Gustavo Cabrera, according to the FCD blog, has been invited to stay with the team and train another week. This is an excellent development, as there is a potential hole in the three man back line. Robert "Big Bob" Malcolm, out of favor first, at Rangers, then Derby, and now QPR, has also been extended an invitation. It should be revoked immediately. On the other hand, I very much doubt he would want to play for FCD. Look at the names of people we expect to start on opening day. Davino, Richetti, Rocha, and Toja. Players who may start, and will probably be on the team include Sala, Saragosa, Alverez, Ricardinho, and Mina. Additionally, according to Buzz, Morrow is looking to bring in two strikers, one or both of whom may be from Central America or South America. If Malcolm does his research on who plays for this team, he will not show up. All those Hispanic names suggest Catholics. Malcolm will never play on a team with so many Catholics. When signing autographs, Malcolm often adds "FTP," a reference to one of his favorite quotes, "F#%& the Pope!" He was eventually fined 5,000 pounds for this. At an Old Firm match in November, 2004, he had to be escorted from the bench by police after repeated obscene gestures directed at Celtic supporters. Those of you who know me will attest that it takes a lot to offend me. Malcolm has done it. He is a disaster waiting to happen. In 2004, he was arrested after failing to appear in court. Just over two months ago, he was again arrested, this time for drunk driving. His sentence was to be banned from driving for 20 months, though it could be reduced to 15 months if he completed a driver education course. He has claimed that he has started such a course, though he never attended. He plays center defender or d mid, and has been called an excellent passer and good player, though his failure to stick at a team as desperate as Derby County certainly suggests otherwise. Rescind the invitation, sign Cabrera or look elsewhere. People like Malcolm should not even be allowed entrence to the United States. Dead nut dreaming, Scipio Diabolus, vox fatum. Contra. Sad, starved, and sober.
Just because they're Hispanic, doesn't mean they are Catholic. Still, there are a lot of Catholics in the area. It would be a terrible marketing move, IMO. I'm not sure what Morrow and Hitchcock are thinking on this one. The invite itself is insulting. They'll have the Catholic Church and MADD speaking out against the club in no time.
wow. This guy is a real asshat. I'll admit that I probably hate the Catholic church (and almost every thing it stands for) just as much as him, but to write "F___ the pope" on signatures takes it a little too far. You might want to get a free sample of Cialis or Viagra for that. Good luck
I'll join the fray and say that everything I've heard about this guy makes me more and more convinced we shouldn't sign him. I'm not a fan of the RCC, but I'm an adament supporter of loving others.
I'll let Peter do his own fighting, but he did say "suggests" Catholic, and by the way, it was a good suggestion. Peter said...
******** the catholics and protestants who can't forgive. I sense a heartrending story of a second chance, a new beginning - a bornagainedness, if you will. And anybody wear greed hoops to a game -- they get cracked upside the head.
You used present tense. You have a link to where he did this after he was fined? You have a link that his gestures were "catholic based"?
As far as I can see he did it a sum total of ONE time, back in 2004 and there's been nothing since. It was also in 2004 where he was pulled away from the bench for making "obscene" gestures towards Celtic fans....but I can't find any press account that refers to the gestures as religious in nature. So, basically he gave a middle finger to opposing fans....OH THE HORROR!!! Since 2004 his only "problem" was the recent drunk driving incident. Clearly he's not free of sin, and I think a club in FCD's position and marketplace needs to be very cautious with a player with this kind of history....but I don't believe his one religious-based transgression back in 2004 should be the ultimate determiner.
Maybe FTP stands for Free the Pope in reference to the Babylonian Captivity. Or File Transfer Protocol. Or Full-Time Player in reference to his tremendous work ethic on the field.
IIRC in the 1990's a youth walking around a Scottish (or was it a N. Ireland?) city was killed by a group of Protestants because he was wearing the green hoops. I suggest that it would have been a good move if the next Rangers x Celtic confrontation --- on the field of play --- would have featured the Celtic players in blue and the Rangers in green hoops. [wear the uniform of the other team] As a gesture? you know? "stop the violence" ?? I don't know personally the Malcolm history but I'm pretty sure I'm on Scipio Gothicus' side here --- if by some chance he does end up on FCD I'm not Catholic but I am DEFINITELY buying me a green and white rugby shirt if I can't get a hold of a Celtic jersey in time --- to get his autograph on. and that BS poster going around BS calling Mo Johnston a Judas because Mo Johnston played for iirc Rangers can quite profitably re-locate his absurd opinion to wherever it gives him the most pleasure
thats what i thought. i was like, "Wow! a networking guru, this club needs better communication" then i found out what it really stands for. if the guy is a racist jerk, i dont want him given a temporary tourist visa nevermind a work visa. to think a guy like that with all his crap would be taking a job from an american lad or any other lad for that matter is disgusting. my tolerance for narrow-minded drunk protestant crap is very small. we aint across the pond, limey. thats all we need is a religiously non-tolerant drunk foreign guy.
Tranquilo. I agreed with his overall point, but I was just clarifying this statement: I've never seen any of those guys listed above make reference to their religion, except for Saragosa....who is not Catholic. It was just a point of clarification. There's no evidence that this is a team "with so many Catholics." As for the argument made by others that "FTP" was a one-time thing, I can appreciate the idea that it shouldn't be an ultimate determiner. But when you combine that incident with the fact that he has been a headache at most clubs he has played for, why take the gamble he works out here?
What the ********? Racist? Taking a job from an American? What kind of nonsense is this? I realize we live in dallas, and we are supposed to be smallminded ********tards, but come on.
You factor it in after you determine you want him. We aren't there yet. Christ allmighty, I think the better bet is that we are going to suck big time this year, so it's kind of hard for me to fathom we are already being choosey. Jesus made me fumble.
considering most celtic supporters are of irsh decent and most rangers fans are english. yes. my point is there is no difference b/t that hatred and the spanish fans who make monkey calls at african players. its classless it has no place in america and a guy who is a hater no matter how good he is with a ball at his feet shouldnt be taking a spot from another guy. the one thing i like about MLS that i like better than any league in the world is we dont have that trash here. i want it to stay that way.
This isn't racism, it is just hatred. Saying FTP is the exact same thing as saying that L Ron Hubbard can go blow himself. Except that it offends more people . Sure, I don't have a fond opinion of the Catholic church, and I can talk for hours on exactly why. But that is my personal opinion. As a public figure, which a professional athelete is, when you express an opinion, you are in some regard speaking for the organization that you play for. Whether or not you agree or disagree with what the guy said, I think there is one thing we can all agree on - it is pretty unprofessional behavior. As is getting arrested for drunk driving. As is getting arrested for whatever. With a young team looking for role models, I don't really think we should pick this guy up. We need players to come in and show our guys how to carry themselves professionally. Not guys that show what not to do off the field. We have spent too much time trying to build a good locker room to bring someone like that in. Don't want to blow this out of proportion, don't think FTP is a really big deal, but taken as a whole, that is my opinion.