http://www.univision.com/content/content.jhtml?chid=6&schid=1611&secid=1614&cid=287656 In Spanish, use babelfish to translate, but ya, Still want to join in 2004, been told they will join in 2005 but vergara doesn't really want to accept that, Houston, Chicago, San Diego and Los Angeles still in the running for which city, will be announced November 22nd, day before MLS Cup...new details for "New Blood", more on Club America to San Jose and who copied who, and Chivas-USA won't hire Hernan Medford for be the coach...
Today's paper (Independiente) had a write up on Chivas USA. -they are holding tryouts in December of this year -the choice of cities are SD, Hou, Chicago, LA -the call for players is "spanish speaking, mexican origin, mexican american." between 14 and 24 years old -several un-named veteran Chivas Mexico players have asked about being taken up to play for the US squad -official announcement the day before MLS Cup, where they will announce WHERE the team will play -In the same sentance he's still holding out hope for NEXT year, but understands it won't be official until 05. My PERSONAL interpretation is this could mean something like playing a free schedule of A League /MFL and MLS teams next year, and then entering MLS league play a year later.
Either he really does NOT want to play in San Diego, or they're still mentioning all those other cities simply as a bargaining chip. And it is a bit strange: if they're going to have the tryouts in December of this year , what are the players going to do for 14 months before the real season starts in 2005? That's a long time to just practice.
You left out something very important... "Estamos invitando a todos los mexicanos nacidos en Estados Unidos o a los hijos de mexicanos nacidos en Estados Unidos y Y TODOS LOS QUE HABLEN ESPANYOL para que se integren, porque el equipo va a ser conformado en su mayoría por hispanoparlantes", aclaró Jorge Vergara, presidente de la Chivas en Los Angeles. In capital letters it translates to "whoever speaks Spanish". So, anybody that speaks Spanish will be sought after. At least in California, that includes a ton of Anglos who have learned Spanish by playing soccer here (Landon Donovan, for instance). Another important quote: "En este sentido reconoció que esa primer temporada podría no ser el equipo de estrellas que aspira a tener en la liga de fútbol de Estados Unidos, pero será el inicio del proyecto por conformar un estilo de futbol de hispanoparlantes." Basically, here Vergara himself (not a smack talking minion, not his local tortilla salesman, not his sock salesman, not El Jefe's brother-in-law's gardener's cousin' niece) states that the eventual goal is to have a a Latino (or rather, Spanish-speaker's) STYLE, but in the interim, they will NOT have only Latino players. Where the f' are all the doomsdayers now?
There waiting for the next la opinion article to come out so they can start 20 threads about how MLS is gonna die and they won't support the league anymore and Chivas will have the mexican national team as their roster...
I used a comma to separate Spanish speakers from people of Mexican birth or Mexican/hispanic/latino ethnicity and born in the US. Sorry if people missed that. The quote you use goes on to say that the majority of the team members will speak Spanish. The above quote does not say 'you have to speak Spanish to be on the team." In fact it implies there may well be some that don't. Won't take them long to learn though It's funny, if you look closely at the quote you gave, Cantínflas would have been proud. Or Vergara is REALLY up on the news on dual citizenship. (but I digress)
Well, here's their chance to address what Vergara SAID HIMSELF (did you read THAT!). Their silence is deafening. Just for the record, in the News and Analysis forum, most of the "I can't believe the league" posts are based on English translations and past paranoid BS perceptions.
I kinda like the idea of Chivas USA (or whatever) playing an independent schedule next summer and officially hooking into MLS in '05. Besides matches against MFL, MLS, and A-leaguers, a few internationals against the likes of Barca and Real Madrid or River Plate or Boca Jrs would be good. Is Cantinflas still alive? One of the few that actually liked "Pepe". But then, I like pro soccer, too.
the confenrence also had info on the 4 cities: he said that some were offering nice tax incentives for operations of he club and others tax advantages for a Possible oWn stadia, while he said that the city of Los angeles had the most fan support so far (usians do not read beyond that....that is only what he said) the guy truly has a deep pocket to keep a team with no league 10 or 12 months, or he really see money making chances for his 'practice' games around USA. Does not hurt to plan in advance if you can afford it!
Today's ussocceruk article has a disasterous translation of part of the press conference. Don't Turn Up if You Aren't Hispanic - TheMaine.Com ******** ********* translation, probably done on purpose. "We are inviting all Mexicans born in the United States, or the sons of Mexicans who were born in the US who speak Spanish because the majority of the team will be made up of Hispanics" Vergara said in Los Angeles." See the quote from the press conference here: Chivas USA busca jugadores en EU - Univision.com "Estamos invitando a todos los mexicanos nacidos en Estados Unidos o a los hijos de mexicanos nacidos en Estados Unidos y todos los que hablen español para que se integren, porque el equipo va a ser conformado en su mayoría por hispanoparlantes" MAYBE you can say he meant "children of Mexicans born in the US and children of Mexicans born in the US who speak Spanish" because he didn't say "y a todos los que hablan"... but I sincerely doubt it.
Why does Chivas want only people with hispanic background on the team? I'm all for diversity and culture but isn't the best idea to look for the players with the best talent not the best language or race?
Appreciate the kind words. I have read this thread and about 500 other ones. I have yet to hear an answer. Is there a NFL team that wants only Africans or NHL team looking for only Russians? No of course not. And if Chivas fans would just think about this subject in the greater context, they would see how ridiculous it sounds. Why does Chivas have to make an announcement that they are actively looking for those of Latin background or can speak spanish? I am not inferring that they will ONLY accept Latinos, but they certainly aren't holding back the promise that those that are hispanic will get preferential treatment.
Pepe Cantinflas died on April 20, 1993. His real name was Mario Moreno. I've never seen "Pepe," but want to. The original version of it runs over three hours! I have the soundtrack CD, believe it or not. With Bing Crosby, Maurice Chevalier, Sammy Davis Jr.!! The movie sounds like total insanity!
I accept that I do not know everything. If someone can explain it too me (without sarcasm) I am willing to listen. Any takers?
1) Hispanics (or Chicanos or Latinos, I'm not getting into this) are the fastest growing racial demographic in the U.S. And it's getting richer 2) For those Americans that have been here for a while (generation or more), are still very strongly connected with the culture that has developed here 3) For the newly arrived, they still identify strongly with the culture they had back in the old country 4) The major pro sport of that culture is Soccer. 5) The MLS has failed to really ignite this demographic, so somebody with some name brand recognition from the old country decides they can do it better. Plus? It makes people talk about it. It gets some people pissed. It makes some people happy. Regardless it's millions of dollars in free press. Plus, it gets SOME, not all, but SOME people of that heritage thinking "hey! this is someone who is looking out to represent me and my community" (which doesn't happen much). How does that sound to you, Orlando? Is it totally politically correct? No, but there is a long glorious tradition of teams picking exactly who they want to play for them.
Hey, calm down Calexico77. I have a right to question and have an opinion. I just can't understand why a professional organization would actively go out and hire a specific race or culture of players. I still don't get it, even after your points. But when it comes down to it, Chivas will suffer or prosper based on their own decision. Just can't see them continuing with this without us hearing some kind of lawsuit in the future. I stand by my comment that I hope that "my team" would hire people base on talent, not where they are from or what language they speak.
In an ideal world, one in which we would have a color-blind society, there would be no need to focus on ethnicity in sports. However, we don’t live in an ideal world. Social inequalities exist, many of which are intimately linked w/ the color of one’s skin and not the content of one’s character. Blah, blah, blah (imagine numerous examples in which Professor uclacarlos goes off on the way that Latinos are excluded from the status quo) As far as footie is concerned, Latinos 1.) feel excluded from the mix. a.) We constantly hear “Americans don’t like soccer.” Well in my ethnic America, it is far and away the most popular sport. Am I not American? b.) Soccer in the US is played more in an British style, as all the other ethnicities made less of a lasting impression on the game. Many hard-core Latino fans see US style of soccer as foreign to them. c.) Soccer in the US has ended up focusing on the suburbs and has failed (despite continued, noble attempts) to make inroads in developing the inner-city (mainly the barrios). The boys in the barrio are very competitive at age 9, but by their mid-teens, they have fallen by the wayside 2.) Latinos have excluded themselves from the mix, in part b/c of the 3 reasons above, but also b/c far too many Americans don’t know how to coach or watch the game. This is the perception, but it definitely corresponds to the reality to a large degree. The end result is that parents keep their kids off the suburban elite teams, or refuse to make the extraordinary sacrifice and drive him to another suburb in search of a fundamentally sound coach. (See letter ‘c’ above.) In sum, there is a mutual lack of respect on the soccer field, combined w/ a very real and perceived lack of respect in the socio-politico-economic realm for the Latino as well as a lack of recognition of the playing style, that contribute to the inability to corner the Latino (primarily the Mexican) as a consumer of MLS. So, Chivas USA seeks to address all these concerns. They want to have a team that plays a Latino style. They want to include Latinos in the mix by a.) marketing to them w/ a highly visible name-brand b.) market to them w/ a playing style that they can recognize. And more important, Chivas has stated openly that it is their expressed intent to develop the barrios of the US in an effort to assure a steady crop of players. I believe they will succeed in this endeavor b/c the name itself (even amongst Americanistas or Pumas fans or Tigres fans) draws that RESPECT that heretofore US Soccer has not garnered. This will ultimately benefit the USMNT tremendously. Also, Spanish is a language, not a race. In Latin America there are Asians, Africans (check out colombia's team! ), Arabs, Europeans, Indigenous, etc. I play w/ a Chilean of Korean descent. (I think he went through the system at Colo colo, not sure.) He's got a 5 year old boy who's very talented. You bet chivas will be interested in him if he pans out.
Um, I am calm. Do you see any caps or exclamation points? I was trying to do what you asked. I think, also, that it's safe to say that you could probably make up a fairly talented team made up solely of spanish speakers. . . .
Strangely, I think you're the one who's not looking at this in the broader context. Are there large numbers of Africans that are intersted in American football? Nah.... Are there large numbers of Russians in the US period? Nah. So what's your point?
I highly doubt Africans even know what NFL is. Much like the rest of the world doesn't know what MLB is.