new asst. coach and stadium tidbits etc Just got back from Fire fest which was run Steve Pastorino asst. GM along with Vince Formanek and Perez. 1. Craig Reynolds is new asst coach. He is from the University of Virginia. 2. Five or so games will be televised on comcast local access channels 3 or 4. Besides that some will be on FSW and fox sports net along with espn 2. 3. A 125 room hotel will be built on west side of harlem near 74th st. 4. Haunted Trails and other fast food places now on site might be relocated after all, as the mayor wants to upgrade image of the area from strip mall and fast food places to more retail giants. 5 Entrance to stadium at 79th and harlem might have a promenade with retail stores etc. 6 A business college on site at just beyond northeast part of the mall will stay. 7 There are wetlands just north of 77th st they hope to have as part of site eventually but I think there might be environmental problems getting land. 8 Perez who is rehabbing nerve problem in back hopes to be ready by mid-April. 9. As pointed out before, the well known artist's rendering of fire stadium shown previously is actually taken from metros proposed stadium.There will probably not be any upper decks as shown in those renderings. Steve said they hope to have roofs on 2 or 3 sides and have a red brick exterior.They hope to break ground September or october but don't expect final fire stadium rendering for several months.On north end they might have limited seating for supporters along with a beer garden and stage for concerts would be on this end.Fire practice field would be on very north end near 75th st. 10. Perez said the defense misses thornton and bocanegra a lot as they were the most vocal in telling other defenders what was happening but he said recently the defense have played very well. Perez is not sure who will play left back griffen or gray. He said griffen has played very well. 11. Parking spots would actually only be 3500 on site but they hope to have other parking north on harlem and nargansett bringing total to 6,000. 12 The soccer dome area would only have youth soccer fields and some remote parking. He doesn't see the fire practising in the dome at all april on.
Sounds like a good time! And good luck to our new assistant coach.... (btw, it's Orlando..not Oscar. and I saw him at baggage claim last night)
Haunted. I don't think there is a Happy Trails there. Or if one exists. It does seem odd that they would relocate Haunted Trails but leave the bussiness school. Isn't the Bussiness school right in the middle of the mini mall?
Tv?? Could you dwell a little bit more on the tv situation? Did Peter Wilt announce this and when is the official announcement? Interesting that the Fire will have some games on local access like the Wolves. This could be a viable option with the possible demise of FSN Chicago with the Cubs,Sox, etc starting their new channel in September. Maybe even if Peter is reading this he could give us a clearer picture on the tv situation this year.
Steve pastorino said they would be on comcast local like the wolves are now. Peter wilt left for florida on his way to trinidad.He did say they would also have some games 7-10, on the new sports channel with the cubs, sox, hawks and bulls.Steve said 90% of the games would be televised on some station. Right it's Haunted Trails. Happy trails is the song of that old time tv cowboy Gene Autry and yes Orlando not Oscar. I corrected both. A lot of the stadium site decisions seems to be a work in progress and not everything has been definately decided whether some busineses will be relocated or not.
Re: new asst. coach and stadium tidbits etc I was just wondering about this yesterday and started a thread on it. Thanks for the info. Anyone know anything about this guy?
Name did he say if they are courting corporate naming rights for the stadium? or is it going to officially be the fire house? beer garden works though!!!!
Re: Re: new asst. coach and stadium tidbits etc Craig Reynolds has been an assistant coach at Virginia since Bruce Arena left for DC United. When George Gelnovatch got promoted from assistant coach to head coach at UVa, Reynolds was brought in as his assistant. Word was that he and Gelovatch had a difference of philosophies last year and that they were going to part ways. Don’t know the details of that one, though. He was viewed as a very good recruiter, though I’m not sure what good that will do him as a pro coach in a league without free agency! He’s also like Sarachan in that he’s a low-key guy who is a very good communicator. I really can’t say what his technical and tactical soccer strengths are. I do know that he and Dave Sarachan go WAY back. Here his Reynolds’ bio from the UVa website: http://virginiasports.ocsn.com/sports/m-soccer/mtt/reynolds_craig00.html Craig Reynolds, in the eighth season of his second stint as an assistant coach with the Cavaliers, serves as the primary assistant to head coach George Gelnovatch. Reynolds was named Gelnovatch's top assistant on January 26, 1996. Prior to that, he served as the head men's soccer coach at Christopher Newport University in Newport News, Va. During his eight-year tenure there, Reynolds' teams compiled a 69-66-13 record. He led the Captains to two of their three best season records ever and to several top-four regional rankings. His 69 career victories are the most wins ever by a coach at the Division III school. Reynolds also served as the head men's tennis coach while at CNU. In addition to his coaching responsibilities, Reynolds dedicates several weeks during the year to the Olympic Development Program. He has been the Region 1 Head Coach for the U-17 age group for the last eight years and has been instrumental in bringing several of the nations' top young players to the UVa Soccer Program from ODP such as Kyle Martino, Alecko Eskandarian and Matt Oliver. Reynolds formerly served as a part-time assistant soccer coach at Virginia under head coach Bruce Arena from 1985-87. The Cavaliers compiled a 49-9-5 (.818) record during those three seasons while winning an ACC regular season championship in 1986. Virginia also made three consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances in that time span. Reynolds and Gelnovatch shared one year together in the UVa program (1985-86) while Gelnovatch was completing his playing career. Reynolds received his bachelor's degree in physical education from SUNY-Brockport in 1975. He earned All-America soccer honors as a senior in 1974 after leading his team to the school's first-ever Division III national championship. He also was a Junior College All-American at Monroe Community College in Rochester, N. Y. Following his collegiate career, Reynolds played professional soccer in the North American Soccer League (NASL) from 1976-1981 for the Rochester Lancers. He also played with several teams in the Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL). Reynolds, and his wife, Sue, have three children: Lauren, Taylor and Aidan. *Sarachan was the full-time assistant coach at UVa from 84-88 so he and Reynolds worked together then. *Sarachan played two seasons, 76 and 77, for the Rochester Lancers, so he and Reynolds were teammates there. *Sarachan played JuCo ball at Monroe Community College and was a freshmen when Reynolds was a sophomore so they were teammates for one year there. Both Reynolds and Sarachan also played in the MISL, though I don’t know if they were ever teammates in that league, and the two are both from upstate New York, though I don’t know if they knew each other before college. This is definitely someone Sarachan knows and trusts. It could be cronyism and the old boy network but it could also be a guy with a good eye for talent bringing aboard someone he thinks can make the Fire better.