http://www.ussoccerplayers.com/latest_soccer_news/503902.html So this is why there's no more Walsh Cup. Lad reckons himself a writer.
I like what he says, and the way he says it. Time to bury the hatchet, visit his bar, hoist a few, and move on -- after ass-kicking the drunks who disparage soccer and want it off his tellies.
I'm impressed by his writing style and candor. Quite a good thing to see, because we don't get a lot of either in most soccer writers. Looking forward to his next column.
I've been to his bar and he's right about one thing, every screen has an MLS Direct Kick game on saturday nights. I loved it!
I was surprised to read about his showing the games on a Saturday night. I live about a mile from his bar but never went because friends said it was a dance club at night and didn't show soccer. I guess once MLS starts again I'll have to pop down there. It's certainly an option for the WC if I can't manage to haul my ass into NYC. Oh, and good article. I liked the candor.
"Most general managers in MLS have fake jobs. What do they do if their club already has a stadium? If they are in charge of player personnel, then why do they fire coaches? And if they are in charge of putting butts in the seats, then they are failures." Yep. This could be some good reading.
Where is the bar and what's the bars name? What kind of beer do they have on tap? What's the jukebox like?
I had the pleasure of heckling him a few months back (oh how I missed it). I was biking into Central Park and I see a kid with a Chatham sweatshirt on. Comedy enough. But as I get closer, I realize it's Pat Walsh, and Billy is right behind him. I belt out an "OWN GOAL BILLY" at them as they stare at me quite confused. Man, I wish I had gone to heckle him at Manhattan College. That being said, I am actually looking forward to his column in a weird way.
I never had all that much of a hatchet for Billy, though he did seem like an obnoxious person. Playing for a losing team could bring that out, but he seemed rich & stuck up in a way that was off-putting. I actively disliked his brother, because he acted like an obnoxious dick on this forum, and tried to start sh!t in the section that he full well knew he didn't have the balls to finish. If he wants to re-invent himself and his life now that he's a bar owner and soccer writer, fine with me, but I do submit it's easy to be humble when you're out of the spotlight. He had a number of opportunities to act like a more mature individual back then, and I can't say how many of them he took (though, I didn't follow him as personally as I could have, so I'll give him a 50% benefit of the doubt). As a fan, you really do cherish the guys like Brian McBride, Curtis Martin, etc who handle themselves with class & dignity in good times and bad, regardless of their success. Such men are few and far between. But, I'll stop by the bar one day and give it a shot.
"Nowadays, I wake up, get yelled at by my wife for something stupid that I didn't even know I did and then head out to make sure that the bar is running smoothly. One can see me dissecting clogged toilets some days, getting screamed at on Saturday nights by drunks telling me that soccer is stupid and to get it off every television in the bar, cleaning dirty floors, and, lastly, doing what I and all those that underachieved in their playing careers and tanked as coaches love doing: writing about the game." Yep. Living well is the best revenge!
A Morristown councilman beat up Billy Walsh's brother in Billy's bar (the Dark Horse Lounge in Morristown) early Saturday morning. The story is in the Sunday Star-Ledger. Here's the link, and story is pasted below. http://www.nj.com/news/ledger/jersey/index.ssf?/base/news-2/1137303639259080.xml&coll=1 Police: Morristown official beats 'friend,' curses cops Sunday, January 15, 2006 BY BILL SWAYZE AND NYIER ABDOU Star-Ledger Staff Newly elected Morristown Councilman John Cryan saw the inside of the county jail yesterday when he was arrested for attacking a local bar manager in a drunken brawl, authorities said. Cryan, 32, who owns John's Delicatessen on Washington Street, was charged with burglary and aggravated assault after entering the Dark Horse Lounge on DeHart Street after hours and attacking the manager, police said. Cryan, a scion of the politically connected Cryan family, has held his council seat for only two weeks. He apologized yesterday for the incident, saying it was "unfortunate a private matter between friends had to escalate." The Dark Horse was closed at 2 a.m. yesterday when staff opened the side entrance to take out the trash and found an inebriated Cryan waiting outside the door, police said. Cryan, who used to work as head bartender at the popular night spot, said nothing and walked in. General Manager Kevin Walsh told police he extended his hand to Cryan and said, "'What's up?'" With that, Cryan suddenly pulled back and "sucker punched" him, Walsh told police. Cryan continued punching Walsh until he was knocked to the ground, his face bloodied, police said. Police were in the area as part of an initiative to stem fights and public drunkenness near bars and late-night spots. Cryan was detained while police viewed the bar's surveillance tapes, which captured Cryan beating Walsh, authorities said. Cryan angrily cursed police as he was arrested and taken to the county jail, authorities said. He spent about four hours there before a friend posted $7,500 bail. Reached at home yesterday, Cryan said he took "full responsibility" for his actions and said he already apologized to Walsh. "Kevin Walsh and I are -- and remain -- friends," Cryan said. "I'm very sorry for my actions. It was very silly of me." Matt Wirths, who co-owns the Dark Horse with Walsh's brother, Billy, said Kevin Walsh and Cryan were "like brothers." Wirths called Cryan "a great guy." Wirths' wife is partners with Cryan in John's Delicatessen. "There will be no more joking around between those two (Cryan and Kevin Walsh)," Wirths said. Cryan, a nephew of former longtime Essex County Sheriff John F. Cryan and cousin of state Assemblyman Joseph Cryan of Union, said he had a few beers at a gathering Friday night before the incident. He was walking home when he thought to stop and check on complaints he had heard about trash in the area of the Dark Horse. But Cryan did not elaborate on how his stop in the area led to going down the stairs, entering the Dark Horse and attacking Walsh. Cryan said the assault was the end result of back-and-forth "busting chops" and "ribbing" between two friends, but wouldn't get specific. "I would like to apologize to my family and the people of Morristown," Cryan said. "I'm certainly disappointed," said new mayor and longtime Councilman Donald Cresitello, who ran with Cryan on the Democratic ticket. "But he's young and foolish." Cresitello said he was "not happy" about the incident, noting some residents "certainly are going to be upset about it." But he added the experience had humbled Cryan. "I'm sure he's embarrassed by it," Cresitello said. "This will certainly teach him a lesson. He has to learn to control his temper." Cryan's successful bid for town council was his first run for public office, although he has served on the town's board of adjustment. Wirths said, "The Dark Horse is not going to press charges" against Cryan. He added that Walsh did not intend to press charges, either. Walsh was not available for comment last night. The mayor, however, said the court system "will have to take its course."
Kind of surprised that this wasn't kept in-house: a "private fight". How/why did the bar hand over the videotapes, if they didn't want this pursued? OTOH, if the police press charges, it will probably get reduced to a guilty plea to a boro ordinance (equivalent of a parking ticket) if the victim doesn't appear for court. Venue will probably have to be changed due to Cryan's status as councilman. He should know better. His family was/is involved in many NJ establishments. The bigger problem for the Dark Horse may be its liquor license. Local boards in NJ (& everything's local in NJ!) usually take a dim view of bar fights. If there's a history of this, the place could be closed down for 30 days.
Not really a 'bar fight' as much as an after-hours assault in a bar. No reason to suspend the establishment's liquor license -- unless NJ politics and family pull dictates otherwise.