Hello everyone. It has been a while since I've posted but now that spring has come and Mike and I are playing again, you can expect some more posts. So Let's start with this one, eh?
Both Mike and I have been soccer referees for quite a long time. Over 10 years of experience for me and likely close to 7 or 8 years for Mike. One thing we can both agree on this that referees just get no respect (cue Rodney Dangerfield). As noted in this article by Norman Hubbard, even professional referees get blamed for Premier League team failings. The disrespect that many managers at this level show referees is transferred to lower levels of soccer, all the way down to youth soccer here in America.
As I've said before coaches and players have a sense of entitlement that they cannot do wrong and that the other team always fouls them unfairly. Teams often believe the referee is out to make their team lose. I've personally heard these, "He doesn't know what he is doing out there" (once again, years of experience) or "He must be from the city/town of the other team" (at out of state tournaments). When you hear lines like that, it becomes hard to take real, constructive criticism which is what many referees need because let's face it, none of us are perfect and we learn from our mistakes.
We wonder why we don't have experienced referees in the ranks anymore here in America. Well you need to be mentally tough to be neutral, because you are going to get grief from all sides. So next time you watch or play, remember that the referee is human too and deserves your respect (even if he/she is honestly bad, there are some out there who are). I know I will.
Showing posts with label Barclay's Premier League. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Barclay's Premier League. Show all posts
Thursday, April 12, 2012
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Holy Crap! It's Been A While!
Hey folks! I know it's been a while since either one of us has written anything on our blog and you all probably considered it dead. But fear not! We are back, ready to bring you more on the beautiful game!
Tonight, I am reacting to a couple articles I have read on the ESPNSoccernet. The first is an article that broke the news that some "foreign owners" want to end relegation. I say foreign owners because I believe there are undoubtedly some English owners who want their investments safe (even if they won't openly admit it). The second was an article which talked about what we all thought, which is WTF?
Mike and I discussed that relegation is what brings so much appeal to some us Americans about English soccer. The thought that a team in a division 10 leagues below the Premier league could, someday, be playing on the Premier stage. That the teams we like to follow could be relegated if they have a poor season (Newcastle for example which was in the Championship 2 years ago). It brings some excitement because all teams have something to play for. Either it winning the regular season crown or avoiding being humiliated and dropped down a league. What do our losers have to look forward to here in America? The #1 draft pick? Oh boy. In which case, fans actually root for their team to lose.
Wouldn't it be cool to have our soccer system set up like the English system? Here is a breakdown of the American soccer pyramid. Of course as another blog points out, it's missing one key item about being a pyramid. There is no upward or downward movement. So all the teams are bookmarked into their divisions with no chance of moving up or down.
Imagine how much fun it would be to be a fan of, for example, the Harrisburg City Islanders if there were relegation and promotion. They are a team that plays in the USL Professional Division (formerly USL-1). They are quite competitive, having won their respective league (USL-2) in 2007, came in second this year in the new USL Pro, and have beat 3 different MLS teams when they have gotten the chance during the U.S. Gold Cup. Heck, even the former Milwaukee Rampage beat the Chicago Fire.
Point is, these teams can play with the big boys, given the chance. But it will never happen. American professional sports teams are franchises where investors don't want to have anything unpredictable happen and therefore, lose money. It's unfortunate but it shows what really drives American sports. Money.
That's it tonight. Stay tuned for a review of the game Mike and I had pre-ordered and are currently obsessing over currently, FIFA 12. Oh and check out the new poll!
Tonight, I am reacting to a couple articles I have read on the ESPNSoccernet. The first is an article that broke the news that some "foreign owners" want to end relegation. I say foreign owners because I believe there are undoubtedly some English owners who want their investments safe (even if they won't openly admit it). The second was an article which talked about what we all thought, which is WTF?
Mike and I discussed that relegation is what brings so much appeal to some us Americans about English soccer. The thought that a team in a division 10 leagues below the Premier league could, someday, be playing on the Premier stage. That the teams we like to follow could be relegated if they have a poor season (Newcastle for example which was in the Championship 2 years ago). It brings some excitement because all teams have something to play for. Either it winning the regular season crown or avoiding being humiliated and dropped down a league. What do our losers have to look forward to here in America? The #1 draft pick? Oh boy. In which case, fans actually root for their team to lose.
Wouldn't it be cool to have our soccer system set up like the English system? Here is a breakdown of the American soccer pyramid. Of course as another blog points out, it's missing one key item about being a pyramid. There is no upward or downward movement. So all the teams are bookmarked into their divisions with no chance of moving up or down.
Imagine how much fun it would be to be a fan of, for example, the Harrisburg City Islanders if there were relegation and promotion. They are a team that plays in the USL Professional Division (formerly USL-1). They are quite competitive, having won their respective league (USL-2) in 2007, came in second this year in the new USL Pro, and have beat 3 different MLS teams when they have gotten the chance during the U.S. Gold Cup. Heck, even the former Milwaukee Rampage beat the Chicago Fire.
Point is, these teams can play with the big boys, given the chance. But it will never happen. American professional sports teams are franchises where investors don't want to have anything unpredictable happen and therefore, lose money. It's unfortunate but it shows what really drives American sports. Money.
That's it tonight. Stay tuned for a review of the game Mike and I had pre-ordered and are currently obsessing over currently, FIFA 12. Oh and check out the new poll!
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