tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2807806767960745481.post9017197187726852310..comments2024-03-21T22:51:15.684-07:00Comments on The Least Thing: Making Sense of USSF Electoral MathRoger Pielke, Jr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/04711007512915460627noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2807806767960745481.post-38175681775179277842018-01-10T14:56:25.729-08:002018-01-10T14:56:25.729-08:00I know that the Athletes Council is trying to get ...I know that the Athletes Council is trying to get more people to the meeting this year. They might not get all 20 (Heather O'Reilly has a game in London the next day), but I wouldn't be surprised to see 10 or more. <br /><br />I haven't been able to get a sense about whether the fear of reprisals is genuine or overblown. duresporthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00147767730295597150noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2807806767960745481.post-75117202961104615692018-01-10T14:48:56.032-08:002018-01-10T14:48:56.032-08:00Thanks, really excellent comments. Steve Bank alre...Thanks, really excellent comments. Steve Bank already caught the error in MLS players (there are not even 12 men on the Athlete's Council so not sure when that gremlin came from), and I clarified in an update. The action of course will be in the subset chosen to cast the 4 or 6 or ? ballots for the athletes. I'm venturing that half of these will be MLS guys. We shall see.<br /><br />This is a really interesting comment: "Many people haven't wanted to make their opinions public for fear of reprisals."<br /><br />I have no doubt it is true, but it is a really, really sad statement about the actual or at least expected behavior of (some in) USSF.<br /><br />Impossible to read the tea leaves, but I'm guessing Carter wins, not based on any inside info, just because the math appears so favorable to her candidacy if in fact Garber and Gulati are serving as vote whips.<br /><br />Thanks again.Roger Pielke, Jr.https://www.blogger.com/profile/04711007512915460627noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2807806767960745481.post-57735154714710436782018-01-10T13:53:35.514-08:002018-01-10T13:53:35.514-08:00Certainly some issues to consider here, but also a...Certainly some issues to consider here, but also a few points to correct: <br /><br />1. The Athletes Council has only seven (not 12) players with MLS experience: Bocanegra, Ching, Guzan, Holden, John, O'Brien and Spector. Of those, only Ching spent more than half his career in MLS. John has spent the last 10 years in Europe; Spector just joined MLS after a long career in Europe. <br /><br />The rest of the Athletes' Council: <br /><br />10 former WNT players: Boxx, Holiday, Hucles, Lindsay, Markgraf, O'Reilly, Osborne, Rampone, Tarpley, Wagner <br /><br />2 Paralympians: Ahrens, Sibayan<br /><br />1 indoor / beach soccer player: Perera <br /><br />2. I'm not sure I agree that the USSF procedure is unnecessarily complicated. There are a lot of stakeholders here. The law requiring 20% representation for athletes is a necessary complication -- they could either try to get hundreds of athletes to show up as delegates so they won't be weighted as heavily or force the states to designate a small number of delegates, which wouldn't sit well. <br /><br />3. The bias against women is absolutely an issue, especially within the states (very few women involved there, which is also why only one woman (Evelyn Gill) has repped the Adult or Youth Council (or the At-Large spot) on the Board in its current incarnation. It's also an issue, as Paul Caligiuri has raised most pointedly, on the Pro Council. It's tough to make a case for more NASL representation, and NISA is not yet operational, but it's tough to defend the limited vote for the NWSL. (Which, to be clear, includes some owners who also own MLS clubs.) <br /><br />4. We've had some interesting debate about open vs. secret ballots. You make the case in favor of open ballots. The case against: Many people haven't wanted to make their opinions public for fear of reprisals. It's a dilemma. <br /><br />5. I will be surprised if Kathy Carter wins. The states have been uneasy for some time, and they have roughly 50% of the vote. The athletes -- again, not as beholden to MLS as one might think -- sound less likely to vote as a bloc, and I can report that there's certainly some discontent with the status quo there. (Also, we have several former athletes running -- athletes may be just as inclined to vote for a former teammate as they would for a past employer who no longer holds any sway over them.) duresporthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00147767730295597150noreply@blogger.com