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It's Called Football -- Rossi, Hart, Jan. 31


Ben Knight

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I was very, very proud to be a cast member of “It’s Called Football” yesterday.

Our little weekly internet soccer show (ThatChannel.com, noon every Saturday) took two very different runs at the CSA debate, hosting Dino Rossi from the Voyageurs – calling for the head of Canada coach Dale Mitchell – and, moments later, staging an in-depth interview with CSA technical director Stephen Hart.

http://onwardsoccer.com/2009/02/01/i...d-being-a-fan/

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So while we can go about this by more Black Wednesdays and so forth, is there anything, as the Vs, that we can do toward the federal gov't? I ask this because you guys were all speaking about going after the source of the CSA's revenues. The gov't is a massive source, so is there ANYTHING, and I mean even going as far as a march on parliament, to make them aware of the problems with the system and the funding?

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^ In real terms, the Government is a source for a moderate amount of CSA income. Same with the provinces.

Registration tax revenues make up a far bigger % of the funds collected by the CSA (and the provinces).

I really don't think that in the midst of a global recession, Stephen Harper cares that Canada is a poor footballing nation.

IMO, this is a grassroots problem that requires grassroots solutions. I don't necessarily advocate more protests for the sake of protest but I do advocate people getting educated on the issues and getting involved.

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Good show. I think that was the first time I heard Stephen Hart speak and it is a bit weird hearing a white guy with an authentic Carribean accent. Ben Rycroft was asking some questions from e-mails. I would be interested in mailing him a couple of questions for Julian DeGuzman. What is his contact info?

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If anyone has questions for upcoming guests you can post them either the comments section on Ben Knight's site www.onwardsoccer.com or mine after each week's show http://www.metronews.ca/toronto/blog/post/175118 - hits and comments help sell us advertising and keep the shows free for the fans.

If you have any other questions you can reach me at ben.rycroft@metronews.ca

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quote:Originally posted by loyola

Did you get laid after your time at club Opera on Sept 6-7 2008??? [:o)]

You are guessing right but this is what needs to be asked especially if he is the one making such criticisms of the CSA. He needs to explain 1) his poor play during WCQ and 2) his partying after games. As fans of the national team we deserve to hear his explanation of this.

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I fully support what was said by Dino and Ben at the show.

To read what the Toronto Sun published and I quote: "Regardless of the women's situation and despite Mitchell's failures with the men's or under-20 national teams, the fact remains that he knows the young players coming through the system." is crazy. The man may know players but he doesn't know what to do with them. He's got to go, period.

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quote:Originally posted by Grizzly

You are guessing right but this is what needs to be asked especially if he is the one making such criticisms of the CSA. He needs to explain 1) his poor play during WCQ and 2) his partying after games. As fans of the national team we deserve to hear his explanation of this.

Agree 100 %. I was just having fun with the way this question could be ask.

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quote:Originally posted by Grizzly

You are guessing right but this is what needs to be asked especially if he is the one making such criticisms of the CSA. He needs to explain 1) his poor play during WCQ and 2) his partying after games. As fans of the national team we deserve to hear his explanation of this.

Bah. I don't. With regards to 2), you've beat this horse dead over the past 3 months and frankly I don't care. So, don't make it seem like you're doing me a favour by trying to embarass the man on air.

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quote:Originally posted by El Hombre

Bah. I don't. With regards to 2), you've beat this horse dead over the past 3 months and frankly I don't care. So, don't make it seem like you're doing me a favour by trying to embarass the man on air.

Our players put on an embarassing display in our recent WCQ and we shouldn't be afraid of asking them questions about their game performances and their behaviors prior to an important game. I would ask him the question this way "Julian, have you ever heard of the expression, leave it all on the field? How come you did have the energy to go clubbing after our most crucial game in the last 4 yrs?"

As far as I know, everyone on this board agree that we (us or the media) should ask tough questions to Dale Mitchell and that we should be hard on him. Why is it different with the players?

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quote:Originally posted by Grizzly

You are guessing right but this is what needs to be asked especially if he is the one making such criticisms of the CSA. He needs to explain 1) his poor play during WCQ and 2) his partying after games. As fans of the national team we deserve to hear his explanation of this.

As far as I'm concerned you are free to ask whatever questions you wish although I personally don't care what the players do after a game. it has no impact on my opinion of a player.

I also disagree with you that JDG played poorly in WCQ. In the 3 games where he featured, he was Canada's best player in Game 1, was not great but not horrible in game 2 and worked his tail off against Mexico but was unable to do anything offensively because Canada could never hold the ball. You could see the frustration on his face during that game.

I would rather know what was the cause of the team's brutal defensive breakdowns vs. Honduras during the 2nd half of the Montreal game.

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quote:Originally posted by loyolaOur players put on an embarassing display in our recent WCQ and we shouldn't be afraid of asking them questions about their game performances and their behaviors prior to an important game. I would ask him the question this way "Julian, have you ever heard of the expression, leave it all on the field? How come you did have the energy to go clubbing after our most crucial game in the last 4 yrs?"

As far as I know, everyone on this board agree that we (us or the media) should ask tough questions to Dale Mitchell and that we should be hard on him. Why is it different with the players?

Exactly. El Hombre, you are certainly entitled to your own opinion but if you expect such consideration do not call my opinion a dead horse or disrespectful. There is no attempt to embarass JDG at all rather it is asking a simple question that I think he needs to answer. He has afterall made several public criticisms of the CSA and Mitchell. I agree with his criticisms yet if you are going to make such public criticisms you must accept that your own behaviour will be scrutinized.

JDG is a highly paid professional athlete. Criticism is part of the parcel of being in such a lucrative profession. When I lived in Germany I heard far more difficult questions being regularly asked to every soccer player not only of the 1st Bundesliga but also of the 4th division team I support. Here after every Montreal Canadiens game I hear players being asked very sensitive questions. Why should JDG or any other of our players be treated with kid gloves?

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quote:Originally posted by VPjr

As far as I'm concerned you are free to ask whatever questions you wish although I personally don't care what the players do after a game. it has no impact on my opinion of a player.

I also disagree with you that JDG played poorly in WCQ. In the 3 games where he featured, he was Canada's best player in Game 1, was not great but not horrible in game 2 and worked his tail off against Mexico but was unable to do anything offensively because Canada could never hold the ball. You could see the frustration on his face during that game.

I would rather know what was the cause of the team's brutal defensive breakdowns vs. Honduras during the 2nd half of the Montreal game.

I would say he was decent though still below par against Jamaica. He was very poor in the other two games. If the team is succesful and wins I probably wouldn't care what the players did afterwards either. When they play poorly and don't win I am very concerned about their attitude and preparation for games away from the pitch.

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^ I guess we watched two different players then.

He was not even remotely below par vs. Jamaica. He was excellent and also scored our only goal.

vs. Mexico, he did exactly what he does for Deportivo (constant, non stop pursuit of the ball). It wasn't exciting but the team simply stunk that last night but he was the best of the bunch in my opinion that night.

Vs. Honduras, he was average or slightly below average (not our best player by a long shot, not our worst).

We all see the game differently I guess

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quote:Originally posted by Grizzly

Exactly. El Hombre, you are certainly entitled to your own opinion but if you expect such consideration do not call my opinion a dead horse or disrespectful. There is no attempt to embarass JDG at all rather it is asking a simple question that I think he needs to answer. He has afterall made several public criticisms of the CSA and Mitchell. I agree with his criticisms yet if you are going to make such public criticisms you must accept that your own behaviour will be scrutinized.

JDG is a highly paid professional athlete. Criticism is part of the parcel of being in such a lucrative profession. When I lived in Germany I heard far more difficult questions being regularly asked to every soccer player not only of the 1st Bundesliga but also of the 4th division team I support. Here after every Montreal Canadiens game I hear players being asked very sensitive questions. Why should JDG or any other of our players be treated with kid gloves?

Firstly, what I said was that you have beat this horse dead, in that this is something that you feel the need to bring up time and time again.

Secondly, if it is something that you think he should answer, then knock yourself silly. Go for it. However, don't pretend that this is something that "As fans of the national team we deserve to hear his explanation of this." It is something you</u> want an explanation for. Again, knock yourself out.

Thirdly, to both you and Loyola, I don't think the players deserve to be treated with kid gloves. However, I prefer to concentrate on what happens on the field. If I thought that going out to a club after a game affected their performance, maybe I'd have an issue with it. If I thought JdG put in a lacklustre performance in Montreal because his mind was preoccupied with the night of partying that was about to ensue, then maybe I'd have an issue with it. If I thought JdG was dragging his ass around in Mexico because he was still hung over from going out 3 nights earlier, then maybe I'd have an issue with it. I don't.

If you want to take him to task, why not ask him if he believes that the qualifying cycle was entirely the CSA's fault or whether the effort on the pitch by the players wasn't what it should've been? Or, does he agree that the players have to shoulder some of the blame for not qualifying like Stalteri mentioned? Or, how can he still be playing the CSA-at-fault card when preparation and CSA player-appeasement was supposedly the best it's been in a long while?

I can't see any reason to bring up minor off-the-field incidents (it's not like anyone got arrested for soliciting a prostitute or anything) other than to try to embarrass him. Why can't you stick to what happened on the field?

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quote:Originally posted by Grizzly

I would say he was decent though still below par against Jamaica. He was very poor in the other two games. If the team is succesful and wins I probably wouldn't care what the players did afterwards either. When they play poorly and don't win I am very concerned about their attitude and preparation for games away from the pitch.

I would agree he was very poor against Honduras in Montreal. After watching him dominate Real, it was really disappointed seeing him essentially take the night off. He needed to be box to box that match and he was too content to pretend he was an attacking mid. What happened after the match is none of business, but I agree it doesn't look too good.

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quote:Originally posted by VPjr

Pretty much agree. I would add that he was clearly a marked man in the WCQ'ers. To the extent that I have never seen so much attention paid to a canadian player by the opposition. You could tell the opposition game plan: "if we stop deguzman, there is no one else that we need worry about".

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quote:Originally posted by Free kick

You said it better than i could have.

Against Jamaica, no matter how closely he was marked, he found a way to make space for himself. He showed a lot of skill in that match.

I agree with YNWA that he pushed forward too much vs. Honduras and there was a massive amount of free space for Honduran forwards and mids to roam much of the 2nd half. However, was that game plan? That is the question I've never heard asked.

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These are my questions. I think from reading posts and talking with other Voyageurs a large number share my concerns though certainly not all. I have no problem with attaching my own name to these questions. I will wait for some comments on them and possibly revise them before sending them in:

You and several other players have made public criticisms of the CSA and national team head coach, Dale Mitchell, in effect blaming them for the poor performance of the team in World Cup Qualifying. Several other players have accepted personal responsibility for the result. For several years you have probably been the Canadian national team's best player yet I was quite disappointed in your performance in the three World Cup games this summer. How much personal responsibility do you take for the poor performance on the pitch and by extension how much personal responsibility should your teammates shoulder?

As the organizer of the Voyageurs section for the game in Montreal including the pre and post game meetings, most of the Voyageurs (many who travelled from accross Canada for the match) were too upset by the loss to show up at the pub following the match. Many of us were dismayed to find out that you attended a party at Club Opera following the same match. Additionally since my father stayed in the same hotel as the Honduran team, I know that they did not celebrate their victory that night and indeed were working out in the hotel gym early the next morning. It is my opinion that this shows a lack of focus, discipline and the correct attitude towards qualifying for the World Cup. We had a game only a few days following and I think the Honduran team had a better approach to preparing for their game. Whether or not this actually affected the result against Mexico, it certainly does not provide good optics for the Canadian fan who has been disappointed time and time again in World Cup qualifying. While I appreciate that the players make sacrifices playing for Canada I think that it is no longer acceptable to simply be happy that they show up. A certain amount of pride and professionalism is required by those putting on the Canada shirt. I also think that someone who is openly criticizing the CSA and the professionalism and leadership of that organization needs to also show more professionalism and leadership himself. I would be interested in your response on this issue.

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Grizzly, I understand and appreciate that you are a senior member of the Voyageurs and that you have personally devoted your time, energy and money to forwarding the cause of Canadian soccer. And while I also appreciate that many Voyageurs may agree with you that the concerns raised in your most recent post are legitimate ones, I really hope you are not seriously suggesting that the contents of your previous post be presented, verbatim, to Julian de Guzman.

I agree with the point that's been made that players should not be treated with "kid gloves", and should have their feet held to the fire in the same way that coaches and the CSA are. But what you've just written sounds as though it is, essentially, blaming JDG for the fact that we didn't quality, and for much of the general disarray in Canadian soccer. While he is a talented player who has voiced his opinions about the CSA, he cannot be personally held to account for the "pride and professionalism [that] is required by those putting on the Canada shirt", other than himself.

Also, no offence intended, but if I'm Julian de Guzman and I read "I was quite disappointed in your performance in the three World Cup games this summer", my response is: "Who are you, and why should I care?" The alternative is to attribute this opinion to the entire Vs organization, but that would in no way be indicative of the group's viewpoint, in my estimation.

Even if you attach your name to the questions, your mention of the Voyageurs does indirectly associate your words with the Canadian supporter base as a whole. And I, personally, am not comfortable being associated (however indirectly) with what essentially comes across as a "j'accuse!" against JDG. Because reading through what you've written, I notice they aren't questions: they're laundry lists of complaints with a "so, what do you think?" thrown in.

Again, Grizzly, I mean no disrespect to you personally and don't mean to suggest that your commitment to this issue is rooted in anything other your sincere concern for the advancement of Canadian soccer. But I personally feel the text you've just laid out -- at this time, and in those words -- is off-base, and I would hope that before sending correspondence of this sort to JDG or any other player, you carefully consider your words and what impact they may have.

I don't mean to get into a prolonged debate over this; I've said my piece. But if you'd like my specific suggestions on how I believe the text could be altered, feel free to contact me.

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quote:Originally posted by squizz

Grizzly, I understand and appreciate that you are a senior member of the Voyageurs and that you have personally devoted your time, energy and money to forwarding the cause of Canadian soccer. And while I also appreciate that many Voyageurs may agree with you that the concerns raised in your most recent post are legitimate ones, I really hope you are not seriously suggesting that the contents of your previous post be presented, verbatim, to Julian de Guzman.

I agree with the point that's been made that players should not be treated with "kid gloves", and should have their feet held to the fire in the same way that coaches and the CSA are. But what you've just written sounds as though it is, essentially, blaming JDG for the fact that we didn't quality, and for much of the general disarray in Canadian soccer. While he is a talented player who has voiced his opinions about the CSA, he cannot be personally held to account for the "pride and professionalism [that] is required by those putting on the Canada shirt", other than himself.

Also, no offence intended, but if I'm Julian de Guzman and I read "I was quite disappointed in your performance in the three World Cup games this summer", my response is: "Who are you, and why should I care?" The alternative is to attribute this opinion to the entire Vs organization, but that would in no way be indicative of the group's viewpoint, in my estimation.

Even if you attach your name to the questions, your mention of the Voyageurs does indirectly associate your words with the Canadian supporter base as a whole. And I, personally, am not comfortable being associated (however indirectly) with what essentially comes across as a "j'accuse!" against JDG. Because reading through what you've written, I notice they aren't questions: they're laundry lists of complaints with a "so, what do you think?" thrown in.

Again, Grizzly, I mean no disrespect to you personally and don't mean to suggest that your commitment to this issue is rooted in anything other your sincere concern for the advancement of Canadian soccer. But I personally feel the text you've just laid out -- at this time, and in those words -- is off-base, and I would hope that before sending correspondence of this sort to JDG or any other player, you carefully consider your words and what impact they may have.

I don't mean to get into a prolonged debate over this; I've said my piece. But if you'd like my specific suggestions on how I believe the text could be altered, feel free to contact me.

I respect your opinion but I strongly disagree with the comment,

quote:I notice they aren't questions: they're laundry lists of complaints with a "so, what do you think?" thrown in.

They are questions with some explanation as to why I think they need to be answered. JDG shares some though not all of the blame for what happened yet so far I have only heard him blame Mitchell and the CSA without any mention of personal responsibility (if you want to see a laundry list of complaints look at his comments). In fact, I think this attitude extended to a large number of our players and was as much a reason for our failure as Mitchell. Yes they are hard questions but they are not in any way disrespectful. It seems that a significant number of Voyageurs does not share my opinion so I will reword that section to take out any mention of the Voyageurs. Certainly, "It's Called Football" is also under no obligation to ask the questions either. However, if they choose not to do so I will probably send them directly to JDG myself. If you have suggestions about how the text should be altered post them on the thread. I will consider any alteration but the feel strongly that the essence of the questions needs to be asked.

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