This is clearly written by someone who did not grow up in Chicago. My whole sports fan experience growing up was figuring out what new and inventive ways our local teams would anger/disappoint/annoy us. Negativity was our breakfast, lunch and dinner when it came to sports. Interestingly enough, when a team showed up that actually won the big prize, they became idols; every last one of them. When a U.S. Soccer team earns that, they'll get it. If I didn't care about this team, why would I waste my time on a message board complaining about what I've seen? Just to annoy people? I can do that on baseball boards if I want.
You must not be a Cubs fan. They are loyal group. Winning season or losing, they show up regardless. If the Nats could just have a fan base like that. Go US! Go Cubs!
I dunno, I have a hard time seeing Michael needing the money. I mean, the kid probably has over a million, US, in the bank, maybe closer to two mill. His dad has been making a couple hundred per since 98 and is now probably pulling in 400 or 500K. So the old man probably has a nice nest egg stashed away, too. So, he's a millionaire, as his dad. And he's only 20. I just don't see MB needing to make moves for just money when he and his family are both pretty set financially. This doesn't mean he doesn't want to get paid a lot. I'm sure he does. But he's smart enough - as is his dad - to know that at this stage of his career, where he plays and how much he plays are more important than what he earns. I mean, no matter where he plays, he's gonna make more money in one season than most folks will make in ten years. So I think he has the luxury at this stage of his career of picking his team based on factors other than salary.
One had nothing to do with the other. As has been posted before me, Mikey does have talent but he also had privilege coming out of his father's behind. These items aren't mutually exclusive. I am sure you were delighted to post after the Czechia game in 2006, "Come on, guys. This could have been 5:0 and our new unis were great". This reminds me of the old Politburo - they frowned on any and all negativity too. Don't remind me of Politburo. No. That's pom-pom waving spin-doctoring bullshit. Real fans know what formation their teams play, what round their new defensive back was rated and what the difference between Tex Winter and Pete Newell is. I am sorry ... that's for an intelligent fan. If you'd like the cheerleading duties, be my guest. Just be prepared not to be taken too seriously. Pollyannas never are. I am a realist. I've been noting's Mikey's successes in Holland but also noting his rash play with the Nats (and his red card vs. Ajax was also pretty effin' dumb .. as was his PK vs. Brasil). Now, you can say that I don't root for Mike but I would respond that, if Mike had eliminated his undisciplined play, then he would be going to a better team and for more money to boot. Any coach/manager/gaffer that will spend money on him will want the same thing. He won't cheer blindly, "Hey, Mike, what a quality back pass! How nice of you to stand in one place and hammer that ball into the fifth row!". He'll tell Mike to cut that shit out. And Mike better. But you won't know what the coach is talking about. Ask the Spaniards that were whistled off the pitch at half-time. Real fans know what that was for - "We bash, 'cos we care". And real Spanish fans fans wouldn't stand for that team aimlessly moping around for fourty five minutes. Real US fans should adopt the same attitude. If you cheer on a crappy team, you'll have a crappy team for life. In other fields, this is called enabling. Don't be an enabler.
Which is the single most important aspect of what he ends up doing, the playing on a regular basis. He's at a point in his career that's pretty critical to, not only his physical development, but also his mental development. I know enough people that know him well, and I saw him play when he was a kid(well, he still is a kid), he seems to be a pretty level-headed human being, so I suspect he'll put some thought into any move he makes.
I was a Cubs fan but my dad was a South Sider so I suffered double. We both got our World Series eventually, and in back to back seasons no less. Granted the Cubs didn't win it for mine, but then I wasn't rooting for them that year. As for Cubs fans showing up whether they win or lose, that's really been part of the problem, and truth be told wasn't really true until the 1980s. Sell outs at Wrigley are as much a phenomenon of changing demographics as it is loyal fandom. I root for the U.S. team too, but like Cubs fans, we don't necessarily turn a blind eye to impending train wrecks and pretend everything is going smoothly. At some point I stopped supporting Luis Salazar just because he was the starting third baseman for the Cubs, and started wanting to see them put someone useful there. If being a fan requires a lobotomy, count me out. I can root for the team to win and at the same be critical of the people who I think are helping them lose. And again, there's not a member of the 85 Bears (Kenny Margerum included) who ever has to buy dinner for himself in Chicago ever again if he doesn't want to. Winning makes fans much more pleasant toward their teams than losing does. Mick Kelleher is a memorable part of my childhood, but he was a lousy baseball player. Guys like Reuschel, Monday and even a declining Bobby Murcer give me much fonder memories because they could actually play.
why not blame Bradley for the cold weather in Chicago? Maybe traffic has been bad there lately? Probably Bradley's fault. Demerit was not even a professional player in the US. He played for an obscure college team and was not even a player of note there. He started playing in a beer league in England and was discovered. Jay himself said he had only been playing soccer for 3 months a year. And you blame Bradley because he did not "discover" Demerit?
Jay was on the Chicago Fire Premier,the Fire's USL PDL team for a year when Bradley was the coach of the Fire. I think that is what the poster was referring to. Bradley didn't think enough of him then to put him on the first team roster.
He was a pretty decent player at UIC, and was considered one of the better defenders in the MCC, the conference they were in than. He played for the Fire PDL team, and was never given any chance to make the pros by the coaching staff, Bradley never rated him, period. When's the last time you talked to Jay?, I spoke to him a few months ago when he was in town, I'll tell him you said hi.
And just as a side note, Frank Klopas berates the guys at the Fire on a constant basis for not seeing anything in this kid.
And they're pretty sensitive about it, too. I brought it up on the Fire board once and Peter Wilt got really defensive about it.
DeMerit was always a decent defender, he made the All-MCC Conference team his last 2 years. We both know that's not the ACC. He played well for the PDL side, also. Brad Guzan grew up in nearby Homer, yea, that's the name of the town, and always wanted to play for the Fire, they had no interest in him. Rolfe played for the PDL side and they took an immediate liking to him; an well, the story speaks for itself. They've taken a different view of the PDL team since then, and actually call in players to train with the first team on occasion now. It's kind of a misnomer, the "Fire" tag, they aren't owned by the Fire, they use the name and training facilities. But even so, the coaches on the first team have always had exposure to the PDL team, and Bradley didn't rate DeMerit. Is it his "fault"?, academic at this point, DeMerit makes a hell of a lot more money in England then he ever would have in the states. So I guess one could say that Bob idiot savanted JD to a nice paycheck.
Bob Bradley has brought along enough young talent including Beasley, Gaven, Kljestan, Guzan, and Bornstein that he can be forgiven for missing a guy.
I'll give more credit to Sasha's dad then to Bradley. Beasley had some damn good youth coaches in Fort Wayne. How do you know it was just one guy?
So, when is MB going to get purchased by Borough? I have heard a lot about this recently, I am thinking he needs to sign a contract in the next few hours because his $ value is going down each game he plays against the world's best. I like MB, I wish him the best but man, he has played like complete shite lately. I would love to see a Mastro--Edu pairing tonight. Give MB and Dempsey the night off, they look tired.
Well I would not be shocked if Boro decide not to sign but it would be unfortunate for him. Though its sort of his pops fault for not putting his own son in the position he would be better at for the US and also his fault for not stepping it up a bit more. This game tonight could be big for him to have one of those games where he just is on fire. Did he play against Mexico in the ConCaCaf Final?