USL Team Forfeits Game They Were Leading, Misses Playoffs Protesting Slur

Andrew Donaldson

Born and raised in West Virginia, Andrew has since lived and traveled around the world several times over. Though frequently writing about politics out of a sense of duty and love of country, most of the time he would prefer discussions on history, culture, occasionally nerding on aviation, and his amateur foodie tendencies. He can usually be found misspelling/misusing words on Twitter @four4thefire and his food writing website Yonder and Home. Andrew is the host of Heard Tell podcast. Subscribe to Andrew's Heard Tell SubStack for free here:

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9 Responses

  1. Pinky says:

    An interesting story in that everyone involved seems to have done the wrong thing. The instigator was unsportsmanlike in using a slur. The ref should have called only what he saw and stuck with it. The Loyal should not have walked. The only people in the story who didn’t act badly were the other members of the Rising, so…congratulations on the win?Report

    • Oscar Gordon in reply to Pinky says:

      And be sure to beat your team mate soundly about the head for being so fecking stupid.Report

    • Kazzy in reply to Pinky says:

      I’m okay with the ref walking back the penalty upon new information, if that is how it happened.

      I’m also okay with the team’s actions. If they were willing to accept the forfeit, so be it.Report

      • Oscar Gordon in reply to Kazzy says:

        Thing is, a win like that is forever tainted. Everyone will know that the score was 3-1 in favor of the team that forfeited, and that the forfeit was because of unsportsmanlike conduct.

        So sure, it’s a win, but it’s a crappy way to win.Report

  2. Doctor Jay says:

    I recall a story that Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has told about his coach at UCLA, John Wooden. It seems that fairly early in the 60’s, before the Wooden’s Bruins were winning everything in sight, and were merely very good, the NIT (the other post-season tournament in that day, since the NCAA Finals were much smaller) sent out a feeler to Wooden. They would like the Bruins in their tournament if only Coach could see his way to starting only white players – subs would be fine?

    Wooden’s reply was, if I recall, “You have a wonderful tournament, and we’ll be really sorry to miss it”.

    So, no, I don’t know that I have a problem with the Loyal walking off the field. I’m so very tired of having to take crap like this with no protest. If a team wants to forfeit a game in protest, good for them.Report

    • Pinky in reply to Doctor Jay says:

      There’s a difference between structural racism – an actual structure that followed an actual racial policy – and a claim of an insult.

      That said, I’m all about sportsmanship. I hate taunting, name-calling, trying to get away with penalties, et cetera. The players I admire are the ones who cross the goal line and toss the ball to the official. I also don’t think you should carry on if a ref misses a call.Report

  3. DensityDuck says:

    If the ref didn’t see it, they can’t call it.

    If they start calling stuff because of What That Other Dude Definitely Said When You Weren’t Looking, then slurs will become the new diving.Report

  4. Philip H says:

    one guy taking a knee didn’t move the dial in any measurable positive way for society, so I guess a walk off is the next level up.Report