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The Real Issue
Posted 07 Nov 2009 at 11:01 AM by monster
More than a week has gone by since Kevin Payne made comments critical of some MLS teams which earned him a fine from the league office. Since then, Paul Gardner has weighed in, just as have so many Internet pundits. I have taken some time to think about the situation and can only come to one conclusion.
Kevin Payne is full of crap.
First of all, I watched a lot of DC United this year and think leaving them out of any conversation which addresses unwatchable soccer is a crime. Never mind that some of the teams Payne whined about had much more attacking success than DC. They also were more fun to watch for me.
Secondly, Payne, Gardner and so many people who agree with them about “unwatchable” games in MLS have fallen prey to a immature sensibility which starts with the assumption that MLS has some fatal flaw not present in other leagues.
Every league has unwatchable games. There are games difficult to watch in MLS. There are also difficult games to watch in the EPL, in World Cup qualifying, in Spain, Italy, Japan, Russia and every other place where people play soccer. Acting as if that's not true dooms Payne's attempt to make a point from the start.
There is no fairy tale league with unicorn referees and strippers working as the fourth official where every single game is action-packed, exciting and filled with technically precise soccer. When complaining about the quality of MLS play and tying it to defensive strategy, Payne just shows that he should be watching more of these games because then maybe he would understand the real problems.
That doesn't mean there aren't thinigs to complain about in MLS. There are, but the anger here is misplaced. Payne points to conservative play when I believe it's exactly the opposite. Games are killed by backs who can't play the ball through the midfield and instead hoof it upfield. Games are killed by disorganized midfields who ping the ball around with no idea where they are trying to send it. Games are killed by an over-reliance on orwards who need to poach instead of those who want to help create.
As an angry DC United fan, I submit that I pretty much just described the 2009 version of Kevin Payne's team. People may disagree, but I think they have to admit tactics are the least of people's worries in MLS. I think it's also hard to admit that we have found every single game from Europe and South America compelling and completely satisfying.
Admitting that there will be bad games no matter what happens and finding ways to limit those will make a much bigger difference than crying and whining and acting as if MLS has some sort of defect that doesn't exist in other leagues. But a nuanced approach aimed at pushing the entire league forward instead of just thumping your chest about past victories wouldn't get Kevin Payne in the headlines.
Kevin Payne is full of crap.
First of all, I watched a lot of DC United this year and think leaving them out of any conversation which addresses unwatchable soccer is a crime. Never mind that some of the teams Payne whined about had much more attacking success than DC. They also were more fun to watch for me.
Secondly, Payne, Gardner and so many people who agree with them about “unwatchable” games in MLS have fallen prey to a immature sensibility which starts with the assumption that MLS has some fatal flaw not present in other leagues.
Every league has unwatchable games. There are games difficult to watch in MLS. There are also difficult games to watch in the EPL, in World Cup qualifying, in Spain, Italy, Japan, Russia and every other place where people play soccer. Acting as if that's not true dooms Payne's attempt to make a point from the start.
There is no fairy tale league with unicorn referees and strippers working as the fourth official where every single game is action-packed, exciting and filled with technically precise soccer. When complaining about the quality of MLS play and tying it to defensive strategy, Payne just shows that he should be watching more of these games because then maybe he would understand the real problems.
That doesn't mean there aren't thinigs to complain about in MLS. There are, but the anger here is misplaced. Payne points to conservative play when I believe it's exactly the opposite. Games are killed by backs who can't play the ball through the midfield and instead hoof it upfield. Games are killed by disorganized midfields who ping the ball around with no idea where they are trying to send it. Games are killed by an over-reliance on orwards who need to poach instead of those who want to help create.
As an angry DC United fan, I submit that I pretty much just described the 2009 version of Kevin Payne's team. People may disagree, but I think they have to admit tactics are the least of people's worries in MLS. I think it's also hard to admit that we have found every single game from Europe and South America compelling and completely satisfying.
Admitting that there will be bad games no matter what happens and finding ways to limit those will make a much bigger difference than crying and whining and acting as if MLS has some sort of defect that doesn't exist in other leagues. But a nuanced approach aimed at pushing the entire league forward instead of just thumping your chest about past victories wouldn't get Kevin Payne in the headlines.
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Couple points here:
1) I doubt Payne said those things to generate headlines for himself. He's never been a controversy-hunter before, and this wouldn't exactly have been the time to start.
Further, the comments didn't generate much heat until the league fined him for them. It was then that he suddenly looked like some sort of martyr for the truth.
2) DC United's league form in 2009 is a bit tangential to the point he was trying to make. Kevin Payne doesn't suit up and play, he puts players on the team. And it's pretty obvious that by putting Moreno and Gomez and Fred out there, that he was aiming at something different from what Colorado was aiming for.
Colorado plays exactly the style they are designed for. They'd love to play it a little better, just like everyone, but it wouldn't be a different style. They're not looking to play a creative game.Posted 07 Nov 2009 at 12:46 PM by Stan Collins 
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Wasn't it Payne who picked a fight with Seattle's FO over the open cup final venue, then created the website "we win trophies.com"? While I agree he hasn't been a controversy-hunter before this season, it seems a new pattern is emerging. (although I admit I'm baffled as to what he thinks he stands to gain from this.)Quote:I doubt Payne said those things to generate headlines for himself. He's never been a controversy-hunter before, and this wouldn't exactly have been the time to start.Posted 08 Nov 2009 at 12:31 PM by BigKris
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So Rimando, Prideaux, Kovalenko, and Boswell are in the playoffs. None pull down an outrageously huge salary and all were deemed unnecessary by DC. So much for good talent evaluation by Payne.
And DC fans bear some blame, since IIRC the consensus on the DC forum was that they were deservedly let go.Posted 08 Nov 2009 at 10:09 PM by DoctorD 
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Say what?Quote:Originally Posted by Stan Collins
1) I doubt Payne said those things to generate headlines for himself. He's never been a controversy-hunter before, and this wouldn't exactly have been the time to start.Posted 09 Nov 2009 at 11:51 AM by ElJefe
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I think "for himself" are the key words. Payne shoots his mouth off all the damn time, but it's usually for the perceived benefit of DC United.
But yeah, this guy's been running his mouth since old MLS began. It was just harder to argue with him when DC won all the damn time.Posted 09 Nov 2009 at 01:10 PM by Dan Loney
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Good point! and all 4 on different teams.Quote:Originally Posted by DoctorD
So Rimando, Prideaux, Kovalenko, and Boswell are in the playoffs.
Posted 09 Nov 2009 at 04:23 PM by DougO
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It's not really a 'good point' if all you're doing is making a random list of half-decent players who used to play for you. You can do that with almost any team.
But contrary to the implications in that post, none of those guys are stars, and none were let go because the team didn't think they could play at MLS. Three of them were traded--two for what the team perceived at the time as real value, and the other one at the player's request. The fourth went abroad for more money.
If all four of those guys were on the team, would DC United have finished in the playoffs? Possibly, but you have to figure who they'd lose because of the cap, and they still wouldn't be contenders.Posted 10 Nov 2009 at 11:35 PM by Stan Collins
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Right, the USOC thing was a ticket sales gimmick that Adrian Hanauer was basically an equal partner on. And it's typical of the only times Kevin Payne has tried deliberately to get attention.Quote:Originally Posted by Dan Loney
I think "for himself" are the key words. Payne shoots his mouth off all the damn time, but it's usually for the perceived benefit of DC United.
But yeah, this guy's been running his mouth since old MLS began. It was just harder to argue with him when DC won all the damn time.Posted 10 Nov 2009 at 11:37 PM by Stan Collins
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I clicked on something that said "There's a monster at the end of this post," led to believe there would be Grover, and catharsis.
Posted 11 Nov 2009 at 02:39 PM by Honore de Ballsac
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