So in your book everything is premeditated and calculated? I never said Harris didn't lose his cool, I just said that the guy plays hard from whistle to whistle. He lost his cool, he got ejected, end of story. I find it funny that Blast fans are so quick to point out all the Comets faults yet fail to see their own players were doing some of the same stuff. Yes, I believe that Andre's head-butt was intentional and as a result the guy is out of a job. I saw some diving by Blast players at times too, does that mean they all are Olympic athletes? What Blast fans need to be doing is focusing on playing Monterrey and enjoying the fact that you all beat a previously unbeaten team.
I am going by the experience I have had with Brian Harris in person and off the field. He is involved with charities and lots of camps coaching kids. Interacting with Comets and Sporting players, I know that most athletes have different personalities on and off the field. Current Orlando City and former SKC player Aurelien Collin is a prime example. Based on his play on the field, you would think he is a typical arrogant Frenchman. However, he does a lot of charity work and is very down to earth with fans. Just because you see someone act a certain way on the field, does not mean that they are that way as a person. I could sit here and dissect Ed Hale's comments after the game and all that, but I know the guy was upset and so he said things in the heat of the moment. It happens to people who are human.
I'm going to put this out here and understand this one thing: I don't condone any of the actions that happened on Sunday. It sucks that I saw one of my local teams act this way and completely lose control. However, what I have been saying is not defending the actions of the players who committed them, just saying that sometimes emotions get the best of you and we all have made mistakes. I personally tweeted to Pat Healy on Sunday apologizing for the actions and wishing him the best of luck going forward. I'm glad the Comets released Andre because that kind of after game antic has no place in the sport. I just hope that the players, fans, and staff from both teams can reconcile their differences because the Blast vs Comets series is a fun one to watch and it is two very talented teams who tend to always meet in the playoffs. Again, I don't feel I am defending the players' actions, just saying that we have all let our emotions take over and it is never our best showing. However, you can't judge someone completely on a few actions, you have to look at the entire picture.
The Blue Testament posted this article today: http://www.thebluetestament.com/201...lains-quotes-from-controversial-playoff-night At least Vlatko took the time to clarify his comments. I was concerned he was just going to leave it as is and there was too much of a speculative and accusatory tone to them before. I happen to agree with Vlatko. Anytime an owner is seen conversing with officials prior to a game, it gives the wrong perception. Sometimes perception leads to wrong conclusions. Obviously Blast fan and player perception of the Comets players and fans is pretty bad after that, but just as the case of Vlatko, sometimes there is more to the story.
If there was divingin, it was on both ends. Gibson is know for it as much as anybody else. It's pretty weak for the coach to say the blast owner was working the head official. I didn't see the offical call goals back at all. He did't affect who scored more. One team did the complaining and the other put the goal in the back of the net.
While not being the worst tackle I have seen, clearly Harris slid into the Blast player without an intention to battle for the ball. The game was out of reach, and the ball had already been kicked down field when Harris slid into him. Definitely deserves a suspension of 2 games next year. I am sure it was a 'frustration foul' but trying to injure someone in a decided game is not appropriate at any time. Braithwaite should be banned for a year from all pro soccer, at a minimum. His indoor pro career is likely over in the MASL. Interesting comments by Andovski about unpaid refs. Why are the teams responsible? The league should pay & select the refs. Some games this year that I saw (mostly Ambush games) had decent refs, but poor officiating cost the Ambush at least one game. The MASL needs to raise the level of officiating and pay the refs from the league office. The Blast-Comets game had awful refs - how is that allowed to happen in the playoffs? I guess I could ref their games too. That being said, the players have to be professional & not allow a bad call or two to throw them off track. The uneven officiating is a major issue for the league to fix before next year.
ed sheetz passed away shortly after the team was sold to current owner. Ed and I both played in several of the mens leagues at the kc soccerdome.
I give him credit for clarifying it, but he originally stated that he WITNESSED a phone conversation between Hale and Cigich. That's a big difference between Hale telling him that he and Cigich had a conversation in the hallway. Yes, an owner and a head referee conversing before a match really isn't appropriate regardless of the reason. However, Andonovski basically made an implication to the media after the match that something was fishy about the conversation (which he assumed was a phone call). Two wrongs don't make a right. I won't go into the ref situation that SteveCo mentioned, other than to say that nothing surprises me anymore with this league.
This is a good article from the paper in Independence. http://m.examiner.net/article/20150317/SPORTS/150319118/0/rwd
That was a good article, but one of the things that popped out to me. In the article it says: Andonovski was also concerned about a pre-game phone conversation he witnessed between Hale and crew chief Ryan Cigich more than an hour before the 3:05 p.m. kickoff. Yet in another article here http://www.thebluetestament.com/201...lains-quotes-from-controversial-playoff-night he states: Wanting to set the record straight, Andonovski explained "I got out of the car and Ed was sitting on the wall at the back of the Independence Event Center and he was just finishing up a phone call. He walks towards me and I towards him. He said hi, how are you doing? Then his first words were I just talked to or I talked with Ryan Cigich. I was under the impression that he just finished a phone call with Ryan. He (Ed) said they were talking about referees in Monterey, we've got to have a good crew and how we had to have a good experience crew of referees there." It really doesn't sit well that he went from 'witnessing a phone conversation' to 'I was under the impression he just finished a phone call.' That first statement is implies something much worse than the second statement, and to claim he witnessed a call then later saying he was under the impression really makes people doubt Vlatko's credibility.
I don't think he's dull, I just think he's very impulsive as shown by this and his behavior walking the team off the field in Milwaukee. Unfortunately when the guy at the top is impulsive it filters down to the guys he coaches and I think that's part of why we saw what we say with both reds and the headbutt. Much like Jim Schwartz in the NFL, when the guy at the top can't control his emotions the players will follow suit and look at all the problems the Lions had under his management. I sadly feel that as long as Vlatko is coach and keeps this kind of fiery attitude, the players will continue to follow suit.
Who owns the team if Sheetz died? Wasn't it a father/son duo so I assume the son runs it? Also, is Budzinski clueless or just a Soccerman (aka you know who) I recall a few times him mentioning how EVERY SINGLE goal was a fantastic goal and nobody to blame.... um except when Leo directly misplayed the ball right to Dantas' foot for a goal... and then the defensive error that resulted in a late goal as well..
Suspensions just announced: Braithwaite suspended for a year. Harris for three games next year. Sosa for one game.
I'd be very surprised if Braithwaite was playing in MASL again. They need a problem like him, about as much as one of us needs a hearty gout attack. Ok so I am going to assume a few things (I know, I know) 1- MASL has insurance 2- Teams have liability insurance and medical insurance 3- (this is a big stretch but....) an underwriter has done his/her due diligence. This could be before a policy is accepted or after a claim. but, assuming the above is true, then Braithwaite may have difficulty playing anywhere professionally. I can name several guys who played in the NHL who an insurance company refused to cover. Now these were marginal guys who frankly, could be replaced but they had done something idiotic/dangerous and it became an issue. The insurance company would either flat out refuse or make the premium + conditions so high it was insanity. If the NHL teams balked at getting extra insurance for him, there was no way the independent teams in the minor leagues were going to touch them. A couple of them ended up in some joke league like the SPHL or the Quebec NAHL. The others were frozen out of the (pro) game. I hope it works out for Braithwaite, he may need some anger management assistance.
Braithwaite was charged with assault. http://www.kshb.com/sports/former-m...charged-with-assault-for-headbutting-opponent Also #UPDATE: "We feel like they are culpable" -@BaltimoreBlast owner saying he is pursing civil/criminal charges against owners of @CometsMASL.— Eli Rosenberg NBC10 Boston (@EliNBCBoston) March 26, 2015 Has an owner sued another owner before for an on the field incident or is this another first in the MASL?
Players have sued one another for on-field incidents, but I've never heard of an owner suing another owner under circumstances like this.
This. I agree completely with the charges against Braithwaite, but to sue another owner to me just seems to be sour grapes on Hale's part. Look, I understand him protecting his players and being upset with how things happened. I probably would be the same way, BUT this seems to be a bit too much. Braithwaite has been released from the Comets because of his own actions, he has been banned by the league, and has charges against him for the incident. Pat Healey looked fine in the USA game against the Czechs so he seems to have shaken off any of the effects of the head butt. Another thing that might be influencing Hale is the fact that Pat's father Kevin is the President/GM of the Blast. If it was another player, would Hale be suing the Comets? Is he basically trying to get revenge against a team for his GM's son? If you notice, the comment from Hale says "We feel like they are culpable." The "we" meaning the owner and front office of the Blast which another Healey is a part of. I just find the whole thing a bit overboard with respect to the civil/criminal suit against the Comets. Is it worth the bad publicity to the league that already has had enough because of the actions of Braithwaite who is/will be punished for this? I personally don't think so.
I hope this doesn't happen but Healy could certainly sue Braithwaite but he would have to do it in a Missouri state court and he'd probably have trouble finding a lawyer to take the case because he would be unlikely to recover very much in damages.