I've been flipping through the bords like usual and some good points have been made on the scum/D.C. trade. I for on was outraged when I first heard the news, but come on people where are your heads at to me some of you aren't even making sense. To say that Petke could even come close to filling the role that pope fills in the back is utterly insane. sure Petke isn't that bad, but when I'm doing the weighing in my hands (2 time world cup vetren/3 time MLS champion/1997 defender of the year/Open Cup champion/Interamerican Cup Cahmpion/Concacaf Cup Champion/and not to mention one of the cleanest players ever to grace the field on any level) now please compare that to Petke who hasn't done even one of those things, nor has he even shown to be an underrated player, he is simply an average star. A star, but an average one at that. Eddie Pope in so many ways is the franchise plyer of this team, he has been for the past three seasons. He has been the small vitality on this team in it's saddest of times. Even when he was not there out there playing for D.C., but playing for the national team, he has truely held the the United name. Etchevery had truely great seasons with United, he has almost the same amout of crudencles(probably spelld that wrong) as Pope. but something must be said for character Pope could have left so many times now that it's uncountable, but he hasn't. He to my memory has'nt even ever annouced publically that he wanted to leve until now . While etcheverry has been drgged twice into 1 year contracts. So after this insane babbling of mine I ask you where is you're loyalty?
you guys did prevent a lot of goals last year, but you didn't exactly score pope's a max salary player and a defender... he's not scoring petke is much cheaper and a defender, giving cap room plus coming with allocation and a draft pick (not to mention the cap room from moreno and williams) he's (petke) a good defender, so he wont' really hurt a defense that was already damn good, but he makes it so that an attempt to bring in scoring (which wins games) can be done... where as if he stays and etch goes... you don't have the ability to make a move to become better... you get under the cap, but without much room to work with (and if you don't move pope, no trade) they saying goes "defense wins championships, but scoring wins games" what does that mean? well, since you guys didn't win squat last year, you need to worry less about defense and more about hitting the inside of the opponents onion bag... cause you have to make the playoffs before you worry about having a defense good enough to win a title you gotta look at it what is going on, not what happened... it's nice to look at the past, but if you don't understand why they were good then and not now, calling to keep people isn't going to do much good loyalty is nice, but it's not a good idea when it's leading you into a nuclear bomb testing site that is used quite often... there are generally warning signs all over the place, so if you miss them... it's generally your own fault
most importantly in all this....PETKE IS A DICKHEAD. hes the most hated player on the most hated team in the league (as far as most DC are concerned). and we're looking to trade away two of our most admired and able players for this hack-ass. yes we need cap room...yes jaime and eddie have been injured...but if the boys upstairs decide to trade them away...for GODS SAKE dont send them to NJ and dont give us MIKE PETKE. this is a ************ing atrocity.
Let's get over the outrage and the "most hated team" silliness. This is the real world, it's people's livings. Petke isn't as good as Eddie, but he's quite a good defender (he's shut DC's attack down plenty, not that that's taken much the last year or two) and he doesn't cost as much as Eddie. We can't afford to keep Eddie; it's as simple as that. And while I don't care for some of the effects of the SEM system and the salary cap, even if they weren't there, we still might not be able to afford incredibly high-priced players who don't show up for all of their games. We'd still have a wage bill, and someone would still have to pay it. In fact, we might have less money to spend. The cap and SEM may make for articifical near-parity (I won't buy that NJ and LA have operated under exactly the same constraints as everyone else), but that could be a good thing. It means we can't spend more than other teams, but it also means we get as much as almost all the others to spend. To answer Fousic's original question, my loyalty is to the team. I may have a great fondness for individual players, but in the cold, cruel world of professional sports, it's all down to "what have you done for me lately?" Eddie Pope is a saint among men in bazillions of ways, but so is Abdul Thompson Conteh, given all the charity work he's done for his home country. I was sure glad we let him go though; he was not a capable forward. Eddie is a magnificent back, but he's too expensive and too fragile to meet our current needs.
we suck When a team sucks as bad as DCU has over the past two years no player can to untouchable. DCU as a group are a bad team so changes have to made. We can't get quality unless we put a few marketable players on the block. Goodbye and good luck Eddie. PS: Ray is trying to save his job too so he won't stand pat with last year's group nor should he. Loyalty? This is professional sports pal.
There is a difference between being a fan and blind faith. We are all critical of United at times. We are all just coming to our breaking point. Three losing seasons, without playoffs will do that to you.
Broon nailed it when he said sports is all about "what have you done for me lately". We're pissed that this organization has gone from champs to chumps.
I agree with that statement. Although, I have questions about the proposed trades it must never be forgotten that our support is about the team and not a player.
Petke's first welcome Hey, we all are upset about this trade... It's like having teeth pulled. But like having teeth pulled... it probably has to be done. Anyway... when all is said and done. Eddie will always have the years he spend here... he'll also realized how DC has the best fans. If all goes as rumored... we get Petke. joy =-( But, we'll all accepted him when the season starts, because it is DC United we came to see. Not him. Anyway... if we're still upset by the first game, I say, when they introduce him on the starting line up, we turn around and let him look at the back of our heads. After that... he's United and we're united. The past is forgotten, new year, new team, new memories... Only once will we publically show our grievances. We'll speak no ill about him until he scores an own goal vs the Metroscum... in which case we storm the field in protest.
HEY! I'm quite loyal to these boards! I just hope our moderators do trade one or more of us to improve this board's standing....I understand though that revelation is in Argentina or Ohio scouting out new talent.