It was 10:35am on March 9, 2012. Off-White x Nike Air Max 270 Black . Luke Wileman and I stood in the corridor outside of the Vancouver Whitecaps dressing room at BC Place in Vancouver. Wed been there for a few minutes already. We were early (as we usually are) for the Whitecaps practice, which was scheduled to begin at 11am. There wasnt a soul to be seen outside the dressing room, as all of the players and coaches were already inside preparing for training. The time is etched in my memory because it was then, at 10:35am, that Darren Mattocks came strolling down the hallway. Big headphones blaring, he didnt look like he had a care in the world. He certainly didnt look like a rookie who was late for the last practice before his first game as a professional soccer player. He bowled on by and walked into the dressing room - the last player to arrive by a wide margin. I turned to Luke, completely bewildered by what I had just witnessed, and asked him, "Is he having a laugh?" (Im paraphrasing - my choice of words were far more industrial than that.) "That would NEVER happen in Europe. No chance. The senior players would crucify him for that. And the manager would have him banished to train with the youth team." I couldnt believe what Id seen. In 18 years as a professional player in Canada and the UK, Id never seen a young player show such blatant disrespect for the rules and hierarchy of a football club. First to arrive, last to leave is a principle that all rookies (apart from Mattocks, clearly) adhere to religiously. They do so because they know that they not only have to impress their manager, but more importantly, they have to impress their teammates. They have to earn the respect of the senior players if they are ever going to be considered one of them. You see, experienced players can suss out a fraud in less than one training session, and it doesnt take long for them to figure out if a young player comes with an ego. Those egos dont last very long though, because the senior players simply dont tolerate them. They chip away at the arrogance of youth, exposing flaws until the young player sees the light; that they arent the finished article and that they have to work hard if they are ever going to fulfill their potential. It is a humbling that involves brutal honesty, but it teaches young players humility and mental resiliency - two vital ingredients in having a lengthy professional career. That humbling clearly hasnt happened for Darren Mattocks. He has been allowed to live in the bubble that he has created for himself - one in which he thinks hes already the finished article. Mattocks spoke on a Jamaican football program this week, where he revealed that he "carried Vancouver to the playoffs last year" and that "every team in MLS wants me". On former head coach Martin Rennie, Mattocks said this, "If me can do successful [sic] with my first season, and in my second season, you will try to jeopardize my career, Im not naive and Im not gonna stay (in Vancouver)." His responses were as brazen and as arrogant as Ive ever seen. You could write Mattocks attitude off to his youth, but he is 23-years old. Its not like he is a baby in the world of football. Hes a grown man, at an age where his European counterparts will have already amassed 150+ first team games. You could also argue that someone has been filling his head with ideas of grandeur, leading him to believe that he really is the world-class striker that he imagines himself to be. But these arguments are nothing more than excuses. They wont help Darren Mattocks. What he needs is some tough love. What he needs is for someone to hold a mirror in front of his game, so that he can see himself for the player that he really is. So here goes. Darren, you have exceptional athletic ability, and you are arguably one of the finest athletes in Major League Soccer. But you were voted the top prospect in MLS under the age of 24 last year because of your potential, not because you are the finished article. You are a 23-year old man, but you have the football intelligence of a 15-year-old boy. You are reactive, rather than proactive, and you use your pace and athleticism to make up for the fact that you are often in the wrong position to begin with. The timing of your runs is poor, your finishing is poor, and you do not retain possession of the ball nearly well enough to be considered amongst the leagues best. You did not play a starring role this season because you simply didnt earn the right to do so. You are judged on everything you do - in training, in games, in your demeanour on and off the field - not just on your statistics. Unless you realize this, you will never be in a position to fulfill your undoubted potential. Unless you realize this, you will become just another player who failed to live up to his potential. The choice is yours, Darren. You can carry on believing that it was Martin Rennies fault that you had a poor season. But youd be wrong. You are the only reason you struggled this year. If anything, Martin tried to protect you from the things Ive just told you, because Im not alone in my assessment of your game. Many of the senior players in your dressing room think the exact same things. And I suspect that now that Martin is gone, youll be hearing it from them very soon. For your sake, I hope you listen to them. Nike Air Max 270 Womens Sale . -- Quarterback Josh Johnson has returned to the San Francisco 49ers and his former college coach, Jim Harbaugh. Air Max 270 React Bauhaus AO4971-002 . The punch happened in the fourth quarter of Milwaukees 116-102 loss to the Kings on Wednesday when the two players became entangled while battling for rebounding position. http://www.max270cheap.com/nike-men-s-air-max-270-react-electro-green-ao4971-300.html . -- Get a flow chart ready to follow the Packers quarterback situation.MILWAUKEE -- The New York Yankees injury-plagued rotation has taken another big hit. Struggling left-hander CC Sabathia was placed on the 15-day disabled list before Sundays 6-5 loss to the Milwaukee Brewers with inflammation in his right knee. Manager Joe Girardi said he hoped Sabathia would just need two weeks. Sabathia had right knee surgery at the end of the 2006 season while with the Cleveland Indians. This is the only time he has experienced inflammation since the operation, Sabathia said. Both skipper and pitcher were relieved that the injury wasnt more serious. "See the doctor tomorrow and go from there," Sabathia said after Sundays game. "Theres no tear so hopefully everything will be all right." The move came a day after Sabathia allowed three home runs in a no-decision against the Brewers. Milwaukee won 5-4. Sabathia is making $23 million this season, the sixth in a deal that will pay him $161 million over 7 years. He is 3-4 with a 5.28 ERA, with opponents hitting .301 off him this season. Until now, all the questions about Sabathia were about his arm and a drop in velocity. Turns out his right knee is a bigger problem. Sabathia said he started feeling a tweak a couple starts ago. He said it got worse through his start May 4 against Tampa, when he gave up five runs and 10 hits in 3-2/3 innings. The lefty came forward to Girardi about his knee after his sttart Saturday against the Brewers, when he said he felt it most of the game. Nike Air Max 270 Triple White Womens. "He said that his knee was hurting; his landing knee, his right knee but he hadnt mentioned anything to us before that," Girardi said. The Yankees will have to find yet another pitcher to plug into the rotation with Sabathia having been scheduled to pitch next on Thursday night against the Mets at Citi Field in the Subway Series. The once-reliable ace has lost his touch at a time when the Yankees needed him most. New York is already minus two injured starters in Ivan Nova (season-ending elbow surgery) and Michael Pineda (back). Japanese rookie Masahiro Tanaka has taken over at the top of a rotation that looked formidable just a few weeks ago. Sabathia said he didnt say anything earlier because the rotation already had problems, "but Ill do more damage to the team by trying to hide it." Right-hander Matt Daley was called up from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre to take Sabathias spot on the roster. Pineda had completed his 10-game suspension for using pine tar and was placed on the 15-day DL last week. Girardi said Pineda was playing catch, though his recovery might take a little longer than the initial timetable of three to four weeks. Girardi also said that reliever Shawn Kelleys sore back is feeling better. Kelley last pitched Tuesday against the Angels. ' ' '