Contact Info For Aeg

did you get through to anyone?

 

I just sent them a fax telling them exactly how I feel and reminding them that Fire Fans = Bottom Line.

I think they may get the message better through faxing. They can hit 'delete' if you leave messages. They can't ignore stacks of faxes though.

Another suggestion: Everyone who contacted them by phone or fax, please post saying so. It will cause more people to take action.

I'm aware that it won't change what happened with Peter Wilt, but it will have an impact on future decisions AEG makes. For sure.

 

Here's the text of the letter I just sent:

4/15/05
Scott Blackmum
Chief Operating Officer
Anschutz Entertainment Group



I fully recognize that there is only a miniscule chance that this letter will reach your eyes. It will be a) thrown out unopened, or b) haughtily dismissed as the rantings of a fool by someone on your administrative staff.

But you need to know something.

I am Chicago Fire fan. And I’m really afraid the verb tense in that sentence is going to be changing soon.

I know you fired Peter Wilt because of what you considered to be poor sales. You’re right. Peter didn’t sell tickets.

What he sold was lifelong vendor relationships, in which supporters found themselves paying more money to the Fire every season in tickets, merchandise, and, to the extent that the Soldier Field contract would offer, concessions. Even though I no longer live in Chicago, by buying merchandise and planning my trips around games, I’ve still spent more money on the Fire over the last two seasons than I did in the two before. I’m getting married next month, and, if I should be so blessed, I would have hoped to bring my children to Fire games as well.

Why? Honestly, because the Chicago Fire has been the best sports organization I’ve ever seen. The atmosphere around the team has been so positive as to be infectious. And at the heart of it has been Peter Wilt, who for years I’ve considered to be the finest executive in all of sports. The transparency and devotion to purpose with which he ran the organization, to me, is the absolute model of good leadership. I once showed a mass email he had sent out to a soccer-hating friend of mine, and the guy was so impressed with it that he accompanied me to a game. Nowadays, he goes to two-to-three a year, all on his own.

This is the sort of admiration that the guy just naturally draws toward him. It probably has something to do with how he managed to contract the first Completely Publicly Funded stadium deal in MLS history. A stadium that will help to turn the team and league into the black. This weekend, and probably throughout the season, there will be protests. Have you ever, in your life, heard of fans protesting FOR a team executive? That’s the sort of man you’re losing.

And after all the things he’s done – not for us, but in the end for you – he deserves far better from you than what you gave him last week. And I know you know that. You know that, or you aren’t human. He should be able to taste the fruit of his success.

So, what’s my point… right?
My point is that it’s not too late to fix this. I have nothing against John Guppy, and if Peter needs help in corporate sales and sponsorship, great. As a supporter of the Fire, I’m all for any help we can get. Even if you feel you need someone to coordinate all your soccer and non-soccer revenue in Chicago, and that person would supervise Peter’s work, I understand, and I bet he would too. But let the Chicago Fire – the team he built – be his team.


Sincerely,
(real name here)

 

That's a damn fine letter!

 

awesome!

 

Thanks.

I doubt it'll get in front of any eyes, but, since I can't get there for the game this weekend, I had to do something.
I am going to wear black tomorrow. I just won't be in any context where anyone recognizes it means anything.

... Of course - I just recognized that I misspelled his name.

Oh god. what an idiot.

 

Bwahahaha

I just send one myself, I proof read mine.

 

Did you do that to make me feel better?

 

That is one of most convincing points Ive heard on any issue in a long time.

 

nck nck nck nck nck ....... nuthin

 

I just spoke to Scott Blackmun a couple of hours ago! I'm surprised, but him calling me back may have something to do with me mentioning that I'm bringing a group of 40 to the U.S v England game and was planning to do the same for a Fire game.

He said that although Peter was the best in the league in some respects, someone in his position has to excel in all his responsabilities... that there were sponsors who said that they didn't want to do business with them BECAUSE of Peter. Also, that they asked Peter to stay, but didn't elaborate in what function and what duties, etc... that they like Peter Wilt but they're investing millions and needed to make a good business decision.

When I told him that my concern, and the concern of other Fire fans, is that they are exchanging Corporate Sponsorship deals in exchange for future poor performance on the field, he responded by saying that he can't argue with the poor performance of the Metros, but that it's really the coaches and the league office that has much more to do with player selection than someone in Wilt's position. ( I didn't challenge him on this one although everyone knows I could have.)

He ended by saying basically that they're sorry they had to make this tough decision but that they needed someone who could handle that aspect of the business... that they like Peter... and that they hope I will continue to be a Fire fan. He also spoke optimistically about the Fire winning another championship.

I could have argued with Scott for an hour because I didn't agree with everything he said (especially him saying that the main reason for the Metros' failures on the field is their lack of a "star, a Landon Donovan"), but in the end, I respect him for caring enough to call me and I want to give Guppy a chance. I still feel AEG made a bad move, but I don't know all the facts, in fact I probably know a fraction of what really happened. We'll have to see how little effect Guppy has on field performance. If Scott under-estimated Guppy's role in field performance, he'll get another fax from me in the future and our next conversation won't be so pleasant.

Thanks for your call Scott. I hope this move wasn't as bad as I think it was.

 

Enough with the red font already.

 

Ok

 

This I find very difficult to believe. (not saying that he's a bald-faced liar or anything, but ...)

 

You're a plant.

Just got a letter from Eric Luchetti, my ticket rep. Another one bites the dust. He gone.

 

Got that letter today as well... I was wondering how soon things like this were going to occur. That was a little quicker than I thought..

 

I find this very,very hard to believe. Boy I would really like to hear more details.The one thing about Guppy and his so called success in Ny with corporate sales, is that NY is the headquarters of many companies even international based ones have offices in NY, so of any market in the US it should be the easiest to sell coporate sponsorships in NY. We will have to see what he does in Chicago.

 

The irony of this was that from everything I am hearing right now from a number of different people, is that by every measure of performance that determines whether a GM is succeeding or failing, the Fire were beating the Metrostars in every category, including corporate sponsorship.

This has nothing to do with business decisions, and everything to do with Peter having a target on his back...

Paul

 

ciuperci,

Even if everything you say is correct, most people are pissed at how things came down. How AEG handled this publicly. Plain and simple they ********ed up even if Guppy is a better man for the job.

 

Bingo

 

You know, I was skeptical as well. I thought what complete Bull. Couldn't even forsee a remote possibility that the COO of AEG would call anyone who complained or called into question the decision. I figured my email would be sent, and that would be it.

That is until I checked my messages this morning at work, and sure enough...."Paul, this is Scott Blackmun from AEG. Please give me a call at....".

Paul

 

I totally agree. They should have explained why they did what they did in detail. If they would have done that, there wouldn't have been a need for Scott Blackmun to be calling us and explain their decision. Just the fact of him having to call me and explain is proof they didn't do it right. But I can still appreciate the fact that he called. The main thing I take for myself from this conversation with Scott is the fact that every letter, every fax, every email, every phone call counts. I will continue to support the Fire even though I'm disappointed with what happened.

 

What do you find hard to believe that I spoke with Scott or that he told me that some sponsors didn't want to do business with them because of Peter?