We enjoyed Quakesfest 2024 today! I didn’t notice any quakes execs there, but there were very long lines for the player autographs
Jamar Ricketts had just gotten off a plane at San Jose Airport, arriving late and immediately hustled directly to the autograph area for the 1 PM session. Hernan was supposed to be there as well - and the line to see him was huge - but they eventually cancelled his appearance because his flight from Houston got delayed by a couple of hours. I won a couple of stuffed animals at the carnival games in the west concourse which I will send to Kaitlyn and her son at the end of the season. Don't tell her, it will be a surprise.
We felt it was a poor shade of last years event. More players, more alumni last year. The pro's were more games for the "kids", the tent to listen to the music from the School of rock "kids" and eat at.
Nice, they managed to work in about every soccer stereotype: players with foreign sounding names, boring, low-scoring, ties, and "soccer riots" in the stands. They missed "diving" though.
I’m guessing the extended Leagues Cup impacted the number of available players. Hernan was supposed to sign autographs at 1 pm, but his flight was delayed returning from Houston, I was told, which suggested to me he may actually have gone to Argentina for a few days (Houston being a hub for South American travel). Other players may also have been out of town, too.
We enjoyed QuakesFest (due to conflicts, we haven't attended in several years). We arrived later at the event (~1:30pm), but my youngest son was able to get pictures with Tommie, Jack and PM in the parking lot (PM was loading up his kids into his car). Climbing wall, several slides, DJ, and my wife winning a Quakes jacket, along with the games. Good job Quakes!
I thought that this year's event was geared more towards the kids/family than for adult fans. And it was successful when viewed through that lens. The rides, activities, carnival games, etc seemed to me to be a lot of fun for the kids I saw there. I wandered into the Studio 74 area where they had two EA Sports computer soccer games screens (I assume it was EA, maybe it was another game company) going on. I have not played many computer games since the Atari games like Mario Kart games first came out (when my now 40 year old children were playing such games). So I have not experienced the sports game evolution of the last quarter century. and I was curious as to how those games are now played. I was dragooned into a seat and given a quick tutorial about the hand controller and faced off against a young kid. He took the Earthquakes team and I took the Galaxy. (Knowing I would lose, I figured I would be happy if the EQ won and my ego would be less bruised) We played half a game; Jebo scored 4 goals and Yueill scored the 5th in injury time of the first half. When even JY was able to score against me, I knew I was well and truly finished. However, there were a couple of pinball games out in the concourse. One was an old, worn, baseball-themed machine that had to be close to my own age today. And I am positive that if I hadn't played on this exact same pinball machine at the Santa Cruz Boardwalk or perhaps at a local restaurant in the 1960s, then it was another baseball pinball game that looked and sounded almost the same. One presses a button to choose fast ball, curve ball, or change-up (which launched slower) and then a second button to "swing" the bat (flapper) and hit the ball. So that was a blast from the past and made for a memorable Quakefest event for me. I guess I am just analog rather than digital.
I'd say that agreeing to play brings not your IQ into question but maybe your emotional intelligence .
Matt Doyle: Since Chris Leitch was hired as CSO, San Jose have finished: 2024 - Wooden Spoon 23 - 9th in West 22 - Last in West 21 - 10th in West 20 - 8th in West 19 - 8th in West 18 - Wooden spoon 17 - 6th in West 16 - 9th in West 8 coaches, including himself Post-mortem coming this week 1837860491479208270 is not a valid tweet id
Meanwhile the LA Galaxy who hired Will Kuntz after the Quakes hired Leitch over Kuntz.... The most storied franchise. With @josephpaintsil_'s goal in the 69th minute, the #LAGalaxy have become the first team in MLS history with four players who have scored 10+ goals in the same season. pic.twitter.com/Ffp5LzHtK6— LA Galaxy (@LAGalaxy) September 22, 2024
Sources: The San Jose Earthquakes have interviewed at least four external candidates for their head coaching job:✔️ Bruce Arena✔️ Gregg Berhalter✔️ Gio Savarese✔️ Robin FraserInterim Ian Russell also in consideration. All details @GiveMeSport ⤵️ https://t.co/aImUbFG6zB— Tom Bogert (@tombogert) September 24, 2024
If those are the choices, I think I'd rather just stick with Ian. Bruce would be interesting because he'd complain a lot about the roster and I'm not sure there wouldn't just be an impasse there that makes everyone miserable. We've been there before. Also of note, if the Quakes are interviewing head coaching candidates, that suggests that CL is probably staying (though not necessarily). If you're going to make a GM change you'd want the new GM picking the candidates and the coach.
Arena would be great, definitely create interest , not sure how it would turn out but i am all for it. Ian would be fine as well, no thanks on the other candidates. Knowing the Quakes we will get Robin Fraser.
I keep hoping to see "Wilfried Nancy II" show up on the candidates list . But it doesn't have to be a Wilfried Nancy clone. Surely there is some not-yet-renowned coach who is not an MLS retread who has some innovative ideas about coaching and some success at other levels / leagues? Maybe Ian could be that guy but he needs more time, and not sure how innovative he is. He does seem to have a pretty good eye for talent / potential, as he kind of resurrected Benji as a RB and brought Bouda into the mix.