Another RSL FO Blunder

fuegote · 08-21-2006, 02:11 PM

Noted Deuce and I'll take care of it (but just so you know, I did nose snort when I read it and wanted it saved forever 😉)

I posted this on BS, this sums it up really:

Quote:

Originally Posted by more pensive fuegote

Let me tell you why this is a big deal for me...and maybe i'm selfish here.

I have this little fan club that I'm trying to grow. I like the size of it but only 12 of us are season ticket holders. I'm trying to convince more to get their season tickets as well. The more season tickets we have, the less likely we'll have to deal with the ticket clerks at the games as well as the parents who think we're a bad influence on their children.

I have been using utefans.net as a way to get more people to matches. One game with us is all I ask. Those who come have had fun, but their loyalty isn't with RSL.

I guess I'm bugged that the group I go to try and recruit has been taken away from me.

bordelais7 · 08-21-2006, 02:14 PM

Serious question: Why is UteFan so upset about this firing? From an outsiders position, it looks like a sound, albeit poorly timed, business decision.

fuegote · 08-21-2006, 02:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bordelais7

Serious question: Why is UteFan so upset about this firing? From an outsiders position, it looks like a sound, albeit poorly timed, business decision.

The University of Utah, those who picked Matt Thomas as the voice of the utes, and they were blindsided by this decision as well. They (the U) want Matt to remain the voice of the utes but they (the U) aren't the ones who can pay his salary.

StarsOnSunday · 08-21-2006, 05:14 PM

I get it, Fue, and I'm not at all a Ute fan. If the powers that be took out a favorite announcer of mine, I'd feel resentment toward the decision makers.

devNull · 08-22-2006, 10:10 AM

I am going to add my two bits here... I love RSL and have slowly converted family and friends into season ticket holders. I will agree w/ Fuegote that the FO is making this harder for me. The people I bring to games aren't necessarily Ute fans, Jazz fans, etc. They are however reasonably informed citizens and see Dave Checketts and his businesses attached to way too many decisions that appear from the outside to be childish and rude. I understand that internally these decisions may make perfect sense and the media can spin things in the wrong way. However, Checketts and his companies could do a better job w/ the PR. People aren't exactly becoming enamored with the actions of him and his companies. As a result this hurts RSL. You can claim that the folks that don't come b/c they have a bad perception of Checketts or the RSL FO as not the kind of people who will buy season tickets if you want. However I would argue that the kind of people who will buy season tickets regardless of who owns the team as the rare case and not the common case. People often try to send a message with their pocketbooks. Sorry it is life. If Checketts and his businesses are perceived as caring and good for the community people will be more likely to buy RSL tickets.

I don't care much for Ute football. I think Matt Thomas was a good guy. He was a decent announcer...not spectacular...but entertaining and not annoying. I see the timing on the firing and the fact that the U wasn't informed of the decision prior to it happening as rude and poor business practice. I hope that there is another side to the story. I just haven't heard it. Why?

Donk · 08-22-2006, 10:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by devNull

I hope that there is another side to the story. I just haven't heard it. Why?

Exactly, if they came out and said his ratings were not as good as others in his time slot, I can buy that. If he pulled a Howard Stern and said something on the air that he should have known better, I can buy that too, but to just up and fire someone, well it just seems to not make any sense. To just fire him and remain silent, makes something that should honestly not be a big deal into a big deal.

Aero · 08-22-2006, 11:10 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Donk

...but to just up and fire someone, well it just seems to not make any sense.

Does opting not to pick up the optional third year of his contract amount to firing a guy? It's not like they are breeching the contract that Thomas actually signed. If he didn't want the radio station to control the option for his third year, then why did he sign a contract with that clause in it?

And the timing that many are complaining about is because the decision to pick up the third year was coming due in a month so they had to make the decision now or sign him for another year.

Quote:

To just fire him and remain silent, makes something that should honestly not be a big deal into a big deal.

Almost every single employer in this country won't tell anyone else why someone is being let go. That's just asking for some kind of lawsuit. I've done interviews for new jobs before and trying to get an old employer to give anything beyond a very general reason for letting someone go is almost impossible. This is standard business practice not to tell people why you let someone go.

I'm sure that they had their reasons. I don't think that anyone woke up yesterday and out of the blue decide "Hey, let's decide not to pick up the optional year on Thomas' contract today."

I agree that not telling the U first was probably a bad idea, but if the U wants to have a say in who they have calling the games, maybe they should be paying his salary. They can't just expect someone else to pay for it and then for them to have control over things.

bordelais7 · 08-22-2006, 11:17 AM

I just wish we could get to the bottom of this and understand exactly what happened in the hopes of perhaps coercing Monson and Graham to follow suit.

Donk · 08-22-2006, 11:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Aero

Does opting not to pick up the optional third year of his contract amount to firing a guy? It's not like they are breeching the contract that Thomas actually signed. If he didn't want the radio station to control the option for his third year, then why did he sign a contract with that clause in it?

This is exactly what we have been asking for. This explaination makes sense. A little clarification on this is all anyone was asking for.

Aero · 08-22-2006, 12:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Donk

This is exactly what we have been asking for. This explaination makes sense. A little clarification on this is all anyone was asking for.

This was in the newspaper article on the subject. It's not like it was a big secret. That's where I found it out. There's quite a bit of information on the subject out there.

http://www.sltrib.com/utahutes/ci_4217730

The article also mentions financial terms might have been a consideration.