GM or something). and He is, of course, a Chicago Fire Legend.
Agree with you about not announcing the replacements, but if they had gone nuts and hired a world class (or Chicago Fire-centered) team as GM and Coach, it would have topped off a great day. However, I see and agree with your point about making additional impacts. The WGN thing is just a rumor and an unsubstantiated one at that.
For whatever reason, I would be way more inclined to buy one of those if they had the star above the badge. Speaking of purchasing (or non-purchasing) regrets- one spot I'm torn on is I can totally see why the team would do a full rebrand, and wouldn't be against from an altruistic 'it could pay off in the long run' manner, but I've spent quite a bit on Fire merchandise that I'd feel weird wearing to a game if the rebrand ditched the name, badge, and colors completely. I'd solve for this, obviously, by immediately going out and buying whatever I could afford to align with the new brand because I'm a complete sucker, which is really one of the few reasons I have for being against a complete rebrand.
2 or John Thorrington So let's poach Carlos or John, then poach Bradley as our coach, then poach Zach as our keeper coach, then poach CJ andAnte as an assistant and we are in business.
I love that the Fire are coming back to SF but if Pauno and the same crappy team are here next season, my overabundant enthusiasm will turn to morbid cynicism. Unless a "star" is signed, I can't see them drawing over 15k.
I liked what I heard in the Joe interview with CBS. He's thinking big and saying the right things. Once he fires Nelson and Pauno I'm 100% on board.
Are you saying that you are still holding out from attending? Because you always said that you just were waiting for hauptman to go. I'm a little drunk so I can't remember, what was the bet that you welched on with pyscho Don?
99.9% pretty close to 100% and I didn't welch on the bet, I gave the money I won from the bet and give it to a friend which he bought season tickets that year. Just because I didn't buy them doesn't mean I welched on the bet, the money went towards season tickets.
Doubtful. Soldier Field has hosted plenty of major international matches, including finals. Like Man City Juniors in the Bronx, a style should be built around it.
Well, we can only hope that this vacation was to the Bermuda Triangle or Devil's Island, never to return.
the move got a plug by tim virgin on wkqx yesterday afternoon. "fire moving back to soldier field, blah blah blah, very excited to see them playing back in the city where they belong."
Melba Lara on random Tuesdays saying "The Fire are off today" when reading sports scores is still one of my favorite WBEZisms. (and still more attention than most English language media ever gave the team).
Here's the interview https://chicago.cbslocal.com/2019/1...revitalize-fan-interest-under-new-leadership/
Excited? Has he been watching the last few years? This team is anything but exciting and needs a major overhaul at every level. Same problems, different location.
And that's the rub. We got Klopas to coach but other teams got Novak, Curtin, Brown, Armas and Marsch. I'm sure I missed some but the coaches the Fire have hired have all been bottom of the barrel guys who could care less about the Fire.