1. Rants
As we've discussed on the blog before, Toronto FC head coach John Carver blows up at reporters from time to time.
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| STAR PHOTO |
| Excited Carver. |
I didn't think it was that bad, even when Carver directed his frustration at me.
And Friday we received another reminder that the relationship between coaches and the media can become much more tense than it will ever be on the TFC beat.
This latest manager-media meltdown comes from Carver's old club, Newcastle United, where new manager Joe Kinnear engaged in a lively, profane sparring session with local reporters, who he suspects are already trying to get him fired.
Before I post the link, understand that it includes a slew of swear words. They're all bleeped out, but I figured our more squeamish readers would appreciate the warning.
Anyway, here it is, via this reporter's favourite sports blog, The Big Lead.
On my all time list of anti-media rants it ranks way above the jabs Carver threw at local reporters this summer, one because nobody (including Carver) took that rant personally, while listening to Kinnear you get the sense that he's half a second away from doing something he'll regret.
And second, Kinnear's rant includes both f-bombs and threats of a lawsuit.
Make that three lawsuits.
That's not just a coach blowing off steam. The man has a grudge and he intends to see it through.
Still, it rises no higher than third on my all-time list of coach-versus-reporter tirades.
Silver medal goes to former Kansas City Royals manager Hal McRae, who tosses f-bombs and telephones with equal ease in this tantrum, touched off when a reporter had the nerve to ask if he had considered using George Brett as a pinch-hitter.
And gold goes to Oklahoma State football coach Mike Gundy's post-game lambasting of a local columnist last autumn.
Not only does Gundy utter one of they year's most quotable one-liners -- "I'm a man! I'm 40!" -- but he points out (correctly) that editors are as responsible as reporters are for what hits the paper. Now, I've never read the column in question, so I'm not sure if Gundy has a legitimate beef about bad journalism or if he simply doesn't like the story. But I give him credit for knowing at least a little about how newspapers work. Kinnear, in contrast, rips a reporter over an offensive headline.
*Note to readers: reporters don't write headlines. Copy editors do.
More than anything, though, Gundy outpaces McRae and Kinnear because he delivers a three-minute tirade without swearing once.
That, folks, takes skill.
2. Back to MLS
Earlier this season we discussed the MLS salary cap, and how teams like Toronto FC could win more games for less money if they emulated teams like New England and got some production out of the guys at the bottom of the pay scale.
This week SI.com's Greg Lalas offers his take on Major League Soccer's salary structure.
His argument?
That expanding the salary cap raises the league's level of play, not by allowing them to sign more superstars, but by enabling them to sign high-quality mid-level (American) players who normally bypass MLS for other leagues.
3. This Just In
Just about to spell check and post this entry when an email arrives from the Canadian Soccer Association, detailing its roster for the next two World Cup Qualifiers (Oct. 11 in Honduras and Oct. 15 against Mexico in Edmonton).
If you clicked the link you picked it up, but if you didn't I'll inform you that John Carver will have a little less to complain about this time around, because neither Jim Brennan nor Greg Sutton was named to the national team roster.
The national team is not completely TFC-free, with midfielder Kevin Harmse getting the call, but I'm sure Carver would rather lose one backup than two starters.
With Pat Onstad also left off the roster and Adrian Serioux and Dwayne De Rosario sidelined because of yellow cards, Harmse is the only MLS player with a chance to play for Canada next week.
-- Morgan Campbell
I'd say the reporters have a case for slander if they're male, since they obviously aren't . I'd love to see someone sue Kinnear on that. He's giving Brits a bad name, we're not all like that!
Posted by: Tabber | October 04, 2008 at 05:28 PM