Hands Off Abbey & A Follow-Up on Etch (Wynalda, MLSNet.com)

Re: More "Objective" Reporting From Wynalda...

Where does the idea come from that Wynalda is not objective? Has he ever expressed a serious dislike for DC?

I'm not trying to bait you, or anything like that. I just want to know if anything like that happened, because if it did, it would certainly affect his objectivity, and as a reader of his column I'd certainly have to then take his observations with a grain of salt.

(That said, did anyone see Dema dive during the Columbus game? Hristo certainly dove on the penalty, but Dema? Odd...)

 

Maybe it looked like Dema dove from where Wynalda was, but yeah, that struck me as odd too.

 

I typically agree with what Eric has to say, but saying the ref was not at fault is just wrong and shows a certain dislike for DC. He didn't mention Buddle or West when they dove or calls that were undeniably missed or called wrong. I kinda get the feeling that Eric is a DC-hater simply because they won everything during his career in MLS. So he's green with envy and now takes it out on the current side. And hell, he played with Dema and Hristo and certainly didn't complain when they were on his side.

 

Defending that referee is beyond simple ignorance. Wynalda must be hoping for a bigger gig with MLS next year and is covering his bases. Good move if you ask me as his analysis skills leave much to be desired. Maybe he can make it as a schill for the league, but even then, he'd have to check his preconceptions at the door.

I had an argument with Wynalda after the DC-Columbus game where he defended his point of view about Marco, and tried to defend his anti-Marco bias, but he deflected most of my criticism of him as my being some deranged fan. Now, I'd had a few beers by then and was dealing with a peculiarly horrific loss, but I don't think I qualified as deranged. Some, who know me well may argue, but there you go.

Anyway, I specifically asked him why he was hammering Marco so much and so personally, and he said he does it to every player that hasn't lived up to their ability. Yet, when I countered about why he hasn't villified Stewart, Lalas, Mathis, Cienfuegos, Pareja, Henderson, etc., he just laughed and said that those guys don't have 32% body fat like Marco does. Now, I'm not a rocket scientist, but if one third of Marco's body weight was indeed fat, then I'd probably have to agree with WhinnyBoy that Marco is in no condition to play in MLS. However, since Marco clearly only has a few extra pounds to declare and not a spare dumptruck hidden under his jersey, I don't think ynalda would make a good inspections agent.

So, since I do know when a con man is merely trying to scramble for imaginative facts in order to support his various whims of opinion. His ridiculous assertions about Dema and to a lesser extent about Hristo only serve as pre-emptive strikes to defend his prejudiced stance.

Whatever, he no longer means anything to me. He's made his bed, long may he sleep in it.

 

Is Eric trying to get a rise?

Talk to John, Eric.

 

Form the article:"MLS review board should step in here and I would encourage it to go back and watch the tape from that game and punish some of the players for the dives that happened in that game."

If that's the case, LA, NY/NJ and alot of other teams need to be reviewed. DC is at the bottom of the list for diving in this league IMHO.

I must have been watching a completely different match than Wynalda. That ref absolutely sucked. Bad calls and no calls went both ways. I wouldn't want that guy refing in a youth league, much less being a part of an MLS match.

 

Hmm. Harkes was the first (and still only) inductee on our Tradition of Excellence banner at RFK and had a testimonial match against an English Premier League team. You're right, Wynalda, there were no celebration or honors for Harksie.

 

And in regards to John Harkes, or a Tab Ramos or myself: our departure from MLS was never celebrated nor were we ever honored for any of our accomplishments



this passage is by far the most amusing of the whole article
i can see Harkes being honored for his accomplishments, but what have Ramos and Wynalda ever won to be honored for?

and Harkes did get a send off and a banner at RFK

 

Apparently being a long-time member of the National Team, when our talent base was rather small, is good enough for "honoring" a player in Wynalda's book. However, I say that being injured often and never winning a trophy in MLS sort of precludes one from having the honors heaped up you...

Harkes on the other hand led us to 3 MLS Cup Finals, Two MLS Cups, Two US Open Cup Finals, One US Open Cup, One CONCACAF Champions Cup, and One Inter-American Cup. That is what you have to do to get your "lap of honor!"

 

I celebrated when Tab retired.

 

Hell, I'm so annoyed with WhineAllDay's self-importance (thanks, Owen ) that even the sound of his voice is enough to put my teeth on edge, the little *#*#*#*#.

 

I like Wynalda's up-front tell-it-like-it-is style, though I don't always agree w/him I like seeing his view on things as it's usually an educated one. He must be doing SOMETHING right if he's getting all this attention (positive or negative)...

Eric Wynalda's Bio from mlsnet:

http://www.mlsnet.com/bios/eric_wynalda.html

Glad to have him commentating MLS games and writing columns.

 

It is enjoyable to read the comments of the Marco apologists and those others who find any criticism of anything DCU a call for the lynch-mob.

Wynalda is doing his job. He is a columnist giving his opinion, not a reporter givng you the facts of some event with no opinion allowed. I personally find his condor refreshing but don't necessarily agree with all of it. He certainly knows how to push the right buttons to get a reaction and receive more e-mails. I am sure that is what will make Eric and his bosses the happiest.

Considering Eric's soccer background, I believe he likely knows more about the sport than any of us bitching on BS. He has his opinion and you have yours. I am just glad that there is someone writing something more substantive and opinionated than the PC tripe that the other so-called columnists put out.

 

Funny. I don't find it enjoyable at all.

By the way, there's also a letter about Hudson's coaching that shouldn't be overlooked. It's way down near the bottom of the page.

 

i find the term 'Marco apologists' very unappropriate

what do we have to be apologetic about?!
the fact that he leads the team in goals or the fact that he leads the team in assists?

Marco is still producing results, granted there are many things wrong with the team, but Marco's play is way down the list

 

LOL.

 

I don't see why that's funny.

Let's see the major offenders:

LA- Ruiz, Jones, and Serna
NY/NJ- Guevara, Mathis, Magee
Columbus-Buddle, West
Colorado-Carriei

Now why Eric didn't mention Columbus' diving in the same match is beyond me.

 

It comes from the Greek word "apologia" meaning "defense of". This comes from the "Apologia Sokratous" or (Defense Of Socrates) by Plato.

So when you are a Marco Apologist, it means you are always defending Marco.

 

While I don't always agree with him I find Waldo's pieces interesting.

 

illigitimi non carborundum