English Premier League....Protectionism & Nativism at their finest

Today, Barclays English Premier League chief executive Rich Scudamore announced:

"As of next season clubs will be required to have a squad named of up to 25 players, of which no more than 17 can be over the age of 21 and not home grown."

A home grown player is "any player who has played for an English or Welsh club for three years before their 21st birthday. (ESPN)"

The EPL's new exclusionary policy seems, at its heart, to directly contradict the notions of international professionalism and premier football. From what I can discern, this policy aims to a) maintain a high class of football in the English National program, b) maintain a high presence of english footballers among England's premier professional club teams, c) limit the extravagant transfer spending and high wages that accompany competing for widely-desired international talent, and, perhaps most importantly d) encourage the fan/footballer relationship among both english fans and the footballers themselves.

In actuality, it is likely to a) distort salary wages between international and english players in an effort to keep the premiere English talent while filling international talent into fewer available roster spots, b) worsen the overall caliber of EPL play, and, ultimately, c) worsen the overall face of the EPL throughout the international football community.

This policy is snobbish and elitist; an attempt at buoyancy, a last stand by a fearful and sinking football superpower. Racism, ethnocentrism, and nativism are woven throughout the policy, as is economic protectionism in its definition.

In America, as an American sports fan, I've never experienced or been privy to the notion of losing national stardom to an international league -- in most instances, international talent comes to America (NBA, NFL, PGA Tour, etc.). Within the context of soccer (sorry, ugh), our rare national talent has traveled to international leagues (often unsuccessfully), but, nevertheless, it's not as if I, or anybody for that matter, was hoping they'd play in the MLS -- in every instance its benefited the nation's soccer program as a whole.

While I admit that I lack context in collecting my thoughts on this issue, I do feel a certain relevancy in terms of the merit of professional club football. Most consider the EPL to offer the highest class of professional football in the world and the EPL certainly broadcasts themselves within that proclivity.

I dislike the policy because it is exclusionary and protectionist, it will worsen the caliber of team skill in the EPL because it discourages an international marketplace approach to the game where players are sought out of need and adequacy and then promptly forced out due to inadequacy and need. My fear as a fan is that other countries and their respective leagues will reflexively adopt or strengthen existing policies, hence lowering the overall caliber of professional football.

This policy sounds very Republican. . .

-Barry

There are other financial elements to the policy which I don't understand (see BBC article (HERE) for a comprehensive report).

Quote taken from ESPN Soccernet (Here)

Photo(s): English Premier League, Rich Scudamore

Emmanuel Adebayor. . .Stamping what? Inflammatory celebration what?

For those who missed it. . .

It's ironic that only days after I spoke of my loathing for nihilistic football (sports) fans, only days following my condemnation of club supporters who consider fan-hood an entitlement rather than a luxury, Manchester City F.C.'s new star Emmanuel Adebayor (Forward - Togo) disgraced himself, his club, his city, and the sport in his childish antics in Manchester City's 4-2 victory over Arsenal this weekend.

(Watch Video Footage Below)

For those unaware, Adebayor spent four seasons with Arsenal before signing to Manchester City this summer for 25 million pounds. Since his signing, Adebayor has ruthlessly criticized Arsenal and his former fans. In the days leading up to the match, it was obvious that there could be a potential confrontation between Arsenal (fans) and Adebayor.

As it appears, Adebayor consciously "stamped" on the face of Arsenal's Robin Van Persie (Forward - Netherlands) following a Van Persie slide tackle. Van Persie sought medical treatment, before returning to play and, in keeping with both his football skill and athletic character, scored a goal later in the match.

On the official arsenal website, Van Persie issued the following statements:

"He set out to hurt me. I do feel lucky that I have not received a greater injury."

"I have not received an apology from him, there were no words exchanged afterwards. He had his own agenda today and that is bad for football. It's bad for the game we all love."

Adebayor told reporters:

"I was trying to kick the ball. I see him tackling and I don't have time to take my feet back because I'm trying to kick the ball."

"My feet touch his head. I feel sorry for him and even straight away, and at the end of the game, I said sorry."

As for the second part of this story, following Adebayor's head-in goal ('80) he sprinted the length of the pitch and maliciously taunted Arsenal fans, for which the referee issued him a yellow card. Adebayor's celebration infuriated Arsenal fans to the point where they hurled objects on the pitch; one such object incidentally struck a steward, who needed to be taken to a hospital for treatment.

Obviously, the FA are looking into the situation and most rumors are saying that Adebayor will receive a multiple game suspension.

Since starting with Manchester City, Adebayor (and other transfer season signing Carlos Tevez) have made a huge impact. Manchester City is currently third in the Premiership table, but have played one fewer game then the other four top teams. Adebayor has four goals scored in four games played.

I've been a huge fan of Adebayor's talent since becoming a Premiership follower, but his temperament and character is clearly questionable. While I'm routinely quick to give athletes a lot of moral leeway when engaged in competition, athletes often broach a point where playful taunting becomes insidiously disrespectful, where displays of self-pride and inner-celebration become boastful moments of profligacy.

While I do agree with Charles Barkley that athletes don't need to be role models, they do need to be aware that in certain instances, at certain times, athletes themselves transcend their sport, while their sport simultaneously transcends itself. Sports, at times, become more than just a sport, as we all now. In the make of the West Ham United/Millwall anarchy, Adebayor should and needs to be more consciously aware of the repercussions that inciting aggression among football fans can have.

Adebayor's actions were, at best, immature.

Adebayor's punishment should be at two distinct levels: 1) he should be suspended 2-3 games (Manchester City plays 9/20 vs. Manchester United, 9/23 vs. Fulham (Carling Cup), and 9/28 vs. West Ham United) and 2) the Premiership should force Manchester City to, as Juventus had to, play a match behind closed doors -- hence losing ticket revenue for a match.

While its often said that sport builds character, it can be equally discerned that sports are character revealing even at the most elementary of levels. Whereas aggressiveness, egotism, gamesmanship, and, well...cheating, have a place and time (Michael Jordan's foul) in sports, the fabric of sports often exists primarily within the moral compass that it is founded on, that it is played under.

(**Update**)

My initial response portrays Adebayor as the sole instigator of the situation that erupted on Saturday, improperly so. It should have been more duly noted that the Arsenal fans behaved similarly childish and are responsible for inciting Adebayor's response. While he clearly escalated the incident to that beyond the acceptable confines of gamesmanship (both among players and fans), the actions of the Arsenal players was disrespectful and disappointing as well.

-Barry

Footage of the "stamp" in question and Emmanuel Adebayor's goal and subsequent celebration:

See BBC Football story (Here)

See ESPN Soccernet story (Here)

Quotes taken from BBC Football Story

Photo(s): Emmanuel Adebayor w/ Mark Hughes, Robin Van Persie, Emmanuel Adebyaor

Chelsea FC Update

Chelsea have emphatically stated that they're going to appeal the FIFA ban.

Read on (HERE).

Chelsea Receive Transfer Ban....

Supposedly, Chelsea F.C. induced Gael Katuka (France) to breach his contract with Lens when he went to Stamford Bridge in 2007.

Woops. . .

Now they've been banned from signing new players for the next two transfer windows.

Check ESPN Soccernet (here)

Check BBC Football (here)

Photo(s): Chelsea FC