MAJOR
MAJOR LEAGUE NEWS IN THE FINAL EIGHT DAYS OF THEIR FIRST SEASON.
THAT'S RIGHT.
>> THE WORLD MADE NATIONAL
NEWS WHEN THEY WALKED OFF THE
PITCH DURING THE FINAL MATCH OF
THE YEAR.
THE PROTEST MADE A STATEMENT
RARELY IF EVER BEFORE SEEN IN
PROFESSIONAL SPORTS.
THE TEAM WAS WILLING TO
SACRIFICE A CHANCE TO MAKE THE
POSTSEASON IN THE FIGHT FOR
SOCIAL JUSTICE IN SAN DIEGO
WALKING OFF THE FIELD.
>> THIS IS WHO WE WANT TO BE AS
A CLUB IF WE WANT TO STAND BY
OUR VALUES THEN THIS IS WHAT WE
DO.
>> OBVIOUSLY SAN DIEGO FEELS
THAT WHAT HAPPENED WAS
UNACCEPTABLE AND THE LOYAL WALK
OFF OCCURRED ONE WEEK AFTER
L.A. GALAXY TWO PLAYER OMAR
ONTO FARO'S USED A RACIAL SLUR
AGAINST VOYLES ALIJA MARTIN.
WE BELIEVE THAT IF WE SEE
SOMETHING WE WE IN SOCIETY
ACTUALLY HAVE TO SPEAK UP AND
ACT.
>> TWO DAYS LATER THE LOYAL
REQUESTED THE LEAD REMOVES A
POINT IN THE STANDINGS THAT
THEY HAD EARNED IN THAT MATCH.
>> WE DON'T WANT TO BE
COMPLICIT OR A PART OF A GAME.
WHERE THAT HAPPENS.
AND SO THE ONLY OPTION WAS TO
SAY WE DON'T WANT THIS GAME
EVER RECOGNIZE ASKING TO HAVE A
POINT?
I MEAN FROM THEIR OWN SEASON
STANDINGS WAS SO UNUSUAL THE
LEAGUE DIDN'T KNOW HOW TO
EXECUTE IT.
MAKING THE REQUEST EVEN MORE
POWERFUL WAS THE LOYALS
POSITION AS A BUBBLE TEAM TO
MAKE THE POSTSEASON.
>> WE GET THE BENEFITS, YOU
KNOW, PLAYING IN THE PLAYOFFS
AND ALL THE FINANCIAL BENEFITS
OR DO WE GET THE BENEFITS OF
DOING THE RIGHT THING?
THE THING I'M MOST PROUD ABOUT
IS THAT WE KEPT OUR INTEGRITY
BACK TO THE FINAL MATCH OF THE
YEAR.
>> HOW DO I KNOW I SCORED THE
LOYAL AS A THREE TO ONE LEAD
JUST BEFORE HALFTIME WHEN
PHENIX MIDFIELDER JUNIOR
FLEMMING'S USES A HOMOPHOBIC
SLUR AGAINST THE LOYALS COLIN
MARTIN WHO IS OPENLY GAY.
>> IT CROSSED THE LINE WHEN HE
TOOK IT FURTHER AND CALLED IT A
GAY SLUR.
I MEAN IF I WOULD HAVE CALLED
HIM THAT N-WORD WHAT WHAT WHAT
WOULD'VE HAPPENED?
THAT WOULD'VE BEEN THE SAME
THING.
HOMOPHOBIA FOR THE SECOND MATCH
IN A ROW, NO DISCIPLINARY
ACTION WAS TAKEN BY THE
OFFICIAL OR THE OPPOSING COACH
AT HALFTIME LOYAL PLAYERS
DECIDED TO WALK OFF THE FIELD
AT THE SECOND HALF KICKOFF.
>> COLLINS ONE OF THE STRONGEST
PEOPLE I'VE EVER MET I THINK WE
FELT LIKE WE HAD TO BE STRONG
FOR HIM THERE.
HOW DID YOU FEEL ABOUT THE
DECISION FOR THE TEAM TO WALK
OFF AND FOCUS AGAIN?
TO BE HONEST, I REALLY WANTED
TO PLAY THE GAME AND JUST
FINISH THE GAME AND HOPEFULLY
DEAL WITH THE SLUR AFTER THE
GAME.
>> IN THE WAKE OF A LOYAL
GIVING UP A POINT IN THE
STANDINGS FOR A RACIAL SLUR AND
THEN A WALKING OFF THE PITCH
FOR A HOMOPHOBIC SLUR, SPORTS
TALK RADIO WAS ABUZZ ABOUT THE
MODERN DAY ATHLETE AND IF HE'S
TOO THIN SKINNED FOR AN ELEMENT
TO THE GAME.
GOES BACK AS FAR AS ONE CAN
IMAGINE.
BUT AT WHAT POINT DOES TRASH
TALKING GO FROM BEING PART OF
THE FABRIC OF THE GAME TO BEING
INAPPROPRIATE AND UNACCEPTABLE?
>> IT'S A TOUGH ONE, JOHN,
BECAUSE YOU CAN SAY WHAT'S A
SPORTS RIGHT?
THEY'RE JUST WORDS.
THE PROBLEM IS HIS WORDS CAN
LEAD TO ACTION FOR SOMEONE WHO
MAY BE USING GAY HAVE SOME
COMPASSION NOT IN THEIR SHOES.
YOU DON'T AND YOU KNOW WHAT
THAT WORD MEANS.
AND BOTH ALIJA AND CARMEN
RECEIVED PHONE CALLS FROM THEIR
OFFENDING PLAYERS.
>> HE EXPLAINED HOW FAR YOU
WERE.
HE SAID IT WAS THIS HEAT OF THE
MOMENT.
I DIDN'T TAKE THEM AS BEING A
RACIST.
I MEAN TAKE YOUR MEDICINE
TRYING TO HURT ME.
I JUST TOOK THE MEDICINE JUST
TALKING TRASH.
I APOLOGIZE AND I ACCEPTED AN
APOLOGY AND I THINK IT'S IT'S
GOOD FOR BOTH OF US TO MOVE
FORWARD.
>> VERY SUCCESSFUL TO HELP HIS
LOYAL TEAM PRESIDENT WARREN
SMITH WANTS INAPPROPRIATE SLURS
ERADICATED FROM THE GAME.
>> HE SAYS THE ANSWER STARTS
WITH LEAGUE WIDE EDUCATION AND
THE PRE-SEASON.
>> THESE ARE 20 24 YEAR OLD
KIDS.
WE HAVE TO REMEMBER THEY'RE NOT
SEASON IN LIFE.
DONOVAN SAYS OFFENSES SHOULD BE
HANDLED WITH MORE PROACTIVE
DISCIPLINE DURING THE MATCH AND
IF APPROPRIATE PENALTIES FOR
THE CLUB AFTER THE MATCH AND IF
THE CLUB GETS PUNISHED.
>> I CAN PROMISE YOU THE CLUBS
WILL BE MORE PROACTIVE ABOUT
TRYING TO ABOUT THIS BEHAVIOR
AND SAN DIEGO IS WALKING OFF
THE FIELD.
>> TIME WILL TELL IF WALKING
OFF THE FIELD BECOMES A
BENCHMARK IN THE FIGHT FOR
SOCIAL JUSTICE REGARDLESS.
SAN DIEGO LOYALS HOPE IS TO
IMPACT MORE THAN JUST THE SPORT
OF SOCCER.
AT THE END OF THE DAY, IF WE
CAN RID THE GAME OF THESE TYPE
OF THINGS AND I THINK