Builder Bob?
ESPN is running a ticker on all their television networks saying US Soccer has hired Bob Bradley to be the new USA manager. I have to say that this news does not excite me all that much. But we shall see what happens next.
UPDATE: To make this story even more sadistic, Jonah Freedman is reporting for Sports Illustrated that Bradley is indeed the man, but will only be an interim coach! WTF? Who is in charge of this mess? This makes no sense to me at all, and frankly makes me question the whole story. I really hate the rumor mill, cuz it makes me feel insane! Don't be surprised if I flip out.
MORE UPDATE: US Soccer has posted the following statement on their webiste: U.S. Soccer President Sunil Gulati will conduct a media conference call on Friday to make an important announcement regarding the U.S. Men’s National Team’s search for a new head coach.
Take special notice of the fact that it says the announcement is regarding the "search", not the hiring. Does this make the Bob Bradley story even more questionable? Stay tuned fellow freaks.
UPDATE: To make this story even more sadistic, Jonah Freedman is reporting for Sports Illustrated that Bradley is indeed the man, but will only be an interim coach! WTF? Who is in charge of this mess? This makes no sense to me at all, and frankly makes me question the whole story. I really hate the rumor mill, cuz it makes me feel insane! Don't be surprised if I flip out.
MORE UPDATE: US Soccer has posted the following statement on their webiste: U.S. Soccer President Sunil Gulati will conduct a media conference call on Friday to make an important announcement regarding the U.S. Men’s National Team’s search for a new head coach.
Take special notice of the fact that it says the announcement is regarding the "search", not the hiring. Does this make the Bob Bradley story even more questionable? Stay tuned fellow freaks.
posted by brucio at 18:00
10 Comments:
Theres an article up on ESPN now saying he's only gonna be an interim coach. Crazy.
smatthew
Gulati really screwed the pooch on this. For starters he made the mistake of getting locked into one guy, and worse, letting everybody and his Aunt Sophie in on it. Yeah, yeah, he was doing his impression of Henry Kissinger, jetting here and there to talk with any warm body waving a coaching license, but if we learned one thing from all this it's Sunil can't bluff. He really only had eyes for Klinsmann. And lo and behold, Klinsi knew it, played his hand and called. Gulati was never in position to play tough and had to fold. Gulati loses time, money and face, Klinsi gets to surf and entertain offers from real futbol powers.
Secondly, Gulati's inability to cede power, power he probably has no real inate ability to ably wield, was the real culprit. And it cost him, and worse, the Fed. It's going to be hard to make up the time and prestige that got wasted on this foofrah. Right from the start Gulati made a point to make sure everybody knows that he's large and in charge and you're not.
This blind spot is going to be the Energizer Bunny of Sulati's tenure, because it's going to keep going, and going, and going... Power freaks and herion addicts rarely have the strength of will to get off the horse and stop riding the needle - and unless Gulati learns from The Rebuke, Gultai's remake of The Searchers is not going to be any prettier. Any coach, especially the ones dancing in the sugar-pie dreams of the Euro Snobs since July, are not going to look at Jurgen's spin on Mr. Toad's Wild Ride and figure the U.S. job to be worth it. They're not going to put up with an inexperienced Armani suit making the decsions that hamstring even the most brilliant managers.
It ain't fantasy football and Gulati should probably take an introspective look and figure out when one really doesn't know how to drive the car and hires someone to take the wheel, one should get in, sit down, hold on and shut up.
Or not to bluff with a busted flush...
Kelly
Nice summary, Kelly.
I think in retrospect, Bruce Arena's parting shot at Suni that he is merely a "super-fan," is turning out to be an accurate characterization.
I know that the U.S. has an unhealthy fascination with English football but hiring our own version of Steve McLaren is taking this whole thing a bit too far...
...funny McLaren comparison!
Bradley's trial tenure really makes you wonder how much Gulati's ego banked on Klinsmann eventually ceding power (which he never would have done- particularly if he didn't with the german team)
Yet again, power trumps greater good. Instead of raising the level of U.S. soccer, the egos wouldn't give up territory. Now we've lost initiative, time, energy, prestige, and perhaps even morale. Who's going to be as excited to get called up in this atmosphere. Gulati should be ashamed. Thanks for the breaking news - always count on you!
Now that I've had a night to sleep on this my conspiracy detector has gotten agitated. There was rumor going around earlier in the Klinsi Saga that Jurgen wasn't in a mood to coach until, say 2008, when qualifying gets started. USSF going into hibernation for a year or so while Klinsi got his recharge on wasn't going to sit well with anybody, especially the big ticket sponsors. Therefore Sigi Schmid was being tabbed as a co-coach to guide the guys through the Copas America and Gold until young Jurgen could summon the strength to serve. This was not a popular solution nor a workable one, leaving all parties with their tender parts swinging in the wind.
But if Klinsi "withdraws" and Bob Bradley is hired as an "interim" while the "search" continues for six, eight, or say oh, 12 months?
AH HA ...
sunil gulati and Jamie Trecker ought to be relegated to the next season of "Dancing with the Stars."
What a debacle.
i would like to see them on Elimidate...
we need 4 guys though
1. sunil gulati
2. jamie trecker
3. donald rumsfeld
4. marshall mathers
and their date would be posh spice
now that is a show
Kelly, that was an excellent post.
God help us...
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