After the game on October 31, Greg Andrulis refused to be interviewed. He was just too distraught. You know, just like ALL big time Professional Sports Coaches do after they lose a big game. Right? OK, then more like last season when Coach Coward hid in the locker room with the towel guy until 2 AM until the reporters camped outside the door finally went home. One of the axioms of being a sports manager is you have to grow a pair of manballs, stand up and face the music after you lose. Except in COlumbus, apparently. Coach Gutless is still hiding under the bed, along with McCuullers and Hunt. So here we are: today is the eighth day since the final humiliation in CCS. Statements from Andrulis: 0 Statements from General Manager Mark McCullers: 0 Statements from Clark Hunt: 0 Now Coach Coward DID do a little "internet chat" on Matchnight late Saturday, picking a time when they knew no one would be listening. Questions were screened, he made virtually no mention of the last game and "What's you favorite color" vied with "What did you have for lunch" for the Toughest Question Allowed award. Apparently, the Crew's management and ownership is taking it's cue from Andrulis: McCullers and Hunt are in there with the towel guy too. Shameless behavior like this, essentially just pissing on the fans who want some information and have some obvious questions, is disgraceful. No other team, in any other sport, could get away with behaving this way. Just another example of the cheap, cheezy contempt the Crew has for it's customers. These guys should be ashamed.
http://soccernet.espn.go.com/headlinenews?id=315751&cc=5901 "Boca Juniors coach Miguel Angel Brindisi resigned on Sunday after only four months at the helm, minutes after his team lost 2-0 to arch-rivals River Plate in the Argentine championship. The 53-year-old announced his decision as Argentina's most popular club dropped to 10th in the Apertura championship. 'I've just presented the club vice-president (Pedro Pompilio) my resignation,' Brindisi told reporters. 'I've already told the players.' Brindisi said he made his decision to allow another coach the chance to get Boca out of what he described as a difficult situation. 'I want it to be clear that I'm fully responsible for everything the team is going through,' he said." Compare and contrast.
If Coach Andrulis can't find his own words, here are some from a well respected coach, Bill Parcells.
Can we get this "stickied" until we receive something remotely resembling an official statement from those involved? We can read news stories and articles about how low the organization feels and about how depressing how this is; but there has to be some sort of accountability somewhere. We aren't going to get this from the media more preoccupied with the Buckeyes; they would assume let this and soccer slide off until they have to cover it again next season.
Nothing is going to come out from Andrulis, that's for certain. That "chat" yesterday was a joke. Everyone knew he wouldn't say a thinkg about the NE series.
You're being totally naive if you feel that Adrulis isn't already in negotiations to come back for a couple seasons, my guess, a slight pay increase, and a two year job with an option for a third. Just hope that BW3s has the games on again next season, I'll be watching from the telly.
Where? This would be little enough, but I don't even see this. I see NOTHING. The silence, as they say, is deafening, and I hinestly feel that it is indicative of the total lack of respect this organization has for it's fans. "They want answer? Screw 'em. They get nothing" seems to be the attitude. To me it's absolutly unbelieveable that any organization in sports, with all these "Sports Marketing" experts hannging around, think they can treat people this way. Hell, at it's most basic level we've been waiting eight freakin days for a post-game interview with the coach. Try THAT in "Major League" sports and see how far you get. I think you're exactly right, which is why they won't say anything. Last year the decision was made long before the end of the season. Smith looked like an idiot because while he was talking about "evaluating" Andrulis, Coach Coward was out on an extended scouting trip. So this year, they're just stonewalling. In a town with a responsive sporting press, they'd be ripped to shreds. At least Jim SMith had the occasional balls to step up and talk to reporters or issue statements. McCullers is just hiding under his desk. Hard to believe that HSG has brought in a management regime that's even LESS responsive. I would have thought the last one was as bad as it could get. I feel like I owe Jim SMith an apology.
Correct me if I'm wrong but Andrulis has been quoted as saying that any allocation that Crew claims would likely have to be in camp prior to January so that he could spend the entirety of training camp with his new teammates. That's not something that would be said if he was fearful of losing his job.
You can listen to it recorded on MN if you want to waste your time. (See - I'm even offering Lee the site hits) But I'll tell you in advance, he doesn't sat anything. The first couple of minutes he answers a question about Dante saying that as a coach he "has to make the tough decisions" and then comments (again) that Cunny was injured. He then makes a cryptic reference to how they have to do a "top to bottom" evaluation of the team. Beyond that? Nothing at all. He blathers on about league expansion (he's opposed) MLS quality, stuff like that.It would be embarassing if he had the capacity for shame.
Sort of a repeat of frustration from the FIRE ANDRULIS post. The Crew's lack of initiative and giving the fans silence could come back to bite them if they continue this horrid trend. No doubt,I will bleed Black and Gold for life, however, next summer could find my interests elsewhere i.e. the J-League. I support teams elsewhere globally and sad to say, if there's no positive, PROGRESSIVE change in the attitudes of the Columbus Crew, they will lose this supporter. Does it matter to them, probably not, but when tix sales decline........................ nevermind, I'm too fed up right now. Hope for the best, wallow in the worst
Andrulis is opposed to league expansion? Is that because making it to the post season while being a completely worthless coach will be made that much tougher but having to compete with two more teams?
Or Jim Mora: "Playoffs!? We suck!" Or Bill Callahan: "We must be the dumbest team in football." Or the famous Rich McKay: "Coach, what do you think about the execution of your team?" "I'm in favor of it." Or Herm Edwards: "We play....to WIN THE GAME."
True, all leagues have discrepancies. However, J-league has a hot product right now (especially in the supporter group dept.) and they have in BLACK AND WHITE, documentation on it's objectives as a league. The progressive-minded philosophy filters into each team as they provide ways to cater to the community of supporters and local interests (even if the team/product isn't great like Cerezo Osaka or other mediocre teams). For example, most if not all clubs in the league have a "club concept" or mission statement which outlines expectations. Expectations aren't always met, and in the case of several coaches past and present, the SUPPORTER has usually been heard, changes made, etc. Swing back over to Columbus. The club FO has been Jekyll and Hyde when it comes to living up to it's slogan "America's Hardest Working Team". If there were a "real" CREW UNION, wouldn't they have went on strike by now??? I just don't get how our Crew refuse to work with the supporters like Chicago and DC have with theirs. Simply perplexing!!!
Regarding the Crew's silence, how important is it for them to do or say something before MLS Cup? Have the other 8 eliminated teams made any significant announcements? Or would it be inappropriate to "steal the thunder" away from the Cup and the 2 finalists? Let's face it. The season is over, and there's nothing to talk about for a few months. If we're going to change coaches, there's no great rush to do it immediately. (Though I have a feeling the Crew intends to keep Andrulis.) We have an expansion draft coming up in a few weeks, but there's no real need to get a new coach in place before that draft. For the most part, our 12 protected players will be determined by the obvious skill and quality of some of them and the way-too-large contracts of a few others. And even if it comes down to 2 or 3 final players, a new coach wouldn't be able to make much of a determination because he won't have any opportunity to see any of these players in practice or in person.
Exactly - EXCEPT he won't be back. No news until MLS Cup is over and we have an idea on a replacement. HSG is focused on KC in the Cup (rightfully so) and will reslove this problem after the Cup is awarded. God forbid, he could win COY and then we'd really be stuck! Another factor is getting the first full payment for Season tickets through the teller cage. If GA was coming back for sure, I'd simply bolt on my $50 deposit and call it the price of hope. The Crew already has a large number of season ticket holders who weren't showing for games at the end of the season. Jim Smith and GA's play for the tie style bored people into apathy. As Dave Han said elsewhere, the '98 team was exciting to watch - even when they lost a game. I was excited for every game and if we lost we went down with all guns blazing.