What the hey, hows about keeping all the town hall discussion one place. If for no other reason then to dig it out next March - October and compare the results with the words. For the record, I've been going to games since Mile-Hi and been a season ticket holder since the Invesco days. I'm not renewing for 2015 having sent them the message that I became disgusted when it was clear they gave up trying to improve the team halfway through the season. I told them I'll pay buy season tickets again once I sense they are ready to commit to building a truly competitive team. While I would like to attend, driving down from Longmont during rush hour isn't gonna happen.
As I mentioned in the other thread I'll be there and I'll take notes. I'll be posting a full writeup on my blog but any highlights I'll post here when I get home.
Thanks, DavidJames, for starting this thread. If I were in Colorado I'd find a way to get to the Town Hall. As a season ticket holder since '07 (I was captivated by the new stadium and Hercules' first ever goal in DSGP). I have been watching since the old Mile High days. In the next 24 houtrs I'll try to put together some questions, etc., that would be pertinent to the Town Hall. Hopefully they'll be addressed directly and honestly. And no, I'm not kidding about the 'directly and honestly" part.
I am on the fence about heading down. I am rarely in town due to work travel (sitting in Montana at the moment), so would basically go straight to the Town Hall on the way home. Probably will make the decision once I see what kinds of questions and who is planning on being there. On the other hand, I have no problem asking the "tough" questions of Hinchey/Bravo in a respectful way. rod.
What would be good questions to ask? One thing I'd want to know is why Torres has played so little even after his conditioning issue was supposedly addressed. (And even then, why not bring him off the bench?) But what can they really say, if something were there, they'd hardly say it in public. ("He's dogging it in practice.") Or maybe, if the young players are the future, why weren't guys like Van de Casteele, Boss, Eloundou and even Hairston loaned out to get regular playing time?
I'm less concerned about explaining what happened and more concerned if they're at all convincing about what they're going to do differently to prevent the problems we saw this year.
I have no great love for these things. What can be expected...? I've been skeptical of the Hinchey/Bravo thing from the beginning. I don't wish to see them lose, and frankly even with my low expectations I'm still disappointed. What can I ask of them? I've been skeptical of their vision, in particular the practicalities of it. Even if I do buy the vision, I have serious doubts about Bravo's ability to pull it off. For one thing I think coaching does matter, and while getting the right players helps, getting them to perform matters. I don't think the Rapids approach respects this. I also have my doubts about Bravo's talent to get the right players. He's got some good ones, but not great and if the club hangs its hat on the quality of the player rather than what the coach pulls out of them, then they're gonna have to be superior in identifying the players. I haven't seen that. I'm concerned that player acquisition hasn't been all on Bravo in the past, and now that it is we'll see the limits of his network. That leads us to coaching. It does matter. And, Pablo's not the solution. This is sad because this season should not be a referendum on Pablo. The whole thing was failing before they announced him as coach. It was a tough situation for an experienced coach. It was preparation for failure for a new coach. So what questions can I ask? The hard ones all end in KSE replacing Hinchey and Bravo and Mastroeni. I don't expect that. The easy questions just lead to calls for patience, promises of a beautiful future and platitudes about what they're building, a bunch of hollow answers that they'll be lucky to pull off. Again, the practicalities of the Rapids don't lead to their succeeding. I reckon I'd leave more pissed off than when I arrived.
If I was able to attend, I'd ask: The Rapids are literally on the cusp of losing nearly every game for the second half of the season. Yet there appears so far to be no accountability within the management of the organization (coaching or higher - not players). Will the fans actually see any kind of meaningful accountability for the worst or second worst record ever in Rapids history and a shot at dead last in the table? Follow ups - how short is the leash for next season? Follow ups - Does Stan Kroenke know the record for the team? Follow ups - Since there never appears to be accountability for poor performance (Gary Smith was a spat, OP is well known, FC we stuck with almost to the bitter end because Kroenke is a 'man who honors his contracts' no matter how crappy the performance is), what can you tell us/do to assure us that you are not just spitting out platitudes that we hear at every game, but that the accountability will be meaningful and tangible in a way that die hard fans will appreciate? Finally, unrelated - when you say we are cleared to sign a second DP, do you mean that we are cleared to HAVE two DPs, or just to sign our second DP, because there is a difference - especially if we trade, release, or sell Torres since he can't seem to break into our incredibly awful starting 11?
You're right on all levels. The problem with this format, without any media present, is the RFO is in total control of the situation, there's no media on hand to hold their feet to the flame in the ways that would matter (see an earier post in another thread from Jason re: KSE and embarrassment), and if their responses to questions are nothing but empty calorie marshmallows, instead of concretes, they only risk pissing off a small portion of their STH base whom the RFO have already seen in the past as replaceable, whom are probably already pissed off at the RFO anyway, and whom are too loyal and will jump back on board and buy up tickets for the team again the second they go on a 4-8 game run of good results. Regardless, I'd love for someone to bring a tape recorder. If I were able to go, I'd simply ask them to apologize for this shitshow of a season and have them lay out in concretes what they plan on accomplishing, by what date, and what concrete steps they have planned to get there over the next 2-3 years. You'll never get it, because these guys are well-versed in marketing speak and hitting the right buzzwords (I dare someone to start an "attacking" or "exciting' drinking game). But I'd hope everyone there on the supporters' side is smart enough to see through all the crap and not let them dodge questions all night long.
If anyone were to ask, I'd love to know more information about the Metgod situation and if there are plans to bring in better fitting, though still experienced coaches, next year to assist Pablo. He desperately needs the support.
We know they will paint a very positive and colorful picture of the future. I would then ask them why they think the choices they make in the future will be any better then the ones in the past. The alleged Einstein quote could be woven into that question.
This is similar to the question I would ask. "This is the third time in the last three seasons I've participated in some sort of Q&A with you (Hinchey/Bravo) here at the Celtic. Each time you've talked about {insert specific quotes from tomorrow's talk here relating to attacking play, style of play, #OneClub, etc.} yet in the last 3 seasons we've had 2 of the worst seasons in club history. What is going to be done differently in 2015 to get a different result?" Though to be honest I probably won't ask a question tomorrow. I'll have to take the temperature of the room and see how the discussion is going, but given my relationship with Hinchey and the FO I believe my question would be blown off or worse. Better to put the ideas out there (which I have) and hope somebody else asks the question. Another one, if the topic of friendlies and/or our Arsenal relationship comes up. "We've been a partner club of Arsenal for many seasons now, yet when Arsenal made its first trip to the States since before MLS started not only did they not come to Denver, they didn't even acknowledge the existence of a partner club in MLS, instead going to play NY without even a hint of a relationship with the Rapids. Why should we expect anything out of the relationship with Arsenal going forward given their seeming indifference to us?"
I suspect problems with 2014 season will be written off as the results of, injuries, youth and coaching learning experience. I expect they will say they have laid a solid foundation for a bright future and keep talking over the ensuing laughter and cat calls from the audience. I don't expect anything solid about the future. In fairness, they can't discuss specific signings or even who they are looking at. What they should be able to say is what quality level they are looking at. I suspect they may talk about the positions they are looking to strengthen in which case I'd like to know if they looking at more Zat's or a Gaby's? (I think Torres is a quality player who could be part of a solid team, if allowed to play and if surrounded by quality players) I'd like clarification on the youth direction. Brown, Serna, Powers, O'Neil and Klute are decent role players but they aren't at the level necessary to lead a team seriously competing for the shield or cup. I would hope they agree (but not so bluntly as I put it), but I suspect they won't. My biggest concern is they feel their youth represent the core of the team moving forward and expect to augment them with a couple of decent quality players. If I get that feeling, I'll let them know they are an organization that strives for and is willing to accept mediocrity.
The other question I want to ask but can't figure out a phrasing that will be respectful enough to get them to at least attempt a real answer is "You [Hinchey/Bravo] charged regular price for tickets this season but yet by your own admission stayed hands off of the team this season and let matters take their own course. Why should I pay full price for another season after paying full price for what turned out to be a coach's training year?"
Since they might actual answer @DavidJames idea about youth development. A question along the lines of what will they improve with Rapids Academy to stop losing out on the top players to other local youth acdemies. If you can't draw in the top guys it's hard to help your senior side. Maybe ask about forming an Resident academy. From @JasonMa Would love to see if TH would (and how) respond to question that he has been in charge for the 2 worse season in Rapids History what will he do to insure it neven happens again. I would come down from Basalt if KSE leadership was there to ask questions, hard to ask TH & PB why they still have jobs with such shitty performance on their parts as well as 2 public coaching diasters.
That ties nicely with my point about them deciding half way through the season the team was good enough and saw no reason to try and improve it.
Technically two OF the worst. The order currently goes: Worst: 2001 2nd: 1996 3rd: 2012 Barring a draw and a win to finish the season (unlikely) 2014 will slip in between 2001 and 1996.
I expect to hear all the cheap buzzwords, mind numbing marketing drivel and endless platitudes myself, but I am still trying to go for three reasons: A) to hear if anything, anything at all concrete about the future is going to be laid on the table that can lead to any future accountability. B) To ask them to state just exactly what the Rapids ambitions actually are; what are their goals as a club on the field, who sets those goals, and what happens when those goals are not met . C) To see, with my own eyes, if these guys are sweating for their jobs.
Print off the letter I wrote, and highlight the questions I pose in it, and ask those questions at the town hall. Perhaps it will be more effective if the hard questions are spread around the room rather than coming from 1 or 2 people.
Personally, I would love to hear how they define Rapids Soccer. It seems a lot different now than when OP was here. Which makes me wonder how they define it. (OP had offensive pressure, PM has lots of back-passing to get a "set" offense, etc.) Many would see this as a softball question, but it would lock down in a public forum how the team should be evaluated. and what expectations of the on-field product should be. It also would allow to evaluate not just what they say, but how they answer and what they choose to highlight. rod.
Man a lot of these are good questions, but, I really want to hear something like this. I just paid for a full season of learning on the job for Pablo. At least OP had tons of past coaching experience just not at the head MLS level. Pablo's got squat will still have hardly anything next year. I would have re-upped if they gave me half off or something.
And please somebody with a Doctorate or some advanced knowledge of Sports Medicine (don't ask) just tell them to stop the BS lactate level evaluation process. And if LaBrocca is one of the players there collect a sample of his blood so we can find out what kind of mutant lactate levels he has.