Back when Real Salt Lake was a contender, and Jason Kreis was still glowering his way to victory, and Garth Lagerwey was wisecracking, and Bill Manning was winning awards, I interviewed owner Dell Loy Hansen.
I left thinking much the same as I did when Manning resigned this week as team president: Salt Lake has its own bona fide George Steinbrenner.
Hansen’s résumé isn’t Yankee-esque, but he does have one MLS Cup. That came only weeks after he joined the ownership group in 2009. In 2013, under his sole ownership, the team reached the finals again.
As for confidence, he has that in spades. That’s why he said that day in late 2013 that “we’ve got a really, really good Plan B” if Kreis were to bolt for New York.
Hansen wasn’t a bit worried.
Kings always have a plan.
The latest departure from a once-imposing soccer franchise illustrated just how much of a king Hansen is. A two-time Executive of the Year, Manning left to pursue other interests, i.e. find a job. His explanation was vague, as these things usually are, implying he and Hansen had different philosophies on how to move forward. But beneath the nice talk was the unspoken reality that it’s Hansen’s way or the highway.
Hansen told ESPN-700’s “Bill and O.C. Show”: "The organizational structure was stifled. Bill and I had a great talk. And we both came to the decision as the club became more horizontal with more authority diffused through the organization, that that may not be the organization that he would want to lead."
Sounds to me like the organization is as vertical it gets — with Hansen at the top.
This isn’t the first time a major change has happened. It’s possible that Kreis, Real’s former coach, would have left anyway since New York was calling. Same with Lagerwey, the former G.M., who took a job with Sounders FC. Still, the situation in Salt Lake wasn’t enticing, comfortable or lucrative enough for either to stay, despite their considerable contributions.
From what I can tell from Hansen’s remarks, he’s OK with that. He has another Plan B.
This type of hands-on ownership isn’t unheard of in Utah. Larry H. Miller had his own locker in the Jazz dressing room. He had the final say in every move the team made. Halftime rants weren’t unusual. But for the most part, he let professionals such as Jerry Sloan, Scott and Frank Layden, Kevin O’Connor, etc. run the team. Hansen appears more inclined to moving the chess pieces himself. He’s not invested the exact way as Miller — it’s unlikely you’ll ever see him warming up with the team — but if his turnover rate is any indication, Hansen is even more impatient.
In 2007, he was involved in a highly charged argument at the Salt Lake City and County Building with then-mayor Rocky Anderson. Video of the tiff was everywhere. Last February Hansen rescinded his offer to build a stadium for the Real Monarchs at the Fairpark, after becoming frustrated with legislative dawdling. Immediately he struck a deal with West Valley City for the stadium.
Patience isn’t his strong suit; action is.
Meanwhile, in January he was fined $150,000 by the league for speaking publicly about collective bargaining negotiations. It was the largest fine in MLS history.
That happens when you have enough money to buy Belgium — and strong opinions to go with it.
There’s another Steinbrennerian aspect to Hansen, too, and that’s his absolute certainty. The Yankees boss once said he’d never have a heart attack because his job was to initiate them. Hansen also carries an air of busy importance. But Hansen is harder to corral than former RSL owner Dave Checketts or Miller. You don’t just grab him for a quote at halftime.
Some fans claim Hansen will be the downfall of the franchise. Kreis, Manning, Lagerwey and Checketts built it. Today Real is a bottom-feeder in the standings. The changing face of the league — with rich franchises signing mega-stars — is probably as much to blame as anything. But Hansen says he’s positioning RSL for the future with his moves. He’d be foolish not to. It's the Steinbrenner way to do things.
The original “Boss” in New York changed managers 20 times in his first 23 seasons and hired Billy Martin five times. I don’t know if Hansen would go so far as to fire and rehire coach Jeff Cassar.
I just know there’s a relatively new boss in Utah.
And he’s not taking the team’s disappointing season sitting down.
Email: rock@desnews.com; Twitter: @therockmonster; Blog: Rockmonster Unplugged