Should Donovan be suspended?

Billreeves. I am ticked off about the Ref not doing his job in that situation. But what got me ticked off most of this thread was that some of these people defending Landon (Yes they did say that it was a stupid thing to do) kept on telling me that the reason there was no card givin because of Walker's exageration of how not so hard he was hit by Donovan. It was only a love tap.

That's what I got really ticked off about. those who defend LAndon because they are either fans of his, or some of the Quakes fans who were looking at this situation blindly.

And even I have said that I don't think that Landon is a dirty player. But both the ref and the league have failed in their decision in not giving him a proper one match suspension just to make him sit down and think about what he did wrong. I am blaming everyone involved in this situation.

But most of these comments about the diving, embellishment, or exageration of how hard or how soft Jonny Walker got hit is irrelevent. There was intent by Donovan to injure Walker and that's what he should have been booked for.

That's my stand on this post Billy. Keepers are not fair game at the same time though to be fair, keepers who go off there line to play the ball shouldn't destroy the attacker. If they don't play the ball and cause serious injury to the attacker they should be booked as well like what happened with Brianna Scurry in the Women's World Cup Group match against Sweden.

 

If LD ever plays Argentina, Italy, or Uruguay in a game that matters, they are going to screw with him until he lashes out and gets tossed, or at least completely take him out of his game.

I agree that he does not have a history of violent or dirty plays, but he does seem to get frustrated too easily. I wonder if he truly has the mental strength to make it at higher levels than MLS.

 

Well, Landon can bring his form of vigilante justice and tackle them hard. After all, they probably deserved it.

 

If you think this is some kind of double standard, go back and look on the quakes board for comments about Pierce knocking into Landon a few weeks ago. Were you guys calling for his ejection and possibly a suspension? Yes, just like in this case. Were people calling him names? Yes, just like in this case. In fact, SJ fans were all excited about the intentional retaliatory fouls those thuggish quakes did in response.

Would you guys have been happy with the Metros taking out Landon or Ekelund after the foul on Guevara, or do you have some kind of double standard where Landon's concerned? Based on his comments in the paper, I'd say young Landon's latching on to the type of thggish behavior that you quake fans seem to like to see (but only from your team).

 

Have you read my posts at all? I've said he should have been carded, he should have been suspended. It was a stupid thing to do and I hope he never does anything like that again. He's too good of a player to resort to that.

The double standard comes along when EVERYTHING this kid does is totally blown out of proportion (witness, this thread is now 11 pages long). People are lying in wait for him to mess up and react in glee when he does. The truth of the matter is that you know that is not LD's style, he's not a dirty player; that type of play does not characterize him. Whereas, Pierce on the other hand....Your comparison to Pierce has no merit, since almost all Quakes posters here are equally saying that LD should sit out like Pierce had to.

My double standard comment was referring to how Clint is labeled a "bad boy" and sort of gets slapped on the back, good 'ol boy style, and other players who routinely behave badly receive some rants but don't get 11-page threads (and counting), but when LD does it once, he's a thug, he's a punk, the world is coming to an end, he should never step foot on the soccer field again (I'm exaggerating to some extent, I know it, but this whole thread is an exaggeration).

 

If a club's back line can go an entire match without being called for a foul, then Donovan shouldn't be suspended.

Oh yeah, that already happened.

 

One more thing before I go. (First of all, LD didn't "take out" Guevera, so a revenge take-out would be uncalled for, but that's beside the point) If they'd have come after him, would I have been happy? No, not happy, but I'd say LD would have gotten what he deserved. Players have a way of handling things among themselves (it's the BS posters who get their panties in a wad). Don't you think that the Metros are chomping at the bit to meet the Earthquakes again, maybe in MLS cup? Don't you think they're going to want to take care of Donovan and all the Quakes? (Which obviously they already did, after all, the score was 2-0. isn't that the sweetest revenge?) I think it makes for great soccer.

People make such a big deal about the post-game comments. The two guys on Big Soccer Radio got it right..."Well done, Landon, keep the quotes coming!" Why? Again, it makes for great soccer. It creates passion for the game, which is what we want. That Mercury News guy tends to come up with great quotes from LD. Everyone wants to ascribe something sinister to Landon's comments, but have you ever thought that maybe, just maybe, some of the motivation is to create a little excitement in the San Jose area, as they fight to be recognized in their own town? Coming up with some "fighting words" in a post-game comment just may be the ticket to get more butts in the seats...plus continuing to win can't hurt.

No, I don't go for thuggish behavior, leg-breaking, etc. But you'll notice, none of the Quakes do that, so there's no need to worry.

 

Then players like Waibel and Mullan aren't on the quakes? Maybe you didn't think their retaliatory fouls against the Revs (that they bragged about in the papers) were thuggish? I think that you're just applying more of your double standards.

If this is what they do and say to get more butts in the seats, it says a lot about their opinion of SJ soccer fans...

 

Hey, thanks for TOTALLY MISUNDERSTANDING EVERYTHING I SAY. There's obviously no talking to you. I'm finished. Think and say what you want.

 

And I thought Landon was sensitive...

 

Very disappointed that MLS discipline committee ignore the calling for Donovan's suspension. I wonder how are the rest of the MLS players going to react? are they going to seek justice against Donovan in their own way when they play
against SJ Earthquakes?

 

That is quite likely. If MLS officials would take care of all thuggish play, there would be little need for players to "seek justice" out on the pitch. This lack of maintaining the rules on an even basis could lead to excessive dirty play throughout the League.

I agree with many on this thread that there should be no exceptions to the Laws of the Game. That includes the work of Pierce, Franchino, Waibel, etc. the folks that are known hacks and thugs.

 

Was it Wednesday that Landon won his second straight Honda award for player of the year? Now, everyone who seriously thought MLS was about to discipline him THE SAME WEEK HE WINS THE HONDA please raise your hands. "Yeah, that's right, we're going to suspend out poster child." Dream on.

 

Will you all stop whinning. You guys are starting to sound like Donovan