Why Landon Donovan’s Return to Professional Soccer is Bad for the MLS

To this day, whenever my dad and I discuss soccer in the United States, he always mentions Landon Donovan. “Is he as good as Landon Donovan?” “Do you still follow Landon Donovan?”

There are two reasons for this – he remembers how much I admired Landon and he doesn’t follow the USMNT closely enough to know names like Christian Pulisic or John Brooks. If pressed, he might be able to come up with the name Clint Dempsey.

I mention this to illustrate how big of a fan I am of Landon and to show that for many, he is still the face of the USMNT.

However, the MLS has long been branded a retirement league for players around the world. Starting with David Beckham and onto the likes of David Villa, Andrea Pirlo, Didier Drogba, and Frank Lampard among many others.

In the last couple of years, the league has tried to shed that image with some success after the signing of younger players like Italian Sebastian Giovinco from world-renowned Juventus at the age of 28, American Michael Bradley from also world-renowned Roma at the age of 27, fellow American Jozy Altidore from English club Sunderland at the age of 25, and Mexican Giovani Dos Santos from Spanish club Villareal, also at the age of 25. All of which were still in their prime at the time of the signing.

Earlier this year, Jordan Morris, a highly-touted 21-year old from Stanford University, reportedly had an offer from German club Werder Bremen which he turned down to play for the Seattle Sounders. Morris’ decision to play in the MLS rather than the Bundesliga is perhaps the best example of younger talent choosing to play in the MLS.

At 34 years of age, Landon would hardly be the oldest player in the league. According to transfermarket.com, that spot is currently held by Didier Drogba. In fact, Landon would be the 29^th oldest player, just behind USMNT stalwart, Jermaine Jones. But Landon is far from being young and to think that he is anywhere near fit enough to play would be a joke.

Compare this to perhaps the most well-known athlete to come out of retirement: Michael Jordan. While you might be able to suggest that, like Jordan is arguably the best to ever play in the NBA, Landon is arguably the best to ever play in the MLS. However, you would be overlooking the fact that the NBA is the best basketball league in the world. The MLS is very far from the best soccer league in the world.

Reportedly, Landon is in contention to make the bench for LA Galaxy’s September 12^th matchup with Orlando City. This is less than a week after the announcement that Landon would be returning to the Galaxy. Consider this – even as one of the best players to adorn the USA jersey and any jersey in the MLS, Landon was probably still just an average player in his prime. At least 5-6 years after his prime and 2 years after playing a professional match, Landon is able to suit up for a professional team?

I don’t think this says very much about the level of play in the MLS and if the league would like to shed the image of being a retirement league, and they may not even care for all I know, then they are taking a few steps backwards.

NCAA Tournament - Elite Eight

Check This . . .
After the Sweet Sixteen the Big 12 has two teams, Kansas and Texas, remaining. The Big 12 is the only conference to have two teams left. The tournament began with the Big 12 having six teams participating, as did the Pac-10 and the SEC. The Big East led all conferences with 8 teams participating. At this point the Pac-10 only has one of their six remaining (UCLA) and the SEC has no teams remaining. The Big East only has one of their eight bids left (Louisville).

The Big 12 has been criticized lately as being a weaker major conference in basketball. Perhaps rightly so. There hasn't been a Big 12 team in the Final Four since 2004. But all that seems to have changed. And it may be worth mentioning that the Big 12 supplied the 2007 Naismith College Player of the Year in Texas' Kevin Durant and may do the same in 2008 with Kansas State's Michael Beasley.

As for the other major conferences, the ACC began with 4 teams and has North Carolina remaining, and the Big 10 also began with 4 teams and has no teams left.

Also . . .
Typically, I only concern myself with the major conferences, but sometimes the NCAA Tournament can be a special time. As an alumnus of a Sunbelt Conference school and 2007 NCAA tournament participant, North Texas, I would like to brag. The Sunbelt Conference sent not one, but two teams to the 2008 NCAA Tournament in South Alabama and first and second-round darlings Western Kentucky. Western Kentucky's game winning, buzzer-beating shot by Ty Rogers assisted by stellar guard Tyrone Brazelton is sure remain as one of the 2008 NCAA tournament's great plays.

E-mail me: llanesjr@gmail.com

Pornography and It's Influence

There were a lot of good points made in class. Something that was touched on briefly was the point that if there wasn't a market for pornography and if sex didn't sell, clearly we wouldn't see it as often. People are going to do what it takes to get ahead, it's in our nature, even if that means making money off of sex. Rather than shaking a finger at the advertisers and the adult industry, perhaps we should be dissapointed in ourselves for looking longer at the advertisement. And if the adult industry and sex in advertising is so derrogatory to women, why does this gender perpetuate the idea? Here's a suggestion. Clothe yourself. Clothe your daughters. It starts with you. I haven't seen them all, but I'm willing to wager a generous amount that any woman's magazine has similar advertisements. Not that I am complaining. I'm a 25 year old male. I love it. Honestly, a scantily clad attractive woman holding a bodyspray, sandwhich, or whatever else is not going to make me buy that particular item. Though I can guarantee I'll notice the ad.

Before I read the Yahoo article on the school shootings in at SuccessTech Academy in Cleveland, I figured the shooter would be nonwhite because the question was asked about bringing up his race. While reading the article initially I didn't notice any reference to race until it described Coon as a white person in a "predominantly black school". I was kind of surprised. Though, it doesn't strike me as inappropriate. It does strike me as interesting that the shooter is white and the majority of his classmates are black. However, one student did say that "she didn't think race played a role in the shootings." The article also mentions the shooter receiving a punch in the face on the day of his shootings for merely bumping into someone. What Coon did certaintly isn't justifiable, but I wonder if that is the way he is treated regularly. I think that people are interested in knowing the race of people in the news, particularly in this type of story. It helps to create a visual.