The truth about John Harkes and Amy Wynalda??

Discussion in 'USA Men' started by uclacarlos, Jan 31, 2006.

  1. West Coast Futbol

    May 7, 2008
    The Beach
    I wish you had to!
     
  2. Trav-Man

    Trav-Man Member

    Jun 7, 2007
    Dallas, TX
    Club:
    FC Dallas
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I am stunned that people are actually making Wynalda and Sampson the bad guys here. Are people really this dense? Harkes put Sampson in a situation where he was screwed no matter what decision he made. In case people don't remember, the US had a pretty impressive cycle before all this came out. This included victories over Argentina and Brazil. This is Harkes' fault and nobody else's. If he wanted to do the dirty so bad, I'm sure he had several other options to pursue. Your past will catch up to you eventually--this situation is no different.
     
  3. sidefootsitter

    sidefootsitter Member+

    Oct 14, 2004
    Sampson wasn't a "bad guy" but he did mishandled the situation from a "professional management" perspective.

    He made it worse.
     
  4. Bolivianfuego

    Bolivianfuego Your favorite Bolivian

    Apr 12, 2004
    Fairfax, Va
    Club:
    Bolivar La Paz
    Nat'l Team:
    Bolivia
    I think the REAL bad guy is sampson, he should have mediated, and let them solve it on the field. Evaulated how they played together after this, and went from there.

    LIke they say, leave EVERYYTHING outside the soccer field.
     
  5. West Coast Futbol

    May 7, 2008
    The Beach
  6. Bolivianfuego

    Bolivianfuego Your favorite Bolivian

    Apr 12, 2004
    Fairfax, Va
    Club:
    Bolivar La Paz
    Nat'l Team:
    Bolivia
    ^^^Huh? I dont understand what your response has to do with mine.
     
  7. Trequartista10

    Apr 10, 2009
    Florida
    Club:
    Juventus FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    The bad guy 12 years ago and still today is Harkes no doubt. Just because Harkes is a bad guy doesn't mean Wynalda isn't a jack ass.
     
    mpr2477 repped this.
  8. striker

    striker Member+

    Aug 4, 1999
    How was Wynalda a jackass in this situation. It's his life. Why should you be the one to decide whether it is appropriate for him to acknowledge publicly this Harkes' incidence now?
     
  9. tambo

    tambo Member

    Jun 9, 2007
    Sigh. I swear to God, the brainlessness that permeates this place can drive me nuts.

    I explained -- in great detail -- what I meant by "forced." No, it doesn't mean a gun was to Wynalda's head. It means the Terry situation stuck him in a tricky position. As I've already explained a gazillion times, it FORCED him to make a choice: Either play make-believe and sit there squirming self-consciously while potentially eroding viewers' trust; or just be upfront about it and discuss something embarrassing and painful.

    I'm not being pollyannish about this. I'm just being realistic. You're acting as if Wynalda cleverly spotted some sneaky opportunity. I mean, really -- he "saw the similarities between himself and Bridge"??? Are you serious? He didn't have to "see" the similarities. His personal experience was a glaring, inescapable elephant in the room. That's the whole point.

    You're hung up on this little book thing -- a book that isn't even written or on a publishing schedule, and which was merely a passing, throwaway comment in the middle of a larger conversation.

    I don't have some interest in defending Eric Wynalda. I just find it bizarre that somebody could watch this exchange and see "self promotion" above all else.
     
  10. LIZZIE

    LIZZIE BigSoccer Supporter

    Oct 18, 2001
    Sec 126
    Club:
    Chicago Fire
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    The Chicago Tribune, not the biggest soccer promoting newspaper, had the Harkes Wynalda story on the back page of the sports section, with this picture of Harkes (the whole picture, which includes Wynalda, is in the on-line edition)
     
  11. superdave

    superdave Member+

    Jul 14, 1999
    VB, VA
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I'll bet Spartak Moscow's coach from 1965 would have handled it perfectly and led the 1998 team to the quarterfinals, at least.
     
  12. Trequartista10

    Apr 10, 2009
    Florida
    Club:
    Juventus FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Striker, if you read through the thread you'd know my reasoning. Anytime a parent throws another parent under the bus within ear shot, or fully knowing the kids can and will hear it, it's pretty classless. Harkes has kids too. They're all innocent victims in this mess. That's why Wynalda is a jack ass.


    tambo,

    Until I see the post, or news article equating this situation to Terry's situation prior to Wynalda's revelation last Monday night, I just don't accept there was the elephant in the room. As I said before, I've followed the USMNT adamantly since the mid-80s when I was old enough to know what was going on, and I never heard a thing about this until Monday night / Tues morning. I now realize several posters are saying they heard this rumor before, and a few of my buddies state they've heard it before as well. But had Wynalda done the show, addressed the situation with Terry, and not mention his situation, would Sampson have talked? Doubtful? Would there be pages of threads on here about this like there are now? Doubtful. I just don't accept your premise that he'd look weak, stupid, or disingenuous had he not mentioned his situation

    We can agree to disagree, it's cool. I get it, you think he had no choice, I think he did and he made the wrong one.

    We also can agree to disagree without using a crutch in our argument like
    you can and should do better.
     
  13. Bolivianfuego

    Bolivianfuego Your favorite Bolivian

    Apr 12, 2004
    Fairfax, Va
    Club:
    Bolivar La Paz
    Nat'l Team:
    Bolivia
    U know that guy was going downtown on that old bag' back then.
     
  14. Cool Hand Luke

    Cool Hand Luke Member+

    Aug 13, 2008
    Austin Texas
    Club:
    Manchester United FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I hear there's a tape.
     
  15. ebbro

    ebbro Member+

    Jun 10, 2005
    There's an interview with Wynalda on Thursday's Five Live Daily (you can get it on itunes). He said Sampson based the decision on his morals and that he though Capello wouldn't do that, but rather base it on what's best for England. He also said that players not knowing what was going on was a detriment to the team - he said going into the locker room and everyone wondering what does this guy know, how much does that guy know, etc... was a big distraction. He didn't flat out say it (although I didn't finish the interview yet), but my impression was he felt Sampson could've handled things better.
     
  16. Shabs

    Shabs Member

    Jun 19, 2002
    NYC
    Couple things:
    1 - Capello's situation is a bit different. Wynalda was a better player for the Nats than Harkes was at that point in their careers, in addition to Harkes other me-first behavior stuff going on. What would Capello have done if it was Wayne Bridge who ********ed John Terrys wife, and not the other way around? No way in hell he'd keep Bridge on the team. I'm of the mind that Sampson was at least partially considering the team in his decision.

    2 - As far as Wynalda blaming Sampson for keeping the players in the dark; using Samspon's discretion in keeping HIS secret as the reason behind the team chemistry issues is absurd to me when Wynalda himself could have corrected that at any point had he wanted to.
     
  17. ebbro

    ebbro Member+

    Jun 10, 2005
    For me the fact that Terry had an affair with Bridge's ex is the big difference.

    I almost wrote something similar to what you're suggesting in your second point. That is, Wynalda could've enlightened his teamates. But, Wynalda was embarrassed and maybe at the same time he didn't want to contradict his coach. Whatever, I don't blame Wynalda for anything. I can see where Sampson may have not done everything right, but I think he probably did what he felt was right, so I don't blame him for that (3-6-1 is another story). Harkes should get the brunt of the blame in this situation.
     
  18. Napoleon_BA

    Napoleon_BA Member

    May 22, 2009
    Club:
    CA Lanús
    I hadn't been inhaling this story as much as many others have, so it was only in the last day or two that I came across the fact that it was Bridge's Ex, not his current girlfriend.

    When I read that, I thought... not too cool, but is Bridge's piss scent still on the girl? Yes, they have a kid together, but if she was so important to him, why weren't they still together?

    I don't think that it's as huge of a deal as the Harkes/ Wynalda situation. Not by a long shot.
     
  19. kokoplus10

    kokoplus10 Moderator
    Staff Member

    Feb 5, 2008
    Club:
    New York Red Bulls
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Has this been confirmed? I thought there was some confusion over when this all happened and what the status of their relationship was at that time.
     
  20. Bolivianfuego

    Bolivianfuego Your favorite Bolivian

    Apr 12, 2004
    Fairfax, Va
    Club:
    Bolivar La Paz
    Nat'l Team:
    Bolivia
    I think the problem was that it was bridge's ex wife (and possibly his baby momma but im not sure about that), now THAT sucks! LOL
     
  21. falvo

    falvo Member+

    Mar 27, 2005
    San Jose & Florence
    Club:
    San Jose Earthquakes
    Nat'l Team:
    Italy
    I'd love for those who denied this thing for years to start posting in here now......:D
     

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