Back when I was a general assignment sports writer I covered countless introductory press conferences, where new coaches were paraded out and then queried about directions, philosophies and what not. Mostly these were college football and basketball coaches, but I helped cover a few professional coaching introductions, too, when it was “all hands on deck.”
Pulling back the curtain on introductory news conferences. Blah!
At every single one, fans were giddy and impressed, staff and higher-ups slapped congratulatory backs, and writers walked away ready to pen their prose of praise. Oh, sometimes there may have been a hint of cynical chiding if the new man in charge was perhaps the administration’s second choice. But mostly, the skies were not cloudy all day.
And then, three, four, maybe five years later, I’d be sitting at another news conference in the same auditorium, where long faces and somber tones told a very different story. That guy, well, he just didn’t work out.
And then, as sure as night follows day, a few days or weeks later the same suited men would summon all comers for yet another news conference, this one to introduce the next buckaroo appointed (probably at a much higher salary) to spin the wheel of fortune and see where he landed.
(Here’s a little inside baseball about these things: at more than one of these introductory news conferences, after the new coach graciously said all the right things about his fallen predecessor, he would pull selected, ranking media individuals aside. At that point, he’d turn that smile upside down, shake his head and announce with a certain heaviness, “Boy, this thing is a mess. I mean, we’ve got a lot of work to do around here.” At that point I’d understand that this person was at least equal parts coach and politician – because the purpose of that strategic little exercise was to begin lowering the bar, reducing expectations of certain media opinion makers, the better to delay the news conference announcing his dismissal or forced resignation.)
So, of course, this is related to Jurgen Klinsmann, the new U.S. national team boss, the longtime object of Sunil Gulati's affection. (Read on for much more ... )
Over the last few days, people have wanted to know what I thought about Klinsmann, about Bradley, about developing styles and improving U.S. Soccer’s place in the global order. And I always have the same answer:
“We’ll see.”
I know it’s not what people want to hear, necessarily. I know everyone gets excited over new coaches, a sentiment that's all about renewed hope. I just take a more measured approach.
I think it’s something of a fool’s errand to write the “thumbs up,” or the “thumbs down” piece. Personally, I feel about Klinsmann the way I believe a lot of people do – things will be more interesting if only because of his less conventional methods and his unusual, diverse background. As I’ve said before, the man is uniquely positioned and possesses a rare blend of foreign know-how with American cultural understanding.
All that said, I won’t pretend to know what’s going to happen. The good journalists out there usually find a way to add something to the discussion, to help you develop a better understanding of the bigger picture, while not pretending to own a crystal ball. Here’s a good example from George Vecsey of the New York Times.
The other story journalists might write off introductory news conferences is the “stenographer’s piece.” That is, you just report what the new guy says he’ll do, with as much detail as he’s willing to provide on how to go about it.
But here’s the problem with that piece (and why I never took great joy in being tasked with that assignment): everybody has the answers as they sit at the podium.
The solutions are a breeze – in theory, that is. But ideology gets you only so far, and it can weigh you down when you start slogging through the really thick muck of it all.
Sometimes coaches have the right plan – but circumstance and fate intervene, and you know what they say about the “best laid plans.”
Then, there’s the management aspect of it all. What happens when things start going wrong? How do you handle the first bad loss? It's out there, believe me.
How do you handle little personnel grass fires, tamping them out before they reach three-alarm status? How do you handle media and fan criticism? (On this one, I think Klinsmann comes from a different place and I don’t believe he’ll be as sensitive to the nasty stuff as Bob Bradley.) Is it just about talent as you winnow the pool and draw up the game rosters, or will you pay attention to locker room chemistry? (Bradley always put together personalities that were sure to get along, even during long and stressful times together, and that always served the program well, I thought.)
Anyway, you get the point.
The “first date” is over for Klinsmann, and I’m personally glad. Now we get to see what this guy is really about. I really don’t think anything Klinsmann said over the last few days was particularly revealing or insightful. Well, except that he prefers to go by “Jurgen,” no extra “e” and no umlaut. That, I found interesting. Otherwise, we’ll see.
The roster that was tentatively set to be announced Wednesday now will be revealed Thursday. Players are still being contacted.
I have a pretty strong suspicion there will be a couple of surprises, at least. As I put on Twitter a while ago, “I’ll be surprised if there are no surprises.”
Then, we can really start biting into the gooey center of this thing – and it will, most definitely, be interesting.
See More:
