Of the various kind of tributes one can make to a beloved sports figure – buying a jersey, expressing kind words on social media or simply offering a standing ovation – there’s nothing like putting your money - or maybe some booze, where your mouth is.
From a bottle of top-shelf vodka to a campaign to raise money for a bilboard, New York Red Bulls fans are not falling short in the creative department when it comes to expressing disdain for the firing of beloved head coach Mike Petke.
It all started when two New York Red Bulls fans offered up a bottle of Grey Goose along with some tonic delivered to the doorstep of freshly fired Petke, apparently correct in the assumption that the most successful boss in club history needed to dull the pain about as much as shocked fans did.
Petke himself tweeted out a picture of the gracious gift, saying it would go to good use.
The offering, of course, was exemplary of how many in Red Bulls land were feeling after the surprising nature in which Petke was shown the door in favor of former Montreal Impact head coach Jesse Marsch.
And it wasn't the only tribute.
The intro page of the fan blog MetroFanatic.com has been changed to a timeline memorial of Petke's years with the Red Bulls – and all that he helped the club accomplish as a player and coach using the theme, "Mike Petke was there." The empassioned tome ends with the line, "You were always there for us, Mike Petke."
Another group of fans started a fundraising campaign on the crowd-sourcing website, IndieGogo.com, for a bilboard condemning the firing.
It's all understandable. As a coach, Petke did, after all, lead the previously star-crossed Red Bulls to their first major trophy with a Supporters’ Shield in 2013 and then to the Eastern Conference Championship this past season. As a player, he was a New York icon.
So cheers to those who have commiserated with how RBNY fans – not to mention the man who called his two years leading the team a “dream” – must be feeling right about now.
