Dear Mr Fisher I know you have to follow inclusiveness protocols, but please don't screw the team for years to come by hiring someone other than Chris as GM. He has proven himself in many different capacities to be one of the best hires you have ever had in the front office. Give him his title shot and support his decisions. You will be much happier with the results.
looks like Fish is one step ahead of you. he had to agree to this in principle and so well done Chris Leitch on getting his buy-in. I realize for some he was already the second coming and needed no additional steps to prove his worth for this job, arguably the most important role within the organization (the guy who's charged first and foremost with assembling the roster) but its a giant feather in his cap that he was able to get this done and absolutely bolsters his case for why he should now become the 3rd GM of the John Fisher-era. it just goes to show how wrong the groupthink around here can be at times. one hundred reasons postulated for why Chris couldn't possibly be expected to demonstrate his worth at this critical juncture. In the end, he came through, in a big way, despite all the naysayers. So many years of futility and we've all been conditioned to keep our expectations really low. Chris just proved why that might be about to change and Quakes fans can begin to think outside this small team box we've been locked in for years. Well done Chris, you've earned your shot. Best of luck to you!
There was no groupthink that he couldn't do anything. There was correct groupthink that he didn't necessarily need to do anything to prove his worth, and that we don't even know the parameters involved now in this short window, so it doesn't make sense to create some kind of litmus test folly. I think folks, including yourself, came to the realization that a trade is probably the only reasonable thing to expect. Also, comments from Matias are that they've had their eye on Ebobisse for a while now, so it's likely that there were at least some feelers put out under Jesse, if there wasn't even already a deal in the works, or negotiations taking place under Jesse.
I'm willing to give CL the credit, I feel like as acting GM he deserves it. Jesse is no longer with the organization. If there were feelers out and conversations already underway, how do you know CL wasn't a part of that as well? why so quick to slight the guy in his finest hour? how about a little credit where due? This was an important move symbolically even if it doesn't pan out on the field. When was the last time Quakes did a late-in-the-game summer transfer window signing with the potential to strengthen our attack? This is kind of a big deal around here and CL as acting GM deserves some credit.
I've already given CL credit where he's deserved it through many weeks / months / years of hard work and dedication and smarts. I'm not going to use a one-off data point, where we don't even know the parameters, as my sole point of evaluation. That wouldn't make any sense. To me, he's already had his "finest hours", whether it's becoming interim coach, essentially changing the engine on while the car's running and still achieving Quakes II highest winning %, or straightening out the academy, or helping fill out Reno's roster in order to put them at or near the top of USL almost immediately. We have much more information in those cases, and we can evaluate his performance over a lengthy period of time and many transactions.
but you won't give him any credit here, for this signing? odd. could it be that you're stubbornly clinging to your weak, nonsensical position? we should be celebrating his accomplishment, this is a big move, the kind of move we've been hungry for. say it with me (it feels good!)... Well done Chris!
It's not a "weak, nonsensical position", it's the science-based, logical, sensible position. This is one single, not clearly defined data point. Sure it's a positive, but again, not clearly defined, and why would I use this to form my opinion about what Chris can do, when there are reams of data about what he can do readily available? That's the strong, well-reasoned, sensible position. I don't need this silly litmus test to convince me he's a really good candidate for GM. I would give him a couple of years in the job, and then see how well he's done in that specific role. That's the way you evaluate anyone. You give them time to do the job, then you measure performance. This really isn't that hard.
you're just being obstinate, of course this reflects well on him and of course it's not the only metric for evaluating his suitability. just admit it, Chris Leitch is making the most of his opportunity to shine, as this move so amply demonstrates.
I'm not being obstinate, I'm being consistent. I've said from the start that I'm not interested in using your little litmus test to evaluate Leitch. I've already seen what he can do many times over. If I now say "See I told you he was good!" I wouldn't be consistent because I've said from the start that this single ill-defined data point doesn't mean much at all to me. I already knew he was good, and I'm confident he would do a good job as GM, and after a few years, if he gets the job, we'll be able to actually evaluate how well he did.
that's what I mean, you're stubbornly clinging to a narrow, erroneous view. he has been good for the team in lots of ways, nobody is debating that. but this is different, now he wants the top job. what better way to prove his worthiness than by doing what he's just pulled off. sorry you can't see that but it's truly remarkable! believe me.
Think of it in terms of sample size and the scientific method. Again, your little litmus test is one little ill-defined data point. I'm basing my assessment of CL on his body of work - many data points accumulated over many years. Really, it's not that hard. Or, the basketball game analogy. One team has hammered the other all game long, and then someone on the losing team says, "OK, next basket wins!" That's silly. That's not how you assess the better team. You assess the better team by what's been happening all game long.
My post with J.S. Bach was removed! Too controversial I guess! Nobody can appreciate good polyphony these days. :-( Or a little tongue-in-cheek ribbing - a dying art...
Both of you need to learn how to conjugate this: "I am consistent" "You are stubborn" "He is obstinate"
No I think when we started talking about polyphony and Bach, it was obvious how serious we were, and that we must be stopped!!
If the story about Jungwirth’s trade is true (and it was done for salary cap consideration), I wonder if Leitch will be tempted to fill that roster spot with a homegrown signing? A homegrown contract would not count against the cap. I propose 3 options that could cover the hole left by his departure. 1: Jean-Julien Foe Nuphaus He is currently the starting centerback for UC Berkeley. He made appearances for the US Youth teams at U17 and U19 levels. He also played a season in Germany for Hoffenheim’s U17s. He just turned 21 and is listed at five eleven. Slightly older and slightly taller than Akanyinge, he has played more meaningful minutes the past three years than Jacob has. Downside is zero knowledge of Almeyda’s system. 2: Tarun Karumanchi He is a 2003 in the Quake’s academy that is best at defensive mid. He is a sideline to sideline, box to box mid that is aggressive, willing to fight for the ball and isn’t afraid to slide tackle if given the chance. His game is probably closest to Danny Leyva from Seattle or a young Danny O’Rourke for Quake fans. I heard at a full field training scrimmage he dumped Wondo on a tackle and Wondo jumped to his feet had gave him a hard two hand shove to the chest. Scrimmage was called before a fight broke out. 3: Alejandro Cano 2004 kid that is about 3-4 inches taller than Flo. He plays centerback for the Quakes’ reserve team. He played at the 6 for Hugo Perez’s academy a few years back and Hugo recently brought him to LA for a senior friendly game for El Salvador against Guatemala. Great athlete and passes very well out of the back. I’ve watched him play for many years in my area and he has a beast mode that’s incredible to watch.
Great suggestions! By my count we have 3 CB’s and 3 DHM’s left on the available roster if someone has found Asomani. So I think our greater need is a player to take Shea’s starting role as we are asking too much from a 35 (?) year old to start at this point. Seems Fierro isn’t the guy like Rios isn’t the guy. Time to find the guy!!
Once again, I never said that he couldn't do it. That was not the issue. I said that it doesn't matter if he does it or not, in terms of his suitability to be GM because 1) we already know how capable Leitch is through his years of excellent work with the club - we don't need the litmus test folly , and 2) we don't know what the parameters are. Do we have an intl slot, do was have cap space, is Leitch even interim GM, how much of it might have been already put in motion by Jesse? It is just today that we finally found out that Jebo was already their top priority under the list prepared by Jesse. Leitch worked hard to get it done, but we don't know how much had been done by Jesse to that point. We don't even know if ths move will be a net positive because we had to part ways with Flo. That's why if you're going to evaluate a guy's performance as GM, you need to give him a few years, and then you can measure how well he did. Not two weeks! It's pretty simple really.
Chris Leitch came through when (almost) nobody thought he would. it was a good move and surely strengthens his case for why he should be our next GM.
I'm interested in the strategic stuff, not one-off tactical stuff. One of the strategic things he mentioned in the press conference that I liked is that when you evaluate a roster, you don't just look at where you are, you look at where you are going. That's why a 24-year old guy who is already a good player in this league, like Jebo or Yueill, is a lot more valuable than an aging player who might be performing at the same level. IOW it's not a graph of static points on a grid, but a graph of vectors, where the vectors have not only a direction but a length to represent longevity. Then you can kind of metaphorically set your roster in motion over time and see where you are headed, not just where you are today. I already knew that Leitch was a smart strategic thinker based on what he did with the club in his short coaching stint. So I didn't need to see this press conference to know that; I already knew he'd be a good GM. But it was nice to see that kind of thinking in motion again today. It's been a while since he's had a more public role.