Connolly --- how'd he get it so wrong? [Archive]

geordienation

13 Jan 2005, 06:18 PM

Davids26

13 Jan 2005, 06:24 PM

I wonder if he'll comment on this, he'll have to... I guarantee hardly anyone will ask him about the SuperDraft with this happening tonight...

There's just something that makes me believe that theres more to this whole thing. Marc is too good of a journalist to be so off on this. I think progress has been made here somehow...

tab5g

13 Jan 2005, 06:25 PM

Well, if the number of posts that were generated in a short time is any indication, a lot of folks saw the screwup by Connolly.

That link is now dead (http://soccernet.espn.go.com/headlinenews?id=321780&cc=5901).

Of course, we could all ask Mark in his online chat on Soccernet (http://proxy.espn.go.com/chat/chatESPN?event_id=6992) in the morning how in the hell he missed this one . . . .

i'm guessing that Marc put forward the story he did because he is a fan.
he wanted to believe that the end of the dispute was here.
but when he learned that Bruce and Mooch would be meeting players in Carson in the coming days, he assumed those weren't going to be replacements because he didn't know, but he did want to believe, that our troubles were behind us.

instead, it is just another ugly step in the negotiation process.

i can't imagine Bruce is happy about running a camp with players the Fed can get to report.

Nutmeg

13 Jan 2005, 06:27 PM

First Rather, now Connolly.

jmeissen0

13 Jan 2005, 06:30 PM

tab5g

13 Jan 2005, 06:49 PM

he got it so wrong because he had it up before the deal was done

this is labor negotiation in something where the sides are deemed to be pretty against each other... meaning things can turn fast when an agreement is apparently close

he got ahead of the game and put up the story... this ******** happens...

what deal are you talking about? what do you know that the rest of us don't?

you almost make it sound like Connolly blew it for everybody by posting his story with the leading and wrong headline (although maybe some editor gave it the heading).

Connolly was reporting that there would be players reporting to Carson for a camp with Bruce. that is all. everybody seemed to read a lot into that. it certainly doesn't mean that a deal was close today. nor does it mean that a deal wasn't close. i don't know. perhaps Marc can enlighten us tomorrow during the chat.

Davids26

13 Jan 2005, 06:51 PM

what deal are you talking about? what do you know that the rest of us don't?

you almost make it sound like Connolly blew it for everybody by posting his story with the leading and wrong headline (although maybe some editor gave it the heading).

Connolly was reporting that there would be players reporting to Carson for a camp with Bruce. that is all. everybody seemed to read a lot into that. it certainly doesn't mean that a deal was close today. nor does it mean that a deal wasn't close. i don't know. perhaps Marc can enlighten us tomorrow during the chat.

If that was all that was in the press release the article wouldn't have been pulled from ESPN's website... It said something about the dispute being on the verge of being settled which is what popped everyones cherry...

jmeissen0

13 Jan 2005, 06:53 PM

what deal are you talking about? what do you know that the rest of us don't?

you almost make it sound like Connolly blew it for everybody by posting his story with the leading and wrong headline (although maybe some editor gave it the heading).

Connolly was reporting that there would be players reporting to Carson for a camp with Bruce. that is all. everybody seemed to read a lot into that. it certainly doesn't mean that a deal was close today. nor does it mean that a deal wasn't close. i don't know. perhaps Marc can enlighten us tomorrow during the chat.

no... i said he had the story up before the deal was done (in every since, this is true)

that's all i said

that the deal didn't happen meant the story got taken down

SABuffalo786

13 Jan 2005, 06:53 PM

I just refuse to believe that Bruce is being so passive about giving up on this negotiation process so early and accepting the replacements with two weeks until the Fed's deadline.

This isn't the end of this story, not by a long shot. I've got a feeling the next 24 hours are going to be very interesting.

jmeissen0

13 Jan 2005, 06:54 PM

If that was all that was in the press release the article wouldn't have been pulled from ESPN's website... It said something about the dispute being on the verge of being settled which is what popped everyones cherry...

*ding, ding, ding*

we have a winner

and tell him what he's one

i'm sorry... we've run out of prizes... maybe next time...

tab5g

13 Jan 2005, 06:54 PM

If that was all that was in the press release the article wouldn't have been pulled from ESPN's website... It said something about the dispute being on the verge of being settled which is what popped everyones cherry...

Connolly wrote about the verge of the end of the dispute, IMHO, because he got word that players were headed to camp.

I suppose he could have reached the conclusion, in his own head, as a fan, that the end of the dispute must be near since the players are reporting to camp.

he never got the information that it was replacements being called, but just assumed things were taking a turn for the better, since there's news of players and a camp.

in my view the status of negotiations most likely hasn't changed, other than the USSF stepping up action on its pledge to play replacement players on feb 9.

jmeissen0

13 Jan 2005, 06:55 PM

I just refuse to believe that Bruce is being so passive about giving up on this negotiation process so early and accepting the replacements with two weeks until the Fed's deadline.

This isn't the end of this stroy, not by a long shot. I've got a feeling the next 24 hours are going to be very interesting.

i whole heartedly concur... i just have the feeling we won't hear much for around 48 hours

Nutmeg

13 Jan 2005, 07:01 PM

Hmm. Now that I think about it, Bruce can finally play the role he's been auditioning for - God.

Based on his "proposal," Arena obviously wants this deal done. Depending on how bad he really wants his job, he could give one giant god-like finger to the USSF by calling in a bunch of farm animals against TnT. He's got the Fed in his hands - if the US doesn't field a team, we're screwed.

It would be beautiful. I swear on my life, I would never write or utter another bad word about Arena again.

seahawkdad

13 Jan 2005, 07:01 PM

It'll be interesting to see whether Bruce or any of his assistants show up in Baltimore. Anyone going to the convention?

tab5g

13 Jan 2005, 07:02 PM

no... i said he had the story up before the deal was done (in every since, this is true)

that's all i said

that the deal didn't happen meant the story got taken down

you also said in post #5, "this is labor negotiation in something where the sides are deemed to be pretty against each other... meaning things can turn fast when an agreement is apparently close"

and i contend that the agreement was never close, but only was apparently so because we were going on the headline and story about the camp from Connolly. the facts, as far as i can see them, did not point to a deal being close. and upon learning that it was replacements being called for camp, it seems like there's been no progress in the negotiations, but what do i know?

and yes, i agree that a lot could happen in the next 24-48 hours.

any camp taking place before feb 1 will be a replacement camp, the regulars (well about 1/2 of them) have club commitments in Europe until then.

jmeissen0

13 Jan 2005, 07:03 PM

It'll be interesting to see whether Bruce or any of his assistants show up in Baltimore. Anyone going to the convention?

monster started a thread in the fans and travel forum about attempting to stage some sort of vocal support for getting the damn thing resolved

unfortunately... no one noticed it

rksehga

13 Jan 2005, 07:06 PM

It'll be interesting to see whether Bruce or any of his assistants show up in Baltimore. Anyone going to the convention?

what are you referring to? i'm confused.

SABuffalo786

13 Jan 2005, 07:11 PM

The Draft tomorrow.

Davids26

13 Jan 2005, 07:12 PM

It'll be interesting to see whether Bruce or any of his assistants show up in Baltimore. Anyone going to the convention?

The PR said that Bruce and Mooch were in or would be in LA. Maybe Onalfo is in Baltimore?

tab5g

14 Jan 2005, 09:45 AM

for the official answer to the thread's question, here's what Connolly wrote in his 1-13 chat pre-Draft:

mark (nj): what's the deal with the strike/lockout?

Marc: (9:32 AM ET ) It's not good right now. As I'm sure you read, the players rejected the latest deal.

Marc: (9:32 AM ET ) I had a strong -- let me say that again, STRONG -- source tell me yesterday that it was going to get done in the morning. It was that close.

Marc: (9:34 AM ET ) He called back a few hours later saying he was in complete shock since it all changed at the very last moment. The Federation never expected the latest offer to be turned down. The people in Chicago were in disbelief, as was I after getting such a phone call yesterday morning.