Goodbye to New England's other number 12

The first time I interviewed Doug Warren was this past summer outside of the tiny locker rooms at Veterans Memorial Stadium in New Britain, CT.

It was after a 120-minute-plus slugfest that shouldn't have been against USL-2 side Crystal Palance Baltimore in the U.S. Open Cup quarterfinals. Although the Revolution managed to score in the first half, CPB found a goal in the second half. The contest remained knotted at 1 for another hour and a half until penalties arrived.

His stop on Val Teixiera's shot, followed up Mauricio Castro's eventual match-winner, instantly cast the media limelight on Matt Reis' longtime backup.

The press gathered outside the Revolution lockers for Doug after the match. With the humid air draped over the scene, and the potent diesel fumes eminating from the club's idling bus nearby, players rushed out of the dingy dressing rooms and into the cool comforts of their air conditioned ride. Not Doug, though. He spent the next fifteen minutes* talking to us in what was likely the longest post-match conversation he'd had with the press in years.

(*Which seemed like 15 hours after the fumes creeped their way into my lungs and brain. You know those little exploding "stars" you see when you get dazed? Yeah, they must have had like a convention in New Britain that night. By the time Doug was done, I think I had temporarily forgotten my own name.)

Despite the heavy air and nauseating fumes, he answered each concisely and patiently. When some media members arrived late, he politely answered the very same questions posed to him just two minutes ago. Sweat cascaded down his forehead. He took intermitten swigs from his water bottle. He rubbed his scruffy chin. But there was never any sense that there was any hurry. Far from it.

After the questions evaporated, there was brief hush. Doug stood around. He scanned the mini-entourage sweaty journalists surrounding him.

"Anything else? You guys sure you got everything you need?"

We all looked around. The consensus was a collective yes.

"Hey, thanks guys."

He strolled over to his bus. He was one of the last players to board.

Now, a devil's advocate might say "Well, of course he didn't mind answering questions. He's a backup. He wanted to relish a moment that was finally his very own. What did you think he was going to do? Miss out on his chance to savor the moment?"

To that I would strongly disagree. Because throughout the numerous questions, Doug constantly credited his teammates. Occasionally, he'd drop an "I". "I tried" this or "I saw" that. But other than those brief mentions, it was all "we", "the team", and "the guys." Instead of hording the limelight, Doug essentially became a billboard for the team. The match ended 1-1, with the Revolution advancing 5-3 on PKs. Somebody had stopped a crucial shot during those penalties. But after talking to Doug, you'd never have known it was him.

***

When I heard the news last week that Doug had been waived, I wasn't shocked. Surprised? A little. Especially because he was pressed into first-team action just this August when Matt Reis went down with an adductor injury. His value to the team, in my opinion, was reinforced with an admirable three-match showing this summer.

But with a cheaper alternative (Brad Knighton) waiting in the wings, I suppose, in hindsight, that Doug's days in Foxboro were numbered. It's the nature of the business.

I typically don't root for individual players. After all, there is no cheering allowed in the press box. So I simply resign myself to the quiet hope that each player performs well.* But everytime I saw Doug shine - whether it was U.S. Open Cup, Reserve League or first team MLS - I always found myself doing the same thing.

(*With the exception of three...okay, maybe four completely unlikeable souls. To protect the guilty, they'll remain nameless. For now.)

I always smiled.

The "other" number 12 in New England

I am not a patient man. At all.

I suppose it's a combination of being 1) a man, 2) Portuguese, 3) Irish, and 4)stubborn. I liked Dark Knight until that part where Harvey Dent becomes Two-Face. It should have ended right there. Cue the credits, check out the sequel in two years. Instead, it dragged on another hour, and by the time all those people were trapped on the ferries, I just wished both of 'em blew up simultaneously and ended it right there.

So, with that out of the way, I admire people who are not as sociopathically impatient as me. People who skillfully wait for their turn, revel each minute of a three-hour movie, or pull up a lawn chair in the line at the DMV. God bless 'em.

As a former little league all-star, I can't imagine riding the bench for longer than an hour. There was a rule back around the close of the Cold War that outlined that each kid play at least half of each game. Needless to say, there were times when Lil' Bri* was a little upset in the middle of a 1-1 game where he was yanked out of his centerfield station in the fourth inning.

(*Lil' Bri, or "Baby-B" were my nicknames back in the day. Yes, I was that kid - that token small kid - that seemed to have to prove his worth by hustling, sliding headfirst, and catching pop-ups behind his back just to get a second glance from the coaches.)

Patience is something I sorely lack, so I am impressed by others that do not suffer from this disposition. This is why I can appreciate the plight of Revolution goalkeeper Doug Warren. I mean, the guy bides his time by becoming a training and reserve league star while the guy ahead of him becomes all-MLS. Three years in between starts without a single public complaint? Luckily, he's no Ronaldinho** when it comes to being dropped. For everyone's best interests, the last thing we need is a pro soccer player making more appearances on RIatnite.com than in between the pipes.

(**In terms of pure attitude, of course. The dude can still crack a nasty shot and could probably elude many MLS defenders on one leg. I'd take Ronaldinho in a Revolution jersey faster than you can say, "Obrigado, Jose Mourinho.")

Warren is a class act. Bar none. He's humble, honest, and answers the media's questions patiently and concisely. According to teammates, he's a great guy in the locker room. Taylor Twellman called him "awesome" after last week's DC United match. Steve Ralston said something to that effect as well, except without sounding like Junior Seau. In short, Warren is the embodiement of a great teammate.

Which is why I'm glad to see him get some time off the pine. Not that I'm happy about Matt Reis being hurt (or anyone being injured, for that matter). It's just fun to see a player get a shot once in awhile, you know, to prove that he's still capable of manning an MLS net. That he shouldn't be an afterthought on a successful team. It reinforces the belief that everyone has a role, no matter how great or small.

And that, much to my chagrin, sometimes it really is worth the wait.