Really, do you think Frank of the Appa, who has been covering soccer since before MLS started, is just gonna report that one of the best players in league history and the current captain of the team he covers, is in REHAB and not be completely 100 percent sure it's accurate? If Dell 'Appa is wrong, Shalrie is gonna make more from the Globe than he ever made playing soccer. And the Globe knows this, especially their legal department. No newspaper ever want to get sued but especially when the industry is on such weak ground. The last thing they need is a libel settlement. I'm sure MLS would like this dealt with quietly so you can't expect them to go on the record with it. At the same time, they couldn't expect that a player of Joseph's stature could just go away for awhile and there not be questions and I'm sure there are people within the Revs who decided to leak the info to get it out for various reasons. (Stop the questions, inform the public, send a message to other players, etc....) Sometimes you have to take the fan glasses off and just accept reality. None of us wanted it to turn out that Shalrie was in rehab, but like I said previously, rarely does taking time off for "personal reasons" turn out to be a good thing. Finally, get well Shalrie. Shit happens, we all make mistakes. Go get well and come back when, and only when, you're emotionally, mentally and physically ready.
I don't think a couple players getting intoxicated in public is any kind of warning sign for a systematic problem in the clubhouse. These are young guys, they play a physical sport professionally. They are living a lifestyle where they travel a lot, they aren't tied down to a job or family that keeps them in one place. Who is really surprised that they might go out and have a few too many and get rowdy? Every weekend the same thing happens all over the place and nobody is saying there's a problem with society at large. Personally I'm just going to assume Shalrie was taking prescribed medication to recover from injuries and he felt maybe he was getting a little too dependent on them, and he wanted to stop a potential problem from getting out of control. Yeah its pure speculation, but so is anything else people might be saying about rehab, so why think the worst?
Other past "isolated incidents" depending on how you define that, have previously occurred involving, say... Zenga, David Nakhid, Gorter, Jesse Van Saun, Jamar Beasley, Rusty Pierce, Cate, Dempsey... and I'm sure there were others that never made it outside the locker room. The role of the team as their employer seems to be: Damage control after the fact. I don't see that changing until there are changes at the top, and the middle. So much for the Revs image as a good team for developing young players.
He's just grasping at unlikely straws in the face of a major setback. We've all done it. The Globe would not run something like this unless it were solid. Trust me on this. And I wonder if all of the holier-than-thous who rolled their eyes or attacked the (admittedly knee-jerk) realists will have a serving of crow now that the chief speculation has proven accurate. Some people I once considered friends among the Revs fandom have descended into playing spelling gotcha and post value arbiter, and it's grown tiresome. For those asking about a pattern, I've yet to see the name Jamar Beasley mentioned. Include him in every series of FO failures. I do wish the best to Shalrie, get straightened out as soon as you can. But I also wish the best to the teammates who now have a hole the size of the empty sections at Gillette to try and fill. Their job is unenviable, and though allowances will be made for "playing without their leader" or "playing out of position", they're still going to have to play the games and they're still going to be held accountable for their success or lack thereof.
Not sure what you're trying to get at here, perhaps that these incidents are somehow systemic to and/or resulting from the manner in which the Revolution function as an organization, or rather, that the manner in which the Revolution have decided to deal with them has not involved much if any transparency?
Approx 10-15% of the adult population in the US has an addiction problem. One could argue if that number was higher or lower among professional athletes. There is nothing about soccer/MLS/ franchises that has anything to do with the incidence of addictive behaviors. I would surprised if both MLS and Teams do not attempt to screen out players who may have a problem prior to signings. MLS has clear rules about how addictive issues among players will be handles, a drug testing program and a very supportive stance when players are identified with a problem. I think we should all stop speculating and focus our efforts at sending good energy to Joseph for a successful resolution of what ever issues he's gone off to resolve
Both. Maybe one leads to the other? But I definitely agree with others statements that the most important issue at hand is that Shalrie sorts it out and gets back to normal life on and off the field asap.
I think I cut my post off a bit short. I actually was saying that FDA and the Globe are a trusted news source, and wouldn't run a story on speculation. I guess I just really wanted a direct quote from someone in the Revs org and not a general "according to team sources". Like Monty said, grasping at unlikely straws. Meaning FDA is the opposite of mindless speculation. This is way too rational . And if this is true, I wonder if Doc would have any insight on how addictive pain killers can be, how they can be linked to behavior problems, and what the course (time span) of a full recovery is, so we can see him dominate the midfield again. Best of luck SJ!
http://www.boston.com/sports/soccer...evolutions_joseph_in_substance_abuse_program/ I hate to say it but I was right
Booze? Dope? Drugs? Pain killers? Steroids? Did he fail a test by the league? That's the only reason I can see him taking care of this issue now in the middle of the season. Basically he got caught. The question I have is when? How long has this been an issue and did the FO have any idea. If so they should have addressed it long ago. Perhaps they did to no avail. If he did decide on his own to pull the plug it's the best advice he's had in his entire career. Good luck SJ...come back clean and ready to rock.
Some narcotics (like Heroin) are extremely addictive but they are not usually the ones used by the medical community. Most people who are given the usual pain killers for legitimate pain problems have no problem stopping. Those that do usually have problems with other substances (alcohol, coke, pot etc) as well. Any speculation as to what substance(s) Joseph was struggling with is based on NO INFORMATION and is at best stopped as a intrusion into the personal life of someone who all of us respect as a world class professional and important member of the Rev Family. Come on people. Lets stop trying to read the runes and just all ask the Powers of the Universe to help our man who right now is likely going through a Dark Night of the Soul.
I am not sure they do random testing but another possibility is that he just decided he needed help with whatever issue he has. maybe its the same thing Tiger and Jesse were being treated for
Right on Doc...! Shalrie, Figure out your demons. I know I've got some, and get back to doing what you do extremely well. We're waiting in anticipation for your return..!
Given that it's a 15 year time span, I think there have been remarkably few incidents. Considering the number of players who have passed through, in general, Rev players have been GREAT role models. So, you start out speculating, then reach a conclusion - of fact? Many people actually do deal with their problems because they recognize they have a problem. Enough so that it is not fair to assume anything about his motivations. That still doesn't justify unfounded speculation (i.e., profiling).
As someone who was DAPA qualified on my ship, I can attest that is not the case at all. "Getting caught", in one way or another, is the prime motivator for people seeking treatment. Do some come to the conclusion they have a problem on their own without it causing pain to themselves or others? Sure, but it's very, very rare.
I agree. Obviously Joseph's health is the main priority and he needs to do whatever it takes to get better. But seeing how the team plays without Joseph it does not give me much hope that the Revs will be all that successful this season.
Even with him, we're barely adequate. Its time for the Revs to decide if they're in this league or not. If the answer is NOT then sell the team to someone that gives a damn. A team should not depend so much on a single player but again, this is the team that SN built. No names, no depth, little skill, boring tactics and as a result... no fans. I'm so sick and tired of the same crap year in and year out, Ive all but given up hope of ever seeing a top flight team here. Not sure if SN is the problem or not and i guess the only way we'll ever find out is if hes gone and nothing changes. High price for him to pay if the problem is Burns and company Joesph's problems and resulting departure just elevates the team's ongoing problem to the surface. I fully expect the Revs to do ..... Nothing
Would you say the same thing to Pats fans after Brady went down a couple years ago? Losing the MVP of this team IS a big deal and frustrating. It's pretty rational for Revs fans to be down and out in the wake of the news until we have a better idea of the time table for his (and/or Twellman's) return.