Mechelle "Gets" It . . .
A MUST-READ column today by well-known sportswriter Mechelle Voepel on ESPN.com.
Link Here.
A little preview of Mechelle's article . . .
A MUST-READ column today by well-known sportswriter Mechelle Voepel on ESPN.com.
Link Here.
A little preview of Mechelle's article . . .
Just as Bill Murray woke up again and again to the same song in "Groundhog Day," the Mystics' faithful must wonder how many more times they have to hear about a new coach/new direction for a franchise that never seems to run out of ways to pull the rug out from under them....And a little more . . .
Although there's the fiendishly-clever twist this time of doing it after the Mystics had their most successful season ever.
It was as if the intrepid Mystics faithful had been clinging to life preservers and staying afloat all this time, and now at last, the actual ship had arrived for them to get on.And a final bit here. . .
Perhaps they should have known it was too good to last.
...when asked about the fans' anger over lack of communication for a month, Johnson said, "It's not appropriate to sit up there and let our fans know every little move we're making. That is not good business. The fans, I hope at this point, are going to trust enough and trust in me, in our decision.Oh yeah, Mechelle definitely "gets" it.
"We are doing the best we can to make the Mystics a solid and viable franchise. If we go into nit-picking and 'They should let us know every little move [they] make,' that's not appropriate, and it's not good business."
....Here's what is actually not good for business: failing to use basic communication courtesy with the fans who are spending their money to keep your franchise going. We're not even asking the Mystics to abide by the old staple, "the customer is always right." We're saying the customer is worth a return e-mail.
posted by BasketCases @ 2:56 PM
19 comments
19 Comments:
Throughout all of this I have neglected to thank the Basket Cases for your great information. This was the first site I checked, knowing that if there was information to be had, it would be here. Since the Mystics aren't very interested in garnering a community, this blog is an invaluable resource. So thank you for being the voice of reason amidst a lot of insanity!
wow, great article. The Mystics are such a sorry organization. I am not a long time season ticket holder. I only started last year so I haven't been through it like many of you seem to have over all of these years. I wish I could make it hurt in their pockets by not buying season tickets but it won't hurt them that much. It will just hurt the players. The wnba is hanging on barely. This isn't men bball or hockey where it would hurt their pockets big time. To be honest, that's why they don't care to explain. The Mystics are an after thought. I expect better from Sheila Johnson. Let's just hope this franchise survives. Again, it's about these ladies being able to play basketball full time and being role models to other ladies.
Thanks Basketcases for sharing Mechelle Voepel's article--your quote from Sheila Johnson regarding, "not appropriate to sit up there and let fans know every little move we're making" speaks so strongly to a total disregard to we original season ticket holders who have held on and held on. Do I trust her decision? Not in the least! Having been one who has sent numerous emails with NO response, not even a "customer friendly" acknowledgement of receipt of my emails, is the epitome of bad business. I do not want to see this affect our players anymore than it already has , yet I still search for some concrete way of getting through to the powers that be...As Mechelle says, "Wow, nothing beats the lethal combination of condescending and out-of-touch." Meanwhile I will be emailing Mechelle Vopel's article to everyone I know, and asking them to forward to the Mystics organization with a tagline "Mechelle sums up my thinking" or any other tagline that summarizes our total disgust and dismay.
Thanks BCs. I had been checking espn.com every day for some words from Mechelle and yeah, she got it really well.
Reading your words about this whole fiasco made me feel pain for all of us regulars, but especially for you two because having seen you at games and events all these years, I could feel the pain through your writings.
I truly appreciate this blog and the BCs. Even if I attended a game, I always looked for your report because I knew I probably missed something that you observed.
Thanks for your hard work.
100B6
A year ago right now, I was determined NOT to renew my season tickets. But since I'd been with them since the very beginning, I decided to give them one more try. I was THRILLED with last season and renewed by paying in full at the earliest opportunity to make sure I got playoff tickets. Now...I regret that decision. Unfortunately I paid the full amount so I can't even decline to make the next payment. I feel duped, lied to, and angry. Classic bait and switch.
I'll have to go with Mechelle Voepel's comments: "If I were a Mystics season-ticket holder writing checks to support this circus, I'd have to take a deep breath and remind myself that my financial investment was for the good of the players. They are the talented high-wire performers, and whatever's happening with the clown show below is not their fault."
SIGH
The problem is that as Season Ticket Holders, if we give up our tickets, we WILL lose the Mystics. I love the summer because of this team. I will continue to purchase my season tickets because I love the game. I will find other ways to show my distaste for what happened. But if all of you threatening to ask for your money back, then it will Bye-Bye to the players, whether current Mystics or not, that we enjoy watching. My boss doesn't tell me why someone was fired. And if he does, I find out eventually that the reason he said was not the real reason. It was something that I relly didn't need to know about. I don't like what the front office did, but I cannot help but think there is more to this than we know. But please, support the players. Keep your tickets.
The only people that are going to be responsible if the Mystics fold is Sheila Johnson and the upper management of Mystics organization. They after numerous dissappointing seasons had finally found a dedicated coach and were building a successful team/program. Who in their right mind would dismantle a successful gm and coach if they were suffering on the business side? I may not be a millionaire but I do have common sense. Make changes within the organization to save money. Not by letting go your most successful gm and coach.
A core group of Mystics fans and season ticket holders have VOLUNTARILY called individuals and organizations to help sell game and season tickets EVERY season. Fans have accepted and distributed hundreds of tickets to groups and organizations in order to help publicize the team and fill seats. Fans have very generously supported all the charitable efforts of this team and the WNBA. So the lack of any communication really shows a lack of class.
When they want fan assistance, we are called "family." But it has been made clear that the Mystics are a business, a poorly run business, it seems. I will definitely keep that in mind in the future as I consider where to spend my time and treasure.
Section 112 (Not feeling like such a VIP season ticket holder now.)
As Mechelle pointed out in her great write up the scuttlebutt is that the players had a significant dislike for Julie but really liked Trudee. So maybe that played a big part in the decision making to. May be there is a possibility that Maryann stays and my fingers are crossed for the re-emergence of Vickie Bullet. I would be happy with that. At the end of the day, the players are still here and that is most important. You can always find a talented coach, but its harder to find talented players.
Agree with the post that hopefully Maryann and Vicki stay. Also agree that the only people really hurt by not buying season tickets would be the players. If any players read this blog, please please PLEASE know that we do really love having professional women's players be here in the nation's capital and want you to thrive and succeed, no matter how unhappy we are with management!!
Dear Anonymous 12:49PM,
Since Ms. Johnson tried for a month to get Julie to accept the combo GM/HC job, we seriously doubt that the players’ likes or dislikes played any role (big or small) in the decision.
As for “you can always find a talented coach”, we doubt you will find many long-time Mystics fans who have lived (and suffered) through the revolving door of 10 different coaches (prior to Julie) who would agree with this statement. However, while fans may disagree with you, we are confident that Ms. Johnson shares your point of view...since she views coaching as just “a crap shoot.”
--BC
Dear Anonymous 1:13 PM,
We agree with Ms. Johnson about one thing: the WNBA is a business. (It’s not a charity.) As in other businesses, employees of mismanaged businesses are often the people most affected by the poor decisions made by their bosses. WNBA players are no exception.
We believe that every fan has a right to decide whether they wish to pay for the entertainment being marketed by the Mystics business. If fans feel the recent actions of Mystics management have made them so unhappy that they no longer wish to spend their money on the product the Mystics are selling, we support that decision. And we feel very strongly that any fan who reaches that decision should NOT be made to feel guilty about it.
Likewise we support the decision of those fans who decide they want to continue buying tickets to support the players or for whatever reasons are important to them. Again, it's an individual decision.
If the fallout from the current situation ends up having an adverse impact on the players, the responsibility falls squarely on the shoulders of Mystics management, not on any individual fan.
--BC
I for one have a hard time believing anything Sheila Johnson says or a sportswriter writes as the absolute truth. There are two sides to every story and then there is the truth. Bottom line, Mystics made a bad move with releasing Angela and Julie. They had success for the first time in many years. Sheila Johnson doesn't know what it takes to support a WNBA team. She has let down many fans.
You are right BC's. Everyone has to make their own decision-to buy or not to buy tickets any longer. And if the Mystics fold, it will be because of poor management by the organization. I will continue to buy tickets just to support the players.
I can imagine how stressful having double duties of GM/Head Coach can be but with the help that Julie had in Stanley, I wonder why Julie felt that having the two positions wasn't for her? They seemed to work well together and they aren't as busy in the offseason, I would think it could be pulled off for several months until Stanley came back.
I don't know. It just seems like if we are to believe that it took Julie a month to decide, that she was seriously considering it because this is a job she wanted to keep. So why give up your best head coaching opportunity?
Shock and awe! If this is how Sheila runs a business, I strongly suggest never going to her golf resort in Florida or her fancy spa thing in Virginia. I'm sure mowing the greens costs a lot of money. And why use fancy oils when a little Crisco will do the trick for a massage. Idiotic!
I would guess that every Mystics fan has been affected by an unfortunate decision in their workplaces in some way, whether it's layoffs, budget cuts, or something else. As a manager myself, I agree that it is inappropriate to discuss staff changes until they have occurred. HOWEVER, it also is inappropriate to state that things will continue to head in a particular direction when one knows that won't be the case (e.g., during season ticket renewals). And after bad news is shared, it's essential to increase communication and acknowledge that one's actions affect more than the bottom line, while showing your commitment. This is the most critical stage, because if you don't get the loyalty of those who remain, you will never recover.
The decisions themselves were bad enough. But for me, the contempt for the fans is what is causing the most disappointment and disallusion. It's no coincidence that contempt for one's partner is the leading sign that a couple is headed for divorce.
Putting the fault on Julie, as if she took a month to decide about her job opportunity, is a way for Ms. Johnson to passify fans as to Ms. Johnson's own mistakes in not handling this whole situation responsibly. What is Mr. Bibb's role in this fiasco? He handles the financial side of the Mystics. Did he advise Ms. Johnson about getting rid of Angela as a cost saving measure??? What are his intentions??????? It seems as if someone like Mr. Bibb may have been the one to start this whole ball rolling.
It's interesting how Bibb said the Mystic's problems were due to continual changes in coaching staff when he hired Julie Plank 2 years ago. Apparantly he thinks we have short memories.
Angela Taylor could not have been making much to begin with. Makes you wonder what the offer was that she turned down. In mens sports, we would know. Winning brings in fans---money. Why get rid of a GM who clearly has turned your org around--and therefore attracted more fans--money. You are right Sheila, it is all about business. But, she doesnt seem to understand business 101. There is something terribly wrong with the Mystics organization.
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