Alright, god knows this has the possibility to down the wrong track but let us try... If you had an opportunity to sit down and ask Interim Crew GM Mark McCuller a legitimate question about the Crew or the FO what would it be? Everyone is saying they'd like to hear from someone like McCullers, well what do you wanna know? What questions do you have?
How important do you think the North End is to the atmosphere in the stadium and are you willing to meet them halfway in order to accomodate them?
Why does the merchandising for the Crew suck so bad and are there plans to improve them from here on out?
What standard does the Crew aspire to in terms of the quality of play? In other words, how does he know if we had a good year or a bad year? If you remember, in 2003 the Crew front office position was that our goal was to make the playoffs then play well when they began. I believe the current position is that all games are important and 2004 was a good season which happened to end a bit early.
So far so good, keep them coming. I am going to attempt to get these questions answered by Mark. Just a quick question regarding merchandise; Did you not think there was a improvement this year compared to years past?
It was mildly better, but I still can't order a Crew jersey from most online vendors or catalogs. I want to be able to buy the same things from the same places those losers in Sh!tcago and DC can.
What sort of marketing efforts have been made in terms of aiming toward college-aged (pssst OSU) people, along with Hispanics in Columbus? Since I know the answer, how about telling us the plan to make it better?
Three questions. 1. Recently two coaching changes were made in Cleveland (NFL) and at Notre Dame (college football) because the programs were not heading in the right direction or weren't where they should be at that time. Where do you see this program going and do you feel confident that current management will take them there considering the fact that in the last three years we have been taken out by an inferior New England squad in the first round of the playoffs twice while missing them altogether once? 2. A couple of years ago parking rates were increased so that parking for all season ticket holders would be improved. Has there been negotiations with the state to fix the constant problems with the south parking lot? 3. Peter Wilt checks out Big Soccer occassionally and gets involved with the fans. Dallas had a town meeting. KC had a conference call. Why is the Crew organization the most secretive in the history of major league sports, whether it's regarding player movement, possible signings, or even answering questions from the fans regarding recent events?
OSU students can already get some really good deals on tickets. Not just for Columbus MLS games, but there was an outstanding deal for the last United States game as well. Questions: Are you still talking about selling naming rights for the stadium? Or will it be Crew Stadium forever? Have any foreign clubs expressed interest in any of our players? Buddle, Martino, Cunningham? Is it true that we have the smallest front office staff in the league?
Doug Hamilton out in LA has said publicly that his head coach not only has to get results, but also has to play an attractive brand of soccer. Would you say you agree with him completly, somewhat, or not at all? This is kind-of one of those personality test questions.
In your estimation, why did the Crew fall flat in the playoffs? How highly do you rate leadership when assessing a head coach? Do you feel the current coach has gotten the most possible out of our players? Why do so many fans feel that the Crew, more than any other MLS organization, simply doesn't listen to or care about them? Why is it that you have almost never been quoted on any topic in the local media? Do you approve of your head coach refusing interviews and post game access? What do you think it will take to turn this team around? Having traded away most of your 2005 draft choices, what avenues will you employ to improve the Crew? Give us your assessment of Greg Andrulis' performance as Head Coach. What do you intend to do to reach out to fans who currently feel alienated by Crew management?
Are there any talks with COTA to provide transportation for OSU students to CCS on game days? How would you define your role as the GM of the Columbus Crew? What type of players are the Crew targeting with their allocation and discovery options? With the new rules allowing 7 foreign spots(4SI and 3TI) and only 1 SI spot currently filled, what priority do the Crew place on filling those empty spots and what criteria do the Crew use to select those foreign players?
Shouldn't an MLS GM possess a reasonable degree of technical soccer-knowledge in order to accurately weigh the team's on field performance and their coach's level of decision making? Do you feel as if past Crew GMs and other front office personnel have possessed that knowledge? Are you confident in your own soccer-based evaluation criteria?
I know you aren't implying this is at the very top of yoyr list or anything like that, but.... For me I could care less if they ever do anything else to Crew Stadium as long as the team on the field is winning. If the stands were held together with duct tape underneath me and Crew was up 3-0 on DC with 5 minutes left in the puring rain under no roof...i am perfectly content.
Have the staff of Columbus Crew been told not to post on Bigsoccer as opposed to Matchnight, where staffers do post?
It's not, really, though I do think the stadium is somewhat ugly. Most of my questions were already posted.
Why not continue marketing in the offseason by securing regular spots in the Dispatch, Other Paper, AM media, etc. ? Why not have players give post game interviews; other than the 30 second sound bites as they walk off the field and Sirk's rumblings? Bill stole these two from me: (1) Do you approve of your head coach refusing interviews and post game access? (2) What do you intend to do to reach out to fans who currently feel alienated by Crew management?
Are you willing to wager your job on the performance of Coach Andrulis and the rest of the team you are helping to form? IE, if we don't make the playoffs will you resign, and fire Coach Andrulis in the process?