MLS v. US Soccer - Round 1

Jurgen Klinsmann firm on young player advice as MLS frustration grows

On Oct. 15, Major League Soccer commissioner Don Garber took issue with U.S. national team manager Jurgen Klinsmann for comments that were deemed "detrimental" to MLS.

Garber objected to Klinsmann saying it would be "very difficult" for U.S. internationals Michael Bradley and Clint Dempsey to maintain their best form after the duo returned to play in MLS after extended spells in Europe.

Now it appears there was more to Garber's ire than met the eye. Seattle Sounders minority owner Adrian Hanauer, Philadelphia Union CEO and operating partner Nick Sakiewicz, and several other sources have told ESPN FC that there is growing frustration within the league over the advice Klinsmann and U.S. soccer staff are giving to youth national team and MLS academy players. ...

See the whole story here, courtesy of ESPN.

Kicking Back Comments:

Now when this matter first came up publicly abound mid-October seemed kind bad ... but honestly after thinking abut it from the larger perspective it is great for US players and still bad for US referees.

On the player side, why shouldn't a player who is good enough, and having a coach who has the connections, look at a chance to play in Europe? I would think the relative test is what is in the best interest of the player, right? 

I hate to say it, but European soccer is better than MLS and if the commish is looking to strong-arm the US Soccer coaching staff in not recommending looking abroad, same on MLS. Now, if that same staff is ONLY recommending playing abroad, that is another matter entirely. There seems to be no outward indication of this however.

For referees, the news remains bleak. Although there is an exchange program that is going on now within MLS (and has been for some time - remember 1997 when Japanese referee Toru Kamikawa officiated numerous MLS matches and American referee Tim Weyland officiated J-League matches?) I will be a believer when one of these guys comes over here for MLS, and one of these guys does a match on the other side of the pond.

Until then, or when the league gains more international acclaim (I think it has some now) referees in this country will continue to be discriminated against without regard to being very, very skilled in the art as Mark Geiger showed the world earlier this year.

Who said they can't sing

The song on Valentine's Day from English soccer fans



For any interested, the is a cover of Truly, Madly, Deeply by Savage Garden



Not quite "battle of the bands"... but not bad at all.

Happy Valentines Day. Don't forget to thanks those who you love in supporting our passion.

And speaking of intellectual property rights ...

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. ...

See the whole story here, courtesy of cbc sports.

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.

Five Match Ban ... Due to (Ball) Tosser

My intentionally placed double entendre should illustrate my opinion regarding the incident with Swansea City ballboy Charlie Morgan, who refused to return a ball back into play by falling on it.

So he slipped right?

Just an accident?

Uh, nope ... as he tweeted about it before the match that evening.

The whole story, the time wasting by the ballboy, the extraction by Chelsea's Eden Hazard, subsequent send off and suspension, and reaction from Chelsea and others can be found at Swansea City ballboy Charlie Morgan boasted about time wasting before Capital One semi-final with Chelsea, from The Telegraph.

It is a surreal read.

So ... was Chris Foy right to promptly send Hazard off?

Based on the video alone (in the article), you bet!

The reason ... say it with me ... violent conduct. Keep in mind that SFP is reserved against an opponent, AND when the ball is in play.

Now, let's change the scenario a bit. Say that our ballboy, Brady, was still man handled by a player, lets call him Raven, but did not feign injuries, nor roll around like a lame cow until he was carted off by the attending staff, just held the ball and did not return it into play. Should that hypothetical ball boy, Brady, be dismissed (not sent off), and the involved player, Raven, be sent off?

Again my opinions are yes, and yes. Where is the authority however?

For the player the answer is clear as the referee has the authority to do so, and should. Poking the ball out from underneath a ballboy, however harmless, should not happen anywhere around the pitch. Granted this was a true test of patience, but the player needs to hold his water and wait for the ballboy to get up and take it from him as necessary.

Regarding Brady, our ballboy, let's start with Law 5 where the referee is empowered to, "stop(s), suspends or abandons the match because of outside interference of any kind;"

Okay, so far so good. What about a ballboy? Is he an actor we can take action on? After all, Law 5 states that we may, "take(s) action against team officials who fail to conduct themselves in a responsible manner and may, at his discretion, expel them from the field of play and its immediate surrounds;"

Is a ballboy a team official and thus putting him in our purview for action?

I don't think so, so we can't directly dismiss a ballboy ... BUT ... they are under the control of team official, and as such we should make a request through that official to dismiss the ballboy.

It may seem a little convoluted, but it is your best bet. Also, and think about this from the outside for a second ... a referee dismissing a kid from a professional match without any other intervention.

That may not look so good for the cameras.

Get the person responsible for the ballkids and work through them ... it is your best bet.

Even better, is to have a chat before the match. During my time in MLS, I loved to do this. It was good fun and I got to meet some great kids that were even more excited than I was to be involved in The Game. A quick chat about expectations, and to do their best. 2 Minutes tops.

Touch wood, I never had an issue with a ballkid yet.

Prevent, prevent, prevent ... even with the things you think that can never go wrong.

Then again, I never met the (ball) tosser Charlie Morgan.

... and Speaking of American Football(ers)

Friedel extends Tottenham contract

Veteran American goalkeeper Brad Friedel has extended his contract with Tottenham Hotspur until 2014, the Premier League club announced on Wednesday.

At 41, Friedel is the oldest player in the Premier League and he is also the only man in the history of the division to start 300 consecutive matches. ...

See the whole story here, courtesy of FIFA.

Kicking Back Comments: This is great to see Brad still at it at the tender age of 41. His time in the MLS while too short, was great. A quality guy and a class competitor.

Glad to see players from the US carrying the good name abroad.

Every Paycheck is a Fortune

Referees must get greater respect from the Football Association and game in general before it is too late

The comment is slightly harsh, overlooking the work done by diligent staff in the FA’s refereeing department, but it reflects the dark mood of some referees.

Not a naturally militant breed, some of the elite Professional Game Match Officials group of referees sound frustrated.

“We get £75,000 a year,’’ said one referee. “It seems good money but is it worth the grief? Some of us are only doing it for the mortgage.” ...

See the whole story here, from The Telegraph.

Kicking Back Comments: So 75K sterling pounds is equal to about $121K USD. That is a pretty good wage all things considered as the average in the US is just over $46K.

Does anyone know what MLS referees are being offered currently? Well it's about $27K per year for a (2) year contract, that does not include the match fees themselves.

That's pathetic.

So if we think $121K per year is worth a load of crap, how about $27K?

Not so much.

Folks complain about referees, often ... but does anyone actually realize just how pathetic their pay is?

It should be clear that these guys are NOT in it for the money, but rather the chance to work at the highest level of The Game, domestically.

I can't logically think of any other reason why they would.

Henery : Liverpool == Soros : ?

Man U?!?!?

George Soros Is Manchester United’s Latest Fan

Kicking Back Comments:
You have to read it (from the WSJ) to believe it.

This is cool ...

Once Bitten, Twice Shy

Scudamore: Hard to respect FIFA

Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore believes it is "very hard to have huge regard for FIFA" after the organisation's difficulties over the past year.

A controversial bidding process for the right to host the 2018 and 2022 World Cups was beset by allegations of corruption, leading to a long period of soul-searching for president Sepp Blatter.

Former FIFA presidential candidate Mohamed Bin Hammam was handed a lifetime ban for bribery in July while Jack Warner, a FIFA vice-president and president of the confederation governing football in North and Central America and the Caribbean (CONCACAF), resigned from all football activity in June having been charged with the same offence. ...

See the whole article here, courtesy of ESPN.

Kicking Back Comments: A reasonable view from Richard. My question is, short of removing Blatter, what can FIFA do to repair its image?

LeBron James Part Owner of Liverpool FC?

No folks it is not a mis-print.

The deal between Mr. James and Fenway Sports Group will give Mr. James a minority interest in the soccer club Liverpool, which FSG owns. FSG, which also owns the Boston Red Sox, is partnering with Mr. James's sports-marketing firm, LRMR Branding & Marketing to become the exclusive world-wide representative for Mr. James.

See the full article "LeBron James, Fenway in Deal" courtesy of the WSJ for all the details.

You get what you get, and you don't get upset

Sir Alex Ferguson hit with five-match touchline ban by FA

Sir Alex Ferguson has been banned from the touchline for Manchester United's next five matches and will have to watch the FA Cup semi-final from the stands after being found guilty of improper conduct at a Football Association hearing.

Ferguson has also been fined £30,000 after the FA decided to take a hardline stance over his decision to fight the charge rather than accept he had gone too far in his criticisms of the referee Martin Atkinson after the defeat at Chelsea earlier this month. ...

See the full story here, courtesy of guardian.co.uk.

Kicking Back Comments: When do we think MLS will take a similar stance in protecting its referees from similar untoward barbs from MLS players and coaches?

I'm with Sepp on this one

English FA could have sanctioned Rooney, says Blatter

NEWPORT, Wales (Reuters) - The English FA would have been within its rights to sanction Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney following an elbowing incident last week, FIFA President Sepp Blatter said on Saturday.

The FA said it could not retrospectively take action against Rooney for elbowing Wigan Athletics' James McCarthy in the back of the head in a Premier League match because, under FIFA rules, as referee Mark Clattenburg had already given a foul against the England man for obstruction, they could take no further action. ...

See the complete story here, courtesy of Reuters.

Kicking Back Comments: For my money Sepp has this one exactly right. There is no reason that a league should not jump in to further sanction a player, even if that player was already dealt with by the match referee. The FA's move to not further sanction Rooney for delivering an elbow to McCarthy is deplorable. Then to further compound the story by saying that they were really just protecting the integrity of the decision of Mark Clattenburg is just cowardice on the part of the FA.

Granted, no referee likes to have such a situation occur that the league has to step in and take further action. In my day it happened to me personally a couple of times. When I got over myself that I should have seen the whole incident and dealt with it differently ... the bigger picture prevailed. That picture was it was better to get it right than to just let it go.

As referees we certainly try to get it right all the time. But alas, sometimes we miss ... not often but we do. At the professional and international level while there is great scrutiny of referees, there is also great opportunity for leagues to stamp out the type of behavior Roo engaged in here. Leagues can also mete out much harsher punishment that a referee ever could, and really put some bite into a sanction.

I'm with Sepp, and say let them. Adding onto a particular sanction to further enforce a point started by a referee does nothing but drive that point home to the owner of the actions, and other players who may consider the same in the future.

A US Invasion?

Back in October 2010 we saw, and wrote about, the sale of Liverpool FC to the owner of the Boston Red Sox, John Henry. To be even more specific the club was sold to New England Sports Ventures of which John Henry is a member.

Well, the Beantown Bankers (as I am starting to call them) are at it again, and are now investing in the Serie A Club, AS Roma. ESPN is currently reporting that a final meeting to seal the deal is imminent. Thanks to Andy Weiss for bringing this one to the fore.

Finally, in what I consider one of the best "feel good stories" in a while regarding sports business, CNN and others are reporting that "angel investor" Robert Rich is making capital investments into the 9th division Bedlington Terriers FC.

This is truly an inspiring story where a man has realized his heritage, and want to give back to his community. He is reported to not be asking for a share of the team that draws about 120 fans per match, and the players get paid only expenses, not a salary.

Take a look at the story here from Guardian, and the video below from CNN. You won't be disappointed.

And the reason that the whole thing started

Why is football knowledge measured by the offside rule?

The row over remarks made by Sky Sports presenters Richard Keys and Andy Gray about female assistant referee Sian Massey centres on the offside rules. But why is the offside law such a benchmark of football knowledge? ...

See the full story here, courtesy of the BBC.

Kicking Back Comments:

One thing that my father taught me when I would referee as a youth is a healthy disrespect for authority. While like most kids I would imagine, I was taught by my parents to always be polite, say "please", and "thank you", and generally be nice. One other lesson that was taught was to "respect your elders", which was essentially everyone else at my tender age as I started refereeing.

My dad carved out an exception for me though. He allowed me to use appropriate language and acts to make and defend my decisions inside the field. Essentially I was allowed to (appropriately) stand my ground with my decisions regardless of how the adults involved felt about it.

This was very liberating to me personally as it allowed me to do what I thought was right and appropriately challenge some of the assertions. This had a positive effect of letting some of these youth coaches know I was not a doormat and they would get comments back to out of bounds criticisms. This may actually have been the genesis of the BAYS "Zero Tolerance" policy, which was derived shortly thereafter with my dad leading the charge, while serving as BAYS referee commissioner, and thankfully with the full board in support.  

Granted in my youth I blew it a few times and constructive comments at times degraded slightly (not overly). Also, I was not always correct in my interpretation about what I was calling. Fortunately I was not a prisoner to "confirmation bias" and even then had a few folks who would gently guide me in being less aggressive with my comments and a better listener and referee.

Later in my career what I found was that there are many, many people who really don't understand the LOTG, as the "experts" here clearly demonstrated. I say that fully realizing that your typical youth parent does not, as would your typical adult player. Where I became surprised was my time in MLS and the brief touch with the international game that a percentage of those players and coaches do not understand aspects of the LOTG either. I was floored and continued my policy of challenging the incorrect ... in a more appropriate way these days.

Now beware, there are folks that know an awful lot about the game that inhabit youth fields, and certainly at the professional and international level. Don't assume that you are better because you are wearing the badge. Take an objective look at your performance later, but don't be bullied into calling something a particular way from pressure from someone who may think they know more, or better. Sian knew better. I suspect the other blokes do now as well.

If you want to see what can happen when you assume, take a look at the clip below from the ageless Benny Hill ... it speaks for itself.

Bye-Bye Sky Guy

Sky Soccer Presenter Andy Gray Is Fired After Remarks

Sky Sports soccer announcer Andy Gray, who made sexist remarks about a female assistant referee at the weekend, has been fired by the U.K. broadcaster.

“Andy Gray’s contract has been terminated for unacceptable behavior,” Barney Francis, managing director of Sky Sports, said in a statement. “After issuing a warning yesterday, we have no hesitation in taking this action after becoming aware of new information today.”

The new evidence relates to an off-air incident in December, Sky said, and came to light after Gray had already been disciplined for his disparaging weekend comments on match official Sian Massey.

See the complete story here, courtesy of Bloomberg.

It's tough enough ...

... to be a referee.

Does anyone think it is tougher to be a woman referee? I have an answer, but judge for yourself.

Kudos to Jenna Powell for finding this one.

Andy Gray and Richard Keys comments about assistant ref Sian Massey 'make my blood boil', says Karren Brady

West Ham vice-chairman Karren Brady admits off-air remarks by Sky Sports presenters Richard Keys and Andy Gray about both herself and Premier League official Sian Massey made her "blood boil".

The pair commented on Massey's appointment for the game between Wolves and Liverpool at Molineux on Saturday, when they believed their microphones were switched off.

They concurred that female officials "don't know the offside rule", with Keys adding: "I can guarantee you there'll be a big one today. (Liverpool manager) Kenny (Dalglish) will go potty." ...

See the full story here, courtesy of the Telegraph.

FA's White Horse ... again

The other day I wrote about the incident where the FA was acting as the Twitter Police by sanctioning Ryan Babel for his comments regarding Howard Webb after the fixture between Man-U and Liverpool. In this post I opined that the FA got it wrong as it really does not serve the FA or the referee well to take such action that really, looking at the long view is untenable.

Juxtapose this with the incident recently with Rafael da Silva from Man-U in their fixture against Tottenham after (frankly) da Silva lost it on FIFA referee Mike Dean after being sent off for a second caution. Here is an excellent example of the FA stepping in and doing the right thing to keep the game in check by sanctioning da Silva for "Improper Conduct." Here, da Silva was plain and simple out of line with his conduct being referred to as "toddler like." Take a look at the pictures below (and the 1000 words they speak) and the linked articles.

Photo and article courtesy of Goal.com

Photo and article courtesy of guardian.co.uk

Any questions?
It's personal (just look how close da Silva is).
It's provocative (look at the gestures da Silva is openly making).

Good for the FA, for my $.02 the FA got this one exactly right.

To Tweet or not to Tweet ... that was the question

Photo courtesy of BBC

For anyone who has been keeping up with the FA Cup and Liverpool's loss to Mann-U on Sunday the 9th, you may have been treated both to some of the decisions Howard Webb made, but also the Twitter fallout by Liverpool winger Ryan Babel (@RyanBabel).

I am not here to debate Webb's decisions that allowed a penalty in the 1' to have Man-U go up 1 - 0, or the later send off. Both are in the video clip below. You can all judge for yourself.

Man United 1-0 Liverpool | The FA Cup 3rd Round - 09/01/11

Uploaded by fatv. - Discover the latest sports and extreme videos.

Instead, I am more interested Mr. Babel's actions on Twitter to edit a picture of Mr. Webb in a Man-U kit (see the picture here) and with the comments shown above. These are detailed in an excellent article from the BBC, Twitter ye not? Also, I am interested in the FA's response in sanctioning Mr. Babel with "improper conduct."

Now, Twitter is an incredible medium to communicate info quickly, 140 characters at a time. If you are reading this you likely already know that, and I hope you follow Kicking Back on Twitter (@kicking_back). My question is should players really be sanctioned for being openly critical in such media?

Please note my use of words, specifically the word critical. My stance is much different when public comments get personal, provocative, or threatening. There is no place for these types of comments at all, regardless of who they are cast at, and equally so when cast at an official. I also have no love for parents slinging criticism to younger referees. They are not ready to understand how to process that rubbish at such a young age. This leads to legions of referees resigning their badge after a year or two and must be stopped.

I have a very different opinion regarding critical comments, parody, and the like, which I believe are absolutely essential speech, even if done in a mean spirited way in the detailed situation. Without this speech, a critical component of discourse is unavailable. Honestly, can you image a match without any critical comments? What fun is that! I mean really ... has anyone logged into Big Soccer lately and looked around? There is an incredible about of information exchange there. While not always "glowing" for some, the opinions shared are largely tremendously insightful and can certainly lead to a good takeaway from those willing to read and understand.

I will got out on a limb here too and support Mr. Babel in his comments. Not because I believe he was correct, but rather because I support his right to do so as necessary discourse in a society. Keep in mind that I am an advocate for the 1st Amendment, and this speech would fall under this amendment, but also understand that this does not extend outside the US. For free speech principles on the internet in the US see Reno v. ACLU (51 U.S. 844) where SCOTUS struck down the CDA.

That said, I believe the FA is asking for trouble in this regard. To begin to sanction players for their comments in any media is a slippery slope. Again, personal, provocative, or threatening is another matter and should be dealt with fully by the FA. These comments however were clearly not that. An opinion was expressed, accompanied by a very clever picture showing the same displeasure. I somehow think that Mr. Webb's first reaction was hardly fear or anger. I'd be willing to bet that his first reaction was a snicker and a smile. Why does the FA need to turn into the "Twitter Police" over this?

While I appreciate the FA riding in on its white horse to save Mr. Webb from the wounding words slung by Mr. Babel, somehow I believe the referee from the 2010 World Cup final is up to that particular challenge.

Just watch ...

Or here, if the embedded video does not work.

FA killed the video star

For all who looked in the last couple of days at Nah Nah Nani, you may have noticed a change.

The video is gone as the FA has claimed a copyright violation.

Strange huh ...

Not really I think. In fact I am surprised it took this long.

To me while I am all for protection of intellectual property rights, and being trained in the law I understand that it is necessary to patrol such marks to effectively enforce them in the future, I do not think this is why the video was pulled.

If so, this one would not be available:



Right?

How about this one?



Nope, not that one either ... Hmmm, that's odd. What could it be?

My guess, the FA is deathly embarrassed about this one and while it can serve as a great lesson for those who view it, they are not looking at the larger picture, and pulled it.

Too bad actually, as it is a good lesson on many fronts.

Here was the live look ... also still on You Tube:



I don't expect any of these to get pulled any time soon.

Finally, and just to rub salt in the wound, here is a post game interview with Harry Redknapp, manager of the Spurs on the incident by ESPN back on 30-OCT-10:



I don't expect this to get pulled either, but Harry while threatened with getting pulled himself, or at least fined substantially, was let off free with a rap on the knuckles and a lecture from the FA about the responsibility of the manager.

For me this compounds just how embarrassed the FA is about the whole thing.

Next time I've saving the video.