Seriously folks to consider giving out red cards for people expressing their opinions on Rossi is ridiculous. Last I looked we have freedom of speech in the United States. We are free to state our opinions. To have moderators threathen to issue red cards for peopled being upset misses the fundamental irony in who helped beat the US yesterday evening in South Africa. It's understandable people are upset. Prior to Rossi entering the match, Italy had not shown much energy or imagination in the attack. His substitution was the spark that drove Italy to victory. People are upset because the fact is that Rossi was not an immigrant that came here as a teen. He was born in Teaneck, graduated from Clifton High School and his family lives in the USA. It was his dream to play for Italy. Great knock yourself out....Now let's move on to Brasil.
I fully agree with the original post. "Some" moderators are really full of themselves, or on a power trip, or something else... for closing some threads and overreacting to the Rossi "situation." It was a noteworthy turn of events and seems to be an excellent topic for discussion. Why don't you moderators (you know who you are) let people discuss it?
While I may or may not comment on the Rossi choice, I feel it's important to comment on this. Quite simply Alberto free speech is a constitutional concept. In other words, it applies when one of the parties in question is the US Gov't in some way. That is not the case on an internet message board such as bigsoccer. Please note that I'm saying this as a poster not as a moderator, I moderate the Brazil forum and do not want to meddle in the US forums nor suggest how moderators do their job here. Quite simply, saying "we have a right to free speech" is an ignorant statement when it appears in these circumstances. For one it implies that people are trying to curb your rights, which is nonsense, and for two it suggests that you do not know what you're talking about. You are hurting your argument by bringing it up instead of bringing up the terms of service of this site and the general practices on it and defending your position based on those. It's my opinion that the Rossi subject has seen enough nonsense that it's perfectly reasonable for the moderators here to put restrictions on the discussion. The only particular restriction I have noticed so far is a reminder that derogatory language is prohibited but I do read US threads selectively so I may miss other comments.
This thread does not belong in this forum. It's off topic. Also very bad form for a moderator to openly attack the way other moderators run their boards. You should know better, Alberto.
You have many instances where people have discussed the Rossi issue on other forums, and did so without violating the terms of service and had threads or posts deleted. I repeat they did not violate the TOS. People constantly write about how Bob Bradley is a lousy coach yet, those threads and forums are not deleted or closed. Yet the issue of Guisseppe Rossi is paramount to a Terms of service violation? This does not make sense. I understand that there are limitations on what one may say on a message board and that constitutional rights may not apply in a legal sense. That said, this is a country founded on the right to self determination and expression and the spirit of this and the fundamental right to discuss ideas that may not be popular should be respected by all Americans.
Minor correction, but I believe he was in Italy and/or England during his HS years. In any case, I too find it lame that dissent on this subject is off-limits over on Yanks Abroad. I have long held that being a "Yank" means more than having a piece of paper saying so, and actions speak far louder than words. For whatever reason, certain moderators are especially sensitive about it. Presumbly the US has been good to Rossi and his family -- they are still here after 20-some years, yes? If so, we deserved better from the boy they raised here, if not his presence on our team, then at least enough class to moderate his celebration of our defeat. If, as I've read, he truly calls the US "home", he has a bizarre way of showing it.
Some posters should know better than threaten other posters because they don't like their view point. Particularly if there is no terms of service violation. It's not an attack, it's a commentary on what I just read on this board earlier today and it really bothered me.
http://www.giusepperossi.com/ enjoy Angelina Jolie, Aikon, San Diego and New York - yes America is his favorite place (except when it comes to soccer) ... yes that is a true blue member of the Azurri national team ..... at least his soccer idol should be an Italian - not Weah or Van Basten ..... "Giuseppe was born in Teaneck, New Jersey (USA) on the first of February 1987. His mother and father, Cleonilde and Ferdinando, had met in America, where their families had immigrated in search of work. They both taught Italian at Teaneck high school, although his father has now left to accompany Beppe in his football career. What is more, Ferdinando was also the soccer coach of the high school team for many years (In fact, our Champion must have inherited his talent from someone….!) The Bomber is also very fond of the last member of his family, his sister Tina, who is one year younger. Giuseppe’s career started off with a visit to Parma in the summer of 1999, and an amazing try-out with the yellow/blue team; from that moment onwards, for 4 years, the “American”, as he was affectionately called by his team-mates, catalysed the attention of the young Italian football world, an authentic goal machine, scoring without interruption in the ‘Esordienti’, the ‘Allievi Regionali’ the ‘Nazionali’ and ‘Primavera’; finally winning the ‘Allievi Nazionali’ Championship in summer 2003 (2 to 1 at Treviso, even scoring the winning goal ……..!) In the months leading up to the above final, there was a growing rumour in Parma of Manchester United’s explicit interest in Giuseppe who, unfairly neglected by the ‘Società ducale’ (involved in the collapse of Parmalat at the time ..), accepted the enticing offer of Sir Alex Ferguson, and signed a 4 year contract with The Red Devils in July 2003. It was later revealed that the United boss had come to the conclusion that he was taking on the best player of the 1987 age group in Europe at the time, after receiving reports from no less than 10 different observers..! And thus, Beppe opened up a new chapter in his career, moving to England and continuing onwards as before: scoring goals. He won the Reserves Team “Championship” twice (1 year as top goal scorer), and was voted Best Young Player (following in the footsteps of Giggs, Scholes and Beckham..). Beppe also won the Carling Cup with the First team and, as a final touch, scored at his debut match in the Premier League against Sunderland (15/10/2005), after substituting his friend Ruud van Nistelrooy! As we shall see, he went on to develop the habit of scoring at debut matches. Manchester then loaned him out to gain “League experience” firstly with Newcastle United F.C. in summer 2006, (a rather unhappy episode yet positive on a personal level), and then to Parma, in January. A most surprising move which, thanks to his Agents, gave Giuseppe 5 incredible months in Parma, culminating in helping the yellow/blues, trained by Ranieri, escape relegation. During this stint in the championship, the Bomber “only” scored 9 goals in 19 league appearances (including a goal in his debut match against Turin), equalling Roberto Mancini, the current trainer of Inter, as best Under 20 scorer in ‘serie A’. After this incredible experience the roads of Beppe and Parma once again divided and, surprisingly, the player’s future with Manchester United no longer seemed certain. The ambitions of “Joe Red” did not coincide with the Team and Ferguson’s programmes and so, after a summer of uneasy rumour, Giuseppe signed up with Spanish Villarreal, who outbid half the teams in Europe to acquire the player on a six year contract. His recent victories have made headlines; 11 goals in La Liga (goal at debut match against Valencia…..!), growing popularity throughout Europe, all accompanied by the lad’s usual astounding ability, evident right from the start of his incredible career. But, like anyone else, although obviously very tied up with his career, Giuseppe also has a personal life and interests off the field, which we are sure his fans would like to know about. All the usual simple pleasures of lads of his age, ways of relaxing in rare free moments. Like a lot of his contemporaries he also plays football when he isn’t training….on his PlayStation! And not only football, other sports too…selecting and identifying with these idols in his games (for example, Tiger Woods and Roger Federer, naturally depending on the sport concerned….). And aside from playing football he also likes watching it; in fact he obsessively follows almost all the European championships (possibly considering his own future moves, after England, Italy and Spain…!) and at times he likes to re-watch past idols play (Weah, Van Basten and Gullit above all, no prizes for guessing which is his favourite Italian team…). Then he also spends an occasional afternoon shopping, particularly “tempted” by Dsquared, D&G and Armani clothes, fortunately he has plenty of wardrobes for storing his constantly growing collection of clothes…! In the evening, after a healthy plate of Italian pasta, he likes to watch a peaceful DVD, possibly set in America and featuring his favourite actors (Will Smith, Al Pacino, Angelina Jolie) or listen to music on his iPod (J. Timberlake, Akon, Ligabue, ZeroAssoluto) followed by a few phone calls to friends around the world Whenever he has enough time off to take a holiday, the Bomber naturally loves returning home to America, his favourite place, where he would like to buy the house of his dreams in New York or, even better, on the San Diego coast…But at the moment this is just a dream for the future, before then he’s got a lot of games to play, goals to score and, heaven knows how many other pleasures to fulfil!! "
So start a thread in the moderators' forum. Don't air your dirty laundry here in an effort to make the USMNT N&A moderators look bad and make yourself look good as you too decide to bash Rossi for a decision that many soccer players with dual citizenship make all the time.
I never claimed that discussing Rossi violates TOS and suggesting as much is an intellectually dishonest effort to counter my point. The Terms of Service simply mean you agree to accept the policies and decisions of the site, including moderator decisions. Threads are deleted and closed for several reasons. The notion that moderators don't want people discussing Rossi is nonsense and again intellectually dishonest on your part. What moderators don't want are gratuitous insults and nonsensical rants about nationality and rights and some perceived obligation to x or y country. Not unlike Grunt's stupid notion that the US somehow "deserved better" from Rossi. You see, this isn't unique to americans and throwing out "free speech" was a stupid thing to do. There is no fundamental right to discuss unpopular things, you're making no sense by trying to extend this to a private forum. Quit resorting to unrelated concepts when trying to defend your position.
He is Italian. This thread is stupid. And I hope the actual moderators of this forum do the right thing and relegate it to where it belongs.
An article I read on line stated he graduated from Clifton High. Looking at some other articles I stand corrected. He did leave for Europe at age 13.
Btw -- in my opinion, it is oxy-moronic to have threads about players who have expressed their loyalty to another country in a forum dedicated to "Yanks", and it is insulting to the players and fans who wear that title proudly. Whether certain moderators agree or not, there are many who feel this way, and the issue could be largely defused by creating a separate forum called "American Citizens Playing For Other Countries". I can think of a few other names for it, but I'm trying to play nice.
I think that posters are entitled to comment on the issue, too. But I also like the idea of being more selective regarding the threads in the N&A forum. So why can't those kinds of threads be kept in USA Men?
Why are posters not allowed to discuss Rossi? It seems like News and Analysis. Rossi played against the US NT yesterday, so it fits both categories.
This thread does not belong in this forum. It is not USA Men: News & Analysis. A moderator should know that.