SAN
SAN DIEGO
SAN DIEGO LOYALS SOCCER TEAM PROVED IN THEIR INAUGURAL SEASON THAT THE TEAM NAME MEANS
SOMETHING THE LOYAL DID WHAT
FEW PROFESSIONAL TEAMS ARE
WILLING TO DO.
>> THEY STOOD UP FOR THEIR
PLAYERS AND PUT ETHICS,
INTEGRITY AND VALUES AHEAD OF
WINNING GAMES ON HOWARD HAS
MORE ON A MINOR LEAGUE TEAM
THAT MADE MAJOR LEAGUE NEWS IN
THE FINAL EIGHT DAYS OF THEIR
FIRST SEASON.
>> THAT'S RIGHT.
THE LOYAL 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.
WE WANT TO STAND BY OUR VALUES.
THEN THIS IS WHAT WE DO.
OBVIOUSLY SAN DIEGO FEELS THAT
WHAT HAPPENED WAS UNACCEPTABLE
.
>> THE LOYAL WALK OFF OCCURRED
ONE WEEK AFTER L.A. GALAXY TWO
PLAYER OMAR ONTO FARO'S USED A
RACIAL SLUR AGAINST THE VOYLES
ALIJA MARTIN.
WE BELIEVE THAT YOU KNOW, WE
SEE SOMETHING WE IN SOCIETY
ACTUALLY HAVE TO SPEAK UP AND
AN TWO DAYS LATER THE LOYAL
REQUESTED THE LEAGUE REMOVES A
POINT AND THE STANDINGS THAT
THEY HAD EARNED IN THAT MATCH.
WE DON'T WANT TO BE COMPLICIT
OR A PART OF THE GAME OR THAT.
>> AND SO THE ONLY OPTION AT
THAT POINT 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 OF YOU
KNOW, PLAYING IN THE PLAYOFFS
AND ALL THE FINANCIAL BENEFITS
OR DO YOU GET THE BENEFITS
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.
>> 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, CROSSED THE LINE
WHEN HE TOOK IT FURTHER AND HE
CALLED IT A GAY SLUR.
>> I MEAN IF I WOULD'VE CALLED
HIM BACK AND WORKED OUT WHAT
WHAT WHAT WOULD'VE HAPPENED
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 IMPORTANT GAME?
TO BE HONEST, I REALLY WANTED
TO PLAY THE GAME AND JUST
FINISHED 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, SPORTSTALK
TALK RADIO WAS A BUZZ ABOUT THE
MODERN DAY ATHLETE AND IF HE'S
TOO THIN SKINNED FOR AN ELEMENT
TO THE GAME THAT 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
SPORTS, RIGHT?
THEY'RE JUST WORDS.
THE PROBLEM IS HIS WORDS CAN
LEAD TO ACTION FOR SOMEONE WHO
MAY BE USING GAY PYFROM
COMPASSION, YOU KNOW, IN THEIR
SHOES YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT
THAT WORD AND BOTH ALIJA AND
COMMON EVENTUALLY RECEIVED
PHONE CALLS FROM THEIR
OFFENDING PLAYERS.
HE EXPLAINED HOW NO AUTHORITY.
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 A MEDICINE IS
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.
HELP 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 24 YEAR OLD KIDS.
>> WE HAVE TO REMEMBER THEY'RE
NOT SEASONED 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
ANYMORE PROACTIVE ABOUT TRYING
TO PREVENT 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 WE CAN
RID SOCIETY OF IT AS WELL.
>> THAT IS SOME SERIOUS BIG
PICTURE THINKING THERE BY THE
SAN DIEGO LOCAL EXECUTIVES AND
HEATHER AND CARLO.
I'VE BEEN A SPORTS FAN MY
ENTIRE LIFE.
I'VE A SPORTS JOURNALIST FOR
THREE DECADES.
I'VE NEVER SEEN A TEAM REALLY
GIVE ITSELF SELF PUNISHMENT
HURTING AND TAKING AWAY ITS
CHANCE TO MAKE THE POSTSEASON
IN THE NAME OF DOING WHAT'S
RIGHT.
>> HAVING ETHICS AND HAVING
VALUES THE LOYAL REALLY MADE A
STATEMENT WE CAN ALL LEARN FROM
IT.
DID THE LEAGUE PRESIDENT AS A
WHOLE ISSUE ANY NEW BLANKET
RULES AS FAR AS FINES OR
RESTRICTIONS USING THAT TYPE OF
LANGUAGE ON THE FIELD IN THE
FUTURE?
>> THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT DOING
A LOT OF PRESEASON AND OFF
SEASON EDUCATE.
AND BOTH COLIN MARTIN AND ALIJA
MARTIN HAVE SAID THEY WILL MAKE
THEMSELVES AVAILABLE TO TALK
ABOUT WORDS THAT ARE JUST OUT
OF BOUNDS EVEN WHEN IT COMES TO
TRASH TALKING.
AND JOHN, WE SEE THIS KIND OF
BIG STATEMENT AND SOMETIMES THE
KIND OF PRESSURE PUT ON A TEAM
FOR MAKING STATEMENTS LIKE IT
CAN BE ROUGH ON THEM.
>> BUT YOU GET THE SENSE THAT
THIS IS MAKING THE LOYAL A
TIGHTER UNIT.
>> I THINK ABSOLUTELY IT MAKES
IT A TIGHTER UNIT AND DOING
THOSE INTERVIEWS WITH THOSE
PLAYERS FOR A SEPARATE STORY, I
WAS ASKING THEM WHAT WAS THE
EXPERIENCE LIKE WORKING AND
PLAYING FOR A TEAM THAT WAS IN
ITS FIRST YEAR OF EXISTENCE,
ESPECIALLY DURING THE PANDEMIC.
>> AND THEY SAID THEY LEARNED
SO MUCH ABOUT LEADERSHIP,
LEADERSHIP THAT WENT FROM THE
TOP TO THE BOTTOM BOTH FROM
WARREN SMITH AS AN EXECUTIVE TO
LANDON DONOVAN AS THE TEAM
MANAGER.
THE DECISIONS THEY SAW MADE
WERE REALLY HARD TO BELIEVE.
DECISIONS THEY HAD NOT SEEN IN
THE PAST.
AND IT'S SOMETHING THEY LEARNED
FROM LANDON DONOVAN WHEN THEY
DECIDED AT HALFTIME TO WALK OFF
THE FIELD.
LANDON TOLD THEM, LOOK, IT'S
YOUR DECISION YOU GUYS MAKE
THAT DECISION.
AND SURE ENOUGH, THE PLAYERS
DECIDED TO WALK OFF RIGHT THERE
AT THE SECOND KICKOFF.
AND JOHN, LAST THING JUST
WRAPPING UP.
WHERE IS THE LEAGUE RIGHT NOW
WITH THIS?
THEIR SCHEDULE IS JUMBLED.
EVERYTHING WAS THROWN ABOUT
BECAUSE OF THE PANDEMIC.
WHEN ARE THEY STARTING UP
AGAIN?
THEY DON'T.
TYPICALLY THEY'LL START UP IN
MARCH BUT THIS NEXT YEAR
THEY'RE PROBABLY GOING TO TRY
TO DELAY THAT AGAIN WAITING TO
SEE WHAT HAPPENS WITH THE
PANDEMIC.
BUT AS YOU MIGHT RECALL, THEY
PLAYED TWO GAMES IN MARCH.
THEN THERE WERE THE LOCKDOWN'S
AND THEN STARTED UP AGAIN LATER
THIS YEAR.
THEY DON'T PLAN TO START IN
MARCH.
THEY WANT TO DELAY IT BY A
MONTH OR TWO AT LEAST AND THEN
START AT THE SEASON