Clint Dempsey Suspended 3 Matches, Fined for Ripping Up Ref's Notebook

Three days after tearing up a referee's notebook during a U.S. Open Cup match against the Portland Timbers, Seattle Sounders forward Clint Dempsey was suspended for three matches by MLS on Friday.

According to Don Ruiz of the News Tribune, MLS also fined the United States men's national team star an undisclosed amount.

ESPN.com's Jeff Carlisle provided a statement from MLS Deputy Commissioner Mark Abbott on the matter:

As seen in this GIF, courtesy of NBC Sports Soccer's Andy Edwards, the 32-year-old star let his emotions get the best of him in the midst of a match that saw the Sounders get four players sent off:

The length of the suspension comes as somewhat of a surprise since there was discussion of the American captain potentially being suspended for up to three months, per Joe Prince-Wright of Pro Soccer Talk.

Also, according to Andy Glockner of the Cauldron, league rules suggest Dempsey should have been suspended for at least six contests:

Per ESPNFC.com's Alex Labidou, Dempsey got off easy considering the severity of his infraction:

Dempsey's conduct placed MLS in a difficult position since he is one of its biggest draws. While losing him for a significant amount of time would have adversely impacted MLS, the league also has a responsibility to enforce the rules.

While Dempsey's actions are rarely seen on the pitch, it can certainly be argued that MLS' decision to take it relatively easy on one of its star players will encourage misconduct in future games.

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