True Tales From the MLS Cup! (Part 4 – Wherin I lose yet another scarf and watch my team lose yet another final)
by Hoover Dam
My retinue rolled outta the hotel shortly after 7 and turned up at the RFK parking lot just before 8. Unsurprisingly, we were among the first there, with a line of Rev-flagged cars forming outside the gates. Arguing with parking attendants about when we’re allowed in–why, they made it just like home! Soon enough, the gates opened, and people started to stream in.
Went in early to set up banners, got everything in place, saw an absolutely beautiful field, failed to convince Evan to give Julie Foudy his scarf. This was also the first time I’ve taken all the usual stadium banners to a final and had them be in front of actual Rev fans. Past two years, it’s been a bunch of Rev banners in front of a bunch of neutral fans, since the number of us willing to travel to Dallas just fits in one section of Pizza Hut Park.
As more and more people showed up for the tailgate, the question became less “who’s here” and more “who isn’t here,”–we had people coming in from Seattle, from Portland, I think there was a guy from Arizona, we had some other teams’ fans bandwagoning us for the day (mostly Dallas and a couple Colorado), it was absolutely insane. Everyone grilling, eating a nutritious breakfast of Pop-Tarts and Sam Adams, singing and yelling, getting psyched for the game.
(Read on …)
True Tales From the MLS Cup (Part 4 – Wherin I learn the definition of Dan Loney’s neologism “Tooligans”)
by tedski
Okay…I’ve hemmed, hawed, dawdled, procrastinated and otherwise delayed. But here it is, a full two weeks after the game…an actual account of…well…THE GAME.
First off, I was still operating on MST (God’s own time zone), so I woke my tired body up at around 8:30 and stared at the ceiling for a while. This meant I didn’t actually stir until after nine. I wandered into the living room where Brittany and Catherine were. With a quick shower and all, we wouldn’t leave the house until nearly ten. We’d surely miss the tailgate and our only opporitunity for food at the expense of Monty Rodrigues and company.
I had brought extra Rev jerseys for Brittany and Catherine. Brittany wore the Red colared 1998 jersey; she said it looked more “Butch.” Heck, I don’t see it, but whatever. We had cvonvinced Catherine to wear my old 1996 jersey, but she was apparently turned off by the ring around the colar. Instead, she wore the blue practice jersey that Brad Feldman gave me the day before. I wore the 1997 game worn Leonardo Squadrone jersey. Yep, Squadrone.
We arrived and found a parking space a bit after eleven. I brought my melodica. Hey, works for Roller Derby.
(Read on …)