Shut Up DeRo!
Dwayne De Rosario: “The drama continues. Nana keep your head up!“ via Twitter
The above little nugget came to my attention on Friday afternoon as the TFC Twitter-verse kind of exploded after former Toronto FC captain and current New York Red Bull Dwayne De Rosario decided to weigh in on an article in the local Toronto press about the contract status of young defender Nana Attakora.
And this is officially it for me with this guy. To hell with him!
Until today I was willing to give DeRo to some degree the benefit of the doubt. On his return to BMO Field in October I was planning to not boo him at all as a way to thank him for his exemplary service on the field in his 2+ seasons in TFC red. I was willing to let bygones be bygones. He had moved on and so had we. In fact I probably would have given him the same kind of applause that I gave Carl Robinson when he returned last season with New York.
But after today that has all changed.
DeRo (a.k.a. “MeRo”) was tweeting his thoughts on a recent article posted by CBC soccer beat writer John Molinaro, who quoted Nana Attakora and his agent. The article stated that Nana was allegedly being frozen out of the lineup by Toronto FC because of an ongoing contract dispute that as it stands today will see Nana out of contract in the summer and be in a position to negotiate with other clubs. Nana’s agent also claimed that because of this dispute TFC were actively shopping Attakora to other MLS clubs in a potential trade. The piece is here.
http://www.cbc.ca/sports/soccer/story/2011/05/11/sp-nana-attakora.html
And here is Nana’s comments after practice on Friday afternoon that are largely centered around his response to the piece.(courtest TFC TV)
As well Coach Winter stated after training on Friday that he felt the article’s assertions were groundless and that Nana’s lack of playing time was due more to increased depth at the position he plays and due to a lack of both form and performance on the part of the player in training and in game situations. Take it for what it is worth but he did state that Nana is not being “frozen out”.
But I digress… the Nana thing is not what I want to write about today.
What more than anything else I want to know is what was going through the mind of Dwayne when he decided that it was time to stir the pot in Toronto once again even though he has left the club and is now playing for another team altogether?
The only logical reason I can think of for him doing this is in some spiteful ploy to try and incite more controversy and animosity within a club that he is no longer a part of. Even if one gives Dwayne the benefit of the doubt about how he was treated in Toronto…Even if you totally believe him and disbelieve TFC management in how his issues and concerns were handled or not handled in his time here, the fact that he decided to try and stir the pot today speaks to a huge lack of class and professionalism on his part.
And all he has to do is to look a ways down the bench in New York to see a player who had similar issues in his time in Toronto, but who decided to be a classy professional. Carl Robinson was in my eyes treated shabbily by Mo Johnston and this treatment led to his departure from Toronto to New York early last year. One can perhaps argue that Carl was one of the few true leaders this club ever had in its short tenure. And in spite of how he was treated Carl took the professional high road and left town in a classy way. Upon his return last season with New York, when he scored a late goal in a 4-1 Red Bull victory he even refused to celebrate with his teammates as a sign of respect to the fans that he appreciated and respected so much in his time here.
Me thinks if DeRo plays here on October 1st when New York comes to town and if (god forbid) he scores a goal, I do not think he will be the classy individual Carl Robinson was in the same circumstance.
You know what?? New York can have him. In time he will emerge there as the surly locker room cancer he eventually became in Toronto. Its always been that way with that guy in city after city after city.
I wish it was not this way Dwayne. But you brought it upon yourself. Expect to hear thousands of voices in October calling you what you have truly become to me, a “T.O. Reject!”.
What a shame.
What do you think? Your comments are always welcome and appreciated.
twitter link? what did the mighty Mero say?
Good for Nana, though. Held the swords back (for the most part, almost till the end).
newf, i’d have to disagree with your outlook on this. from what i’ve heard, dero doesn’t handle his own tweets or facebook updates (although i’m sure he has a personal one kicking around somewhere). if that isn’t the case, and he either gave the go-ahead, or personally tweeted this, i’d like to sum up his actions with a whopping “WHO CARES!?”
he doesn’t play for our team.
he’s no longer our captain.
if the intent here was to make a statement which contradicts his previous statements of being “done” with the club, let him. regardless of whether you love someone or hate someone, you’re still putting the same amount of effort into it. when he shows up to BMO he, like all of our other losses, will be another player on another team. you have to earn the right to be distinguished as the opposite. robbo did that, and we love him for it.
I disagree with you completely. Here is a guy who helped Nana develop. into a mature young player and you make it seem as if DeRo is just doing this to bother TFC management.
DeRo is a teammate on the national team with him, why wouldn’t he be looking out for and supporting him?
Tim, I have to agree. I own a business where this type of shit goes on regularly. People who have left trying to create negative drama. Its a tactic I personally have never understood. Maybe someone who disagrees with your post, can explain what good this kind of rubbish brings. Unprofessional from someone being paid a professional salary.
Good Riddence
don’t understand how anyone can defend dero here.
1. he’s just supporting a teammate. is it really appropriate to “support” a former team mate by going out of his way to TWEET it to the public, when a simple text message would have done the same job on an arguably more personal and worthwhile level? so no, he’s not supporting his team mate. he’s just being a media/attention whoring moron.
2.he supposedly doesn’t manage his own tweets. then he needs to fucking take a good look at his PR person.
good point about robinson. i wasn’t his biggest fan but you didn’t see him take the piss on TFC to the media, let alone twitter, since he left do you? dero is just a classless ball-hog who has made a career in a niche league but has an ego the size of the moon. his tweets shouldn’t even be a talking point, but it’s a funny world we live in.
Loving the comments in here which are not supported in any way by the evidence. DeRo is a ball hog? Why is he playing his new position in NY exceptionally well? He was the locker room cancer? Why has the locker room gotten worse since he left? And the best, he’s a reject? LOL! That speaks to the ignorance the most. If that is the attitude of Toronto fans, then perhaps we really do deserve this shitty team and it’s shitty front office. DeRo did what almost every player for TFC has done since they left, indirectly pointing to drama in the organization, including but not exclusively a Mr Carl Robinson which BgNewf incorrectly claims did not say anything about the club after his departure. What he did was simply hold back names and specifics but he did point to drama at TFC and low and behold DeRo does the same but Carl gets the pass. Brilliant!
Roogsy — what evidence is there that the locker room has gotten worse since De Ro left? You love to talk about “facts” and “truth” but you don’t back up statements of your own that are stated as fact. Prove that the locker room has gotten worse — I dare ya.
Ha ha, Roogsy is Mero……….the guy will throw is his club, fellow supporters and group under the bus for his childish and emotionally immature insecurities.
Mero is a moany bitch
Thanks to everyone for their comments. Glad to see that I have started a lively discussion.
I would caution everyone however to not engage in any personal attacks upon one another in this space. Even though I believe in free speech I do reserve the right to edit posts from people that are getting unnecessarily personal with one another.
We can all agree or disagree with one another, but we do not need to be mean about it.
Cheers
Tim
What evidence is there that the locker room has gotten worse? Is this like the case where I said that teams were interested in DeRo and he was eventually going to be traded and low and behold was? And other teams eventually admitted interest as well? My record speaks for itself. If you don’t believe me, don’t. I don’t care. But doing so only makes you intentionally ignorant.
^
My stars……listen to this guy…..lulz
He has said everything once….like teams willing to give mero DP – he didn’t get it. His credibility resides in some fantsy world and he calls people ignorant if they do not believe what he says?
Listen to the guy Tim….that’s what he’s saying here.
Pure lulz
I’m not commenting to start personal problems with anybody, I would just like to make a point not about what DeRo said about Nana, but I think the problem is the way he said it.
“The drama continues”, there was no need for that comment, in my view, he’s taking a personal shot at Toronto’s management. I’m sure Dwayne is still in contact with former team mates, what is wrong with picking up your phone and sending Nana a text? or calling him? Why make a rude public statement? Did he honestly expect that nobody would catch on to his cheap shot at our managment?
My point is, DeRo needs to forget about TFC and play for his own club, and maybe he should think before releasing that statement to all of Toronto.