Sakiewicz vs. Walker --Round 2 http://www.northjersey.com/page.php...lRUV5eTY2MDk2MDUmeXJpcnk3ZjcxN2Y3dnFlZUVFeXk2
OMG I ********ing hate Nick. ******** this team. What a moron. Hwo do you say ******** like that. Can AEG fire him? Can we start a petition to fire this moron? I'll chip in for a plane to fly above Giants Stadium next year and say "Fire Nick". This guy is a douche bag. I'd rather have us play at Giants Stadium, then see this bastard gloat over a stadium, if we ever get one (which I doubt). Walker is a good goalie. I don't care what the morons on these boards say (you guys are callous overreactionary bitches). He was as good in 2003 as any MLS keeper. Sure he wasn't as good this season, but the team in front of him couldn't mark anybody, and the midfield was basically helping our opponents in running at him. He played really well in the playoffs, but it was like he was playing alone at times.
"Sakiewicz's remarks appear to reinforce speculation that the team is considering parting ways with Walker, who is in the third year of a four-year deal with MLS. The league is expected to pick up Walker's option for 2005 but the 29-year-old was hoping to renegotiate his current deal. Walker is set to make $110,000 in 2005, a salary that would place him in the middle of the pack among MLS goalkeepers. " can this be right. 3rd year of 4? Is he saying 3rd year is 2005? Cause didn't he sign in 7/2003.
"My comments about Jonny and the team were in the context of the overall results, not just in the specific performance," said Sakiewicz. How can calling someone "atrocious" be taken out of context? Either you said it or you didn't. If you've seen any of Walker's post-game interviews, you'll always see a huge icepack on him. Nick has been quite as a mouse for the past 2 seasons but for the past week, no one can shut him up. Will Bradley stay and tolerate this? It's safe to say he's gone back to his meddling ways. Yes, Walker didn't have a Howard-like season, but the comments in the newspapers show Nick is low-class.
This is unbelievable. I don't understand how he can say that. Sackiewicz is a total idiot and a complete a$$hole.
If I had to list out the problems with the 2004 Metrostars, I'd say goalkeeping was pretty far down on the list. I don't understand why Nick would go off on him like that.
the US has a wealth of keepers, there are some pretty darn good ones sitting on benches in MLS I'd like for him to stay though
No chance ! Maybe this would fit into a arbitration hearing..but this isn't the case and Nick isn't Mike Milbury so neither is an exscuse. Stupid way to let off some steam....as a GM you need to jump on the whole of the team and not single one player out...especially Johnny as he was left for dead in the water numerous times because of a shotty defense. Ya Walker made some bonehead moves but then again so did every player on our team. F Nick ... go back to your suto French soccer team.
At $ 110,000, Walker is a bargain. At $150, probably still so. When healthy, with a good defense in front of him, he is as good- if not better- than any goalie in the league. Bruce Arena seems to think so. And, personally, even if you wanted to excuse this as a negotiating ploy, it's a pretty cheap one. I wouldn't want to work for a company that would treat me that way, nor do I feel particularly good about supporting an organization that would do that to a player. MLS players don't have a union, the league holds ALL of the cards. Walker knows what his options are, and it's not like there is any real media attention or fan pressure that pantsing the guy could cause that would justify this. If it's the Mets, and the GM goes on WFAN and rips Al Leiter for not being worth 10 million a year, and public opinion swings to agree, and the Mets get the contract down to 7 million, maybe it makes sense. This is not that situation, and how much could he really save? Take 1/4 of his salary away, and you've saved one minimum salary player, if that. So what? Cut SGR, and you've saved 11 minimum salary players. To me, this is not a statement taken out of context, it's one woken up to the next morning that looks a lot worse in the paper than it sounded the day before over the phone, kicking back in the chair at work. (but, yes, I'm guessing). Nick has a history of making statements that seem to come more from the the gut than the head ("I thought we fixed this when we got Bradley", etc), and this is another one of them. I think this is Nick, being Nick. His team, until someone proves him different.
I want Walker to stay. It's not all his fault(except that stupid goal he allowed Moreno steal it off his boots and stuff it into the Metro net), the defenders didn't do that good of a job this year. But if this does happen and Walker gets unprotected and goes to either Salt Lake or Chivas-USA. I wouldn't mind having Zach Thornton back. Besides he is an original Metro.
Is Thorton a max-salary player and did he retain that status when he re-signed with the league? I'm eager to hear the spin when the annual meeting w/the GM season ticket drive at Nathan Hales next year.
I want Walker to stay! Walker is one of the reasons I go to the stadium for each game. If his salary level as reported on this board is true, Nick is the biggest fool under the sun not to see what a bargain we have in Walker! Walker is good enough to play in England or other European teams, his career path was not focused in Europe that is why he was not in Europe (if I remember correctly years ago he was in UK for a short time but could not get working permit due to zero national team experience) Since Bradley came on board we have been "team building" for two years but still struggling. And I am tire of it. Walker alone with Amado are the core of the team. If we loose Walker, it will a big set back to the team building process. Nick, wake up! I am speaking to you as a season tickets owner: "If you can afford to waste big salary on SGR, you can afford to pay Walker"
Yeah but will he forgive us for all our "Snack Thorton" chants? I don't think he was amused when I offered him the cookies in my pocket during USOC 2003.
ACtually, it would seem that he's slimmed down a little bit and is actuyally in better shape than he had been in over in Benfica. I wonder... Nick? Classless comments? Why am I not surprised. Of course this is one of the reasons why I myself could never be a GM, but I digress. He should know better edit : he wasn't atrocious, but he sure didn't help things. Kinda like Keller at Spurs last year. If we could get a cheaper keeper that's about as good as JW (again, I think Jamison and I disagree on how good JW actually is), go for it Put the comments were still dumbass.
It turns out that Johnny was playing through the pain of a torn rotator cuff, dating from the Sep. match with Columbus. He used cortison shots to kill the pain during the playoffs, and is going in for surgery this week. Did Nick know about this, and if so are his comments just par for the course -- like kicking the odd, lame dog or dropping washers in a beggars cup: fun stuff to brighten the day, ya know?
Why??? taking on Johnny Walker. He wasn't the main factor of our bad season. He had his up and downs like the rest of the team. Nick S. comments show that he doesn't understand soccer at all, just like B Bradley inability to understand that DC was playing better than us. So we should be smart enough and not panic in a 180 min game, getting at least one point at the Giant stadium. We would had a better chance at RFK (playing counter attack) having DC the obligacion to attack. Playoffs are about tactics that bring positive results. I am sure Nick S. won't understand what I am talking about (so go ahead blame golkeeping and bring BB back).
Can someone tell me exactly what Nick has done in his years as GM of various MLS teams? In TB, he was running probably the worst franchise in MLS. Attendance blew. That team died. Here? He is killing us. God, if I wasn't so lazy I'd write a letter to AEG. Petition? Yea I think it's time. This guy is a clown. And do you know who is a bigger clown? ********ing OZ. That guy was an idiot. Can someone close the other thread on getting OZ back?
Nick is more than the GM of the Metros, is a senior AEG executive on this coast. He is going nowhere.
It does not matter if Nicks is on the ex. board of AEG or not. Bottom line, AEG wants to see profit. I am sure tickets salse will slide if more fans question Nick's managing style. By the way, who is going to be responsible for signing the big flops - two flops on the road: Justwalk and SGR?
Uh last I checked eveeryone was glad Bradley came here beceause it was understood that he would control all personell matters. Now everyone wants to throw the flops in Nicks lap? What gives?
Whoever made decision to sign big flops like Justwalk and SGR was WAY OFF in evaluating their abilities to gel with the team. This is a serious problem within the Metro organization and it got to stop.
Wasn't Nick S. in Columbia just prior to the SGR signing? Was he reviewing talent or just on holiday?
Although I'm not a JWalker fan (only because he has gotten the callup to the Nats ahead of Kevin Hartman) I feel the comments said about him and the bad goalkeeping are wrong. I saw most league games this year and most goals scored were either great shots no goalkeeper could save or blunders by the defense.....on only a few occasions did he make a few mistakes.....too bad that their GM is resorting to this stuff.....maybe he has been hanging out with Doug Hamilton and will start firing and getting rid of personnell mid season while in first place!!!!!! Where do these GMs go to managing school for crying out loud?