MLS Ambition Rankings - Sobering :(

Discussion in 'New England Revolution' started by Andy_B, Mar 5, 2016.

  1. NFLPatriot

    NFLPatriot Member+

    Jun 25, 2002
    Foxboro, MA
    Club:
    New England Revolution
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    And, no one is saying the Krafts completely lack ambition. I'm sure they desire the Revs to have success. It's just that that desire is not at the level of the others.
     
  2. NFLPatriot

    NFLPatriot Member+

    Jun 25, 2002
    Foxboro, MA
    Club:
    New England Revolution
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
  3. MM66

    MM66 Member+

    Mar 9, 2009
    Brookline, MA
    Club:
    Real Madrid
    The league's constantly on the improve. If you stand still, you drop behind. Happened to the Revs last year when they didn't adequately replace Soares. Their "conservative" team building strategy means a thinner roster that can't keep pace is the SS race or make deep runs in USOC, which means the only trophy they've got a realistic shot at it in any given year is MLS Cup. And that is, for me, the very definition of a lack of ambition in a sporting context.

    It's impossible not to conclude this outright. The Revs don't build a roster capable of attempting anything more than making the MLS playoffs and then hoping to get hot. What we see every year is the residue of design. If the Revs were more ambitious, then the "conservative" roster building you mentioned would get tossed out the window.

    You answered your own question. There's three ways to qualify for the CCL, the Revs only put energy into one of them. You keep treating ambition like it's a vague feeling. I couldn't disagree more. True ambition is reflected in action.

     
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  4. Chowda

    Chowda Member

    Sep 13, 2004
    Rhode Island
    Club:
    New England Revolution
    I can't wait for that Boston stadium where people will buy season tickets for the investment opportunity. :D

    There has definitely been a noticeable increase for typical game attendance over the past two seasons, even before JJ was signed. We'll see if that trend continues.
     
  5. Crooked

    Crooked Member+

    May 1, 2005
    Club:
    New England Revolution
    I just noticed this response from the Revs. I wonder if this will be a scout or another assistant coach?

    Have you hired any additional technical staff over the past year to reduce doubling-up roles? Are you planning on expanding your technical staff in the near future?

    Yes, and will be adding staff in 2016.
     
  6. ToMhIlL

    ToMhIlL Member+

    Feb 18, 1999
    Boxborough, MA
    Club:
    New England Revolution
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    To me, the only relevant factor in comparison with Toronto a few posts back is how relevant the teams are in their respective markets in Toronto the Leafs are kind. They are what the Red Sox and Pats combined would be in this market, and no one can compete with them. The Blue Jays are coming off their most successful season in many years, and expectations are high. the Argonauts won the Grey Cup a couple of years ago, but they aren't all that popular and are moving out of the Sky Dome to be tenants at BMO. The Raptors are an exciting team, one of the better teams in the NBA. TFC are on more/less equal footing with the Jays and Raptors, and ahead of the Argos. Theuy have excellent attendance, a generally raucous, knowledgeable crowd, a mix of young adults and kids, but it is not a kid's team They are discussed on local sports radio and treated with the same level of seriousness and respect any team could expect. And they have been downright terrible most of their existence, and their best year ever, they not only got bounced out of the playoffs, but were humiliated by Montreal, 3-0. But they are still relevant in their city.

    By contrast, how relevant are the Revs? Sure, after 20 years, most people know we have a soccer team, and probably can identify the name correctly. I mentioned to someone that the Revs were playing and he was surprised the season was starting already. This is a "soccer guy" who plays, and follows both the mens and womens Nats. The Revs don't even get their score mentioned on a sports report when they play (and this is on the station that "broadcasts" the game).

    Sure, the Revs have had better overall results than TFC, but which team is more solidly grounded in their community? Which team could go away without the majority of people even noticing?
     
  7. rkupp

    rkupp Member+

    Jan 3, 2001
    Improving the roster isn't the goal, it's a means to the goal - which is winning. What good has Toronto's roster-building been if it hasn't translated into a quality/winning team on the field?

    My point was that Toronto was trying to win by signing expensive players and gets credit for that. The Revs are trying to get a new stadium developed behind the scenes and they don't get credit for that.
    He was certainly expected to be. It's not a measure of a team's ambition if the player they acquire doesn't live up to expectations (unless there were some good reasons to think he wouldn't).
    You pretty much lose all credibility with a statement like that.
    The Revs increased season ticket sales %20+ last year and %20+ again this year. How is that marketing the opponents?
    OTOH, we are playing in our own stadium in a pretty reasonable facility - not on a baseball field somewhere.
    Some/many of the others, sure, I'd go along with that.
    That was clearly a really bad blunder.
    The CCL and/or the USOC aren't necessarily high goals for them (or many teams in MLS). MLS play has always been, far and away, the major priority for the Revs.

    Those other tournaments could be part of the criteria for ambition, but I'm not sure that would be fair for MLS teams. But, the author can make up whatever criteria they want.
     
  8. Andy_B

    Andy_B Member+

    Feb 2, 1999
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    You can bury your head in the sand as much as you want if that makes you feel better but you are going to have a hard time convincing anyone who been around since day 1 that balancing the books on the Revs is not the most important item on the agenda every year.

    There is nothing wrong with admitting it, it does not make the Kraft's bad people. It is just how they have always viewed the product. My guess is that they would do no differently with the Pats but they don't need to worry about that since the NFL is a money making machine.

    I think it is just their philosophy. Don't lose money, if we can grow organically over time, wonderful.

    It is not a right or wrong type of thing, it is just a philosophy. Trying to pretend it isn't just makes zero sense to me.
     
  9. patfan1

    patfan1 Moderator
    Staff Member

    Aug 19, 1999
    Nashua, NH
    Club:
    New England Revolution
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    One of these things is not like the other. One of these things just doesn't belong.
     
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  10. NFLPatriot

    NFLPatriot Member+

    Jun 25, 2002
    Foxboro, MA
    Club:
    New England Revolution
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    What part of "tangible evidence" don't you understand? Toronto signed a player who went on to win the MVP, and they made the playoffs for the first time. Tangible evidence of progress. No, they haven't won anything yet, but they have take steps in the right direction, plain enough for their fans to see.

    The Revs stadium has been all talk since before Toronto FC even existed, and they still have nothing tangible to show for it.

    MVP vs empty words. How you can equate the two is beyond me.
     
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