It seems like Jesus Padilla keeps modifying his history. First he was born in Mexico, but raised almost entirely in the U.S., then he accepted that he was born in the U.S., but maintained that it was only for a little while, saying he was basically raised in Mexico. Now it's a combination. Try to keep track of it all.
Luis Arroyave talked to Jesus about his reaction to Luis Bueno and I revealing the truth (Arroyave doesn't specifically mention it, but it was us who broke that story) about Jesus' birthplace and American heritage.
I thought about this recently in the context of the Olympic games, given the controversy over the real ages of some of the Chinese gymnasts. Basically, I'm somewhat fascinated at how indignant people can be about the truth coming to light.
We worked on that story without ever having met Padilla - we were basically following a hunch and tracking down documentation. That's unusual for me, because almost everything I write is based on talking to the players involved. We tried more than once to set up an interview with Padilla, but Guadalajara put us off repeatedly.
Perhaps the acceptance of Padilla - acceptance Gerardo Mascerano didn't get in his time - signals a broader move on the part of Mexico and the fans of their national team as well. After all, they have a European coach now and more foreign-born players on the squad than before.
Showing posts with label Padilla. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Padilla. Show all posts
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Sangre americana preview: Padilla
San Jose, Calif., native Jesus Padilla had a once-promising career at some point. But now, he seems firmly entrenched in the second division. That much was evident last season when he spent all but a brief moment of his time with Tapatio.
How much has changed entering the Apertura 2008 season? Not a whole lot.
Padilla played in Chivas' preseason match against FC Dallas but by the end of SuperLiga was back on Guadalajara preparing for the start of Tapatio's Primera A campaign. A goal scorer by trade, Padilla is in fact fulfilling that role for Tapatio. He scored a goal in Tapatio's first match of the Primera A season.
Yet the team has apparently chosen to go in a different direction. With the loss of Omar Bravo to Deportivo la Coruna in the offseason, Chivas had a big hole to fill up top but Padilla's opportunity to fill that role was brief. Omar Arellano will likely get more playing time in Bravo's absence.
Continued success with Tapatio may or may not open doors for Padilla. A season ago, Padilla was able to play in two league games as well as two Copa Libertadores matches. Perhaps if injury or international duty takes some players away, Padilla may find his place on the first team. Otherwise, it could be more of second-division soccer for Padilla.
Friday, April 18, 2008
Chihuahua... California.... what's the difference?
I keep tabs on seven Americans who ply their trade in Mexico but there are more within the youth ranks of Mexican clubs. It's difficult to find information on them and sometimes it's just a matter of scrolling through rosters and mining for gold. But one player who I know is down there is Carlos Borja. It's not a secret really, as Mural wrote about him soon after the story of Jesus Padilla's actual birthplace came out.
So I searched for Borja's bio on the Mexican federation web site and, after some extensive seraching, found it. I was surprised to see the birthplace that accompanied Borja's bio.
Although no one is contesting Borja's American birth - he was born in Orange, Calif. - it seems that somehow his birthplace was still an issue to somebody.
Unlike Padilla, Borja has not denied his American birth as far as I know. The good folks down with Mural uncovered Borja's information without our help. I was talking to one of their editors the day after the Padilla news broke and he asked me if I'd ever heard of Carlos Borja.
Now, I'm not going to speculate about why Borja's birthplace shows up as Chihuahua, Chihuahua. Who knows what sort of paperwork was used to register him with the federation. Padilla's paperwork was never made public to my knowledge and since he's pretty much out of sight at this point few people would probably care to find that out right now. But somewhere along the line some misinformation was given with regards to Borja.
Who knows? Maybe I'm the only one who cares about Borja's bio. No one may care about a Chivas San Rafael player's birthplace. Even still, thought I'd just present this to our readers so everyone make their own conclusions about this.
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Brothers and Sisters
Missed this when it first came out a few days ago. Mexican-Americans Jesus and Carmen Padilla had a little family reunion in Juarez.
Translation: Both chose a path in soccer, Jesús as well as Carmen Padilla, and now they’re together again in
It was an emotional meeting as the siblings Padilla spoke of what it means to play soccer. Carmen, the only daughter in the Padilla family (actually, the article has this backwards – Jesus is the only son in the family, while the rest are girls) testifies: “My brother inspired me to play soccer and now it’s the activity that means everything to me. I admire Jesus a lot, how he’s grown bit by bit with Chivas.”
In the morning, both will have important matches, and they are supporting each other to achieve a positive result. “It’s a small world and this weekend the two of us are in
For his part, the Red-and-White forward expressed pride in what his sister has accomplished. “Since she was little, she played soccer. I am very proud of her, because this tournament is very important for
This weekend on the field, the siblings Padilla will try to leave everything on the field in search of one objective – triumph for their respective teams.
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Message board chat
The Jesus Padilla issue is being discussed in various message boards about soccer. I highlighted this one because most of the posters seemed to be able to make their points intelligently, without namecalling.
One, posting as Dr. Chiva, had an interesting point.
Padilla es mexicano, solo por el hecho de que sus padres son mexicanos. O sea, yo no discuto si Padilla es o no mexicano, discuto que NO puede jugar en Chivas porque NO NACIÓ EN MÉXICO... eso es todo. Francamente, y para ponerlo en términos más entendibles... me vale si es mexicano, si se sente mexicano, si sus padres son mexicanos, si es más mexicano que los nopales, etc... si NO NACIÓ EN MÉXICO, NO TENDRÍA DERECHO DE JUGAR EN CHIVAS... no importa que descienda de Moctezuma Xocoyotzin, si no nació en México, no tiene porque jugar en Chivas. Es verdad, es muy mamón de mi parte decirlo, pero es la tradición. PUNTO.
Padilla is Mexican, for his dad is Mexican. I'm not arguing whether or not he's Mexican, I'm arguing that he can't play with Chivas because he wasn't born in Mexico - that's it. Frankly, and to make it clear, I don't care if he's Mexican, if he feels Mexican, if his parents are Mexican, if he's more Mexican than cactus, if he wasn't born in Mexico, he doesn't have the right to play on Chivas. It doesn't matter if he's descended from Moctezuma Xocoyotzin, if he wasn't born in Mexico, he's not supposed to play with Chivas. That's the truth, it may bother those to hear it, but that's the tradition. Period.
One, posting as Dr. Chiva, had an interesting point.
Padilla es mexicano, solo por el hecho de que sus padres son mexicanos. O sea, yo no discuto si Padilla es o no mexicano, discuto que NO puede jugar en Chivas porque NO NACIÓ EN MÉXICO... eso es todo. Francamente, y para ponerlo en términos más entendibles... me vale si es mexicano, si se sente mexicano, si sus padres son mexicanos, si es más mexicano que los nopales, etc... si NO NACIÓ EN MÉXICO, NO TENDRÍA DERECHO DE JUGAR EN CHIVAS... no importa que descienda de Moctezuma Xocoyotzin, si no nació en México, no tiene porque jugar en Chivas. Es verdad, es muy mamón de mi parte decirlo, pero es la tradición. PUNTO.
Padilla is Mexican, for his dad is Mexican. I'm not arguing whether or not he's Mexican, I'm arguing that he can't play with Chivas because he wasn't born in Mexico - that's it. Frankly, and to make it clear, I don't care if he's Mexican, if he feels Mexican, if his parents are Mexican, if he's more Mexican than cactus, if he wasn't born in Mexico, he doesn't have the right to play on Chivas. It doesn't matter if he's descended from Moctezuma Xocoyotzin, if he wasn't born in Mexico, he's not supposed to play with Chivas. That's the truth, it may bother those to hear it, but that's the tradition. Period.
Monday, February 25, 2008
Mi nombre lo dice
This cartoon is having a little fun at the fact that Jesus Padilla's nickname is "Gringo".
The goat is accusatory: "You were born 'gringo'! Do you have any other surprises?"
Jesus responds, "No, but you should check to see if 'Guacho' Avila is really Argentine."
He's also holding the paper declaring he was born in the U.S.
The goat is accusatory: "You were born 'gringo'! Do you have any other surprises?"
Jesus responds, "No, but you should check to see if 'Guacho' Avila is really Argentine."
He's also holding the paper declaring he was born in the U.S.
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Chivas' own website tells a different story
Than the one Nestor de la Torre and Jesus Padilla are now spinning about Jesus only having spent ten days in the U.S. Back when people still thought that Jesus was born in Mexico, the club wrote up a little article on their website about him turning down the invite to play with the US U20 team.
Here's how they told his story then.
Here's how they told his story then.
Jesús Padilla nació en San José de lo Reynoso, municipio de San Miguel el Alto Jalisco, y a los dos años se fue a radicar a la Unión Americana, donde estudió toda su primaria y secundaria y desde los catorce años está en Fuerzas Básicas de Chivas.
La familia de Padilla Cisneros vive en San José, California.
Padilla's in San Jose
Mention of article (now archived) that details how Jesus Padilla grew up in San Jose.
Article on sister Carmen, and how she grew up in San Jose.
Article on little sisters Marisol and Maricela playing in local San Jose soccer leagues.
There's not going to be a ton of info on Jesus himself in San Jose, because he joined the youth team of Guadalajara at 14. He was spotted at the Copa Chivas tournament by their scouts. At the time, he was playing for a club team from San Jose.
Article on sister Carmen, and how she grew up in San Jose.
Article on little sisters Marisol and Maricela playing in local San Jose soccer leagues.
There's not going to be a ton of info on Jesus himself in San Jose, because he joined the youth team of Guadalajara at 14. He was spotted at the Copa Chivas tournament by their scouts. At the time, he was playing for a club team from San Jose.
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Padilla video
Announcer: Jesus Padilla, of Chivas Guadalajara, was born in California, and that provoked controversy because of the team’s tradition to play with only Mexicans. Padilla declared that he is 100 percent Mexican, that he was born in California due to familial necessity, but returned to Jalisco within ten days. The information was first published by Sports Illustrated. Chivas considers Padilla 100 percent Mexican, and the case closed.
Jesus: “Within ten days I came to San Jose de Reynoso, with my parents, who were over there working, but I’ve lived the rest of my life here in Mexico. I couldn’t be born there in the living room, I had to go to the hospital, so that’s why there’s a birth certificate (in California). But I’m Mexican, I feel Mexican, and that’s the truth.
Voice over: Jesus Padilla is the fifth U.S. player in Chivas history to play for the team. The first was Wintilio Lozano, who was born in Gerome, Arizona and played eight seasons with the club. The most recent was Gerardo Mascareno, who played 10 games with the club in the summer of 1998.
(ESPNDeportes had the original Padilla story, where he said his mother was American and that the family moved to San Jose, California when he was two years old. He also mentioned all his little sisters were born in San Jose)
Friday, February 22, 2008
Prophetic Emperor
I don't think Claudio Suarez knew exactly what had gone on with his former Chivas USA teammate, Carlos Borja, but I find his answer to a question I had for him a bit prophetic.
Do you think the
Change in policy
It seems Jesus Padilla and Carlos Borja are part of a possible new wave of Chivas de Guadalajara players.
The club, which had an unwritten rule about using only "Mexicans born in Mexico" prior to this week, has now aligned itself with the Mexican constitution, which states that any child born to Mexican natives regardless of the actual birthplace is considered Mexican. Under the Mexican constitution, Padilla, Borja and yours truly are all in the same boat.
Before this week, though, Chivas' tradition trumped the Mexican constitution. But according to Cancha, the club has now had an apparent policy shift and will cast their nets toward a wider, possibly lucrative talent pool, the Mexican-American pool.
Chivas put out a release on Thursday, and Cancha published this part of it, which I have translated:
The Constitution establishes that Mexican citizenship is inviolable, that there is no manner in which a Mexican by birth can be deprived of it. Thus, Jesus Andres Padilla Cisneros fits this profile and forms part of this institution.
Previously, the club adhered to an unwritten law which dates back to the early 1940s, when then-club president Ignacio Lopez Hernandez wrote in a letter that the club would henceforth accept only "Mexicans born in Mexico" and shut the door completely on foreign-born players.
Since then, a handful of players not born in Mexico have played for the club, the latest of which was Jesus Padilla.
Now, the "Mexicans born in Mexico" policy is seemingly in the past. Many viewed this as a racist and exclusionary policy while others saw no harm in it. As society on both sides of the border is vastly different now than it was six decades ago, the club has realigned its policies as such.
Should this policy stick, it could have a huge ripple affect on soccer in the United States. More American-born players could set their sights on playing in Mexico now that one of the country's most popular clubs no longer will shut them out. This will only increase the competition between MLS and U.S. Soccer and even within other FMF clubs, several of whom already count on Mexican-American players.
It will be interesting to see what the fallout of this supposed policy shift will be, if the hardcore Chivas fans will accept it or not. My guess is that U.S.-based Chivas fans will be more sympathetic towards Padilla and the new policy while more Mexico-based Chivas fans will not be so easily swayed. Traditions, after all, are difficult to change sometimes.
The club, which had an unwritten rule about using only "Mexicans born in Mexico" prior to this week, has now aligned itself with the Mexican constitution, which states that any child born to Mexican natives regardless of the actual birthplace is considered Mexican. Under the Mexican constitution, Padilla, Borja and yours truly are all in the same boat.
Before this week, though, Chivas' tradition trumped the Mexican constitution. But according to Cancha, the club has now had an apparent policy shift and will cast their nets toward a wider, possibly lucrative talent pool, the Mexican-American pool.
Chivas put out a release on Thursday, and Cancha published this part of it, which I have translated:
The Constitution establishes that Mexican citizenship is inviolable, that there is no manner in which a Mexican by birth can be deprived of it. Thus, Jesus Andres Padilla Cisneros fits this profile and forms part of this institution.
Previously, the club adhered to an unwritten law which dates back to the early 1940s, when then-club president Ignacio Lopez Hernandez wrote in a letter that the club would henceforth accept only "Mexicans born in Mexico" and shut the door completely on foreign-born players.
Since then, a handful of players not born in Mexico have played for the club, the latest of which was Jesus Padilla.
Now, the "Mexicans born in Mexico" policy is seemingly in the past. Many viewed this as a racist and exclusionary policy while others saw no harm in it. As society on both sides of the border is vastly different now than it was six decades ago, the club has realigned its policies as such.
Should this policy stick, it could have a huge ripple affect on soccer in the United States. More American-born players could set their sights on playing in Mexico now that one of the country's most popular clubs no longer will shut them out. This will only increase the competition between MLS and U.S. Soccer and even within other FMF clubs, several of whom already count on Mexican-American players.
It will be interesting to see what the fallout of this supposed policy shift will be, if the hardcore Chivas fans will accept it or not. My guess is that U.S.-based Chivas fans will be more sympathetic towards Padilla and the new policy while more Mexico-based Chivas fans will not be so easily swayed. Traditions, after all, are difficult to change sometimes.
Borja in Guadalajara
Jesus Padilla is not the only American-born player within Chivas Guadalajara's ranks.
Mexican daily Mural published a story in their sports section Cancha on Friday about Carlos Borja, who spent last season with Chivas USA. Again, I'd post a link but mural.com is a pay site which I just recently got access to. But I don't think they'd mind if I posted some of the highlights here.
Borja was born in Orange and went to Loara High in Anaheim. He also spent time at Bradenton in the U.S. Under-17 Residency Program. Borja was signed by Chivas USA to a developmental program last year and joined the club from their Under-19 team.
Between the end of last year and the beginning of this year, he vanished. We never heard anything about his whereabouts and assumed he just pursued other options elsewhere.
His path led him to Guadalajara, apparently. He is with Tapatio, Chivas' Primera A (second division) team.
"He is a player who belongs to Chivas USA," Tapatio coach German Lopez told Mural. "We brought him to Mexico. He's Mexican but he lived in Los Angeles, and after a recent scouting trip to the United States he came as a reinforcement with the Reserve Side as a Mexican."
Lopez also acknowledged Borja's U.S. youth national team past. Having plucked him from Chivas USA's ranks was not much of an issue, apparently.
"We know of him because of Chivas USA," Lopez told Mural. "As we're brothers, well, any interesting player who Chivas USA has and is Mexican, we have priority over him and that's what happened with Borja."
Borja was on the bench for Tapatio's game against Morelia in Estadio Jalisco but has yet to play for Tapatio.
"He is the first Chivas USA player who comes to reinforce Guadalajara and honestly we feel he is a player who will be very important within a short amount of time here in this institution. Borja is very close to being in the First Division," Lopez said.
Borja's parents were each born in Mexico.
Mexican daily Mural published a story in their sports section Cancha on Friday about Carlos Borja, who spent last season with Chivas USA. Again, I'd post a link but mural.com is a pay site which I just recently got access to. But I don't think they'd mind if I posted some of the highlights here.
Borja was born in Orange and went to Loara High in Anaheim. He also spent time at Bradenton in the U.S. Under-17 Residency Program. Borja was signed by Chivas USA to a developmental program last year and joined the club from their Under-19 team.
Between the end of last year and the beginning of this year, he vanished. We never heard anything about his whereabouts and assumed he just pursued other options elsewhere.
His path led him to Guadalajara, apparently. He is with Tapatio, Chivas' Primera A (second division) team.
"He is a player who belongs to Chivas USA," Tapatio coach German Lopez told Mural. "We brought him to Mexico. He's Mexican but he lived in Los Angeles, and after a recent scouting trip to the United States he came as a reinforcement with the Reserve Side as a Mexican."
Lopez also acknowledged Borja's U.S. youth national team past. Having plucked him from Chivas USA's ranks was not much of an issue, apparently.
"We know of him because of Chivas USA," Lopez told Mural. "As we're brothers, well, any interesting player who Chivas USA has and is Mexican, we have priority over him and that's what happened with Borja."
Borja was on the bench for Tapatio's game against Morelia in Estadio Jalisco but has yet to play for Tapatio.
"He is the first Chivas USA player who comes to reinforce Guadalajara and honestly we feel he is a player who will be very important within a short amount of time here in this institution. Borja is very close to being in the First Division," Lopez said.
Borja's parents were each born in Mexico.
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Unofficial poll
On Mural.com, there is a poll question asking readers if they feel Jesus Padilla should stay with Chivas.
Right now, it's 14 in favor of staying and 13 who want to boot him out. There was also someone who posted under the name of Jesus Padilla who said "Nooooooo, don't kick me out" but I didn't count that one.
Anyway, some of the responses there were harsh. Those who didn't want him around anymore were split between the viscious responses "Kick him out! He can't tarnish the tradition!" and the sympathetic ones "As much as I hate to say it, he shouldn't stay here anymore." Those who did support him said things like "Well, if foreigners can play for the national team why not Chivas?" or "I can't believe this is even an issue - that's why this country is the way it is (por eso estamos como estamos)."
Just wanted to share that tidbit of info to give you guys a bit of an insight into what the reaction is like down in Guadalajara and Mexico.
Right now, it's 14 in favor of staying and 13 who want to boot him out. There was also someone who posted under the name of Jesus Padilla who said "Nooooooo, don't kick me out" but I didn't count that one.
Anyway, some of the responses there were harsh. Those who didn't want him around anymore were split between the viscious responses "Kick him out! He can't tarnish the tradition!" and the sympathetic ones "As much as I hate to say it, he shouldn't stay here anymore." Those who did support him said things like "Well, if foreigners can play for the national team why not Chivas?" or "I can't believe this is even an issue - that's why this country is the way it is (por eso estamos como estamos)."
Just wanted to share that tidbit of info to give you guys a bit of an insight into what the reaction is like down in Guadalajara and Mexico.
Accident of Birth
Nester de la Torre is fighting with all the power his words have to justify the club keeping Jesus Padilla, even if it means glossing over the club knowing where Jesus was born. I'll bet Mascerano, wherever he is, is wondering why the club didn't try this hard to keep him around back in his day.
"En México, por motivos sociales existen compatriotas que tienen que ir a trabajar a los Estados Unidos, y el que por esa necesidad y que por accidente tu nacimiento se de en otro pedazo de tierra que no sea México ¿te quita todos tus valores, costumbres y raíces como mexicano?, osea que ¿si naces en un avión sobrevolando el océano ya no puedes ser mexicano?"
"In Mexico, for social reasons we have countrymen who need to go to work in the United States, and for that need and for the accident of one's birth on another piece of land that isn't Mexico, does that take away their values, customs and Mexican race? Or if you were born on a plane does that mean you're not Mexican?"
I'm not sure I understand the "accident of birth" argument. If it was such an accident, happenstance, why would Chivas follow the policy of fielding Mexican-born players for so long?
According to his birth certificate, Jesus' mother was born in California, so why wouldn't she stay in the land of her birth? All of his four sisters (two older, two younger) were also born in California, so the idea that the family passed through California quickly just when Padilla was born is weak.
Padilla's own argument is pretty weak, too. Though he admits his U.S. birth, he protests that he is Mexican and offers as proof the fact that he's not blonde. Stereotypes are alive and well.
"En México, por motivos sociales existen compatriotas que tienen que ir a trabajar a los Estados Unidos, y el que por esa necesidad y que por accidente tu nacimiento se de en otro pedazo de tierra que no sea México ¿te quita todos tus valores, costumbres y raíces como mexicano?, osea que ¿si naces en un avión sobrevolando el océano ya no puedes ser mexicano?"
"In Mexico, for social reasons we have countrymen who need to go to work in the United States, and for that need and for the accident of one's birth on another piece of land that isn't Mexico, does that take away their values, customs and Mexican race? Or if you were born on a plane does that mean you're not Mexican?"
I'm not sure I understand the "accident of birth" argument. If it was such an accident, happenstance, why would Chivas follow the policy of fielding Mexican-born players for so long?
According to his birth certificate, Jesus' mother was born in California, so why wouldn't she stay in the land of her birth? All of his four sisters (two older, two younger) were also born in California, so the idea that the family passed through California quickly just when Padilla was born is weak.
Padilla's own argument is pretty weak, too. Though he admits his U.S. birth, he protests that he is Mexican and offers as proof the fact that he's not blonde. Stereotypes are alive and well.
And then there were more
Many Chivas fans have tried to downplay the Jesus Padilla story and feel sympathy toward the youngster. After all, Chivas have portrayed him as a victim of circumstance and that he truly is 100 percent Mexican.
If you believe that story and you think this particular case is a non-issue, I suppose that's your prerogative.
But Padilla is not the only American-born player in Chivas' system. I learned earlier tonight from a source in Guadalajara that there is indeed another American-born player within their ranks. This player, well, you'd have a difficult time trying to convince many that he's more Mexican than cactus.
We'll let Mural break the story so you'll have to check back tomorrow for this somewhat familiar name.
And then come back and let us know if you think this new one is a non-story too.
If you believe that story and you think this particular case is a non-issue, I suppose that's your prerogative.
But Padilla is not the only American-born player in Chivas' system. I learned earlier tonight from a source in Guadalajara that there is indeed another American-born player within their ranks. This player, well, you'd have a difficult time trying to convince many that he's more Mexican than cactus.
We'll let Mural break the story so you'll have to check back tomorrow for this somewhat familiar name.
And then come back and let us know if you think this new one is a non-story too.
Playing the victim
Actually, the more I think about it, it's an act of pure genius on Chivas' part to cast Jesus Padilla as the victim and Luis and I as agents of the U.S. Federation.
Number one, it garners sympathy for Jesus, but also absolves the club of responsibility -putting his having a Mexican birth certificate all on him and his parents.
Number two, how better to rally fans around Padilla and support him staying with Chivas than to charge a conspiracy to steal Jesus away from El Tri? Never mind that Sammy Ochoa's career in Mexico has continued just fine despite him playing for the U.S. U20 national team, while being born in the U.S. didn't stop Edgar Castillo from choosing to represent Mexico.
It's far more effective to throw out a red herring and hope the fans and media bite on that, think, "Poor Jesus, being hounded by American media, who want to kidnap him into playing for the U.S. national team."
Number one, it garners sympathy for Jesus, but also absolves the club of responsibility -putting his having a Mexican birth certificate all on him and his parents.
Number two, how better to rally fans around Padilla and support him staying with Chivas than to charge a conspiracy to steal Jesus away from El Tri? Never mind that Sammy Ochoa's career in Mexico has continued just fine despite him playing for the U.S. U20 national team, while being born in the U.S. didn't stop Edgar Castillo from choosing to represent Mexico.
It's far more effective to throw out a red herring and hope the fans and media bite on that, think, "Poor Jesus, being hounded by American media, who want to kidnap him into playing for the U.S. national team."
Inconsistencies
The original Jesus Padilla story - the one where he was born in Mexico but came here at the age of 2 - did not make sense before.
The updated Jesus Padilla story doesn't make sense either.
Now, before I get into it, some of you may wonder why we care or why we're pursuing the story. Well, it's a story because of Chivas' own traditions. It's an issue because it's their policy and they are a giant club with millions of fans worldwide. And as a player on said club, Padilla is in the limelight, for both good and bad, just like any other Chivas player. Scrutiny and criticism, both positive and negative, comes with the territory.
Anyway, Padilla's story is now this: he was born here, in San Jose, Calif., but when he was 10 days old, his family moved back to Mexico. For how long, who knows? But he said during a news conference today that his parents were there because of work and he's lived in Mexico since. I'd quote the link but it's on Mural.com, and that's a pay site. If I find the info elsewhere I'll put it up.
Well, that story doesn't make sense either. His oldest sister was born here in the U.S., that's not contested. So were his three younger sisters. So how long is his whole life? Did he live down there while his parents and other sisters lived in San Jose?
Then there's this story. The San Jose Mercury News profiled Padilla in July of last year, when Chivas played Busan of Korea in San Jose. Read the story and tell me that there aren't inconsistencies.
And as far as the issue of him supposedly disliking the possibility of playing for the U.S., he's talking a big game now but back in July - after he turned down the U-20 invite - he said he'd like to keep his options open, a mindset that supposedly had the blessing of his father.
To some of you, it may seem like I have something against Padilla. Even he himself wondered why this investigation of him. But when he essentially comes up with tales about his life, someone has to call him on it.
The updated Jesus Padilla story doesn't make sense either.
Now, before I get into it, some of you may wonder why we care or why we're pursuing the story. Well, it's a story because of Chivas' own traditions. It's an issue because it's their policy and they are a giant club with millions of fans worldwide. And as a player on said club, Padilla is in the limelight, for both good and bad, just like any other Chivas player. Scrutiny and criticism, both positive and negative, comes with the territory.
Anyway, Padilla's story is now this: he was born here, in San Jose, Calif., but when he was 10 days old, his family moved back to Mexico. For how long, who knows? But he said during a news conference today that his parents were there because of work and he's lived in Mexico since. I'd quote the link but it's on Mural.com, and that's a pay site. If I find the info elsewhere I'll put it up.
Well, that story doesn't make sense either. His oldest sister was born here in the U.S., that's not contested. So were his three younger sisters. So how long is his whole life? Did he live down there while his parents and other sisters lived in San Jose?
Then there's this story. The San Jose Mercury News profiled Padilla in July of last year, when Chivas played Busan of Korea in San Jose. Read the story and tell me that there aren't inconsistencies.
And as far as the issue of him supposedly disliking the possibility of playing for the U.S., he's talking a big game now but back in July - after he turned down the U-20 invite - he said he'd like to keep his options open, a mindset that supposedly had the blessing of his father.
To some of you, it may seem like I have something against Padilla. Even he himself wondered why this investigation of him. But when he essentially comes up with tales about his life, someone has to call him on it.
New policy?
Might the fallout from the Jesus Padilla case cause a shift in policy with one of the most storied clubs in the Western Hemisphere?
Before yesterday, the common belief was that Chivas accepted only players born in Mexico - it was pretty black and white. Now, it seems that there is a gray area. Padilla and Chivas officials acknowledge that the player was born in San Jose, California, but that since he was able to get his birth certificate in order and, to Chivas, his upbringing checks out, both sides are content with putting this behind them and moving on.
Only time will tell, though, if this becomes a long-term solution or if it is just a bit of damage control on both of their parts. As is usually the case, the people (in this case Chivas fans) will likely determine the outcome of this particular case. I imagine that if there is some sort of acceptance among some Chivas fans while there is likely some animosity or similar emotions from another portion of their immense fan base. Who has the larger numbers and yields more power is the question. Then there is the Mexican media of course that might play a large role as well.
If Padilla does stick around, though, then it may be some sort of shift in policy. Perhaps Chivas will be more open to signing foreign-born children of Mexican nationals and thus expanding their talent base. Of course, this is assuming Padilla's is an isolated incident.
Before yesterday, the common belief was that Chivas accepted only players born in Mexico - it was pretty black and white. Now, it seems that there is a gray area. Padilla and Chivas officials acknowledge that the player was born in San Jose, California, but that since he was able to get his birth certificate in order and, to Chivas, his upbringing checks out, both sides are content with putting this behind them and moving on.
Only time will tell, though, if this becomes a long-term solution or if it is just a bit of damage control on both of their parts. As is usually the case, the people (in this case Chivas fans) will likely determine the outcome of this particular case. I imagine that if there is some sort of acceptance among some Chivas fans while there is likely some animosity or similar emotions from another portion of their immense fan base. Who has the larger numbers and yields more power is the question. Then there is the Mexican media of course that might play a large role as well.
If Padilla does stick around, though, then it may be some sort of shift in policy. Perhaps Chivas will be more open to signing foreign-born children of Mexican nationals and thus expanding their talent base. Of course, this is assuming Padilla's is an isolated incident.
It's not where you were born
It's how quickly you travel over the border.
Chivas and Jesus Padilla now have their story straight. In this article on mediotiempo, They both acknowledge that Jesus was born in San Jose, California. However, they add that he went immediately, within two weeks, to Mexico, and got a birth certificate there. That seems to stretch the definition of "birth certificate", since a person can only be born once in one place. There's also no way to verify the claim of when they traveled across the border, even though it's hard to believe a family with an infant and a mother who has just given birth suddenly feel like traveling to a tiny town in Mexico.
Anyway, the gist from their viewpoint is that there's no problem at all. To play for Chivas, you don't have to be born in Mexico, after all. That's just a technicality.
Chivas and Jesus Padilla now have their story straight. In this article on mediotiempo, They both acknowledge that Jesus was born in San Jose, California. However, they add that he went immediately, within two weeks, to Mexico, and got a birth certificate there. That seems to stretch the definition of "birth certificate", since a person can only be born once in one place. There's also no way to verify the claim of when they traveled across the border, even though it's hard to believe a family with an infant and a mother who has just given birth suddenly feel like traveling to a tiny town in Mexico.
Anyway, the gist from their viewpoint is that there's no problem at all. To play for Chivas, you don't have to be born in Mexico, after all. That's just a technicality.
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