Let the sideshow begin.
NFL wide receiver Chad Ochocinco begins his tryout with Sporting Kansas City Wednesday morning (11 a.m.), when he'll try to impress coach Peter Vermes and secure a contract with Major League Soccer.
Sporting Kansas City is streaming the tryout live on its Web site, although it is closed to the public in Kansas City.
On Tuesday, Ives spoke with Vermes for his latest column on Fox, and the coach said that he believed Ochocinco was serious about the trial but that it was a long shot that he'd make the team.
Give the rest of the interview with Vermes a read and let us know what you think about this unique trial.
Do you hope Ochocinco makes it? Think this is a waste of time? Wish it was't happening? Like the publicity for MLS? What position do you see Ochocinco playing?
Share your thoughts below.
I’m sure Chad could play for Hollywood United if he lived in LA. They made it to the US Open Cup a couple years ago.
he’d be a great pair with Freddy Adu….
This is a joke. I thought KC was trying to become a more serious organization after changing their name to the eurosnobbish sporting kc. now we have this. this guy isn’t even that good in the nfl anymore. of course he will attract media attention, but what a distraction this is from a pretty good team that just won their first game and has signed a great player for MLS, omar bravo. what must he be thinking when he joins a team that is putting on publicity stunts like its 1996 and they need to attract fans. just when you think MLS is becoming a great league (i for one watched almost every game last saturday and thought the play on the field was really impressive and i’m excited about this season) you hear about b.s. like this.
i read your foxsoccer article ives and i could tell you are trying to be diplomatic on this, and your twitter comments have shown that you see right through this farce of a “tryout.” vermes should be criticized for this… do this in preseason at least before your team is playing real games that matter.
this is really depressing, but hopefully it will go away soon and we can talk about all the good things going on in MLS that don’t involve things that may attract the interest of some nfl fan but drives away soccer fans.
Does anyone remember when Sylvester Stallone and Michael Caine played with Pele in Germany?
I’m a let you finish, but William the Terror had one of the most out of touch blog posts of all time. All time!
except a guitar player.
wow. decaf, yo.
If stuff like this is what it takes for ESPN and the like to take another step toward giving MLS and soccer in general more coverage I’m all for it.
That and series of charity event where famous US non soccer athletes play with MLS stars in exhibition matches during the key offseason stretches of the NFL, NBA and MLB.
Does anyone remember when Andrew Shue, the actor from “Melrose Place,” played for the LA Galaxy? I read that he had briefly played professionally in Zimbabwe. I saw him once against the Metrostars. He played a few mintues as a second-half substitute. He didn’t light up the pitch, but he didn’t suck.
juggling a soccer ball and being pro are two different things…
Didn’t Ashley Cole just shoot an intern with an air rifle?? But only NBA players bring weapons into the locker room.
Yep. No doubt.
Well, they are tying to get him to Puerto Rico. They are working on the visa. We’ll see if they can get it through or not.
if they do, it will be another case of the Islanders doing what a lot of people called “impossible”.
In all fariness, wasn’t it the guy from SKC’s media dept that tweeted the challenge to Chad Ochocinco? If that is the case then it isnt Chad’s falut for making this so public rather than more anonymously. Chad accepted and that is when Peter Vermes was finally let in on the whole thing and then personally called Chad to se if he was really serious. You can’t fault Chad for jumping on a childhood dream.
I don’t think it should be seen as this is a guy who hasn’t played soccer in years and he gets a tryout…its this guy is really famous in the US and thats why he’s getting a tryout.
Like has been said many times, anybody who looks down on MLS because of this wasn’t going to become a fan anyways.
Totally agree with you…especially the second paragraph. It would be better for the MLS if he does not make the team. If he does, I can just hear all the soccer nay-sayers now…”That’s why soccer will never be a popular sport in our country…cause guys like Ocho Cinco can walk right onto our pro league teams.”
I have no problem with Ocho Cinco and wish him the best, just not in soccer.
I hear Rafael Nadal will be trying out for the Columbus Crew soon:
http://bit.ly/fcKHBU
Guns in the locker room? Does that happen often (aside from Agent Zero)? Do similar incidents occur in the NFL or even top soccer leagues? Do such incidents occur in the NCAA? If an athlete does something you find morally distasteful do you stop following that athlete/league? If so, do you apply that standard to offending athletes across leagues? NFL? NHL? MLB? NCAA? La liga?
What’s wrong with rap music? Do all or even a majority of the players sport “bling” (remember guys like Brian Scalabrine and Dirk Nowitzki play in this league too)? What’s wrong with the way they dressed before the dress code? Do soccer players in top leagues dress flashy?
Lack of defense and passion? Is that reality or just your perception? Would you question KG’s passion to his face? Ron Artest? Kobe Bryant? Tony Allen? Are soccer players in top leagues accused of being prima donnas and lacking passion? How about in the NFL?
You don’t want to watch the best basketball players in the world? You’d rather watch amateurs (great amateurs) because of rap music and bling? If you love basketball, why would you not watch the NBA?
Okay…
Sigh. Maybe with the Caribbean influx, Houston should look at Usain Bolt, too. He can just run it into the goal with none of this ‘finishing’ business that seems to give the forwards so much trouble.
Bro, I am far from the smartest guy in my house, let alone the world. But thanks for the confidence, Palayh.
The Sporting KFC folks–I never doubted their intelligence or their business acumen.
Hey–they are very clever guys.
I already explained the logic of my statement but I will give it another shot and maybe you will agree or you will disagree.
Just because I get attention for my product out to the public, doesn’t mean that the public will necessarily buy what I am selling. Especially if they don’t have an interest in the product.
If Mia Hamm comes out of retirment and goes on trial with SPorting Wizards and news crews cover it and it is the lead on Sports Center and ABC World News tonight gives it a minute of coverage, do you think that bump is going to be sustainable or even having notable lastuing residuals?
I doubt it. People love Mia Hamm. Nonsoccer fans no who she is. She trascends popular cultue.
I seriously doubt after the trial is over that a significant number of “soccer moms and dads” that loved her that live in the KC area are going to pony up their hard earned ca$h to by SportingWiz tickets just because it got 15 seconds of the sports entertainment news cycle.
Similar tryouts have taken place in different sports and they don’t appear to provide significant residuals.
The minor leaguie baseball team that MJ was barnstorming with–their numbers went back to what they used to be.
Miami FC’s attendence in the second division of US soccer didn’t show any noticeable bump when Romario signed with the team, let alone show a great bump from before he signed.
Same type of thing goes for when Roy Jones Jr. was playing minor league basketball.
Or Garth Brooks when he hung around with minor league baseball teams.
So there is my logic. Hopefully that helps you understand a bit better.
You think it’s brilliant. I think it’s super lame and shameless. I think that we both agree that it isn’t hurting anyone.
I just think that it makes them look silly and won’t help make MLS any more relevant–which based on what you seem to have written–you seem to think that there will be a positive, sustainable, residual effect.
Rather than be offended by the “you think you’e the smartest guy in the worl since you have all of the answers” response, it was cracking me up.
Why?
I’ll try to explain the logic to you
A: I don’t take myself very seriously.
B: I’m not that bright–I think anyone who has ever read one or more of my posts can attest to that.
c: Whenever someone pulls out the “Hey, Mr smartypants-know-it-all” arrow–it’s just really amusing. Especially seeing how this is a ergh, uhm sports forum where people are going to have different takes. Hello!?!?
That’s why we have sports radio, sportsblogs, bar stools and park benches.
Coz different people have a different take.
If we ever starts a discussion on here about something REALLY crucial to the human condition such as “Ginger vs Marianne” and you post, I’ll probably think twice about responding to one of your comments.
I just can just anticipate your response:
“If you were sooo smart–you would be working in casting for a major movie casting agent or you would have a prominent position with the Miss Universe Pageant!! Those people must all be dunces”
lol
Maximum respect, Playah!
Reasons why Ochocinco should make the team:
1) It’s Kansas City…not much explanation needed here.
2) KC Wizards idiotic name change to Sporting KC just to sound like the teams in Europe didn’t get the publicity they wanted.
3) Ochocinco, even on the bench, would bring in sold-out crowds.
4) ESPN/Sportscenter would be forced to talk about the MLS.
5) Again, it’s Kansas City
We’re talking about this, so it’s not pointless.
He won’t make the team, but it’s brought Sporting KC and MLS to the attention of local and national media. I think that’s pretty cool.
I find this comment surprising because he has a reputation for being a really nice, down-to-earth guy. I have a couple of friends who work for a Sports Marketing firm and they have done a lot of stuff with the Ochocinco News Network and have had nothing but good things to say about him.
Ocho Cinco is pretty funny. He doesn’t take the world seriously and in my opinion is a breath of fresh air, because under it all he means well.
He is also a professed soccer lover. And that we should embrace.
If a professional athlete in any sport loves the game and wants a tryout. Let them. If anything it validates the sport and league more.
I seem to remember Reggie Bush and Beckham trading practice drills and David James suiting up in a Dolphins uni at practice. No one was concerned about that and it brought NFL attention to SKY.
Ocho will be fit, but he’ll probably be as good as a good highschool player out there.
My point is that Shue was a publicity stunt pure and simple. His career of a few short mop-up time minutes proved that.
i have at least as good a first touch, shot, and passing skills as he has… good grief.
I think most people here know about ochocinco better then I do – they seem to be overly opinionated that ‘this is a mistake’ (from an MLS needs respect perspective).
But, I see this differently, he’s 33 – loves soccer and is a fine athlete. I watched about an hour of that try-out and all I felt was sorry for him. He’s a machine and I think hearing that interview he might have said ‘it went well’, but his voice sounded like he knew he failed that try-out.
Feel bad for him – for all of us old guys that wish we could have gotten just one try out (when we were at our best)..gotta feel for him. Has to hurt – but he gave it a try.
maradona, can’t come to the US, he has a drug conviction 🙂
hahahaha
uh, ok, not that it has anything to do with Chad Johnson, but in all seriousness, Shue was actually a better soccer player than an actor (which isn’t exactly high praise). He played at Dartmouth, and in some league in Africa, and only became an actor after getting spotted at some awards show he attended as his sister’s ‘date’.
Well said.
I guess Sporting needs more email addresses that aren’t from India after their publicity stunt of signing Sunil Chetre and promoting him as the first Indian in MLS failed when he was only good enough to play a few minutes in one US Open Cup game.
I bet people show up to the Open Cup game for once if Ochocinco plays in it.
There’s a difference between my opinion and yours: SKC front office seems to agree with me, and I’m going to assume that they are not a bunch of dunces.
Tell me the logic behind your statement:
– You say this is a shameless, super lame publicity attempt.
– You say there is no chance that it will work.
SKC needs to hire you dude, you’re the smartest guy in the world!
Both Jackson and Sanders were unmatched athletes. Ochocinco is not on that level in football or otherwise, especially at age 33. And there is a big difference between not having played a sport competitively since middle school and taking a couple of years off.
It’s probably better for MLS if he fails, to show that the league has such quality that an aging wide receiver can’t just walk in and compete at the same level.
love that walter payton quote.
i don’t hate that chad is trying out for an MLS team, i just wish he could have done so more anonymously….i think it says a lot about the state of our league when a guy who is a great athlete, but hasn’t played soccer in years (assumption) thinks he can legitimately come in and compete for a spot in the top league in our country….perhaps he should’ve tried a USL team
Props to Yankiboy for exposing CZO13’s sterotyping for what it is. Kentucky is the state that gave the world it’s greatest ever athlete (Muhamad Ali), the nation the President that kept America together and ended slavery (Lincoln), and the most elaborate white collar sporting event in America (the Kentucky Derby).
But before you call Kentucky racist, maybe you should note that the sports race barrier that was broken by Jackie Robinson did so with the support of Major League Baseball Commissioner “Happy” Chandler, a Kentuckian who was elected Governor.
I just watched the live practice and saw the interview. A few things i noticed:
1)He is out of season for NFL and not in soccer shape to begin with. I wouldlnt have expected him to not get “gassed” or need a break.
2)I think this was his first humble and serious interview ever and should show everyone just how much he loves soccer. I really believe that this isnt just a publicity stunt now. It is just a man that has a chance in life to go back and try to achieve something he always wanted to achieve, to play professional soccer. I can’t hate him for that. Also, he didnt ask for special treatment during practice and didn’t get it.
I hope Chad sticks it out the full 4 days. I could care less whether or not he makes the team. That is irrelevant. What mattters is that he raises the profile of soccer and gives it his all so he won’t have regrets. It is clear he respects the game, and I respect him for that.
Sorry, most people’s problem with the NBA is that it isn’t college. The overpaid players, the blaring Rap music DURING THE GAME, the bling and the way players dress (before the dress code was slapped on them), the guns in the lockeroom, the complete lack of defense and the ability to walk half the paint until you shoot just kills it compared to the passion of college players… although now you can argue that is even corrupted with the recruiting hijinks.
Is it still on? I don’t see anything
Uhm, the league that let Andrew Shue (Melrose Place fame) play for their flagship team probably shouldn’t make us all be suprised when an Athlete wants to take a stab at playing soccer.
I think when people say that they mean if those players had taken up the sport at an early age and focused on it, not if they just switched over at their current age.
Do you deny that athletic talent translates some between sports?
Why has no one mentioned STEVE NASH? Look at his skills while just playing around.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PwbCLqB8_5o
And those arent important really, its his vision and awareness for passing and not turning the ball over.
Chad Johnson has NO chance of making the team, Steve nash on the other hand might.
think about Michael Jordan retiring from basketball and playing baseball. It didnt work out that well.
Finish this sentence:
William the Terror hates _____ people
I have to admit, it would be pretty awesome if somehow he was good enough to make the MLS.
Well said.
I hope he does well – if only because we’d see some great goal celebrations (he’d have a lot more creative license than in the No Fun League). Ochocinco always seemed to me a ‘harmless loon’ – wacky but not dangerous. Good luck to him this week.
What bugs me most about American soccer comment sections is the way soccer is treated as a walled fortress to be vigorously defended against interlopers. Every high school second-team all stater is on here griping about skills other people don’t have, tactics that coaches can’t understand, and perceived mockery from other sports and other countries. Where’s the joy, where’s the curiosity in how an elite athlete like Ochocinco will ultimately fare in this tryout? Instead it’s condemnations and belittling. It’s the man’s first day trying out with the team. He’s 33 years old. I can’t believe he is getting winded! I can’t believe he doesn’t have a great touch right off the bat! Lighten up, it’s a great story that has tens of thousands of people watching on an otherwise quiet sports day. No one that matters is laughing at US soccer or the MLS. Your life’s value will remain intact.
i honestly should be working on my term paper on how the distribution channels of manuscripts throughout europe changed with the invention of the printing press, but iäm too busy watching chad stretch.
Sick!
Pick that scab, again–why don’t you??? Just when it was finally starting to heal.
Hilarious.
I hope you don’t have a copy right on this term “douchenuckles”. I like and shall recycle.
I agree with the rest of your statement also. Every World Cup that argument is repeated from the once every four year observers of US Soccer.