Hauptman discusses state of the Fire
Fire owner Andrew Hauptman insists he’s not as involved in the day-to-day operations of the Fire as rumors suggest, but he is involved.
“At the end of the day, my role ... I’m not the person on a day-to-day basis making choices about whether we’re trading Calen Carr or whether we’re not trading Calen Carr. Some of you guys may not know that. That’s not the role of an owner where I come from. But I do know about the recommendation to trade Calen Carr.”
Just days before the Fire’s home opener (3 p.m. vs. Sporting Kansas City, Channel 50, TeleFutura), Hauptman sat down with a group of journalists Thursday night for his fourth annual no-holds-barred Q&A about the club. Here are a few of the things he said:
On last year:
“It was incredibly disappointing in a million ways, and not just in terms of the win-loss column.”
On the status of coach Carlos de los Cobos and technical director Frank Klopas:
“I’m comfortable with them, for sure.”
On signing Nery Castillo last season:
“It was a mistake. We shouldn’t have done it.”
On acquiring a new Designated Player:
“We’re always searching and searching and searching for that special player. Our first priority is how do we build a team that is built to win, and that’s our first priority no matter where they come from, what their nationality is, etc.”
On whether the team needs a DP:
“There is a negative correlation between those teams (in MLS) that have those iconic players, or DPs, and those that win. The data speaks for itself. It’s not a big data set. We don’t have that many years of experience with it. I don’t think we look at it one way or the other. ... We’re kind of in the middle in the sense that if we can find the right opportunity, we’ll do it. But, I’m not going to lie, some lessons were learned last year. We brought in two guys like that and it didn’t necessarily correlate to winning.”
Denying rumors he is looking to sell the club:
“When you look at all the businesses that we own or that we have owned — and this I don’t see as just a business from a pure business perspective, it’s a different kind of asset, like a civic asset — but when you think aobut this from a business perspective, our M.O. in terms of our company is not about buying and selling. That is not the approach we take to anything we do from a business perspective. Never have, never will. That’s not the strategy of our company. ... This one is a mystery to me.”
Denying rumors Preki is in line to be the team’s next coach:
“Just for the record, I have never met him. I have never said hello to him. I have never had a meeting with the guy.”
On finding a company to replace Best Buy as a shirt sponsor:
“We’re out there working to secure a jersey partner. I’m confident that we’ll get one. It’s just purely a question of when. ... We’re communicating with lots of companies all over the place, and many of those companies that we’re communicating with are becoming sponsors of the Fire. Maybe not jersey partners of the Fire, because those are two different sales.”
On the club’s quest to turn a profit:
“We’re not there and we’re a ways from being there.”