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New York Red Bulls goalkeeper Jon Conway spoke to the media on Monday for the first time since his 10-match suspension for testing positive for performance-enhancing drugs last season and rather than address the suspension, or offer any insight into what happened, Conway decided to say nothing.
"The unfortunate incidents that occurred last year is something that's in the past," Conway said. "I've decided to move on with my life and my career and leave the entire matter where it belongs, in the past. The league's dealt with it. I've had to deal with it, and I see no purpose in revisiting it.
"My sole focus right now is playing with the Red Bulls," Conway said. "If you guys have any questions with regard to the team and the league, with regards to playing soccer, I'll be glad to answer them. However, I won't be addressing the past issue."
When asked if the fans deserved an explanation for what happened last season, Conway's response was, "I'd rather not address a past issue."
Conway, who has four games left to serve of his suspension, also refused to corroborate any of the details about the situation surrounding his suspension shared by other members of the Red Bulls staff.
I will offer my full take on Conway's comments on Tuesday. For now, please tell us what you think:
Share your thoughts on Conway's comments, or lack thereof, in the comments section below.
“I’ll keep my happy a** in Chicago where we make Presidents not Ball shrinkers.”
Who’s your governor, again?
Yeah, Fire Cracker, Sammy Sosa was clean
What’s wrong with NY?
A bunch of cheatin’ roid freaks.
New York is pitiful.
I’ll keep my happy a** in Chicago where we make Presidents not Ball shrinkers.
I don’t know what he was caught using but I’m glad he was caught. We don’t need soccer becoming the steroid infested MLB and NFL.
It was just a suplement. But Rules are rules.
Conway was is and always will be a LOSER. Thank goodness Danny Cepero showed promise. He should be the starting GK in the first match and will be pissed if he isn’t ’cause Conway can’t even stop hospital shots. Surprised the Bulls didn’t deal Conway. Looking forward to the start of the season on Thursday!!!
I guess Conway isn’t the best at public relations, but it doesn’t make him a bad person. Any sort of admission of guilt and taking the blame, even if done solely for the purposes of boosting his image, would have boosted his image. Whether he was doing something super-against-the-rules or mistakenly taking the wrong supplement, people like people who accept responsibility no matter their share of the cause.
And Rudy, wait until Red Bull Arena opens and then compare your team to ours
I understand his decision. The pills he took were not on the substance list banned by the league. If he tries to justify himself and speak against the league’s policy, he will end up being fined. I don’t think he took his early vacation last year with pay.
Who?
What a whiny bitch. This dude isn’t even contrite? Thank God that Danny Cepero has been a wake-up call in goal because this jackass could care less about how stupid he made the franchise and the league look.
I’m glad to see that more than 50% in the poll either don’t care or accept his choice.
Time to move on.
I never liked Conway, I don’t know who’s D he sucked to stay with the team, he does not come through in clutch moments in games to make the save, and I think he would be better served somewhere else.
He’s nothing without Korman.
Look, obviously he wasn’t injecting himself with horse steroids – we all know it was just over-the-counter supplements…
But who in the world advised him to say that? I’m with Brian Lewis at the Post – even a “Whoops, sorry, my bad for not checking” would have been miles better than stonewalling.
He kind of comes off as a jerk. That’s a shame.
Was he taking an interview class by alexi lalas?
i’m surprised these athletes haven’t learned anything yet (or are they really just dumb jocks as advertised). admit it, be honest and the public will forgive you and let you “keep it in the past”.
spineless.
WISE UP FOLKS
MLS/Conway probably negotiated a settlement.
For example:
DG: Ok I buy you didn’t know you were taking a supplement from GNC that triggered your body’s production of a steroid.
JC: Thanks – and I’ll forgive you for maybe rushing to judgement and making it sound like we were injecting East German steroids.
DG: So – why don’t we just say your bad – you serve out 10 games – and we’ll forget about the fine – afterall who wants the lawyers to drag this out in public?
JC: Can you reinstatement and forgive the last 4 games too?
DG: Come on John – if we changed our stance it would make it look like we are tolerating stuff.
JC: Ok – had to ask.
DG: I understand – have a great season – see Ivan I mean Mark on your way out and he’ll cut you a refund check.
what a scumbag
I refuse to discuss Jon Conway because he is a past player for the Red Bulls, and I’m moving forward with the goalkeeper who is starting our season for us on our roster….
And, I don’t care about his suspension or his lame cover for it, but I agree with the earlier poster who mentioned how tiresome it is when people used the ‘in the past’ line, as if there is some sort of immunity involved in no longer continuing to do something that is wrong that you previously did. If Conway’s girlfriend cheated on him last night, would he accept that she was not interested in talking about past events, and that she wanted their relationship to move forward only based on current behavior as of 9am this morning?
Yeah, didn’t think so.
He took his lumps and promised to follow the rules in the future.
It shouldn’t be an issue unless he tests positive again in the future.
People are way too obsessed…
Conway probably wasn’t aware that these alleged Red Bulls fans exist.
I don’t blame the guy for wanting to move forward, but I think he would be better off addressing it head on. People will continue to ask questions unless he addresses it.
I just hope he can get his head on straight as his play definitely suffered once he found out about the suspension as Ives has previously reported. A distracted Jon Conway does the Red Bulls little good, even if he isn’t starting.
I was disappointed, but mostly because if he was just going to not discuss the issue, he could have done that last year rather than wait all this time. It’s the amount of time he let go by that I question more than his actual decision.
Jon Conway has always been generous with his time with RBNY season ticket holders. While I was hoping for a confirmation of the facts that have been shared or an alternative explanation to them, I understand Jon’s decision and respect it.
As fans do for him, I assume he feels bad about this past experience and wants to put it behind him. Jon’s been there for season ticket holders most nights and I’m going to move on just as Jon wants us to.
the thing is im not really pissed because of what he did, but the way he dealt with it. he should have addressed this a long time ago and by now we would have all forgotten
Conway comes off as a petulant young boy in this scenario. This can’t help him as he certainly has an uphill battle considering the performances his “understudy” has been turning in since assuming the starting spot.
Dude, whatever…anyone who is “outraged” by this is a moron, I’m sorry. He’s a public figure, but this is not a clear cut situation of this dude was doping and he got busted.
He wasn’t injecting HGH into his buttocks, he was taking an over-the-counter oral supplement that had ADT in it. Big deal.
I think he probably thinks the punishment was stupid, and he’s understandably focused on reclaiming his spot and moving forward.
I don’t think he owes me any kind of explanation. Anyone with a brain can connect the dots on this, he’s gonna be getting stick for this the entire season at away matches, regardless of how he addresses the situation.
Wow, he sure took the McGwire approach to things didn’t he? That didn’t work so well for Mark and probably won’t work that well for Conway either. Why even hold the presser then? Lame.
conway-
you’re a backup goalie ina league that few people care about.
if you want to go all a-rod, fine. be a diva backup goalie.
d-bag.
can’t wait for the “STEROIDS” chants and signs when he encounters opposition fans.
conway needs to grow up. he doesn’t owe the fans anything, but if he wants to truly put it in the past and not worry about it lingering, then he should face the situation like an adult. if he owned up to what he did and then people persisted with questions, i could understand the “it’s in the past” response.
this is even more pathetic, considering he had months to figure out how he wanted to handle it.
It does irritate the living hell out of me that these athletes stay silent. But the end of the day the most important thing is that these offenders are disciplined in an appropriate way by their league and their clubs. Therefore, I can live with the “let’s move on” line.
Ives,
I don’t mean this as an attack its an honest question. Do you honestly want him to answer for the fans? Don’t you want to know for your blog/stories? There is nothing wrong with that, its your job. I just think somee (NOT YOU) use the “for the fans” reasoning as a crutch to get away with murder (not in this case and not you, I’m more askign in general).
He’s gotta be pissed about the ridiculous length of the suspension but how would it help to trash MLS and what might be perceived as a lack of support from his club? He has nothing to gain from speaking out on this, except maybe to say sorry, I did something wrong which I can’t think that he believes.
While this is nowhere near the problem that PEDs is in Baseball, it is quite similar to McGwire’s whole “I’m not here to talk about the past” stance from a few years ago…
I think the honest explanation might just be that he’s a dummy. All he had to do was get the trainer to take a look at this crap he bought and he could have avoided it. Now he’s paying the price.
Hey it’s better than the 50 games that Phillies pitcher got for the same thing, just being ignorant of what he was putting into his body.
Mark McGwire did the same thing in front of congress and looked like an idiot. While this was not in front of congress and he isn’t legally bound to tell the truth, he looks just as stupid. He just can’t be punished like McGwire can. Be a man and own up to it – don’t be scared.
I love the way athletes–and politicians–use the “it’s in the past, I want to put it behind me” line as an excuse for not manning up. It’s almost as bad as the ‘ol “I’m sorry IF I offended anyone.”
I think if people know the truth — what Mastershake said — then they probably can’t blame him for wanting to move on and forget about it.
I think hes more worried about losing his job.
But I think the fact that he won’t address it is more worrisome about it. It would make it hard for me as a fan to support him.
I say damned if you do, damned if you don’t. Having to listen to the nonsense apoligies that have come out of various baseball players mouths, I’d rather this than some apology that clearly didn’t mean anything to the guy and one that was given just to appease the fans.
This is waaay off topic, but what the hell:
Has anyone heard about FC Barcelona possibly investing in the Philadelphia expansion team? Supposedly they’re much more impressed with what Philly has to offer than what was on the table in Miami.
I think this is Conway’s way of saying, “I did it, I got caught, and now let’s move on.” He apparently doesn’t have the guts to say it that way, so he’s pleading the proverbial 5th.
I think it’s a silly choice to not say anything. He should have just said he made a mistake, he takes responsibility for what’s happened and has worked past it. After that he wouldn’t have to address it ever again, and moved on. Jeff Parke did that soon after the incident and it’s not like the fans or franchise turned their backs on him, we still love him and he’s not even with us anymore. This just makes Conway look like a douche who is too good, pardon my french.
Lame.
Surprising. I thought Conway would show more remorse and class than that.
Own up to what happened, apologize (even if its just for being stupid), and THEN move on.
what do you want him to explain? how he ingested some pills that most leagues don’t even consider to be “steroids” ?
I think Cepero is the happiest of everyone when COnway got suspended. I mean, would Cepero’s career really have jumped to the next level anytime soon if Conway wasnt suspended?
This dude is a jerk off. He’s just angry because Cepero took his spot in his absence.