Let's do MLS a favor

[JAnderson14]

I'm sure everyone here has watched Noel Kenny ruin more than one Rapids match...everyone's had this happen. After tonight's DC-KC debacle, I've been pushed over the edge. I've decided to start a campaign to ask for him to be removed from the MLS officials' pool.

This isn't a backlash from tonight's game, though I do plan on citing his incompetence from that game in my email. I'm sure every team throughout MLS would have examples of times where Kenny's egregrious mistakes have cost them points. Personally, I take it as an insult that a man of Kenny's (lack of) ability is allowed anywhere near an MLS field with a whistle.

Here are the league's address, phone and fax numbers, and Don Garber's email address:

MLS League Office
110 East 42nd Street, 10th Floor
New York, NY 10017
Phone: (212) 450-1200
Fax: (212) 450-1300

MLS Commissioner Don Garber: mlsgarber@mlsnet.com

Any other important email addresses (i.e. USSF's officiating head) would be appreciated.

[TeamUSA]

Thanks for the post, they'll be receiving my e-mail about Noel Kenny.

[LittleMy]

I thought Noel Kenny was actually one of the better MLS refs?

Not that there's much to choose from, but to my memory he's done a lot better than some of the others we've seen in the past.

[greenie]

Holy crap. Noel Kenny has been removed from the pool for the rest of the season.

http://www.mlsnet.com/content/02/mls0815conduct.html

MLS showing some balls. Not bad.

[He's In Fashion]

Kenny botched his last match here in Colorado... the referees have been especially poor this year, how can they be getting worse???

[Rapids/Arsenal Fan]

What's amazing is that he's the 2nd ref to be banned from games this year.

[Worm Burner]

It's nice to see that they are doing something about the poor officiating. Maybe it will make the other officials work a little harder at making the right calls.

[greenie]

Or more nervous. Increased pressure to make just the right call often results in one extreme or the other.

Not that Korea Team Fighting is complaining.

[GreatZar]

Originally posted by Rapids/Arsenal Fan
What's amazing is that he's the 2nd ref to be banned from games this year. Who was the other ref?

[Rapids/Arsenal Fan]

Originally posted by GreatZar
Who was the other ref?

I'm not sure. It says this in the last paragraph of the article on MLSnet:

"Kenny is the second official removed from the assignment pool of MLS referees this season. Since the 1997 MLS season (year two), a number of referees and assistant referees have been dropped from the pool of officials."

[MassachusettsRef]

I posted this in the simliar threads so people can see the turnover in MLS refereeing. As can clearly be seen, Kenny is not the first person to be let go. I don't have the 1996 list on record, but, from memory, there were other refs (Patlak, Boulous, Olson, Dominguez, etc.) that were there. The retention rate of referees from 1996 is about 25%. That figure is far below any other professional league--soccer or otherwise. You can all be thankful that there's no ref's union in MLS.

Below is a comparison of the 1998 and 2002 referee corps from MLS:

The 1998 list:

Rutty
Hall
Stott
Kennedy
Valenzuela
Saheli
Prus
Grady
Heron
Terry
Kenny (not currently active)
Yonan (not currently active)
Ramirez (retired)
Tamberino (retired)
Baharmast (retired)
Rodhas (retired)
Angeles (retired)
Covaciu (retired)
Weyland (retired)
Sheker (retired)
Giordano (retired)
Hunt (WUSA)
Lay (WUSA)

The 2002 list:

Rutty
Hall
Stott
Kennedy
Valenzuela
Saheli
Prus
Grady
St. Silva (2001)
Corrie (1999)
Vaughn (2000)
Salazar (2001)
Simmons (2001)
Kokolski (2001)
Anno (2002)
Bazakos (2002)
Marrufo (2002)
Johnson (2002)
Poeschel (2002)*

(date of first game in parentheses)
*first match is this weekend, has worked MLS v. MLS USOC matches

And, as a point of info, here are the referees that have worked in 1999, 2000, or 2001, but no longer are active:

Seitz (WUSA)
Barnes
Sill
Quinsenberry
Perry
Vega
Tsapos

As can be seen, Kenny is just the most high profile "suspension" insofar as MLS refs. The above list shows at least 9 refs that have been "removed" in the past few years and that's not counting ARs. Some, like Tsapos, Perry and Quinsenberry have made it back up the ladder for a second chance (right now only as a 4th or AR). Others have fallen completely off the radar. Being an MLS ref is a tough gig. How many players would still be in the league if a player was cut for 2 bad matches in a season?

[Northcal19]

Originally posted by MassachusettsRef
How many players would still be in the league if a player was cut for 2 bad matches in a season?

He didn't have two bad matches, he received two "failing" grades. He was here in Denver 3 weeks ago and he was so bad that he really affected the game. In DC he called a PK out of the net for encroachment. It is good, very good, for the league to get rid of refs like Kenny.

[TeamUSA]

Now I couldn't ref an MLS match because of my bias, but how hard can it be to run up and down the sideline keeping with the last defender and watching out for an offside call? Why not look at your assistant for a call? How can you overrule your assistant when he is on top of it and your not?

When I was between 11 and 13 I was a referre for the little AYSO league little kids in Southern California. A few matches I had to do alone. Granted it wasn't MLS or at that pace, but still calling fouls and hand balls isn't that tough. And when a person has two assistants to really see the offside it doesn't make sense that they can't get it right.

Here's one for you. During the last Rapids match, the assistant was digging in his ear and then looked down to see what he dug out. It was humorous and sad at the same time.

Glad Mr. Kenny is out for the remainder of the season. Let him work on his skills in the AYSO league.

As for MassRef, all I can say is when a player screws up in one match people/fans are all over his mojo big time. Two matches and he might be riding the pine for the remainder of the season. So Noel Kenny gets benched. If we were thinking of baseball he would get sent to the minor leagues. It's not a personal jab at you, just a reminder that players do get busted too.