In It To Win It

Players win games, teams win championships.  The rest of the fetchin' MLS, national media, everyone except those loyal to the Red Yellow and Blue hasn't given a thought thus far to Real Salt Lake winning the cup.  Javier Morales, arguable the biggest Bad Ace of MLS throughout the season, wasn't even in the top 3 candidates for the MVP award.  Landon Donovan, who will be sitting on his ace watching the playoffs just like I will be, got a nomination.  He obviously wasn't all that valuable to the team, cause they team didn't do squat all year.  Maybe I should get a nod at the award... I'll be just as valuable for the Galaxy this weekend as he will be.  Frank Yallop, coach of the last place San Jose Earthquakes, is up for coach of the year.  He did great coaching his team to last place in the leauge.  Jason Kries took this team, turned it upside down, and made the playoffs, but wasn't even considered for any sort of recognition of his efforts.  All that crap doesn't matter, and won't matter when RSL hoists the cup on November 23rd.  Everyone will be scratching thier heads when they realize what we, the loyal fans, have known all along... it's our time.  It all starts tomorrow.  You can't win 'em all unless you win the first.

Our Time

Necessity is the mother of invention. The ends justify the means. A wild beast doesn't like to be backed into a corner; it can be dangerous for anyone in its way. Very seldom in the game of soccer do we see a true, "win or go home" scenerio. Tomorrow, this will be the case for both teams. The word "character" comes to mind. Who has it? Who wants it? Who has loyal fans? Who has a new Rio Tinto Stadium? Who has the heart of a lion? In short, we have it, they don't.

"Goonies" - 1985
Mikey: Don't you realize? The next time you see sky, it'll be over another town. The next time you take a test, it'll be in some other school. Our parents, they want the best of stuff for us. But right now, they got to do what's right for them. Because it's their time. Their time! Up there! Down here, it's our time. It's our time down here. That's all over the second we ride up Troy's bucket.

Goonies never say die and neither does RSL. Goonies didn't ride up Troy's bucket, and neither will Real Salt Lake.... It's OUR TIME.

Rocky Mountain Cup

On the RMC, these words are written: 

 

"Bring me men to match my mountains 

Bring me men to match my plains 

Men with empires in their purpose 

And new eras in their brains" 

-Sam Walter Foss, 1894 

That sure sounds more like a call to RSL players than to Colorado players to me. Who on Colorado's team can answer that call? Who wears a Colorado Rapids jersey with pride? Every player on RSL is a winner because they believe in the team. Every player has pride in the colors they wear. Who on Colorado's team has the leadership to match Beckerman or toughness to match Ian Joy? Who on Colorado's team wants to win more than Will Johnson, or to whom does this game mean more than it does to Thug (aka Andy Williams)? Who thinks they can compete in any athletic competition against Olave? Casey perhaps? We all remember when Olave threw Casey around like a rag doll last time these two sides met.

I don't know why I was initially so nervous for this game. The more I think about it, the more my nerves turn to anticipation for the baddest ace game ever.

Crapids Suck

The stage has been set for the biggest event in RSL history.  My emotions are swelling almost out of control.  Productivity has taken a back seat to meditation.  My thoughts and feelings about the magnitude of the upcoming contest are summed up in the words below. 

Good morning. In less than an hour, aircraft from here will join others from around the world. And you will be launching the largest aerial battle in the history of mankind. "Mankind." That word should have new meaning for all of us today. We can't be consumed by our petty differences anymore. We will be united in our common interests. Perhaps it's fate that today is the Fourth of July, and you will once again be fighting for our freedom... Not from tyranny, oppression, or persecution... but from annihilation. We are fighting for our right to live. To exist. And should we win the day, the Fourth of July will no longer be known as an American holiday, but as the day the world declared in one voice: "We will not go quietly into the night!" We will not vanish without a fight! We're going to live on! We're going to survive! Today we celebrate our Independence Day! 

-President Thomas Whitmore (from Independance Day)

Long live RSL!

In The Air Tonight

"I can feel it coming in the air tonight, oh Lord

I've been waiting for this moment all my life, oh Lord

Can you feel it coming in the air tonight? oh Lord, oh Lord"

-Phil Collins

Can you feel it?  The stadium is open.  The playoffs have already (figuratively) begun.  FC Dallas will wish they had never have come to the Rio.

There is something in the air tonight.  The initial smell is like a fetching win by RSL.  Lets hope it doesn't turn out to be a fart..