He might not be the best in fan relations. He might also suck at marketing. But everyone is so ready to blame him for everything. Things that aren't his fault (even though people think they are): Harrison Stadium - First of all they were trying to secure $120 million. Lets see anyone here try to secure that much money for a league that has lost money since its inception. Secondly, AEG is the driving force behind the stadium, not Nick. AEG is in the business of building stadiums and you better believe they had a group working on the Metro stadium. Nick has a soccer team to run, he can't spend all his time worrying about the stadium. Thirdly, if a bond float does not get approved in Harrison please tell me how that is Nick's fault. Is he on the Harrison town board all of a sudden? Metro sucking - The guy brought in the best American coach in the league. He brought in the "King of Goals" and a guy from Jamaica who was player of the month for 5 straight months. Gaven, Magee, Woly were undeveloped American players before Nick took office. He brought us Moreno, one of the best players in the league who had an off year playing for us. Walker was brought all the way from Chili and was one of the best keepers in the league last year, and just had an off year this year. Nick sees the big picture that you don't need big name foreigners on vacation. Attendence - Yes it is down. But we haven't had any doubleheaders this year. There is no point in inflating the numbers. So we are all getting sick of the 60-90 day announcements. But when little progress actually happens there is little to make a formal announcement about. If you were a true Metro fan then you would realize that Nick is 100 times better than Charlie Stillitano. That guy was a walking disaster and cared more about getting AC Milan over to play an exhibition.
But that's the most important part of the job. Fan relations (like PEter Wilt and the Fire) and marketing. THAT HIS ********ING JOB. and re : Harrison - my guess is he's been sitting on this bad news for months and hasn't said a ********ing peep to anybody because he is that much of a mother********ing jackass.
Thats fine to blame him for marketing. But everyone is ready to make him the scapegoat for things that aren't his fault.
If he's stupid/underhanded enough to lead fans on in thinking the stadium is a done deal when in fact it never has been, he deserves every bit of scapegoat-ness put on him.
This is the #1 reason why Nick has a job here, and he's failed to deliver. And not only has he failed to deliver, but he's shoveled out more pro-stadium horseshit than Aqueduct does during an entire session. Nick should just shut the hell up on anything regarding players ever. That includes calling Walker "atrocious" in front of a print reporter. If you really believe the attendance figures that MFO releases, I've got a Manhattan West Side stadium I'd like to sell you. He must be run out of Secaucus immediately, preferably by people carrying pitchforks and torches.
Look, the guy has no savvy whatsoever. He loves to be in the center of attention, but he fails every time. The recent Wakler quotes are the best example. Who the hell says someone was "atrocious". How about completely destroying your credibility. And anybody who signs off on MPF, should be shot. I would rather have no campaign than that crap. Makes us look like a complete joke. What we need right now is a new GM, who immediately tries to win back the old fans. Writes a long letter to old season ticket holders, etc, and begins a big outreach program. No one trusts Nick.
Its nothing new. Numbers were inflated when Charlie was GM too. I just can't believe that no one remembers how much worse Charlie was. Nick was the one who got the ball rolling on the stadium. At least he did something, even if its not working out. There was always talk about a stadium for the Metros since 1996, but did you never saw Charlie do anything about it.
At the end of the day, people are judged on results, not intentions. And both Charlie and Nick (as of 10 Nov 04) have failed (although not entirely on their own) in many of the same areas, including: Stadium, Fielding a Championship Team (we have made one Final in 9 yrs.), Good Marketing Programs, Fan Relations, etc.
You seem like a nice guy, but you're either blind or mis-informed. Attendance numbers have been exaggerated WAY more under Nick than Charlie...with good reason. Back in '96 and '97, attendances were at a legit 17k on a bad day...and they were called 20k. Nowadays, they turn 5k into 12k routinely. As far as the stadium goes, you're comparing apples to oranges. Stuart Subotnick and John Kluge had no interest in building a stadium. Once they saw they didn't own the Cosmos, they bailed. Nick got the stadium project underway only because he got Anschutz' blessing to pursue it. In the final analysis, Metro 96-99 and Metro 00-04 are about the same. The 00 team stands as the best in club history with 96 and 01 probably in a dead-heat for second place. The standings are probably. 1. 2000 team (Nick) 2. 1996 (Charlie) 2T. 2001 (N) 4. 2003 (N) 4T. 2004 (N) 6. 2002 (N) 7. 1998 (C) 8. 1999 (C) It's funny though. If we are in fact destined for a lifetime in the Meadowlands, we're probably better off bringing Charlie back since he's beloved by Zoff and Co.
So we should be happy to have had Mussolini because he's not as bad as Hitler? God, what are you on about? Then again, you think Walker was playing in Chili a couple of years ago.
No matter what's going on behind the scenes that we don't know about Nick has dealt with us, the freakin fans, very poorly. Want to alienate your fans? Give them enough BS until they don't believe you anymore and they lose faith. One thought. I think that AEG knew about this, along with Nick, but decided to say nothing unitl the Colorado vote went through. If Colorado fans hear NY isn't ponying up, it may give opponents something to rally around, and throw some doubt on the voters. Now that the vote was approved they could finally fess up. Still don't believe anything Nick tells me. Not a word. Not good to have someone in charge like that. I truely believe that Dave Checketts will get a stadium built before us. Serious.
So Walker didn't play for Colo Colo in the Chilean first division?? Nick is hardly a Mussolini. I think everyone is just blinded because we had an awful season. Look at the players and coach he brought in, its not his fault that they failed on the field. Is it Nick's fault that the "King of Goals" didn't score all season?
It was weak spelling smack. Chile, not chili. and we did not have an awful season. Try 1999 just below expectations. and Bob said this team was a three year project. Nick is to blame for the lousy lousy relationship with the fans
Lets get this straight. I think Nick sucks too. But I can't be blind to how much worse off we were in the first several years of the club. Two of Nick's biggest problems are fan relations and marketing. I think a lot of that deals with the fact this his staff is awful. But you just can't blame the guy for every single problem with this club. Its not his fault our team didn't perform this year.
I actually thought it wasn't a spelling mistake, that he thought the country was called "chili". If not, sorry and never mind, just a cheap shot.
you are contradicting yourself too much. who hires those staff of his? if they're the problem then he's the problem hiring them... why can't we blame him? who else we gonna blame? u? just stick with "NIck sucks" and let's move forward.
You know, in all fairness, Bradley's two seasons ended poorly. Very poorly. But, in both years, he had teams in the hunt for first place well into the second half of the season, and he took a team to an Open Cup final in '03. However, there was never any groundswell of excitement among the fans. No appreciable difference in attendance. Just look at the miserable Open Cup final turnout a year ago. Yeah, I know the discerning Metro "football" fan wants more "quality" etc. But other MLS clubs like DC and Chicago have managed to sell Major League Soccer while in NY, everyone seems to save their dollars for the Champions World games. There's blame to go all around.
No I'm saying he is at fault for this marketing and fan relations, cause his staff sucks. And since he hires his staff he is to blame for that. I'm saying don't be so quick to blame him for other things.
Dude come one, get a grip here. This guy sucks. He is a disaster on every level.. What has he done that for the team that you actually like?
He always dresses very nicely. If nothing else just admit that he put in a good faith effort fielding a team this year even though they sucked. Other than that i'm done trying to convince you animals. I'm officially running for the position of GM in 2005.
Good luck! PS: Nick is awful man. You, his biggest supporter, can't even find something real he has done for this team.
Bob runs the personnel of the team, with the exception of Galavan Rey which presumably was forced on him to some extent. Keeping Bob makes sense with the young core of Magee, Clark, Leitch, Gaven, Wolyniec and Gilberto we've built. Throw in Bradley Jr., Arena, Regan, Wells, Brenes and its not a bad start. But Nick, his job is to sell tickets and get us a stadium. He put together a poor effort here, and there is no back up plan. How about a Naperville at Rutgers for a few years?
Rutgers was approached years ago; the univeersity does not want MLS, aside from an OC match or two, but not a full season. Forget about Rutgers -- not an option.