Ian Bishop: "MLS is of similar standard to the English SECOND division."

Yeah, and when did the lad named Onandi Lowe score quite a few goals in Kansas City?

Please, he's bitter and may have every right to be, but that don't mean what he says is accurate.

I've said it before, but ANY MLS team would pound the snot outta ANY second division club on a regular basis.

 

Ian Bishop in May 2001:

" The league is better than I thought," Bishop said. "When I call the lads back home, they all what to know how MLS compares. I'd say it's like First Division in England."

Sour grapes jackass.

BTW, Lowe scored four times in 13 games. Wow. A star.

 

Bishop can just bugger off as far as I'm concerned. Classless comments fom a bitter declining athlete. Nobody wanted him, he's pissed, so he dumps on the MLS in the press.

Talk about aging (dis)gracefully...

 

They mentioned that soccer is a minor sport here. But if you add the Hispanic fans, people who follow other leagues does that mean soccer is only a minor sport. I'd like to think it was a bigger sport than that. Bishop will be playing in Wales where I come from - where the national sport is actually Rugby. I'd like to think that MLS was at least as good as the 1st division. I've played in Wales but not in MLS so I can't really compare, and I guess Bishop has played professionaly around the place.
They are right about the sad state of losing teams.

 

The league is struggling, he's right about that. But what is life but struggle from the cradle to the grave (he says, waxing poetic, philosophical, and downright fuzzy-brained)?

And after the "crowd" that showed for the KC-Metro match, it's hard to argue that we have moved beyond the stone age. Most soccer fans living in the US simply don't support MLS for a range of reasons -- usually having to do with the fact that MLS is not MFL, let alone Seria A, La Liga,
EPL, et. al.

No kidding. But this 6-year-old league managed to supply quality players to a National Team that made as good a showing as England and other teams with those storied leagues to support them.

Bishop is bitter; the article takes pleasure in ridiculing our efforts here. Yeah, we are naive, etc.
But we are making progress, on several fronts, toward establishing soccer as a major sport with wide recognition throughout the country. I used to worry that we didn't have enough time to get the job done; now, I think we do,

 

This is a bad reflection on Ray Hudson who brougt Bishop to MLS.

 

this negative press is one of the pitfalls of bringing gazza over here. it could get worse.

 

Lowe did ok here, but didn't he absolutley light it up for Rushden? Isn't he a Jamaican International? Bishop needs to get over himslef. He should have treated better by MLS after they folded the Fusion, but this really makes him look bad. What does it say that he wasn't good enough to be resigned by a "2nd division league"

 

I read this yesterday and had two thoughts. First, the whole article smacks of Euro-snobbery, which disappoints me about the BBC because their articles on Stateside soccer are usually pretty fair. While the article does state some truths, the whole tone of the article is derisive. I mean, "Footballers Anonymous"? Come on! Another case in point -- the author discusses the league with Bishop rather than someone like Mo Johnson, who had a positive experience here.

Second, Bishop is doing nothing but airing sour grapes. Yes, sometimes life sucks. Do you think he'd be speaking of MLS in the same terms had he been picked up by another MLS club at a reasonable salary? He just needs to deal with the situation rather than hiring lawyers to deal with it for him.

 

Bishop's right

Bishop is right. But it is not really an insult. The difference between a second division player and an average Premier League player is a bit of consistencey that shows up up over a longer stretch of time. That is the reason why Second Division Wycombe can make it to the Semi's of the FA cup. The MLS has gotten better over the last 5 years and I think will continue to do so. But right now, it does best compare to the English Second.

Rick Titus, doesn't make Plymouth in the 3rd Division (but a second div quality team as the results showed) 3 months later starting for a mid table MLS team.

 

Slagging US Soccer might come back and bite the English league years from now. When I lived in Wales you could guarantee that when Wales and England were involved in important games England would get the biggest coverage.
I guess we can be biased towards the US team and MLS too.

 

Whatever. We finished 8th in the World using only MLS attackers. We've beaten Mexico how many times now when it matters. Point being that results talk and the rest can walk. Should we point to JMM and Claudio Reyna's pressence in the EPL and note that they weren't as good this Cup as Donovan or McBride as evidence this league is better than the EPL? That would be about as crazy as the comparison he wishes to make.

 

Re: Bishop's right

You are kidding right. Should I come up with a list of MLS players now in the English First Division. How about players in the EPL who would perform in a similar fashion in MLS. MLS is not the English Second Division. Hell, we've had teams win international competitions against the best South America can offer. Does that make us the EPL? No. But it sure as hell doesn't make us the Second Division AND slower. I've seen that league. It is no MLS. Maybe Serie B or the English first division would be fair.

 

Well, even Bishop was not saying that all of the players were of second division quality. Just the League as a whole. There are some very good players in the MLS who could play in the English First and a handful who could probably play in the Prem. As I pointed out, Wycombe made the semi's of the FA cup. Does that mean they are Prem. Quality? A Resounding no. Does the US making the 1/4s make the MLS a great League - A resounding no. If not for Freidel, an EPL pLayer, The US would have gone home after the first round.

 

Dear Ian,

Put down the glass of BITTER and deal with it. You couldn't stick with an MLS team because you were too damn old, too damn slow, and unable to contribute. By pretending you're still competitive, you're only embarrassing yourself. Grow up.

Sincerely,
Luis Hernandez

 

Fixed your post.

 

That is a fast decline...from MLS All Star to too old, slow and unable to contribute in one year!

 

Well I'm not really familiar with Ian Bishop at all, really. But I don't understand hwo some fans can get their panties in a bunch over this. Will this "decrease" your interest in MLS? Who cares, really.

Also, france doesn't have the best league in the world, yet they have some of the top players. Same with Brasil, Portugal, Colombia, Paraguay (can any yanks mention a team in Paraguay? )and a lot of other countries.

 

Thank you. He must have gone to the EPL to enjoy his retirement years.

 

Classic!!

 

Dear Pirrip,

You're telling ME?

Sincerely,
Luis "El Doormat" Hernandez
MLS All-Star 2001
World Cup flopperoo 2002

 

LOL. Thanks for explaining the post. I was so quick to jump on it I didn't really pay attention to the the signature. Ohwa taputz eyeam.

 

Bishop must really suck if he can't even manage to get a spot on a team in such a slow and lousy league.

 

Re: Re: Ian Bishop: "MLS is of similar standard to the English SECOND division."

I used to like him when he was playing in South Florida, but he's bitter because he didn't have the foresight to read the terms of the contract he signed.

Sorry, Ian, don't let the door hit ya where the good Lord split ya.