Colin Linford Resigns as President of the CSA

www.canadasoccer.com/eng/media/viewArtical.asp?Press_ID=2853

Resignation letters are pathetic. I know. I had to write one once. RL's never contain true feelings and always give the ominous impression that all concerned are amicable, civil and professional.

Often we know this to be bullshit. Like, the one (found in the above link) tendered by (now former) CSA President Colin Linford.

"The Canadian Soccer Association would like to thank Mr. Linford for his efforts and contribution to the development of the game and wish him well in his future endeavors."

Cut it out already. No one believes this stuff.

I'm glad there's been some reaction to the idiocy that has festered over at the CSA through the years. It's about time they are scrutinized.

Now, I'm no run of the mill genius or dime a dozen scholar but I do have an IQ that allows me to function with some ever so tender and basic observational acumen.

And what I observe is that the CSA is a punchline to a bad Whoopi Goldberg joke.

It's probably time to do away with the fractured mess known as the CSA. For over twenty years all I saw was the utter lack of direction this dysfunctional bunch provided soccer. I can just imagine how many "qualified" people with true soccer credentials work for the CSA. Rare have they ever done what's right for Canadian soccer as a whole. What else is new in Canada? Like there are no national standards for several things (like financial services and health) we have the same parochial provincialism that litters the minds of the CSA.

The CSA's new motto? Clueless in the Big White.

Only in Canada we speak of wanting to be a soccer power without putting an effective plan in place. Only here we want to take on the world and expect to win without proper training- hey, we earned a moral vict, er, tie against Iceland the other day. A game, by the way, none of our sportscasters had any highlights to show soccer fans.

At least we have head coach Dale Mitchell to save the day. He did great things with the U-20 squad.

That sound you hear is my tongue piercing through my cheek.

No one needs to be an insider to understand the CSA's poor track record. The results speak for themselves. Just look at Canada's ranking over the last 15 years. Look for us on Page 2.

In the end, while all this is embarrassing, I can't help but think about how all the soccer players that have gone through the program were poorly served. The CSA's legacy is one of missed opportunities and wasted potential.

I think what Mr. Linford would have preferred to say was:

Dear CSA: I tender my resignation because you evidently are a bunch of incompetent and

possibly corrupt...

..Finding le mot juste is always so hard.