I know that I have not been as faithful to the Wizards and I should be. After the coaching change, winless streak, and my move to Central America, I have not been the best fan. But a recent visit to Thad Bell´s insightful BackPost Wizards blog recharged the creative juices.
Yes, MLS is a bit more physical and foul-riddled than your cavior & champagne European ligas, but that´s the point. MLS Manifesto Destino Rule - Your Bandge is your Badge, Wear it Proudly!
I begin by dispelling the stereotype that MLS players don´t quite have the equivalent soccer IQ/decisionmaking as your European darlings. Jimmy Conrad went to a better school than you, has better taste in music than you, and has a wife that is smarter than yours. When not granting interviews to soccerblogs, he has played for the USMNT at the highest level.
But, yes, MLS does have a rough-and-tumble, Western town-amidst-Gold Rush quality. Let´s compare the 2008 EPL and MLS stats for Cards. In MLS, 6 players had two red cards and 47 other players had one red card. In the EPL, 3 players had two red cards, and 12 other players had one red card. Twice as many repeat offenders and about four times as many serous fouls. Ouch.
But here in lies the real problem: you. You, with your leather gloves, Gap designer jacket, and Louis Vatton scarf, you waltz into an MLS stadium and expect Don Giovanni.
You got some nerve and you need a serious attitude adjustment. There is no room for commendatores in this field, good sir. Oh no. The next time you step into Community America Ballpark, I suggest you tie a bandana around your head and come prepared to rock out. The atmosphere is more college indie than stadium-rock, but on the field be ready to mosh and mosh and mosh.
And then mosh just a little bit more.
Grab your air six-strings and thrash along. This is the land of guitar heroes, not protagonists that ponder skulls. This is the land of fractured skulls. And that bandage? Is it really a bandage, because it looks more like a bandana. Scratch that – a badge. Wear it proudly.
Special thanks for Thad Bell, the head honcho at the Wizards soccer blog backpost. The pictures are variations of original photos by Mr. Bell, whose photography website is tpb photos. Check it out!
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