To protect their brand, professional sports players and executives have to demonstrate tact or give the good ole vague runaround when responding to outside questions. Sports fans don't have that sort of responsibility, so the pros are naturally in a losing situation when hosting open Q&A sessions like the New York Red Bulls did on Friday.
The "Town Hall" meeting was open to season ticket holders. Unfortunately for the Red Bulls representatives in attendance, these were very angry ticket holders. They were pissed off about the firing of head coach Mike Petke, who led the Red Bulls to their first Supporters' Shield (given to the team with the best regular season record) and a fourth place Eastern Conference finish last year.
The firing led to the fan-made #redbullout campaign, which demanded the Red Bulls sell the team and called for the ousting of sporting director Ali Curtis. So the Red Bulls decided to hold the Town Hall meeting to address the anger. The result: verbal mayhem, pettiness...and possible nudity? Curtis, general manager Marc de Grandpre, goalkeeper Luis Robles and head coach Jesse Marsch were present to take the vitriol.
Q: Your 300 page plan is corporate bullshit arrogance. Turns around, leads supporters in "We are the boys" #RBTownHall
— Mark Fishkin (@MarkFishkin) January 17, 2015
Fan: This has been a terribly managed org, with so much turnover. Youth academy is disconnected from the club. #RBTownHall
— Mark Fishkin (@MarkFishkin) January 17, 2015
Q: I can't spend anymore $. This is your job, this is our passion. All I can do is take my chips off the table. I give you no confidence.
— Mark Fishkin (@MarkFishkin) January 17, 2015
Fan: thanks for finally uniting the fan base. (Huge laughs) #RBTownHall
— Mark Fishkin (@MarkFishkin) January 17, 2015
Q: you guys burned me out. Cut the marketing speak. You have our $ you won't give it back. #RBTownHall
— Mark Fishkin (@MarkFishkin) January 17, 2015
Q: you worked in the league office. What the fuck is allocation money? (Applause from sea to shining sea)
— Mark Fishkin (@MarkFishkin) January 17, 2015
Ali: money from the league office. (Oooookay) #RBTownhall
— Mark Fishkin (@MarkFishkin) January 17, 2015
So did the talk alleviate tensions between the fanbase and management? Nah:
From what I am reading, Ali Curtis comes across as an ass clown from the #RBNYTownHall tonight. That club is forever fucked. #RedBullOut
— Carys (@carys_420) January 17, 2015
So many mixed feelings about my club right now. #RedBullOut #RBNY #RBNYTownHall
— Bryan Oldknow (@Bryanoldknow) January 17, 2015
My 11yr old daughter tonight, crying. "I want Mike Petke back!" #RBNY #ilikemike #RBNYTownHall she will miss 1st opening day in in her life
— Marc Scheffel (@marcscheffel) January 17, 2015
SO DIRTY passing the mic to Robles. Cowardly move by the RBNY management. #RBtownhall
— Jon Grady (@JGradz313) January 17, 2015
As for the nudity, there was one tweet about someone streaking across the stage. However, only one guy tweeted about it; you'd think there would be a flood of tweets when a naked man interrupts a public forum.
THERE'S A STREAKER. HOLY CRAP. SOMEONE JUST RAN NAKED ACROSS THE STAGE. #RBTownHall #RBNYTownHall #RBNY
— Sandra Dee... z Nuts (@RaceCarJones) January 17, 2015
Anyway, the moral here is that fans are still irate. It beats being a Knicks fan this year though, right?
[via Mark Fishkin]
Send all complaints, compliments, and tips to sportstips@complex.com.