Easy, Burrell, easy-Observer West Column

[Lazie]

I was at a function to honour the Reggae Boyz at Sandals MoBay and in his presentation, Simoes (and it was reported in the Gleaner) said our schoolboys football system was a waste of time and the JFF should scrap it and instead put in a youth club system.

Simoes had very little tolerance for what he did not know or did not agree with and that was what led him to down play the Caribbean Cup when he said when he was in the Emirates all he heard about with the Confed Gold Cup.

Unless you have facts to counter this please dont waste my time.

Suh Simoes said that and todate nobody acted on it? No wonder we are where we are in world football! We're wasting time with useless D Cup and Manning Cup football, crowning mediocre players as stars while in the rest of the world, teens are competing for positions in professional teams. When are we going to learn?

[Jawge]

This is news to me: I didn't know it was dean
and Jackie Walters that qualified the youth teams. so what dem figet how fi coach?

[Sickko]

Please be quiet and allow Baddaz to swallow the crow that is stuck in his throat and be a man to apologise for daring to question my integrity

[Jawge]

Not any time soon; high school
football is the thing among us. I guess at times the truth hurts and the Prof. with a good heart told the truth.

[Baddaz]

funny you would make this statement about simoes, 'Simoes had very little tolerance for what he did not know or did not agree with' and demonstrate similar characteristics... i see seh yuh very testy deeze dayz sickko... you still haven't put the statement in its proper context...

[Sickko]

and you spinning worst than Karl and Lazie combined, I am still waiting for you to prove that I lied about what I said about Simnoes and that is the germaine topic right here, not me been testy or not.

[Lazie]

Not any time soon; high school
football is the thing among us. I guess at times the truth hurts and the Prof. with a good heart told the truth.

Which is something I've always failed to comprehend. I'd drive pass Drax Hall on a Saturday when meaningless D Cup a play and the place packk ... Sunday there is a D1 game or better yet a NPL game and the crowd is significantly less.

We need to see that we're not benefitting from these useless schoolboy leagues. If a man waan cheer fi him school, guh watch boys or girls champs, football is bigger than that. Anyways, thanks Sickko, now mi see that smady whey know ball had the same views as me.

[Jawge]

In countries that are powerhouses in
the game; fans are devoted to clubs. In JA fans are devoted to high schools. That in itself speaks volumes.

[Lazie]

In countries that are powerhouses in
the game; fans are devoted to clubs. In JA fans are devoted to high schools. That in itself speaks volumes.

As hard as it is, mi affi agree wid yuh! Who can forget the final between PMU and Boys Town ... can you imagine if it was St. Georges vs KC? Why Jamaicans suh obsessed with school boy football is beyond me.

[Baddaz]

yeah mi deh yah a laff... i remember simoes referencing the schoolboy football, yes... however, it was not in the context in which you reported it... thats all... i believe you are conveniently omitting statements before and after the schoolboy football reference during his speech...

[Sickko]

And you cant expand your mind to se how we can harness this to enhance the game on a holistoic way instead of tearing it down?

Indiana for example embrace their High school basketball tradition which is second to none in the entire USA and even bigger than the Pacers yes.

But we must destroy all of our traditions?

There are talks to change the format of DCup, maybe as soon as next season where they will create a super league where you have the best teams playing against ecah other form the get go not just at the Inter-zone or quarterfinal stages and also to get the top eight teams in DCup playing the top eight in manning Cup.

These people are not lokking to destroy what has taken us here but to enhance it.

[Sickko]

I trust my memory more than yours and I would invite you to prove me wrong with facts not your subjective memory.

[Mosiah]

Are we saying that because Simoes didn't like it he is right? I have a brain for myself, thank you very much.

There are a hundred reasons why schoolboy football is popular. First, most of us went to a high school. Many of us have children who attend high schools. Why shouldn't there be some connection?

What connection do we have with clubs?

[Jawge]

So now you know where our mind
is; this is why the Prof wanted to remove the amateur mentality and replace it with one of a professional. Sadly the local experts would kill him for it. Take a notice of our clubs when they play the championship aginst Pro clubs from central america and the US. The truth hurts but if we accept and build on it, we can become a force in the game.

[Baddaz]

sickko... come on now... at no time have i accused you of being a liar... mi nuh debate suh... mi diagree wid your presentation of a particular statement you attribute to simoes... dat nuh mean seh yuh iz a liar... and mi wudda call yuh a liar... mi repect yuh enuff...

and where am i spinning... purely rhetorical... yuh don't even need fi ansa dat...