Status of Contraction/Move/Stay/Sale Whatever (aka yes, there will be a 2005 Quakes)

Yeah, that's one of the points I was trying to make, but you've made it in a more straight-forward way, with player examples, etc. My only question is if the current Gal collection of players could ever be turned into a "team with teamwork", no matter who the coach is. In other words, collectively, do they have the character to ever really do it? My guess is that a coach who is really totally committed to that concept would have to remove some players, some very talented players, from the team in order to accomplish this.

No problem. I'm afraid you may be the only one who remembers "Captain Planet" though. As far as Rivalries goes, I've seen enough that I don't think I want to hang out there.

 

Re: theories on "heart"...

Must've missed it...

Damn poetic license gits me every time.

Irreconcileable diff: My ex-girlfriend insisted that we could work through things, be unselfish and committ ourselves to a team concept. Alas, it would never have worked out.

My point is that you can be "committed to excellence", absolutely resolute in setting aside differences, do tons of character building retreats, group hugs, blah blah blah, but in the end, not every combination of players and staff has it in them to reach their full potential.

We'll never know. We weren't there. But I have seen situations where ppl have conflicting visions w/ their superiors, they go along w/ the "team plan", but when things don't pan out b/c the vision is erroneous, then ppl get frustrated b/c they could have predicted or did predict the result.

The Galaxy 2003 and 2nd 1/2 2004 was a frustrated side.

You have no idea, b/c you weren't there. It's a complete assumption.

But I agree, that it's unsavory to go to the GM. But if you've spent your entire life trying to master a sport, would'nt you be frstrated by repeated failures to learn from mistakes? also, don't discard the likely possibility that Hamilton was brought in so as to make it harder for him to duck responsibility and hence his decisions could ultimately lead to his dismissal. Now THAT would be the best thing for the league.

Is that all that it takes? If it's so easy, why is it so difficult to win championships. Or does SJ 2 stars mean that little?

Ah, but enter into its soul, and what a beautiful stadium!! Thanks for proving my point!

Wait... I thought that HDC was a tool-box, ie more Yugo than Porsche.

which is it?

Is it possible that things have been "easy" for us b/c right out of the gate we were the ones that most responded to the league and the team? If we had NJ, SJ or even KC attendance numbers, that our Porsche, er Yugo, or whatever, would never have been built?

If things are so "easy" for us, why did it take so long to win our first MLS cup?

Your later point about whether or not these 2 Galaxy teams could've been molded into champs... I totally agree: a different coach would've had to come in and make tough decisions. Sampson and Sigi weren't capable of doing that.

Bill's point about management choosing players wisely is spot on. the problem is that their hand was forced into not making enough upgrades for 2004. And therein lies the difference btw the 2 franchises: LA gets the $$ (b/c they are in a profitable situation) and SJ gets the leftovers.

Like I've said over and over again, this is part of the myth/mystique of the team, and should be for eternity. It's a great story.

 

heart: 't'ain't no theory, it's da trudt!

Right. But my point is that combination of players / staff, no matter what it is, would be better off if they were committed to the team concept than they would be if they weren't. It doesn't mean they'll be successful, it just means they would be more successful than they would be otherwise. As mediocre as the Quakes' season was, I think it would have been even worse if they'd started pointing fingers and griping about playing time.

JJ: "And the idea of going over your coach's head to dis him in front of the GM just seems highly unsavory to me."

Well, not a complete assumption if this tidbit from "The Independent and Original LA Soccer Magazine" can be trusted. If your players are in a yelling match with your GM about poor coaching decisions during a game, wow, you've got some serious, serious problems.

"Players and organization wanted a change," President and GM Doug Hamilton said in the press conference. While no players were mentioned, one of the team's star players was overheard in a yelling match with Hamilton about poor coaching decisions during the game against the Crew.

In particular, the removal of Jovan Kirovski on 76' for Alejandro Moreno was met with sharp criticism by a former US National Team player. Kirovski was having a decent match, getting good touches and opening gaps in the Crew defense. When he was subbed out, he ran past Schmid without looking at him. Kirovski continued down the sideline, down the endline, and made a right into the tunnel and locker rooms. A 9 year Galaxy veteran, and teammate of Kirovski's, let his General Manager know how upset he felt about Schmid's choice.

JJ: "Again, I don't believe the dynamics could be so disfunctional that it couldn't be made to work. All they have to do is learn how to play soccer together, it's not a marriage."

Once again, I don't think teamwork, character, etc. guarantee success. All other things being equal, they just make you more successful than you would otherwise be.

JJ: "It's a soulless concrete wasteland."

Huh? How do enter into the soul of something that's soulless?

I didn't use the Porsche as a metaphor for HDC specifically. It was intended to be more general. LA is the franchise that gets the attention, the money, the priority, etc. So yeah, you can come back with "that's because we supported MLS from the start", etc., but then we get into a chicken and egg dilemma. Is MLS supported better in LA because it was given more attention, money, priority, etc., or is it just naturally a more supportive market and therefore gets more attention, money, and priority? No matter what the answer to that question is, I think you have to agree that, among core fans of the teams, Quakes fans have had much much more of a struggle. And while the struggle is unpleasant, it does build character, and if you somehow prevail in the end, it's that much sweeter.

 

Re: heart: 't'ain't no theory, it's da trudt!

But said problem dates back to 2003, when Sigi lost control of the team and the gm didn't take care of it properly. then, to nobody's surprise except Hamilton, the same thing had already happened in 2004. By then, there's not much that a "let's all stick together through thick and thin; I love you guys! Kumba-mo'fo'-yah-my-lord" team meeting is going to solve.

At that point, the GM needed to be informed of the players' position in order to make an informed decision. (Pardon the oxy-moron, as Hamilton doesn't know such a thing as "informed decision".)

 

Re: Status of Contraction/Move/Stay/Sale Whatever (aka yes, there will be a 2005 Quak

So to encapsulate this conversation into one small phrase: "LA Sucks." (And always will.)

 

Speaking of the 2005 Quakes.......I'm so pumped!! The MLS Cup final will be in Texas so I can go. The Quakes have to get there!! I want to sit under the BAQF!!! I dream about sitting under the BAQF!! Come on, Quakes!!

 

Presuming I have some $ saved, Frisco for MLS Cup 2005 is on top of the list next to one of the WCQs in Columbus.

 

Re: Status of Contraction/Move/Stay/Sale Whatever (aka yes, there will be a 2005 Quak

"To encapsulate" would be to hide the details of the conversation.. (I'm a SW geek)

 

Re: Status of Contraction/Move/Stay/Sale Whatever (aka yes, there will be a 2005 Quak

You need a bigger dictionary!

 

Re: Status of Contraction/Move/Stay/Sale Whatever (aka yes, there will be a 2005 Quak

Touche'

You must spread some Reputation around before giving it to Albany58 again.