Seattle Sounders leave decision on retaining GM up to fan vote

Major League Soccer’s Seattle Sounders have come up with a novel way of determining whether to keep a general manager each season. Ask the fans to vote.

That is what the Sounders did, asking their season-ticket holders and members of “The Alliance,” the official fan club of the Sounders, to vote on whether to retain General Manager Adrian Hanauer.

Thursday night, comedian Drew Carey, a part owner of the team, announced that 96% of the 13,775 votes cast were to retain Hanauer.

“I’m very touched that obviously a great portion of the fans were supportive and felt that we’re doing a pretty decent job. The one thing that is absolutely, positively for sure is that it will not be taken for granted,” Hanauer told the Seattle Times.

Sounders majority owner Joe Roth said, “We are absolutely committed to winning an MLS Cup, and if we don’t win, it’s not because we haven’t spent enough money for players. We may have picked the wrong players, but believe me, if the equivalent of [Galaxy forward] Robbie Keane is out there, we’ll go get him and pay for him.”

The Sounders finished in third place in the Western Conference and lost to the Galaxy in the Western Conference finals.

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