In addition to Dayak, now Landon's out... http://www.mlsnet.com/MLS/news/mls_news.jsp?ymd=20040805&content_id=10630&vkey=news_mls&fext=.jsp
Might have to do with Landon flipping off the linesman and ref. That much I saw on TV after the game was over. Great idea, MLS. Give us crappy refs who call fouls as a goal is being scored thinking it is offside then finding out it was a delayed call on a foul. Then suspend our boy wonder as he plays DC's boy wonder on the Saturday night national telecast on FSW. With upwards of 20,000 ready to show up for the game. Great marketing.
Yea, we should be like Major League Baseball, and sit through a year and a half of appeals, so he gets suspended in 2008. We're lucky its only one game.
A major "ouch" for the Quakes office, IMO. The week they run print ads in newspapers featuring Landon and Adu, and the game at which they're going to give out Landon/Freddy posters. Nice. OTOH, right or not, LD has to learn some restraint, especially considering he already knew we'd be missing Dayak.
Unfortunately for the Quakes, Landon is getting what he deserved. Any player who carries on like that should be fined and a one-game suspension is not uncalled for. Hopefully, this will shut up the people who claim he gets special treatment. Judging by his interview up in Minnesota, Landon knows he messed up big time. I would imagine he knew the fine and suspension was coming. I doubt we'll see this kind of behavior from him any more, at least I hope not. Given by the amount of fines levied against players and coaches (a hefty $2000) for last weeks carrying-on, I hope the front office puts the money to good use, such as remedial referree classes. IMO, if players and coaches are driven to such anger, there's got to be some p***-poor referreeing that must be remedied.
I suspect that the announcement was delayed out of respect for the Quakes' FO needing to sell more tickets. Usually these kinds of announcements are made right after the game, like with Troy's fine.
I do not hesitate to say this pisses me off. Looks as if the league handed out a bunch of fines. If they're going to hand out fines like this to players for dissent against crap calls, how about spending some of that money on training these incompetents like that ugly red-headed bastard we had for the NE game.
Yeah he should show restrtaint. But that was also the worse ref I have ever seen, so the provocation was extreme. It's frustrating that our marquee player won't be there for out biggest crowd.
Could MLS also delayed the announcement not only for the front office to sell tickets, but I think they were hoping to get the media coverage. Now that Donovan's suspended I for one will not watch the game. I do not have any desire to watch a 15-year-old not play. The difference between LD and Adu is LD started producing during his first season. And the spot he got in the 2001 all-star game was earned, not given by the comish.
If the MLS Disciplinary Committee were to look at the game footage, they would surely see a timid and slow referee. The ref was obviously unskilled and in most instances unskilled people are not granted positions of authority. If anything, the majority of dissent with the referee shows the flaws in the referee. I even fail to see why a player is punished for having a differing opinion. I think it is logical to presume that the players in the sport are individuals and allowed to represent their individual nature. Isn't suppressing free speech unconstitutional? Damn private organizations. Oh well, it's probably a scam to help out Freddy Adu....MLS' love child.
I couldn't agree more......Donovan isn't even the captain, not that his behavior would have been ok if he was. Refs suck, they always will.....make your comments and move on.....the ongoing berating gets old. Now he has hurt his team and I hope he has learned his lesson.
Who will be taking Landon's place in the lineup.... Could it be DeRo? I hope Dom keeps him as a left wing sub and gets Mullan to play up top with Brian. Those two seem to connect well when they have the chances to... Question is, who would take Mullan's right wing spot??
I can't say that that the action taken is overly severe. I can say if long, deliberate analysis (almost two weeks) is indicative of MLS's desire to maintain the stature of the league, they should also be taking action on the recent spate of dives. Even if the refs can't tell a dive from a foul in heat of the match, the MLS should be reviewing tapes. If a dive can be determined, a belated card and fine should be given. I think dives are more damaging than foul language to the integrity of the game, though both shouldn't be tolerated. I find it interesting that the MLS couldn't make this determination prior to the All-Star game.
It's a shame that he is getting fined and suspended for one match to verbaly disgrace the referee and not what he did to Jonny Walker last season driving his elbow into Walker's ribs that Sunday Afternoon. Oh well MLS sure knows how to handle these things. Not saying that verbal dissent is not a fineable and suspendable offense as a minor decision but if the league had an balls they should have fined and given Donovan a one match suspension for the elbow thrust into Walker's side. There I have said my piece Flame all you want I don't care, but As some of you Quakes fans have seen out of Donovan's behavior lately this was a fine and suspension he had coming to him in a long time. He is a wonderful talented player no question, but his attitude towards the refs has grown intorable for the last 10+ matches.
I really think it was the F-bombs that got the top people at MLS upset. They are such a clean-cut crowd up there.
The language is the least damaging to the integrity of the game.......diving/wasting time is the worst, bar none. It's not what guys say to refs that is so bad, it's the "in their face" tactics. Baseball has always let guys get into the face of Umps but that is generally after they have been tossed. Touching the ref in ANY manner should not be tolerated, too much grabbing of the ref's arm goes on or bumping. Nobody should be allowed to approach a referee except the captain......for any reason....if you do, YELLOW.
My God, how long have you been nursing that grudge? If you made a list of all the calls that the refs in MLS have missed, and miscalled in the last nine seasons, you'd have something like the Encyclopedia Britannica.
So are Dayak and Corrales allowed to play Saturday? How does the red card situation translate between league and USOpen matches? The Quakes site only lists Landon out for discipline for Saturday, but it seems like either Dayak (for the red he got against the Revs, if the Open doesn't recognize league penalties), or Corrales (for the red he got last night, if MLS doesn't recognize Open penalties) should be on there too. BondOne