Because soccer isn't gay, but once in awhile it kinda is.
Posts tagged san jose earthquakes
Alan Gordon Speaks to Newspaper About Suspension
04/18/13
MLSSoccer.com
Alan Gordon spoke with the San Jose Mercury News after receiving a three-game suspension for using a gay slur in Sunday’s Earthquakes game against the Timbers.
He revealed that he has been in touch with out player Robbie Rogers through mutual friend Steven Lenhart to apologize, who understood how words can at times slip out at the heat of the game.
Gordon far from uses the heat of the moment as an excuse when he spoke with the Mercury News, though:
“I’m the furthest thing from being homophobic,” Gordon said. “That’s why it hurt. I can honestly appreciate the sensitively of the word if I put myself in other people’s shoes. That has not come out of my mouth since high school. It’s not language I use. It’s despicable.”
There are more powerful quotes from Alan Gordon in the Mercury News piece. They also spoke with the You Can Play Project’s Patrick Burke, who with David Testo will be doing diversity training with the team soon.
You Can Play to Provide Earthquakes Diversity Training
04/17/13
The You Can Play Project has been selected by the San Jose Earthquakes to provide diversity training for its team.
You Can Play provides a very unique training opportunity for the Quakes, because they bring both the expertise of LGBT advocates like founder Brendan Burke and the experience of LGBT athletes to its learning experiences. Former MLS and NASL midfielder David Testo is a member of the YCP board, and will play a role in the Quakes training.
The entire Earthquakes squad will be going through the training sessions, and not just Alan Gordon, who is mandated by the League to undergo diversity training.
From the Earthquakes’ release:
“We have enlisted the You Can Play Project to meet with our players and coaches to discuss the issues facing LGBT athletes in sports,” said Earthquakes President Dave Kaval. “They have built a great organization and we look forward to learning from their expertise and to furthering our work toward true unity in our locker room.”
Last week You Can Play entered a formal partnership with the National Hockey League and its Players Association. While not yet a partnership of this level, it’s great to see an MLS team working with YCP!
Alan Gordon Suspended Three Games for Slur
04/16/13
SJEarthquakes.com
The Major League Soccer Disciplinary Committee has suspended San Jose Earthquakes forward Alan Gordon three games for his use of a gay slur Sunday night in the Quakes’ match against the Portland Timbers.
This is in addition to an automatic one-game suspension for being ejected from the game after receiving a second yellow card after elbowing Timbers player Mikael Silvestre.
Alan Gordon will also be fined an undisclosed amount and attend diversity training beyond that which is part of the standard preseason training.
Said Commissioner Don Garber:
Major League Soccer stands against discrimination and prejudice of any kind and will not tolerate this type of behavior. All of our players, staff and fans must remain committed to respect and dignity at all times.
It’s commendable to see the League act so quickly and maintain the same zero tolerance policy and repercussions set last season. Beyond the League-mandated punishment it would be great to see Gordon go above and beyond what is demanded and use this time to reach out to his local LGBT community, much like Marc Burch did during the off-season.
Alan Gordon Crosses the Line
04/15/13
SJEarthquakes.com
Forward Alan Gordon clearly used a gay slur in the 60th minute of last night’s MLS match between his San Jose Earthquakes and the Portland Timbers.
The look on Gordon’s face immediately afterward showed a keen awareness of what he had just said, and his apparent target Will Johnson flashed him the number three as a sign of the now-standard three-game suspension that was issued to Colin Clark and Marc Burch last year. (Incidentally, while with Salt Lake Johnson was also who Burch directed the same insult toward.)
Deadspin captured the video and slowed down the moment in question.
Following the match Alan Gordon issued a statement via the Earthquakes’ website:
I sincerely apologize for what I said in our game tonight. Although I said it in the heat of the moment, that language has no place in our game. That is not my character, but there is still no excuse for saying what I said. I made a mistake and I accept full responsibility for my actions.
Beyond the expected suspension for this incident, Alan Gordon also has an automatic one game suspension as he was ejected from the game for a second yellow card for elbowing Portland’s Mikael Silvestre. It will also be interesting to see if Gordon does anything beyond any suspension handed down by the Disciplinary Committee, much like Marc Burch did in Seattle over the off season.
Will Johnson scored the lone goal of the game, a beautiful free kick leading to the Portland Timbers’ 1-0 win.
Ally Chris Wondolowski Stars in Premiere of NBC Sports’ “MLS 36″
08/03/12
Stay tuned Sunday after NBC Sports Network’s broadcast of Dallas vs. Portland for the premiere of their latest behind the scenes show MLS 36.
The latest in the “36″ series of shows, the program follows a player for the 36 hours prior to a critical performance. Indy Car and NHL have been previously featured in the series.
The MLS 36 series kicks off with San Jose Earthquakes forward Chris Wondolowski in the run up to July’s MLS All Star Game victory over Chelsea FC:
Portland Ends Another MLS Winning Streak
07/05/12
by jrodtimbers
in Portland Timbers
This week Portland saw something that has happened plenty of times before: a team on a hot streak ends up losing in the Rose City. This time the takedown was San Jose in a 2-1 win. It was a hard fought match that was nerve-wracking at the very end of the game.
Portland had goals from two people who haven’t scored a goal yet this season until last night, hometown favorite Danny Mwanga and captain Jack Jewsbury. It was a long time coming but I could see in their eyes that they were glad to get one goal under their belts — especially Mwanga. He even did a very interesting goal celebration after he scored:
Casting the MLS Musical: Part I
06/08/12
by ajvsell
in Culture & Style
The gayest night of the year is approaching really, really quickly. That’s right, boys and girls, it’s time for the Tony Awards. I could write a post about which MLS forwards are the best “actors” in the league, but I decided that wasn’t interesting enough (winner: Will Johnson. Putz.). So instead, I’ll present to you over the next several days the MLS Musical. I’ve picked out which Broadway show best represents each MLS team and my reasoning for that pick.
But first, a quick vocal warmup:
Everybody in tune? Great, here we go:
Soccer Ally May: San Jose Earthquakes
05/03/12
Soccer Ally May is off to a great start. Two teams that started off the month with no players on the list — Columbus Crew and Sporting Kansas City — each have five players represented as Soccer Allies.
Sporting Kansas City is having a match at the end of the month at which they’ll be honoring Show Me Pride in their city, and their opponents for the game are the San Jose Earthquakes. San Jose also starts off our recruitment campaign with no players on the Soccer Ally list, and hopefully a push to contact their players today can keep this recruitment month going strong.
Please help us contact Quakes players throughout the day today. Have them Tweet at us or use the #soccerally hashtag and we’ll be watching both for responses.
Tuesday Happy Hour: Soccer Moms & First Kick was the Bomb
03/13/12
by gay4soccer
in Happy Hour
It’s a one-day respite between the excitement of First Kick weekend and the second leg of CONCACAF Champions League Quarterfinals, and there’s plenty to talk about.
- We have a double dose of our ally Jason Davis. First, on Run of Play he detests the concept of the “soccer mom” and the effect that the notion has had on our league.
- On KCKRS Jason also share’s some awesome new social media video technology appropriately from the San Jose Earthquakes, MLS’ team in Silicon Valley.
- Ahead of Saint Patrick’s Day this weekend, The Other 87 comes up with an all-Irish starting eleven in their weekly Tuesday XI.
Thursday Happy Hour: I’ve Never Wanted a Diet Soda So Much Before
02/23/12
by gay4soccer
in Happy Hour
First up, the Vancouver Whitecaps show a great sense of humo(u)r with this photograph they Tweeted as a response to advertisements featuring a rival in his skivvies popping up in their city. But really, it’s the kind of funny you would expect from Canadians.
We love when MLS teams go retro (as with Portland’s third kit this season), and MLSSoccer.com gives us a look at the San Jose Earthquakes’ season tickets for 2012, featuring photographs of Quakes teams from different eras going back to the NASL days of the 1970′s.
KCKRS introduces us to buckminsterfullerene, outer space molecules whose shape looks an awful like the truncated icosahedron of the Adidas Telstar soccer ball made famous by the World Cups of the seventies.
Finally, four members of the USA squad just called up today to face Italy next week participated in a photo shoot for Pepsi Max, and they posted the behind the scenes video today. Gorgeousness abounds.
