this is already posted on the Revs board, but here's a report stating the Clint Dempsey was suspended for 2 weeks due to a fight with captain Joe Franchino. As a USMNT and prominent league player - I thought it should make it to general MLS "news & analysis"... ESPN report
So a guaranteed, no-question-about-it starter gets to take two weeks of preseason off? Misses no actual games or anything? Just a little vacation in March? Gosh, I guess that'll teach him. What a joke.
Since this is MLS News, here's the mls news. http://www.mlsnet.com/MLS/news/mls_news.jsp?ymd=20060314&content_id=53785&vkey=news_mls&fext=.jsp
Hearing someone beat down Franchino would usually result in a heart-fealt "attakid" from me. However, fighting a team mate? Clint has been doing well in MLS and with the Nats - let's hope he's keeping a level head.
Joey reminds me of that cartoon my son watches... um oh, Rocket Power. He looks like one of those skateboarder kids.
i didn't like the part where Franchino, already bleeding, allegedly went to the locker room to clean himself up, when somehow the two confronted each other again. i wonder if this is why Dempsey was given 2 weeks (possibly because he went after Franchino was cleaning himself up), while Joey, no relation to Joey from Jersey, seems to have gotten off except for a visit to the hospital.
wow, what a shock. apparently Bruce Arena isn't as cool about Clint beating on a teammate as many BS posters who hate Franchino are. i tried to point that out that possibility earlier. got called names like "soccer mom". honestly, i don't get it. Dempsey hits out at Franchino twice, once when the coach is right with him, trying to calm him down, and people are congratulating him and condemning Franchino? i can't stand Franchino, but put a tackle on him during a game, or just score a goal on the slow sucker. that's fair. i like Dempsey, but i believed as soon as i heard the news that he was putting his World Cup spot in jeopardy. he's got a history here. this proves it.
I don't question your sentiment towards the bone-headed-ness of Dempsey's actions. But what history? You mean the other fights at Revs practices?
yeah. i do think that fights with Noonan, Avery John and Leonard qualify as a history. reports from New England indicate that Franchino dished out a foul, but not a dirty one. Dempsey not only threw the first punch, but he used his elbow in tha attack. Franchino's eye was completely swollen shut. Nicol took Dempsey to the locker room to calm him down. Franchino went in later to clean up. he may have said something to Dempsey, but again, reports say that Dempsey was the one who got physical again. his coach was right next to him, trying to stop him. he starts a fight anyway and the Rev players still at practice have to run to the locker room to help Nicol break it up. i think that's a major element that many have overlooked. when you fight a teammate in the locker room, ignoring your coach trying to get you to quit, you're challenging his authority right there. i bet that pissed Nicol off. i bet that's what he told Arena. then Arena took it into account that Dempsey directly disobeyed his coach.
I'm not sure why everyone thinks Clint was the main one at fault here. All y'all have to go on are reports indicate....yet nothing hard or substantiated supports this. I also find it hard to understand why some say Clint has a history of this...given that he is constantly fouled in national matches and hasn't really lashed out yet. Hard for me to believe he just all of the sudden goes after Franchino b/c of one hard tackle. Me thinks Franchino had more to do with this than some want to admit... And fwiw, I'm glad Clint put a beat down on that red headed step child.
Fact: Dempsey got suspended from the Revs AND dropped from the Nats for the Germany match. No suspension for Franchino. Not sure why you want to ignore all that, but that's pretty much all you need to know to realize that Dempsey is paying a stiff penalty for behaving badly. You're glad he did what he did? Will you still be glad if all this puts his WC roster chances in jeopardy? Grow up.