It doesn't take anything away from the point of the story, but it was 1994 and the game ended 6-4, UVa.
Give me a break. This isn't kindergarten. And he didn't slug Santino. He shoved him. Big *#*#*#*#*ing deal. No harm, no foul. Maybe we should all worry about what a bust Santino has been. Who cares what Arena would have done. presumably Ray has tried lots of different thigs with Santino all season. None of them has worked. AQ
One thing about the last couple of Tuesday practices that I notice is just how beat up DC United is physically. Not just the obvious injuries such as Stewart and Olsen, but every (yes, all the starting players) require rub downs, ice or heat packs, bandaging, ect., after practice. Several of the key bench players are in the same boat. These aren't the standard warm down procedures that were normal throughout the season, but significant "this part of my body hurt, fix it" type of deals. This has been a long brutally physical season - more so than any of the previous 3 that I've been watching the team. Likewise, with the emotional rollercoaster that this team has rode over the last couple of months, from arguably MLS's team with the best form to backing into the playoffs, it is obvious that the string holding these guys together is stretching thin - much more finger pointing and yelling during the practices. Giving them the extra day off probably was a good move by RH & Co.
Having been at the game and sitting behind the bench, I saw the incident and have to agree with your take on the situation. Tino had been warming up previously but had been standing around for 10+ minutes doing only light stretching at best. After the incident he did some hard sprints and got into the game. Personally, I think he was lucky Ray didn't jump over the boards and give him a big swift kick in the a$$ to get him to focus on the situation like the professional he is supposed to be. Just another example of Tino's lack of maturity.
Petke SHOULD hate soccer, the way he's playing it these days. The only thing he has been missing is a matador's red cape.
Hey, I wasn't trashing Bruce - just pointing out that he was also considered abusive for at one point stating something to the press that I figured was pretty obvious to everyone. But he got reamed by many here on BS for it. This I think is worse - and many here seem to be defending it. The point to me isn't whether S.Q. was hurt by it, but how unprofessional it is - right in front of fans, especially - to get physical, unless, of course, you are physically provoked first.
One of the psychoses of the typical sports fan is that they'll accept things in sports that they would never in a million years accept in their own lives, and vice versa. Here's a good example. What if your neighbor the widget sales director went around shoving his widget salesman for not acting right at a staff meeting. You'd think he was a psycho, and you would refuse to visit him in jail (which is where he'd be for a while.)
I think people expect the full contact from their opponents but not your own coaching staff. Also if your opponent pushes you or hits you, there are usually consequences, like getting a card (unless Noel Kennedy is the ref). So far when a coach does it, we haven't heard of any consequences.
So you have no problem with a manager that "blows a gasket" in the locker room but one that does it in public should get reamed. Yea, that makes sense to me... My statement about the "wussy sport" has to do with comments about a shove being "physical abuse". I know that I've gotten my share of shoves on the pitch (from opponents and team mates) during games and I never thought of it as "physical abuse". People are just taking this way too over the top, reading some of these posts I would have thought that Tino got close fisted nailed in the jaw by Hudson... Jeez, I've seen more denigration of this particular incident that I did about the bench clearing brawl between the Yanks and Red Sox... It just makes no sense... As for accepting things in sport that we would never accept in a "normal setting." I don't know about your office by I don't work in a full contact setting. Just as I wouldn't expect a shoving match at a golf game or tennis match, I view that type of behavior out of decorum for most office jobs. However, when I play american football, hockey, or soccer, I expect physical contact from opponents and things could get heated.
Regardless of your take on this situation, I think this has been looked at from just about every angle. And I believe that Petke has been playing just fine, thank you very much
Disgrace? If being a disgrace gets us into the playoffs I have no problem with him. Listen Hudson is not an angel or a savior, but he made this team fight through this bizarre season and in the end we got a good result. Stop complaining about everything under the sun.
I remember one interview on TV; they were profiling the Fusion--before a playoff match, maybe--and got into Ray's colourful language, his passionate gestures and expressions during games, his foul language, and his hugs and kisses for the players, most of whom laughed about it. Jim Rooney, then captain, said that he wasn't wild about getting hugs and kisses from Ray, but he was willing to put up with it as long as it stayed within bounds. He said something like," ...but I've told him, if he actually kisses me on the mouth, I don't care if it's exuberance and by mistake, I'm going to deck him." (Honest, he looked like he wasn't kidding, either...) Now there's threatened assault and battery, right on national TV!
Actually, in most sports shoving an opponent outside the run of play could get you penalized. In soccer, you should get at least a yellow card What we have here is a coach, a person in authority, shoving a subordinate, an employee. That's physical abuse. In almost any other setting, Ray would at least have to explain himself. In most settings, he would be facing serious consequences. It doesn't speak well for MLS or for DC United that Ray has not had to face some consequences And why not? Soccer players deserve to be treated with respect. That they play a physical game doesn't mean that they forfeit the right to be treated like professionals.