One of Steve Davis' best columns, IMHO. It gives great insight into Oscar Pareja and Jordan Stone, and why one of them retired at 20 while the other continues to play at age 36. http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/spt/soccer/stories/102704dnspoaddedtime.2af73fa5.html
I thought it might have been, but I didn't run across it. I hope FC Dallas looks at making Pareja an assistant coach or player/coach next year. Any player who's willing to take kicks to the shin to help a teammate develop his aggression earns high marks in my book.
Oscar was very open about his thoughts on Jordan. I think becasue he liked Jordan so much and thought so much of his game... except for the points in teh article. Pareja told me once that Stone could be as good as Alvarez. Oscar told me a story about Leonel when he was 18, said he was just like Jordan. Nice guy on and off the field. Then his coach made him stand up in front of the team and insult every player in the lockerroom, and not little things like "you can't kick with your left foot" but hard, personal crap.. insulting stuff that is hard to forgive. Oscar said after that Leonel was hard as nails on the field and not afriad of anyone. Oscar worked very hard with Jordan to get him to make this same transformation and it just never happened.
I too thought it was a great article. Just goes to show you can't teach the love/passion for the game. I try as a coach to instill the passion for the game but it is a difficult thing to do.
On the ticket, Norm was ranting and raving because one of the people fired was a guy that did the reporting on horse racing. Assuming he was fired because horse racing isn't really popular among the masses, I was wondering if Davis would get similar treatment.
the kind of passion that Pareja wanted out of Stone should be required out of everyone, maybe then we would still be holding hope in the playoffs....
Talked to Davis.... He was not get let go, he is still with DMN. Unfortunatly former Burn beat writer Rick Alanzo, who I like persoanlly from his time on the Burn circuit, was let go. Former soccer writer David McNabe was also let go as was Page 2 guy Jan Hubbard. Steve says 20% of the sports department was let go.
Point him to Frisco. FC Dallas could use a real writer for press releases and not some boob of an intern using marketing mumbo jumbo speak. Someone who maybe knows the game and will refer to teams as something other than The Men in Red or the Red and Black.
I love how Pareja calls Valakari a criminal on the field but that is what we need out of our left mid/ left back and other forward.
Maybe one that knows how to use an apostrophe would come in handy. There's a glaring error in the ULHOWA materials they were handing out at the last couple of games. How can you spend that much money and not hire a copy editor for your most obvious piece of promotional material is beyond me.
I don't think it's wrong to laugh because the less pricks bashing soccer, the better. I think the ultimate irony would be if the only job he could land would be to cover soccer.
I wonder if that was part of the reason he left? Perhaps he could see himself becoming 'hard as nails' and just didn't want that. Pure speculation of course, but isn't that was bigsoccer is for
Very astute. I could see that be a determining factor for someone. Dmids in particular have that trait. Simo smiles and whacks. Most don't give the smile.