Hey Florian @balogun , hear me out my brother in football⚽️
this is not about whether the red card was right or wrong anymore. That debate will never end. This is about the integrity of football.
If I were in your boots, I’d refuse to play against Belgium. Not because I think you’re a bad player or because you asked for any of this, i think you are great, but because politics has now entered the game.
A President of the United States publicly intervened, FIFA softened your suspension, and UEFA says FIFA crossed a red line. If you step onto that pitch, fair or unfair, millions of people will forever question whether you should have been there.
Don’t forget that your career is in Europe, the home of the world’s biggest clubs, the highest level of football, and fans who treat this sport almost like a religion. They care deeply about the integrity of the game. If it were me, I wouldn’t risk carrying this controversy for the rest of your career over a single match. One act of principle today could earn more respect than a hundred goals tomorrow.
Be a hero, don’t get branded as a corrupt loser, fans all over the world will remember your choice. Forever. One game can change all your career and life, choose wisely.
All Leo Carlsson had to do is exactly what Pavel Mintyukov did. Receive offers, report back to GMPV, and work out a deal based on that. Instead he chose to never be on a franchise's Mount Rushmore.
This was the nightmare scenario playing in the background all season long for the Anaheim Ducks, and it was entirely avoidable.
How Pat Verbeek came to staring down choice of $18M or losing franchise center Leo Carlsson ⬇️
@SportingTrib | #FlyTogether
https://t.co/8ZxBIUTVPV
The point is this:
Danny Briere just showed that he’s fully willing to slam down the hammer and go all-in. He’ll make a splash. Puts the league on notice.
Also, regardless of whether Anaheim matches or not:
A 21-year-old budding superstar 1C just chose Philly as a destination.
Happy Bobby Bonilla Deferral Day: Bonilla is set to collect another $1.193 million from the New York Mets today, as he will each July 1st through the year 2035.
Not great. To be sure, not a smoking gun -- generous interpretation is that maybe he saw a clump that was similar to his and wanted to see how it felt. And again, he is far from the only guy who does stuff like this.
But also ... not great.