USSoccer

A combination of a bad defensive reputation and a suspect attitude (not my feelings, just a hunch based on baseball cliche-driven GM's) is probably partly to blame. Also, he just hasn't been that productive for us this season.

Or in Aramis' case, he seems to have a bad day 75% of the time. He looks bad doing it. Losing looks bad in itself, loosing and not putting for the appropriate effort looks even worse. Thanks for classifying the discussion as juvenile, silly, and pointless. Didn't know you were the authority on that. Agree or disagree, and stats the reasoning. Its silly, juvenile, and pointless to tell someone their argument is the same. You are saying he loafs it 75% of the time? Wow. We have our 2006 scapegoat, folks.

Sosa's getting knocked of because he was on the roids, which IMO is deserved. As for Santo, I could name quite a few other players more deserving. Sosa's name has never been linked to any investigation. He never failed a drug test. To suspect him is perfectly reasonable given his numbers in an offensively inflated era, but to conclude he was on performance enhancing drugs with nothing more than circumstantial evidence such as photos is a little harsh. You wouldn't punish Santo or Sandberg for being on greenies (as they likely were), right? It's reflective of the era.

How is what he said in the least bit offensive??? Were you offended? Did it make you sad? Did it make you cry? People really need to get off the whole politicly correct kick and grow up!!! Anything and everything is offensive anymore. I am courious if you have ever said; "that is gay", or "dont be gay", or "so and so is gay". If not then I would say you are big time in the minority. Hell, my wife has a gay uncle who says stuff like that, so is he a bigot? Now if I was to say something outrageous like "I think all Gay people should die and go to hell like they deserve" then that would be offensive and I would be a biggot....but for just saying Jay Mariotti is gay, come on now :roll: You are really stretching it to say he thinks of all gay people as lesser men in that context, its a commonly used phrase to insult or put someone down. Sorry for the rant, but I just cant stand all these PC people. "[expletive]" is a slur, plain and simple. He could have used countless other terms to demean his manhood that had nothing to do with sexual orientation. It offended me. Your wife's gay uncle is using the word to take ownership of a derogatory term and thereby lessen it's impact . Whether or not, that's appropriate is hugely debately in that community much in the same way blacks debate the use of the word "[expletive]". Vance is a grown seemingly intelligent man and I doubt he uses the term "gay" in the context you asked. I know when I was in Jr. High I used the phrase and it was nothing less than bigoted and ignorant even though I didn't wish harm to an actual gay person. Using that term that way implies that there is something negative to being gay, once I matured and realized this, I stopped using it and embarassed by my immature actions. Again, QFT. It makes me proud to be part of an online community where people don't tolerate hate.

QFT. I guess we're just too PC for his tastes.

Which makes me wonder if there's more to this suspension than we know. About the only thing I can think of is that he may have had it out with his editors about them not backing him, and crossed the line with his boss. Even that seems odd, though. He's been there long enough to where he should have some latitude, and then there's the matter of him being dead on correct on the paper's response. So yeah, there has to be some other reason than the TV thing.

What was it he said about Mariotti again? Isolated incident, probably. Wait, was there something about Magglio? Probably just twice. Huh? ARod and Nomar too? If you think Ozzie was insinuating that Jay was gay, you are mistaken. This subject has been beaten to death, so I find it hard to believe people still think Ozzie was calling him gay. It's a word people use nowadays. It doesn't even mean gay anymore. The people who were the LEAST offended by this was the gay community. Players, coaches, and White Sox fans all love the guy. It's the fans of every other team that seem to hate him. Must be ring envy. Go figure. You gotta love people trying to justify bigotry and hate speech based on fandom. :^o

The column is about how Steve Dahl's son was a co-founder of an anti-Mariotti website. My understanding is that Jay is on an "eight week time out". I dont' think this would have happened had he not lashed out at his employer on TV. Who knows...he may never be back. Mariotti had every right to rip his editors for not backing him up. For them to possibly have put him on an extended leave for calling that out is really, really wrong. Whatever his personal and professional flaws (and he has tons of professional ones), he deserved to have the backing of his editors when it comes to a manager of a professional team using hateful slurs to deride him.

You've got to be kidding me. Augie Ojeda should never be on a big league roster again. He defines mediocrity-in fact, he's worse than mediocre. Please tell me you're kidding. It's the sole reason that he is so far below average that he's wonderful. Have you no sentimentality? I don't have any sentimentality for him. I'm saving my sentimentality for a championship team. Augie Ojeda will never, ever be a part of a World Series winning team. He's a waste of a roster spot. The fact that this organization keeps players like Augie Ojeda around is an indictment of their judgement, and the fact that fans reflect fondly on his time here, and wish his return-even in September of a lost season-reflects on how misdirected the energies and focuses of the fanbase actually is.

You've got to be kidding me. Augie Ojeda should never be on a big league roster again. He defines mediocrity-in fact, he's worse than mediocre. Please tell me you're kidding.

Most of the intangibles you lised are useless. He can't steal bases unless he's on base, and he has trouble getting on base consistently, which means he's a terrible lead off option. If we had a manager that would bat him 7 or 8, I could see it, since he's not awful, but he's not the kind of player you want ahead of Ramirez, Lee and Barrett.

At least its good trash, not like the US team. Say what now? :|

Different products from each of the 3 I'd guess. Shoes from Nike, Futbols from Adidas, and apparel from Puma. That's just a guess. All 3 have a vested interest in soccer's success in the US. It's the last relatively untapped market for soccer in the world, and if the USMNT has success, they would reap the benefits.

And at the end of 2006, Klinsmann will be just about done with his 6 month break. :D Credit must be given to Arena. He has had a fantastic career at every level of soccer in the US. That said, I welcome the change. Who or what funds US soccer? Do the MLS owners invest in it? Does a private benefactor provide the resources? Is revenue strictly based on earnings from tickets sold to games and bonues for qualifying for the WC? Are their just a bunch of dirty commies who want to ruin our country by infiltrating our sports world with this depressing sport? :P Ok, Senator Kemp. :P That speech of his on the Senate floor is hilarious to read after all this time. I think the USSF gets the majority of their operating monies from Nike, Adidas and Puma. The rest comes from other sponsorships, and then would come ticket and merchandise sales. I don't think MLS would pay into USSF. I'd bet if anything it was the other way around. And, of course, I'm assuming that you mean US Soccer the entity rather than USSoccer the poster. Unfortunatly, Nike, Adidas and Puma do not fund me. :D

And at the end of 2006, Klinsmann will be just about done with his 6 month break. :D Credit must be given to Arena. He has had a fantastic career at every level of soccer in the US. That said, I welcome the change.

If there was any doubt left that Hendry is the right man for the job this radio interview surely has to be the final nail in that coffin. He truly has no idea how to put together a consistently winning team. And I just knew more people would ask about Ramirez's hustle than anything else. That speaks really poorly about that part of the fanbase.

Who cares. Do you really think that even if we aquire a good prospect that we'll do anything with him? Anything to keep Pierre from being here beyond this year. Seriously, though, my Cubs pessimism has reached it's apex. Nothing this team does will matter unless the decision makers are replaced. Keep Pierre? We suck. Bring up Pie? Clines and Mathews will wreck him like wings at a fat guy convention. Trade for prospects? Dusty won't play them enough to develop. It literally does not matter what moves they make; we're screwed any way you slice it. It comes down to making the least destructive moves, which is flat out pathetic for a major market team with our fanbase.

I think Walker might make less than Neifi. How sad is that?

He sounds like an NFL GM.

Who cares. Do you really think that even if we aquire a good prospect that we'll do anything with him?

Tell me you made that up. Tell me he did not say that. Word for word. Kill me. He does realize that one of the principle ways other teams get on base against us is via the walk, right? or does he not realize that 4 balls= 1st base is in the rule book?

Tell me you made that up. Tell me he did not say that.

I wonder if his "expiring contracts" thing applies to Aramis. Can anyone tell me what he said about the Aramis thing?

You forgot the inevitable "Why haven't you guys sat down Ramirez for not sprinting to 1B on an infield popup" question that will lead Hendry to think the fans hate him, and then go about trading him for prospects that we'll wreck before they can be developed, thus creating another gaping hole in our lineup that he's incapable of filling properly. You also forgot "What is Kerry Wood's future with the Chicago Cubs?" and "What is wrong with Mark Prior?" You might see a "Why is Glendon Rusch starting in place of Guzman/Hill?"

He won't be asked anything substantive. In fact, I guarantee he gets more questions about Ramirez's lack of "heart" and Wood and Prior's injuries than he gets about his and Baker's performance.