(*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 look like scrambled eggs. As a result, this is all I could come up with. My apologies.)
Anyone who knows me is certain of three things pertaining to me:
1. I laugh at everything*
(*And this apparently unnerves people who think that every time I laugh or chuckle - which I admittedly do alot - I’m somehow belittling them/their viewpoints. By no means at all. I’m just a very happy go lucky kind of guy. Check the quote from my high school yearbook: “Life is too serious to be taken to seriously.” )
2. I dream that the large construction development behind my house will eventually morph into a soccer stadium.
3. On Saturday afternoon, I can be found at any given bookstore
Since 1 and 2 have nothing to do with this post, I'll strike them from the record. For now.
Yeah, I'm a sucker for a good bookstore like an athlete who can't stay away from a "classy" strip club. What can I say? Depending upon your reading habits, bookstores are usually alot less sleazier, and much more friendly on the wallet (hey, what happened to all my ones?). Accordingly, book stores have served as a weekend refuge after a week full of school, work, and other responsibilities. Ti – I mean strip clubs – only serve to depress me. I think it has to do with the lighting. And the crappy food.
Anyway, I was at the book store some three odd months ago - mind you, this wasn't the last time I was there - when I picked up a copy of Soccer America and the subscription card fell out. It happens all the time.
But when I picked it off the floor, I noticed that an intriguing offer awaited me. A three-issue trial. So I did what any frugal shopper did - tucked the card into my wallet, filled out the pertinent information in the car, ran to the nearest mailboxand and said, YES, send me three free issues of Soccer America. On the double.
As promised, I received three free issues, as well as daily e-mails on soccer stateside and abroad. I have to say, I was pretty happy. Those guys at Soccer America know how to cater to the American soccer fan. It's like they read my mind, and never felt violated about it. That's rare.
However, as the trial neared its conclusion, overtures were made to transform my mini-subscription a full-blown, no holds barred, all you can eat subscription. I guess that's how drug users get hooked. Dude, try this. Guaranteed to get you happy/wild/messed up.
And I was hooked. I loved the info, the glossy magazine itself, and coverage, etc. But the price - well, that was the deal breaker. I mean, I could do it - I'm not insanely poor, but I'm not particularly rich enough to commit to another subscription* while I'm still paying for student and car loans, car insurance, lavish dates, rent, etc. So that's my situation.
(* I currently have subscriptions to Sports Illustrated, GQ, ESPN the Magazine, Car and Driver, and Entertainment Weekly. The sad thing is I hardly find the time to read more than an article or two from each. When they accumulate on the coffee table, it makes me appear well-informed, or so I'm told.)
Now I'll continue to pick up Soccer America every month or so at the bookstore because, heck, it just seems like a smaller dent each month than one big dent right now. I know it's cheaper in the long run to subscribe. To me, it's the equivalent of paying Subway $79 for a month's worth of subs. I know I'll eat them. But I'm just as happy paying five and change three times a week rather than forking over $79 bucks. I don't want to throw down $79 right now. I know it’s less than a 25 cents a day* for a year's worth of soccer information. But that money could go to a night of shopping and Dave & Buster's with my friend Jenn. Or to a couple of spiffy knockoff soccer jerseys on eBay. I have priorities, you know.
(*This is what the Soccer America marketing department has explained in its subscription e-mails. For less than a quarter a day, you can stay abreast of the latest in American and international soccer. Yeah, that’s a way of looking at it. But it also makes me feel guilty because I could save a child from poverty for less than a quarter a day as well. Thanks for the conscience check, Soccer America.)
Showing posts with label Soccer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Soccer. Show all posts
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Saturday, February 07, 2009
Soccer and steroids
Yesterday morning, a Sports Illustrated report fingered Alex Rodriguez - the best player in baseball - as a steroid user. A cheater.
Rodriguez, whom many believed to be "clean" from illegal performance enhancers, reportedly tested positive for steroids in 2003. Today, his name, as well as his sport, are getting dragged through the mud as a result.
The A-Rod controversy is particularly saddening for me. I love baseball. I don't want to believe it. To a fan like myself, his reported abuse forces me to cast suspicion upon every baseball superstar, not to mention the veracity of every impressive statistic.
Luckily, I also love soccer, a game where there the steroid culture doesn't exist. Or does it?
We know that Jon Conway and Jeff Parke were suspended for taking illegal performance enhancers. But can we honestly believe, with all certainty, that they are the only players abusing them?
I don't know the answer to that. I want to believe that Conway and Parke are simply two bad apples. They claim that they weren't taken intentionally, unaware that an over the counter ehnancer contained the illicit drug. Unfortunately, I don't buy that for one-tenth of a second.
Professional athletes aren't dumb when it comes to nutrition. In my experience with talking to pro athletes - whether it be soccer, baseball or football players, friends or the athletes I cover- the vast majority of them know what exactly is going onto their bodies. They have to. Their careers depends upon it.
Having said that, is it difficult to imagine a soccer player taking performance enhancers? In terms of other sports like baseball or football - yes. The abuse of PEs in both sports have been well documented, and addressed with aggressive anti-doping standards in each sport, particularly baseball.
I know what you might be thinking: baseball and football players need steroids to bulk up. Why would soccer players need it?
Let me answer that question with a question: why do track stars and sprinters take steroids? To gain speed. To get faster. Sounds like an attribute one might need in soccer, no?
It's obvious that baseball and football have battled to fight the performance enhancement issue. Both sports have enforced stricter testing methods in effort to catch any perpetrators. All the while, soccer has, thankfully, remained well outside of the media storm.
But that isn't to say that soccer, including MLS, is completely clean. Shortly after the Conway and Park incident, a colleague of mine requested to speak with an MLS manager about the problem. He was told - and I quote - "no questions about steroids" by the club public relations director. Yikes.
Does a comment like this hint at a possible a steroid problem within MLS? I hope not. I want to believe that all of the statistics, the records, the achievements - EVERYTHING - in MLS is legit, unlike the way it is in Major League Baseball. I want to believe that MLS players have finer-tuned moral compasses than their tarnished sporting counterparts. I want to believe that MLS is a clean league with clean players.
But after A-Rod, who was supposedly deemed clean by many, was implicated as a steroid abuser, I can't shake my suspicions. Not even when it comes to soccer.
The steroid issue has robbed me of the faith I once had in baseball. There was a time when you could believe in sports. You could believe that an element of fairness could be found. It was supposed to be inherent.
And this is just one of the many reasons why I have faith in American soccer. To me, it is one of the final bastions where fairness prevails on the majority. A sport that - at least Stateside -remains pure.
I hope my faith in MLS is well-placed. But I can't help but wonder sometimes...
Rodriguez, whom many believed to be "clean" from illegal performance enhancers, reportedly tested positive for steroids in 2003. Today, his name, as well as his sport, are getting dragged through the mud as a result.
The A-Rod controversy is particularly saddening for me. I love baseball. I don't want to believe it. To a fan like myself, his reported abuse forces me to cast suspicion upon every baseball superstar, not to mention the veracity of every impressive statistic.
Luckily, I also love soccer, a game where there the steroid culture doesn't exist. Or does it?
We know that Jon Conway and Jeff Parke were suspended for taking illegal performance enhancers. But can we honestly believe, with all certainty, that they are the only players abusing them?
I don't know the answer to that. I want to believe that Conway and Parke are simply two bad apples. They claim that they weren't taken intentionally, unaware that an over the counter ehnancer contained the illicit drug. Unfortunately, I don't buy that for one-tenth of a second.
Professional athletes aren't dumb when it comes to nutrition. In my experience with talking to pro athletes - whether it be soccer, baseball or football players, friends or the athletes I cover- the vast majority of them know what exactly is going onto their bodies. They have to. Their careers depends upon it.
Having said that, is it difficult to imagine a soccer player taking performance enhancers? In terms of other sports like baseball or football - yes. The abuse of PEs in both sports have been well documented, and addressed with aggressive anti-doping standards in each sport, particularly baseball.
I know what you might be thinking: baseball and football players need steroids to bulk up. Why would soccer players need it?
Let me answer that question with a question: why do track stars and sprinters take steroids? To gain speed. To get faster. Sounds like an attribute one might need in soccer, no?
It's obvious that baseball and football have battled to fight the performance enhancement issue. Both sports have enforced stricter testing methods in effort to catch any perpetrators. All the while, soccer has, thankfully, remained well outside of the media storm.
But that isn't to say that soccer, including MLS, is completely clean. Shortly after the Conway and Park incident, a colleague of mine requested to speak with an MLS manager about the problem. He was told - and I quote - "no questions about steroids" by the club public relations director. Yikes.
Does a comment like this hint at a possible a steroid problem within MLS? I hope not. I want to believe that all of the statistics, the records, the achievements - EVERYTHING - in MLS is legit, unlike the way it is in Major League Baseball. I want to believe that MLS players have finer-tuned moral compasses than their tarnished sporting counterparts. I want to believe that MLS is a clean league with clean players.
But after A-Rod, who was supposedly deemed clean by many, was implicated as a steroid abuser, I can't shake my suspicions. Not even when it comes to soccer.
The steroid issue has robbed me of the faith I once had in baseball. There was a time when you could believe in sports. You could believe that an element of fairness could be found. It was supposed to be inherent.
And this is just one of the many reasons why I have faith in American soccer. To me, it is one of the final bastions where fairness prevails on the majority. A sport that - at least Stateside -remains pure.
I hope my faith in MLS is well-placed. But I can't help but wonder sometimes...
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
The Project of World Making
Yep, it's that time of the year. The time in which I inexplicably disappear from this blog, leaving you nothing more than cricket chirps and a stale, five day old post. It's the third full week of January, which can only mean one thing: I've returned to school.
Luckily for me, there were other more interesting topics transpiring during the course of my absence that surely kept you busy. All politics aside, yesterday's inauguration was historic. There's little doubt that January 20, 2009 will be recorded as one of the most historic dates in American history.
As you can imagine, the events in Washington, D.C. were discussed in many a classroom throughout the country. Craig-Lee 253 was no exception.
There, in a class which was originally titled "Modern Fiction", my professor flipped the proverbial script on us. Exit "Modern Fiction." Enter "The Project of World Making.*"
(*A bit pretentious? I thought so, too. Maybe that's why they originally gave it a mild, non-threatening label, then BOOM! Day 1: Welcome to THE PROJECT OF WORLD MAKING impressionable youth of Rhode Island!)
Which leads me - I'm getting there - to the point of this post.
The concept, if I've mastered it after only one class, focuses on how we know things. How do we know our names? Well, because someone affixed a label to us. I am not Brian - the term "Brian" signifies who I am because that is what my parents named me - but the label is not what I am. Follow me?
We discussed the importance of signs, and how they are used, either positively or negatively, to re-create an object. For instance, if sports radio and the talking heads at large tell you that soccer is boring, and you don't know any better, those people have re-created the meaning of soccer for you. They have not allowed you to think for yourself. It is their undeniable truth that soccer is boring. Therefore, soccer is a boring game to you because people around you have told you so.
Over the years though, this perception - or this sign - of soccer has changed in America. More Americans are coming to accept soccer as a worthwhile sport, and not the game of foreigners that was embedded into many of our parents brains. Whether you notice it or not, soccer's influence has spread across this country in very subtle ways.
How many soccer fields are there today, compared to thirty years ago? How many kids and adults today play soccer vs. baseball or football? How did the term "soccer mom" suddenly pop into in our social vocabularies, to the extent that an entire marketing demographic has been created where companies like Dunkin Donuts gladly roll out the red carpet for?
The American meaning of soccer has changed drastically. Kids playing soccer is as American as kids playing baseball. That idea was once impossible to grasp, even during the heyday of the NASL. How many backyards today have a soccer balls rolling around it? How many soccer-themed bumper stickers and magnets flash by you on the road?
Thirty years ago, these ideas were almost inconceivable. Soccer has reached into forums it was shunned from only a generation ago. Over time, many of the signs built up by the anti-soccer crowd have been obliterated. This can be attributed to the aforementioned NASL that first brought soccer to the forefront. Thus, there are parents who grew up with the NASL, and after catching on due to Pele, Chinaglia, Carlos Alberto and the Cosmos, have passed on their appreciation for the game to their children.
And sometimes, that's all it takes. Many kids today view soccer just as they would football or baseball. Much of the old thinking has vanished. Eventually, generations to overcome stereotypes. It's a series of small seismic shifts. But there are shifts nonetheless.
That said, I honestly believe that it's only a matter of time before many, if not all, of the surviving negative connotations affixed to the sport by previous generations - it's a foreign game, it's boring, it's un-Americam - will simply disappear. My kids and grandkids will laugh when I tell them that there wasn't first division soccer when I ('80s babies) was growing up because of the negative light it was cast into for many years.
Thirty years from now, a new sign for soccer will have been formed. And one way or another, it will likely be drastically different than it is today.
[POST SCRIPT: Incidentally, my buddy Jason Davis at Match Fit USA, also wrote about attitudes toward soccer today. Neither one of us copied from the other. I can't speak for Jason, but I definitely I don't have telepathy. Anyway, here's his entry - something that definitely expands upon what's written here. What can I say? Great minds think alike.]
Luckily for me, there were other more interesting topics transpiring during the course of my absence that surely kept you busy. All politics aside, yesterday's inauguration was historic. There's little doubt that January 20, 2009 will be recorded as one of the most historic dates in American history.
As you can imagine, the events in Washington, D.C. were discussed in many a classroom throughout the country. Craig-Lee 253 was no exception.
There, in a class which was originally titled "Modern Fiction", my professor flipped the proverbial script on us. Exit "Modern Fiction." Enter "The Project of World Making.*"
(*A bit pretentious? I thought so, too. Maybe that's why they originally gave it a mild, non-threatening label, then BOOM! Day 1: Welcome to THE PROJECT OF WORLD MAKING impressionable youth of Rhode Island!)
Which leads me - I'm getting there - to the point of this post.
The concept, if I've mastered it after only one class, focuses on how we know things. How do we know our names? Well, because someone affixed a label to us. I am not Brian - the term "Brian" signifies who I am because that is what my parents named me - but the label is not what I am. Follow me?
We discussed the importance of signs, and how they are used, either positively or negatively, to re-create an object. For instance, if sports radio and the talking heads at large tell you that soccer is boring, and you don't know any better, those people have re-created the meaning of soccer for you. They have not allowed you to think for yourself. It is their undeniable truth that soccer is boring. Therefore, soccer is a boring game to you because people around you have told you so.
Over the years though, this perception - or this sign - of soccer has changed in America. More Americans are coming to accept soccer as a worthwhile sport, and not the game of foreigners that was embedded into many of our parents brains. Whether you notice it or not, soccer's influence has spread across this country in very subtle ways.
How many soccer fields are there today, compared to thirty years ago? How many kids and adults today play soccer vs. baseball or football? How did the term "soccer mom" suddenly pop into in our social vocabularies, to the extent that an entire marketing demographic has been created where companies like Dunkin Donuts gladly roll out the red carpet for?
The American meaning of soccer has changed drastically. Kids playing soccer is as American as kids playing baseball. That idea was once impossible to grasp, even during the heyday of the NASL. How many backyards today have a soccer balls rolling around it? How many soccer-themed bumper stickers and magnets flash by you on the road?
Thirty years ago, these ideas were almost inconceivable. Soccer has reached into forums it was shunned from only a generation ago. Over time, many of the signs built up by the anti-soccer crowd have been obliterated. This can be attributed to the aforementioned NASL that first brought soccer to the forefront. Thus, there are parents who grew up with the NASL, and after catching on due to Pele, Chinaglia, Carlos Alberto and the Cosmos, have passed on their appreciation for the game to their children.
And sometimes, that's all it takes. Many kids today view soccer just as they would football or baseball. Much of the old thinking has vanished. Eventually, generations to overcome stereotypes. It's a series of small seismic shifts. But there are shifts nonetheless.
That said, I honestly believe that it's only a matter of time before many, if not all, of the surviving negative connotations affixed to the sport by previous generations - it's a foreign game, it's boring, it's un-Americam - will simply disappear. My kids and grandkids will laugh when I tell them that there wasn't first division soccer when I ('80s babies) was growing up because of the negative light it was cast into for many years.
Thirty years from now, a new sign for soccer will have been formed. And one way or another, it will likely be drastically different than it is today.
[POST SCRIPT: Incidentally, my buddy Jason Davis at Match Fit USA, also wrote about attitudes toward soccer today. Neither one of us copied from the other. I can't speak for Jason, but I definitely I don't have telepathy. Anyway, here's his entry - something that definitely expands upon what's written here. What can I say? Great minds think alike.]
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Adventures in journalism
As part of my subscription to Soccer America, my inbox is flooded daily with about 1,341 SA e-mails pertaining to the insanely busy global football scene. Heck, the errant free kick I took in the backyard that pummeled the family cat* two weeks ago may have received mention. I often take about 20 seconds to skim the headlines before deleting, but this one caught my attention:
(*She's ok. She's like 85% fur anyway.)
Report: Arsenal Targets Gazidis Daily Mail MLS deputy Commissioner Ivan Gazidis is the latest target in Arsenal's long search for a new chief executive, writes Charles Sale, quoting no sources whatsoever. (emphasis added)
Seriously?
In journalism, a report without sources doesn't make it to the press. Your editor will dress you down to your skivvies. Coworkers will mock you. That cute copy temp? She'll never look at you the same.
Apparently, this is not the standard at some publications.
In the spirit of satire, I have offered up series of similar posts.
From the House of Soccer blog: Los Angeles Galaxy midfielder David Beckham is the latest target in the New England Revolution's long search for a new right sided midfielder/after hours PR campaign, writes Brian O'Connell, quoting no sources whatsoever.
or
Cristiano Ronaldo is said to be mulling a transfer to MLS, perhaps keying in on New England's dense Portuguese community, writes Brian O'Connell, quoting no sources whatsoever.
or
Report: Garnett to retire from NBA, joins Revolution as discovery player. Boston Celtics forward Kevin Garnett has submitted his retirement papers to the NBA offices in Manhattan in order to pursue a career in his newfound passion: soccer. The 6-11 Garnett is eyeing a developmental roster spot with the nearby New England Revolution, writes Brian O'Connell, quoting no sources whatsoever.
Wow. That was easy.
The lesson: Who needs sources when you can simply conjure up a news story?
(*She's ok. She's like 85% fur anyway.)
Report: Arsenal Targets Gazidis Daily Mail MLS deputy Commissioner Ivan Gazidis is the latest target in Arsenal's long search for a new chief executive, writes Charles Sale, quoting no sources whatsoever. (emphasis added)
Seriously?
In journalism, a report without sources doesn't make it to the press. Your editor will dress you down to your skivvies. Coworkers will mock you. That cute copy temp? She'll never look at you the same.
Apparently, this is not the standard at some publications.
In the spirit of satire, I have offered up series of similar posts.
From the House of Soccer blog: Los Angeles Galaxy midfielder David Beckham is the latest target in the New England Revolution's long search for a new right sided midfielder/after hours PR campaign, writes Brian O'Connell, quoting no sources whatsoever.
or
Cristiano Ronaldo is said to be mulling a transfer to MLS, perhaps keying in on New England's dense Portuguese community, writes Brian O'Connell, quoting no sources whatsoever.
or
Report: Garnett to retire from NBA, joins Revolution as discovery player. Boston Celtics forward Kevin Garnett has submitted his retirement papers to the NBA offices in Manhattan in order to pursue a career in his newfound passion: soccer. The 6-11 Garnett is eyeing a developmental roster spot with the nearby New England Revolution, writes Brian O'Connell, quoting no sources whatsoever.
Wow. That was easy.
The lesson: Who needs sources when you can simply conjure up a news story?
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Unhappy Fixture List Removal Day
A gray, milky sky sits outside my office window. Its subdued light reaches my enclosed shelf, which is plastered with college soccer fixtures.
With the Anchormen season now a memory, it's official: all of five soccer schedules* are now sadly moot.
(*RIC Anchormen and Anchorwomen, Brown men and women, and Providence College men.)
That being said, I am faced with a chilling reality. One of the most somber days of the year is here: Fixture List Removal Day.
You see, this is the day - typically occuring in mid-to-late November - in which I carefully peel each of these schedules off the drab, grayish shelf tucked inside my office. These bright white pieces of 8 x 11 1/2 post-consumer paper are crumpled into small golf ball-sized orbs, and ceremoniously - yes, ceremoniously* - cast into the wastebasket. From there, these remnants will be sent to the landfill, and will die a slow, agonizing death under a flock of eternally circling seagulls...
(*Before each wad is underhanded into the basket, I say "good season" and give a subtle nod of acknowledgement. Please do not consult with the local psychiatric ward regarding a possible patient escape.)
And with this process, a painful realization finally sinks in. I can no longer deny it.
There is no more live soccer for me to watch this year. None. No more Wednesday evenings and Saturday afternoons on campus. No more chatting with parents and friends, or giving post-game congratulatory daps. The pitches have been silenced 'til Spring 2009.
And the trees have bared all of their colorful hues. They will stand naked above a snowy field. The goalposts starve. The light towers will loom, but refuse to shine. Metal bleachers will remain unstirred. The flagpoles will rattle without their flags. The maroon and white scoreboard will sit idle. All will be still.
And all the while, the green of the pitch will lose its color. It will be carpeted by cold drizzle and colorless blankets of snow. Cold drizzle will freeze along the railings. Biting winds will swirl throughout the stadium. Soccer has officially hibernated.
Whoa. I fell into "Advanced Creative Writing: Nonfiction" mode there for sec. Sorry.
What will I do? I suppose I could finally get around to doing some holiday baking. Grow my hair out. Of course, I do have a dream this offseason. I want to play NCAA soccer next year. I don't know how how the heck I'm gonna make that happen. I doubt my employer shares that dream. But while I figure it out, I might as well begin training for it.
If I ultimately can't play, so be it. At the very least, I will prepare myself. I already have this book as my guide thus far. Perhaps the soccer football gods will smile upon my efforts and align some stars for me. I don't know. But with a few extra hours of free time ahead, I might as well incorporate some kind of soccer-related endeavor into my routine.
You know...maybe this offseason won't be so bad.
With the Anchormen season now a memory, it's official: all of five soccer schedules* are now sadly moot.
(*RIC Anchormen and Anchorwomen, Brown men and women, and Providence College men.)
That being said, I am faced with a chilling reality. One of the most somber days of the year is here: Fixture List Removal Day.
You see, this is the day - typically occuring in mid-to-late November - in which I carefully peel each of these schedules off the drab, grayish shelf tucked inside my office. These bright white pieces of 8 x 11 1/2 post-consumer paper are crumpled into small golf ball-sized orbs, and ceremoniously - yes, ceremoniously* - cast into the wastebasket. From there, these remnants will be sent to the landfill, and will die a slow, agonizing death under a flock of eternally circling seagulls...
(*Before each wad is underhanded into the basket, I say "good season" and give a subtle nod of acknowledgement. Please do not consult with the local psychiatric ward regarding a possible patient escape.)
And with this process, a painful realization finally sinks in. I can no longer deny it.
There is no more live soccer for me to watch this year. None. No more Wednesday evenings and Saturday afternoons on campus. No more chatting with parents and friends, or giving post-game congratulatory daps. The pitches have been silenced 'til Spring 2009.
And the trees have bared all of their colorful hues. They will stand naked above a snowy field. The goalposts starve. The light towers will loom, but refuse to shine. Metal bleachers will remain unstirred. The flagpoles will rattle without their flags. The maroon and white scoreboard will sit idle. All will be still.
And all the while, the green of the pitch will lose its color. It will be carpeted by cold drizzle and colorless blankets of snow. Cold drizzle will freeze along the railings. Biting winds will swirl throughout the stadium. Soccer has officially hibernated.
Whoa. I fell into "Advanced Creative Writing: Nonfiction" mode there for sec. Sorry.
What will I do? I suppose I could finally get around to doing some holiday baking. Grow my hair out. Of course, I do have a dream this offseason. I want to play NCAA soccer next year. I don't know how how the heck I'm gonna make that happen. I doubt my employer shares that dream. But while I figure it out, I might as well begin training for it.
If I ultimately can't play, so be it. At the very least, I will prepare myself. I already have this book as my guide thus far. Perhaps the soccer football gods will smile upon my efforts and align some stars for me. I don't know. But with a few extra hours of free time ahead, I might as well incorporate some kind of soccer-related endeavor into my routine.
You know...maybe this offseason won't be so bad.
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Foxboro finale?
Shortly after Thursday night's First Leg of the Eastern Conference semifinals, it dawned upon me that it was likely my last visit to Foxboro for soccer football. Barring a New England EC semifinal victory (possible) and a Kansas City upset over Columbus (impossible), the Revolution have played their final home match of the season.
It's been a crazy, but fun season. I witnessed the first match of the season in section 103 with my mother, as we nearly succumbed to frostbite amid the 30 degree temperatures. With hot chocolate and seventeen layers of clothing acting as our only defenses, we survived to watch the Revolution beat the Dynamo 3-0.
In June, the soccer gods rewarded the region with another visit from Brazil. Even without Ronaldinho and Kaka', A Seleção thrilled the crowd but failed to beat an inspired Venezuela, losing 0-2. To me, there is no greater sports thrill than watching Brazil in person. The crowd. The seismic rumbles that reverberate throughout the stadium during the cheers and chants. The scantily-clad Brazilian mamis. All proof that God is indeed a football fan.
Doug Warren captivated us when he made his first start in nearly three years against D.C. United. A 2-1 victory for the Revolution, but more importantly, it was a testament to patience and class. And no one on the club deserved it more than Dougie, who is one of the absolute nicest guys in professional soccer.
Lastly, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the 4-0 loss Joe Public FC. Yes, it was likely one of the ugliest Revolution matches I’ve ever seen. Defenders looked like matadors. Midfield was shakier than the San Andreas. But it Gregory Richardson’s night. The Guyanan international single-handedly owned the pitch with a hat trick and an assist in one of the most singular performances I’d ever witnessed. The kid is going to be a star someday, wherever he plays.
*******
Prior to the match, Sean Donahue and I traded updates on our school’s soccer teams. After mentioning the Anchorwomen’s 1-16-1 record, I was surprised to learn that Bryant’s men’s team is 1-14-1. Of course, the Bulldogs’ record is largely attributable to the fact that 2008 marked their first season in Division I.
Nevertheless, I took an odd solace that the Anchorwomen were not the only club in the state that sported an unflattering record.
*******
While driving home for the Revs-Fire match with my final game in Foxboro nothing but a memory, I reflected on what my purpose was, as a soccer writer.
If you had told me five years ago that I'd be a credentialed member of the soccer media, I would have laughed right in your face – the kind of laugh where spit comes out because you’re trying to contain it. My face would have turned bright red, and tears would have escaped my eyelids. It would have been LMFAO to the one trillionth degree.
I’ve told the story of how I feel into this gig many times.* And last night was one of those nights where, as I briefly gazed upon the darkness of the night sky and saw the stars twinkle brightly through the top of my windshield on my way home, I smiled. That smile must have lasted seven miles* between 495 and 95.
(*Check the Thanksgiving entry in the November 2006 archives for the tale. I was pretty green back then.)
And it lasted through Sara Bareillis’ “Bottle It Up” blared through the car speakers.
I do it for love
Love,
Love,
Love*
(*I know that the context of that song has NOTHING to do with soccer, writing, or sports. But its timing just felt appropriate when it came on the radio.)
I thought of a John Updike quote I recently read that - to paraphrase - a writer who writes solely for money is a vulgarity. You can tell who does it for the paycheck, however small it is nowadays. I’ve always been a firm believer in this litmus test for sportswriters: if you don’t smile once – just once – because of something you witnessed on the field, you’re in the wrong profession. Attend a career workshop. Hire a life coach. This job is either not for you, or has passed you by.
Which brings me to my next point.
*******
If there’s a reporter’s press box etiquette guide out there, I’d like to see it. And amend it.
While pounding away at my keypad crafting a sidebar last night, I overheard a conversation between two middle-aged writers on the other side of the box.
“I hope this is the last soccer game I have to watch this season,” said one.
“Me too," said the other. "I can’t believe I’m stuck here writing about this. And for who? The 5,000 or so people who were here? Ridiculous…"
“Seriously, who really cares about this? Does anyone actually care about soccer around here?”
Okay. I get it. You don’t like soccer.
You probably don’t understand it, either. That’s fine. I don’t understand a lot of things. Like mechanical engineering, for instance. But, I don’t barge into my brother’s classes and rip the field of engineering out loud. That would be extremely insulting to everyone on the room.
So don’t insult me. My job is to write on soccer. By disrespecting what I do, you are disrespecting not only me, but pretty much everyone else in the room.
So please, try to exhibit some class.
Next, if you don’t like soccer, don’t care for it, and would rather see it played elsewhere, like on the moon, fine. I don’t force my opinions on anyone. But failure to keep those thoughts to yourself in a room full of soccer reporters makes you sound like a bitter jackass.
Lastly – why are you here? If you don’t like your assignments, then go work for another publication. Don’t infect the box with your negative attitude which, I’m sure, was appreciated by no one but your tag team soccer hater. If you have nothing nice to say…
So, I hereto propose the following amendment:
Please refrain from broadcasting negative opinions and views about the event you are covering. Keep in mind that your peers likely enjoy what they do, and any disparaging remarks about the event may be construed as disrespectful.
It's been a crazy, but fun season. I witnessed the first match of the season in section 103 with my mother, as we nearly succumbed to frostbite amid the 30 degree temperatures. With hot chocolate and seventeen layers of clothing acting as our only defenses, we survived to watch the Revolution beat the Dynamo 3-0.
In June, the soccer gods rewarded the region with another visit from Brazil. Even without Ronaldinho and Kaka', A Seleção thrilled the crowd but failed to beat an inspired Venezuela, losing 0-2. To me, there is no greater sports thrill than watching Brazil in person. The crowd. The seismic rumbles that reverberate throughout the stadium during the cheers and chants. The scantily-clad Brazilian mamis. All proof that God is indeed a football fan.
Doug Warren captivated us when he made his first start in nearly three years against D.C. United. A 2-1 victory for the Revolution, but more importantly, it was a testament to patience and class. And no one on the club deserved it more than Dougie, who is one of the absolute nicest guys in professional soccer.
Lastly, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the 4-0 loss Joe Public FC. Yes, it was likely one of the ugliest Revolution matches I’ve ever seen. Defenders looked like matadors. Midfield was shakier than the San Andreas. But it Gregory Richardson’s night. The Guyanan international single-handedly owned the pitch with a hat trick and an assist in one of the most singular performances I’d ever witnessed. The kid is going to be a star someday, wherever he plays.
*******
Prior to the match, Sean Donahue and I traded updates on our school’s soccer teams. After mentioning the Anchorwomen’s 1-16-1 record, I was surprised to learn that Bryant’s men’s team is 1-14-1. Of course, the Bulldogs’ record is largely attributable to the fact that 2008 marked their first season in Division I.
Nevertheless, I took an odd solace that the Anchorwomen were not the only club in the state that sported an unflattering record.
*******
While driving home for the Revs-Fire match with my final game in Foxboro nothing but a memory, I reflected on what my purpose was, as a soccer writer.
If you had told me five years ago that I'd be a credentialed member of the soccer media, I would have laughed right in your face – the kind of laugh where spit comes out because you’re trying to contain it. My face would have turned bright red, and tears would have escaped my eyelids. It would have been LMFAO to the one trillionth degree.
I’ve told the story of how I feel into this gig many times.* And last night was one of those nights where, as I briefly gazed upon the darkness of the night sky and saw the stars twinkle brightly through the top of my windshield on my way home, I smiled. That smile must have lasted seven miles* between 495 and 95.
(*Check the Thanksgiving entry in the November 2006 archives for the tale. I was pretty green back then.)
And it lasted through Sara Bareillis’ “Bottle It Up” blared through the car speakers.
I do it for love
Love,
Love,
Love*
(*I know that the context of that song has NOTHING to do with soccer, writing, or sports. But its timing just felt appropriate when it came on the radio.)
I thought of a John Updike quote I recently read that - to paraphrase - a writer who writes solely for money is a vulgarity. You can tell who does it for the paycheck, however small it is nowadays. I’ve always been a firm believer in this litmus test for sportswriters: if you don’t smile once – just once – because of something you witnessed on the field, you’re in the wrong profession. Attend a career workshop. Hire a life coach. This job is either not for you, or has passed you by.
Which brings me to my next point.
*******
If there’s a reporter’s press box etiquette guide out there, I’d like to see it. And amend it.
While pounding away at my keypad crafting a sidebar last night, I overheard a conversation between two middle-aged writers on the other side of the box.
“I hope this is the last soccer game I have to watch this season,” said one.
“Me too," said the other. "I can’t believe I’m stuck here writing about this. And for who? The 5,000 or so people who were here? Ridiculous…"
“Seriously, who really cares about this? Does anyone actually care about soccer around here?”
Okay. I get it. You don’t like soccer.
You probably don’t understand it, either. That’s fine. I don’t understand a lot of things. Like mechanical engineering, for instance. But, I don’t barge into my brother’s classes and rip the field of engineering out loud. That would be extremely insulting to everyone on the room.
So don’t insult me. My job is to write on soccer. By disrespecting what I do, you are disrespecting not only me, but pretty much everyone else in the room.
So please, try to exhibit some class.
Next, if you don’t like soccer, don’t care for it, and would rather see it played elsewhere, like on the moon, fine. I don’t force my opinions on anyone. But failure to keep those thoughts to yourself in a room full of soccer reporters makes you sound like a bitter jackass.
Lastly – why are you here? If you don’t like your assignments, then go work for another publication. Don’t infect the box with your negative attitude which, I’m sure, was appreciated by no one but your tag team soccer hater. If you have nothing nice to say…
So, I hereto propose the following amendment:
Please refrain from broadcasting negative opinions and views about the event you are covering. Keep in mind that your peers likely enjoy what they do, and any disparaging remarks about the event may be construed as disrespectful.
Monday, September 22, 2008
Goodbye, Yankee Stadium...Hello Autumn
I'm going to start this post with a quote from one of my favorite songs - Don Henley's "Boys of Summer."
Nobody on the road
Nobody on the beach
I feel it in the air
The summer’s out of reach*
(*I admit that the first time I heard this song was the Ataris version of it, which came out in 2003. I remember this because it first reminded me of the 2003 Red Sox a.k.a. the Cowboy Up Sox.)
Yes, summer has expired. I made it to the Narragansett Town Beach only thrice, undertook six credits of summer classes, took many a trip to Fox Point to watch the Guatemalan and Mexican soccer leagues, and finally saw the Revolution beat Houston with hardware on the line. It was a busy season indeed.
While I was buried in coursework, the Revs kicked summer off with a 2-1 loss at Real Salt Lake on June 21st, and finished up with a 1-1 draw to Colorado on Saturday. In between, they got tired. Their defense of the U.S. Open Cup Championship evaporated when they lost 3-1 to D.C. United, this year's eventual champs. They were throttled by Joe Public FC 6-1 on aggregate in CONCACAF Champions League.
It was a tough three months, jam-packed with fixtures for the Revs. Kenny Mansally, Kheli Dube, Matt Reis, Taylor Twellman and Steve Ralston got hurt. Doug Warren made his first start in three years. Shalrie Joseph started a blog.
It's hard to imagine any other MLS club more thrilled than the Revs that summer is finally over.
******
I watched the Final Game at Yankee Stadium last night with a surprising deal of sadness. As a Red Sox fan, I never thought I'd care that Yankee Stadium, the place where many of my baseball dreams wasted away, would soon be taken behind the barn and shot. But in recent years, I experienced a growing appreciation for the Stadium, especially once I learned that soccer was played there going back to the 1930s.
Anywho, this week's issue of Sports Illustrated featured a fantastic piece on Yankee Stadium by Tom Verducci, who eloquently opened it with the following:
I am dying.
It's O.K. You need not feel sorry for me. I have lived a full life. I was born in 1923, the same year as Maria Callas, Charlton Heston, Roy Lichtenstein and Norman Mailer. All are gone now. They did well in the time with which they were graced to strut about the stage. I'd like to think I have done likewise.
Besides, I really haven't been myself since 1973, when they cut me clean open and for two years rearranged most of my vital organs (even the one that nimble-fingered Eddie Layton used to play), removed some of them and put me back together in such a way that I looked nothing like I did before. Picture Jocelyn Wildenstein at 85 and you get the idea.
See, we're just like you, only without the bother of the respiratory and circulatory apparatus. We buildings have a life span too. Time is the undefeated antagonist that takes on all comers. We age and crack and wrinkle and, yes, ultimately die.*
(*Wow. That is some writing.)
Many, many, MANY people forget that Yankee Stadium hosted soccer back in the day. In the 1931, the "other" New York Yankees (American Soccer League) hosted the Glasgow Celtics, and lost 4-1. Pele and Eusebio squared off when Santos and Benfica, respectively, played to a 3-3 draw on September 1, 1968. The New York Cosmos, perhaps the most recognizable American soccer club ever, played the final soccer game at Yankee Stadium on August 10, 1976 against the Miami Toros. It was one for the ages: Giorgio Chinaglia scored five goals - yes, five - and Pele added a pair, including one of the rare bicycle kick variety en route to the Cosmos 8-2 goal-scoring extravaganza.
In August, I traveled to the Stadium so that I could get a first-hand glimpse of The House that Ruth built. It was breathtaking. While I easily imagined the Babe, Joltin' Joe, Yogi, and The Ironman all running along the basepaths, I also stepped back to ascertain the configuration of the soccer pitch.
Ah, there it was.
I could see the Black Pearl, dribbling the ball somewhere in the outfield grass, and cracking a shot from distance. I could imagine Shep Messing, with his wild mane, sprawling to make a save. I could see people who loved soccer thrilled to see it at the same place their baseball and football heroes played.
This was all before my time - but it must have been an exciting time. Pele attracted the crowds like no other soccer player had in American history. People - alot of people - were excited about the sport for the first time when the Cosmos played in Yankee Stadium. Sure, the club wasn't there for long. They would move on to the Meadowlands in 1977 to accomodate the insanely large 70,000+ capacity crowds.
Soccer at Yankee Stadium must have been something extraordinary. The World's Game being played in what many dub "the greatest sports venue in the western hemisphere."
What a sight. I only wish I could have seen it.
Nobody on the road
Nobody on the beach
I feel it in the air
The summer’s out of reach*
(*I admit that the first time I heard this song was the Ataris version of it, which came out in 2003. I remember this because it first reminded me of the 2003 Red Sox a.k.a. the Cowboy Up Sox.)
Yes, summer has expired. I made it to the Narragansett Town Beach only thrice, undertook six credits of summer classes, took many a trip to Fox Point to watch the Guatemalan and Mexican soccer leagues, and finally saw the Revolution beat Houston with hardware on the line. It was a busy season indeed.
While I was buried in coursework, the Revs kicked summer off with a 2-1 loss at Real Salt Lake on June 21st, and finished up with a 1-1 draw to Colorado on Saturday. In between, they got tired. Their defense of the U.S. Open Cup Championship evaporated when they lost 3-1 to D.C. United, this year's eventual champs. They were throttled by Joe Public FC 6-1 on aggregate in CONCACAF Champions League.
It was a tough three months, jam-packed with fixtures for the Revs. Kenny Mansally, Kheli Dube, Matt Reis, Taylor Twellman and Steve Ralston got hurt. Doug Warren made his first start in three years. Shalrie Joseph started a blog.
It's hard to imagine any other MLS club more thrilled than the Revs that summer is finally over.
******
I watched the Final Game at Yankee Stadium last night with a surprising deal of sadness. As a Red Sox fan, I never thought I'd care that Yankee Stadium, the place where many of my baseball dreams wasted away, would soon be taken behind the barn and shot. But in recent years, I experienced a growing appreciation for the Stadium, especially once I learned that soccer was played there going back to the 1930s.
Anywho, this week's issue of Sports Illustrated featured a fantastic piece on Yankee Stadium by Tom Verducci, who eloquently opened it with the following:
I am dying.
It's O.K. You need not feel sorry for me. I have lived a full life. I was born in 1923, the same year as Maria Callas, Charlton Heston, Roy Lichtenstein and Norman Mailer. All are gone now. They did well in the time with which they were graced to strut about the stage. I'd like to think I have done likewise.
Besides, I really haven't been myself since 1973, when they cut me clean open and for two years rearranged most of my vital organs (even the one that nimble-fingered Eddie Layton used to play), removed some of them and put me back together in such a way that I looked nothing like I did before. Picture Jocelyn Wildenstein at 85 and you get the idea.
See, we're just like you, only without the bother of the respiratory and circulatory apparatus. We buildings have a life span too. Time is the undefeated antagonist that takes on all comers. We age and crack and wrinkle and, yes, ultimately die.*
(*Wow. That is some writing.)
Many, many, MANY people forget that Yankee Stadium hosted soccer back in the day. In the 1931, the "other" New York Yankees (American Soccer League) hosted the Glasgow Celtics, and lost 4-1. Pele and Eusebio squared off when Santos and Benfica, respectively, played to a 3-3 draw on September 1, 1968. The New York Cosmos, perhaps the most recognizable American soccer club ever, played the final soccer game at Yankee Stadium on August 10, 1976 against the Miami Toros. It was one for the ages: Giorgio Chinaglia scored five goals - yes, five - and Pele added a pair, including one of the rare bicycle kick variety en route to the Cosmos 8-2 goal-scoring extravaganza.
In August, I traveled to the Stadium so that I could get a first-hand glimpse of The House that Ruth built. It was breathtaking. While I easily imagined the Babe, Joltin' Joe, Yogi, and The Ironman all running along the basepaths, I also stepped back to ascertain the configuration of the soccer pitch.
Ah, there it was.
I could see the Black Pearl, dribbling the ball somewhere in the outfield grass, and cracking a shot from distance. I could imagine Shep Messing, with his wild mane, sprawling to make a save. I could see people who loved soccer thrilled to see it at the same place their baseball and football heroes played.
This was all before my time - but it must have been an exciting time. Pele attracted the crowds like no other soccer player had in American history. People - alot of people - were excited about the sport for the first time when the Cosmos played in Yankee Stadium. Sure, the club wasn't there for long. They would move on to the Meadowlands in 1977 to accomodate the insanely large 70,000+ capacity crowds.
Soccer at Yankee Stadium must have been something extraordinary. The World's Game being played in what many dub "the greatest sports venue in the western hemisphere."
What a sight. I only wish I could have seen it.
Friday, September 05, 2008
Call me clairvoyant...just don't call me "Clair"
What did I tell you about instant replay? Once you open the door just a little bit, SWAT comes in and BASHES it right down...See? Baseball writer Jayson Stark's already championing for more of it.
Thank God there's no instant replay whatsoever in soccer.
Thank God there's no instant replay whatsoever in soccer.
Thursday, September 04, 2008
NESHOF News and The U.S. Open Cup
I have breaking news for you. No, I do not know what happened to the Cheesy Gordita Crunch. I am still working my sources on that one.
Anyway, I figured I'd pass along this update after attending last night's New England Soccer Hall of Fame meeting.
The induction ceremony is slated for November 1st at the Riviera Inn in East Providence. Among the nominees are Derek Rae (ESPN soccer broadcaster) and Jeff Causey (New England Revolution 1997-2001). A press release will be issued very soon. I'm sure it will be an exciting evening for all involved.
Now, Causey, from what I've seen, was pretty solid keeper who had to man the net with some pretty suspect defending in front of him during a time when the Revolution were, on the whole, a pretty mediocre/sub-average bunch. But, I, for one, cannot wait to meet Derek Rae. He is my all-time favorite soccer TV announcer. He delivers the game with remarkable degree of professionalism, insight and energy without a hint of pompousness, which is no easy task. He sticks to the game in front of him, and is never prone to carry on with unrelated subjects or topics. In my humble opinion, he is the epitome of his profession.
******
Did you pregame the Republican National Convention (or The Office) with a view of the U.S. Open Cup Final on FSC last night? I did. It was a great game, and through the miracle of the internets, I was lucky enough to chat with Josh Hakala, the founder of USOpenCup.com, throughout the match.
Of course, an upset would have been desirable. The USL-1 Charleston Battery put up quite a fight against the formidable MLS side, DC United. It was 1-1 until the 51st minute when Fred swept a magnificent shot that ultimately sealed the deal for DC. It was a dogfight of a match - there was no question Charleston belonged there, which is why the tournament is so great. Normally, these clubs would never play each other, save for a pre-season exhibition, perhaps. But on a late-summer Wednesday night in the heart of our nation's capitol, there was something on the line that brought these two different clubs together. It was the U.S. Open Cup, a trophy that's been awarded to the best soccer club in America since the Wilson administration.
Before MLS, this was THE trophy (and I can make an argument that it still is, but I digress...for now) that determined the best of the best in the U.S. No flashy silver balls, no halftime concerts, no elaborate pre-game festivities*. Just two battle-tested clubs playing for the same handsome silver trophy that's been awarded to the victor for the past 94 years.
(*I'm not against these things, mind you. It caters to the TV audience, which is a good thing because that's where the money comes in. So long as soccer remains on the tube, I can stomach some of the nonsensical, non-soccer potpurri at MLS Cup. However, there's something to be said about a championship game that is simply just about twenty-two guys on the pitch, a conglomeration of fans, and a blind referee rather than a multi-media onslaught on the senses.)
If you like underdogs and upsets, you have to love the U.S. Open Cup. It's really soccer's version of the NCAA's, except with a richer tradition...and far fewer TV timeouts.
Anyway, I figured I'd pass along this update after attending last night's New England Soccer Hall of Fame meeting.
The induction ceremony is slated for November 1st at the Riviera Inn in East Providence. Among the nominees are Derek Rae (ESPN soccer broadcaster) and Jeff Causey (New England Revolution 1997-2001). A press release will be issued very soon. I'm sure it will be an exciting evening for all involved.
Now, Causey, from what I've seen, was pretty solid keeper who had to man the net with some pretty suspect defending in front of him during a time when the Revolution were, on the whole, a pretty mediocre/sub-average bunch. But, I, for one, cannot wait to meet Derek Rae. He is my all-time favorite soccer TV announcer. He delivers the game with remarkable degree of professionalism, insight and energy without a hint of pompousness, which is no easy task. He sticks to the game in front of him, and is never prone to carry on with unrelated subjects or topics. In my humble opinion, he is the epitome of his profession.
******
Did you pregame the Republican National Convention (or The Office) with a view of the U.S. Open Cup Final on FSC last night? I did. It was a great game, and through the miracle of the internets, I was lucky enough to chat with Josh Hakala, the founder of USOpenCup.com, throughout the match.
Of course, an upset would have been desirable. The USL-1 Charleston Battery put up quite a fight against the formidable MLS side, DC United. It was 1-1 until the 51st minute when Fred swept a magnificent shot that ultimately sealed the deal for DC. It was a dogfight of a match - there was no question Charleston belonged there, which is why the tournament is so great. Normally, these clubs would never play each other, save for a pre-season exhibition, perhaps. But on a late-summer Wednesday night in the heart of our nation's capitol, there was something on the line that brought these two different clubs together. It was the U.S. Open Cup, a trophy that's been awarded to the best soccer club in America since the Wilson administration.
Before MLS, this was THE trophy (and I can make an argument that it still is, but I digress...for now) that determined the best of the best in the U.S. No flashy silver balls, no halftime concerts, no elaborate pre-game festivities*. Just two battle-tested clubs playing for the same handsome silver trophy that's been awarded to the victor for the past 94 years.
(*I'm not against these things, mind you. It caters to the TV audience, which is a good thing because that's where the money comes in. So long as soccer remains on the tube, I can stomach some of the nonsensical, non-soccer potpurri at MLS Cup. However, there's something to be said about a championship game that is simply just about twenty-two guys on the pitch, a conglomeration of fans, and a blind referee rather than a multi-media onslaught on the senses.)
If you like underdogs and upsets, you have to love the U.S. Open Cup. It's really soccer's version of the NCAA's, except with a richer tradition...and far fewer TV timeouts.
Tuesday, September 02, 2008
Not to be confused with...
Don't worry. This blog is not "very bad for you."Nor is it "mind blowingly inappropriate." Or "OMFG!"
And it is definitely not "every parent's worst nightmare."
There, I said it. My attempts at making this blog appear sexy have utterly failed.
For those of you who don't get those quotes, it's from the new radio spots for the C-Dub's Gossip Girl.
Now, I've never seen Gossip Girl. But I'm intrigued to discover what "every parent's worst nightmare is", besides, you know, finding out your pre-adolscent son is a meth addict. Or that your teenage daughter's selling herself downcity. I would imagine those are actual parental nightmares, rather than a 'tweener drama on CW.
*******
But this has me thinking: what if there were similar advertising campaigns in MLS? Would people be curious enough to see whether Pablo Mastroeni is "every parent's worst nightmare"? How about if the Revolution changed their motto from "Pride and Passion" to "OMFG!"? Do you think that attendance would increase league-wide?
Probably not. But I think it would be hilarious to see.
*******
I almost forgot my point. Sorry. I tend to do that sometimes.
ANYWAY, I was thinking how many attractive women I encountered at Saturday's L.A. Galaxy game. We all know why. It's Landycake's massive thighs. Damn him.
I've always been of the mind that the Revolution should recruit a cheerleader squad for its home matches. Believe me: I've thought this through. I'm aware of the cultural and subcultural implications. It would work. Look no further than Chivas Girls, the Mexican Soccer League, and Chivas Girls. They haven't exactly been booed off the pitch, now have they? I didn't think so.
But here's my suggestion. A little tweaky tweak, if you will. Instead of cheerleaders, the Revs should recruit song girls, a la the University of Southern California football team. The wholesome, girl-next-door approach never fails, despite what the marketing geniuses behind the Gossip Girl advert will tell you (which, by theway, some critics say that the campaign reeks for desparation. No, not that kind of desparation.)
So who's against some cute chicks in skintight sweaters and traditional cheer skirts belting out "REV-O-LOO-SHUN!" or "TAY-LOR TWELL-MAN!"?
Besides...it's not like it's bad for you.
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Soccer: the final bastion that technology hasn't touched
It was first reported two months ago that Major League Baseball was moving to allow instant replay for in-game use - but for limited purpose of determing home runs. Reportedly, this will be the only circumstance in which the technology, which espn.com first reported on back in May, will be used. On Thursday, months of speculation will cease when the use of intsant replay will be made flesh.
I love baseball. I love soccer. But, as baseball concedes itself to modern technology (which, I do not hate - I love the idea of iPods, Blackberries, and the VTEC engine under my hood), I can't help but absolutely reject the slippery slope that the limited use of intsant replay will become. Which is why I'm totally against it. Within the next ten years, the its utilization will become increasingly liberal, just as it has in American football and basketball. Believe me: it's home runs today, out-or-safe calls tomorrow, and balls and strikes next week. It's gonna get progressively ugly.
Which brings me to my point: for all that's wrong with soccer, from multi-million euro transfer fees to football lines on pitches, the one thing it's gotten right is the shunning of any form of instant reviews. Maybe it's because the free-flowing nature of the game just will never correspond well to it. Or maybe it just has to do with a bunch of white-collar FIFA guys struggling to grasp the concept of a cellular phone. I don't know. Whatever it is, thank God for it.
Now, there has been discussions of the so-called "soccer ball chip", which would allow for a form of goal-line technology that would validate or nullify a controversial goal or non-goal. In theory, the instant a ball crosses the line, a supersensitive GPS system would register the trespass and register the goal by flashing a luminous device. Kinda like in hockey with the goal judge, just deadly accurate. So all legitimate goals will be recognized, and all mythical goals will be categorically disproven like the rotten bastards that they are. In theory, it's a fine idea. But I cannot help but think what floodgates will be smashed open after that technology is employed. What's next? Microchips inserted into the players' boots to define whether an attacker is offside? There comes a point where it's too late to revert back, as technology will continue to encroach upon the imperfect.
I know the counterargument: shouldn't all calls be perfect?
No. There is a degree of human error involved in all things related to human beings. It's life. Life isn't perfect. So why should sports be perfect? Soccer is, perhaps, the greatest sports metaphor for life, and is likely the primary reason why so many people love it. Think about it. Chronologically, the victories are often days or weeks in between (unless you're a ManU, Real Madrid or Juventus fan and are accustomed to multiple victory weeks with Champions League, UEFA Cup, FA Cup, Cup Winner's Cup, Cup Cup's CUP, etc. In that case, you have shielded yourself from reality. Which is not necessarily a bad thing.), and there are more than enough rainy, goalless draws for us to simply wallow in while we wait for the next triumph. So why do calls or decisions need to be perfect? Who are we, as very imperfect beings, to demand perfection, a standard to which we can never achieve?
So, while baseball - pure baseball - will have a piece of its soul ripped out from its use of instant replay, I can't help but applaud FIFA (yes, I just said something pleasant about FIFA) for keeping video monitors and microchips in the office and off the pitch.
I love baseball. I love soccer. But, as baseball concedes itself to modern technology (which, I do not hate - I love the idea of iPods, Blackberries, and the VTEC engine under my hood), I can't help but absolutely reject the slippery slope that the limited use of intsant replay will become. Which is why I'm totally against it. Within the next ten years, the its utilization will become increasingly liberal, just as it has in American football and basketball. Believe me: it's home runs today, out-or-safe calls tomorrow, and balls and strikes next week. It's gonna get progressively ugly.
Which brings me to my point: for all that's wrong with soccer, from multi-million euro transfer fees to football lines on pitches, the one thing it's gotten right is the shunning of any form of instant reviews. Maybe it's because the free-flowing nature of the game just will never correspond well to it. Or maybe it just has to do with a bunch of white-collar FIFA guys struggling to grasp the concept of a cellular phone. I don't know. Whatever it is, thank God for it.
Now, there has been discussions of the so-called "soccer ball chip", which would allow for a form of goal-line technology that would validate or nullify a controversial goal or non-goal. In theory, the instant a ball crosses the line, a supersensitive GPS system would register the trespass and register the goal by flashing a luminous device. Kinda like in hockey with the goal judge, just deadly accurate. So all legitimate goals will be recognized, and all mythical goals will be categorically disproven like the rotten bastards that they are. In theory, it's a fine idea. But I cannot help but think what floodgates will be smashed open after that technology is employed. What's next? Microchips inserted into the players' boots to define whether an attacker is offside? There comes a point where it's too late to revert back, as technology will continue to encroach upon the imperfect.
I know the counterargument: shouldn't all calls be perfect?
No. There is a degree of human error involved in all things related to human beings. It's life. Life isn't perfect. So why should sports be perfect? Soccer is, perhaps, the greatest sports metaphor for life, and is likely the primary reason why so many people love it. Think about it. Chronologically, the victories are often days or weeks in between (unless you're a ManU, Real Madrid or Juventus fan and are accustomed to multiple victory weeks with Champions League, UEFA Cup, FA Cup, Cup Winner's Cup, Cup Cup's CUP, etc. In that case, you have shielded yourself from reality. Which is not necessarily a bad thing.), and there are more than enough rainy, goalless draws for us to simply wallow in while we wait for the next triumph. So why do calls or decisions need to be perfect? Who are we, as very imperfect beings, to demand perfection, a standard to which we can never achieve?
So, while baseball - pure baseball - will have a piece of its soul ripped out from its use of instant replay, I can't help but applaud FIFA (yes, I just said something pleasant about FIFA) for keeping video monitors and microchips in the office and off the pitch.
Monday, August 25, 2008
I know what you're thinking...
Two posts in one day? What the heck?
Well, all I can say for myself besides the usual litany of excuses (work, school, sleep, and Sonic the Hedgehog 2) is that I've been inspired. Yes. By what, you ask (or may want to ask)?
Well, ask one of my readers (not that there are many), friends, family, and professors, and they will tell you the same thing about me(besides the fact that I drink too much caffeine): Jeez, that dude likes to write. Like Perez Hilton likes to dish out the latest gossip, Brian O'Connell (first third-person reference of the year) lives to tell the world about soccer. Isn't he (second second-person reference) such a swell soccerball writer?
ANYWAY, the reason I'm writing here again is two-fold. One reason is that, hey, I miss you guy(s). You guy(s) is/are my guy(s). You've been deprived of me for far too long. So here I am!
The second reason is that now that I'm employed by newenglandsoccernews.com, I'm obligated to stick to the facts. Commentary and op-eds are like ugly ducklings over there. But I have no complaints. They've got a format there. I've got this forum right here to inflict my utter lack of knowledge and hair-brained ideas on my loyal reader(s).
Now, if you're brain hasn't turned to mush yet, I've actually got some news to share with you.
I attended the New England Soccer Hall of Fame's August meeting tonight over at the Portuguese Sporting Club in Fox Point (for those unfamiliar, that's in Providence). The biggest piece of news was that this year's induction ceremony will take place on November 1, 2008 at The Riviera Inn restaurant in East Providence. Start time is 7:00pm ET. Ties and cummerbuns not required.
As someone who loves soccer, I highly encourage anyone who cannot escape the pull of this game to come on by and support the local soccer legends. Yes, legends. City legends. Neighborhood legends. Professional legends. Guys (and gals) that were talked about like Yaz in Boston, or Richard Hatch in Cranston. You have no idea how rich a history New England has until you spend a couple of hours at a NESHOF induction ceremony. Did you know that Rhode Island alone boasts no fewer than ten clubs that all made the smallest state its home at point or another? It's true. Do you know about Billy Gonsalves? How about the Pawtucket Rangers? Well, I suggest you get familiar with some of these clubs and players that kicked around the real football before it was white with semi-alternating black panels.
Get to know your sport's history. I personally invite you to attend the ceremony. In addition to the great Portuguese food and drink, the NESHOF guys annually roll out what can accurately be called a mini-museum of soccer artifacts, photos, balls, and newspaper clippings that all relate to New England's soccer scene. Believe me when I tell you that it is an experience like no other for any warm-blooded soccer fan.
Well, all I can say for myself besides the usual litany of excuses (work, school, sleep, and Sonic the Hedgehog 2) is that I've been inspired. Yes. By what, you ask (or may want to ask)?
Well, ask one of my readers (not that there are many), friends, family, and professors, and they will tell you the same thing about me(besides the fact that I drink too much caffeine): Jeez, that dude likes to write. Like Perez Hilton likes to dish out the latest gossip, Brian O'Connell (first third-person reference of the year) lives to tell the world about soccer. Isn't he (second second-person reference) such a swell soccerball writer?
ANYWAY, the reason I'm writing here again is two-fold. One reason is that, hey, I miss you guy(s). You guy(s) is/are my guy(s). You've been deprived of me for far too long. So here I am!
The second reason is that now that I'm employed by newenglandsoccernews.com, I'm obligated to stick to the facts. Commentary and op-eds are like ugly ducklings over there. But I have no complaints. They've got a format there. I've got this forum right here to inflict my utter lack of knowledge and hair-brained ideas on my loyal reader(s).
Now, if you're brain hasn't turned to mush yet, I've actually got some news to share with you.
I attended the New England Soccer Hall of Fame's August meeting tonight over at the Portuguese Sporting Club in Fox Point (for those unfamiliar, that's in Providence). The biggest piece of news was that this year's induction ceremony will take place on November 1, 2008 at The Riviera Inn restaurant in East Providence. Start time is 7:00pm ET. Ties and cummerbuns not required.
As someone who loves soccer, I highly encourage anyone who cannot escape the pull of this game to come on by and support the local soccer legends. Yes, legends. City legends. Neighborhood legends. Professional legends. Guys (and gals) that were talked about like Yaz in Boston, or Richard Hatch in Cranston. You have no idea how rich a history New England has until you spend a couple of hours at a NESHOF induction ceremony. Did you know that Rhode Island alone boasts no fewer than ten clubs that all made the smallest state its home at point or another? It's true. Do you know about Billy Gonsalves? How about the Pawtucket Rangers? Well, I suggest you get familiar with some of these clubs and players that kicked around the real football before it was white with semi-alternating black panels.
Get to know your sport's history. I personally invite you to attend the ceremony. In addition to the great Portuguese food and drink, the NESHOF guys annually roll out what can accurately be called a mini-museum of soccer artifacts, photos, balls, and newspaper clippings that all relate to New England's soccer scene. Believe me when I tell you that it is an experience like no other for any warm-blooded soccer fan.
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Cashe Money: An Interview with Houston's Corey Ashe
If Major League Soccer ever got around to creating an annual all-rookie team, then Corey Ashe would have been the undisputed starter on the left wing on this season’s freshman roster. His six assists during his rookie campaign with the Houston Dynamo is only the tip of the iceberg – his quickness, creativity, and symbiotic relationship with the ball in the middle was a key reason why his club was able to punch its ticket to another MLS Cup Final.
Needless to say, 2007 was quite a year for the diminutive (5-6), yet dizzying Dynamo rookie. The beginning of his veritable movie-script season began with the MLS defending champion selecting him in the second round (26th overall) from the University of North Carolina in the 2007 Super Draft. He starred on the reserve team during the early part of the season, before making his impact on the first team, where he appeared in 20 matches (six starts) for the Dynamo. Just as the summer began to wane, the speedy midfielder caught fire against Real Salt Lake on September 8th, when he sparked the Dynamo attack by recording assists on all but one of the four goals poured in by his club in their high-octane 4-3 victory.
Then, as if things couldn’t possibly become even more unreal for the former Tar Heel, he and his teammates capped off the 2007 campaign in grand fashion, by hoisting the MLS Cup trophy with their 2-1 victory over the New England Revolution.
With an opportunity to finally catch his breath after such a whirlwind season, the 21-year-old speedster graciously took the time to check in with Revsnet’s Brian O’Connell on his remarkable year.
Brian: I've talked to a few rookies this season about the comparison between college soccer and MLS, and they all remark how vastly different NCAA soccer is compared to MLS. Would you agree with that assessment? How much different is it, even for a player who comes from a traditional soccer college like UNC?
Corey: I would definitely agree with that assessment. With the MLS the ball moves faster, the technical ability the players posses is better than that of college, the players are smarter, and the level is higher.
Brian: Talking with ACC guys like Wells Thompson, Adam Cristman and Kyle Helton, it seems like the ACC is the premier college soccer conference in the nation. In your opinion, what is it about the ACC that makes it so competitive year in and year out?
Corey: The ACC is competitive year in and out because of the recruiting classes that each school receives. Most people are under the impression that this is the best conference so that attracts skillful players and players that want to make it to the professional ranks. Furthermore, I think the players that are recruited have either National team experience or have played on a regional team and if those players are in the conference it creates a more competitive atmosphere.
Brian: You were drafted earlier this year by a team that had just won the MLS Cup the year before. How much of an honor was it to be selected by a championship side?
Corey: It was a huge honor simply because they were the defending champs and because I heard a lot of good things about the coaching staff and the team. So it was an honor to know that Dominic and John thought I would fit well into their program.
Brian: What were your first impressions of Houston, with respect to the coaching staff, players, and management?
Corey: I thought that everything about the program was professional. The players and coaches were serious about winning and on the field they meant business. Off the field the players are your friends and if you need anything they have no problem with giving advice or assisting you.
Brian: Was there any player or coach you gravitated to that helped you along through your first season in the league?
Corey: Both coaches helped a lot but I gravitated towards John Spencer the assistant coach. He provided a lot of advice and worked with me one on one.
Brian: What was the most difficult aspect of your rookie season?
Corey: The most difficult aspect was adjusting to the speed of play. The ball moves so much faster so you usually have to have an idea of what you want to do with the ball before you get it.
Brian: What were your expectations for your first season in the League? Did you have any specific personal goals, whether it be getting a certain amount of first team games, or scoring a certain number of goals? Was there any additional pressure to achieve these goals because you were drafted by a team that had just won a championship?
Corey: Honestly I just wanted to play and develop as fast as I could. I obviously wanted to get some playing time with the first team but I knew it would be hard. So I didn't really set any goals except to just develop as fast as I could.
Brian: Back on September 8th, you recorded three assists in the 4-3 victory over Real Salt Lake, which was unquestionably the best game of your rookie campaign. Tell me a little bit about how big of a game that was for you, and how you hope to build on a performance like that.
Corey: It was a huge game because my older brother came that weekend before he left for Iraq so I wanted to play hard for him and make him proud. So not only was it huge that I recorded three assists but I was happy to make him proud. It also did a lot for my confidence. It showed that I belong in this league.
Brian: Obviously, Houston did quite well this year, earning its second consecutive championship. What was it like to be able to celebrate a championship with your teammates in your very first pro season?
Corey: It was awesome to know that I contributed in my first season to a championship team. I helped get Houston to the finals and win. Also, I take away from this experience what it takes to be a champion. I understand the work that goes into making it to the finals and winning. So it was awesome celebrating.
Brian: Somewhat off-topic, but I looked at your MLSnet.com player profile, and it states that you enjoy rap and R & B music. As a fellow hip hop aficionado myself, who's the better MC: 50 or Kanye?
Corey: They are both good but I would say Kanye simply because he is more creative with his lyrics unlike 50. He makes you think about what he is saying and his songs have a message that he is trying to get across to the listeners.
Brian: Is there a pre-match track that you like to listen to before kickoff? If so, which track?
Corey: Kanye West- "Champion."
Brian: Lastly, with your first full pro season now under your belt, what can we expect from Corey Ashe next season?
Corey: More goals and assists and more of a complete and consistent player.
Friday, December 07, 2007
My soccer-soaked Christmas List
For my kind, well-compensated readers and rich potential stalkers, here are the soccer-related items on my Christmas list this year:
1. 2007-08 Fulham FC Clint Dempsey jersey. For obvious reasons.
2. 2007-08 Newcastle Michael Owen jersey. I put this on my list because I've been watching "Goal! The Dream Begins" like an incessant fiend. The flick features the main character playing for Newcastle. After the twelfth viewing, I became a sucker for the black and white strip.
3. 2007-08 AC Milan Kaka' jersey. First, because he's like the best player in the world, and the black and red kit is actually one of my favorite kits to begin with. Second, because I don't have any Serie A kits as of yet. Last, because I think it would be pretty cool to walk around the mall with a jersey that has "Kaka'" on the back. I think it would be conversation starter, for real.
4. 2007-08 Internazionale Luis Figo jersey. Hey, I wanna be prepared when he comes to play for the Revs.
5. 1979 New England Tea Men throwback jersey. I could actually write a 50-page dissertation on why I would love to find this jersey under the tree, but for the sake of everyone's sanity, I'll keep it to a couple of sentences. I love this jersey because I love throwback jerseys in the first place (I've got at least 20 NFL throwbacks already), and it's a soccer throwback (don't see too many of those on the streets). Plus, it's a garish ketchup & mustard red and yellow, which is also sure ot be a conversation starter at the next Revs/MLS game.
6. UEFA Champions League DVD. Per my previous entry, Champions League and Christmas go together like Becks and Loos...er, Posh.
7. The World Cup: The Ultimate Guide to the Greatest Sports Spectacle in the World (by Fernando Fiore). I already have a vast collection of books on the World Cup, but I always seem to learn something new about the Cup with every book I read on it. One of the few World Cup-oriented books that I don't yet have.
8. The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Soccer: The Definite Illustrated Guide to World Soccer (edited by Keir Radnedge). I don't have a coffee table just yet, but when I do, I'll place this fantastic book upon it to for all of my house guests know that I care that they should care about the world's game. That, in addition to the fact that it would actually be an interesting coffee table book, rather than one of those cliche'd art books or a pictorial of the world's seven natural wonders.
1. 2007-08 Fulham FC Clint Dempsey jersey. For obvious reasons.
2. 2007-08 Newcastle Michael Owen jersey. I put this on my list because I've been watching "Goal! The Dream Begins" like an incessant fiend. The flick features the main character playing for Newcastle. After the twelfth viewing, I became a sucker for the black and white strip.
3. 2007-08 AC Milan Kaka' jersey. First, because he's like the best player in the world, and the black and red kit is actually one of my favorite kits to begin with. Second, because I don't have any Serie A kits as of yet. Last, because I think it would be pretty cool to walk around the mall with a jersey that has "Kaka'" on the back. I think it would be conversation starter, for real.
4. 2007-08 Internazionale Luis Figo jersey. Hey, I wanna be prepared when he comes to play for the Revs.
5. 1979 New England Tea Men throwback jersey. I could actually write a 50-page dissertation on why I would love to find this jersey under the tree, but for the sake of everyone's sanity, I'll keep it to a couple of sentences. I love this jersey because I love throwback jerseys in the first place (I've got at least 20 NFL throwbacks already), and it's a soccer throwback (don't see too many of those on the streets). Plus, it's a garish ketchup & mustard red and yellow, which is also sure ot be a conversation starter at the next Revs/MLS game.
6. UEFA Champions League DVD. Per my previous entry, Champions League and Christmas go together like Becks and Loos...er, Posh.
7. The World Cup: The Ultimate Guide to the Greatest Sports Spectacle in the World (by Fernando Fiore). I already have a vast collection of books on the World Cup, but I always seem to learn something new about the Cup with every book I read on it. One of the few World Cup-oriented books that I don't yet have.
8. The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Soccer: The Definite Illustrated Guide to World Soccer (edited by Keir Radnedge). I don't have a coffee table just yet, but when I do, I'll place this fantastic book upon it to for all of my house guests know that I care that they should care about the world's game. That, in addition to the fact that it would actually be an interesting coffee table book, rather than one of those cliche'd art books or a pictorial of the world's seven natural wonders.
The Sickly Friday Morning Rant
First of all, allow me to apologize for not checking in sooner. I've been fighting a rather nasty sinus infection and coupled with an inordinate amount of Christmas-related obligations, I've been terribly remiss in submitting a half-hearted post this month. So anyway, let's get started, shall we?
1. Due to my sickness, I've been holed up in my room for much of the week, left to my devices and many boxes of tissues. However, my relative inactivity has allowed me to catch up on some reading. Notably, I've been engrossed in Jamie Trecker's "Love & Blood", an entertaining and enlightening first-hand account of the 2006 World Cup. Already halfway through after only two sittings, I've been impressed enough to brush aside my critical opinion of Trecker, who at times seems to go out of his way to bash women's pro soccer and MLS in his regular pices on foxsports.com.
Nevertheless, if you can put his inflammatory opinions behind you, then I would highly recommend this book, as it not only gives a wonderful account of Germany '06, but some interesting insight into the politicking that went into securing the World Cup there. Great read, thus far.
2. I love Jen Chang's blog on espnsoccernet.com. Really, it is like a soothing cup of hot chocolate on these cold December days in which the local landscape is almost completely barren of soccer. However, my only qualm is that it could be more MLS-centered. Not that there's anything wrong with comments on soccer abroad (especially since we're in the midst of a fairly quiet MLS offseason), but a guy with his kind of inside info MUST have some "interesting" knowledge of MLS offseason going-ons (trade rumors? expansion discussions? number of assistants Beckham employs?) that readers would love to hear about. Right?
3. I wouldn't call it desperation per se, but I took a trip up to Springfield, MA with my young cousin for some indoor soccer last Saturday. The Massachusetts Twisters, the local entry in the American Indoor Soccer League, provided a wonderful night of soccer-related entertainment for my young cohort and I, and was actually quite surprised that I actually enjoyed it as much as I had. In fact, I've already begun working on a piece in which I defend the indoor game, because quite honestly, I don't feel it gets the respect it deserves.
Yes, it's not the same as the outdoor game - but just because it isn't, doesn't mean that it deserves to be lampooned or bashed, as Paul Gardner has done in past articles. I attended the Twisters match with an open mind, and thoroughly enjoyed the quick pace and high energy. My cousin had just as much fun, and actually asked me to bring him along next time I plan on attending another match.
Call me a sucker for ther sport's grassroots efforts, but I think anyone with an open mind would have his/her soccer world expanded considerably if just a little respect was given to such localized and "below the radar" outfits like the AISL.
4. For those of you who read my Sunday Morning Striker pieces, I haven't just yet started on my indoor soccer coaching responsibilities. I'm actually in the process of getting feedback on how to best organize this little endeavor, as well as getting an estimate of how many kids would be interested in playing about once a week. The things I do to keep up with this malignant soccer addiction...
1. Due to my sickness, I've been holed up in my room for much of the week, left to my devices and many boxes of tissues. However, my relative inactivity has allowed me to catch up on some reading. Notably, I've been engrossed in Jamie Trecker's "Love & Blood", an entertaining and enlightening first-hand account of the 2006 World Cup. Already halfway through after only two sittings, I've been impressed enough to brush aside my critical opinion of Trecker, who at times seems to go out of his way to bash women's pro soccer and MLS in his regular pices on foxsports.com.
Nevertheless, if you can put his inflammatory opinions behind you, then I would highly recommend this book, as it not only gives a wonderful account of Germany '06, but some interesting insight into the politicking that went into securing the World Cup there. Great read, thus far.
2. I love Jen Chang's blog on espnsoccernet.com. Really, it is like a soothing cup of hot chocolate on these cold December days in which the local landscape is almost completely barren of soccer. However, my only qualm is that it could be more MLS-centered. Not that there's anything wrong with comments on soccer abroad (especially since we're in the midst of a fairly quiet MLS offseason), but a guy with his kind of inside info MUST have some "interesting" knowledge of MLS offseason going-ons (trade rumors? expansion discussions? number of assistants Beckham employs?) that readers would love to hear about. Right?
3. I wouldn't call it desperation per se, but I took a trip up to Springfield, MA with my young cousin for some indoor soccer last Saturday. The Massachusetts Twisters, the local entry in the American Indoor Soccer League, provided a wonderful night of soccer-related entertainment for my young cohort and I, and was actually quite surprised that I actually enjoyed it as much as I had. In fact, I've already begun working on a piece in which I defend the indoor game, because quite honestly, I don't feel it gets the respect it deserves.
Yes, it's not the same as the outdoor game - but just because it isn't, doesn't mean that it deserves to be lampooned or bashed, as Paul Gardner has done in past articles. I attended the Twisters match with an open mind, and thoroughly enjoyed the quick pace and high energy. My cousin had just as much fun, and actually asked me to bring him along next time I plan on attending another match.
Call me a sucker for ther sport's grassroots efforts, but I think anyone with an open mind would have his/her soccer world expanded considerably if just a little respect was given to such localized and "below the radar" outfits like the AISL.
4. For those of you who read my Sunday Morning Striker pieces, I haven't just yet started on my indoor soccer coaching responsibilities. I'm actually in the process of getting feedback on how to best organize this little endeavor, as well as getting an estimate of how many kids would be interested in playing about once a week. The things I do to keep up with this malignant soccer addiction...
Friday, November 16, 2007
The (added) pressure to win
Trophy Town. City of Champions. Current Hub of the Sports Universe.
On Sunday afternoon, the New England Revolution will step onto the RFK Stadium pitch for the MLS Cup with a gorilla-sized burden resting heavily on their shoulders. Sure, it’s the winner-take-all championship match, and another loss to the Houston Dynamo for the second consecutive year would be devastating, to say the least.
But aside from that, additional pressure has stemmed from the least likely of sources: their successful surrounding neighbors. For the championship ventures of the New England Patriots and Boston Red Sox have unquestionably elevated the expectations New England’s sports fans, thus creating inexorably heightened expectations for surrounding clubs. The cold reality is simple: anything short of championship on Sunday will keep the Revolution from the fan and media attention that it has long deserved.
In a region that can lay claim to five combined championships in the past six years, it simply isn’t enough to be good, which is precisely what the Revolution has been during the same six-year time frame; a team must be great (i.e. championship great) to have its name invoked by the media. Why? Because the streak of recent success has heightened – perhaps redefined - the expectations of a fan base that have been incredibly fortunate to experience a bevy of glorious triumphs. Due to the meteoric rise of the Red Sox and Patriots, the Boston sports fan now demands greatness. So with these veritable lead weights on their shoulders, the Revs will clearly be fighting for something greater than just MLS Cup spoils: they'll be fighting for the media and fan attention that the great teams of the Patriots and Red Sox have combined to monopolize.The goal: to strike the championship metal while it’s still hot.
To appreciate the steep challenge the Revolution faces in order to accomplish this monumental task, take a look down the list of Boston’s most notable sports teams. The Red Sox: World Series Champions. The Patriots: Currently 9-0, and primed for an unbeaten season and an accompanying fourth Super Bowl victory. The Boston Celtics: 8-0, and the hottest team in the NBA. Boston College football: 8-2, and up until two weeks ago, were flirting with a bid to the BCS Championship game. Talk about trying to keep up with the Joneses.
Yet, in comparison to the “big brothers” of the regional sports scene, the little brother soccer team has actually outperformed the headline-grabbing older siblings in recent years. In terms of playoff appearances, the Revolution has actually bested all four of their elders by clinching postseason berths in each of their past six seasons. Despite this remarkable track record, the club has continued to fly under the sports radar, desperately lost while the talking heads dominating the airwaves discuss the Red Sox and Patriots ad infinitum.
In an odd sense, the current concentration of championship caliber clubs has adversely masked the successes of the Revolution. The Red Sox have won two of the past four World Series championships. Not to be outdone, the Patriots have won three Super Bowls since 2001. Sensing that they were in danger of becoming marginalized themselves, the Celtics went out and acquired two big names (Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett) to join in-house superstar Paul Pierce. Thus, the newly-christened “Big Three" is not just Boston radio, but the entire NBA. The unfortunate result of the unparalleled success enjoyed by these clubs has left the Revs conspicuously absent from Boston’s sports pages, radio, and nightly newscasts.
The perception that the Patriots, Red Sox, and Celtics are the only worthwhile candidates for water cooler banter is obstacle the Revolution must try to overcome. Contrary to the opinions of various media blowhards, there are people who do care about this team; it’s simply a matter of trying to convince the traditional mainstream media outlets that they should invest in Revolution soccer as well. Even if the club achieves the MLS championship on Sunday, it may only be the first step – albeit a sizeable step – toward shifting the general attitudes of the media, and in turn, the general fan base.
As if these challenges weren’t enough, the Revolution is faced another, yet far more sinister perception: the perverse idea that soccer is a nothing more than a “foreigner’s sport.” Many so-called sports personalities dismiss the game as patently “un-American”, and thus, go out of their way to bash the sport when the word “soccer” is even uttered. This misguided and troubling anti-soccer sentiment is also held by a surprising number of local sports editors, writers, and producers who simply ignore the efforts of soccer squads by force-feeding their own readers, viewers, and listeners with non-stop baseball, football, and basketball stories. Sadly, there are more than a handful of media types that are unabashedly rooting against the Revolution so as to withhold any attention to the soccer club. Therefore, in order to crack the hardened crust of the status quo, the Revolution must do something big to force the hands of their critics.
That’s no easy task, either. Considering in that the Revs do not have the luxury of a league championship (though they did win the 2007 US Open Cup) or big-name player signing, the organization has nevertheless worked tirelessly to attract the masses. The fruits of their labor ripened this summer when average home attendance rose 40% over the previous season, as the club posted solid home crowds throughout the season. Another encouraging development: an astonishing crowd of 22,000-plus fans came out to see the Revolution take on the Columbus Crew in mid-October on the very night that the Red Sox battled the Cleveland Indians during Game 2 of the American League Championship Series at Fenway Park.
True, the Revolution doesn't have a sports icon like Tom Brady, a lovable and popular performer like David Ortiz, or an insanely talented baller like Kevin Garnett that everyone from the playground to the office can gravitate to and discuss at length. But the Revolution does have great talent. They have one of the best strikers in American soccer in Taylor Twellman. They have the undisputed best defender in MLS in Michael Parkhurst, who just so happens to be a local guy (Providence, RI) as well. And they have a charismatic goalkeeper in Matt Reis, whose clutch playoff performances actually rival those of Brady and Ortiz.
But the question remains whether an MLS Cup victory would bring greater focus to the local XI. The club has undoubtedly enjoyed a greater media presence in the wake of its MLS Cup berth. Reis appeared on NESN SportsDesk this week, while Parkhurst, the local kid, has graced the Rhode Island news channels multiple times during the past two weeks alone. Perhaps the greatest indication that the Revs are shifting ever so close to the mainstream came in the form of a Shalrie Joseph full-page feature in the November 19th issue of Sports Illustrated. For the moment, it appears that the Revolution have been allowed to shed the “forgotten stepchild” label in the Boston sports family, at least temporarily.
Another positive development that may shine the spotlight even brighter: timing. With the MLS Cup kicking off at 12:30pm, the sports populace will be afforded a glimpse of the Revolution in action during the early afternoon without missing a minute of their beloved Patriots, who will be facing off against the Buffalo Bills later that night.
Realistically, the Revolution poses no threat to overtake the Red Sox or the Patriots as the team in New England anytime soon. But capturing a major championship on national television would certainly boost the club’s visibility from Portland to Portsmouth, and all points in between. Granted, Revolution jerseys and caps may not become as in vogue as pink Red Sox hats or purple Tom Brady jerseys. But a championship would create a wonderful springboard for the Revolution to take a cannonball-sized plunge into the trophy-filled pool.The stakes in New England sports landscape have never been higher. New England’s sports culture is immersed (and to a degree, obsessed) in the success of its teams. Fortunately for the Revs, many media outlets are primed to give the club added visibility – and are ready to dole out even more should the Revs bring home the MLS Cup.
It’s no secret that New Englanders, in particular, take enormous pride in championships because of the heartbreak they’ve endured prior to these present glory days. A championship opens the door to a magnificent common denominator between fans of all sports. In the past, many proud Sox fans did not publicly cheer the embarrassing Patriots of the late-1980s. A Super Bowl victory changed that. Essentially, what a championship affords is the opportunity to acquire the respect of the media and fans. That in turn could favorably position the Revolution into the consciousness of New England’s wildly passionate fan base.
What a fantastic opportunity it would be for the Revolution if it secured its very first MLS Cup on Sunday, then headlined the sports pages, websites, and airwaves across New England the following Monday.
On Sunday afternoon, the New England Revolution will step onto the RFK Stadium pitch for the MLS Cup with a gorilla-sized burden resting heavily on their shoulders. Sure, it’s the winner-take-all championship match, and another loss to the Houston Dynamo for the second consecutive year would be devastating, to say the least.
But aside from that, additional pressure has stemmed from the least likely of sources: their successful surrounding neighbors. For the championship ventures of the New England Patriots and Boston Red Sox have unquestionably elevated the expectations New England’s sports fans, thus creating inexorably heightened expectations for surrounding clubs. The cold reality is simple: anything short of championship on Sunday will keep the Revolution from the fan and media attention that it has long deserved.
In a region that can lay claim to five combined championships in the past six years, it simply isn’t enough to be good, which is precisely what the Revolution has been during the same six-year time frame; a team must be great (i.e. championship great) to have its name invoked by the media. Why? Because the streak of recent success has heightened – perhaps redefined - the expectations of a fan base that have been incredibly fortunate to experience a bevy of glorious triumphs. Due to the meteoric rise of the Red Sox and Patriots, the Boston sports fan now demands greatness. So with these veritable lead weights on their shoulders, the Revs will clearly be fighting for something greater than just MLS Cup spoils: they'll be fighting for the media and fan attention that the great teams of the Patriots and Red Sox have combined to monopolize.The goal: to strike the championship metal while it’s still hot.
To appreciate the steep challenge the Revolution faces in order to accomplish this monumental task, take a look down the list of Boston’s most notable sports teams. The Red Sox: World Series Champions. The Patriots: Currently 9-0, and primed for an unbeaten season and an accompanying fourth Super Bowl victory. The Boston Celtics: 8-0, and the hottest team in the NBA. Boston College football: 8-2, and up until two weeks ago, were flirting with a bid to the BCS Championship game. Talk about trying to keep up with the Joneses.
Yet, in comparison to the “big brothers” of the regional sports scene, the little brother soccer team has actually outperformed the headline-grabbing older siblings in recent years. In terms of playoff appearances, the Revolution has actually bested all four of their elders by clinching postseason berths in each of their past six seasons. Despite this remarkable track record, the club has continued to fly under the sports radar, desperately lost while the talking heads dominating the airwaves discuss the Red Sox and Patriots ad infinitum.
In an odd sense, the current concentration of championship caliber clubs has adversely masked the successes of the Revolution. The Red Sox have won two of the past four World Series championships. Not to be outdone, the Patriots have won three Super Bowls since 2001. Sensing that they were in danger of becoming marginalized themselves, the Celtics went out and acquired two big names (Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett) to join in-house superstar Paul Pierce. Thus, the newly-christened “Big Three" is not just Boston radio, but the entire NBA. The unfortunate result of the unparalleled success enjoyed by these clubs has left the Revs conspicuously absent from Boston’s sports pages, radio, and nightly newscasts.
The perception that the Patriots, Red Sox, and Celtics are the only worthwhile candidates for water cooler banter is obstacle the Revolution must try to overcome. Contrary to the opinions of various media blowhards, there are people who do care about this team; it’s simply a matter of trying to convince the traditional mainstream media outlets that they should invest in Revolution soccer as well. Even if the club achieves the MLS championship on Sunday, it may only be the first step – albeit a sizeable step – toward shifting the general attitudes of the media, and in turn, the general fan base.
As if these challenges weren’t enough, the Revolution is faced another, yet far more sinister perception: the perverse idea that soccer is a nothing more than a “foreigner’s sport.” Many so-called sports personalities dismiss the game as patently “un-American”, and thus, go out of their way to bash the sport when the word “soccer” is even uttered. This misguided and troubling anti-soccer sentiment is also held by a surprising number of local sports editors, writers, and producers who simply ignore the efforts of soccer squads by force-feeding their own readers, viewers, and listeners with non-stop baseball, football, and basketball stories. Sadly, there are more than a handful of media types that are unabashedly rooting against the Revolution so as to withhold any attention to the soccer club. Therefore, in order to crack the hardened crust of the status quo, the Revolution must do something big to force the hands of their critics.
That’s no easy task, either. Considering in that the Revs do not have the luxury of a league championship (though they did win the 2007 US Open Cup) or big-name player signing, the organization has nevertheless worked tirelessly to attract the masses. The fruits of their labor ripened this summer when average home attendance rose 40% over the previous season, as the club posted solid home crowds throughout the season. Another encouraging development: an astonishing crowd of 22,000-plus fans came out to see the Revolution take on the Columbus Crew in mid-October on the very night that the Red Sox battled the Cleveland Indians during Game 2 of the American League Championship Series at Fenway Park.
True, the Revolution doesn't have a sports icon like Tom Brady, a lovable and popular performer like David Ortiz, or an insanely talented baller like Kevin Garnett that everyone from the playground to the office can gravitate to and discuss at length. But the Revolution does have great talent. They have one of the best strikers in American soccer in Taylor Twellman. They have the undisputed best defender in MLS in Michael Parkhurst, who just so happens to be a local guy (Providence, RI) as well. And they have a charismatic goalkeeper in Matt Reis, whose clutch playoff performances actually rival those of Brady and Ortiz.
But the question remains whether an MLS Cup victory would bring greater focus to the local XI. The club has undoubtedly enjoyed a greater media presence in the wake of its MLS Cup berth. Reis appeared on NESN SportsDesk this week, while Parkhurst, the local kid, has graced the Rhode Island news channels multiple times during the past two weeks alone. Perhaps the greatest indication that the Revs are shifting ever so close to the mainstream came in the form of a Shalrie Joseph full-page feature in the November 19th issue of Sports Illustrated. For the moment, it appears that the Revolution have been allowed to shed the “forgotten stepchild” label in the Boston sports family, at least temporarily.
Another positive development that may shine the spotlight even brighter: timing. With the MLS Cup kicking off at 12:30pm, the sports populace will be afforded a glimpse of the Revolution in action during the early afternoon without missing a minute of their beloved Patriots, who will be facing off against the Buffalo Bills later that night.
Realistically, the Revolution poses no threat to overtake the Red Sox or the Patriots as the team in New England anytime soon. But capturing a major championship on national television would certainly boost the club’s visibility from Portland to Portsmouth, and all points in between. Granted, Revolution jerseys and caps may not become as in vogue as pink Red Sox hats or purple Tom Brady jerseys. But a championship would create a wonderful springboard for the Revolution to take a cannonball-sized plunge into the trophy-filled pool.The stakes in New England sports landscape have never been higher. New England’s sports culture is immersed (and to a degree, obsessed) in the success of its teams. Fortunately for the Revs, many media outlets are primed to give the club added visibility – and are ready to dole out even more should the Revs bring home the MLS Cup.
It’s no secret that New Englanders, in particular, take enormous pride in championships because of the heartbreak they’ve endured prior to these present glory days. A championship opens the door to a magnificent common denominator between fans of all sports. In the past, many proud Sox fans did not publicly cheer the embarrassing Patriots of the late-1980s. A Super Bowl victory changed that. Essentially, what a championship affords is the opportunity to acquire the respect of the media and fans. That in turn could favorably position the Revolution into the consciousness of New England’s wildly passionate fan base.
What a fantastic opportunity it would be for the Revolution if it secured its very first MLS Cup on Sunday, then headlined the sports pages, websites, and airwaves across New England the following Monday.
Friday, October 26, 2007
The (groggy and discombobulated) Friday morning rant
A few lingering thoughts from last night as I took the elevator to the second floor this morning:
1. After flipping to the DC United-Chicago Fire in between innings of Game 2 of the World Series, I'll know when MLS becomes big when the MLS playoffs are sponsored by the motion picture American Gangster.
2. As goofy as he can sometimes be (I'm still laughing about his "streetfight" comment during the Columbus-New England Thursday night match back in May), I love Rob Stone. Because while Red Sox Nation is drenched in "Soxtober", the unintentionally funny Stone phrased a term of his own for the MLS playoffs: "Socctober." Kinda corny, but I'll roll with it.
Additionally, I like how Stone opened up the pre-game, stating that MLS does not need a single-table format, a la EPL, La Liga, and just about every major European league in the world. I wholeheartedly agree. I love all kinds of soccer, including many leagues in which I may never see first-hand ever in my life (unless business calls me to Turkey, so I can catch my favorite Turkcell Super Lig club, Fenerbahce). But for my money, and time, MLS takes the cake for me. Sure, improvements can be made, but many of those should remain loyal to the American style of sport, like having playoffs, the biggest showcase for any sport.
3. I had a horrible dream last night about the first leg of the NY-NE first round matchup that can be summed up in three words and three numbers: Red Bull 4, Revolution 0, 13th minute.
4. Speaking of tomorrow's Revs-Red Bull match, I'd like to thank MLS for having it broadcast on Fox Soccer Channel, which to this day, is only available on digital cable here in RI. Of course, with the Sox and Rockies starting a little after 8pm, the second half of the match may be spent with me feverishly flipping back and forth between channels at residence to be named later.
5. In light of Stephen Colbert's recent announcement in his bid for the White House in 2008, I would like to propose that, should a catastrophic event prevent such a sure thing, Mr. Colbert seek the MLS Commissioner's throne. No offense to Don Garber - he's doing a splendid job, and I say that without reservation - but it's my belief that the League could use some bears on the sidelines. And monkeys. And chimpanzees. You know, for the kids.
6. I still can't believe that the collegiate season's coming to an end in the next week or so. The thought that my workweek and Saturday afternoon lifeblood will soon dry brings a figurative tear to my eye. No more Anchormen/women soccer? What'll I do when it's over? Start my Christmas shopping?
7. Good luck to the Anchorwomen this weekend in the quaint town of Gorham, ME, just west of Portland. With a win there against University of Southern Maine, RIC will have clinched not only a first-round bye in the LEC playoffs, but a semi-final home game on November 2nd. Go Anchorwomen!
Friday, September 07, 2007
Post Game thoughts: RIC beats RWU, 1-0
After watching yesterday's 1-0 Anchormen victory over RWU, some post-match fare:- The match was a very high-paced affair, with both clubs playing aggressive, attacking football throughout. The fact that it remained 0-0 for as long as it did – 65 minutes - was not only testament to both clubs backlines, but also some communication issues on the part of the Anchormen.
- Referee Edwin Resendes appeared to have no interest whatsoever in pulling the yellow card out of his shirt pocket, despite the fact that the match was filled with more elbows than a macaroni salad. By the time the second half came around, I was almost waiting for both clubs to come out in helmets and shoulder pads.
- RWU had a deep bench, and it was noted by a few spectators within earshot of my perch that there were more royal blue players on the bench than on the pitch.
- The Ryan Kelly goal was a thing of beauty that materialized in Ferrari-quick fashion off a Bobby Sturdahl free kick in the 65th minute. After Sturdahl swept the ball into the area, Kelly immediately raced into its path, and headed it past a helpless Dan Ruscigno to conclude the sweet sequence. As astonishing as it was that the match remained scoreless for so long, it was only appropriate that the build-up to the lone goal came and went so quickly.
- Though the Anchormen played a pretty good match, the amount of cheering from the stands during the match was considerably less than the amount heard during women's games, though the attendance figures for both clubs are roughly the same.
- Completely unrelated to the match itself is that the RIC Bookstore is completely sold-out of RIC Soccer tees. "You want a RIC Baseball tee? You got it. RIC Tennis? Sure, what size? RIC Soccer? Sorry, we're out of them until the next order arrives in a week or so." In the meantime, check out the snazzy adidas warm-up suits, which are quite fashionable.
Friday, July 06, 2007
Teaching the kiddies
I can’t give you an accurate assessment of the US-Paraguay match. Believe me; it wasn’t for lack of effort on my part to find a locale with Gol!TV. In fact, I was mere yards away from a high-def TV broadcasting the entire match live from Venezuela. Yet, I have nothing for you, other than the view that sparse five-minute viewing blocks I was afforded between breaks of a much larger task that occupied my time; namely teaching my little cousins how to play soccer.Of course, I can’t say I wasn’t tempted to just drop a few T90s and say “be gone, little ones, and play amongst yourselves.” But, my heart tugged at the wonderful opportunity to present to them the beautiful game. And for all that the game has given me, I felt indebted to impart the knowledge I have been afforded to my little cousins.
Here’s what I can say, based on said viewing blocks and the morning-after reports: while Justin Mapp was misfiring, and Jonathan Bornstein was lobbing gifts to the Paraguayans, my little cousin Heather was practicing her new skill of passing with the side of her foot. My other cousin, Sergio, was working on his juggling. While the TV tugged at the writer in me to provided sound critique of the Copa America match, my heart and soul were taken by two of my dearest whose genuine interest in the game was absolutely touching.
On a hemmed in front yard which provided little space to maneuver, we worked on passing techniques, touch, dribbling and juggling. The concept of kicking using the instep was completely foreign to both, but something they took to rather quickly. The skills we worked on were obviously very basic, but the sense of enjoyment between all of us was more than enough to tranquilize the antsiness of my journalistic alter-ego.
After my legs and lungs had retired following a good 50-minute training session, Sergio continued with his juggling practice until the crickets were in full attendance. Days later, on the Fourth, I offered Heather a brand new adidas ball in her favorite color – pink. No sooner did I hand the pastel orb to her before the box and bag it came had already settled in the trash, as the ball skimmed back and forth on the grass of the front yard. Once again, I found myself leading another spontaneous training session, despite the intermittent showers that only seemed to encourage the next Kristine Lilly to keep working on her newly-developed spin move.
Sometimes, I feel we, as soccer fans, get too wrapped up in this game to realize that it’s just that – a game. The beautiful game, at that. So while it is tempting to keep track of every little, nondescript detail and transaction of your favorite club, don’t forget that this is a game that should also be shared with others. Forget the naysayers and critics of our sport. If we hand our little ones a soccer ball, and leave them to their new device with some basic instruction – no overemphasis on coaching or winning - soon, the beauty of this game will finally be painted across our country.
Sunday, May 20, 2007
Rays blank Volts, 4-0
The Rhode Island Stingrays exploded for four goals during their victory versus divisional rival Vermont Voltage on Saturday night, in a PDL match up that pitted two teams each searching for their first win of the 2007 season.Early on, the Stingrays set the tempo by stringing precise passing sequences that thoroughly frustrated the Volts for much of the match.
Just how frustrated the Volts became with the passing clinic exhibited by the Rays was exemplified in the 27th minute, when James McCarron hard tackled Jonathan Pereira from behind, earning the Volt midfielder a red card and subsequent ejection.
Forced to play a man down, the Volts had their hands full with a Stingray attack that took advantage and dominated with several scoring opportunities soon after.
However, it wasn’t until the 44th minute that the Rays were able to put a point on the board. On a sudden break toward goal, Pereira sent a quick feed to Lukasz Tumicz, who streaked down the right flank before unleashing a scorching shot past Volt goalkeeper Steve Hennessey that gave the Rays the 1-0 advantage before the end of the half.
It was an uphill battle for the Volts to keep the Rays at bay in the second half. Volt manager Bo Vuckovic tried his best to hedge the potent Rays attack with fresh-legged substitutes.
Nonetheless, the Volts only had their backs pressed further to the wall in the 50th minute, when Marlon Giraldo aimed and fired shot from 25 yards out that ricocheted off the crossbar, momentarily depriving the home side of goal number two.
Another opportunity materialized in the 55th minute, when Jeffrey Gonsalves crashed through an exasperated Volt defense and flicked a quick shot into the back of the net, giving the home side their second goal of the game.
Minutes later, in the 58th minute, Jimmy Hernandez raced down the right flank before sending in a looping cross to a wide open Giraldo, who sat comfortably at the top of the box completely unmarked. After clinking the crossbar minutes earlier, Giraldo did not miss this time around, as he took a touch and fired the shot into the Voltage goal for the 3-0 lead.
The Rays continued their relentless siege of the Voltage end of the field, and continually poked and prodded through a back line that had been dismantled by an aggressive attack.
During the 72nd minute, Rays manager Mario Pereira made an unorthodox goalkeeper substitution when he replaced Joshua Ford with Peter Wise. Yet, the unconventional swap would pay dividends later on in the closing minutes.
As if to reward the home crowd for braving through the damp and cold conditions, the Rays capped off their goal scoring exhibition in the 76th minute, when Tumicz planted himself in the box and spun two defenders before cracking shot into the upper reaches of the Voltage goal for his second goal of the game, and the 4-0 lead for the Rays.
With the Rays clutching to the shutout during the waning minutes of the match, the Volts were awarded a penalty kick in the 83rd minute after some aggressive tackling on the part of the Rays defenders.
After electing to take the kick, Volt forward Matt Stedman launched the dead ball to the left of Wise, who soared to make an incredible two-handed stop on the point-blank missile, thus preserving the 4-0 shutout win for the home team.
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