In Under The Wire
So, thanks to my man Dan Loney, I am reminded that Soccer Hall of Fame ballots are due tonight. Last year, I apparently had until early December. Caught me off guard.
Anyway, last year I voted for Jeff Agoos, Mauricio Cienfuegos, Raul Diaz Arce, Marco Etcheverry, Joy Fawcett, Robin Fraser, Pato Margetic, Victor Nogueira, Preki Radosavljevic and Carlos Valderrama. As soon as I transmitted the electronic ballot, I realized I hadn’t meant to vote for Diaz Arce. Luckily for me, my vote didn’t help him. And Agoos and Fawcett got in.
This year there are 24 names on the ballot and three of them (Chris Henderson, Eduardo Hurtado and John O’Brien) are first-timers. Four who were on last year’s 25-person ballot (Agoos and Fawcett, who got elected, and Frank Klopas and Pato Margetic, who did not) are not on this year’s list.
Seven people I voted for last year are back, but Diaz Arce was my mistake last year, so I’ve got six holdovers and ten spots - leaving four openings IF I vote for all six holdovers. While I don’t necessarily agree that ten votes is the way to go, those are the rules, so here we are, my rationale for voting for or against each of the 24 players:
- Mike Burns: Fine player. Not a Hall of Famer.
- Mauricio Cienfuegos: Terrific, outstanding player from MLS’ beginnings. Absolutely, yes, I’m voting for him.
- Raul Diaz Arce: Won’t make that mistake again. Fine player. Not voting for him this time.
- Thomas Dooley: As I’ve explained before, I’ve deliberately made Dooley sit in the penalty box the last few years because of his messy exit from Columbus and captaining the ‘98 World Cup team. Now he’s served his time (in my eyes, we’ll see if his support moves off where it’s been the last few years) and, yes, I’m voting for him.
- John Doyle: Good player. No.
- Marco Etcheverry: One of the best players MLS has ever had. Really remarkable contributor to DC for many years. Yes, he gets my vote.
- Robin Fraser: Voted for him last year, think defenders get shafted a lot, think he was a great player whose trophies and caps are few. Yes, I’m voting for him this year, too.
- Chris Henderson: I really liked Chris Henderson as a player. Just kept running and running, played forever, effective but not flashy. A man after my own heart. I don’t think he’s a first-ballot guy, but I may vote for him in the future.
- Eduardo Hurtado: Had a long career as a journeyman, from here to Ecuador. Scored a lot of goals early in MLS’ existence. A lot of guys scored a lot of goals early in MLS’ existence. Did you know he actually signed to play with the Cleveland Force of the Major Indoor Soccer League (the second one, not the first or third one)? The indoor game wasn’t for him. The Hall isn’t, either.
- Dominic Kinnear: Played for my team, too. Great coach. I don’t think he’s a Hall of Fame player.
- Roy Lassiter: The less said about Roy the better.
- Shannon MacMillan: I think she’ll get in, eventually.
- Joe-Max Moore: I love Joe-Max. Can’t put him in the Hall, though.
- Victor Nogueira: Has outdoor credentials, but, as I believe the Hall shafts indoor players, I vote for him on that basis. He’s one of the greatest non-scoring indoor soccer players ever. I realize I’m in the minority on this one. I just do what I can. A big yes
- Peter Nowak: Fabulous player. Wish he’d had a longer career, or that we could vote for combined player/coach contributions to the game. Had Hall of Fame ability, not sure the career was long enough (not that that was entirely his fault).
- John O’Brien: Welcome to the ballot, John. Write if you get work.
- Cindy Parlow: Terrific career. Not going in.
- Preki Radosavljevic: How did he not get in last year? He actually got less support last year than the year before. Can’t figure it. Maybe this year, where there aren’t a few clear favorites. Yes, I’m voting for him.
- Mike Sorber: Not in this group, no.
- Earnie Stewart: Didn’t vote for him last year, but only because of the numbers game and because I knew he’d be up for consideration again. His contributions to the national team and the fact that he did come back to the US to cap a long pro career make me okay with voting yes for him.
- Steve Trittschuh: Love Steve Trittschuh. Former Rowdie, former Mutineer. Can’t vote for him.
- Carlos Valderrama: Blah blah blah no defense blah blah blah never won anything blah blah blah. Great player, we were blessed to have him here. Watching him play was magic. But as I look at overall contributions to the game of soccer in this country, I don’t think I can vote for him anymore. He played. People watched. But did he really impact anything?
- Tisha Venturini-Hoch: Another terrific player. Another no vote.
- Peter Vermes: I’ve voted for him before, but won’t this time around. He was very good, just not Hall-worthy.
So that’s seven. This will be the first time I’ve not used my full complement of selections, then. I guess either I’m getting more conservative about what Hall-worthy means, or this isn’t a particularly sexy group. Probably a little of both.
While I’ve voted for lots of people who haven’t gotten in yet, I don’t believe I’ve ever failed to vote for anyone who did get in. That says something, I guess.
The inductees will be announced in early 2010.
Tags: soccer, soccer Hall of Fame
November 18th, 2009 at 5:15 pm
So I have to ask, what is the difference between a First Ballot Hall of Famer and someone you vote for the second time they’re up? Does the Hall distinguish between them? I’ve never understood the “I’m not voting for it because it’s his first year” thing, and you’re the first person with a Hall of Fame vote I can ask about the distinction.
November 18th, 2009 at 6:09 pm
I get you. A guy is either a Hall of Famer or he (or she) isn’t.
That said, these are the rules of the game. If they said, “You get one shot to vote for this person, they’re in or they’re out,” that would be fine with me. I think you might get a better electoral process. You might run the risk of someone not getting in that should be, I don’t know.
It’s only because they allow us to do this. Sometimes you get people who are “more deserving” than others and you end up with a numbers crunch. Or, petty as it may be, we get to make guys sit in the penalty box (like Dooley, or like Jim Rice was in baseball) to do penance.
If you look at Dooley’s voting record, he got a spike one year - without playing. You see guys get more support as time goes on. It’s a strange phenomenon.
But once you’re in, you’re in. No Hall I know of makes a distinction between first-ballot HOFers and those who take longer to get in.
November 18th, 2009 at 6:10 pm
Well, I don’t care what you say, I’m going to vote for John O’B - aaaah! My writing hand!
November 19th, 2009 at 2:18 pm
I don’t understand how you could not vote for Peter Nowak. After Peter Wilt, he was the most important guy that magical first year. The fact that he was so good he was regularly fouled (forgot did you when Hernandez purposely stepped on his eye?) led to all those injuries.
He was the best player this league has seen. Ball handling, desire, energy, leadership. This guy had it all.
November 19th, 2009 at 2:32 pm
Not that you’re biased, or anything. Terrific player, but “best the league has seen?” Don’t know about that, przyjaciel.
He played five years in MLS and in the last two years, only played 34 games. Had a huge impact on the 1998 and 2000 Fire teams and a case could have been made for him for 2001 MLS MVP despite a half-season’s work. But what impact did he really have on American soccer? If it was just “Pick the 10 best soccer players on the ballot,” then it’s a different story. But it’s not. Had he played at that 1998/2000 level for 8 or 10 years, different story. But he didn’t. If, down the road, you can combine his playing/coaching careers in this country, different story. Right now, you can’t.
Nowak has received about 30% of the vote the last few years. It appears as though your opinion is in the minority. Doesn’t mean it’s wrong. Just means the consensus doesn’t seem to agree with you.
November 19th, 2009 at 4:16 pm
Not a fan of the women’s game but I thought Cindy Parlow would have gotten more consideration.
November 19th, 2009 at 4:18 pm
Parlow may have suffered from the fact that she wasn’t as good as her teammates. Or at least, as celebrated as them. She’d have to stand in a pretty good sized line while the rest of her teammates got in. But, yes, a very, very good player.
November 19th, 2009 at 4:27 pm
Something just rubbed me wrong about Parlow. Yes, she scored 75 goals, but she never really seemed to work for them.
November 19th, 2009 at 5:22 pm
If Nowak’s a lock, then so is the guy who beat him in the MVP voting in 1998 (hint: he’s not)