tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-354593362009-06-05T19:13:28.251-04:00(* Yes, today is indeed your lucky day. For you have astutely discovered this bastion of soccer knowledge. It is here that I shall endeavor toward becoming a soccer football pundit in the classical sense by dispensing what little inside information I'm at liberty to disclose, and fusing it with commentary, an occassional witty remark, and/or interdisciplinary topics to reclaim your attention. Therefore, welcome to my crib.)BrianTheOChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17454709225436551072noreply@blogger.comBlogger383125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35459336.post-3564359354247586752009-06-03T15:34:00.003-04:002009-06-03T21:37:15.156-04:00

(*Forgive me for being about four days late on this point - I've been tardier - but I think that it's still worth some space here.)All of us are smart enough to know that Taylor Twellman is one a heckuva soccer player. In fact, I've even gone so far as to say that he's the greatest footballer New England's seen since Billy Gonsalves. And I understand that he isn't an exquisite passer, speed demon

BrianTheOChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17454709225436551072noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35459336.post-22571111326806427882009-05-30T00:02:00.002-04:002009-05-30T01:34:05.091-04:00

I laughed. I chortled. I even snorted a little during that chortle.Mainstream American sport media is silly. Like, four-year-old pixie stick addict after five Red Bulls silly.On Tuesday, we – and by we, I mean ESPN’s army of 25-49-year-old male viewers – saw some illicit – at least it looked it – video of Tom Brady throwing a football on the Gillette Stadium turf prior to the 2009 NCAA Men’s

BrianTheOChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17454709225436551072noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35459336.post-59917779040526494142009-05-29T23:15:00.002-04:002009-05-30T01:31:41.715-04:00

OK, so where was I?Oh yeah, I was at Breakers Media Day, getting acquainted with the players and coaches, saying hello to some of my peers, and eating free food. It's a perk. That, and the free media guides, which are supposedly quite the collector's item after only thirty seven years or something, which reminds me, is about the same amount of time that’s passed since I've last posted.First of

BrianTheOChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17454709225436551072noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35459336.post-17541187631319956202009-03-30T21:16:00.009-04:002009-03-30T21:49:44.369-04:00

I am belligerent.I went on hiatus completely unannounced, leaving you to fend completely for yourselves. While the words coming from Tony Kornheiser’s beard attacked our beloved sport and all it stands for, I did not reply. No. Instead, I sat back on my sofa and ate an especially spongy Twinkie.Selfish? You bet. And while Jim Rome or and his soccer bashing colleagues were singing in the

BrianTheOChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17454709225436551072noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35459336.post-17825586406355403222009-03-21T22:37:00.031-04:002009-03-22T00:52:53.850-04:00

Spur of the moment decision. Here's a live blog for your bad (or good) self... Okay, so it's raining, and my Cox 3 feed is contributing some snow...ugh. 10:38am - And we're off...San Jose kicks off. The 2009 MLS season commences for the Revs (and San Jose). Both teams in a 4-4-2. 2' - Buck Shaw Stadium - good crowd noise, high school football stadium atmoopshere. One out of two ain't bad. 5'

BrianTheOChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17454709225436551072noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35459336.post-23139740183228088222009-03-20T12:05:00.003-04:002009-03-20T12:18:07.625-04:00

Okay, so I feel an explanation is in order. For the past month or so, I’ve hinted at my displeasure for MLS expansion. I’ve briefly submitted that the league should “cool its heels” in expanding. But that’s really it. So, here goes nothing.No, I am not in favor of this current wave of rapid MLS expansion. I mean, does MLS actually watch the news? Does it know that we’re in a global recession, one

BrianTheOChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17454709225436551072noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35459336.post-77704811908585159422009-03-19T23:22:00.003-04:002009-03-19T23:55:24.974-04:00

Talk about making an entrance.Before a jam-packed park and a national audience, the Seattle Sounders announced their arrival with a band of resounding trumpets and horns, as they simply outshined Red Bull New York to the tune of 3-0.A result that only the bravest of optimists could have forecasted, the Sounders growing pains last approximately twelve minutes.Although New Yok initially took the

BrianTheOChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17454709225436551072noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35459336.post-67713039750550827382009-03-19T12:55:00.004-04:002009-03-19T16:20:19.665-04:00

Must...move...this...BLOCK!!!Oh man. I've wanted to write something really cool, you know, something really witty and smart about tonight's Seattle-New York/East Coast vs. West Coast/Sir-Mix-a-Lot vs. Jay-Z/ high profile clash. It's just that, well, I keep fluffin' stumbling. I can't seem to focus my thoughts through. I find myself with two paragraphs before I become completely disenchanted with

BrianTheOChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17454709225436551072noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35459336.post-75758249012835586652009-03-17T07:35:00.003-04:002009-03-17T08:49:54.609-04:00

Ever since the first time my dad drove me past McCoy Stadium (I was five years old), baseball and Pawtucket have gone together like Bert and Ernie. Peanut butter and jelly. Even Hall and Oates.So you can probably imagine some of the difficulties I've recently had in connecting the city with soccer. It's not so easy to overwrite the very connotations you drew up before you stopped eating crayons.

BrianTheOChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17454709225436551072noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35459336.post-29170629613848537462009-03-16T11:55:00.005-04:002009-03-16T13:22:15.022-04:00

You remember that movie Sleepless in Seattle? I kind of do, but only vaguely because I was 11 when it came out on VHS* and was bribed into watching it at my parents' friends' house while they ate dinner at the "Adult Table."(*VHS...now THAT makes me feel old.)Now mind you, I was still a couple years from adolescence, which is about the time I started developing an appreciation for the chick flick

BrianTheOChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17454709225436551072noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35459336.post-55637988121457995112009-03-16T09:49:00.004-04:002009-03-16T11:55:32.238-04:00

Does a post to apologize for lack of recent posts qualifiy as a true post? I don't think it does. Otherwise, I could simply post here every two days to say I'm sorry that I haven't posted in two days. That would be cheating. I think.So anyway, I am sorry about the crickets here. You'd think that a time called Spring Break would offer, you know, a break. Not for me. Another 18-page story and a

BrianTheOChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17454709225436551072noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35459336.post-54020274034898661822009-03-11T13:04:00.002-04:002009-03-12T12:48:21.399-04:00

So I've been reading this really, really interesting book called Soccer in a Football World,* which I highly recommend as an excellent account of American soccer history. It's probably one of the best soccer books I've ever read, and I've read a lot of them over the years.(*Do you ever stumble upon a phrase that COULD have a double-meaning? I think the title is one of those. "Soccer in a football

BrianTheOChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17454709225436551072noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35459336.post-62178914409348400972009-03-09T16:18:00.000-04:002009-03-09T16:19:19.438-04:00

(*I was originally going to title this piece "Forgetting David Beckham." And all was going quite swell until I developed a sudden aneuryism about halfway through my first sentence. Darn. Therefore, here's what I hope proves to be a more enlightening piece.)Michael Parkhurst was special. And not in a demeaning, saracastic kind of way. I mean special in a good way.It wasn't just the fact that he

BrianTheOChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17454709225436551072noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35459336.post-1931400679965667582009-03-08T23:55:00.011-04:002009-03-09T16:30:22.568-04:00

-You idiot, MLS!How could you just let David Beckham get away with that? You owned his rights, had him under contract for another three years, and you blew it! You just go ahead and let him stay at A.C. Milan beyond his March 9th curfew? What were you thinking? 0101010101!!!For God sakes, MLS, I wished you had used your cojones.* The worst part of this whole fiasco isn’t that Becks got exactly

BrianTheOChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17454709225436551072noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35459336.post-64392383386170892982009-03-07T10:52:00.006-05:002009-03-07T11:36:16.285-05:00

Taylor Twellman is greatest footballer New England’s seen since Billy Gonsalves.There, I said it. I understand that Gonsalves has been given the distinction of being “the Babe Ruth of American Soccer” by many soccer historians. He played in two World Cups, won eight Open Cup championships, and reportedly scored over 100 goals in his illustrious career.* He is a legend. So, yes, I understand that’

BrianTheOChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17454709225436551072noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35459336.post-80329143689632362372009-03-03T13:24:00.000-05:002009-03-03T13:24:07.892-05:00

Given the utter lack of independent media reports* on the MLS preseason, I figured now would be a good time as any to bring up an issue discussed during my Advanced News Writing class last semester.(*By independent, I mean any reporting done by media not affiliated with MLSnet.com or any other official MLS club site.)The question: will public relations eventually overtake journalism as the

BrianTheOChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17454709225436551072noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35459336.post-1954178416403153952009-03-02T00:17:00.007-05:002009-03-03T13:25:57.655-05:00

MLS is begging for a star. Not a good player, not a great player, not a designated player.A star. A player that transcends the sport. A colorful personality that is known for his on and off the field exploits, whether good or bad. Preferably good, of course.The NFL has Tom Brady. The NBA has LeBron. MLB has, whether it likes it or not, Alex Rodriguez. And, of course, golf has this guy named Tiger

BrianTheOChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17454709225436551072noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35459336.post-769784365535936612009-02-28T16:56:00.006-05:002009-02-28T17:14:49.489-05:00

So I was at the – wait, guess – yep, I was at the boosktore this afternoon, where I found an interesting book called “Under the March Sun” by Charles Fountain. It's a well-written book about the history and traditions surrounding spring training baseball. Naturally, I had to check out the first couple of chapters because 1. I love baseball and, 2. To improve upon my MLS South idea.It turns out

BrianTheOChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17454709225436551072noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35459336.post-41889322338594706752009-02-28T08:07:00.001-05:002009-03-02T00:50:26.747-05:00

Late last night, after reading a few more chapters of "House on Mango Street" and before hitting the hay, I snuck in a few minutes to catch up with the Men's National Team on ussoccer.com. And while going through some of the World Cup Qualifying articles, it dawned upon me:What the heck happened to Benny Feilhaber?Seriously. The Yank from Brazil had his ticket virtually punched to South Africa

BrianTheOChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17454709225436551072noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35459336.post-20035162915634624372009-02-24T22:27:00.001-05:002009-02-25T22:42:52.777-05:00

Yeah, so I was reading one of the latest media releases from the fine people at the New England Revolution about the club's preseason trip to Austin, Texas this week. I assume this location was selected because it has a much more conducive environment for playing outdoor soccer in February than Foxboro, MA. Call it a hunch.Now, over the years, you've probably gathered that soccer is an outdoor

BrianTheOChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17454709225436551072noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35459336.post-35981949076197423112009-02-24T11:11:00.005-05:002009-02-24T13:53:51.848-05:00

So, I was watching Vanilla Sky last night for that ominously-titled World Making class I’ve referenced a few times here. Man, that class just opens up your mind. I’ve been busy analyzing my own analysis of the world. If I ever get a foothold of the theory behind that class, I have a feeling this whole blog will self-implode and reform as a 27,000 page discourse on the plight of soccer here in the

BrianTheOChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17454709225436551072noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35459336.post-14931745713291011242009-02-22T20:05:00.006-05:002009-02-22T20:38:22.123-05:00

(I've been reading the Providence Journal sports page since the days of finger paints and my first phonics book. Over the years, Bill Reynolds became the first columnist I purposely read on a regular basis. The guy was like my journalistic version of Roger Clemens, pre-steroids. Anyway, every Saturday, Bill has a column titled "FOR WHAT IT'S WORTH," which is essentially a collection of thoughts

BrianTheOChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17454709225436551072noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35459336.post-79292675639961315622009-02-18T13:34:00.002-05:002009-02-18T14:55:29.744-05:00

(*I know this thought far, FAR from original. In fact, it's been regurgitated more than a few times. But that's how I'm rolling today, with non-stop work and school keeping my hands busy from 8am-7pm. Enjoy at your own risk.)David Beckham is not coming back to MLS.He is not coming back because one of the most powerful clubs on the planet will do whatever it takes to keep him. And he, and his

BrianTheOChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17454709225436551072noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35459336.post-77163685606950377562009-02-18T11:45:00.003-05:002009-02-18T13:28:04.437-05:00

(*Jeez, has it really been nearly a week since I’ve posted? I thought I’d catch some time over the extended weekend to post about the laughable “deadline” set forth by MLS Commissioner Don Garber for the David Beckham crisis to resolve itself. Unfortunately, I lost my train of thought while reading about world making, fields of consciousness, and metafiction. If my brain were yellow, it would

BrianTheOChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17454709225436551072noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35459336.post-59493502520937612732009-02-12T12:13:00.004-05:002009-02-12T12:22:05.674-05:00

Okay, so some thoughts on last night:- Great atmosphere. I love how a city like Columbus, which is by no means a major metropolitan area or even a Houston or Phoenix (sites of the previous two USA-Mexico matches), can really throw down and make it an event. My dad walked in just after kickoff, and upon hearing the crowd, asked, "I thought we were watching soccer?" We are. "Wow. It sounds like a

BrianTheOChttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17454709225436551072noreply@blogger.com4