And for me a "live Tour report" as a friend of mine had the chance to visit at Stage 4, and met some of the boys from Garmin. Just outstanding stuff.
Copyright TD Productions
After my ride that day ... you can bet I am eating crapes, drinking wine ... and watching Peter Sagan take the day. The man is redicilious on a bike. Just watch this one ...
Apparently it is the referees who are at fault for only getting 9 points in the 17 matches he has had. Which is the very worst in MLS.
He should have stopped when he said, “... nobody wants to hear the coach in last place complain about the referees.”
You're right Ben ... we don't. But that didn't stop you, did it.
You can see (and hear) the rantings here, courtesy of NBC Sports.
I've opined about this in the past, specifically about Jay Heaps and the Revolution ... do we really think referees have as much leeway as coaches? Ben has been terrible this year, and yet, DC has trotted him out at the helm 17 times.
Would a referee get that kind of response at the MLS level?
It is with great pleasure the MSRC announces the selection of Massachusetts refereesAnthony Brossi, Ian McKay, and Alexandria White to the US Soccer Youth Nationals.
Brossi, McKay, and White will join other referees from Region I, and all other US regions at the US Youth Soccer National Championships which serves as the crown jewel of competitive youth soccer with the nation's top 88 youth soccer teams.
Congratulations to all, and best of luck in these last steps of your youth soccer refereeing career.
FIFA president Sepp Blatter responded Friday to criticism of the cost of staging the World Cup in Brazil by pledging to give at least $100 million from profits back to the country.
Soccer’s governing body gave South Africa $100 million to invest in development projects after the 2010 World Cup, but it had not previously said it would establish a similar “social fund” after the 2014 tournament for Brazil. ...
FC Kansas City player copes with tragic death of husband
Jaime French stood patiently on the sideline, waiting to enter the first professional soccer game of her career. Before the whistle sounded, though, French took a moment to glance across the field and into the stands. ...
See the whole story here, courtesy of The Kansas City Star.
Kicking Back Comments: Sadly, part of life is loss, and Ms. French certainly has endured her share given this story. The Game can certainly bind us, even in the face of such tragedy.
How delicious: Sepp Blatter has kicked off Fifa's Arab Spring in Brazil
The Fifa president's masterplan to return the World Cup tournament to the continent of its inauguration is backfiring
It may be a little early to call this, what with several days of theConfederations Cup and an entire World Cup to run, but there's a nagging sense that Sepp Blatter is somewhat miscast as a Brazilian counter-revolutionary.
At time of writing, Fifa had yet to request covert support from the CIA in the form of arms shipments and financial backing. But with protests in Brazil continuing to make the most explicit of links between the money the country's government has spent on Fifa tournaments, and the money it hasn't spent on less uplifting things such as healthcare and education, Herr Blatter finds his usual arsenal increasingly wanting.
What is he to do, for instance, about the most prevalent slogan of the ongoing protests: "Fifa-standard", which deliberately applies the language of the World Cup bid to the comparatively unfavourable quality of Brazilian public services? In any normal circs, of course, Blatter would simply sue the placard-waver for unauthorised use of the Fifa imprimatur, but even his army of Zurich lawyers might struggle to persuade a court that demands for a functional transport system count as "ambush marketing". ...
See the whole story here, courtesy of The Guardian.
Kicking Back Comments: Absolutely brilliant article, worth reading every single word ... twice.
Spain defender Sergio Ramos on Tuesday urged Fifa to denounce the Brazilian journalist who claimed that the world champions had played strip-poker during an alcohol-fuelled party at the Confederations Cup.
The report, which appeared on website Globo Esporte, said members of the Spain squad had invited women back to their rooms following the opening 2-1 win over Uruguay in Recife on June 16. ...
ISTANBUL (AP) -The empty seats that have greeted teams at the Under-20 World Cup in Turkey are a disappointment to FIFA.
Jim Boyce, the chairman of the FIFA Organizing Committee for the tournament, said Monday that he was unhappy with the turnout that has averaged only 4,828 spectators for the first 12 matches at the six sites.
If the trend continues, it would be the lowest attendance ever for an Under-20 World Cup dating back to 1977 - the next lowest being an average of 9,667 in the Netherlands in 2005. Several sites, including Istanbul, were far below the average with the opening France-Ghana match only attracting 2,800 fans in a 50,000-seat stadium. ...
Kicking Back Comments: To heck with FIFA's expectations, I do wonder what is driving this behavior. Only about 5000 spectators have turned up for the forst 12 match on average, and the opening match in a 50000 seat stadium did not even have 3000 spectators!
What's going on?
It's too bad too as the U-20 is a great place for players and referees to really sharpen up in preparation for tournaments like the Olympics and World Cup. It often provides glimpses of the future of many stars.
Finally is an AR turned graffiti artist in, Going crazy with referee spray at u21 WC. Note to the AR with the spray can ... you are supposed to mark 10 yards out ... it's just paint, not a forcefield in a can.
So many have certainly heard of Chad Ochocinco (Johnson) and his athletic exploits inside the field, and his silly, and criminal behavior outside the field.
Recently, he was in court answering for a domestic abuse incident. My comments here do not deal with the incident itself, but idea of decorum toward an official.
Take a look below as the incident that cost Chad several days in jail, and a probation extension.
Important in this is the fact that when in court representing a client, lawyers are officers of the court, and are honor bound to both advocate for their client, and the rules set by the court. A very high degree of professionalism and decorum is required. In large part, they are assistants of The Judge to arrive at the conclusion they do.
After the above incident, it was clear Chad breeched that decorum, but note it was not with the judge per se, or even the court, as it would seem clear that he was showing genuine affection. Think about this, instead of a pat on the bum, how about the back, a hug? That would have been ok, no?
What this (can be interpreted) to come down to was a player showing up a referee through one of their assistants.
Just like inside the field, a referee has to jealously guard their AR's before, during, and after a match, or the entire team can look foolish if one individual is treated disrespectfully, and no action is taken.
If you find your AR being demeaned, dissented to, or just shown up, a referee has to act, just as this judge did, to maintain respect for the process, and in our case The Game. This is true, even of the AR is wrong. Yep ... you heard it here. It is about maintaining integrity of The Game. Certainly correct the mistake if at all possible, but if the opportunity is gone to do so, move on to the next decision. It is more important to maintain the ability to make these decision unabated to allow the next one to be made, then have that ability eroded by bad behavior.
If the credibility of the officiating team is compromised through these actions, no decisions, good or bad will be accepted, and the day will be lost.
Note that 4th officials fall into a slightly different category to me. They are often the great pacifiers of a match and take tons of dissent so the rest of the team does not have to. That does not mean that they should be a sponge for abuse, but the threshold is much higher there.
My general instructions to my 4th Officials (outside of the technical stuff) was, We'll take care of all the stuff inside the lines, we need you to take care of everything outside the lines.
This was generally followed by my guidance for dissent which was, Certainly don't get abused, but if you call me over, I will send someone off, so know facts before you do.
So while certainly a part of the team, they may be seen more as a bailiff. Critically important, but also not as subject to the rigor of folks on the bench and bar.
As an example of a good 4th, take a look at "Bull" from Night Court. Doing a critical job, with a great sense of humor.
... May indeed be the headlines shortly if FIFA and Brasil does not get their act together.
Confederations Cup: No plans to abandon event despite protests – Fifa
Fifa insisted on Friday that there were no plans to abandon the Confederations Cup in Brazil despite the protests that have affected the tournament.
Local media claimed the eight-team competition, which includes Spain and Italy as well as the hosts, could be stopped after an estimated one million people protested in cities across Brazil on Thursday. ...
See the whole article here, courtesy of The Guardian.
Kicking Back Comments: The fact that this has never been considered by FIFA, and I believe them when they say that, shows just how arrogant and misplaced they are.
I think these protests are small compared to what they are going to be for the World Cup when the Brazilian people get a real taste of the monies FIFA is extracting from their hides.
The action in the stadiums of Brazil became compelling by midweek, but the protests in the streets kept on swelling.
Neymar, the home nation’s hero, turned in another of his quixotic performances Wednesday in a 2-0 victory over Mexico in the steamy heat of Fortaleza in the Confederations Cup. He scored with a masterful volley but he disappeared for long spells. Toward the end, he dashed between two Mexican defenders, fooled them with his footwork and laid down the second goal to be scored by Jo. ...
Kicking Back Comments: An excellent article worth reading.
I suspect the Boo's will grow even louder before the Confederations Cup completeness.
I would say that FIFA has a real security problem on its hands ... but as we know, FIFA washes its hands of all issues of the type and relies on the host country for matters such as this.
Opta Spotlight: Long throw-ins are en vogue in MLS, and that doesn't figure to slow down anytime soon
Rory Delap famously popularized them at Stoke City. And from all indications, Major League Soccer appears well on its way to perfecting the technique.
Long throw-ins may be a purist’s nightmare, the uncultured antithesis of the much-admired tiki-taka, but they’re clearly en vogue these days in MLS. Whether the ball is in the final third with a mass gathering in the box or a good chuck is needed to help clear the defensive lines, MLS teams are turning to the long throw-in with a frequency – and effectiveness – not seen throughout Europe. ...
See the whole story here, courtesy of Yahoo! Sports.
Kicking Back Comments: One of the best pieces of advise I received as a youth referee, is that a throw-in is nothing more than getting a ball into play. It did not serve anyone to be overly litigious about "bad throw-in's."
In looking as the excruciating detail in the article, it makes me wonder if this is much ado about nothing. Interesting ... but it's just a throw in.
FIFA President Sepp Blatter has urged protesters flooding the streets of Brazil to stop exploiting football to express their anger against the government, maintaining that the country is benefiting from investment ahead of the 2014 World Cup.
Hundreds of thousands of people have taken to the streets of several cities in the last week just as the world is focused on Brazil for the Confederations Cup, which serves as a test event for the World Cup. ...
"I can understand that people are not happy, but they should not use football to make their demands heard.'' Said Sepp Blatter to Brazil's Globo Network.
What a dastardly idea Sepp! Using football for your own gain or to promote an agenda! How outrageous!
I really wonder some days if he can go home, and look himself in the mirror.
Tens of thousands protest FIFA Confederations Cup costs in Brazil
Youths clashed with police in central Rio Monday as more than 200,000 people marched in major Brazilian cities to protest the billions of dollars spent on the Confederations Cup and higher public transport costs.
Rio de Janeiro: Youths clashed with police in central Rio Monday as more than 200,000 people marched in major Brazilian cities to protest the billions of dollars spent on the Confederations Cup and higher public transport costs.
The nationwide demonstrations, the most extensive since the unrest began 10 days ago, were relatively peaceful.
However acts of vandalism were reported in Rio and Porto Alegre. ...
Tottenham's Gareth Bale applies to trademark his goal celebration
Tottenham forward Gareth Bale is attempting to cash in on his new-found fame by filing an application to trademark his goal celebration, a heart-shaped hand gesture he dedicates to his long-time girlfriend. ...
Kicking Back Comments: While his specific logo is likely a viable trademark, his on field gesture certainly is not as if you google "hand heart", it is pretty much out there in general use, and has been for some time.
For any interested, a fairly extensive discussion on the topic can be found here. I was interested to find the Bass Brewery Logo was the 1st image to be registered as a trademark in 1875.
For those who are regular readers here, you know I am outspoken about some of the shenanigans at FIFA and specifically how some at the top seem to have far more regard for their pockets, that The Game itself.
Well ... like everything ... there is another side as FIFA does some really charitable work as well.
One area that FIFA excels in is keeping track of the history of The Game. This can be evidenced by articles in the FIFA history section like "From 1863 to the Present Day," regarding the history of the LOTG.
Madame X, a former history teacher remind me often of how important staying connected to history is, and I agree with her in this case that such learning is a good example.
FIFA has a bone fide degree tract as well. Take a look here if you are interested in becoming a FIFA Master. It is described as:
The FIFA Master - International Master in Management, Law and Humanities of Sport.
Organised by the International Centre for Sport Studies (CIES) in partnership with three universities, De Montfort University in Leicester (England), SDA Bocconi School of Management in Milan (Italy) and the University of Neuchâtel (Switzerland), and endorsed by the Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA), the FIFA Master in Management, Law and Humanities of Sport was created to promote management education within the sports world. It has developed to become a top graduate programme developing all-round managers who can cope with the increasingly complex world of sport.
Trademark FIFA Says Brazil World Cup Soccer Trademark Abuse More Than 2010
Soccer’s governing body FIFA said it found more cases of intellectual property infringement related to next year’s World Cup in Brazil than it did a year before South Africa hosted sports’ most-watched event in 2010.
Auke-Jan Bossenbroek, FIFA’s legal counsel responsible for protecting the Zurich-based organization’s trademarks, said action has been taken in the past six months against about 100 companies that don’t have permission to use protected words or logos related to the World Cup, which kicks off in Rio de Janeiro June 12, 2014. ...
See the whole article here, courtesy of Bloomberg.
Kicking Back Comments: I don't begrudge FIFA from enforcing their registered trademarks. They are property of FIFA and have every right to do so, and should for the future ability to do so.
Where I got a bit chapped was in the closing comment of the article, which states:
"Many of the cases in Brazil have been the result of local businesses not understanding the rules related to using World Cup logos, Bossenbroek said."
Now, not knowing the law is not an excuse, and I have to believe that most folks (everywhere), don't know the implications of trademark law. It does however smell a little heavy handed with a FIFA lawyer coming down on small shop owners in Brazil.
There are already wide reports of most locals not being bale to afford tickets, and FIFA has responded by providing 50K "free" tickets for use by the local folks (what actually happens, we'll see).
I can see a similar argument here for "picking on" local shop owners for trademark violations. I'm not arguing that these are not violations, but there has to be a point of diminishing returns for FIFA. Not only is there a cost associated with finding these folks, but I also believe it to be bad form to make the guy wheeling around a trash barrel full of beer for $1 each take the photo of the FIFA World Cup(r) Trophy off his trash barrel.
It is all a bit too sterile for me. The locals are getting robbed blind ... again. Just let it go guys.
