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LISTEN: KC Soccer Journal responds to Gavin Wilkinson hiring
Hear from five members of our team as we share our raw feelings about Sporting KC’s new Sporting Director.
Thursday was a really tough day for a lot of Sporting KC fans. There are a lot of emotions and thoughts flying around in response to yesterday’s disappointing news. So, we got five members of our team together to talk about SKC’s decision to hire Gavin Wilkinson as Sporting Director.
It’s a very dark, and gross, Shade of Blue.
In recent years, Sporting KC fans have been quite vocal about feeling forgotten. Ignored, even. With this announcement, the club confirmed this to be true.
They knew exactly what their fans would think of Gavin Wilkinson. But they did it anyway. Because they don’t care.
It’s a punch in the gut from the club we love so much.
READ: Sporting KC hires Gavin Wilkinson
We will continue to cover this story with more articles from different perspectives, so stay close. But please check out the show and get our true, raw reactions to this news.
Find the KC Soccer Journal wherever you get your podcasts. Please subscribe, rate, & review! You can yell at Cody @ThatCodyTho, Thad @TheBackpost, and Robert @SpKCLife.
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I spent a minute taking down my SKC memorabilia in my office just now. Like Cody said, all that talk I bought into about culture and values, evaporated. I don’t understand how this is Pursuing Excellence Everyday, or Team First (especially for the women on your broader organizational team or in your stadium).
Just tremendously disappointing.
I have two Caps that have sat on my newel posts for 10 and 9 years, respectively. I took them down yesterday, and will probably have my bumper sticker removed.
That’s why I only use magnets on my car. And thank you for reminding me to remove that as well.
I think we also determined that our energies will be going solely to supporting the Current this year.
First, I want to say I am very heartened by how so many of the comments on here are questioning this hiring and its implications. It seems that the backlash is going strong on Sporting’s Facebook and Twitter accounts (no IG post yet) along with Reddit. I’m glad fans are also not having it in regard to the supporter’s groups incredibly tone deaf responses.
The club knew this hire was going to be met with intense backlash, that’s why the announcement is buried on the website and Wilkinson’s name and image aren’t included anywhere. I can buy that setting up a zoom for more press to be included yesterday was difficult due to personnel/short notice, but let’s be real. They announced this on Thursday before preseason hoping the fan base would move on quick.
I also wonder how the players feel about this, and if they will act on it either openly or privately. It’s worth noting Ike Opara just announced a partnership with a DV org in KC; I’d imagine he has some thoughts on this.
PV dancing around the question on if women were consulted in this process paired with no women in attendance at the press conference… I have no words. Well, I have words, just extremely expletive laden ones. Part of me wonders if PV was up against the wall and forced to hire someone for delegation, and instead of going with the best candidate went with the guy so desperate to get back in the fold he was willing to make himself at home under PV’s thumb with no complaints.
ETA: thank you for acknowledging the other people involved with the club who are likely very unhappy with this; they need acknowledgment and support. Especially the women.
Please don’t feel the need to apologize for not having a woman immediately available for comment. I appreciate that KCSJ is covering this at all let alone so comprehensively and thoughtfully. It’s no secret I’ve had a really hard time posting here the last few years. It’s difficult having been the only woman (at least openly) regularly and consistently commenting on here and TBT for years now. I always had to be incredibly careful about everything I wrote and nowadays I really have to consider with every comment I make if the harassment I receive is worth it. I appreciate that this topic is up for open discussion, and I am sorry that any posts I’m in leads to more work on the moderation end. I’m very appreciative of all your work.
That said, I can take the downvotes, but I am always down for a constructive discussion.
I’ve been wondering how the players feel as well and if anyone would come out against the hiring. How can the player’s wives, girlfriends, and children feel comfortable being at the stadium knowing Wilkinson’s past? I wouldn’t want my daughter to be exposed to someone like that.
I believe in second chances, but they have to be earned through actions. Was yesterday the first time he apologized to the victims? If so, he hasn’t changed. I need to have a better understanding of how he’s changed. It won’t change my stance on the situation, but what did he say during the interview process that made him the best candidate? Did they only consider his record and not the allegations? It’s hard to imagine there wasn’t a better option. I have more questions than answers. The more I learn, the list of questions continues to grow. Ugh.
The Cauldron released some weak statement welcoming the Q&A as an opportunity for dialogue. They’re rapidly abdicating their position as advocates for the fan base.
The Ladies of SKC, on the other hand, released this:
https://docs.google.com/document/d/17VLXI9meFU5-oDD3on2n6KdHq6KsC73OATwaUH_o4fs/mobilebasic
I support this 100%.
I was thinking of taking my dad to a game for his birthday on March 2nd and springing for some seats close to pitch side and in the middle. I think I’ll take him to lunch and play some cards instead.
I’ve been super frustrated with PV and ownership for a few years. Good job SKC…you took the small amount of money that I allowed myself to spend on SKC and diverted it to other things. I hope everyone does the same…SKC is a business. We (the collective WE) can hurt them with our dollars. Make the owners bleed money and I guarantee they will change.
Hi, first time commenting here. I have been supporting the team since 96 and I moved away about a decade ago so I’m not as in the loop as I used to be but I still watch every single game. I’m curious from folks that are more knowledgeable about team communications, what is the best way to send a general email to the organization about this? I’ve gotten off social media many years ago. I realize it won’t make it’s way up the chain but it’s something. All I can find on their website is: ClientServices@SportingKC.com Does that seem like the right starting point?
I actually found the same problem. They say “Please use the list of emails below for general inquiries” but there’s literally no basic way to digitally contact the team. The email you give specifically says it’s only for STM inquiries, and they don’t give any other contact address, just ways to follow on social media.
Over at Media Information there’s a table of more specific contacts for Communications staff, though again those are presented as for media use rather than general inquiries. It’s kind of crazy there’s no way to just write the team to ask about something or provide input.
Absolutely fits the model of “we don’t actually care what you think”
There’s a Chrome plugin called Hunter. It’ll scrape sites for any emails tied to that domain name. Install it and Silgn up for a free account/sign in with your Google account, and it gives you up to like 25 results for free (if not more). Blast emails out to every one of those contacts
The format that the ticket reps use is:
FirstName.LastName@sportingkc.com
Management may use something different, but it might be worth a shot.
To Chuck who is waiting for approval:
Maybe send them an old fashioned letter: https://www.sportingkc.com/news/sporting-kc-moves-new-downtown-office
We emailed our ticket rep, but who know where that info goes. And not everyone has even that option. I think you are hitting on one of the complaints some have expressed in these KCSJ comments. The avenues for bi-directional communication over the last few years seem to have atrophied a bit.
I emailed to cancel my season tickets. If I can’t then I’m posting all of them for sale – at a markup.
I can’t support an organization when they dug underneath the low bar.
Once it gets above 0° I am taking my license plate holder off my car. I would have taken it off sooner but it was helping to hold my temp tag in place. Got my new plate today. I canceled MLS Season Pass after the announcement and unsubscribed from the SKC calendar I had in my phone. I am done.