Boo hoo. Going on a sabbatical doesn't mean he was depressed. Who cares if it was disrespectful. I personally don't. Shouting disrespectful things to the opposing players is part of the fun of going to a game. The players shouldn't be so mentally weak to allow something small like that to get under your skin. And if it does get under their skin, better for us as the are more likely to let their emotions get the best of them on the field. I also don't mind when Henry goes out and talks shit to the opposing fans. He was really vocal in Philly last year and this year in Toronto. Why should he endear himself to those fans? Getting them to hate him is part of the fun of playing on the road. Playing the part of the villain is fun. I'm generally not a fan of the US reject chant. If it was for a guy like Taylor Twellman back in the day it would have been more appropriate than for Donovan who is the best player this country has ever seen. And it's a matter of time before he gets himself back into the US team. But I'll admit I found it amusing today.
lol, we need more of it. I think any MLS player would be honored if the opposing fans are chanting against them. I know i'd be
It signifies respect and fame. You think LA would be chanting "Northern Ireland reject" to Johnny Steele? Yea it might be disrespectful but this is probably good for the league as strange as it sounds. Try to develop the reputation of players more and make them more marketable/reputable
This reminds me of a few weeks ago in India when an Indian international cricket player, Virat Kohli, went into the papers saying how sad and dejected he felt after being booed at in a match in Mumbai during an Indian Premier League (cricket) game. He was part of the away team. Your sportsmen, get used to it. At least I will give Kohli some slack because the idea of club sports in India are new so he and the rest are not used to it but here in American sports this is very common. I remember Alex Rodriguez getting booed every game after the steroids event. God that was hard.
We're talking about a fan base that boo'ed Thierry Henry while he's on our own ********in team. I'm not sure why anybody is surprised about anything we might say to Landon Donovan.
Wait... when was Henry booed? I only missed minutes 6 to 11 today and the rest I did not hear any booing directed at Henry (despite his poor play). As for Landon, no one is surprised. That is club culture for you.
Didn't mean tonight, I'm talking back at the start of 2011 when he was still struggling to find his feet for the team.
I'm sure fans on the road gave Michael Jordan all kinds of slack because of all those Olympic gold medals.
I don't think Henry was poor. He set up several chances for Steele and Miller on the left right in front of where we sat and even without scoring was incredibly influential. As a further aside, right after the goal was scored when Cahill and others were celebrating in the opposite corner, Henry jogged to the center circle and stood right behind Robbie Keane, perhaps as close as a foot or two separating them. Very close. It wasn't clear whether he was whispering anything but Keane stood absolutely still and looked away and it seemed to my wife and I that Henry was engaged in some high level, world class trolling. I can't help but wonder whether it was some France/Ireland WCQ and Arsenal/Spurs beef dating back a decade...In any case, it was hilarious. I personally wouldn't chant that to Donovan but I think having a club v country dichotomy is part of being a fan in this country. I can simultaneously love LD and appreciate everything he's done in a USMNT shirt and dislike him in MLS.
Donovan has it coming from any New York fan. He has whined and complained in the press about NY for years. He can kiss my pale white hairy NY ass before I welcome him on ANY team, including the US National team.
Given how he played yesterday, he is a US reject. Klinsi was right to want Donovan to actually show the goods given his track record of late.
Chanting US reject at our best player ever seems more humor than disrespect to me - chanting it at someone like Jason Kreis would hurt more.
It gets people talking. So that's good. I love stuff like this. Remember Donovan's "Who is Luke Rodgers?" Great stuff. Feel the same way about the YSA chant. I hear way worse stuff at a Yankee/Rangers/whatever game. It makes U.S. soccer different/funny/interesting...even if it is a bit of a mindless juvenile chant. Is "U.S. reject" disrespectful? Sure. Is it EXTREMELY disrespectful if you're a USMNT fan? Sure. However, this stuff is important for the growth of the sport in our country.
And just think of the stuff that gets said at games in Europe... The fact that a chant as tame as "US Reject" is causing such a reaction across MLS is really a testament to just how respectful our supporter's culture is.
I don't understand why people are making this out to be some sort of blanket statement by NY fans towards Donovan's entire national team career.. It was obviously just a jab at his recent exclusion, even as someone who isn't a big fan of the chant I don't see what the fuss is all about.