I'm probably gonna regret this...

Discussion in 'Columbus Crew' started by fotobass, Feb 9, 2008.

  1. fotobass

    fotobass Member

    Mar 15, 2004
    ...but here goes.

    I've seen the 'Front Office doesn't care' thing here more than a few times, and I've bitten my tongue (or, more accurately, my fingers). I haven't felt it was my place to respond, even thought I vehemently disagree, as I've shot for this team in one capacity or another since before there had been a single player allocated by the league. I didn't want to come off as 'OMGfront-office-shill!!!1!11!!!!' or however else it might be perceived.

    With that said, let me make my position in this post perfectly clear; I am writing this as a fan of the Crew who has fairly regular interaction with FO folks, and that's it.

    With that out of the way, this is what I see. These people care. Deeply. I have never seen any evidence whatsoever that there's a lack of concern either for the fans, or for the level of play. Landing Schelotto wasn't an easy thing to do, but they did it, and they did it without using the DP, leaving them the option to go and get the RIGHT DP, rather than just anyone who can fill the kit. What was the name of that guy that went to play in Texas and didn't work out so well? Perfect example. I remember much consternation because HSG 'gave' their other team a DP and not the Crew, but in hindsight I'm pretty glad he didn't come here. I remember a quote from either Sigi or Mark McCullers last season about getting not only a DP, but THE guy who would be the best asset to this team. That made a heckuva lot of sense to me. Sure I want to see a guy here that's gonna help us win, but I'm pretty sure that getting the wrong guy hurts the cause more than it helps.

    That situation to me is a pretty clear indication of how much they DO care. It'd be pretty easy to sign someone as a DP and then turn to us as fans and say 'Look what we did!'

    That hasn't been what happened.

    It's obvious, if you think about it, that the DP slot isn't really that easy to fill with the right guy, or every team would have one. Not only that, but every one would work out perfectly. I kinda have the same feeling when people talk about the elusive 'proven goalscorer'...if they were as easy to find as some folks make it out to be, then every team would have a stablefull, and Fulham wouldn't becoming MLS UK.

    I realize that not everyone will agree with me here, and that some will slag this off out of hand. I understand that I'm not going to change some people's minds, but in the best traditions of The Interweb, I felt it necessary to share my perspective.

    Yer turn...
     
  2. Slater

    Slater New Member

    I believe the basing all the hopes around one player is wrong. He has to have supporting players. Good example when you speak of Fulham. Without McBride Fulham has had to use Dempsey as a forward and it becomes predictable for opposing teams to double team. After 90 minutes that gets tiring. It is obvious.

    Don't put all the eggs in one basket. It seems the money is not being used in the right way. They get a high profile player who plays a few games only to get traded for a little extra transfer money. The ROI is not there in that kind of strategy. You have to build a club up with a team not around one player. That means looking at top players from the college draft who would fit the long term goals of the club.
     
  3. THOMA GOL

    THOMA GOL BigSoccer Supporter

    Jul 16, 1999
    Frontier
    Club:
    Columbus Crew
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
  4. DGA57

    DGA57 Member

    Jun 17, 2002
    Dublin, OH
    Fotobass,

    I know you're one of the good guys and I respect your opinion. Maybe they do care and are just inept at what they do. I'll excuse the DP piece because, like you said, we definitely want someone special there. But, how about signing some other talent that could improve the team? It seems that everyone else can do that. How about we sign some players without trialing them? Don't we trust what we see on TV or live when we get a chance? Other teams to both - bring in trialists and sign players unseen in person. Why can't we? Ekpo is supposed to be a future star in Nigerian soccer. Their boards indicate that he's a talent and has done well at the U23 level. Why is he in for a trial? Why didn't we make an effort to improve the team by trading for Gomez? We've all seen what the guy can do and he can do much better that an unsigned DP slot. Why pass on Balc, a guy that is from here, played in a very good collegiate conference and has way much more upside than the guy we're going to release in a couple of months?

    Like I've said before, the biggest problem this team is communicating with its customer (also called fans). It rains information from other MLS front offices. Shawn Mitchell has had two blogs since the team left for Florida and one of them was about the 2008 MLS schedule. Here's a guy that's trying his best to help gap that communication issue and he gets a few bits about an injury here and a rookie's superb performance there (by the way, is Lenhart the new Chandler?).

    So, maybe they do care. So do a lot of people that are way over their heads in their current jobs.
     
  5. c11235

    c11235 New Member

    Aug 2, 2007
    fotobass,

    I believe that they do care. And I'm glad you stood up for them if you've seen their caring in action.

    I wish I had "regular interaction" with FO people. Tell us more stories about how the FO cares. Just an anecdote or two.

    It'll make us all feel good.
     
  6. POdinCowtown

    POdinCowtown Member+

    Jan 15, 2002
    Columbus
    I'm not convinced they care. They fired Wuerth, their PR guy, and didn't really replace him. Another guy is allegedly covering PR but also has other responsibilities. Net result is that the team is downright terrible at letting the fans know what is going on. We have to find out from bloggers and writers in other towns, who presumably get their info from MLS HQ.

    They don't seem to have handled the stage issue/moving the supporter's section very well. It's their stadium and if the stage makes it more profitable, so be it but they seem to have annoyed at least some of the supporters with the new location.

    In terms of finding players, Sigi has connections but it's not obvious that his are better than the other coaches in the league. We see constant roster turnover without being able to find a scorer, something we've needed for at least 3 years. The opportunity costs in not filling the need are crippling attendance.

    Driving the fans away with the poor product on the field, then keeping them in the dark, along with the occasional remark about "fantasy thinking", isn't the way to convince us they care.
     
  7. POdinCowtown

    POdinCowtown Member+

    Jan 15, 2002
    Columbus
    I disagree with all of this but rather than rebut it point by point, I'll just note that you're a DC fan and presumably aren't trying to be helpful. Why don't you go back to their forum?
     
  8. fidlerre

    fidlerre Member+

    Oct 10, 2000
    Central Ohio
    Last time I checked they have two folks in the PR/Communications Department...

    Which means they have one more than they had before...

    Dave also holds the Executive Director position for the Crew Foundation, which is something he did prior to taking on the communications department role when Jeff was fired - but now he has an additional person dealing with the Crew Foundation as well, so his duties are split 50/50.

    Really? Seems to me that most of the supporters being moved didn't gripe too much, but maybe I just wasn't much attention - and to do something like that and not annoy "some" would frankly shock me, evidently you expected them to do it with perfection.
     
  9. POdinCowtown

    POdinCowtown Member+

    Jan 15, 2002
    Columbus
    Is the commumications coordinator a paid, fulltime position? The job title sounds like a college intern type position. Anyway, why do the two guys doing Wuerth's job have such a hard time keeping fans informed? I don't find the "it's MLS' fault we can't update our website" argument very persuasive either. Other MLS teams seem to have fewer problems than the Crew using the league's own website. Crew fans shouldn't have to find out from other teams basic stuff such as who we drafted in the supplemental draft.

    Regarding the supporter's section, I don't care one way or the other where the supporters sit but the folks who do care seemed to mostly dislike moving to the corner. Isn't there a pricing difference within the supporter's section?

    It's further from the field but I like the view from the upperside at midfield. The geometry of the game is more apparent than at ground level. It made for a nice contrast with the ground level view at a reserve match or OSU match.
     
  10. Kryptonite

    Kryptonite BS XXV

    Apr 10, 1999
    Columbus
    Club:
    Columbus Crew
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    http://www.crewunion.com/alpha/

    The price of season tickets in 101 will be the same as the rest of the northend if you buy them by March 1st:

    * Adult Full Season: $252
    * Student/Youth Full Season: $180
    * Adult Half Season: $180
     
  11. CrewBeat

    CrewBeat Be Massive My Friends

    Jul 27, 2004
    Manhattan
    Club:
    Columbus Crew
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    We're just going to suggest people buy single game tickets in 142 to get the lower end line price since the corner will be general admission anyway. Don't know why they woudn't just lower the price in the section since now they can sell the higher priced 103 to family types.
     
  12. CrewArsenal

    CrewArsenal Member

    Feb 23, 2007
    Pickerington, Ohio
    Hmmm...

    * Adult Full Season: $252
    * Student/Youth Full Season: $180
    * Adult Half Season: $180


    If the half-season is worth $180, makes you wonder why they only charge another $72 for the other half. Those must be the 2nd half of the season games when the Crew will already be out of the playoff run, I guess.

    :D
     
  13. Slater

    Slater New Member

    First and foremost I am a fan of soccer you ignorant git. I might be a DC United fan, but now that I live in Cbus I am a fan of the Crew when they aren't playing DC. You can disagree with me on competitive FO strategy, but most top clubs FO work that way not the other way around. Try talking about the original context of the post in this thread then use personal attacks.
     
  14. Missionary

    Missionary Member

    Jul 13, 2003
    Mission Viejo
    Club:
    Los Angeles Galaxy
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Well it is Sunday and nothing at al posted on www.thecrew.com about the KC game. How difficult is that? If they can not show even a little love with the PR , I have to wonder about the big stuff. The devil is in the details....
     
  15. Sirk

    Sirk Member+

    Apr 25, 1999
    Cleveland, OH
    No, MLB finally put the release up last night. They didn't give it its own headline or anything. When the various stories flash past, look for the one that says "Crew Eager to Start Pre-Season" or whatever its called, and in the teaser box, after "read more", there will be a second link that says "Crew top KC".

    It's there. You just have to have a keen eye to find it.
     
  16. Bill Archer

    Bill Archer BigSoccer Supporter

    Mar 19, 2002
    Washington, NC
    Club:
    Columbus Crew
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Ignorant git?
     
  17. Zak

    Zak Member

    Feb 18, 2002
    Massive Club
    I care deeply about getting Rachel Bilson into bed; doesn't necessarily mean I'm any good at it.
     
  18. DGA57

    DGA57 Member

    Jun 17, 2002
    Dublin, OH
    Like I told you in the Florida thread, you still have a few more days to wait.
     
  19. Matt D

    Matt D Member

    Mar 17, 2006
    new orleans
    Other teams' websites aren't any better.....
     
  20. fotobass

    fotobass Member

    Mar 15, 2004
    First off, thanks for the kind words. I was afraid to come off like a mouthpiece for the team (which I'm not honestly informed enough to be), so I really appreciate that.

    Well, I can't say that I know much about the process of who you bring in vs who you sign, but my guess would be that, with the limit on international players, you would want to make sure that a guy who gets an international slot does the job better than a US player would. I think that you also, perhaps more in soccer than in other sports, want to make sure that the player and the team's system complement each other...aren't there NFL linebackers who thrive in a 3-4 that don't so as well in a 4-3? As far as Balc goes, it wasn't just the Crew that passed on him, it was the entire league. Every round. I don't know what it was, but something obviously didn't sit well with the decisionmakers throughout the league. And given the promotional bonus of having an Ohio State star play in the black and gold, I have to believe it was substantial. Could the guy go on and prove all of MLS wrong? Sure, and honestly I hope he does, because I'd love to see OSU soccer get the boost.

    Regarding team information...that can be a double-edged weapon. I'm not sure that the reason that Polish fella ended up in Greece wasn't because the Crew nailed down the transfer fee first, and made the negotiating process that much shorter. Having said that, I think losing that guy may have been a bonus based on the interview someone linked here.

    What kind of information do you feel we aren't getting? What sort of thing would you rather hear? I'm on the fence about this. I'd love to know who/where/what the DP thinking is, but then again, maybe I'd rather just hear about it when it's near done, especially if some other league is reading everyone's presswires looking for guys to snipe at the last minute.

    Response to PO'd...

    Yes, the second position is a paid fulltme position. Jason Smith is that guy, and he's good at what he does.

    When Jeff Wuerth was still here, he was the entire PR department. He had an intern, but that was it. you can give an intern a lot, but you can't send them on the road when you have a deskpile of stuff to clear. Wuerth needed help. There were times when I learned about things that need shot with incredibly short notice when Jeff was here. Based on everything that was under his care, that's perfectly understandable. You deal with the things that are on fire, and chip away at everything else as you can.

    Let me be exquisitely clear here. This is NOT bashing on Jeff Wuerth. I respect the hell outta Jeff Wuerth, and I'm glad he's landed in a great situation in Florida.The simple truth is that Jeff had far too many things on his plate. The new configuration is far more efficient because there are two people there. Yes, they are responsible for the Crew Soccer Foundation, but their net available time for PR duties is greater.

    Slater, I can't speak for anyone else but me. Having said that, I welcome you into the fold, and as far as I'm concerned your opinion is welcome here.

    One other point...how often the Dispatch blog is updated isn't a factor of the PR department. If the Dispatch were sending him to Florida, then we'd see more. The Dispatch has cut back on their Crew-related expenditures, and sending him to Bradenton apparently isn't a priority for them.

    Hope I haven't missed anyone in my responses. I'll go back and reread.
     
  21. Missionary

    Missionary Member

    Jul 13, 2003
    Mission Viejo
    Club:
    Los Angeles Galaxy
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I think the Crew could do better....its all about PR and an organization's desire (if any) to show a little love etc.
     
  22. Missionary

    Missionary Member

    Jul 13, 2003
    Mission Viejo
    Club:
    Los Angeles Galaxy
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    At least the match report was on the KC site under Hillcrest Road-which is touted as the official blog.
     
  23. Brutus112

    Brutus112 Member

    Feb 4, 2005
    New Albany, Oh
    Club:
    Columbus Crew
    Nat'l Team:
    United States

    Great post. I understand where this sentiment is coming from. And for a time, I was inclined to share this sentiment. However, sometime last year I decided that someone, somewhere needs to held accountable for the product. I am sure that the people hired and currently employed in this organization are doing thier very best. Everyperson here is held to a minimum level of performance in thier current professional role. If we do not meet that minimum requirement, we will be replaced. It's just that simple. I'm a manager in charge of 54 people accross three shifts. I've had to relieve an associate of thier association with the company. It was someone I got along with very well. And it was incredibly difficult but in the end he was a liability to the company and I was not going to allow him to jeopardize all of the efforts of everyone else.

    The point is - I.. no.. WE need to know whom to hold accountable for the product.
     
  24. Bill Archer

    Bill Archer BigSoccer Supporter

    Mar 19, 2002
    Washington, NC
    Club:
    Columbus Crew
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    With regard to Jeff Wuerth:

    I've heard many times from many people that Jeff "Had too much on his plate" and that firing him and splitting up his job between two people has "worked much better". Well maybe - and I'm just spitballing here - maybe giving the guy some help would have been another solution.

    All this talk of tableware aside, you don't fire a guy because he can't do two people's jobs and then hire two people to take his place. And I'd appreciate it if people would stop telling me otherwise and acting like it makes perfect sense.
     
  25. Flyer Fan

    Flyer Fan Member+

    Apr 18, 1999
    Columbus, OH
    But again, that's the key. Kansas City has someone in Florida updating their blog. It's likely much more efficient that updating the official web site via New York or wherever.

    I'm often disappointed by the Crew's web site and its often slow-to-update ways, and it's the main reason that I rarely visit the site. It's like a secondary information source for me, at best. However, I'm not sure it's fair to compare one team's blog (updated by someone at the training) to another team's web site.
     

Share This Page