I find it very interesting that Barkey never bothers to really address whether or not the recommendation for DOGSO was correct. He says it's a "correct usage of video review" and explains the referee can (or, truly, needs) to show the yellow card once he's seen the replay. But the question of whether or not the referee should have ever been at the monitor in the first place is much more important and more complicated. Barkey seems to go out of his way to make no value judgment whatsoever on whether or not this is clearly DOGSO. I know these videos don't get a ton of eyes from fans, relatively speaking. But those who do watch are probably left with the mistaken impression that a borderline DOGSO foul should be reviewed and if it ends up being a yellow, that's fine, too. In truth, if you read between the lines and seize on what is not said, it seems like a PRO VAR would be in trouble for sending this down.
Petke suspended 3 MLS games, 3 League Cup games, and fined. Got off easy, I say, given this description of what he did: I can now reveal what I know about the Mike Petke situation.As many have speculated, he was indeed shouting "motherfucking pu**" at the referee following the final whistle. This was picked up by cameras.#RSL— MLS Referee Stats (@MLSRefStats) July 30, 2019 Later, in the tunnel, Petke continued the confrontation, now with a hand-written sign either taken from a spectator or made himself that also had the homophobic slur on it. This sign was displayed to the referees along with more uttterances of "motherfuckers."#RSL— MLS Referee Stats (@MLSRefStats) July 30, 2019 I share this not out of any personal spite towards Mike Petke, although I don't think it's a secret that I don't care for the man, but because MLS fans and employees deserve to know the details and the opportunity to make their own judgments based on the known facts.#RSL— MLS Referee Stats (@MLSRefStats) July 30, 2019
Alan Gordon got a 3 MLS game ban for saying the word “************” so I guess they’re staying consistent and not changing with the times? It would be nice if we could get a greater than 5 game ban for blatant homophobia.
Agreed. But FWIW, RSL added on two weeks away from the club, without pay, and anger management/sensitivity training. Sometime I'd like to see a study about whether forcing folks to take anger management/sensitivity classes really has a significant effect.
That is actually really encouraging, I wish more clubs would do stuff like that. I’m thinking Magic Mushrooms might be best for changing someone’s attitude about things.
The club is also requiring a general apology to the fans, a specific apology to the LGBTQ community, and personal apologies to the referees in question. I am interested to see them come to fruition.
Petke fired for actions against referees in Leagues Cup game (capping what the owner referred to earlier this week as a pattern of behavior vis-a-vis the officials).
Did these apologies ever happen, and if not, could that be part of the reason he was fired post-suspension instead of at the time?
I do not disagree with this. Petke's actions were way over the line of acceptable behavior, and he has paid the price for that. At the same time, why is MLS/SUM/US Soccer so strangely unwilling to take any meaningful action when thousands of people repeatedly scream the same word Petke was disciplined for using. Is it because Petke is low-hanging fruit while taking substantial action against the supporters of El Tri who scream the word would jeopardize the bottom line by endangering the big paydays that Mexico generates every time it plays in the US?
I've been waiting and watching, and figured he would speak up when the comments from the owner came out earlier this week that he was still thinking of firing him came out. But none came as far as I can tell. The initial info the team and league had was the initial verbal attack, on the field after the game. It then came out that Petke continued to use the word in the tunnel - both verbally and on some sort of sign - and then sent notes to the referee dressing room with the word on it again. I don't know this for sure, but I suspect the initial engagement would have just seen the fine and suspension. It's the rest that elevates it to something fireable. It was also a specific attack on an individual (or group with the ARs) as opposed to a general slur. Both problematic, one a level more serious than the other.
I'm honestly surprised but given the context of him not saying the word in passing but instead deliberately writing it, I think sealed his fate. It wasn't spur of the moment anger, he had to think about that. That he hasn't apologized at all really says something about his character. An MLS player apologized for spitting at an opponent almost immediately after.
Yes. Or rather, your last sentence is doubtless why nothing happens at matches involving El Tri in the U.S.
I am unaware of other examples of a D-1 coach being fired for verbally assaulting referees. Probably there are some; anyone know?
I think there was a coach that got fired for physically assaulting a referee but I don’t know of one fired for words. Also don’t know of one who constantly harassed the referee and then sent him letters continuing the harassment.
Maybe I'm splitting hairs too much here, but I would classify Petke as being fired for the exact nature of his verbal assault rather than the fact that it was toward referees. The press release stresses "diversity, acceptance, and inclusion" and never makes mention of "officials" or "referees" explicitly. RSL is more concerned about the content than the victims. Now, I'm not even remotely suggesting this is a bad thing. He deserved to go and I'm pleased to see RSL took this action. But if Petke had chosen a few different words and exhibited the same general behavior toward referees, I don't think he'd be unemployed today. Similarly, if he used the same words against the opposing team or stadium staff or his own staff or players, he'd be gone. Somewhat long way of saying I don't think the fact that he disrespected and verbally abused referees is the reason he's gone. Again, not a complaint--just an observation if we're trying to put it in a larger context at all.
As I heard it sponsors were pressuring Real Salt Lake to get rid of him. He was offered to resign, didn’t take it, so he was fired.
Also, Petke has been this way for....forever? He pulled this kind of stunt when he was a player in the league. Had he done his most recent antics in Philli or DC or Chicago he might have even gotten away with a fine/suspension. He treated those refs like Mexican teams treat American refs at "friendlies" in the US. His firing is a combination of the following, anyone of which you could hypothetically change and he'd still have a job: 1. Homophobic nature of insults 2. Writing it down (!!!!) 3. Being wrong on the merits (the call he was hacked at was correct) 4. His history of this kind of thing 5. Being employed in Salt Lake (family friendly environment and what not) 6. Blowing off his owner 7. Sponsor pressure (largely based on #s 1 and 5) 8. His mediocre record as a coach 9. THE TEAM PLAYING BETTER WITHOUT HIM. I think the players showed they are happier without him than with him by their performance on the field. Again, tweak anyone of those, and he might still be around. But now he is likely unemployable. We'll see where he lands. Probably a youth club in Los Angeles is my guess.
Here's RSL owner Del Loy Hansen speaking about referees, and treatment thereof, today in his first public comments on the incident and the firing.
Watching some of last night's games on the ESPN+ replay. The biggest shock for me so far is Escobar actually carries his cards and knows where they are as he pulled a yellow for a tactical foul against Cruz Azul. After watching his unwillingness to sanction misconduct in the Gold Cup final, I wasn't sure if he even took cards onto the field.