RIVER OR LIFE: The front office

Stealing on old bit from the late Big O and Dukes Show, we will spend the next month or so playing "River or Life" with members of the DC United organization, starting with the front office, and then moving on to the players, by position. In an offseason that is bound to include multitudes of changes throughout the club, this will be a great way to show the team who we the fans want to see return next year.

Oscar and Chad used this bit to gauge listener reactions to guests and other show personalities. A vote for RIVER means that you never want to hear from that person again - to send him down the river. A vote for LIFE means that you want to keep the guy around - a stay of execution.

I strongly considered adding a middle ground voting choice, but I'd hate to diminish the effects of a clever bit. Besides, "River or life or something in between" just doesn't have the same ring to it. And with such a black and white voting structure, this will give us a sort of approval rating for each player/coach (even though that gimmick has already been used by another popular local blog). But if you're struggling to decide, feel free to use the comment section as your debate forum.

Starting at the top, Kevin Payne has been the team's President and CEO since 1994, before the official start of MLS. Under his leadership, the club has won 13 trophies and remains the most decorated club in the league, despite the disappointment of the past two years.

poll by twiigs.com

As General Manager, Dave Kasper is responsible for assessing and acquiring talent. His early years with the club saw the acquisitions of Christian Gomez, Freddy Adu, and Alecko Eskandarian. Kasper received a lot of criticism last year for going 0 for 5 in foreign acquisitions, but came back strong with the team's best draft class ever in 2009.

poll by twiigs.com

Tom Soehn finished his three seasons as the team's Head Coach with a 54-48-32 record in all competitions, which isn't exactly on par with the tradition of excellence that came before him. The team faced a tough time the past three years with injuries and fixture congestion, and although Soehn still managed to win a Supporters' Shield in 2007 and the Open Cup in 2008, he has taken a lot of criticism from the fanbase.

poll by twiigs.com