Tommy Smyth on Timmy Howard

one mans opinion, he has his half-time program you don't.

if you would like to have your own segment then maybe you should write the highers up at espn, you could be tommy's "counterpoint" or something to that effect. it could be a great little program...

 

Hmm, perform in front of an average of 15k weekly or infront of the world twice a week?

Make MLS $3M or not.

Creating holes in ones team can have a beneficial effect. Look at the Fire's back line. Kubik goes down, Bocanegra fills in. Bocanegra goes down, Curtin fills in.

Simple economics and exposure.

Adios, Timmy.

 

Generally I would like MLS players to stay in the US. However, turning down an offer to join Manchester United would be nuts. Just f-ing nuts.

 

Timmy should go to Man United. He will be at the very least training with one of the best teams in the world. Just been on the training ground with those guys will help his game. On the question of money I am sure he will more in England than in NJ. As for Tommy Smyth and the Metrostars he always give them props. Every game that he has a chance he gives them a mention. So lay off the guy.

 

Smyth is a big fan of the Metros, from what I hear. But he's still wrong about Howard.

 

Would you be willing to share with us your thoughts why Timmy should not go.

 

Does nothing for the league in terms of building up quality. Does nothing for Metros supporters. Just a one-time check for $3 million.

 

Guys,,I'm a Metros fan however for the good of American soccer Howard should go over seas and play w/ and against the best and also receive the top training from coaches...

 

It is in the interest of American soccer to build a quality domestic league. Failing that, I want to go to an MLS game expecting a high intensity matchup. Between that and the national team, I would very reluctantly say screw the national team.

 

Fixed your post.

The worst thing about Howard leaving is that I'll have to use another transfer on my MFLS team.

 

Thanks for clarifying for me.

 

hey guys, i'm new here BTW...

Very vewry interesting that you say screw the Nat'l team,,hmm...
B/C IMO I feel it is more imporatant to win a World Cup or get there then have a "great" league...I think we can have "A" league but I personally would prefer a great Nat'l team.
JMO

 

Welcome to BigSoccer! (can I say that? I've only been around for two months)

I give both the Nats and MLS top priority, but I would say the league just barely edges out. World Cups come and go, and they're held only once every four years. In the meantime the fans stateside need something to sustain them. Friendlies and WC qualifying aren't going to do it, they're held too infrequently. For the diehard soccer fan, there must be a great league available to us, not only to watch on television but to see at the local stadium, up close where the real game is. Europe and South America get that privilege, so why shouldn't we? And if it means that the national team suffers (I don't think the two come to a head, but it might), so be it. It might even do the Nats some good if we can just keep the quality of the domestic league at a high level.

 

Hey what about what is best for the player. Timmy can earn a bundle of money. Play in front of about 60,000 every second week. Play in Europe against some of the worlds top players. Why is it that many other leagues in the world sell good players and still survive. Why is it we always feel the US has to be so different. The Dutch, Irish,Scottish, Argentine all sell players and keep on going. Why cant MLS sell its players. What has keeping Donovan , Beasley etc done for the league. Is it any more succesful I dont think so. When people talk about Donovan and Beasley they talk of what they did at the World Cup, even MLS keeps going on and on about it. Its the World game and you have to go and play with the best in the world.

 

Question...what would happen if Kubik never went down in Chicago? would we see a Bocanegra? if Bocanegra never went down, would we have seen a Curtain? If DeRosario wouldnt have gotten injured for San Jose, would Brian Ching have ever gotten his first cap?

I think the answer to most if not all of these questions is no. These players would not be what they are today if someone was not injured in front of them. The same goes for players moving on. Everyone gets promoted, or moves up in jobs sometime in their life. Why dont you want Timmy to do the same? Thats asking a lot of someone right there. Besides, he'll be a better player for it, especially when 2006 and 2010 rolls around....

Stop being so selfish. There will just be another American keeper to step into his spot and become a star too. Everyone eventually moves on. get over it.

 

Because we ARE different.

I need to repeat that.

We ARE different.

Once more.

We ARE different. That is never going to change. Forget it. Nah ah. No way. Not a chance.

Why do you want to be like everybody else? Get over it.

The Dutch can go on, they have neighbors who have quality leagues and they have a great league themselves. Same with Ireland, except they have a crap league but that's fine because England is just over yonder. Same with Scotland. The Argentines and Brazilians enter clubs into the Copa Libertadores, and enter themselves into Copa America, enough said on that.

The Americans, well, have NOTHING. We have Canada. We have Mexico, who doesn't want to have anything to do with us. And we got the rest of the Carribbean to play the Champions Cup with us. The Gold Cup. I don't know about you, but I want to see better action than that.

I know, you guys keep whining "wah wah, what about the players". Well, what about us, the fans? If it wasn't for MLS I wouldn't give two shakes about the national team. And the mainstream doesn't give a darn about soccer because they don't see quality soccer week in and week out. All they see is the national team, which would be lucky to assemble two dozen times in a year. Give them something to see in MLS, make it worth watching on a weekly basis, and I guarantee you the effort put into the national team will increase threefold, if not more.

 

I'm a fan. It is in my nature. If I don't protect my interests, who will?

 

Thats the issue with fans like you. You cant be different and succed. Its the world game and you cant change that fact. If the US are to win a world cup and thats what its all about , you have to play to the same rules as everybody else.When you have players who can compete with the rest of the world , then you can be different. When you have a league that pays players a decent living, then you can be different. That is not in place now so do like the rest of the world and forget you smalltown and selfish ways. Its a big world out there take a look once in awhile. Its amazing the soccer you might see. If you are not a fan of your National team then you are not a fan of soccer.

 

Easy there, big guy.

Look, we're just talking here, seriously. I understand sometimes the natural conclusion is that a player should go. But if you're telling me I shouldn't put up a fight (which you are), then you're out of your mind.

But you raise a rather mentally-unbalanced point. For one, I never really figured out the need to mystify "the world's game." Like, "this game is so FREAKIN' HUGE, we gotta be JUST LIKE everybody else!" Like it should come with bells and whistles, or "oohs" and "aahs" for that matters. It is a sport like every other sport. YOU get over it.

And don't try to spin anything, you're doing a horrible job at it. I love the national team. But I love it more because of MLS, and so would a lot of other people if the domestic league finally turned it around.

But seriously, how do you propose that soccer gain prominence in America without a domestic league?

 

Send Tim To ManU

This thread is completely silly. Tim Howard will go to the Red Devils and there's nothing you can do about it.

I spent many a game at the Meadowland when I lived in Hoboken. I saw him take a keeper spot by the horns and never let go. He's a great talented American player who deserves to go play at a higher level. ManU does not come knocking unless somebody's worth it. And Timmy, Timmy is worth every pound they pay him. I look forward to seeing him get better and can't wait till he becomes our number one between the posts. You should too.

I'm a Metrostars fan and I am already lamenting the loss. But I can get past that, because the best go where the money is. And more importantly, the best go to the Nats when it's country time in the world.

So stop your sobbing, get off the floor and think of how great he's going to be. An American at Old Trafford. I love it.

 

Oh, just shut up. Really! I'm not sobbing, I have more important things on which to place my real concern. Again, I'm just making an argument. The point of it all (and I concede that I digressed a bit) was why should I care about a player that I am no longer going to see on a regular basis? An American at Old Trafford. Oh, that's great. It's just real peachy that, next time I want to see him up close, I have to book a plane ticket and hotel room.

So, really, why should I (or anyone), well, care to follow the man anymore?

 

Well, I'm going to make an attempt to sound civilized, so here goes...

"MLS doesn't have the money" and "the best should play the best" are two different arguments. You can't argue them both. And where will the money come from? Either from transfer fees that MAY happen, or gate receipts that are MOST LIKELY going to happen. I can tell you that I do not see the seats in the stadia filling up if we keep shuffling talent around and continually shipping them off to clubs of which we see on a not-frequent-enough basis. We are different because we are not close enough to Europe to watch Europe play. And we are different because this region DOES NOT have the competition we desire, so we have to build it ourselves. THAT was my point.