Deadspin | Landon Donovan blasts airline after World Cup travel fiasco 
Dec 7, 2024; Carson, California, USA; LA Galaxy former player Landon Donovan looks on before the 2024 MLS Cup against the New York Red Bulls at Dignity Health Sports Park. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images United States men’s national team legend and Fox World Cup analyst Landon Donovan is in an online spat with United Airlines after travel difficulties influenced him and his broadcast partner Ian Darke to complete the last 250 miles of their journey from Houston to Northern New Jersey in an Uber.
According to their posts on X (formerly Twitter), Donovan and Darke were among those booked for flight 404 from Houston to Newark, N.J., on Sunday evening.
Severe weather diverted the flight to Dulles International Airport outside of Washington, D.C., landing at 1:10 a.m. ET, according to data from the website FlightAware.
The wait to reboard proved long enough that Darke, Donovan and their statistician eventually hired a car to complete the trip instead, with Darke posting the clip of their arrival in New Jersey to his X account shortly before 9 a.m. ET Monday morning.
Flight 404 eventually took off from Dulles at 8:10 a.m. ET and landed exactly two hours later. That was 11 hours and 11 minutes later than initially scheduled.
Darke posted on X that passengers on their flight would “think twice about using that airline again.” Donovan shared Darke’s post with additional comments.
“I’ve been traveling 100k miles/year since I was 16 and this was easily the worst travel experience of my life,” he wrote. “No transparency, no clarity and no respect for the passengers who were treated horribly all evening/morning. Absolutely shameful from (United).”
When United’s account replied apologizing for the travel difficulties and asking for Donovan to send a direct message with his confirmation number, Donovan responded in a quote post.
“There will be no private DMs,” Donovan wrote. “People want transparency and accountability so we’re going do this right here in public. You can start by apologizing to all impacted and then reimburse them all of their expenses with extra flight credit/money for the trouble caused.”
Darke and Donovan called Mexico-South Africa to open the tournament in Mexico City on Thursday and Germany-Curacao in Houston on Sunday. They will call Tuesday’s match between France and Senegal from East Rutherford, N.J.
An email to United Airlines’ general media relations address was not immediately returned.
Donovan is the joint all-time leading goal scorer in USMNT history and the author of the team’s most iconic World Cup moment, a stoppage-time winner against Algeria in the 2010 tournament that secured the Americans’ place in the knockout phase.
He began broadcasting before his retirement as an analyst for ESPN’s 2014 World Cup coverage after he was surprisingly left off of manager Jurgen Klinsmann’s United States roster. This is his second World Cup working with Fox after he was also a color analyst during the 2022 tournament.
Darke was famously on the call for Donovan’s 2010 match-winner for ESPN. More known in England for his work on Sky and TNT, Darke is in his second major tournament for Fox after calling games at the 2024 European Championships.
–Ian Nicholas Quillen, Field Level Media
#Deadspin #Landon #Donovan #blasts #airline #World #Cup #travel #fiasco
Dec 7, 2024; Carson, California, USA; LA Galaxy former player Landon Donovan looks on before the 2024 MLS Cup against the New York Red Bulls at Dignity Health Sports Park. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images United States men’s national team legend and Fox World Cup analyst Landon Donovan is in an online spat with United Airlines after travel difficulties influenced him and his broadcast partner Ian Darke to complete the last 250 miles of their journey from Houston to Northern New Jersey in an Uber.
According to their posts on X (formerly Twitter), Donovan and Darke were among those booked for flight 404 from Houston to Newark, N.J., on Sunday evening.
Severe weather diverted the flight to Dulles International Airport outside of Washington, D.C., landing at 1:10 a.m. ET, according to data from the website FlightAware.
The wait to reboard proved long enough that Darke, Donovan and their statistician eventually hired a car to complete the trip instead, with Darke posting the clip of their arrival in New Jersey to his X account shortly before 9 a.m. ET Monday morning.
Flight 404 eventually took off from Dulles at 8:10 a.m. ET and landed exactly two hours later. That was 11 hours and 11 minutes later than initially scheduled.
Darke posted on X that passengers on their flight would “think twice about using that airline again.” Donovan shared Darke’s post with additional comments.
“I’ve been traveling 100k miles/year since I was 16 and this was easily the worst travel experience of my life,” he wrote. “No transparency, no clarity and no respect for the passengers who were treated horribly all evening/morning. Absolutely shameful from (United).”
When United’s account replied apologizing for the travel difficulties and asking for Donovan to send a direct message with his confirmation number, Donovan responded in a quote post.
“There will be no private DMs,” Donovan wrote. “People want transparency and accountability so we’re going do this right here in public. You can start by apologizing to all impacted and then reimburse them all of their expenses with extra flight credit/money for the trouble caused.”
Darke and Donovan called Mexico-South Africa to open the tournament in Mexico City on Thursday and Germany-Curacao in Houston on Sunday. They will call Tuesday’s match between France and Senegal from East Rutherford, N.J.
An email to United Airlines’ general media relations address was not immediately returned.
Donovan is the joint all-time leading goal scorer in USMNT history and the author of the team’s most iconic World Cup moment, a stoppage-time winner against Algeria in the 2010 tournament that secured the Americans’ place in the knockout phase.
He began broadcasting before his retirement as an analyst for ESPN’s 2014 World Cup coverage after he was surprisingly left off of manager Jurgen Klinsmann’s United States roster. This is his second World Cup working with Fox after he was also a color analyst during the 2022 tournament.
Darke was famously on the call for Donovan’s 2010 match-winner for ESPN. More known in England for his work on Sky and TNT, Darke is in his second major tournament for Fox after calling games at the 2024 European Championships.
–Ian Nicholas Quillen, Field Level Media
![LeBron James’ Free Agency Decision Comes Down to More Than Basketball | Deadspin.com LeBron James remained a free agent on the Fourth of July, surely realizing that no document should upstage the Declaration of Independence with a quarter-millennium extravaganza swirling.Of course, a national holiday didn’t stop Kevin Durant from bolting the Thunder for the Warriors on July 4, 2016, but that’s a different story – much like LBJ’s final foray into free agency.James’ agent, Rich Paul, made it clear that his client seeks “happiness” above all in a 24th NBA season. His legacy cemented, his championships secured, LBJ wants to ride toward the sunset with a smile.Yes, that noble journey recently adopted a game-show motif, but we’re told James’ heart is in the right place.Paul handicapped numerous possible LeBron landing spots while appearing on a hands-on episode of his “Game Over” podcast with Max Kellerman that was released Friday.A whiteboard here, a pointer there, speculation everywhere.Ostensibly, the entire Association would have interest in James, who declined the player option on his final season with the Los Angeles Lakers. The league’s all-time leading scorer might not get to the basket with the same tenacity or show the stamina that has defined him for much of his career, but he still is a force at 41.Paul said that James’ options abound largely because the New York Knicks won the Larry O’Brien trophy last month, ending a championship drought that preceded America’s bicentennial.LBJ assuredly would be taking his talents to New York Harbor were another franchise entering the 2026-27 season as reigning champs.“It’s difficult, because the last thing you want to do is mess up something like that,” Paul said. “The Knicks have a good thing going. If the Knicks hadn’t won, this wouldn’t even [be a question]. There would be no board. He’d be going to the Knicks.”It would be quite the challenge for James to keep a smile, though if he couldn’t help the Knicks to a repeat, Paul explained.“LeBron’s always judged different,” Paul said. “That’s a very fragile thing, and he’s been a part of championship teams.”Yup, with Miami, Cleveland and the Lakers. As Paul explored the possibility of a return to the first two of those locales, he suggested that familiarity with front offices is a mark for both sides.It may boil down to personnel, however, and Paul noted that one “negative” concerning the Cavaliers is the absence of Darius Garland. The agent told listeners that James “loves Garland like he loves” Philadelphia 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey.Naturally, there’s a lot for Paul to like about touting the chances of two of his clients playing together. But as the almighty whiteboard indicated, Philly does boast a deep core that includes newly-acquired Jaylen Brown alongside Joel Embiid, V.J. Edgecombe and Maxey.The board also listed four core members of the Denver Nuggets, Minnesota Timberwolves, Cavaliers and Heat.“LeBron” was written at its center.“Every day things change,” Paul told ESPN. “This is the first time that LeBron James is making a decision pressure-free. He’s won already. He’s made good on his promise – he won in L.A. This is strictly for his happiness. What does happiness entail? It’s a number of things. It’s a bucket of happiness. It’s basketball, it’s living, it’s camaraderie, it’s competition. It’s everything.”It’s ongoing, too, and figures to stay that way with training camps still more than two months away.Would the hype be anything less for an all-time signature player? #LeBron #James #Free #Agency #Decision #Basketball #Deadspin.com](https://i3.wp.com/images.deadspin.com/tr:w-1200,h-675,fo-auto/1783265562471?ssl=1 "LeBron James’ Free Agency Decision Comes Down to More Than Basketball | Deadspin.com LeBron James remained a free agent on the Fourth of July, surely realizing that no document should upstage the Declaration of Independence with a quarter-millennium extravaganza swirling.Of course, a national holiday didn’t stop Kevin Durant from bolting the Thunder for the Warriors on July 4, 2016, but that’s a different story – much like LBJ’s final foray into free agency.James’ agent, Rich Paul, made it clear that his client seeks “happiness” above all in a 24th NBA season. His legacy cemented, his championships secured, LBJ wants to ride toward the sunset with a smile.Yes, that noble journey recently adopted a game-show motif, but we’re told James’ heart is in the right place.Paul handicapped numerous possible LeBron landing spots while appearing on a hands-on episode of his “Game Over” podcast with Max Kellerman that was released Friday.A whiteboard here, a pointer there, speculation everywhere.Ostensibly, the entire Association would have interest in James, who declined the player option on his final season with the Los Angeles Lakers. The league’s all-time leading scorer might not get to the basket with the same tenacity or show the stamina that has defined him for much of his career, but he still is a force at 41.Paul said that James’ options abound largely because the New York Knicks won the Larry O’Brien trophy last month, ending a championship drought that preceded America’s bicentennial.LBJ assuredly would be taking his talents to New York Harbor were another franchise entering the 2026-27 season as reigning champs.“It’s difficult, because the last thing you want to do is mess up something like that,” Paul said. “The Knicks have a good thing going. If the Knicks hadn’t won, this wouldn’t even [be a question]. There would be no board. He’d be going to the Knicks.”It would be quite the challenge for James to keep a smile, though if he couldn’t help the Knicks to a repeat, Paul explained.“LeBron’s always judged different,” Paul said. “That’s a very fragile thing, and he’s been a part of championship teams.”Yup, with Miami, Cleveland and the Lakers. As Paul explored the possibility of a return to the first two of those locales, he suggested that familiarity with front offices is a mark for both sides.It may boil down to personnel, however, and Paul noted that one “negative” concerning the Cavaliers is the absence of Darius Garland. The agent told listeners that James “loves Garland like he loves” Philadelphia 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey.Naturally, there’s a lot for Paul to like about touting the chances of two of his clients playing together. But as the almighty whiteboard indicated, Philly does boast a deep core that includes newly-acquired Jaylen Brown alongside Joel Embiid, V.J. Edgecombe and Maxey.The board also listed four core members of the Denver Nuggets, Minnesota Timberwolves, Cavaliers and Heat.“LeBron” was written at its center.“Every day things change,” Paul told ESPN. “This is the first time that LeBron James is making a decision pressure-free. He’s won already. He’s made good on his promise – he won in L.A. This is strictly for his happiness. What does happiness entail? It’s a number of things. It’s a bucket of happiness. It’s basketball, it’s living, it’s camaraderie, it’s competition. It’s everything.”It’s ongoing, too, and figures to stay that way with training camps still more than two months away.Would the hype be anything less for an all-time signature player? #LeBron #James #Free #Agency #Decision #Basketball #Deadspin.com")
![World Cup 2026: Why US star Folarin Balogun can play vs. Belgium As the United States salted away a 2-0 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Round of 32 at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, thoughts turned to Folarin Balogun, and his status for Monday night’s match against Belgium in the Round of 16. Balogun had received a controversial red card in the second half of that match, and faced an automatic one-match suspension as a result. As had been pointed out here at SB Nation and elsewhere, Balogun and the United States are unable to appeal the red card.But that does not mean he cannot play on Monday night.According to several sources, and first reported by The Athletic, FIFA’s disciplinary committee is implementing Article 27 of the governing body’s disciplinary code, which allows for the suspension of discipline — such as Balogun’s potential one-match ban against Belgium — pending the involved player’s conduct moving forward.Under Article 27, “the judicial body may decide to fully or partially suspend the implementation of a disciplinary measure.”Article 27 goes on to state that “[i]f the person benefiting from a suspended sanction commits another infringement of a similar nature and gravity during the probationary period, the suspension shall be revoked by the judicial body and the sanction enforced without prejudice to any additional sanction imposed for the new infringement.”This is not the first time that FIFA has implemented Article 27 during this World Cup. Portugal star Cristiano Ronaldo was set to serve a three-match ban after an incident in his team’s penultimate World Cup qualifier, when he was sent off for throwing an elbow at Republic of Ireland defender Dan O’Shea in an incident away from the ball. In that incident Ronaldo was initially shown a yellow card, but that was upgraded to a full red card after video review.FIFA increased the penalty from a one-match ban to a three-match ban, which he would have served at the start of this World Cup. But the disciplinary committee, under Article 27, suspended the second two matches “under a one-year probation period,” meaning Ronaldo will avoid missing any further fixtures provided he does not commit “another infringement of a similar nature.”That is now the situation facing Balogun.Balogun is the USMNT’s leading goal scorer heading into the Round of 16, having scored a brace against Paraguay in the team’s opening match, and a third goal against Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Round of 32. #World #Cup #star #Folarin #Balogun #play #Belgium](https://i2.wp.com/platform.sbnation.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2026/07/gettyimages-2284257562.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&crop=0%2C14.746104077519%2C100%2C70.507791844962&w=1200&ssl=1 "World Cup 2026: Why US star Folarin Balogun can play vs. Belgium As the United States salted away a 2-0 victory over Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Round of 32 at the 2026 FIFA World Cup, thoughts turned to Folarin Balogun, and his status for Monday night’s match against Belgium in the Round of 16. Balogun had received a controversial red card in the second half of that match, and faced an automatic one-match suspension as a result. As had been pointed out here at SB Nation and elsewhere, Balogun and the United States are unable to appeal the red card.But that does not mean he cannot play on Monday night.According to several sources, and first reported by The Athletic, FIFA’s disciplinary committee is implementing Article 27 of the governing body’s disciplinary code, which allows for the suspension of discipline — such as Balogun’s potential one-match ban against Belgium — pending the involved player’s conduct moving forward.Under Article 27, “the judicial body may decide to fully or partially suspend the implementation of a disciplinary measure.”Article 27 goes on to state that “[i]f the person benefiting from a suspended sanction commits another infringement of a similar nature and gravity during the probationary period, the suspension shall be revoked by the judicial body and the sanction enforced without prejudice to any additional sanction imposed for the new infringement.”This is not the first time that FIFA has implemented Article 27 during this World Cup. Portugal star Cristiano Ronaldo was set to serve a three-match ban after an incident in his team’s penultimate World Cup qualifier, when he was sent off for throwing an elbow at Republic of Ireland defender Dan O’Shea in an incident away from the ball. In that incident Ronaldo was initially shown a yellow card, but that was upgraded to a full red card after video review.FIFA increased the penalty from a one-match ban to a three-match ban, which he would have served at the start of this World Cup. But the disciplinary committee, under Article 27, suspended the second two matches “under a one-year probation period,” meaning Ronaldo will avoid missing any further fixtures provided he does not commit “another infringement of a similar nature.”That is now the situation facing Balogun.Balogun is the USMNT’s leading goal scorer heading into the Round of 16, having scored a brace against Paraguay in the team’s opening match, and a third goal against Bosnia and Herzegovina in the Round of 32. #World #Cup #star #Folarin #Balogun #play #Belgium")
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