Shameless American Idol/MLS SuperDraft tie-in

American Idol is back, and so is MLS SuperDraft!

Full disclosure: I rarely watch American Idol. In fact, I haven't watched it regularly since one of my ex-girlfriends used to guilt me into becoming a regular viewer. She used to say that I was "obligated" to join her on the couch for Idol because she watched sports with me all of the time. Yeah, because I always force my girlfriends to watch MLS, MLB, the NFL, the NHL, Arena Football, college basketball, World Series of Darts, etc. Whatever. Chicks.

ANYWAY, as we prepare our DVRs* for yet another edition of MLS SuperDraft, I can't help but ask the question: is SuperDraft the soccer equivalent to American Idol?

(*The person who thought that it would be a good idea to conduct the draft on a weekday afternoon is a real man of genius. A showcase event that starts 2pm on Thursday afternoon. Really?)

Let's think about it. I mean, the premises for both are remarkably similar. On Idol, the first order of business is to conduct tryouts in front of the judges. Thank you William Hung. In SuperDraft the league conducts similar tryouts, except they call it a 'combine', and is judged by the league's coaches and technical staffs. Thank you Steve Shak.

Idol has a bevy of wannabe professional singers vying for a recording contract. On SuperDraft, has a bevy of wannabe professional footballers vying for a playing contract.

Idol has Paula Abdul. SuperDraft has Don Garber. Push.

But Idol and SuperDraft also reinforce one of my favorite pearls of wisdom - looks can be deceiving. By my count, just about every female Idol winner has been blessed with good looks. Kelly Clarkson? Pretty cute. Katherine McPhee? OMG! But were they the best singers during their respective seasons? Unlikely.

Now, with SuperDraft, I think the same could be also said. Chance Myers? Yeah, he's got those curly blonde locks and a smile that could light an entire soccer field. But his Laguna Beach looks weren't exactly helpful to the Wizards cause last year.* Unless you count those shrieking teeny boppers at CommunityAmerica Ballpark.** So the theme of "all-style, little substance" pertains to both forums.

(*Not that I'm calling him a completely talent-less player. I'm sure his superb collgiate career at UCLA wasn't an abberation. But, unless I am completely misguided, you usually tend to expect more out of the first overall pick than say, oh, seven starts on an incredibly mediocre side.)

(**For the record, I have NOTHING against those teeny boppers - at all. If they're shieking their heads off at a soccer game, then that's all the better for soccer here in the States.)

Anyway, I think by now, it doesn't take a neurosurgeon to see the parallels.

So what am I saying? Quite frankly, I think both forums are kind of silly. I mean, when you really boil it down, Idol is essentially a SuperDraft for musicians. SuperDraft is essentially an Idol for footballers. The reason they exist is for pure entertainment value.

Um....what was I saying about style over substance? Get Katrina Darrel on the next flight to St. Louis ASAP!