Vilified for everything from draft picks to failing to bring Harrison as a reality "sooner", Nick Sakiewicz is far from the most loved man in MetroStars lore, but has history been an accurate judge of his record? He still is the only GM to lead the team as deep into the playoffs as they went in 2000 and the team consistently drew better crowds in those earlier years then what is seen now. Even the bottom-line of the team was far rosier then the numbers seen under the new ownership. Have we all been too hard on Nick?

Nick was gracious enough to join MetroFanatic for this interview, being fully aware that he is not the most liked man on this website. Nick Sakiewicz has a unique place in the MetroStars tradition that should be judged according to the full breadth and depth of his merits, not just on individual moments and personal hostility. I was joined by Jason Endres of Yanks Abroad and NyNjSoccer for this interview. This interview was a real eye-opener for the two of us, and I am sure you'll find it interesting as well. -- K. Dyer

KD: Nick, thanks for joining MetroFanatic for this interview. First things first. You are, by all accounts, vilified by the hard-core element of the fan base. Why do you feel you have accrued the disdain? Is this a deserved reputation?
NS: Thankfully there are only a hand full of hardcore supporters that don't like me and I'm really not sure why. I'm very proud of what was accomplished while the MetroStars were under my management and one would think that they would be proud of that as well. Anyway, you can't please everyone and I sort of know where some of that disdain is coming from. It still can't take away all that my staff, players and I accomplished in five seasons.

KD: The team is now in its second general manager since you left the post last summer to assume a position with AEG. What are your thoughts about the job Red Bull is doing and the personnel moves made by the previous administrations?
NS: Its not my job or place to criticize the performance of other managers and owners. Let the track record speak for itself. I think there is too much finger pointing in our business and if people just stuck to their own knitting I think our teams and League would be much more successful. I am very proud of the job we did over five seasons with the MetroStars. A "worst to first" turnaround in 2000 with the club's first championship trophy, the Eastern Conference championship, playoff appearances four out of five seasons, a US Open Cup Final appearance, overall winning record through five seasons; consistently in the top half of the league in points and standings (except the one season the team failed to make the playoffs), always in the top two or three teams in ticket sales/revenue and sponsorships reaching almost $2 million a year with no soccer specific stadium, first MLS team to expand local television coverage with enhanced programming and quality on-air talent, developed and sold Tim Howard's rights for a record transfer fee, acquired successful players like Clint Mathis, Adolfo Valencia, Eddie Pope, Jaime Moreno, Amado Guevara and Youri Djorkaeff. Teed up a $10 million state-of-the-art training facility and finalized the financing of a new soccer-specific stadium in Harrison. Founded and developed the best youth development academy system in MLS in 2001 that produced MLS Rookie of the year Rodrigo Faria, up and coming Red Bull rookie Josmer Altidore, numerous college scholarships for players in the system, nine youth national team players, 2005 U-16 North American Champions, two time Dallas Cup finalists and three 2006 Super-Y League finalists.

JE: Are there any existing stadiums that compare with the look and feel of what Red Bull Park will be? How so?
NS: None in the US or Canada. Red Bull Park will truly be a unique place and the design has been well thought out. We spent years developing the designs and one of the residual benefits to the negotiating process taking so long was that we learned so much from Columbus, Home Depot, Pizza Hut Park and Toyota Park. Also, I made numerous trips and studied European designs that we incorporated into the stadium design. It's been an incredible learning process for me. I feel like I have a PhD in soccer stadiums Ha! For example we loved how the lower level of seating at Highbury (Arsenal's old grounds) was only a few rows deep and so close to the playing pitch so we incorporated that into Red Bull Park. We've taken some of the best elements of stadiums in Europe like bringing the club seating and suites down closer to the pitch and designing the clubs so that fans that are club members can have views of the players walking on and off the field. The roof structure is very European and there are a number of stadiums that have a similar look from a roof standpoint. So although I can't say any one particular stadium looks like Red Bull Park parts if it does look like stadiums we took ideas from.

KD: Now that Harrison is well underway to being a reality in 2008, what is your daily function with AEG? Will there be a time when we see Nick Sakiewicz as general manager of a MLS club again?
NS: I've become much busier now with a lot of fun stuff. I'm working with the town, county and our construction managers to make sure the building progresses on time, on budget and is done the right way. I'm managing the sales, operations and marketing of the stadium, which includes other programming, sponsorships, suites and premium seats. I'm working with international club teams and federations to bring international soccer to Red Bull Park and developing new programs that will make our company and the stadium a big success. As far as managing another club is concerned I would like to do that again someday because I miss the competitive part. I'm a former soccer player and do miss the competition side of things. I've done a lot as a founding executive of the league over 12 years but there is one thing I still want to do and that is to win an MLS Cup.

JE: As compared with the current security at Giants Stadium for Red Bulls games, how will the rules differ at Red Bull Park? Will flagpoles and smoke bombs be allowed inside the stadium?
NS: Red Bull Park will be fan-friendly inside and out. We will work closely with the fan groups to allow flagpoles, smoke (not bombs) as long as it's not a health risk to others and anything else that enhances the fan experience. I really believe we have an opportunity to set a new standard for sports facilities in the New York New Jersey area and I'm very committed to making sure we set that standard.

KD: Harrison is going to be a true monument to the sport, however, there is some concern among the more rabid fans in the supporters club that they might be squeezed out of the stadium due to ticket prices. Further, it seems that with 9,000 seats in the lower bowl and the emphasis being on corporate sales, that the supporters might be relegated to the upper reaches of the stadium. Are you able to address these concerns?
NS: First of all, there is something for everybody in this stadium and we have not sold out the design or the pricing to the corporate community. Even the worst seat at Red Bull Park is better than the best seat at Giants Stadium and ticket prices will be affordable as compared to the other stadiums in the market. This soccer stadium is the real deal and whether it is Red Bull NY or international soccer game all fans are going to be able to enjoy the very best soccer stadium in America and one of the best in the world. It's an expensive stadium with incredible amenities for soccer fans and therefore there is a price to pay for all that. However, we are conscious of the fact that we want to make it reasonable for every financial level. There is no alternative other than to play at a high school field and lower ticket prices and that is not what anyone wants.

KD: The new stadium will obviously host the Red Bulls. What other events, both soccer and non-soccer related, will be generating revenue in Harrison?
NS: Big international soccer matches, major musical concerts and festivals, professional lacrosse, women's soccer, international rugby and high school and college soccer. The stadium will host 40 to 60 events between the March 15 and December 15 timeframe.

JE: How many international soccer games can we expect to see at Red Bull Park each season? Will these games be included in the season ticket package?
NS: We are looking to do 8-12 international games. Club seat and suite holders will have all events (non-soccer as well) included in their packages. Red Bull Season ticket holders will have first priority to purchase international games (where Red Bull NY is not one of the participants) and non-soccer events.

JE: In terms of transit, how will NJ Transit adjust to increased traffic in the area? Will there be more frequent stops in Harrison?
NS: There is already a very high frequency of NJ Transit stops in Harrison as well as Newark. The bus stops combined with the PATH and Newark Penn Station make this area the most accessible area in the region. It is one of the major reasons we picked this location to build the stadium in the first place.

KD: George Zoffinger was a nemesis rather then an asset throughout much of the approval process for the stadium. Why did he vehemently oppose Harrison? Will the NJSEA have a role in any form in Harrison? Is AEG and Red Bull willing to work with the NJSEA to sponsor events at Harrison, or are all bridges burned?
NS: We were willing to work with NJSEA and in fact were in some pretty good negotiations at two stages during the process. The first was before George Zoffinger became president of the NJSEA and the second time was towards the end just before we announced the deal back in August 2005. The first time talks broke down because we deemed the Meadowlands too expensive to build on and needed a lot of public money, which wasn't available to make the construction work. The second time was back in May-June of 2005 but those talks broke down because the NJSEA wanted too much. The deal was too rich for us and we didn't want to loose control of managing the stadium. No one manages stadiums and arenas like AEG and I believe we have a great opportunity to set the bar in this market as far as overall fan experience. Red Bull Park will truly be a park. Good food, friendly faces, world-class customer service, etc, etc. That overall standard does not exist in this market and we believe only AEG can deliver on that promise. The NJSEA will have no involvement in Red Bull Park. It will be 100% AEG managed.

JE: Moving to another topic, tell us your favorite Clint Mathis story.
NS: There are so many I don't know where to begin. I guess the one that made my eyes pop out was when I heard that he named the night club in the basement of his town home the POGO Lounge. POGO is an interesting name and must stand for something.

KD: Bob Bradley came to the team in 2002 with much promise and hope. He was fired before the end of the 2005 season, with his team very much in the playoff hunt. Do you agree with the decision that was made?
NS: Again, I don't ever criticize other teams' managers because you never know the inside story. I don't know what the team dynamic was at the time, what the atmosphere was in the locker room or what the situation was between Alexi and Bob. Bob is a very good and successful coach as was Octavio Zambrano but sometimes the situation changes and I just don't know enough about what things were like to comment on the firing of Bob Bradley at that particular point in time.

KD: Would you have let Bradley finish the 2005 season?
NS: Yes, Bob and I had a very good working relationship. He is a pro and I enjoyed working closely with him. I think we had a lot of success while he was here and together we overcame some big challenges (Tim Howard leaving, Tab Ramos retiring and not getting an allocation for that, Jaime Moreno's injury problems).

KD: If the team did miss the playoffs, would you have re-signed him for another season or would you have gone into overhaul mode?
NS: I don't think the team would have missed the playoffs but no matter if it did or didn't I would have given Bob another season with some options if we did well. Again, he has proven he is a very good coach in our league, he works hard, is honest and has earned the right to be given a chance to win. We actually had a pretty good team in 2005. It was young and need some tweaks in some key positions because of the Moreno and Pope thing but overall the team was pretty solid positionally. I wanted to go after another striker and a couple of attacking flank players but never got the chance. There were too many distractions in 2005 and I think that made it difficult for the players and coaches to concentrate on the task at hand.

KD: If you were still the General Manager of the New York Red Bulls would Ante Razov still be at the club?
NS: Yes.

JE: What is the one move you regret most from a player personnel standpoint that you did or did not do?
NS: Over five seasons I think we not only brought some good players in but also made moves that allowed players like Tim Howard blossom. Adolfo Valencia, Lothar Matthaus, Youri Djorkaeff, Clint Mathis, Roy Myers, Rodrigo Faria, Jaime Moreno, Eddie Pope, Amado Guevara along with strong drafts in 2000, 2001 and 2004 were all things I was very proud of. Octavio Zambrano and Bob Bradley were both good coaches and I enjoyed working with them and thought they represented our club well. We accomplished some good stuff under both their reigns as head coach. The one move that I regret and it's not because he is a bad player is signing Sergio Galvan Rey. His style and physical stature was not a good fit for us and I should have known that. That is the one do-over I would like to have back. He is a proven goal scorer but physically and they way we played him was not the right fit. We had a limited amount of money from the Howard transfer and we just went for it but it was the wrong move in retrospect.

JE: Having worked in the New York area for quite some time I'm sure you have seen how passionate the New York/Philadelphia rivalry is. How important do you believe it is to have a MLS team in Philadelphia?
NS: Very, very important. I sat in a room 12 years ago before we had owners and names of teams and we had Philly very high on our list of cities. I personally think Philly can be one of the best markets in MLS. The rivalry along the I-95 corridor with DC United, Red Bulls and the Revolution would be incredible. I'm very bullish on Philadelphia and think the fans and the corporate community in that market will strongly support an expansion team. We also need Philly to drive better TV ratings. With 7 million people in the DMA it represents the biggest market MLS is not in and would result in better TV ratings.

KD: Nick, if you had to clear up one misconception about you, what would it be?
NS: Most people that know me know this is not true but for some reason some of the fans that hang around MetroFanatic think I'm this egomaniacal self-centered manager. I think it started when the Herald News made a comparison between George Steinbrenner and I when I first took over the MetroStars in 2000. I came in hard with a plan and executional strategy that shook some trees. I cleaned house and we made some bold moves, which resulted in the best year the club has ever enjoyed. That needed to be done. However, I'm certainly no George Steinbrenner, although I admire what he has done with the Yankees. I'm actually quite the opposite. I'm a hard-driving workaholic with a very high standard for excellence, which sometimes translates to people on the outside thinking or perceiving me differently. But I'm also fair, collaborative and give people that work for me a lot of responsibility and "rope" to get the job done. If they succeed I push them out into the limelight. If they stumble I try to help them and if they totally fail they hang themselves with that rope. I hire good people and as you can see other people think so as well since many ex-MetroStars employees are now in senior level positions at other successful clubs like Houston and Chicago. What would you want the fans to know? That all I care about is the team and the league being successful. I was one of the first executives hired by the league back in 1995 and helped build what is MLS today. All I care about is this league and particularly the New York Red Bulls being successful.

KD: Nick, thanks for joining MetroFanatic.