Before I really get down to talking about the AOM I was lucky enough to be invited to attend last weekend I did want to note that Greg Andrulis still has a job in Columbus. Why do I bring that up? Well, I've talked to a few people and mentioned a pet theory of mine that Bob Lilley is headed to MLS and I really thought Columbus might be his destination. So where exactly is the reigning A-League coach of the year? I realize some Montreal fans didn't care for his style of coaching but you can hardly argue with the guy's ability to put together a contender. Maybe as I write this he's headed to Dallas for an interview, who knows?
One of the things I have to mention at the outset in talking about the AOM is that this situation was an invite only kind of thing from Tim Holt and the League to myself and Dan Barnes. Allison Andrews, the unequivocal MVP of a-league.com couldn't make it out to Florida. Anyhow, the situation being what it is we were there to observe what is a closed meeting and not there in a true media capacity but I'm going to try and get away with saying a few things about it.
The first rule about the AOM is that no one talks about the AOM. The second rule about the AOM is that no one talks about the… okay, you get the picture. Seriously, though, the reason you never get much in the way of specifics reported from the AOM is simply because the AOM isn't necessarily to get things set in stone but to bring everyone together throughout the USL to get processes such as scheduling underway and to share information with each other. Some of the information they don't want to share just yet are the specifics of their particular situations and that has to be respected by anyone that is invited to attend.
Of course you can never really talk about the AOM without specifically naming a few people especially those who do such an amazing job of working their rear ends off putting the whole thing together. Some of these people that definitely deserve ultimate thanks and respect from all attendees include Natalie Aya, Ben Souza, Gerald Barnhart, Steve Clamp, Steven Thompson, Kevin McGovern, Tammy Crawford, Matt Weibe, Diana Cook, of course the triumvirate of Tim Holt, Dave Askinas, and Francisco Marcos, and anyone else whom I may have forgotten.
The most remarkable thing about the event is how well the USL staff keeps their composure over the only three days of the year when they have this much access to those who manage the various franchises and vice versa. You have to keep in mind that this is sometimes the only "face time" these people have with each other before the start of the next season and there's always so much that needs covering between all parties that sometimes what we, the fans, are thinking about what's going on down there gets put on the back burner for the moment.
At the same time, what the fans think and want is all everyone thinks about while they are down there and, in the end becomes the driving catalyst between so many decisions that get made over this weekend as I found out. Why, you ask? It's simple: every single person down there is a fan and this is their livelihood. You and I can go back to our day jobs, we can say how much we wish we had their jobs, I know I'd love to give it a shot one day, but these folks love the game and are trying to pay rent or mortgages and have families at the same time that they are trying to keep the teams and leagues afloat.
A lot of us are buzzing and begging for stories that may or may not come out of this year's AOM. Some of these potential stories include the Rhinos talks with MLS that were reported in the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, whether or not Cincinnati is indeed out of the A-League for 2004, and exactly who any new teams are in the USL. There may be some people with specific teams in the A-League who are ready to let people in on specific stories but as of yet the League has withheld comment on any of the above potential stories as well any specifics about what went on in Florida last weekend. They are well within their rights to do that and my hunch is that they do this so that they have every single situation squared away before making any big announcements. Trust me, they are very thorough in their efforts to ensure as little as possible is able to blow up in anyone's face, and they are just as excited about letting people know what the big haps are for the new season.
So then, what exactly can I tell you about this year's AOM? I can tell you that Buzz Lagos, Jim Froslid, and Tom Engstrom can play some serious cards and that Vicki Barnes is better than all of us. I can also tell you that when the folks from around the USL decide to let their hair down they really know how to do it. Also, some of you may know that Dave Askinas was promoted so congrats to him on his new position as the guy who might just take the most flack from some fans in the upcoming season. Tim Holt also was named USL Employee of the Year and if anyone out there has spoken with him about the game you can see his passion for it quite clearly. He obviously deserves this honor and I'm sure he'll continue to do a great job back at HQ for the USL.
There are going to be a lot of things that break soon out of the AOM, things fans will love, hate, or react mildly to but that's what we do. Luckily, having had the opportunity to attend, I received a close-up look at all of the hard work that goes on in order to give us a league, season, teams, and front offices to criticize and cajole every year. To everyone that was in Clearwater Beach at the AOM last weekend, thank you for your hard work. It's always tough to concentrate on work when there's sunshine, a beach, beverages with umbrellas, and calypso music close at hand but somehow you all managed to work hard.
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