Yay! More soccer fun today

I have to admit, yesterday was pretty darn fun. I'm still not a believer in SuperDraft, but the banter surrounding it is, bar none, pretty entertaining. And that was just on the internets!

But the discussions on the telly were pretty, um, interesting. Alexi Lalas said that Taylor Twellman was "gone." Twellman came on a few minutes later with Allen Hopkins and said, "No, that is false. I am staying in New England. By the way, isn't Alexi Lalas still unemployed?"* And while there was alot of trade buzz - Christian Gomez being the biggest name discussed - only minor ones were orchestrated.

(*Okay, I made that up. But you knew Twellman just wanted to publicly rip Alexi a new one after that comment. I was fearful for the safety of Allen Hopkins ear drums during that interview.)

Perhaps my favorite SuperDraft non-story was this update on Ives Galarcep's blog a little after the two o'clock hour.

"Mo Johnston and Steve Nicol are talking as we speak."

Really? Mo and Stevie? TALKING??? Next update: the earth's climate is changing - perhaps getting warmer in some locales.

When are the old Scottish pals not talking? That's not a development - that's just a couple of bffs catching up with each other!

Anyway, after three hours of rumors, banter, false reports, needless stalling and timeouts,* every MLS club collected the inexpensive training fodder, I mean, fresh young talent they've coveted since their seasons concluded last fall. Praise be to the soccer gods.

(*Timeouts? Jeez, I thought this was a professional selection process, not a rotisserie draft at a Cub Scout meeting. After New York took its second round (!!!) TO, I was waiting for Dallas to call a maxsie's taksie's.)

But the fun isn't over. Nope. Even though the bone-chilling temperatures will likely keep you indoors for the evening, soccer's gonna come through once again. You better get the recliner warm, station the remote on the arm rest, and a have hot beverage ready for tonight. Because tonight, not only will Women's Professional Soccer announces its first class of prospects, but the National Soccer Hall of Fame will introduce its 2009 class as well.

All this haberdasherie may mean little to some, but for soccer lovers, it's the proverbial first blooming bud on the cherry tree. Although single-digit highs and sub-zero nights may state otherwise, spring is almost here. In a matter of weeks, MLS clubs will commence their preseason training schedules, and WPS clubs will follow shortly thereafter.

Ahhhhh...I can almost hear the constant, but soothing patter of boots kissing soccer balls.

Spring will be here soon, my friends. And that's when the real fun will arrive.

Shameless American Idol/MLS SuperDraft tie-in

American Idol is back, and so is MLS SuperDraft!

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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