My issue is in the attempt to sell the trade and in the overall attitude Coppy seems to have. And yes, it matters. Dayton Moore may have been thought a fool, but he was pretty open about his plan and he never blasted the fan base. That will cause fans to turn on you, which will affect attendance and ultimately revenue. And now is not a time to be messing with revenue.
I know several season-ticket holders who are not planning to pay for them anymore. That is a problem. A GM who tries to explain things to the fan base and how they can help in the process has a chance of keeping them on board. A GM who gets defensive and dismissive is likely to turn the fan base entirely against him.
Payroll will only increase if more fans come to games. They won't, even with the new stadium, if they believe the FO is trying to lose and then attacks them on top of it. I'm not talking about me, I'm talking about the average fan. They don't get this, and the FO has done nothing to try to explain it. And now on top of that, Coppy's going to be a dick to them?