Ivan Soto needs to get a clue

AFLPU Executive Director Ivan Soto (@luv2nvst on Twitter) continues to make himself look like a complete ass on Twitter.  The latest target of his stupid antics is the fan site AFLFanZone.  Soto tweeted out the following message tonight.

Notice the name of the website in question.  AFLFanZone as in fans.  This is a fan site with message boards which serves as the mouthpiece of the AFL fans around the country.  It doesn't matter what team you root for, everyone is welcome on the site.   They don't write articles and cover teams like a professional news organization.  They are the lifeblood of the sport, the fans themselves.

What kind of idiot attacks the fans, especially when trying to imply the owners can afford bigger salaries.  Doesn't he realize the increased cost of business will get passed down to the very fans he is trashing?  Even better in earlier tweets he asks for fan support during all of this.  So which is it?  Do you want the fans support or not?

One should expect some professionalism out of the guy in charge of the player's union, but this is Soto we're talking about.  He tweets out messages about there being a 10% chance of games being played last weekend then acts all shocked when the owners go and do something to ensure the game goes on as scheduled. 

Most union leaders in this country would be furious if some of their players crossed the picket line, but Soto himself tweeted he was glad the players did.

The fact they crossed showed how weak the union was in this case.  Soto would have you believe that at least 90% of the players are completely on board with the union plan, but as we saw last Friday in Orlando, over half of the Power players crossed to play in the game.

Don't get me wrong, I do feel the players deserve more compensation for their efforts.  They should be paid for all weeks they are involved with the team, including bye weeks and training camp.  In the case of a trade their relocation costs should be handled by the league.  But they deserve to have competent leadership capable of getting that message across to the league in a professional manner.

If I'm an owner, am I really going to take a guy with the Twitter name "@Luv2nvst" seriously?   Is it too much to ask that you get a professional sounding Twitter name?  What does that stand for anyways? 

AFLPU Headquarters

If you look and act the part, people will be inclined to take you more seriously.   Why don't you try something simple like @AFLPU_Soto.  Of course since he blocks just about anyone who says anything bad to him on Twitter then why bother in the first place.  A week ago he had 45 followers and most of the ones he has picked up are media types who need a good laugh when he tweets out more garbage.


Here's one thing I am curious about.  I'm told the cost to join the AFLPU is $240.00 per player.  21 active players times 17 teams equals $85680 in union dues.  That doesn't even count the players who get signed midseason.  That's a lot of coin and you have to wonder how that money is being spent.   Knowing Soto, he probably invested the money in a new AFLPU office.  I put a picture of it over to the right.  This certainly puts the PU in AFLPU.

Here's the bottom line.  This league is two years removed from bankruptcy.  The league had to shut down because its economic model was flawed.  That's why salaries went down drastically.  We're now at the point where there are a lot of equally talented players waiting in the wings for a chance to play this game.  They are eager to show what they can do and are more than willing to play for what the league is currently offering.

Ivan Soto needs a
copy of this book.

I love the arena football league but it's still a minor league sport.  It's still niche entertainment.  Most of these guys are not good enough to play in the NFL.  That doesn't change the fact that fans will throw their support behind their favorite teams, and that doesn't mean these guys suck.  What it does mean is that each and every player is replaceable.  If you're replaceable, then what kind of leverage do you have in trying to negotiate a 300% pay raise AFTER agreeing to a contract at a lower rate.

Bottom line, the union deserves someone who didn't learn how to negotiate while staying at a Holiday Inn Express.  They deserve better.  Isn't that what this whole fight was supposed to be about all along?  Improving things for the players?

Get a real leader in place, and maybe the league will do the right thing.  Stop attacking the people who help pay for your player's salaries.  Stop attacking the people who do actually care about this sport. 

Negotiating 101.  Stop trying to use the cliff notes version.

Be sure to let him know what your thoughts are concerning this entire mess by emailing him at Ivan.Soto@aflpu.org