When SCNG columnist Jim Alexander asked readers for their opinions, he got a lot of feedback about Los Angeles-area team owners. While Angels owner Arte Moreno (right) remains a polarizing figure, fans have weighed in with their experiences at Dodger Stadium under Mark Walters (bottom left), the Lakers' never-ending coaching turnover under Jeanie Buss (center left) and praise for the way the Rams are run under Stan Kroenke (top left). (Photo by The Associated Press and Getty Images)
There were surprises earlier this month when responses to our column asking the public to rate (or complain about or praise) the owners of their favorite teams started coming in. Surprisingly, given the trend in emails we've received over the past few seasons, not all of them were devoted to the failings of Angels owner Arte Moreno.
Maybe die-hard Angels fans have vented most of their frustrations in these exchanges, or maybe some just don't feel comfortable airing it early in a season where the team is likely to be in last place in the American League West.
The Angels and Moreno have been mentioned multiple times, but the Lakers, who have won just one championship in the past 14 seasons and are in the midst of a coaching search (subtitle: “What Did LeBron Know, and When Did He Know It?”), also have a firm grasp on the sentiment of this market's fan base.
There was also repeated mention of excessive stadium noise, which is pervasive at all levels of sports but seems especially incessant and deafening at Dodger Stadium. The consensus? Please turn down your speaker volume!
(I'm not sure if all of that latter response comes from the “get out of my yard” generation, but noise might be more of a concern for us. If an overpowered Apple Watch stops blaring loud environmental warnings, you'll know things are going to get worse.)
But I was surprised, I expected more responses, if you respond now it's too late to air your dissatisfaction (unless it's something really great).
Anyway, here are some reactions from members of the public, with comments edited for clarity.
“Arturo Moreno is by far the worst,” wrote Andy J. Mariani of San Pedro, who describes himself as an Angels fan since 1967. He cited Moreno's “ability to hide behind 'no comment' to avoid conflict, and then when something needs to be said, bring in shills and cronies like Chairman (John) Carpino to the forefront.” … Yes, the days of the aging Cowboy dancing on top of the dugout with his wife Jackie and the Disney cheerleaders were the worst, but Angels fans are now realizing they've never had a better time.”
Mission Viejo's Steve Keller defended Arte, saying, “Arte spent money and the players let him down.” He suggested that general manager Perry Minasian and the rest of the front office should take responsibility. But as other respondents have previously pointed out, it's important to note that the Angels don't have a president of team operations to oversee the general manager or convince Arte to calm down (or not pull out the checkbook) if necessary.
Keller defended manager Joe Maddon, who was fired early in the 2022 season. Blake Kidd agreed, saying, “I'm really happy that Arte said he wanted someone with experience this year. Joe Maddon didn't have experience? Nothing's going to change unless Arte sells the team and fires Kuhl and Carpino.”
Jim Freer, whose avid Angels fan dates back to the team's founding in 1961, wrote of Moreno, “He doesn't understand the concept that pitching and defense decide championships. They spend a ton of money on hitters and zero on pitchers. Can you give me an update on the '21 draft, where the Angels picked a pitcher every time? Have they 'coached' anyone to the majors?”
Irvine's Matt Quinto was among those who cheered when Moreno said two years ago he was considering selling the team, but of course the joy didn't last long. “This guy (single-handedly) destroyed an MLB franchise while trying to make a land deal for his real estate project,” he wrote. “Terrible, dishonest, fraudulent, a joke — need I say more? These are the words I associate with this fraud owner: 'Hey, look at me! I lowered the price of beer. Never mind that I gutted the farm system at my command and squandered precious payroll funds on underachieving players.'”
Quinto had praise for the Rams and owner Stan Kroenke, and he is one of many fans in the market who turned their backs on the team when Georgia Frontier moved it to St. Louis in 1995, but came back to the team when the Rams returned in 2016. “I am a Rams fan who takes pride not only in the way they play on the field, but also in the way they run their team on a day-to-day basis,” he wrote.
What about his favorite team, the Lakers? “Yes, a great team has fallen,” he wrote. “I like Jeanie (Bass) and what she is trying to do, but she certainly has the least capital of all the NBA owners and has made us a poor franchise in a rich market. … I'm not sure Jeanie can truly do what it takes to make this franchise great again. I hope she proves me wrong.”
Karl and Lori Rinneke placed the blame for the Lakers' problems on vice president of basketball operations Rob Pelinka and the rest of the front office, citing not only the Anthony Davis trade (“AD is a great player, but he doesn't play all the time”) but also the deal that sent Ivica Zubac to the Clippers in early 2019.
“LeBron James should stay out of player decisions. Maybe he should retire rather than talk about playing with his son Bronny. James was a great player. One of the greatest. His time is over. The team will never win a championship as long as he's on it.”
Edward Sussman wrote that the Lakers should cut ties with James, saying, “He's a great player, but a coach killer,” and “The Lakers were a better team with Darvin Ham as coach.” He went on to predict, “The problem here is that if the Lakers draft Bronny, whoever becomes the Lakers' coach will be under pressure from LeBron to use him.”
Beaumont's Steve Benov responded to the suggestion that James should be player-coach (before he realized it was prohibited) with this: “LeBron would never accept a coaching role because, as always, he'd have to fire himself after a year.”
(Rim shot!)
Among the obvious pressing issues among fans who responded were: do not They have to deal with ear-splitting music, people shouting into loudspeaker microphones and recorded pleas for more noise.
“Finally, someone with baseball knowledge is commenting on the excruciating noise levels at Dodger Stadium,” wrote Tom Kaczmarek of Los Alamitos. “The noise hits you the moment you pass security and doesn't stop until you leave the stadium. There was a time when baseball at the ballpark was a time to catch up with family and friends…(or) discuss baseball stats and strategy. Apparently those days have been replaced by nonstop forced laughter.”
Mike Ruben of Anaheim Hills wrote, “The speakers are so loud I had to give up my Ducks tickets. Even the Angels seats are subject to excessive noise.”
So is there a point where the loss of business from potential fans turned off by a noise onslaught outweighs the idea of the kind of vibrant environment marketers crave?
Judy Kent shared her experience at Dodger Stadium: “I was lucky enough to be invited into a suite at the Bank of America a few weeks ago and was shocked at the noise pollution (I haven't been to the stadium in years). It was nearly impossible to have a conversation with anyone while sitting outside and when I got back to the suite it wasn't much better!”
“Where do I send my complaint?”
The information guide on the Dodgers' website lists an email address, fanfeedback@ladodgers.com, and I imagine (or at least hope) that other teams have similar methods for registering complaints and suggestions.
But they don't always listen. I do.
jalexander@scng.com
