Cannon, Quakes haggling over new contract
By Jeff Carlisle · December 3, 2008
The contract of Earthquakes goalkeeper Joe Cannon was not renewed for the 2009 season, leaving his fate with the team in question. Photo: John Todd, centerlinesoccer.com, isiphotos.com.
Joe Cannon’s “They love me/they love me not” relationship with the San Jose Earthquakes appears to be leaning towards the latter characterization, with San Jose declining to pick up the contract option on the two-time MLS Goalkeeper of the Year.
Cannon’s salary, which prior to Kasey Keller’s arrival into the league, made him the highest paid goalkeeper in MLS, would have earned him around $225,000 next season. But according to a Quakes source with knowledge of the negotiations, San Jose are intent on reducing that number with the tradeoff being that they would give Cannon a guaranteed three-year deal.
The Quakes’ position represents a calculated risk. Cannon has long had an affinity with his hometown club, but with plenty of holes to fill in the offseason - among them a forward, a central midfielder, and a wide defender - the brain trust of GM John Doyle and head coach Frank Yallop could use an extra 50k or so in savings on other parts of the roster.
The downside for San Jose is that Cannon is now free to explore overseas options, a path he took during the 2002-03 offseason when a similar dispute saw him sign with French club RC Lens. Cannon failed to make a first team appearance during his time in France, and by the time his six month contract had expired in May of 2003, Pat Onstad was firmly ensconced as the Quakes’ starting keeper. Cannon was traded to the Colorado Rapids later that summer, where he spent parts of four seasons before spending a solitary campaign with the Los Angeles Galaxy in 2007.
As for where Cannon might land, a report from the Washington Post’s Steven Goff indicated that interest is high in Scandanavia, where the likes of former D.C. United goalkeeper Troy Perkins are currently plying their trade.
The normally voluble Cannon directed all inquiries to his agent, Ron Waxman, who could not be reached for further comment.
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This is a dangerous game of poker the Quakes are playing here. As a fan, it would be difficult to hear an explanation why, after such a promising first season, management would treat their most popular player so poorly. It smells of Billy Beane on some level….
DW I agree. If we don’t pick up some defends with pace our defense will be weak. Why expose that even more with a lesser goal keeper? And all for $50K/yr?
A good argument can be made that Cannon is the mainstay of our defense and the most popular player with the fans and therefore, the most valuable player on the team. As a fan, I want the club to pay him whatever he wants and send him cookies and sports drinks on a regular basis.
Being more hard-nosed and realistic, I wouldn’t play salary games with him unless he explicitly agree to re-sign with the club for less with a longer contract. I mean, are you nuts?! Risk losing TheJoe?! Where’s my whiskey?!
Why do the security code words on this site all look suspiciously close to FUAEG?
Without Joe- we wouldn’t have had the season we that did - period. I love Hucks, but Joe is our MVP. Let’s not play with fire….
Joe is a pretty good shot stopper but he is not the best in the league. I was also not terribly impressed with his distribution which essentially boiled down to drop-kicking the ball 50-60 yards. Joe is a valuable starter that we don’t want to lose, but there are other serviceable goalies in this league that could fill the spot if it doesn’t work out.
I think the quakes are right to look to fill the goalie spot for a longer term contract at 175k. I hope that it will be Joe. I could also see continuing to pay him the same rate he is making now.
If the quakes can get Joe to take the contract then they will have locked down the goalie spot for 3 years and will be able to use the extra 50k to shore up the defense.
I was encouraged today to read an article in the San Jose Mercury News where Elliot Almond cited three sources close to the situation saying that they expect Cannon to remain an Earthquake before the end of the year.
Phew….I hope.
I would agree with Ron on this, especially at the beginning of the season, I thought at that time that Joe made some poor decisions in goal that cost the Quakes a couple of wins. At the end of the year however I thought he played better. It might be a gamble to let him go but, the U.S and MLS has some of the best goalkeepers around and we might find somebody like Chicago ,N.Y. and Columbus did last year.
Joe is why we go …… at least in spirit, because he represents all that we love about the Quakes! Oh, he did manage to garner 8 shutouts and lead the league in saves! We need players, got it - this just isn’t the place to trim.
This is definitely going to be a tough decision. He loves to play here in San Jose and the fans love him in return, but his veteran status makes him one of the highest paid players on the team.
I say give him a contract. I can’t imagine the Quakes with anyone else than Joe in goal this season. YOU’LL NEVER BEAT JOE CANNON!
Hello…..????? Is anyone alive at Centerline Soccer? no new articles in over 30 days? Hello…???? anyonme home?