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Your February Questions Answered: Part Two

Luis Gil (ISIphotos.com)

Photo by ISIphotos.com

 

Good afternoon folks. I'm back from Europe and ready to get back into the swing of things, and that will begin with the latest installment of Your Questions Answered.

Among the topics in the latest batch of questions are queries about the World Cup, Landon Donovan, Charlie Davies, Luis Gil and LeBron James (yes, LeBron).

Let's get started:

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PARKER– Which match of the group stage of the world cup do you think will be the Best to watch?

IVES– England vs. USA is going to be special. I know some people (namely most outside of the USA) think it won’t be close, but I think the whole scene will be memorable and the match will be more competitive that many expected.

In terms of two strong teams battling, I’d say Brazil-Portugal will be must-see TV.

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EA– Ives, props on the great site, and the Fox Soccer gig.

Two questions:

A. Will you be adding (and auditioning) more writers to the site?

B. Who are 2-3 players that you believe will be added to MLS in the summer?

IVES– Thanks EA. A. Yes, I will. I’d like to add a handful of writers to the staff in the coming weeks. Ideally I’d have writers in as many markets as possible. As it stands I’ve got New York, D.C. and LA covered. Looking for someone in Chicago, Seattle and pretty much all the other MLS markets.

B. Which foreign players? Good question. I would have put my money on Thierry Henry but am not sure where that stands. I have yet to hear any other strong rumors on higher-profile foreign players.

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JAY– Just to put Donovan in context a bit. You're a decision maker at a 2nd tier EPL team like Man City or Everton or Villa. What do you offer as a transfer fee for Landon Donovan? What about a Claudio Reyna in his prime?

IVES– Why only a second tier team? Do you mean everyone below the “Big Four”? I’d argue that Liverpool and Chelsea could both use Donovan, and we know now that there are rumors circulating about Chelsea’s interest.

What would I be willing to pay? As a mid-table club, based on his performance on loan and the pretty clear proof that he can step in and make an impact in the EPL (and be a marketing darling)? I’d probably go $12-15 million. Now, if it’s a Chelsea, I can see them going $15-18 million. That might seem high, but people don’t realize the value Donovan gained by going to the EPL and showing he can be an impact player capable of playing in multiple positions.

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JC– Any plans on upgrading the comments feature on your blog? It's difficult to navigate when the number of comments exceed 50 or so.

Also, are there any plans on adding a forum feature to your blog? Thanks.

IVES– We only recently changed the look of the comments section so having it change again seems unlikely. That said, if I ever get a proper re-design off the ground, that would be something we would look to try and perfect (I’d love some suggestions of other sites that handle large numbers of comments better).

A forum is on the way, at least a forum of sorts. It will be a community section where people can discuss topics of the day. I’m still working on that but hopefully in the next week or two we can get that going.

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STEVE– How much of a bump, if any, will MLS see this year/next year. We got almost every team with a SSS, 18 teams with some good rivalries in place, solid fans in about 25% of markets and coming off the World Cup.

IVES– 2010 is a big year for MLS, barring a strike. We’ve got Philadelphia entering the league and bringing with it a vibrant fan base and market. You’ve also got Red Bull Arena opening, as well as Seattle preparing to build on an amazing first year. That, coupled with the boost a World Cup can provide, could really help MLS gain some traction and draw in plenty of new fans.

Now, if there’s a strike, all bets are off.

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MEXICANBLUEFISH– IVES, this site is the best, your hard work is greatly appreciated, THANKS. My questions:

Do you think it is possible that Landon's success at Everton could actually elevate his nats' teammates' confidence in him, even though they have always known that he is a world class player??

Do you think our huge Mexican population could have an influence in how the American style continues to develop its own identity?

IVES– Thanks for the kind words Mex.

I do think Donovan’s success at Everton can and will have a positive effect on the national team. Not only because it will instill more confidence in him by his teammates, but it has given Donovan a new level of confidence that could result in him being a better and more consistent player on the national team. You can definitely tell this loan has had a profound impact on Donovan’s psyche. Just think about it. Imagine being Donovan, and having three failed stints in Germany be the overbearing smears on an otherwise stellar career. He can now look at his play at Everton as vindication of his abilities. He’ll always tell you that he always had confidence in his ability, but even he admitted that it helped him realize he can play against anybody and play well.

I think the large Mexican population here has already had an influence in producing some good prospects, more than we have seen come through the youth ranks in the past. I do think American youth soccer is getting better at identifying and embracing Latino talent, but it's still far from the system we'll need to maximize a resource that has gone under-utilized for far too long. I have confidence in the things U.S. Soccer's Developmen Academy is doing to help improve this, and I think as MLS teams get more involved in player development they should hopefully help tap into those reservoirs of talent that have been overlooked in the past.

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EVAN– Great site! I was wondering what you thought about US U-20 Juan Agudelo and if you have heard the latest on where he will be playing this coming year?

Thanks!

IVES– Six months ago I would have told you Agudelo was a young but green prospect who was several years away from being able to make an impact on the pro level. Now? I see a player who has had a growth spurt and maturation of his physique that has only given him more confidence in the skills he already possessed. I’d say it should be a foregone conclusion that the Red Bulls sign Agudelo.

The question I think now is whether MLS has any Generation adidas money to offer him the type of lucrative deal other top Generation adidas players have gotten. There are some homegrown Generation adidas deals that are much smaller than the sort of deals players such as Danny Mwanga, Ike Opara and Dilly Duka received (let’s call them Gen adidas Lite contracts). The Red Bulls and MLS probably thought it would be able to sign Agudelo to one of those deals, but given his improvement, and his successful trial in Colombia, things have changed. Hopefully MLS and the Red Bulls realize they’d be foolish to let him get away.

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HUSH– Any possibility that Francisco Torres moves to a Spanish club next season? I heard rumors that some clubs were interested in him. Any info regarding this matter would be great.

IVES– I can’t say how real those rumors were, the ones linking him as a potential throw-in to Deportivo La Coruna for Omar Bravo. I do think he could do very well there, but I think he still has some maturing to do in Mexico. I can see him being a transfer target in the summer of 2011.

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SCOTT– I'm having a tough time understanding the excitement of American players to Europe when they get buried on the bench or can't even make the cut to 18 on game days. I'm sure once they get there the players have a competitive chip on the shoulder and are working hard as they can, but it pains me to see Stuart Holden lost in Bolton and Kenny Cooper seeing minimal minutes for a Championship side fighting off relegation. Thoughts?

IVES– Scott, I think you (as well as players going to Europe) have to have some patience and realize that the European game is a serious proposition where nothing is given easily. Players have to pay their dues and put in serious work to fight for and win spots. Should players really pack it in after a few weeks or months without playing? The cut-and-run approach, in my opinion, is a defeatist mentality. Look at the players who have excelled in Europe. Tim Howard, Clint Dempsey and Michael Bradley to name a few, have all had their trials and tribulations.

Even your remark about Stuart Holden had me wondering about you because he eventually did work his way into a starting role before the broken leg last week. The fact is that more and more Americans are going to Europe and some of them just aren’t going to make it, BUT I do think more will start to make it and we’re already seeing the benefits of that. Players such as Holden and Edu have begun to establish themselves in Europe.

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CHRIS– Do you plan on playing Fantasy MLS this year? If so, what league are you planning to use? I notice http://fantasy.mlsnet.com/ still has last year's info.

IVES– Yes, I do plan on having fantasy MLS this year and will be doing everything in my power to make sure it stays prominent throughout the year. I will also try to secure some prizes for the league’s top finishers. One thing I need is a fantasy MLS writer to do a weekly column. I think that worked well in the past.

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SMOKED GOUDA– Ives,

Why doesn't the USSF schedule more games against stronger, European teams in the lead up to the Cup? We seem to only play against CONCACAF teams.

IVES– Gouda, you really need to pay attention. When was the last FIFA date the U.S. team didn’t play a quality opponent? The past three were road games in Europe against THREE World Cup participants in Denmark, Slovakia and the Netherlands. That, in just the past four months, is a pretty impressive lineup. Throw in the Turkey and Czech Republic matches in May and I think scheduling is the LEAST of the national team’s concerns.

Seriously, have you seen who the team has played in the past three years? Brazil (three times), Spain (twice), Argentina (twice), Italy and England, as well as the aforementioned nations. I’m pretty sure there aren’t many countries in the world that can boast that collection of opponents over the past three years.

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C|3– A lot of Americans are ending up in Scandinavia, how come more aren't looking to play in France like Bocanegra and Davies?

IVES– I’m sure tons of Americans would love to play in France, but it’s a top European league and you have to be good enough. No player is choosing Scandinavia over Ligue 1 if given the option. Hopefully more Americans start getting interest from French leagues, which I think is happening. You had the rumored Paris St. Germain interest in Landon Donovan as well as former Chicago Fire defender Bakary Soumare making the move to Boulogne. It does seem as though the MLS and Americans are making some inroads into France.

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DCD– Can the US' college-based culture of sports development ever match the "academy system"? Does it have some potential advantages?

IVES– DCD, it isn’t as if the college development model is in place by choice or preference. It just happens to be what has been available for all this time. I don’t think anybody argues that the academy model wouldn’t be better, but you need professional clubs with the resources and willingness to start investing in such programs in order for that to become a viable option. Far too many people want to criticize college soccer for what it isn’t rather than realizing that without it American soccer wouldn’t be anywhere near where it is now.

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CFIG– I was willing to give Landin a chance to get into shape for the Dynamo but it looks like he's shown up this season about the same as last. Does he have a chance to make an impact, and if not who does Houston go to for their scoring threat? Ching is probably good for 10-15 goals but he could miss time for the World Cup. After that you have…Oduro?

IVES– The Luis Landin signing has become a bit of an embarrassment for Houston. Here’s a promising young talent who was expected to come in and be the start that could carry Houston in the wake of the departures of Stuart Holden and Ricardo Clark. Now, he’s looking like he could be a flop. The Dynamo need another goal scorer because regardless of how he’s looking in pre-season I’m not at all convinced that Dom Oduro can be a productive forward once the MLS season begins.

I will say that the Dynamo have just signed a promising young academy player in Francisco Navas who looks like he could be a star in the making.

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BRYAN– Baja Fresh or Chipotle?

Does Dempsey move to a (historically) "bigger" team or continue with Fulham? Would you like to see him leave? If so, where to?

Love the site!

IVES– Chipotle, not that I have either that often.

I think Dempsey stays at least one more year at Fulham. Then again, a strong World Cup could produce some transfer bids Fulham might have to consider. I like him at Fulham. He’s playing for a solid team with a great manager. Staying another year couldn’t hurt him.

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DJBONUSBEATS– Where do you see Backe playing Jeremy Hall? I'd like to see him get more time at his natural position. Do you think Stammler can maintain his place this season with the new roster, or would Tchani push him out?

IVES– I think Hall has shown he’s a better fit in midfield, but with Jaager off to Norway, and Luke Sassano the only other current option, Hall may wind up at right back again.

As for central midfield, and whether Stammler can keep his place, I think Carl Robinson’s potential signing would be bad news for Stammler holding onto his job long term. I think Tony Tchani is being brought along slowly, but I can’t imagine him not eventually being a lock starter.

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JOE– What do you think the chances of Charlie Davies scoring in League play for Sochaux are? High, low?

Besides @SoccerByIves, who would you recommend following on Twitter for top-notch soccer coverage?

IVES– I’d say the chances of Davies scoring in France being closer to high than to low.

As far as Twitter feeds to follow, I’d say Grant Wahl, Oliver Kay and Henry Winter are three good ones I can think of. There are plenty more. I'll add to this list later.

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BIG CHIL- Hey, Ives, any plans for you & your staff to meet with your fans at the World Cup this summer?

IVES- I’ll definitely look into trying to do something like that around one of the United States matches.

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REDSTATEJIM- Ives, Is SBI profitable?

Do you care about the personal lives of athletes ie Tiger, Terry, Cole, Harkes or do you only care about what they do in the arena?

IVES- Yes, SBI is profitable.

As for reporting on the personal lives of players, I’ve got no interest in it. If tabloids or TMZ ever decide they want to devote resources to that sort of stuff, they’re more than welcome. I have a hard enough time finding time to report on all the actual soccer-related news so I won’t be moonlighting as paparazzi any time soon.

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PC- Ives,
Love the site, got a non-soccer related question…
Where do you think Lebron James winds up next year?

IVES- I see LeBron going to the Knicks, but that just might be my East Coast bias talking.

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BRIAN- Who is the next American you see transferring to a elite European team?

IVES- Landon Donovan should make a major move this summer. I also think Michael Bradley will eventually make a major move, if not this summer, then in summer of 2011.

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BRIAN B- Did Luis Gil make the wrong decision by signing with MLS over Arsenal given Arsenal's track record developing young talent?

IVES- I’ve been told by some pretty reliable sources that new FIFA guidelines would have made a move to Arsenal very tough, if not impossible, for Gil.

Even if that weren’t the case, I’m not sure why people should assume staying in MLS is a bad move. Was it a bad move for Jozy Altidore or Michael Bradley? Both were teenagers who eventually earned playing time that helped them develop into quality U.S. national team contributors.

Developing in Arsenal’s academy would surely have its benefits, but it shouldn’t be assumed that Gil can’t benefit from staying in MLS.

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BCC- Ever thought of writing a book on soccer? What would it focus on (MLS, New York or New Jersey soccer, etc.)?

IVES- I’ve thought of writing a book before. It would probably focus on a specific player. I’m not sure a general book on MLS or a specific team would sell all that well. A compelling player story would be of interest to me as a book subject.

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WILL-YO- Fox is really diving into soccer. EPL, Champs Lg, a second station, and now you. Are they making money or is it bet that built a house of cards that will come crumbling down?

IVES- Will, I wouldn’t bet against Fox when it comes to building an American soccer empire. My move was several months in the making and I made the move in part because of the plans they have in the works.

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DING DONG- How many soccer games do you watch in the average week?

IVES- Anywhere from six to eight on the low end, to 12 to 15 on the high end, depending on the time of year. I try to watch parts of matches and highlights as well. TIVO helps get through a bunch of matches.

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Comments

  1. I guess I gave the guy called “Gouda” to much credit. I thought he was being sarcastic by calling himself a popular Dutch cheese, at or about the time when the US was playing the Netherlands, a strong European NT in the run up to the WC.

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  2. id think norway, finland, and Denmark have similar policies towards foreigners. Prime example; Robbie Russell of RSL. Never caped for the USA, born in ghana but raised in the US and play in finland, norway and denmark

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  3. This deserved a response:
    “Why not just save that space for legit questions that provide insight to the 90% of us who understand the game?”

    And this is why i dedicate so much of my time to reading american soccer sites and blogs:
    “I try to educate soccer fans of all levels interest, from the relative novices to the people who think they know everything”

    Learn to the love the game ppl, please.

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  4. This is my favorite feature of your site Ives, with your match commentary and when you’d submit our questions to players in second and third, respectively.

    As long as Hodgson stays at craven cottage, Dempsey doesnt have to make a move to anther club. If he did move, I’d like to see him in La Liga. But right now, he’s the best player on a Club that fights for a European spot every season. Hodgson is one of the best managers In the world, let Dempsey learn everything he can from him.

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  5. I’m glad you posted this. I’m fond of saying that in other countries soccer is a sport, but in the US it’s a crusade. We, as American soccer fans, owe it to ourselves and our country to encourage everyone to learn about and love the game just as we do.

    So, while European soccer fans have the luxury of hating each other, we don’t. I may get pissed off when someone doesn’t know what he’s talking about, but I have to forgive him because he’s talking about soccer.

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  6. and I don’t know about Norway or Finland, but Sweden has no restrictions on foreign players at all, so that makes it a good destination for MLS players who want a bit more money.

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  7. embarassing, but at least I and many others will watch mls then. Its not about Garber sucking conmebol d&&k, its about Garber, SUM, and whoever trying to get Univision, Telemundo, or whatever American spanish network to cover libertadores games on regular TV. 6million American of mexican heritage watch the annual chivas vs club america game. If copa lib games were to get at least a million viewers in the US, then they’d be sucking our…. I didnt think they’d back off their stance against the Mexicans during last year’s swine flu fiasco, but obviously they have because of the TV revenue in Mexico.

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  8. When we start getting result in this region, then we should start considering the Copa Libertadores. So, for now let us save some embrassement.

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  9. Ives, will you be announcing your desire for specific writers, or should prospective scribes contact you with their interest?

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  10. Ives, with all this talk of expanding the site, if you’re ever in the market for a managing editor, you let me know 🙂

    (SBI-My experience tells me that the type of folks who would be interested in a managing editor position wouldn’t work for what I can pay (little to no money, but plenty of experience and exposure).

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  11. Possible solution that may not require a whole redesign:

    Show the most recent at the top. That way, I can have 2 SBI windows open; one to read Ives and the gang, and one to read the comments. Then I just need to hit “refresh.”

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  12. Love the site Ives. I agree with your comments regarding answering so called uneducated questions. I think we all want the sport to grow as much as possible in the States. Creating or turning the website into an elitist soccer snob website would be counter-productive.

    Since I learned about your website I’ve been on here daily and it’s because I want to learn something new.

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  13. “Does Dempsey move to a (historically) “bigger” team or continue with Fulham? Would you like to see him leave? If so, where to?”

    Fulham is a victory against Spurs and Pompey away from making into the Europa League AGAIN and is currently matched up in the Europa League’s final 16 against Juventus. Why does he even NEED to go to a “bigger” club where he’ll get less playing time?

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  14. You don’t have to read every post either; if you don’t get anything out of the “questions answered” feature, don’t read it.

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  15. Yes the current format looks great on iPhone. What does NOT work very well is posting comments (can’t save personal ID) and refreshing, especially having to scroll all the way back to the top and then wait and then scroll all the way back to where you were every five minutes or so. Not to mention how tedious it is to follow one of Ives’ live commentaries. iPhone app please, Ives!!!!

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  16. Thanks again Ives.

    Q&A is my favorite bit of SBI other than your tireless defense of left back extraordinaire Carlos Bocanegra 😉

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  17. Ives, never got my fantasy prize for finishing first. I’m gunna be disappointed if i don’t get anything this year too..

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  18. yes, i want ives to put his site into an app so i can stalk him.

    it seems like you read this site just as much as anyone else.

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  19. More players don’t consider the French leagues because you need a work permit unless a team has a non eu player roster spot open.

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  20. Chipotle or Baja Fresh? What? Is Ives Mexican? do you get embarrased walking into a taco bell? Well, hot diggety I’m glad I hit this site all the time (not that I’m racist against non-mexican-run websites or anything).

    SBI iPhone app? what, you want to stalk the guy?

    Is this the area for future questions to SBI? Here’s one: what are the odds of Garber sucking some serious conmebol/Traffic sports d**k to at least get a MLS invite to Copa libertadores for mls teams from below the 34th parallel? (LA, LA2, Dal, Hou)

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  21. I third the motion to change the comments system. It’s definitely better than the old version — I like the threading, for starters — but the “click for more comments” function is one step too many.

    (It always feels silly pointing out something like this, because at first glance it seems kind of petty and trivial. But the reality is, when you’re in the flow of surfing and reading, those extra clicks and load times can loom pretty large.)

    (SBI-I get that Tres, but I’m confined to the way it’s set up until I do a complete re-design. That’s just how TypePad is set up. The reality is that there aren’t that many posts where there winds up being a problem. We’re getting more and more comments so people seem to be dealing with it, and I know the extra step is becoming more of a factor, but it’s what we’ll have until we can completely change up the site and I’m not sure when that is happening. Hopefully the new community section helps balance things out.)

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  22. I don’t really like when comments are sorted by recommendation. First of all, who cares who likes what? And second, it’s confusing to read a non-linear set of comments.

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  23. fair enough, though I come to this site for expert opinion on topics which I feel I’m very knowledgeable on. If I wanted basic soccer education, I’d just as soon go to BigSoccer.

    (SBI-Beta, if a handful of basic questions are answered out of the 100 or more I get to in a given month do you really have a proble with that? I try to educate soccer fans of all levels interest, from the relative novices to the people who think they know everything. Either read it or don’t. Complaining about something so trivial doesn’t really look good for you.)

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  24. Ives, as always I appreciate your insightful critique of US soccer.
    I like your defense of mls being able to develop players. Most of our elite players spent some time in mls although some have not (davies). Spending some time in mls is certainly not a bad option in most cases.

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  25. Ives why do you even entertain questions from people who obviously have no idea what they are talking about (ie, the dood who mentioned Stu rotting on the bench, or the guy who said we only play concacaf opponents)?

    Why not just save that space for legit questions that provide insight to the 90% of us who understand the game?

    (SBI- Beta, the Stu question was obviously posed before Holden began playing so I thought it was fair. Also, the question about the schedule needs to be answered because the fact is there are some misinformed people who actually believe that, and I enjoy education the uneducated.)

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  26. Take a look at comments in the NY Times — they have users “Recommend” comments. Sorting comments by recommendations, activity within each comment thread, etc. might help readers.

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  27. I agree. It would be great to have a “view all comments” button, rather than having to click “more” a bunch of times on a in-game commentary thread.

    (SBI-That’s how the site is set up. If I could chance it I would. If it can change in a re-design I will look to make that change.)

    Reply

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