“I am responsible,” Nelson Rodriguez said during last Thursday’s season-ending roundtable press conference. “I didn’t do a good enough job. No one should blame ownership. We have all the resources that we need to succeed. It’s not the fault of the coaches or the staff. This season has my fingerprints on it.”



Like coach Veljko Paunovic a few days before him, Rodriguez attempted to shoulder the blame for a 2018 season that fell drastically short of expectations following a bit of a franchise reinvigoration the previous season. As the president and general manager, Rodriguez is certainly the individual with the most influence and authority and rightfully should bear much of the brunt of fan anger after the Fire missed the playoffs for the seventh time in the past nine seasons. In acknowledging the club’s failings over the past 12 months, he pointed to a need for urgency but maintained that he believes in his process and restrained...