Off to LA
So I was sitting at home last Saturday night (Okay, Sunday morning; it was about 12:30) and I got a phone call asking me if I could go to L.A. to run a webcast of the Minnesota Thunder's US Open Cup semi-final match-up against the LA Galaxy. I would have had to have been a fool to turn it down, so, despite not yet having clearance to miss a day of work, I am on my way to LA tomorrow morning at 7:00 AM sharp. And I'll be home at 6:00 AM on Thursday morning. And I'll be at work at 7:30 AM Thursday morning. Sleeping. At my desk. Which is being moved across the building.
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Anyways, I am happy to report that the Thunder's (regular) season is over. Don't get me wrong, I love the Thunder and I love going to the games, but this year it has taken a lot out of me. I've worked hard for the team and the organization has benefitted greatly from my (and many others) free time and efforts. Organizing a fan group, banners, not to mention watch parties and helping with post-game stuff occasionally takes its toll and the F.O. should recognize us. But the new owner is a dick, so I am thinking that won't be the case.
And it's been a disappointing season. 10th out of 12 is poor by any reconing, but it's all the more frustrating in that the talent and potential is so obvious in this team (as evidenced by knocking off three MLS teams.) They're young and if they can keep the team together, they will be an incredibly strong team in the not-too-distant-future.
The question is if the players will stay. Most of they're contracts are up, and I heard through the grapevine that none of them like the new owner, Saeed Kadkhodaian. Allegedly, he told them that he would pay for only one pair of shoes for the entire season and players and staff still receive the same per diem that they did when the team first when pro in 1995. I am not arguing that there isn't an extreme need to be frugal in this league (and sport) but there are certain places where you need to massage the money. I believe that Saeed's ownership has expedited Buzz's retirement. I don't know what it would do to Buzz if he saw all the good will he's spent the last 17 years building so quickly destroyed by bad ownership. I can only hope that I'm off base here on my views of Kadkhodaian, but I fear that I am not.
----------------
Anyways, I am happy to report that the Thunder's (regular) season is over. Don't get me wrong, I love the Thunder and I love going to the games, but this year it has taken a lot out of me. I've worked hard for the team and the organization has benefitted greatly from my (and many others) free time and efforts. Organizing a fan group, banners, not to mention watch parties and helping with post-game stuff occasionally takes its toll and the F.O. should recognize us. But the new owner is a dick, so I am thinking that won't be the case.
And it's been a disappointing season. 10th out of 12 is poor by any reconing, but it's all the more frustrating in that the talent and potential is so obvious in this team (as evidenced by knocking off three MLS teams.) They're young and if they can keep the team together, they will be an incredibly strong team in the not-too-distant-future.
The question is if the players will stay. Most of they're contracts are up, and I heard through the grapevine that none of them like the new owner, Saeed Kadkhodaian. Allegedly, he told them that he would pay for only one pair of shoes for the entire season and players and staff still receive the same per diem that they did when the team first when pro in 1995. I am not arguing that there isn't an extreme need to be frugal in this league (and sport) but there are certain places where you need to massage the money. I believe that Saeed's ownership has expedited Buzz's retirement. I don't know what it would do to Buzz if he saw all the good will he's spent the last 17 years building so quickly destroyed by bad ownership. I can only hope that I'm off base here on my views of Kadkhodaian, but I fear that I am not.
posted by Zathras at 11:03 AM
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