04/25/24
June 18, 2003
England goalkeeper to play for Miami Dolphins?: David "Daffy" James, goalkeeper of recently-relegated West Ham, and occasional England keeper (as well as being famed for goofball goalie gaffes w/ those teams and Liverpool and Villa), will try out on June 24 for QB, WR and kicker positions. Is Ding-Dong David doing this because he doesn't want to play in the 2nd, erm, First Division, but nobody wants him in the EPL or England, for that matter? Will he pave a lucrative path for EPL retirees (and other unemployed Euro soccer pros)? Will we see a foreign "invasion" (as in the MLB and NBA) that may push player salaries down? Should I have posted this in Football? Two worlds collide!
posted by worldcup2002 to soccer at 03:30 PM - 12 comments
On ESPN radio this morning they reported he was doing this purely for conditioning/training purposes and not with the intention of actually making the roster. Which makes far more sense then having a goalie work out at QB or even WR. Now if this were the Bengals my tune might be different.
posted by kloeprich at 04:26 PM on June 18, 2003
Well then, he should get some catching tips from the receivers. Hahahahaha.
posted by worldcup2002 at 04:51 PM on June 18, 2003
Too bad James isn't trying out for real. I would haved loved to have seen the Miami Herald after he was removed from a game: "Wannstedt Pulls Out 'Ding-Dong'" "Dolphin QB Peters Out Early" You could still get off (ha): "'Ding-Dong' Facing Stiff Opposition"
posted by wfrazerjr at 05:00 PM on June 18, 2003
Oh my god what a hairdo! Thanks a lot, WC, now I'm blind for half an hour.
posted by billsaysthis at 05:14 PM on June 18, 2003
You're lucky you were only blinded. When I saw that 'do, I was completely paralysed. Moments of sheer terror. I wanted to run screaming away, but was frozen to the spot.
posted by worldcup2002 at 05:42 PM on June 18, 2003
Thankfully my fingers were able to click the mouse on the back button.
posted by billsaysthis at 11:52 PM on June 18, 2003
Hey it worked so well for Tony Meola (um, not really) why the hell not?
posted by Ufez Jones at 12:13 AM on June 19, 2003
All great goalkeepers have a touch of insanity. The problem with David James (an ex-Villa keeper by the way), is that he has just a little bit too much. He'll pull off the most outstanding save that only one or two people on the earth could do, and then later in the game make a ridiculous error of judgement that will end up in a soft goal. Still, he at least made watching the Villa entertaining. You never know what he's going to do.
posted by BigCalm at 06:38 AM on June 19, 2003
Good old Calamity, he's always been a source of amusement, especially when he played for the Villa. He once blamed his woeful performances for Liverpool on playing too many computer games (though I suspect they mean Tekken and Tomb Raider rather than Tekkon and Team Raider).
posted by squealy at 07:53 AM on June 19, 2003
Martin Johnson, the English rugby captain, did something similar with the 49ers last year. I think he and the '9ers had a lot of respect for each others' sports. Talking seriously, there are reports that NFL scouts are looking at one or two top rugby players. Jonny Wilkinson is one such name. Probably nothing will come of it.
posted by salmacis at 01:12 PM on June 19, 2003
What I wonder, thanks to FSW, is why more NFL teams don't go after Aussie Football League players for punting. The Chargers (I think) signed one guy but I watch these matches and see player after player with huge boomers on the run and always ask why they don't come over.
posted by billsaysthis at 01:50 PM on June 19, 2003
btw, here's his profile on ESPN Soccernet. Nice golden do. Also has a snippet about him moonlighting as a model. And his real nickname is "Calamity James". Dolphins might wanna rethink anything that iinvolves him using his hands. Hahahahahaha. You guys might wanna help by posting links or stories about his various fumbles.