Boycott Steven Cohen

Cohen announced the end of World Soccer Daily at the beginning of todays show.  His explanation of the events continues the pattern that brought him into this mess, as he blames everyone but himself:

"It's not a happy friday, and let me explain what's happening here... in the last 24-48 hours my step children have been contacted, friends have been contacted through various avenues on the internet, so today I'm here to tell you that today is the last World Soccer Daily.   Hate wins, anti-semitism wins, rage wins, and I'm not going to put my job through this kind of firing line any more.  Hicks and Gillette are a disgrace, Peter Kenyon (Chief Exec of Communications), Simon Greenberg (Chelsea FC Director of Communications), you're a disgrace.  This is a country based on freedom of speach, freedom of ideas, freedom of business, freedom of a lot of things, but the hate and the threats and the anti-semitism that has been raging from the liverpool contingent for the last 5 months, for me it's over... it's a sad, sad day, I think, for football in America... and for freedom of everything..."

He went on, even in the wake of his own intimidation tactics being documented, and threats made by his supporters, to instruct everyone he had published the names, and email adresses of those organising the boycott.  With no documentation of threats on his part, and this encouragement to personal contact on his, it begs the question, who precisely is fomenting hatred and creating a dangerous situation here?  We've always encouraged people to have NO contact with Cohen whatsoever.

Cohen's claim that somehow Hicks and Gillette are responsible for our wholly independent, peaceful contacting of advertisers, mirrors libelous claims he made about LFC, and Heineken.  The idea that Chelsea, (Kenyon and Greenberg) for distancing themselves, are a disgrace, as opposed to demonstrating that there is a non partisan consensus that his comments were beyond the pale, and were defaming the dead, proves that Cohen has learned nothing from his precipitous fall from TV and Radio broadcasting.

Kenny, Cohen's cohost was a bit more forthcoming, stating "To try and rescue the show, it's a mountain to climb, we've been tarnished... to try and rescue the show would be very tough, it's probably not going to happen." 

Cohen's only mention of the financial factors that surely directed this decision, is to say that "Everytime we signed a new client, they were bombarded with emails... but that's not why we are pulling the plug... There's no question they affected Fox so I wasn't brought back on Fox Football Fone-In, the client's that went, went, because they couldn't stand the bombardment of emails and PR, or whatever it was."

He closed these remarks stating "At the end of the day, honestly, it simply was my opinion, and I don't have to change my opinion at all, I think there's was a shared responsibility on April 15, 1989.  I think there's a shared responsibility."

Cohen goes to his radio grave speaking of his claim on a realistic appraisal of shared responsibility, and yet at no point has he taken responsibility himself.  It's not him to blame, its LFC.  He hasn't encouraged hate and personal contact and been motivated by spite, its us.  He ends with more prejudice against Liverpool than he had at the beginning, and at no point did he realise this had nothing to do with football.

I'll leave you with this: "They are very well organised, they've done very well they should be proud.  Their campaign objectives have certainly worked."

Ginge Talks the Footy has a new piece up concerning Tony "New Mexico"s experiences receiving threats and intimidation due to his involvement in the boycott.

Steven Cohen made a lot of the threats he has received, and we have always offered our complete cooperation in bringing anyone to justice who makes such contact.  No one involved in any organizational capacity with the boycott has ever sent such emails, and we have always urged no contact with Cohen whatsoever.

Cohen was perfectly willing to paint this campaign, the LFCNY, and even Liverpool and former advertisers with a broad brush, saying they somehow condoned and  supported threats against him. 

So what was he up to during this time?

He was doing something we've never done, nor would ever do; discovering and distributing personal information about Tony, including where he was temporarily staying in a hotel, and where he personally resides.   Tony felt that an email where Cohen referenced his wife's birthday was another attempt at intimidation, and went to the FBI.

The odd anonymous threat is a natural consequence of doing anything that is remotely controversial, and I can sympathise with both sides on this.  There are always going to be a small amount of idiots that lack the perspective and sense to conduct themselves in a reasonable fashion, that's a sad fact of life.

What I don't have sympathy for are errors in judgment in areas where people have total control.  Cohen has complete control of his own actions, and given he has a public voice, he has control of what information he distributes to his listeners, as well as a responsibility to urge a reasonable cause of action.  Cohen's anger at our position has taken him over the line, yet again.

It will be interesting to see if others come forward with similar experiences, as this isn't an isolated incident.

Edit:  BigSoccer.com has done an exhaustive account of the whole Cohen affair entitled "Birthday Wishes from Steven Cohen," including his comment on this very issue, stating:

"It wasn't immediately obvious from Ginge's post, but there was no wayCohen would have known the name of Tony in New Mexico's wife withoutactively researching that information. Which does make this like amobster saying "Best of luck to you, your flammable business, and yourtiny children as they play on those deathtrap swings on the playgroundat the corner of Elm and Pine Street at 2:30 this afternoon."

Conor Brennan appeared on World Soccer Reader's podcast, Inside the Six.  The interview functions as a great summary of the time line of the campaign,  from his initial comments in 2006, subsequent reversal, 'getting the mess out of the way', 'bring it on', and ultimately to FFF's abandonment of Cohen.

Here is a collection of press response to Cohen's FFF dismissal.   Despite the braying of those who would like to see us as some marginalized movement, here we see a significant amount of consensus on Cohen as the author of his own misfortune.

NY POST

"Anyway, Wynalda usually has strong opinions, but unlikeCohen _ who said Liverpool fans should "share responsibility' for thedeaths of the 96'' crushed in the Hillsborough disaster, details of which the UK is finally releasing - Wynalda frequently backs them up with, you know, little things like facts and solid arguments."

Washington Post

Click Liverpool

"During the outburst, Cohen claimed that Liverpool fans had made themselves the victims of 'a tragedy of their own doing anddescribed them as 'scum of the earth'. Following his outburst, US-based Reds supportershave lobbied sponsors of the football talk show to withdraw with over 50% pulling out of their deals with the franchise, despite Cohen's refusal to takeback his comments.

Despite claiming to be a Chelsea fan, the West London club have refused to recognise Cohen as aBlues' supporter in light of his comments."

Bnet.com - Fox Axes Host

"Cohen lost at least four sponsors of his Sirius XM radioshow, World Soccer Daily, in the boycott. Liverpool supporters urged theblacklist after Cohen said on his radio show that unticketed Liverpoolfans were to blame for 96 deaths in a crush at the Hillsborough stadium in 1989.The fans, and a government inquiry, say few unticketed fans attended the gameand that a badly designed stadium and miscommunications among officials led tothe deaths.

Among the sponsors siding with the fans were Heineken, FourFourTwo magazine,the Fado pub chain and Ruffneck Wear. Morerecently, Chelsea F.C. disowned Cohen, even though he is a longtime fan of theclub."

 Liverpool Echo - Liverpool Fans Step up Campaign

Football Partnerships - Fox Dismisses Steven Cohen

 

"None of this excuses Cohen's mistakes in the Liverpool controversy, and he should be held to accounton the criticisms supporters groups have levied. Had he recanted earlier, spentless time concerned with Christopher Harris' behavior and more time empathizingwith those LFCNY represented, the controversy would have likely died quickly.What he said on July 16 should have been said April 14. His unwillingness to doso is the critical decision on this story's timeline."

New York, Wednesday 29th July 2009

In a stunning rebuke and continuation of his isolation from the football world, Fox Soccer Channel (FSC) today announced that Steven Cohen would not be returning to host the FSC show Fox Football Fone In (FFF) which he has co-hosted for 4 years. Just last week, Chelsea FC, the club Steven Cohen nominally supports, also rebuked him saying, “[h]e is not a representative, nor ever has been a representative of the club. We have some 90 million fans worldwide and cannot account for every fan’s opinion.”

Steven Cohen chose to lie and smear the 96 Liverpool fans who died tragically at Hillsborough in 1989, seeing their deaths as a way to boost his ratings by denigrating them. Steven Cohen now finds himself in the position of being rejected by those in football whose opinions matter. The LFCNY applauds FSC for its decision not to re-instate Steven Cohen as co-host of FFF and we thank Chelsea FC for honoring the memory of 96 of our fellow fans. While we may not support Chelsea FC on the field of play, we recognize that they understand that there are some things that are bigger than partisan loyalties and we sincerely thank them for their position.

FSC, like many others in the football world have realized just how toxic Steven Cohen and his odious lies are. Some of the biggest advertisers in the game - Heineken, FourFourTwo – have pulled their support, and now FSC, the biggest broadcaster of soccer in the USA has done the same. Steven Cohen no longer will have a platform to cross-promote his World Soccer Daily advertisers on FFF. Advertisers and supporters, large and small, are seeing Steven Cohen for what he is, a merchant of hate. They are choosing not to be associated with him, not to give him their money to deride the deaths of 96 football fans in their name.

Steven Cohen has lost the support of his own team, Chelsea FC, his broadcast partner, FSC and over 50 percent of his original sponsors. The LFCNY recognizes that all these decisions were not taken lightly and we thank all. This week we particularly thank FSC and Chelsea FC. Next week, we look forward to thanking more sponsors and supporters who will leave Steven Cohen because of his lies and hate.

The LFCNY and so many Liverpool fans across North America and the world over have worked tirelessly to get to this point, but the battle is far from over. Steven Cohen has been removed from TV. He now must be removed from satellite radio and we call on Sirius/XM to follow the lead of FSC to cancel its contract with him.

There are 96 families on Merseyside who do not deserve to have to suffer the lies and hatred of Steven Cohen anymore.

Conor Brennan,

VP LFCNY.

www.lfcny.org.

Co-ordinator of the LFCNY campaign against Steven Cohen.

Fox Soccer Channel have replaced Cohen on their Fox Football Fone-In program.  This is a major victory for the boycott which USATODAY implies as a cause, though FSC would not comment.  Eric Wynalda will join Nick Webster in the new version of the show.

FSC elevated Cohen's status and earnings dramatically, drawing listenership to his daily radio show, and allowing for mentions and other promotion in far more expensive air time.  Losing Fox Football Fone-In, something which Cohen had appeared to joke about a month ago, represents a severe blow; a crumbled pillar of once remarkably successful niche marketing. 

The boycott of Steven Cohen has been a long, deliberate, considered campaign by motivated volunteers.

It has been years since Cohen's first comments were heard, years since his first apology was made. 

There were months of emails and calls to the show in a good faith attempt to bring facts to bear to temper Cohen's rhetoric, soften his hateful stance.  It's been many weeks that the boycott has been in full swing. 

Sponsors have gone, lesser known sponsors have come, thousands upon thousands of emails have been sent.

Then there has been the desperate, shifting response. 

First, the appeals to patriotism, as if we don't live here.  The appeal to free speach, as if we aren't exercising ours proudly.   Playing the victim, as if he had no opportunity to reconsider the prejudiced lies he spread, wholly unsupported by fact.   Finally, an attempt to demonize his enemy, painting us as the Taliban, or anti-semetic.

Even when forced, when financially impacted, he didn't offer an apology that really addressed the issue that is of resonance here.

It isn't Liverpool.  It isn't football.  It certainly isn't Cohen...

Why we press on:

LFCNY HILLSBOROUGH PODCAST

How we press on:

http://boycottstevencohen.webs.com/howcanihelp.htm

Chelsea FC rejects Steven Cohen, condemn his lies about Hillsborough.

New York, Wednesday 22nd July 2009 - Over 50 percent of Steven Cohen’s

original sponsors, including such companies as Heineken and FourFourTwo

have left his show, World Soccer Daily. These sponsors have left because

they cannot afford to be associated with Steven Cohen’s lies and hate.

Steven Cohen has chosen to denigrate 96 dead Liverpool fans whose only

failing was supporting their team. Hillsborough was a tragedy of immense

proportions in the game of football, but to this day, Steven Cohen sees it

as a way to deride Liverpool fans. Everyone connected with the game knows

what happened at Hillsborough.

Chelsea Football Club, nominally the club Steven Cohen supports, know what

happened and its position has been made very clear in both matchday

programmes, and an on-pitch recognition during last season’s FA Cup

semi-final against Arsenal. When asked for a comment about Steven Cohen’s

hateful comments by the LFCNY, Gareth Mills, spokesman for Chelsea FC

said, “we have distanced ourselves and will continue to distance ourselves

from any comments that disrespect the memory of Hillsborough.” Mr. Mills

went on to say, “that match [FA Cup semi final] marked the anniversary of

tragic events that impacted the whole football community. Our players and

staff have gone on the record with supportive comments and statements.”

Everyone in football knows. Except Steven Cohen, that is.

Asked specifically about Steven Cohen, Mr. Mills was at pains to emphasize

Chelsea’s disgust and looked to put as much distance between the West

London club and merchant of hate, Steven Cohen, “we can see no benefit of

giving him legitimacy by the club singling him out. Giving Mr. Cohen

oxygen is the worst thing we could do……..He is not a representative, nor

ever has been a representative of the club. We have some 90 million fans

worldwide and cannot account for every fan’s opinion.”

How often does it happen in the football world that a club rejects a fan?

(We would also point out that Steven Cohen has not interviewed any member

of Chelsea FC during their ongoing tour of North America on his show).

Steven Cohen has said many, many times that no one is going to change his

mind about his Hillsborough smears. Liverpool fans killed their own, he

says; they are scum, he says; they are murderers, he says; and the

Hillsborough Justice Campaign is the most corrupt organization, he says.

This is what Steven Cohen believes. Too often, when confronted by his own

lies, smears and hate, Steven Cohen has walked back his comments, waited

for the tempest to die down, and resumed business as usual. Lying about 96

Liverpool fans who never came home from a different FA Cup semi final.

But the tempest is not blowing over this time, will not be dying down.

Steven Cohen’s apologies are never longstanding and always worthless. The

LFCNY has no doubt that he will again be calling Liverpool fans

‘murderers’ next year on the 21st anniversary of Hillsborough. That’s why

we want him gone completely off the air.

Steven Cohen may try to point to a great accomplishment that he can

conduct a Liverpool-based interview without lying about Hillsborough. We

at the LFCNY will ask what accomplishment? We would point to his complete

rejection by the club he claims to support, Chelsea. His own club

recognizes him for what he is.

And soccer in America is also recognizes him for the same. WSD had a

sponsorship arrangement with the Seattle Wolves, a 4th division football

team. When they heard his comments, they refused to go on his show and

felt compelled to issue a statement condemning him, much as Chelsea had

done. Alexander Caulfield, the Director of Public Relations & Marketing

for the Wolves said, “Seattle Wolves Football Club does not support the

misrepresentation of what happened on the tragic day of April 15th, 1989.

In this vein, the Wolves do not support Steven Cohen's remarks surrounding

Hillsborough, and moreover the club cannot move forward with World Soccer

Daily until a sincere retraction is issued from World Soccer Daily.” This,

from a team a team that supported Steven Cohen; though the LFCNY would

take issue with the notion that Steven Cohen could ever issue a “sincere

retraction.”

Steven Cohen has been rejected by his own club, Chelsea FC, one of the

biggest in the world; he has been rejected by a 4th division US team. He

has been rejected by Heineken, by FourFourTwo, by Ruffneck Scarves and so

many other companies and teams. Rejected by those who know the game. It’s

time for Steven Cohen to be rejected off the air.

Conor Brennan,

VP LFCNY.

www.lfcny.org

Co-ordinator of the LFCNY campaign against Steven Cohen.

LFCNY Press Release.

The Cohen Lies continue.

New York, Tuesday, 14th July 2009 – On Thursday June 18th 2009, on his Sirius/XM show, World Soccer Daily, Steven Cohen read a virulently anti-Semitic email which he said he had received from “an official member of an official supporters group which is sanctioned and an official supporters group of Liverpool Football Club.” Those words are Steven Cohen’s exact words. The email itself, as read, provided no proof to Steven Cohen’s claims that this individual had any connection with any supporters’ club. Liverpool fans and all fans know from past experience that Steven Cohen’s relationship with the truth is tenuous at best. So it  was no surprise when Steven Cohen claimed that this email was sanctioned by Liverpool FC and supported by Heineken, FourFourTwo and Ruffneck Scarves. Again Steven Cohen’s words.

Around the same time, an associate professor from UCLA, Mark Sawyer put himself forward as a mediator in this entire affair, though it is the opinion of the LFCNY that he was asked to mediate by Steven Cohen. The first thing we asked for, as a prerequisite to any negotiations, was the disgusting anti-Semitic email with the long headers. It was the intention of the LFCNY, and all the North American branches, to discover to which club he belonged and to name, shame and boot him while providing any and all assistance to the FBI and/or the LAPD to which Steven Cohen claimed to have reported this email.

Anti-Semitism has never been any part of this campaign and never will be and the LFCNY unreservedly condemns it in any and all forms.

The LFCNY and the North American branches wanted three things:

1. Evidence as to how Steven Cohen knew that the individual was “an

official member of an official supporters group.”

2. Proof that this anti-Semitism was condoned or supported by Liverpool

FC, Heineken, FourFourTwo and Ruffneck Scarves.

3. The case officers and numbers of the FBI/LAPD reports in order to

co-operate fully with them.

At no stage did Steven Cohen, either via Mark Sawyer, or by himself, provide any proof for the above claims. Sawyer even admitted, “of course he [Steven Cohen] can't prove the guy is a member of the club…….we could never prove there is such a person or that he is a Liverpool fan or whatever.”

It seems, much like his 6-8,000 ticketless fans at Hillsborough claim, that once Steven Cohen believes something, no matter how unsubstantiated it may be, it’s his opinion and that makes it the truth. Except, as always, as usual, it’s a Steven Cohen lie. But that’s what a merchant of hate does. And now because he believes it to be so, Liverpool Football Club, Heineken, FourFourTwo and Ruffneck Scarves either are responsible for, or support virulent anti-Semitism. What these companies choose to make of those lies

is their business, but the LFCNY knows that this is yet another in the long list of lies by Steven Cohen.

The LFCNY will always be clear that anti-Semitism, death threats and such, have absolutely no place in our campaign and we completely and unreservedly condemn them. Just as we, the LFCNY, completely and unreservedly condemn Steven Cohen’s lies and smears about the 96, Hillsborough and Liverpool fans.

Conor Brennan,

VP LFCNY.

www.lfcny.org.

Co-ordinator of the LFCNY campaign against Steven Cohen.

Ginge Talks The Footy blogged here about the sequential editing of Steven Cohen's hastily penned fundraising effort, beginning with his hollow promise to donate a percentage of funds to the HJC.  This article is an excellent summary of the numerous edits made as our side pushed back on the false promises, some of which were actionable.  It also questions whether Steven Cohen himself authored some of the text.