Author Archive for Jamie Clary
This Davies Situation Doesn’t Come Close To The Harkes Controversy Of Sex, Books And Videotape
Sucks for Charlie Davies. In a week it will be yesterday’s news. By comparison, the John Harkes controversy lasted 12 years. In early 1996, U.S. Coach Steve Sampson told Harkes that Harkes would be the captain of the men’s national team. Harkes was a stud back then, having earned trophies in England, and playing well [...]
Rote Jr. Deserving of Hall Of Fame Nod
Kyle Rote Jr. is headed to the hall of fame, but not the one his dad had hoped for. Kyle’s dad was an All-American half-back, playing American football for Southern Methodist University. He was the NFL’s first overall draft pick, chosen by the New York Giants, in 1951. He went on to play 11 seasons [...]
The Open Cup Versus MLS
In our odd little soccer universe here in the States, we have this, ahem, little situation—the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup versus MLS. They’re like North and South Korea, Everton and Liverpool, Paul Gardner’s columns and logic. They co-exist while presenting challenges to the other. The challenges appear every year at this time when MLS [...]
1996 Seems So Long Ago
With the players and owners in agreement and the 15th MLS season upon us, complacency is coming at soccer fans like an unskilled, college defender. Let us remember that we have not always had this level of soccer in the U.S., and it wasn’t easy getting here. There were some extremely dark days. The lights [...]
MLS Owners Won’t Make Concessions
One reason Parker Brothers never made a “celebrity deaths” version of Trivial Pursuit is because all the answers are plane crash or drug overdose. A “soccer league deaths” version would have just as many answers: overspending or inadequate revenues. MLS players deserve guaranteed contracts and more pay, but I don’t see the owners giving in. [...]
U.S. versus Qatar: The Battle for 2022
Steve Martin once did a bit on Saturday Night Live where his single Christmas wish was world peace. When he considered additional wishes, world peace withered in importance. He added money, power and a 31-day orgasm. FIFA is like that when it looks to decide where World Cups should be played. Putting aside those images [...]
Don’t Count On NFLPA For CBA Help
Just a year after MLS started, the players association of the NFL stepped in to help the MLS players. Where is that help today as the MLS players’ collective bargaining agreement with the league nears expiration? In reality, the NFL players weren’t looking out for anybody but themselves in 1997. And don’t expect them to get [...]
…NASL, History Repeating
When you create a new national professional soccer league, there are only so many names available for your invention. You have to describe the geography with terms like national or North America, or U.S. You have to include the term soccer. And you have to use a collective noun like association, or league. Then you [...]
