Monday, April 28, 2008

Objectivity is an illusion

Apparently, it would not only kill some people to say anything positive about LD, but it also slays them if anyone else does.
Email this morning:


Why are you still making excusses for Donovan's poor performance in the 2006 World Cup. I didn't understand why you stood up for him in 2006 and why you continue to do it 2 years later. The fact that you wrote the preface of "Objectively speaking" before you stuck up for Donovan's 2006 debacle, shows your blatant agenda of sticking up for Landon. What relevance does the 2006 World Cup have to do with the Galaxy game this past weekend? Let his play speak for itself and stop being his cheerleader. Here's what he is, a talented player who will continue to tear up MLS and CONCACAF, but is too far out of his comfort zone when he tries to play outside the region, both for club or country! That's it! Final!

27 comments:

Anonymous said...

Andrea gets defensive starting in 5....4...3...

Anonymous said...

Objectively speaking, Donovan is the US all time leading goal scorer. Objectively speaking Donovan has scored in the knock out round of a World Cup in Asia. Asia is kind of far from America isn't it?

Look, maybe the author of the e-mail doesn't like Donovan's hair, goal celebrations or foppish rituals throughout the game, but don't knock his ability to play the game.

A.C. said...

More disappointed than defensive. . .

Anonymous said...

i was taught in j-school that indeed "objectivity" was a complete illusion... you can be fair, but not objective. i would agree with that. saludos, d

Mister Zero said...

Why does the poster feel the need to express this view the day after Donovan's hattrick? ....and didn't Landy score a couple outside his region (Poland) about a month ago?

Landy stirs the people up, no doubt!

playtherapy said...

I'm just pissed Lando's got such a hot wife. Got Becks beat on that one hands down :P

A.C. said...

Yep, Bianca's on Rules of Engagementtonight. The blog always gets a bump in hits on Mondays because her website has a link to us there.

Anonymous said...

Pay the tool no attention. You can put him under "LANDO HATER". Theres about 4,000 of them out there.You Just got to remember ride for the 1,000,000 that Love him.

Lando is our Nations top player, let the dis-likers say what they will. We know what our So-Cal boy can do at any given time. When a man of Beckhams credentials vouches for him, and says" Theres not too many hes played alongside that can match his skill and talent".. That says enough.

Anonymous said...

How old is LD? 25/26? He's a young, very talented, player in a country that has a bad developmental system and people rip on him for not using his skills correctly? What was he suppose to do all those years? People need to get over it. He's amazing. He's not a jerk, he's confident in himself and he's thriving because he now has environment to do so.

Anonymous said...

Catamount said...

I've been a Landon critic not because he fails to be the best American player, but because he has not been able to consistently play to his potential. He appears to be maturing just now. His form in the early stages of MLS has been blinding. As a G's fan, I can say heartily, "Landon Donovan is playing like the million dollars on his contract. He's been worth every penny and more." That's what I'm talking about, the potential so many of us have dreamed about.

Anonymous said...

Donovan is the man when he wants to be. He looked awesome on Saturday night. Unfortunaely, he disappears also.

Bornstein made Beckham look old. I like how everyone's ignoring that.

Dan Haug said...

Being a numbers guy, I'd love to see someone use tempopral stats to compare LD's perfomance to other players in MLS and other leagues. I think we would find that he stacks up pretty darn well.

I think the problem is that:
1. He's honest about his weaknesses
2. He chooses quality of life over professional advancement
3. People have lots of preconceptions about his "potential"

WIth those three things combined, a lot of people look at anything he does and say, "Yeah... but what if..."

He can't compete with that ideal

Anonymous said...

My favorite thing about the angry e-mail that you quote (written, possibly, by the new IHAY8LD e-mail program for OSX/Vista) is that its author insists not only that Donovan has always disappointed but that he WILL always disappoint. Apparently, if one is properly objective, one can foresee the future.

Calexico said...

Donovan is the man when he wants to be. He looked awesome on Saturday night. Unfortunaely, he disappears also.

Bornstein made Beckham look old. I like how everyone's ignoring that.


Beckham made Bornstein look like a schoolboy scampering to see what Beckham was hiding behind his back.

Anonymous said...

yeah Eric Wynalda is so much better than Donovan. No wait Diallo is better than donovan. Steve cohen is a twat

Ben Aranda said...

For the life of me I can not understand why poeple hate Landon Donovan. He is undoublably the best player this country has produced thus far. He put the USMNT on his back in '02 as a 20 year old on the biggest stage in the world. In some countries that would be enough to earn respect for a lifetime. And in 05 he single handedly led the Galaxy to the MLS cup finals. In most footbal cities in the world any player who has accomplished what he has would never have to pay for a drink for the rest of his life.

Mister Zero said...

Did Steven Cohen write the original post...? lol

Joseph D'Hippolito said...

Bornstein made Beckham look old. I like how everyone's ignoring that.

Bornstein is a good defender, period. He didn't make the MLS Best 11 last year for the heck of it. He's not the reason Chivas allowed five goals.

BTW, Guzan has played poorly for three consecutive weeks, now.

Frank Macomber said...

"Bornstein made Beckham look old. I like how everyone's ignoring that."


What are you talking about? A couple of times Beckham looked like Ronaldo out there. I've never really hear people praise Beckham for his fancy dribbling skills...

Anonymous said...

Yeah, Bornstein was so great in that game that....I even forgot he was playing.

Landon is da man!! There are tons more supporters of Donovan out there than haters...but human nature as it is, the haters get most of the press because people feel more compelled to criticize than praise. And that's too bad.

And the complaints and criticisms out there speak more of the complainer and their inadequacies than it does to Donovan.

Keep shutting them up, Landon!! We love you.

Anonymous said...

Andrea,
I caught Landon on the Glenn Davis radio show last night. In response to some questions, he hinted something about maybe having to tone down his on-field temperament - tell him NO!! His fans like it. Screw the whiners that can't handle it. He's playing awesome.

Please pass that message along next time you see him. :)

A.C. said...

I love our blog readers, but I can't really do my job as a reporter if I'm relaying messages from fans. It's the same thing with those who write me, "Please ask {blank player} this for me." I can't really do that - though I do strive to ask good questions that I hope people are curious about.

My suggestion would be to make a big sign about how you feel and hang it up at the next game. The players see that stuff.

CACuzcatlan said...

My beef with Donovan is that he's not consistent. When he's on, I can clearly see why he's the best soccer player our country has produced. But there are games where he just disappears. When people say he doesn't live up to his potential I don't think they are talking about Landon getting better than his best days, I think they mean that he doesn't play his best all the time.

Dan Haug said...

You know... People continually claim that LD's weakness is his consistency, but I've been watching him pretty regularly since 2005, and I don't remember him taking any games off.

He has had bad games, but every player does that. I think this "onconsistency" thing is a myth that has been perpetuated simply because LD talks openly about how that is one of the things that he's always working on. I think the fact that after every game he says, "I could have done better." is interpreted as "I wasn't trying" insteas of, "I'm never satisfied with my performance."

Anonymous said...

Taunting and disrespect should not be tolerated! MLS should have the balls to fine/suspend LD for this type of behavior 2 games in a row.

He should let his actions on the field speak for him (which at the current moment is ***and I hate to say this*** really well).

Would you want your kid to learn to stand over another player and scream at him, or have one of your kids go to the opposing bench to taunt the other team??? So why do we allow it, because he scored a bunch of goals.

Well, then I guess Zidane shouldn't have been given a red car, eh?!?

Anonymous said...

According to rule 12 as posted on the MLS website for rules of the game (I have deleted the ones that are not applicable):

Cautionable Offenses

The seven offenses that are likely to precipitate a caution include, but are not limited to, those listed below:

* Unsporting behavior
* Dissent by word and/or action

Sending-Off Offenses

A player may be shown the red card if he is guilty of any of the following:

* Violent conduct
* Spitting at an opponent or any other person
* Using offensive or insulting or abusive language and/or gestures
* Receiving a second caution in the same match

**********************************
LD had one yellow card for handling the ball in the first 15 min of game?
Talking "smack" to the opposing bench, in my mind, would be considered unsporting behavior. Celebrating in front of supporters or opposing fans (as long as rude gestures like grabbing your crotch or flipping the bird) is fair game.

A.C. said...

Smack?
Landon didn't say anything to the opposing bench until he tried to apologize and explain his celebration was directed toward his friends and family in the box seats above and behind the Chivas USA bench.

Of course, it's really Landon's fault for not scoring all his goals in the first half. When he does that, he runs by the Galaxy bench to gesture up to them.