Thursday, November 18 2004 DisenFANchised by BilFish, Soccernation.info I was preparing a “How I Became a Soccer Fan” personal journey story recently, just sort of musing on how fandom develops when you don’t learn it at your father’s knee. At some point I realized that in going from point A (general soccer lover) to point B (fan of the Colorado Rapids) I had somehow overshot the mark and stopped at point C (caring more about the team than they care about me). I went from Really Interested Fan to Mr. Jaded, Eyes-crossed Apathetic Guy over the past season. How could this happen? Locally, Hankinson is gone. That's a plus. There's a stadium on the way. That's a positive. League-wide, Season 9 will likely be seen as an amazing watershed year for Major League Soccer in America when everything brewing the past few years finally boiled over. Watching the success has been great — what with stadium announcements, new advertisers, new teams, new owners, new cities vying to be MLS towns, new up-and-coming players, the whole bit. Why, when good things seem to be happening all over, do I still have such a strong feeling of, well, not feeling strongly about the Rapids? Simultaneous to this, I’ve also had to watch the Rapids implode into a defensive shell (think injured turtle) with their lack of energy, no lack of injuries, infighting, zero team communication with fans (i.e. "shareholders"), boring-as-shite-soccer, crappy merchandise, and lackluster fan attendance/excitement. Another issue that bugs me is that the Rapids Management doesn’t even show an interest in promoting the positives to their fans. Not once this entire year of 2004 did Rapids Management personnel mention the Fans or give an indication that they knew fans existed until November 9th when Hankinson was fired. On this day Governor Charlie Wright disingenuously referenced "our passionate Rapids fans" for the first time. When the stadium was announced not a single fan was invited. Not one. Nor did any executive at any time indicate this was for the fans. At this point, the Rapids management have yet to announce any plans to include fans in the planning of the stadium. Niiiice. “You’ll sit where we tell you and like it, Mister.” When Salt Lake City announced a new MLS team, I expected a resounding challenge from the Rapids organization to be extended to their fellow Rocky Mountain team. It's weird, though, that once again you can't get the Rapids organization to discuss it publicly. I did get Hankinson (no longer part of the organization) to briefly discuss it in an article several months ago but that was that. Not one more word has been mentioned in public. Personally, I’d be excited to go whoop some ReAL ass. But the Rapids are acting about as exciting as an insurance company and as secretive as the CIA. And when the team struggled to provide any offense all year? Not one word came from Rapids Management apologizing for the embarrassing showing or at least attempting a feeble excuse. In fact, the coach simply said, “I don’t preach defend, defend, defend to the guys. I’ve been preaching attack, attack, attack.” Well, that settles it. When I broke the story back in early June that team Captain John Spencer was retiring from MLS at the end of the season, I assumed the Rapids would take the rest of the season to send their best international off in style. Instead, no official word was ever given that he was even leaving. And now he’s gone and we missed seeing him because he was benched with “injury” the last couple games and no thanks was given to team’s leader (by the team). When Kroenke announced his new pet TV channel (All the rich guys have one now), the website and press releases regularly failed to remember to include the Colorado Rapids in their coverage! As usual, even when the team is doing something right, they go about it the wrong way. Heck, they even improved Buck-a-Bud night based on fan suggestions to have more beer lines and add Buck-a-Brat. Did they tell the fans “Hey, we hear ya, great suggestions?” What do you think?!? I could go on. In fact, I think I will. When players have been injured, or undergone surgery, or may have left the country (remember Zizi appearing in African match reports and Denver at the same time?), or been waived, little or no mention has been made. When Zach Kingsley was waived, he was only mentioned because they had to say how the team was able to sign a new guy (Delgado, tee hee). The website posted obscenely incorrect match previews and injury reports, with lineups including players no longer with the club or out due to injury or national team duty but somehow in the starting 11... and generally gave fans worse than no information by giving them misleading information. Joe Cannon was practicing with the US National Team? No kidding! I didn’t read about it from the Rapids until after ESPNews interviewed him in Columbus. What if I want to provide feedback to the team? Is there a way to do so on the Rapids official website? Nope. What about emailing my favorite playa? Fuggedaboudit. Pretty Please? “Go away kid, yer botherin’ me.” Merchandise was and still is a joke. Bringing friends and guests to games and trying to find decent stuff to buy to support the team was nearly impossible. Unless you like green jerseys. Those you can find online...at MLS’ official gear website. Which leads me to another demonstrable lack of respect or acknowledgment. Already I feel jealous that CD Chivas invites 1000 fans to their team press announcements when the Rapids invite 0. Chivas has already started a cool-sounding club for supporters. Rapids really haven’t gotten around to it lately. Lots of little things like this really add up, clearly suggesting that Rapids Management isn’t interested enough to even go through the motions. It’s normal to say things like, “This is for the fans. We love you.” Even if you don’t mean it, ya at least say it. The Rapids can’t even be bothered to do that. Media coverage? Pretty much a joke and an afterthought. Online coverage? Nonexistent. Rapids fan websites? Just one. Yep. It all sort of adds up, realizing that I’m stuck with the Rapids ‘cuz I ain’t leaving Colorado, and thinking that perhaps there’s another option out there — an option such as seriously considering finding a team that cares about me as a fan and supporting them with my time and money. Sure, I’ll still go see some Rapids games, because I enjoy watching live professional soccer. But maybe I’ll secretly root for ReAL or Chivas. More likely it'll be Chicago since my relatives are Chicagoans and I love how interactive Fire GM Peter Wilt is with the Fan community. Maybe I’ll go to our local Denver Kickers clubhouse to watch games more often (it’s a fun environment, and the beer is better and cheaper, and they have a grassy knoll you can picnic on and watch the game). $5 for a big game if they remember to charge you. I won’t bother to buy the new team jersey (which is changing again for 2005). Not that I expect merchandise to be available before the season starts April 2nd. For now I’m happy with my Beckham T-shirt and the Real Madrid jersey my sister brought back from Spain and the like. I certainly won’t buy season tickets (this from a guy who had actively investigated with buddies the economics of securing a Rapids Luxury Suite for the season). And I’ll be stuck trying to form the Chicago Fire Mile High Supporters club with my brother-in-law, but at least I won’t feel like I’m locked into a dead-end relationship that’s going nowhere fast. Except with my brother-in-law. The Rapids took a desperate, wanna-be-included fan with money, time and impressionable kids and turned him into a head-scratching afterthought. Well, Phooey on them. But, still, there’s always 2005. Who knows? Maybe the Rapids will suddenly remember the fans. But I’m not holding my breath any more, and I’m not waiting any longer.
Be happy you even have a team. We went through many of the same problems with the SJ Clash (and the Rapids have never been that bad). Eventually, we had success. Of course, you won't be getting Landon, but we gave you Joe...
Get over yourself RapFan. Since when is a fan bigger than the sport or the team. It's not like you own stock in the team or anything. If you are going to be so negative get your ass outta here.
Okay, so I think BilFish wrote a great piece here. I feel the same way about a number of the things he mentions - would it have been too much to invite the fans (or at least the season ticket holders) to the stadium announcement? Maybe I don't understand enough about PR... the news media that doesn't bother to mention the team - because there are too many lowlights to show on TV and newspaper pages to fill about the worst pro sports team in town (yes I'm talking about the Rockies) - seems to get priority for this MAJOR announcement over the people who have supported the club (some for 9 years now) with thier hard earned $$$$. I am curious about the motivation you, Rapfan?, have for posting this though. It seems a number of the things that BilFish wrote about, again that I agreed with for the most part, would seem to fall on the plate of the (former) GM, even in his diminished role with the organization. All of the "on field" things mentioned happened on his watch once again this year. All of the other posts I've seen from you since the announcement do nothing but posture for Counce and describe what a terrible move this is... but by posting BilFish's thoughts here, aren't you agreeing with the on field problems he listed too? Are you a fan that wants to see an improved product when you pay to enter the stadium? So where are you coming from? I think Dan Counce did some great things for the Rapids and without his leadership on the business side, Stan Kroenke probably wouldn't have been interested in buying the team from Uncle Phil. With that being said, pro sports is a busniess and you're only as good as your last season (or sometimes game). The one thing I am really disappointed about with this move is the way that it was done. I don't know how you take a person who ran the entire organization from top to bottom for 8 seasons, cut his role in half (probably left him with more like 30% of what he used to do) and then decide he didn't do enough in that capacity. It seems like the writing was on the wall for a long time and KSE just dragged it out. I would imagine The Governor had this planned since the beginning... what the fook is a Soccer Ambassador anyway??? The only time I saw The Ambassador was on TV.
Re: AMEN! I retire...I no longer need to post another thing! Bill you said it all!!!! I would urge readers here to go give a few hits to www.rapidsfan.com where this rant by BillFish originates (to my knowledge) and urge that you tease with a paragraph or two and a link next time (instead of cut/paste the whole thing).
Disillusionment Hey, In all sports we become disillusioned, then experience a re-awakening. Consider the recent past with the Broncos super bowl runs, the recent Nuggets success (now there was disillusionment!), and the Buffs 63 points on Nebraska or the Red Sox remarkable win. For owr lowly Vapids, we've been a boring team since the "Curse of Hahnemann" departure where our 12-4 start evaporated into another playoff loss, and our Andres-to-JDV knack for late crucial goals never sort of recovered. We now are here in a low spot, and will rise to greatness. Trust me. This ain't rocket science, boys, and Kronke wants to "win". RLH
Re: Disillusionment I'm sure Kroenke wants to 'win', who doesn't. But while winning would be nice, some corporate resources allocated to letting Denver know that the Rapids exist would be good. Unless you are a damn serious soccer fan in this town, you probably don't go see the Rapids. They are invisible. Kroenke has taken the public relations down about 5 levels from Anschutz, which I didn't believe was possible. I have held six, full season, seats since the day the Rapids got here. may buy 2 '10 game' seats next year, but I am indifferent. I love soccer, but the Rapids management make it so dull.
This is an angle I had not considered, and the FIRST (I believe) I've seen to defend letting Counce go. (Are you paying attenion Rapfan? ?) I agree that Counce initially did do A LOT of good for the organization, but over time, it seems that he became less effective. Whether that is actually true or not, or just my perception of things (which I suspect), I can't say. However, if all he was responsible for this past season is player business, he should have been able to do some scouting around for players this team can use for the future. If he was successful at that, then I think KSE should be taken to task for firing someone who did what he was asked to do. If he did not succeed at the players for the future thing, then he should have been let go - it was his only task for the season. (Although I still don't understand how the whole Spencer/visa affair didn't get resolved if it was one person's job to take care of such things.) I hope Balboa can bring/do good things for this franchise. I love the guy, but not at the expense of watching my team disintegrate before my eyes.
Re: AMEN! I retire...I no longer need to post another thing! Bill you said it all!!!! Here's the thing: we don't really know for sure how this was "carried out." I agree that this was planned from the beginning. One can also argue that Hankinson's firing was planned from the beginning -- short of his winning an MLS Cup. Like you said, business is business and after a number of years the current coach/GM combo just wasn't hadn't taken the team to the next level, and KSE isn't blind. Back to Counce. For all we know, KSE could have effectively given Counce a year's notice, and kept him on board to help run things smoothly from a player/coaching personnel side and nothing more. Or Counce could have been on the chopping block and sold himself and the idea of this kind of GM to KSE. Or KSE could have made it very clear to Counce that if he didn't perform certain tasks -- say, finding great players -- that he'd be out in a year. Or it could simply be that Counce had 1 year left on his contract with the team as a whole, and KSE didn't want to buy out his remainder. In other words, I don't disagree with the notion that this wasn't planned in advance, but let's be honest: Counce was at least given a little more time than a certain number of other FO personnel that were sent packing less than a month after being told nobody would be fired...
Re: AMEN! I retire...I no longer need to post another thing! Bill you said it all!!!! Maybe Counce knew this was coming because he and the rest of the front office were on month to month contracts. Whenever there is a purchase of a company there is a transition period where the old management teaches the new owners the ropes. Then the old are let go. Add the fact that Counce and Wright overlapped so much, to the fact that Counce hasn't done anything great over the past 5 years and it is no surprise to see him go.
Re: AMEN! I retire...I no longer need to post another thing! Bill you said it all!!!! You'll all be back. The fact that anyone's geek enough to post on these boards. To follow this silly team in this goofy league the way we do is proof enough to me that we can't just walk away. I've tried, and I'll admit that I pretty much lost interest in the team around August despite their climbing in the standings. I'm back though. Hankinson is gone, and Counce is gone. Like watching a train wreck I can't turn away now.
Re: AMEN! I retire...I no longer need to post another thing! Bill you said it all!!!! I believe you are right.
Re: AMEN! I retire...I no longer need to post another thing! Bill you said it all!!!! Completely disagree with your reasoning. After not having season tickets for two years, Counce and Hanky being fired give me new blood/hope. The new GM/Coach haven't crushed my spirits/identity with the team. I'll likely be buying season tickets again because I can dream wonderful dreams (and not have a little freak on my shoulder tell me "you've seen these idiots fail every year before they will again"). New GM/coach, spirit renewed, dreams have happy endings again. Finally, we'll win some hardware!
I have to agree that the Rapids have had the least fan involvement of any team in the league. And the team has been about as exciting as birdwatching or croquet lately. The last year has been particularly hard to deal with as Kroenke has practiced a bit of benign neglect. But I give the Kroneke organization credit for taking time to study the team and the league before making changes. They certainly did a decent job rebuilding the Nuggets and this was also after a period of study when it looked like the team was destined for status quo. Unless KSE is in the business of throwing money away, I'm sure they have plans for the Rapids. There's no textbooks on running a successful MLS team, but there are enough well-run ones to get some ideas. And it doesn't take a genius to see the problems with the Rapids. I remember somebody early in the season (was it Greenie?) who said that KSE had already decided to let Counce and Hanki go after this season and that there would be many changes, including players. I'm pretty optomistic now that it's happening.