I don't know what research he did before buying but if he had done any, it'd be obvious Jordan had no clue. Teenage was a nice opening but I think Jordan's firing would've done more good for the team. Let's hope he either has quality staff to help him find a great replacement or is savvy enough to know personally.
He said he will look within MLS to replace Jordan. I hope they go for someone good or an assistant somewhere good. Jordan came from an average MLS side and we saw that did nothing. I just think it will be hard to convince someone who knows MLS well to want to go to Houston since they will be well aware of Houston's ongoing problems.
It's risk/reward and how ambitious someone is. If you're looking to make a quick move in this league then cleaning up a mess like the Dynamo would put you on the fast track. If Segal makes a commitment and has a willingness to change, I don't think the Dynamo would be a hard sell.
Segal talked about significantly increasing the payroll, if he’s true to his word and can be trusted, we could get a good MLS GM-type in here. And since you are hired by the new owner it tends to give you some level of security. Points to Segal for correctly evaluating the disaster that is Matt Jordan’s tenure. Jordan has some excuses but he hit a very poor batting average
He did indeed speak specifically on increasing spending, and that is what most of us considered the main starting point for where our club needs help. More so as MLS has grown so much in teams and new owners of said teams that have shown a willingness to, and wait for it, "go big". I never got to meet Matt Jordan, wish him the best. In the past I would have lunch with our leaders when downtown so never meeting this guy, ever, well, happy trails Hans. Look, Jordan did always come across as a clever salesman type that would tell our owners any sales pitch to save his own butt and yet for those of us Houston Dynamo junkies so much of his signings and fallout ringed hollow. There is some odd Ivory Tower up at our FO ever since we moved from The Rob where the top brass lives and works at. A clever bubble dome where you can have such a poor batting average and yet the boss keeps you in lineup Season after Season.
Ted's recent actions and the interview gave me so much more hope. It sounds like they do plan to spend more, but it was also realistic in noting that nothing can be done anytime soon to improve the roster. The fact that it wasn't overly optimistic makes it more credible. He spent hundreds of millions on this team, and it would only take a small fraction of that to get us spending around the league average. Even if we can just move to average in terms of spending, that's enough to compete as many other MLS teams have shown. Also credit for firing Jordan - lol he is a car salesman and it seems apparent Jordan went way out of his way to "welcome" Ted and try to butter him up. I'm glad he had the guts to see through that and pull the trigger. This season is what it is, I'm not even bothered about the winless record at this point. But looking to the future, even one big name singing would go a long way to encouraging people to come back. Just give me something to say to people to convince them to give this team another shot.
Hard to say if it was character or on field results, but the fact that the FO allowed “Fire Matt Jordan” banners to be displayed for the majority of two consecutive games kind of says what kind of esteem they held Jordan in near the end.
I’d be happier if Ramos was shown the door as well, but at the minimum I’m glad to see the Matt Jordan era over. No offense to the guy, but he should’ve exited with Cabrera in 2019 and that’s maybe being generous. I’m still skeptical of the idea we will suddenly start spending, but I have modest goals. Get us into the median range in payroll and I’ll be happy.
I too am a skeptic. If you look at the interview he speaks about a search for a new GM with MLS experience and uses "we". I'd be interested to know who "we" are and I suspect it includes the current NBA FO which has no experience in the sport at all, and totally abandoned many of the long term season ticket holder as a lost cause. Roster - "We have set an objective to spend materially higher" - I think I would have preferred to hear "we are committed to spend materially higher". Stars or DPs - basically saying the words we have heard in the past, "right fit", "difference makers', "have players in mind". I'm just concerned that the Execs in the FO have his ear and are opining on team related matters rather than sticking to their roles in stadium ops. I'd have also like to have heard a question about the addition of more expensive areas to the stadium and why given the pathetic number of season ticket holders the FO sought fit to increase season ticket prices for the 2022 season. It really makes no sense to me that you'd dump considerable $$$ into more stadium improvements. My opinion is that improvements should come after the team has been improved and stadium attendance has increased materially. I hope I'm wrong, and will be very happy, if things do work out to everyone's expectations. Even if there is not a complete spring cleaning of the entire organization.
I heard Segal's interview - had a bit too much talking points/soundbyte elements to it, not scripted but designed. Does show preparation and he has to realize that the status quo is not going to work for anyone and he has nothing to sell the fans if he were to keep Jordan and I think Ramos has to go now too. It didn't sound like he had been in Houston much since the sale. Lives in New York area. The NBA FO techniques are not going to work now, whatever calculus they sold Brener on has changed with two more horrible seasons and COVID impacting consumption habits. Supporter group strategy seems bad now that EB decided to try to intimidate and possible physically assault other fans. Widder went all-in on the group that to be honest, is probably not the highest income bracket of Dynamo fans at the expense of STHs who spent money on the club for years. Opt-out day was last week so I guess we'll see how many hostages they let escape. Don't understand raising prices unless they are trying to go along with inflation-related increases that business are trying to pass on to customers. It aint demand driving the price increases.
I agree with Nigel. The fact that Brener et al are still owners (though minority owners now) creates great doubt in my mind that real change will happen. I want to have hope and be positive. But so much is broken and neglected or just totally screwed up. In my darkest fears I think the franchise is broken and can't be fixed because the brand is now so sullied, and so much is wrong. It would take so much spending to fix it I can't believe this guy, especially with the old guard a drag on him, is willing to risk it or frankly even able to grasp it. And I'm not sure I blame him. When thinking about this I often think the only successful way forward is to shut the club down for two seasons and start over fresh -- but with the Dynamo/Orange brand. I realize that would never happen. But hope springs eternal and must win out. I am committed to giving him my support and a fair chance.
Another problem is that firing Jordan doesn't necessarily solve the problem. There has to be accountability and consequences for all, from the business side to the team side. But the way the organization is set up the FO can attribute their plans not working to poor performance (It's not our fault, it's theirs). I watched a video on you tube last night that was an address from 10yrs ago to Berkley about why WWII US Army was more successful that Korea, Vietnam or recently Iraq and Afghanistan. It was all about the fact that in WWII Generals were removed and replaced for performance issues by their superiors. In Korea, Vietnam and recently, generals are rarely held accountable and are removed by politicians. I thought this is the case across the board now from Govt to private. If the Dynamo had been a Division in WWII, the Commanding General and staff would have been replaced immediately for performance issues, until they got it right. I say Clean House with team management side and business management side. Provide adequate funding, set goals on both business side and team side and if they're not met. replace the people you entrusted to achieve the goals. If there is no fear of removal, mediocrity becomes the norm. don't rock the boat or take chances, cause you're not going to be replaced. Ownership has to have the ability to see through the BS, and smoke and mirrors - if we can see it, why can't they?
Having re-read Segal’s interview with Davis, I’m more confident that the plan is just to let Ramos’ contract run at the end of the season.
I read it as more of “it’s the new GM’s decision” but it think even that ultimately gets to the same outcome you concluded tbh
https://www.mlssoccer.com/news/new-england-revolution-unveil-new-crest font look familiar? at some point people can admit what i can see, that our name adjustment and logo came off the same xerox machine as other league rebrands. i also think segal's timing doesn't fit this being his choice.
Somebody on Reddit compiled this list of crest designers: 9thWonder is a marketing firm here in Houston. The New England logo was done by Charmie Shah, a designer for Jones Knowles Ritchie, a marketing firm based in New York and London.
you don't see the similar use of serifs? it's close enough. i see what you're saying about SJ and us on the old logos but both of them look better than the current ones. i thought the old logo very well fit the energy concept. radiated it, if you will. in other words, the logo flowed from the idea. which is decent graphic design work. this now is just slapped together and oh it needs to mean energy so let's throw a bolt in it. oh and the "FC" also. i would give it a "C" on graphic design. if you want even more snippy my read is we are now fully on board with the "wish i was europe" cardboard cutout. a pointless rote "FC," and they took the ball off the logo. shall i list the number of famous european teams with soccer balls in the logos? or who have a nickname, a mascot, or even a NFL style name with a mascot in it? did the european soccer hipsters come out of the woodwork to greet their new FC and badge or are they going to be even more insane about the payroll and competitiveness problem than us. i grant the point about it looked like SJ but the fans liked it and no one cared about that. i think as long as we're the poor team into imitating fashion this is not going to go well. and if you like to mix things up we were doing just fine with "ok, this year the logo's all black," etc. to me it's part of the past 7 years of unclever people attempting cute ideas unsuccessfully. draw a line under it with the rest.