tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16895360252965275432024-03-13T01:50:02.272-07:00Are You On the Ball?Looking at the Sport of Women's Soccer:
Thoughts from the creator of "On the Ball," a TV show about the new Women's Pro Soccer league in the U.S.On the Ballhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16643463912133593840noreply@blogger.comBlogger34125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1689536025296527543.post-74446794941346289702010-05-27T11:53:00.000-07:002010-05-27T11:53:38.086-07:00UK and Their Little Game<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Currently I have the absolute fortune of being in the UK, York to be specific. The Varisty Pub if you are in a stalker-ishly specific mood. Delightful pub with the delightful addition of FREE WIFI.</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Not wee-fee. Why - Figh. Get'erright.</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Have had some rather down-to-earth discussions with a English mother about her perspective on Football (round ball, not Stewie-shaped-one). Was immensely interesting, to get a Brits impression of it. Not surprisingly, it was the classic mom impression of professional athletes...</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Rubbish role models. Way too self-important. Famous for being famous (OK I gotta disagree on this one, they can kick a ball at least). But it sounded exactly like what I'd expect to hear from a disapproving American mom about Football (Stewie-shaped) players over here.</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">well, over State-side.</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">No mention of women's football, not surprisingly, however work brings me to Edinburgh and a under-11 boys football club. I will probe more about women's football there, see what the dealio is like.</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Keep you updated.</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">OH and what is with Britain being absolutely sunny? I'm wearing less layers than I would in NorCal. Loves it.</span></span><br />
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</span></span>On the Ballhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16643463912133593840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1689536025296527543.post-18741042799066581132010-05-23T09:30:00.000-07:002010-05-23T09:30:14.872-07:00Pelada - Travel, soccer, culture and cameras.<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Interesting new documentary coming out just came to my attention. Made by the former Duke women's soccer captain, Rebekah Fergusson, it's a definite must-see.</span></span><br />
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<blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Two players. 25 countries. One game.</span></b></span></blockquote><div class="notranstext"></div><blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Away from professional stadiums, bright lights, and manicured fields, there’s another side of soccer. Tucked away on alleys, side streets, and concrete courts, people play in improvised games. Every country has a different word for it. In the United States, we call it “pick-up soccer.” In Trinidad, it's "taking a sweat." In England, it's "having a kick-about." In Brazil, the word is “pelada,” which literally means "naked"—the game stripped down to its core. It’s the version of the game played by anyone, anywhere—and it’s a window into lives all around the world. </span></span></blockquote><blockquote><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Pelada is a documentary following Luke and Gwendolyn, two former college soccer stars who didn’t quite make it to the pros. Not ready for it to be over, they take off, chasing the game. From prisoners in Bolivia to moonshine brewers in Kenya, from freestylers in China to women who play in hijab in Iran, Pelada is the story of the people who play.</span></span></blockquote><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"> Screenings are rolling out in the next few months so definitely check out the website and jump to it if comes near you.</span></span><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.pelada-movie.com/about/index.html">http://www.pelada-movie.com/about/index.html</a></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #645f5e; font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><object height="225" width="400"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="movie" value="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=9869545&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1" /><embed src="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=9869545&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="400" height="225"></embed></object></span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://vimeo.com/9869545">NEW Pelada Trailer</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user1462859">Rebekah Fergusson</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.</span><br />
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</div>On the Ballhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16643463912133593840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1689536025296527543.post-23871490321572630532010-05-23T09:02:00.000-07:002010-05-23T09:02:27.042-07:00USWNT - Vidtastic Part 1<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Some videos that came out of the USWNT camp this past week. Let's pump up that viewcount, people.</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><object height="204" width="336"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/yfqFOoY_cFA&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/yfqFOoY_cFA&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="336" height="204"></embed></object></span></span></span>On the Ballhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16643463912133593840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1689536025296527543.post-66544147872930372332010-05-10T10:00:00.000-07:002010-05-10T10:00:04.270-07:00The WPS Desperately Needs Some Tattoos<span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Found </span></span><a href="http://www.theamericanoutlaws.com/contest/us-soccer-tattoo-contest"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">this</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"> the other day. Thought it was amazing for two reasons:</span></span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a name='more'></a></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"> </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">[1] These people are going to have these </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">for life</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">. And if I learned anything after 4 years of USC tuition, it's that one great image conveys more than a boatload of words.</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"> </span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.theamericanoutlaws.com/_wp/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/Tattoo-winner-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://www.theamericanoutlaws.com/_wp/wp-content/uploads/2010/04/Tattoo-winner-3.jpg" width="200" /></span></span></a></div><div></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">That dude really loves US Soccer, probably watched </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Green Street Hooligans</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"> and likes taking his shirt off. I know for a fact there are some WPS fans out there who love women's pro soccer, probably would watch </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">G</span></span></i><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">reen Street Hooligans</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"> in Spanish and I have no clue if they like going shirtless or not as I don't know where they got the tattoo.</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"> </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">[2] This isn't a US Soccer contest. This is a contest run by the </span></span><a href="http://www.theamericanoutlaws.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">American Outlaws</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">. When you have a fan group that is that organized, dedicated and has a link to a list of their many chapters...you know you're doing something right.</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"> </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Let's get these groups going, let's get the fans organized and vocal in the stands, off the stands and in public. And if we have to design logos that aren't as reminiscent of AYSO teams to put on our gear, then SO BE IT.</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"> </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Was that a dig at the WPS or at US Soccer? You'll never know...</span></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"> </span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://rsltothecore.com/rslblog/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/ussf-logo-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; color: black;"></span></span></span></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_BQVGcVYn28n2g3CKoaAwKqemSm9D8BRawX8o2VWDd6AX4FTIUawG8KwieDozB57ytc5XEGb83_jo1y7cgE1o6mACuDXmYH3fBaWpy-txz8rVY-xVmUO0J8yhuPvNBQhuuBgfu3ol9Do/s1600/Screen+shot+2010-05-07+at+1.03.36+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="197" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_BQVGcVYn28n2g3CKoaAwKqemSm9D8BRawX8o2VWDd6AX4FTIUawG8KwieDozB57ytc5XEGb83_jo1y7cgE1o6mACuDXmYH3fBaWpy-txz8rVY-xVmUO0J8yhuPvNBQhuuBgfu3ol9Do/s400/Screen+shot+2010-05-07+at+1.03.36+AM.png" width="400" /></span></span></a><a href="http://rsltothecore.com/rslblog/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/ussf-logo-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://rsltothecore.com/rslblog/wp-content/uploads/2009/02/ussf-logo-3.jpg" width="170" /></span></span></a></div><div></div>On the Ballhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16643463912133593840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1689536025296527543.post-25023255380242329332010-05-09T10:00:00.001-07:002010-05-09T19:01:59.265-07:00What Happened to the War?<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Dear </span></span><a href="http://twitter.com/skybluefc_gm"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">GerryM the GM</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">, </span></span><a href="http://twitter.com/hofstetterth"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Hof the Boss</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> and the marketing peeps at </span></span><a href="http://twitter.com/skybluefc"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Sky Blue FC</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">,</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">um...what happened? </span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Wasn't there a war going on? Did I miss the white flag? <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I know the league-wide </span></span><a href="http://fromaleftwing.blogspot.com/2010/05/wps-gives-us-publicity-campaign-weve.html#comment-form"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Defend Your Turf campaign</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> kinda stole your thunder, but can we get a video showing the "cease-fire" or peace talks or whatever? Give us a tweet, at least!</span></span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">It's not that I'm against peace on the Jersey shore, more that my curiosity is beginning to fester.</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Thanks!</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">-Julie</span></span></div>On the Ballhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16643463912133593840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1689536025296527543.post-13396810630551314212010-05-08T10:00:00.002-07:002010-05-08T10:15:25.124-07:00WPS Fantasy - Warning: Not for All States<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Trolling through the Facebook-verse I came upon </span></span><a href="http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=13716785705&v=wall&story_fbid=388637045705&ref=mf"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">this situation</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">. Which raised a big question in my mind: Huh, what?</span></span></span></div><div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span></span></span></div></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;"></span></span></span></div></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;"></span></span></span></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;"></span></span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;"></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;"></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;"><a name='more'></a></span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Here's the situation: A dedicated WPS fan plays in the Fantasy League. She is SO dedicated that she read through the </span></span><a href="http://fantasy.womensprosoccer.com/help/rules.asp"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">terms and conditions</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">. Have any of you honestly done that? I'm a scroll and Accept girl. If Apple wanted to screw me over and steal all my music they probably could just by including it in the legalese I have to scroll and Accept with each iTunes update.</span></span></span></div></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span></span></div></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">That she read through all of it, not just the important bits, shows how much the WPS means to her. It also speaks to an innate competitive desire to actually win something after putting hours into her Fantasy team. Sadly, because she lives in Maryland, she can't win any of the prizes. Heck, she can't even technically </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">win</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">!</span></span></span></div></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span></span></div></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Here's the official blurb (and no I did not find this, the wonderfully dedicated fan did and *brava* to her for posting it where I could easily find it).</span></span></span></div></div></div><blockquote><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">To be eligible to win a prize, Contest entrants must be 18 years of age or older as of March 10, 2010 , be a legal resident of the United States, and have access to the Internet. Residents of Montana, Vermont, Louisiana, North Dakota, Minnesota, Arizona, Florida, Maryland, and Colorado may play, but WILL NOT be eligible to win or receive any prizes.</span></span></span></div></div></div></blockquote><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">I'm sure there is a legitimate reason why these states are Special. If you know more than I do, please let me know and I'll pass it along. But why can't the league come up with an alternative for these states, a way to reward any dedicated fans unfortunately located in MontanaVermontLouisianaNorthDakotaMinnesotaArizonaFloridaMarylandorColorado.</span></span></span></div></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span></span></div></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">I mean, being there is unfortunate enough. Does the league really need to grind it in? </span></span></span></div></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span></span></div></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Seriously for a moment, I am curious about the whole reality of that situation. If you've got the scoop, I'd love to hear it. </span></span></span></div></div></div></div>On the Ballhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16643463912133593840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1689536025296527543.post-8687439508141307712010-05-07T16:05:00.000-07:002010-05-07T16:20:35.359-07:00Soccer Ads vs. Ads with Soccer<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Bigger post is going to be coming out soon about soccer videos, but I came across two ads today that really got me thinking. What does more for an athlete / team: a commercial ad made about them to promote a game OR an ad made for another product that uses them as stars?</span></span></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This time 'round I'm going to try and get you guys to write something. Comments welcome. </span></span></div></div><a name='more'></a><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Or leave me hanging, that's cool, I'll just put on </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Green Street Hooligans</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">. </span></span></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=1441790573231&ref=mf"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">US Women's National Team Commercial</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> is not on YouTube yet so here's the link to the video on Facebook. This ad was made to promote the team in their upcoming 2010 season.</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span></div></div><div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3LnYXOG_7Yk&feature=youtube_gdata"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Fit Fur Sudfrika, Birgit Prinz feuert Michael Ballack an</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> - I have no clue what this says, but am guessing the second part is "featuring Birgit Prinz and Michael Ballack" ... when my German speaking roommate gets back, I'll see what she says. Clearly, this is NOT for the German National Team, but for a credit card...or a bank. Not sure. Again, will test my roommate on her practical knowledge of German when she gets home.</span></span></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span></div></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px; white-space: pre;"><object height="204" width="336"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/3LnYXOG_7Yk&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/3LnYXOG_7Yk&hl=en_US&fs=1&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="336" height="204"></embed></object></span></span></div></div>On the Ballhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16643463912133593840noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1689536025296527543.post-11765599475330967582010-05-07T10:00:00.000-07:002010-05-07T10:00:00.328-07:00The Devil's in the Details<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">I </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">found some fun little tidbits about the Phantom Trade when researching my last post...</span></span><br />
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"></span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a name='more'></a></span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">ST. LOUIS ATHLETICA</span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"> got 3 things with this trade.</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">[1] They picked up one of my favorite 2009 Sky Blue FC defenders, </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Anita Asante. This English National teamer, former North London Gunner, took up the 6th International player spot on the Athletica roster. </span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Unfortunately, the WPS only allows for 5 International players on a team. So St. Louis said hello to Asante then turned right round and said goodbye to the Brazilian Daniela.</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">[2] Though the </span></span><a href="http://www.womensprosoccer.com/Home/stlouis/news/general/100504-Asante-Washington-Trade.aspx"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">announcement</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"> makes it sound like Nikki Washington is now signed with Athletica because of this trade, the injured Uni North Carolini star never actually signed a contract ("</span></span><a href="http://www.womensprosoccer.com/Home/stlouis/news/general/100504-Asante-Washington-Trade.aspx"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">come to contractual terms</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">") with Sky Blue FC. So Athletica just gets her rights in this trade. </span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Nikki is a bit of a player, having gone through </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">three</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"> WPS teams before she's even put pen to contract, let alone stepped on a field. Watch out, fans, she's a heartbreaker!</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">[3] They also got a less interesting draft pick. No double play here, just a run of the mill boring second round 2011 draft pick.</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">SKY BLUE FC</span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"> got 2 things in this trade and came out with what some think is the worse end of the deal. I'm not so sure...</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">[1] the Phantom Draft pick, though hopefully it'll stick this second time around. If the 2009 Regular Season Champs fold followed shortly by the 2009 Champs the WPS would feel a lot like the European airlines would feel if another volcano blows. No bright future, just a lot of frickin ash everywhere. </span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Scared some of yah to read that, huh? </span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">[2] India Trotter, who was a member of the 2008 Pali Blues squad, the first of many </span></span><a href="http://www.uslsoccer.com/docs/postseason/wleague/2008-W-Championship-Kit.pdf"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">USL W-League title wins</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"> for the franchise. </span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">I could leave it at that and feel quite confident that Sky Blue got the upper hand, but there's a lot more interesting depth to this trade and I can't help but go on...</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Trotter played at Florida State University where she met Pauliina Miettinen, the Seminoles assistant coach. This trade reunites the now Head Coach Miettinen with a player she has loads of experience coaching and clearly has faith in. </span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Trotter has great statistics coming out of college and bears the historic honor of being the first Seminole to ever play with the National Team (both the U19 and full teams). No stranger to professional soccer, she was a season-long starter in 2008 for FFC Frankfurt in the German Bundesliga. </span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Athletica only played her in 3 games for 34 total minutes. Sounds like she'll get a few more minutes this season with Sky Blue...</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">"</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">We need someone like India, who is versatile and able to play in the back as well as up front as an attacker.” Miettinen says in the </span></span><a href="http://www.womensprosoccer.com/Home/ny/news/press_releases/100504-trotter-asante-trade.aspx"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Sky Blue announcement</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"> of the trade.</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">From a strategic point of view, the Sky Blue back line is well covered. Christie Rampone is sprinting into tip-top-shape to take her central D position that Brittany Taylor has brilliantly stepped into. Daphne Koster also plays center D so, though Asante is a great defender and played wonderfully for Sky Blue in 2009, she's recovering from an ACL injury and competition with a deep stack of stellar players for her position. </span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">While Athletica had to wave Daniele to get Asante, Sky Blue freed up an international spot with this trade. Look for some international action from Sky Blue, soon. </span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Miettinen is looking to "benefit in both the present and the future" with this trade, a statement that many coaches make. This time the evidence backs up the bluster, so I'm inclined to believe the reining Champs have a couple more moves to make before truly settling down for the season.</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">All in all, this was quite a way to start off the transactions for the 2010 season. </span></span></div>On the Ballhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16643463912133593840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1689536025296527543.post-88546513858253366312010-05-07T00:37:00.000-07:002010-05-07T00:38:50.766-07:00Are You On the Ball? The WPS Wasn't...<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Imagine a player 1v1 with the goalie, no pressure from behind and plenty of space in the box, blasting the ball on-frame but well over the goal. She didn't panic, she just had a bit of a brain fart at a horribly inconvenient moment. </span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">When pondering the current WPS snafu, that's one of the little scenes that plays in my mind. All things considered, they </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">were</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"> going at the right goal with the ball at their feet after having done a nice little dance to get past the entire defence. So their hearts were in the right place.</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"></div><div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">For those of you not on Twitter, for a brief moment today there was quite a snickering as people realized (and shared) this unfortunate fact: the WPS approved a trade that involved a phantom draft pick. </span></span></div></div></div><div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"></div><a name='more'></a><div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">There are a few ways for the WPS to come out of this with relatively clean noses, so it's not a tragic situation, just an embarrassing one.</span></span></div></div><div><div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span></div></div><div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">That being said, here's the mess:</span></span></div></div><div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span></div></div><div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">May 4th </span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">>> the first 2010 trade was </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">announced by </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: normal;"><a href="http://www.womensprosoccer.com/Home/stlouis/news/general/100504-Asante-Washington-Trade.aspx"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">St. Louis Athletica</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"> (who picked up the defender Anita Asante, the attacking midfielder Nikki Washington, and a second round pick in the 2011 draft) and </span></span><a href="http://www.womensprosoccer.com/Home/ny/news/press_releases/100504-trotter-asante-trade.aspx"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Sky Blue FC</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"> (who picked up India Trotter and a first round pick in the 2011 draft).</span></span></span></span></div></div><div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span></div></div><div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">May 5th</span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"> >> The WPS head office </span></span><a href="http://www.womensprosoccer.com/Home/news/transactions-10.aspx"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">officially approves</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"> the trade. </span></span></div></div><div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span></div></div><div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Sooo Athletica announced the trade on the 4th with absolute certainty while Sky Blue FC at least mentioned "</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px;"><a href="http://www.womensprosoccer.com/Home/ny/news/press_releases/100504-trotter-asante-trade.aspx"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">pending WPS approval</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">" in their article. But the league office approved the trade a day later. Counting your eggs before they hatched...or, wait, counting your chickens before they've hatched? Either way, it seems odd that the teams would announce a full day before the league if there wasn't something out place. </span></span></span></div></div><div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span></span></div></div><div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">According to </span></span><a href="http://twitter.com/JeffKassouf"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Jeff Kassouf</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"> over at </span></span><a href="http://www.equalizersoccer.com/webpages/UserIndex.aspx"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">The Equalizer</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"> "</span></span><a href="http://equalizersoccer.com/WebPages/news/newsDetails.aspx?nId=14493d6c-0cc3-4963-bd81-ab94e547bcec"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">the trade went under review by the league</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">," shedding some light on the delay from the league. Something was a bit fishy and they wanted to sniff it out before approving this trade that </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #686767; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black; line-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">had been in the works since January, according to Sky Blue FC General Manager Gerry Marrone.</span></span></span></span></span></div></div><div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span></span></div></div><div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Jump back to </span></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">May 2009 </span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">when St. Louis Athletica makes a trade with the still-alive-and-thriving LA Sol. Here's the official transcript:</span></span></span></div></div><blockquote><div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #686767; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">May 8, 2009: The Los Angeles Sol traded Kendall Fletcher, Christie Welsh and its second round selection in the 2011 WPS Draft for Saint Louis Athletica’s first round selection in the 2011 WPS Draft and a conditional selection in the 2010 WPS Draft. If Saint Louis Athletica finishes the 2009 regular season in 1st through 5th place, Saint Louis will give up the rights to its first round selection in the 2010 WPS Draft. However, if Saint Louis finishes the 2009 regular season in 6th or 7th place, Saint Louis will give up the rights to its second round selection in the 2010 WPS Draft.</span></span></span></span></div></div></blockquote><div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Notice something familliar? Both transactions involved St. Louis Athletica giving away their first round selection in the 2011 draft. </span></span></span></div></div><div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span></span></div></div><div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Granted, the first time they gave it away to the LA Sol who are now defunct and don't need it...or will they? I still have faith in a team being back in LA in 2011...I'm an optimist, for sure, but hey ho let's see how the cards fall.</span></span></span></div></div><div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span></span></div></div><div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Still, the league should have </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">given</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"> the pick back to Athletica </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">before</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"> the trade was announced. </span></span></span></div></div><div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span></span></div></div><div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Ever give somebody a gift and then they die and you go and take it back? Some would say you stole it back. But when the lawyer gives it back to you via the will, it's totally acceptable. </span></span></span></div></div><div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span></span></div></div><div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Bit morbid, but it gets the point across. The league should have taken control and dictated the status of the draft pick (and all other traded draft picks to the Sol, if they exist) before the trade had been announced. I'm sure non-Athletica fans will argue that they already benefited from the draft pick, it should be skipped/void in the 2011 draft or should have been a part of the dispersal draft. </span></span></span></div></div><div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span></span></div></div><div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">The reality is they didn't include it in the dispersal draft and just voiding it would cause a whole new collection of problems to deal with when the 2011 draft actually occurs. </span></span></span></div></div><div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span></span></div></div><div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">I am 100% behind the league taking the initiative, flexing their authority, and dictating the status of the draft pick. You are the league, you have the final say, and everybody isn't always going to be happy so just do what you have to do knowing what you know. </span></span></span></div></div><div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span></span></div></div><div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">But they didn't do that, either. </span></span></span></div></div><div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span></span></div></div><div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 15px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">I'll be watching to see what they do, now that the embarrassing snafu is found out and spreading. How they handle this situation will speak to the character of the head office and shed some light on the possible future of this young league. </span></span></span></div></div></div>On the Ballhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16643463912133593840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1689536025296527543.post-88577635847158531742010-03-13T08:00:00.000-08:002010-03-13T14:45:31.529-08:003 Rules for a Persuasive #FollowFriday<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Twitter really is just a way to share information, so it's not surprising that phenoms such as #MusicMonday (#MM) and #FollowFriday (#FF) have grown quite popular. Not only are you joining in a huge communal effort (and we're all just sheep at heart), but you are also simultaneously expressing your individuality. </span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This is the music </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> am listening to. These are the people </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> recommend you follow. </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Doesn't really matter if the tweets are read, if anyone actually </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">listens</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">, because you've been accepted into the mass of tweeters talking about the same thing. The act is the reward, in a way.</span></span></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ok, but what if you actually want to achieve something with your hashtags? Here are some tips for optimizing your use of CURRENT hashtag trends, particularly #FollowFriday.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1. Be Specific</span></span></div></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2. Keep it Simple</span></span></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">3. Be Concrete, Give Context</span></span></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b></b></span></span></div><b></b><br />
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"></div></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">1. </span></b><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">BE SPECIFIC</span></b></div></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">We're all guilty of throwing lists of @myBFF @myBFF'sBF together for #FollowFriday. This is a dangerous method that can inundate your followers feeds with blocks of names. If they already follow one or more of your list then they'll probably ignore the rest. Or if they're not particularly looking to follow new people, they'll just ignore it.</span></span></div></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If you really want to recommend a person, why lump them all together in a blind group?</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Redheads Unite! #FF </span></span></i><a class="tweet-url username" href="http://twitter.com/ConanOBrien" onclick="pageTracker._trackPageview('/exit/to/ConanOBrien')" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: none;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">@ConanOBrien</span></span></i></span></span></a></div></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">You'd probably click on that, right? What if I'd put it like this...</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">#FollowFriday </span></span></i><a href="http://twitter.com/ConanOBrien"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: none;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">@ConanOBrien</span></span></i></span></span></a><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></span></i><a href="http://twitter.com/rainnwilson"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: none;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">@RainnWilson</span></span></i></span></span></a><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></span></i><a href="http://twitter.com/NathanFillion"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: none;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">@NathanFillion</span></span></i></span></span></a><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></span></i><a href="http://twitter.com/AlexDezen"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: none;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">@AlexDezen</span></span></i></span></span></a><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></span></i><a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_1268458817579"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: none;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">@</span></span></i></span></span></a><a href="http://twitter.com/ThatKevinSmith"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: none;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">ThatKevinSmith</span></span></i></span></span></a><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></span></i><a href="http://twitter.com/kim"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: none;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">@kim</span></span></i></span></span></a></div></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I mean they're snazzy names (and accounts I happily follow), but I bet you're more likely to click and follow the first #FF than the second. Especially if I'd stuck less shiny names in the second batch (couldn't resist the plug, all of those accounts are hilarious).</span></span></div></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Specificity makes a tweet more memorable, so a tweeter who's glancing through their feed is more likely to have their interest piqued by a specific reason for the #FF. </span></span></div></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">How about this:</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">#FF Great Source of Interesting Social Media / Design Links </span></span></i><a href="http://twitter.com/Minervity"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: none;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">@Minervity</span></span></i></span></span></a></div></div></div><blockquote></blockquote><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Ok partway there, but it's breaking my rule number 2...</span></span></div></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">2. KEEP IT SIMPLE</span></b></div></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Albert Einstein is a smart dude. He's advice was:</span></span></div></div></div><blockquote><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Make everything as simple as possible, but not simpler</span></span></div></div></blockquote><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Don't destroy the message, but find the most concise and articulate way to convey it. </span></span></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">This is tough to do, but I have never regretted the time spent trying to simplify something. It's like organizing my apartment. Everything gets thrown about in what appears to be the exact opposite of what I'm trying to achieve, so stopping half-way through is never a good decision, but once I finish it's like a weight is off my back. Not only can I still find everything, but people no longer ask me how I find anything.</span></span></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">You may get the message, like I can find things in my mess, but you're not the only one trying to find meaning. Sending a message out on twitter is like me sending my friend to grab something from my room. It's your message, but they're the ones you're asking to do something with it. </span></span></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">So let's revisit my example #FollowFriday tweet from above.</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">#FF Great Source of Interesting Social Media / Design Links </span></span></i><a href="http://twitter.com/Minervity"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: none;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">@Minervity</span></span></i></span></span></a></div></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">*SiMpLiFy*</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">#FF </span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: none;"><a href="http://twitter.com/Minervity"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">@Minervity</span></span></i></a><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> for Exceptional Links on Social Media & Design</span></span></i></span></span></div></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Within the community I follow (on my several accounts), I rarely see a #FF with just one name, which is a shame! I'd rather see 10 different #FF tweets from one person with specific (not necessarily detailed) intros than a plain mass list. </span></span></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Here's an exception:</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">#FF #WPS Teams </span></span></i><a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_1268458817640"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: none;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">@</span></span></i></span></span></a><a href="http://twitter.com/ATLBeat"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: none;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">ATLBeat</span></span></i></span></span></a><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></span></i><a href="http://twitter.com/DCFreedom"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: none;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">@DCFreedom</span></span></i></span></span></a><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></span></i><a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_1268458817632"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: none;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">@</span></span></i></span></span></a><a href="http://twitter.com/WPSPhilly2010"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: none;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">WPSPhilly2010</span></span></i></span></span></a><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium; font-style: normal;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_1268458817628"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: none;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">@</span></span></i></span></span></a><a href="http://twitter.com/BostonBreakers"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: none;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">BostonBreakers</span></span></i></span></span></a><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></span></i></span></span></span></i><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times; font-size: medium; font-style: normal;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span></span></i><a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_1268458817624"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: none;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">@</span></span></i></span></span></a><a href="http://twitter.com/skybluefc"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: none;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">skybluefc</span></span></i></span></span></a><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></span></i><a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_1268458817620"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: none;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">@</span></span></i></span></span></a><a href="http://twitter.com/ATHLETICAsoccer"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: none;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">ATHLETICAsoccer</span></span></i></span></span></a><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></span></i><a href="http://twitter.com/chicagoredstars"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: none;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">@chicagoredstars</span></span></i></span></span></a><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></span></i><a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_1268458817612"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: none;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">@</span></span></i></span></span></a><a href="http://twitter.com/fcGoldPride"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: none;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">fcGoldPride</span></span></i></span></span></a></span></span></span></i></div></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">(if you felt the urge to point out how that's more than 140 characters, you're spot on but probably should take a bit of a break from twitter)</span></span></div></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If multiple accounts fit your description, might as well lump 'em together. But if you're really trying to get people interested in it maybe a bit of context would help...</span></span></div></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">3. BE CONCRETE, GIVE CONTEXT</span></b></div></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Tell your followers WHY they should follow these people. Making something concrete, giving it context, is like giving it a mental tag (or keyword). </span></span></div></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Soccer is played with a ball that you cannot touch with your hands. Knowing that, if you see video of Henry's handball then you understand that something is wrong and are more likely to remember it. Knowing that it was a qualifying match gives it even greater impact on your memory.</span></span></div></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If you didn't know the rule, didn't know the sport or cultural context, then you are more likely to forget the video than someone who knows the context.</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">#FF Baby #WPS Teams </span></span></i><a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_1268458817640"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: none;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">@</span></span></i></span></span></a><a href="http://twitter.com/ATLBeat"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: none;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">ATLBeat</span></span></i></span></span></a><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></span></i><a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_1268458817632"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: none;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">@</span></span></i></span></span></a><a href="http://twitter.com/WPSPhilly2010"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: none;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">WPSPhilly2010</span></span></i></span></span></a></div></div></div><blockquote><div><blockquote></blockquote></div></blockquote><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Not new, not expansion, but BABY. Bit of a burrrrn...less so if you know that they are expansion teams. If not, then you could take "baby" as a reflection of their game-skill etc. Baby is better than no description, but it's a very vague one. </span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">#FF #WPS Teams to Beat in 2010 </span></span></i><a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_1268458817640"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: none;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">@</span></span></i></span></span></a><a href="http://twitter.com/ATLBeat"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: none;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">ATLBeat</span></span></i></span></span></a><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></span></i><a href="http://twitter.com/DCFreedom"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: none;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">@DCFreedom</span></span></i></span></span></a><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></span></i><a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_1268458817628"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: none;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">@</span></span></i></span></span></a><a href="http://twitter.com/BostonBreakers"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: none;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">BostonBreakers</span></span></i></span></span></a><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></span></i><br />
<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span></span></i><a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_1268458817624"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: none;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">@</span></span></i></span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: none;"><a href="http://twitter.com/skybluefc"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">skybluefc</span></span></i></a></span></span></div></div><blockquote><div><div><blockquote></blockquote></div></div></blockquote><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"Favorite teams" doesn't work, it's not taking a stance. WHY are they your favorite? "Best Teams" would work, but is weaker. Why are they the best? I like "Teams to Beat," because it doesn't need a long description and yet it hooks the mind with the promise of competition. Best is passive, team to beat is an active description.</span></span></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">*These lists do not necessarily reflect my opinions regarding the actual teams. </span></span></i></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></i></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">#FF Weeks Best Tweeters | #wps Teams | </span></span></i><a href="http://twitter.com/DCFreedom"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: none;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">@DCFreedom</span></span></i></span></span></a><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></span></i><a href="http://twitter.com/chicagoredstars"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: none;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">@chicagoredstars</span></span></i></span></span></a></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">An active description because it creates a competition that </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">you</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> control. It also shows that they are not only a good team in the real world, but in the Twitter-verse, too. </span></span></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Keep an eye out for this "award" from </span></span><a href="http://twitter.com/AreYouOnTheBall"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">@areyouontheball</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> soon... </span></span></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Look back soon for more thoughts on Twitter hashtags, specifically the #HAPPO movement. </span></span></div></div>On the Ballhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16643463912133593840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1689536025296527543.post-69197047312332206752010-02-24T17:08:00.000-08:002010-02-24T17:13:32.153-08:00Sky Blue FC Twitter War - TEAM GM!<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Props to Jersey's Sky Blue FC for starting </span></span><a href="http://www.womensprosoccer.com/Home/ny/news/press_releases/100219-twitter-war.aspx"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">this twitter war</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">, </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">as </span></span><a href="http://wps.theoffside.com/washington-freedom/its-a-twitter-war.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Melissa say's</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"> ...</span></span></div><blockquote><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Small audience and small budget means WPS has to do a pretty good job being inventive when it comes to advertising and publicity.</span></span></i></div></blockquote><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">If you’re a fan, particularly an out-of-stater, this is a great chance to </span></span><a href="http://twitter.com/HofstetterTh/status/9598686641"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">specify what kind</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"> of free Sky Blue FC </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="text-decoration: line-through;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">swag/gifts</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"> prizes you want to win for your vote. Hoff is openly looking for ideas and as he is the $$$ behind the operation, if he agrees to it </span></span><a href="http://twitter.com/HofstetterTh/status/9597897583"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">you’re probably set</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">. </span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span></span></div><a name='more'></a><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"> </span></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Quick side note</span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">: I am so happy to see </span></span><a href="http://twitter.com/betch_m"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Melissa</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"> getting back on her </span></span><a href="http://wps.theoffside.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">WPS blog</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">, it's one of my favorite women's soccer blogs out there. For those who follow #woso and are tired of getting pretty tame blogger blather, </span></span><a href="http://wps.theoffside.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">this blog</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"> is definitely one place to get frank opinions. </span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">If you’re a diehard UNC fan, take a deep breath before you </span></span><a href="http://wps.theoffside.com/team-news/unc-won-the-college-cup-again.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">dive in</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">.</span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Back to the twitter war. Melissa's post also spotted some unusual behavior, for a Jersey war... </span></span></div></div><blockquote><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">I have to admit, after checking out their twitter feeds, this war is extremely tame. No trash talk and as far as I can tell one prize was awarded so far? Someone got a game ticket. Handy if you live in New Jersey or the surrounding areas.</span></span></i></div></blockquote><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://twitter.com/hofstetterth"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">The Hof</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"> apparently reads Melissa's blog as he has </span></span><a href="http://twitter.com/HofstetterTh/status/9597374800"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">promised to step up the game</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">. Glad to hear it. Somebody might want to show him how to put Twitter on his blackberry or iPhone, though. Their "stepping it up" lasted only about an hour today. </span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">I won't consider this war a success unless they both leave it addicted to tweeting, and my addiction really became a problem after I'd added </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 22px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Twitterena-lite to my iPhone (quickly replaced by Tweetie, once I'd accepted the addiction and therefore was willing to spend a few bucks on feeding the habit)</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">. </span></span></span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Never underestimate the ingenuity of </span></span><a href="http://twitter.com/SkyBlueFC_GM/status/9597924244"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">the underdog</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">, though. I mean, </span></span><a href="http://twitter.com/skybluefc_gm"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">SkyBlueFC_GM</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"> (aka Gerard "Gerry" Marrone) does have sway with the players...</span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">So while Hof seems to have the upper hand at the moment, what with the swag bag he has at his disposal, I'm going to throw my support behind Gerry. For one, he’s got </span></span><a href="http://twitter.com/Dr_Emperor"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">The Emperor!</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"> all riled, which can only be a good thing from the look of his tweets.</span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Let’s see, what could Gerry do...</span></span></div></div><ol start="1" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="1"><li class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Hashtag his tweets … #tweetwar (might find some random followers interested in twitter wars. Never know…) or #teamGM</span></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Create fake accounts and spam Hof…he </span></span><a href="http://twitter.com/SkyBlueFC_GM/status/9597549322"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">can’t get mad</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"> if you’re not the one trash talking! (officially)</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Google sports quotes…then mercilessly quote at Hof. Or about him…worse case scenario, you spread around some good quotes to your followers.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Wrangle some players, get them to use their twitter accounts, and send them out into the twitterverse searching for new followers for you...social media side of pre-season...tweet-boot-camp for a good cause ;)</span></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Make friends with other tweeters and get them to lend their following to your cause. If only you were a Liverpool fan, you could call upon the </span></span><a href="http://twitter.com/empireofthekop"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">power of the red army</span></span></a></li>
</ol><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">It was nearly a deal breaker, Gerry, when I found out about your misguided support of ManU. Just don’t tell me you’re a Bruin fan…</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Top of my head, that’s all I’ve got that doesn’t involve more time/effort/video editing expertise. G’luck, Gerry, and let’s hope Hof doesn’t read my blog…</span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">LETS GO, TEAM GM!!</span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"> We shall place him on his Twitter thrown and name him the King of the Tweets...</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="white-space: pre;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><object height="265" width="320"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/P9QGvMhdfto&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/P9QGvMhdfto&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="320" height="265"></embed></object></span></span></span></div></div>On the Ballhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16643463912133593840noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1689536025296527543.post-33964130428788942292010-02-18T11:03:00.000-08:002010-02-18T11:04:45.213-08:00WPS 09 Championship Game: A Behind-the-Benches View<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">I had a crew of people at the '09 WPS Championship game and finally found time to cut something together. Hopefully will have a few more videos coming out cut from on-the-field footage I have of other games. Pass the video around if you like it! There is something addictive in YouTube, I swear. ;) </span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 10px; white-space: pre;"><object height="265" width="320"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/wWCTDJyAJ8A&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/wWCTDJyAJ8A&hl=en_US&fs=1&color1=0x3a3a3a&color2=0x999999" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="320" height="265"></embed></object></span></span>On the Ballhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16643463912133593840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1689536025296527543.post-2412570801548473612010-02-16T13:30:00.000-08:002010-02-16T13:30:00.097-08:00Soccer Strategy Part 3 - Extra Thoughts On Strategy<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdg51m9I_HYBU7bGNZ2dMdPD3GRtY8oPSVevB6gZuYW52fuiWtd-CmEg8BXCtvgmbnEl_CA2iVpIUPqVoN-Hxe2BH83Z9SOZlGBM0hprS6KfAeD7jF871inWHHphNVwSIOVQcrG5svhmk/s1600-h/MyTweet.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="166" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdg51m9I_HYBU7bGNZ2dMdPD3GRtY8oPSVevB6gZuYW52fuiWtd-CmEg8BXCtvgmbnEl_CA2iVpIUPqVoN-Hxe2BH83Z9SOZlGBM0hprS6KfAeD7jF871inWHHphNVwSIOVQcrG5svhmk/s320/MyTweet.png" width="320" /></span></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivPj8xhVO6LZAPXHWGn1f1M7gMLqipGUjhS5bkUSrSyYkYqM9gukQxhh0NUnYrFoYjuLnCiC6DRUgooxxFfCx5stoKOzgH18UAFfxYTybVODzbmLh70vliN1avaNvmNguJa8wEWbqgoa4/s1600-h/GMTweet.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="166" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivPj8xhVO6LZAPXHWGn1f1M7gMLqipGUjhS5bkUSrSyYkYqM9gukQxhh0NUnYrFoYjuLnCiC6DRUgooxxFfCx5stoKOzgH18UAFfxYTybVODzbmLh70vliN1avaNvmNguJa8wEWbqgoa4/s320/GMTweet.png" width="320" /></span></span></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivPj8xhVO6LZAPXHWGn1f1M7gMLqipGUjhS5bkUSrSyYkYqM9gukQxhh0NUnYrFoYjuLnCiC6DRUgooxxFfCx5stoKOzgH18UAFfxYTybVODzbmLh70vliN1avaNvmNguJa8wEWbqgoa4/s1600-h/GMTweet.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a name='more'></a></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"> </span></span><!--StartFragment--><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><u><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Extra Thoughts - On Strategy:</span></span></b></u></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">To really promote women’s professional soccer as a distinctive American sport and to draw a large audience the league has to realize that women’s soccer is not men’s soccer with bras. Women’s soccer is a slower game with less power. Rather than trying to compete with men’s soccer by selling the game with the same attributes, the women’s game needs to be marketed as its own distinctive sport.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">I’m watching the Winter Olympics and I’m looking forward to watching hockey. I may not know hockey incredibly well, but I know that men’s hockey is incredibly physical, fast and power. So what I enjoyed about the women’s hockey today (USA v. China, a rout at 12-1) was the amount of passing, set-up and strategy they used. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Team USA had a cool control of the game, using combinations and strategy rather than just power and a quick shot (though they did have a few of those). They had constant puck control, constant pressure and some fantastic plays. One sequence began when Player 1 had a wild shot opportunity, but passed to Player 2 who quickly passed it back and gave Player 1 a beautiful assist for a goal. The game became captivating because I wanted to see what other combinations they used. More often than not I was surprised as they instantly changed direction or dropped the puck to a teammate in a clearly rehearsed way. But because I could see they were using strategy, I wanted to crack it and understand it.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">It was a beautiful example of teamwork.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">My father was watching with me and told me a story about when he was back in college. One of his best friends was working with the Virginia Slims Women’s Tennis Tour, which did a great job of sponsoring and promoting women’s tennis as a distinctive sport. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Today, women’s tennis is one of the most successful and recognized women’s sports in the whole world. I believe that success is largely due to its promotion as a different sport than the men’s game. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Men’s tennis is about the power of the serve—ace, ace, fault, ace, fault. The power and the shock is a large part of the appeal. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Women’s tennis is a baseline volley game with a huge element of strategy where each player has to set up the other player to make a mistake. The appeal here is in the long returns and the mental game, the out-maneuvering. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">The recent Nadal-Federer matches have been stunningly exciting because they are both so capable that they can return the others serve. They make the men’s game look more like the women’s game of volley and strategy, plus power.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">The WPS needs to embrace the distinctive nature of the sport, not promote it as a women’s version of the men’s game. I’m not saying that the league / franchises actively market the game as a “women’s side to the men’s team.” The league is actually rather unique in the American women’s sport market in that it is not currently, nor has it ever been, a sister-program to the men’s league like the WNBA or the LPGA. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">My point is more in the fundamental assumption made in the way the sport/league is promoted.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Men’s soccer is about speed, power, and the long ball. It is played in a more compact environment because of those elements. Women’s soccer is more about passing, finesse. There is more room on the field for set-ups and strategy.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">What I love about the UNC program is that they are knee-deep in the strategy side of the game. They get it.</span></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Sub point: of course of college game is different from the pro game. The point I’m trying to make is that UNC actively uses strategy and in a bit of a blatant way. You know Anson Dorrance is strategizing and making his players do the same.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">It’s not his strategy that I’m saying the pros need to copy; it’s the clear existence of strategy that needs to be brought into the WPS.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Give me plays, give me set-ups, and let the fans know they exist so they know to look for them. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">This is a large part of what I was trying to do with </span></span><b><a href="http://www.areyouontheball.com/ontheballtvshow/home.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">On the Ball</span></span></a></b><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"> from the start. I want to educate the fans on the subtleties of the sport and what is distinctive about women’s soccer.</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Americans have been inundated with Baseball, Football, and Basketball trivia in an endless commentary that educated even a non-fan on the inside game that was being played. And the fans know when to do a sacrifice, when to bunt, when to make a strategic move in the game, they know what a zone-blitz and a cover-two defense are. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Most of the soccer fan base played soccer as kids, but they’ve outgrown the game and need to be re-educated on the subtleties of it. The WPS </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">needs</span></span></i><span style="font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"> their fans to recognize the existence of strategy and have the interest and ability speculate on the particulars being employed by their team in this game.</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Engagement with the game requires the fan/spectator to be active. So (to feed into my last post a bit) a team needs to give the fan things they can be doing during the game. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Julie’s Rule #3 </span></span></b><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">= Potential fans are not disinterested, just uneducated on the intricacies of the women’s game. </span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">If the WPS were to embrace a strategic, play-making approach and </span></span><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">then publicize it</span></span></u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">, it would give the fans more to connect with. </span></span></div><!--EndFragment-->On the Ballhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16643463912133593840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1689536025296527543.post-78358631091478823302010-02-15T13:30:00.000-08:002010-02-15T13:30:00.212-08:00Soccer Strategy Part 2 - What is more important, winning or quality of play?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLCbfJZR9fCvJYVdD2l_l8SkBIDoX0Mc-OmZwy-MEqtuh6_mOpRtrXV-qDFhvWPij1vAYZCv5Rp32k9BdtSkV0d3XhFo7js-fXvSoXQS_hx6eQVMk9DGFX0Os9azbDISQnEIgUI8Jy-d8/s1600-h/MyTweet.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="166" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLCbfJZR9fCvJYVdD2l_l8SkBIDoX0Mc-OmZwy-MEqtuh6_mOpRtrXV-qDFhvWPij1vAYZCv5Rp32k9BdtSkV0d3XhFo7js-fXvSoXQS_hx6eQVMk9DGFX0Os9azbDISQnEIgUI8Jy-d8/s320/MyTweet.png" width="320" /></span></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9u28CjLysQbDWGoPv7gTtfvUixE_BCRE_S28AhARDVVI4lM_9lhe-3_Xxi1FFoq-fbAkjGBu6M2sLfoqtaPbYv2oMGKIejkibRiDH25NkxdhO8jZf2SODbKYjf1LOH7YlAKEzDzPY_dU/s1600-h/GMTweet.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="166" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9u28CjLysQbDWGoPv7gTtfvUixE_BCRE_S28AhARDVVI4lM_9lhe-3_Xxi1FFoq-fbAkjGBu6M2sLfoqtaPbYv2oMGKIejkibRiDH25NkxdhO8jZf2SODbKYjf1LOH7YlAKEzDzPY_dU/s320/GMTweet.png" width="320" /></span></span></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9u28CjLysQbDWGoPv7gTtfvUixE_BCRE_S28AhARDVVI4lM_9lhe-3_Xxi1FFoq-fbAkjGBu6M2sLfoqtaPbYv2oMGKIejkibRiDH25NkxdhO8jZf2SODbKYjf1LOH7YlAKEzDzPY_dU/s1600-h/GMTweet.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9u28CjLysQbDWGoPv7gTtfvUixE_BCRE_S28AhARDVVI4lM_9lhe-3_Xxi1FFoq-fbAkjGBu6M2sLfoqtaPbYv2oMGKIejkibRiDH25NkxdhO8jZf2SODbKYjf1LOH7YlAKEzDzPY_dU/s1600-h/GMTweet.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a name='more'></a></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"> </span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><u><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Question 2 (Winning or Quality of Play)</span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"> </span></span></b></span></u></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Winning is the aphrodisiac for fans. Very few teams can be the Chicago Cubs. A fan has to have the history of growing up with them as their team for that to work, because it’s in their blood whether they win or not. </span></span><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Fever Pitch</span></span></u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"> is a great example of that mentality. </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">But you don’t have to win it all to be a winning team. Sometimes a less deserving team wins, even though they were outplayed, that’s just the nature of sports; blood, sweat and tears won’t get you the W without the goal. But winning on the field—the blood, sweat and tears / the quality of play—are what spectators want to see. Winning on the field is supremely important for anyone who is going to watch the game. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">On the other side, getting the W and the statistics, having the trophy and the titles, are what people brag about and use to spread the word. A potential fan isn’t swayed by “trust me, they’re loads of fun to watch” as much as they are swayed by “5 game unbeaten streak. They </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">dominate.”</span></span></i><span style="font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">If I was pushed to answer winning (the title, the game, the statistics) or quality of play (blood, sweat and tears), I would say quality of play…mainly because I believe quality of play will lead to the win. If not this season, then next season, and as long as the fans have the </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">connection</span></span></i><span style="font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"> with their team that develops out of sharing in the determined blood, sweat and tears then they will come back. </span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Long term fan versus spectator. Long term, they want to see their team play hard and play well. Short term, they want the ‘autograph’ and to share in the momentary glory of the statistics. </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">One reason why your (the SkyBlue) story is so inspiring is because the playoff run was a quintessential story of winning on the field and then taking the title. Some sports have titles that can be won because of points or luck or a technicality, but your team played hard and outdid three teams to get that trophy. Nobody can say Sky Blue didn’t earn it. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">To me, that’s the best answer; give the fans the blood, sweat and tears and then the W.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Julie’s Rule #2</span></span></b><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"> = Winning is the aphrodisiac of fans.</span></span></span></div>On the Ballhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16643463912133593840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1689536025296527543.post-90277364948750830712010-02-14T22:45:00.000-08:002010-02-14T22:45:40.536-08:00Soccer Strategy Part 1 - What is more important, star players or quality of play as a team?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDQaw3WYJ1id1IT2cmSoR3GGsWSAmGGYwqCwcoV-eIIfdeTUmIX1g5t6K4kQnej951P_MYIDLl9gl3pgJYRNQaNCKAooie8oU1TZefqg3HxTWTY_ZZ8_p3cUYXfJlkRlZJ7Aq4E_Ugs0E/s1600-h/MyTweet.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="166" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDQaw3WYJ1id1IT2cmSoR3GGsWSAmGGYwqCwcoV-eIIfdeTUmIX1g5t6K4kQnej951P_MYIDLl9gl3pgJYRNQaNCKAooie8oU1TZefqg3HxTWTY_ZZ8_p3cUYXfJlkRlZJ7Aq4E_Ugs0E/s320/MyTweet.png" width="320" /></span></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqEgLoC5jZUeOw_z0jZDPB14rpSFMCKG_dYatZ1XCEjx2WrPEbySMRAkcoaq4UbLoCczKozTmTXhmV1ew8PCgWRDc4HpfkAb7gZdhWUSbT_cdbZZ6p5NRLhm9c8KGDgw2eP1fb07aRlAs/s1600-h/GMTweet.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="166" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqEgLoC5jZUeOw_z0jZDPB14rpSFMCKG_dYatZ1XCEjx2WrPEbySMRAkcoaq4UbLoCczKozTmTXhmV1ew8PCgWRDc4HpfkAb7gZdhWUSbT_cdbZZ6p5NRLhm9c8KGDgw2eP1fb07aRlAs/s320/GMTweet.png" width="320" /></span></span></a></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqEgLoC5jZUeOw_z0jZDPB14rpSFMCKG_dYatZ1XCEjx2WrPEbySMRAkcoaq4UbLoCczKozTmTXhmV1ew8PCgWRDc4HpfkAb7gZdhWUSbT_cdbZZ6p5NRLhm9c8KGDgw2eP1fb07aRlAs/s1600-h/GMTweet.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a name='more'></a></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: underline;"><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; text-decoration: underline;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">QUESTION 1 (STAR PLAYER or TEAM PLAY)</span></span></b></span></div></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"> </span></span><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">In other words, do you need a marquee player to attract spectators/fans/support? I don’t think it needs to be an either/or situation, but rather a question of how they become a star. You know more about sponsorships than I do, so I am just going to focus on the fans to simplify my answer. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">My favorite star players come out of the team. They are a player that elevates and is elevated by playing with their team. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Sports, especially women’s soccer, are not just about the game and the skill. They are also about what </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">else</span></span></i><span style="font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"> the players get out of playing together and playing for the glory for their team. That’s the whole spirit behind the Nike Togetherness campaign that helped introduce the US to women’s soccer and Mia to the world. I have issues with that campaign, but it definitely hit on the power of the team as a selling point for sports. </span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">For you as a team, trying to promote the team, this is you best avenue because it always come back to the team, not the marquee player. Imagine the David Beckham experiment always ending with the LA Galaxy, instead of with David Beckham. That’s the distinction. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Ultimately, if David Beckham leaves the Galaxy he is going to take most of the David Beckham a fans with him </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">unless the Galaxy team has managed to win them over</span></span></i><span style="font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">. The quality of the team play is essential for a long-term fan.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">For the long-term fans, they relish a team with deep talent and the unexpected stars and unsung heroes. It gives them a sense of ownership to know the depth, rather than just the big names. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Inherently, the marquee player steals the headlines. They are the center point by which the rest of the team is judged. So spectators </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">will come</span></span></i><span style="font-style: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"> to a game just to watch the star play, to get the autograph and the story. I believe the ‘David Beckham experiment’ is working and will have a big impact on the long-term view of the MLS. But looking at the success of the team, they were handicapped by his presence on their squad. And it’s still a question if they will survive the PR loss of him leaving the team.</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">This is the huge gamble of marquee stars. Without the quality of play from the team, the cost will always outweigh the gain because the spectators who follow the marquee player will leave when they leave if they have not been won over yet. It’d be paying a price and then not exploiting it.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">So whether a marquee player is brought in or grows from the team really depends on the circumstances so I can only really talk about my preference. Sometimes a gamble is necessary and works incredibly well, but if the question is either/or, you will always be taking a gamble without any safety net. </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Julie’s Rule #1</span></span></b><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"> = Without quality team play, the cost of a star will outweigh the gain.</span></span></span></div></span></span>On the Ballhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16643463912133593840noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1689536025296527543.post-2897811478238654802010-02-14T16:35:00.000-08:002010-02-14T16:36:30.090-08:00What Makes Me a Fan of a Team and some Social Media Tips<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A few months ago I was talking to </span></span><a href="http://www.bluessoccerclub.com/FrontOffice/284680.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Jason Lemire (GM of Pali Blues)</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> about social media, Facebook in particular, and he asked what the difference was between a friend and a fan. I was in a contemplative mood and spent a few minutes going on about how a friend comes to a game and enjoys it, but a fan wins or loses with the team. At the end of my musings I realized he was asking about friends vs. fans on Facebook (friends are for profile pages while fans are for fan pages).</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"></span></span></div><a name='more'></a><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I don’t think Jason minded my longer and slightly off-topic answer, though, because it is a question that is constantly on the mind of a General Manager. What makes a fan, a fan?</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_1266192669979"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Gerry Marrone, </span></span></a><a href="http://www.womensprosoccer.com/ny/about/staff.aspx"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Sky Blue FC’s GM</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">, used his twitter account recently to pose the question: (@</span></span><a href="http://twitter.com/SkyBlueFC_GM"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">SkyBlueFC_GM</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">) </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">“</span></span><a href="http://twitter.com/SkyBlueFC_GM/status/8701192988"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">What makes you a fan of a team?</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">”</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">There is no simple answer, especially since each sport has its own audience and therefore its own set of guidelines to attract fans. And each sports team has to target its local audience as well as a more national/global market. </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I </span></span><a href="http://areyouontheball.blogspot.com/2010/01/fan-experience.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">talked about fandom</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> a bit in a previous post</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">, but it’s a topic with lots of depth so here goes again:</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Wikipedia defines a fan as “</span></span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fan_(person)"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">someone who has an intense, occasionally overwhelming liking and enthusiasm for…</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">” and then immediately went on to describe how they show their enthusiasm. That’s brings up a dichotomy that’s essential to a true fan experience: you have to earn the right to be a true fan.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The sports fan experience is a vicarious one, which creates a lot of bandwagon fans who really aren’t anything more than simple spectators. A few try to overcompensate for their recent conversion to the team by decking themselves in the appropriate gear.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbnLRkckIp1IFUM69TC_bGJeZ4hyCerkV67Q19uY1ePTtK5IlzwvH_EpDBPCIWfx6qi_tbbSCvXrohjYxkM2ZlRDCTiVUV_O_FWopMrYWmMuI3OIxbMIAvaDQz8SR95wzZHOiBSef0i1M/s1600-h/USCFootball_01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbnLRkckIp1IFUM69TC_bGJeZ4hyCerkV67Q19uY1ePTtK5IlzwvH_EpDBPCIWfx6qi_tbbSCvXrohjYxkM2ZlRDCTiVUV_O_FWopMrYWmMuI3OIxbMIAvaDQz8SR95wzZHOiBSef0i1M/s320/USCFootball_01.jpg" width="320" /></span></span></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Granted, my best memories as a fan are not always the best, most exciting or highest scoring games, but rather are the moments when I went all out. Face paint, outfits, and head-to-toe colors with a vocal enthusiasm that leaves me hoarse at the end of the game. I love those games the best because I </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">earned</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> my part of that win.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Back to </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Gerry Marrone’s question </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">“What makes you a fan of a team?”</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Other fans.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I want to be inspired by the other fans, not just the players on the field. I love reading stories, </span></span><a href="http://sports.yahoo.com/nba/blog/ball_dont_lie/post/Too-much-Rod-Benson-Guide-to-being-a-good-fan?urn=nba,59378"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">like this one</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">, about fans and the creative ways they support their team.</span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">For an organization looking for new fans, I think the best thing to do is to let people know that you have an environment that lets fans be fans. Not to say that they get drunk and are belligerent—there is an etiquette to fandom.</span></span><a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/page2/story?page=rules/070905"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> Here’s a great article by ESPN about being a college fan</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">, and it starts out by laying down the law, </span></span></div></div><blockquote><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"lest civilization devolve into a Hobbesian state of nature, "Lord of the Flies," with all of us grasping for the conch and no one agreeing if it takes one or both feet inbounds for a sideline catch to count."</span></span></div></blockquote><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">They break the laws into five general categories (definitely check out the whole list, it's a good read):</span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div></div><blockquote><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"I. ALLEGIANCES, OR WHO YA GOT?</span></span></div></blockquote><blockquote><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">II. ATTIRE, OR WHAT TO WEAR</span></span></div></blockquote><blockquote><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">III. LIFESTYLE, OR WHY DID I EVER THINK GRADUATION WAS A GOOD IDEA?</span></span></div></blockquote><blockquote><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">IV. GLOATING, OR WHY ANYONE BOTHERS TO BE A FAN IN THE FIRST PLACE</span></span></div></blockquote><blockquote><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">V. TAUNTING, OR THE ONLY THING BETTER THAN GLOATING"</span></span></div></blockquote><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I love the </span></span><a href="http://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showthread.php?t=999783"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">supporters groups that are starting up for the WPS teams</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> and I love that the organizations are getting behind these groups. Last season the LA Sol made some attempts to promote fan gathers, but they never were able to get beyond PR stunts. The Marta Maniacs were never more than just a name, a banner and a few individuals in the stadium.</span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><a href="http://i.usatoday.net/sports/_photos/2009/07/07/martax-topper-medium.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="162" src="http://i.usatoday.net/sports/_photos/2009/07/07/martax-topper-medium.jpg" width="320" /></span></span></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">(</span></span><a href="http://www.usatoday.com/sports/soccer/2009-07-08-marta_N.htm"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">image from USA Today</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">)</span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">They needed to break out of the PR stunts and make some real efforts to get behind the fan driven supports groups that might have been started. It gets back to the true fan concept, the average WPS person may know of the Marta Maniacs but only a true Sol fan would know of the …</span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I don’t mean to criticize the organization as a whole, there were a lot of great people there who tried really hard, but come on they were a professional sports team. They needed to do better.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">A supporters group needs to be much more than just a PR stunt. Take a look at any soccer league, any team, and you will find a couple diehard groups to emulate. Tying the dichotomy to the supporters groups, I want to be able to win with the team, but also to compete as a fan against other fans. Sports are all about competition, so why not foster that mentality in the stands? Could be a competition between supporter groups for the same team, between groups for the competing teams or just fans for either side taking their spectatorship to the next, more active level.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Being a Los Angelian, I don’t know much about the other WPS teams supporters groups in the ’09 season, but I’m definitely hearing a lot on my social media radar about their gearing up for 2010. </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">St. Louis Athletica tried something interesting to reach out to fans on Twitter with their </span></span><a href="http://www.womensprosoccer.com/stlouis/news/general/091225-athletica-twitter-winner"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">contest for a TweetCaptain</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> to run the @</span></span><a href="http://twitter.com/thejoanies"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">TheJoanies</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> account.</span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Clearly, social media has made it so much easier to find and target little pockets of fans, but the limit of SM lies in that not all the target fans are going to be on Facebook, Myspace, Twitter or are not going to check Delicious, Digg, YouTube, etc.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">And how do you break out of the pocket to find new fans? I’ve got a few fundamentals I try to live by when promoting something with social media…</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div></div><ol start="1" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="1"><li class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">CROSS-POLLINATE</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">INFLUENCE THE INFLUENCERS</span></span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">TAG TAG TAG</span></span></li>
</ol><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><u><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">CROSS-POLLINATE</span></span></b></u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">: Get your ideas on different platforms and link them to each other. Though there is some overlapping, the average social media user is not on Myspace, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube; they focus a single site or a small selection of their favorite sites. Putting your content on various platforms gives it a greater chance of being seen and then spread.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><u><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">INFLUENCE THE INFLUENCERS</span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">:</span></span></u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> Get a discourse going with somebody who already has a number of fans/followers so their supporters become aware of you through that discourse (or more direct support). For people pushing smaller sports/interests, you would be well served by approaching bloggers/twitter-ers working in other categories that somehow might interact with you. The best Big Fish are the ones who will reply and actually get a discourse going. Sometimes it is worth it to go after the biggies who don’t reply, but it’s more of a shot in the dark.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I love social media because it is still unexplored territory. Usually, the only real consequence to trying something new on social media is the loss of time that it took for you to do it. The more you try the more you learn, so jump in and figure out what works for you.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">But this next tip is pretty universal, so I recommend everyone using social media take it to heart.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><u><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">TAG TAG TAG:</span></span></b></u><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Make sure to tag your work correctly and Google how Google works (search engine optimization). A core aspect of promotion is simply getting noticed, making tags and optimizing your search-able content key. The more relevant tags you add, the easier it is for viewers to find the content. You can poorly tag something (using keywords that don’t direct the right traffic to your content), but you can’t over-tag something, according to my brother who is a product manager at YouTube currently focusing on video search. He literally does this for a living, so if you don’t believe me then believe him.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Make sure to be on top of you analytics, too. See what keywords bring in the most viewers and cater your later content to it.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br />
</span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I talk about </span></span><a href="http://areyouontheball.blogspot.com/2009/11/this-topic-is-bit-of-focus-of-mine-it.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">optimizing your use of Twitter a bit in an earlier post</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">, so check that out if you still wanna read some more.</span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div></div><div class="MsoNormal"></div>On the Ballhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16643463912133593840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1689536025296527543.post-47456302397321872002010-02-05T00:11:00.000-08:002010-02-05T00:12:51.380-08:00Will the LA Sol Return in 2011 or Will the WPS Expand Elsewhere?<div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">With the </span></span><a href="http://www.womensprosoccer.com/Home/news/press_releases/100128-sol-discontinues"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">closure of the LA team</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"> it is only logical that rumors begin to fly around about expansion into San Diego or</span></span><a href="http://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1266758&page=2"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"> Seattle or Vancouver</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"> (or here or there, I’ve heard a lot of places named…good sign, loads of interest I guess).</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"></span></span></div><a name='more'></a><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">I am all about expansion, and the</span></span><a href="http://www.whitecapsfc.com/women/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"> Vancouver W-League team</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"> seems to be getting some </span></span><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2008_W-League"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">crazy attendance numbers</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">, but it would be quite a waste to not return to LA. Years spent developing the community support, an inaugural season that established them as Champions, that legacy will stick with the franchise when a new team is organized.</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq7L6h7Ouc-riR9zgdjtoqNqdjv0zouCvWmbXtfvvoKiIzw4KmzNw97npjw-ypNGXHinLWracaJAmv3CcFHfYqOVq5TEcf9CukTRZyATqISKelfZU7ds-IR_Vvr3g4nB660FFQqeAuZu8/s1600-h/sol-trophy.ashx.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq7L6h7Ouc-riR9zgdjtoqNqdjv0zouCvWmbXtfvvoKiIzw4KmzNw97npjw-ypNGXHinLWracaJAmv3CcFHfYqOVq5TEcf9CukTRZyATqISKelfZU7ds-IR_Vvr3g4nB660FFQqeAuZu8/s320/sol-trophy.ashx.jpg" width="320" /></span></span></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Granted, the marketing team at AEG responsible for the Sol were not playing with their A-game and seemed to have a tendency to throw money at big banners and gestures rather than really work the grassroots, so the community is not as developed as other franchises. </span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPdWqSuwpb7NkwYp37gVo8eq42SOYxzmMie6gu60NTcpGwEKZcnyw6pfaOZ7ShBq6F0pZSugaXTgtGLGB8LkreSTd6BcdbRqSQKEjmHbublCejOnRSWzVpa6pukdEG4vaTFe-TeYbf520/s1600-h/Solcity.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPdWqSuwpb7NkwYp37gVo8eq42SOYxzmMie6gu60NTcpGwEKZcnyw6pfaOZ7ShBq6F0pZSugaXTgtGLGB8LkreSTd6BcdbRqSQKEjmHbublCejOnRSWzVpa6pukdEG4vaTFe-TeYbf520/s320/Solcity.jpg" width="320" /></span></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">But if a new ownership group can be found in the early stages of the 2010 season, that gives the Sol management a season to focus on further developing the roots laid down with AEG/Blue Star’s money.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Ok, with </span></span><a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/losangeles/news/story?id=4870963"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">90% AEG’s money</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">And let’s pause a second here to say that for all the negative things being said about AEG, they did absorb 90% of the loss that could have been more burdened on their ownership partners at Blue Star LLC. That is an important positive that’s been downplayed.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Don’t get me wrong, I’m a Sol fan and will continue to refer to my favorite players as “Sol players on loan to…” and therefore will not forgive AEG for pulling out after ONE SEASON. And if they had always planned on pulling out after one season, why didn’t they have a new ownership group in place for season #2? Wouldn’t that be a part of “establishing” an LA franchise?</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Bring the LA franchise back in 2011, I don’t care if they’re the Sol or the </span></span><a href="http://www.bluessoccerclub.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Pali Blues</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"> ;) or whatever else it gets named. As long as Naimo and his crew are back on board, as long as the club get’s a few players back from their 2010 loans…I’ll be happy.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Back to Canada…I think the WPS should wait on bringing </span></span><a href="http://www.uslsoccer.com/teams/2010/22395.html#MAIN"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Vancouver</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"> into the league until they can also bring in the W-League rivals in </span></span><a href="http://www.uslsoccer.com/teams/2010/22380.html#MAIN"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Seattle</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">. Those two teams are a killer duo and would bring a strong pre-existing rivalry to the </span></span><a href="http://www.womensprosoccer.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">WPS</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">. </span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Gotta love a good rivalry, eh?</span></span></div></div>On the Ballhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16643463912133593840noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1689536025296527543.post-46792425542063980482010-02-04T00:36:00.000-08:002010-02-04T00:42:44.305-08:00Los Angeles Sol: A Brand Lost or a Franchise Folded?<div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><u><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Just a Piece</span></span></b></u></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Though this was a shocking announcement, it is not like it was totally unexpected. In mid-January ASN was writing about the ownership transfer and </span></span><a href="http://wps.american-soccer-news.com/?p=245"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">raised the possibility of a last minute pullout</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">, Sacramento Monarchs style. Sadly they hit it on the nose and the Sol situation became the same story of league-scramble followed by </span></span><a href="http://www.womensprosoccer.com/la"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">franchise-closure</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">.</span></span></div></div><a name='more'></a><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Or, as </span></span><a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/los-angeles/news/story?id=4878508"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Scott French at ESPN</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"> put it, “</span></span><span style="color: #262626;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">The league officially has suspended the Sol, not folded the franchise, with hopes that it can return in 2011 with new ownership and possibly a new name.”</span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="color: #262626;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">So the Brand is caput (for now), but the location and the management are still in play for a revival if/when new $$$ can be found. Um. Ok that's not what I want to hear. The Sol being suspended is a very different thing from the franchise being folded. I mean the Sol logo is a bit AYSO, but the name's reputation is quite the opposite. </span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #262626;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span></span></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjx6YlsD5gxFWFYOtTLm4ZpxB8vgn0zRslJr7khSnuCV-opTJ1RBSznpsgkl-Xcx8z5ohVEQbe5sMpfsbhtfKsVYO-rUWPUzJaMHEcm9MX0xoMJhzmywWhmoXdwOYvKMxOQnNwHUvZsx8/s1600-h/Sol+Logo_FNL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="153" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjx6YlsD5gxFWFYOtTLm4ZpxB8vgn0zRslJr7khSnuCV-opTJ1RBSznpsgkl-Xcx8z5ohVEQbe5sMpfsbhtfKsVYO-rUWPUzJaMHEcm9MX0xoMJhzmywWhmoXdwOYvKMxOQnNwHUvZsx8/s200/Sol+Logo_FNL.jpg" width="200" /></span></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="color: #262626;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Is this ESPN or is that the way the WPS league really feels? </span></span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="color: #262626;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Surprised that I haven’t really seen the distinction being made in any of the other blogs/articles about the situation. Could be me just missing it...but what I'm hearing is: </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><a href="http://www.insidesocal.com/soccer/2010/01/wps-la-sol-to-fold.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Termination of the franchise</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">, </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #1d1d1d; line-height: 19px;"><a href="http://pitchinvasion.net/blog/2010/01/29/la-sol-folds-good-for-the-future-of-wps/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Demise of the LA Sol</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">, and a</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #262626; line-height: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">s Fake Sigi put it, </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><a href="http://www.fakesigi.com/2010/02/tom-dunmore-has-totally-lost-his-mind.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+fakesigi%2FTrik+%28The+Fake+Sigi+Schmid+Blog%29"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">The Sol didn't make it, and as such, have failed WPS</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">.</span></span></span></span></span></span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Didn't make it verus just outa the ring for one year sounds like a big difference to me. </span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #262626;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="color: #262626;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">What exactly would make the league want to pull the brand of their marquee team? Honest question, would love to hear some opinions in the comments. Is it just keeping all the options open in case a new ownership group doesn’t want to take on the Sol baggage with the LA location? Or is it something to do with the former ownership group and their rights to the brand?</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="color: #262626;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">According to </span></span><a href="http://www.equalizersoccer.com/webpages/UserIndex.aspx"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">The Equalizer’s</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"> </span></span><a href="http://twitter.com/JeffKassouf"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Jeff Kassouf </span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">(who read my mind or the </span></span><a href="http://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showthread.php?p=19845972#post19845972"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">BigSoccer thread</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"> I was commenting on), “the rights to the Sol name are being kept with the league, leaving the same name possibility open.” That’s good to hear. They’re not kicking the Los Angeles Sol under the rug just yet.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="color: #262626;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">I am not quite sure what the whole situation is, but am keenly interested in the logic behind the comment. Knowing WHY is so much more fun than just guessing at it...</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="color: #262626;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">I like supporting the league, believing that they have plans and reasons for what they do. They are a bunch of smart people, after all. So I’m going to believe that they’re not plotting a plan to vindictively kill the Sol because of…well…something.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="color: #262626;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Seriously for a moment, this situation is terrible for everyone involved from the fans on up to the WPS. I know people want to lay blame on AEG or the league for “messing up” the negotiations, but sh*t happens and people should focus on sticking with their favorite Sol players. Follow them where they go in the WPS and when a LA franchise is reborn (as the Sol or something else), push for their return to Naimo’s squad. ;)</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="color: #262626;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Need a fix of women’s soccer in LA in the meantime? Check out the </span></span><a href="http://www.bluessoccerclub.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Pali Blues </span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">and join the </span></span><a href="http://theshinguardian.com/2010/02/02/the-supporter-series-tony-danza-army/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Tony Danza Army</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"> as they cheer on this UNDEFEATED W-league TWO-TIME Champions. Take a gander at their </span></span><a href="http://www.bluessoccerclub.com/roster/316938.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">rosters in the past two years</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"> and you believe me when I say that the ’08 or ’09 Pali Blues could take down a few of the WPS teams. Of course, that means that those WPS teams would be minus a </span></span><a href="http://www.bluessoccerclub.com/home/393703.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">few key players</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">…</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="color: #262626;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Find your Sol buddies, bring your non-soccer buddies, and go support Naimo and his W-league team. The women’s soccer community in LA can still grow without the Sol there and the more the area can prove that there is a strong community presence the more likely the WPS is to bring a team back to us in 2011.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #262626;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span></span></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0xrcL_4R9kS0K9lmlV7e5FvLgtWcBo0z7p_BjjwGJk0U_pDjyoxx1Qv4YHTrXXRdQpjYpzsMRTvHzbNJmmLvWH8eD-Ikgq70unKWUIwdhwgdL16tfUSQG3KRuSMxoMWeS_ft-8WExVds/s1600-h/62658322.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="128" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0xrcL_4R9kS0K9lmlV7e5FvLgtWcBo0z7p_BjjwGJk0U_pDjyoxx1Qv4YHTrXXRdQpjYpzsMRTvHzbNJmmLvWH8eD-Ikgq70unKWUIwdhwgdL16tfUSQG3KRuSMxoMWeS_ft-8WExVds/s200/62658322.jpg" width="200" /></span></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">(image from </span></span><a href="http://twitter.com/christafa"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">@christafa</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">)</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="color: #262626;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">---</span></span></b></span></div></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="color: #262626;"><u><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Of the Bigger Puzzle</span></span></b></u></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #262626;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">The WPS is not folding; the WPS was built to withstand setbacks like this. That’s what the whole franchise system is built for. An individual team’s success is their responsibility, but their survival is a league issue.</span></span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="color: #262626;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Obviously, the league can’t step in and just save the team. Maybe in a better economy with more financial backing of the main office, but in these bear market times it’s important to keep the focus on the big picture. What I mean by it being a league issue is more in the PR department.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="color: #262626;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">And the WPS stepped up to the plate with a lot of interviews and such to assure the fans and the skeptics that they are </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">not</span></span></i></span><span style="color: #262626;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"> folding because the Sol has been cut for the 2010 season. They can do more, that's for sure, but they also are getting set to launch the second season. Lots of papers to file through on their desks, I'm guessing. But ESPN has written more articles about the WPS in the past week than I’ve been aware of from the entire past season.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="color: #262626;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Ok, maybe exaggerating there, but the reality is that the three biggest stories about women’s soccer in the past year were #1 </span></span><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=75zZDpYeQWk&feature=related"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Elizabeth Lambert</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">, #2 </span></span><a href="http://www.womensprosoccer.com/ny/news/press_releases/100201-njswa"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Christie Rampone</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"> and her ultimate MVP season, and now #3 the marquee team of the WPS folds after just one season. 2 points to the WPS for exposure.</span></span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="color: #262626;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Silver Lining to #1 = Women’s soccer is definitely not a wimpy sport anymore. If people come to games to catch violence, at least they’re coming to games (and they won’t be 100% disappointed).</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="color: #262626;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Negative to #2 = Soccer Moms Rule, but that turns off young adult demographics who don’t want to see moms play soccer (but anybody who thinks that way probably is way down on the list of people likely to go see women’s soccer…).</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="color: #262626;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Silver Lining to #2 = Everybody loves the return.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="color: #262626;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Will be interesting to see how the WPS office continues to address the LA Sol issue throughout the season. Personally, I would hate to see it get lost in the rush of the season. I hope to see them tackle the issue head on and be the first to bring it into the conversation. Yes it folded, but it is a field test of the viability of the league. If you’re trying to praise the system then why hide when it’s working. Well, when the fail safe's are working.</span></span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="color: #262626;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">I know it is not great PR and not what anybody wanted to see, but as (I believe) Shannon Boxx has said, this is a professional league with the risks of a professional league. Players leave teams, teams go under and then come back or have new teams take their place. The league HAS to approach it in a matter of fact way, not hide from it.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="color: #262626;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Reframe the situation. This is a bad spot, but this is a professional league and it’s what happens. We will survive it, in fact we are surviving it for example some of our teams are already pulling in better sales numbers than they had done by the end of the 2009 season.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="color: #262626;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Go get ‘em, Rob. Tweet your heart out, Amanda. Good luck to the whole crew, who have a busy couple of months ahead.</span></span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="color: #262626;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">---</span></span></b></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #262626;"></span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="color: #262626;"><u><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Wait, I’m Still Puzzled</span></span></b></u></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #262626;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">This situation also became more directly a league issue when they </span></span><a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/los-angeles/news/story?id=4878508"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">took over the Sol in November</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"> and led the negotiations with the new ownership group. Everything was in motion and the WPS was so sure that Sol was on for the 2010 season that they let them participate in the College Draft. But without warning, without explanation and without leaving any time to recover, the mysterious “</span></span><a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/los-angeles/news/story?id=4878508"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">individual who was in charge of a family trust</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">” backed off.</span></span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="color: #262626;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">What the hell scared this dude off at the last minute? If he was that shy of giving his John Hancock, why didn’t the league office start working on a contingency plan?</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="color: #262626;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">According to Commissioner Antonucci, "</span></span><a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/losangeles/news/story?id=4870963"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">We worked incredibly hard for several weeks on it, and it just didn't happen in time. We don't really have insight into [potential ownership's] decision-making process</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">."</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #262626;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="color: #262626;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">So they didn’t see it coming. Charlie Naimo </span></span><a href="http://sports.espn.go.com/losangeles/news/story?id=4870963"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">didn’t see it coming</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">. Clearly the devastated Sol players didn’t see it coming, if you follow any of them on Twitter or are friends with them on Facebook then you saw their shock.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="color: #262626;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">I’m dying to know what happened. Talk about a snowball effect; what insignificant thing or big dramatic confrontation scared Mister Mystery and caused this ripple through the community?</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="color: #262626;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Hopefully time tells the truth, cause I’m feeling this is one of those times when the truth is more interesting than anything a writer could make up.</span></span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #262626;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"></span></span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #262626;"></span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #262626;"></span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #262626;"></span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #262626;"></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #262626;"></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #262626;"></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #262626;"></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #262626;"></span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #262626;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="color: #262626;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">---</span></span></b></span></div></div><div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #262626;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><b></b></span></span></div></div></span><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="color: #262626;"><u><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Tears in my Sunny D</span></span></b></u></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="color: #262626;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Tomorrow the </span></span><a href="http://www.womensprosoccer.com/Home/news/columnist/100203-dispersal-draft.aspx"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">dispersal draft </span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">happens for the former LA Sol player. If you feel the urge to complain, cry online, or whatever I recommend the </span></span><a href="http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=272985798132&ref=ts"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">LA Sol Faithful</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"> group on FB.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="color: #262626;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Some Sol players are in it, so words of support are mucho appreciated, too.</span></span></span></div></div>On the Ballhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16643463912133593840noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1689536025296527543.post-1784938378369391392010-01-30T22:04:00.000-08:002010-02-05T00:13:12.511-08:00LA Sol Photographs<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">What can I say, I'm a work-a-holic. If I'm not working on a project I go stir crazy, and all this media I have from making </span></span><a href="http://www.areyouontheball.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">On the Ball</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"> leaves me way more content than I could possibly process for the show.</span></span><br />
<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Sooo side projects like this happen:</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYBgnu6GScXGq3-6qtWXgf3mFxOWl1e0VWJ0FPP1krnibVL6W2YVfu7RkDFHR1uqnwKXJoDmApnhiCvfQwrOTMawUCZbFgoS_1QrN-DIiaQNZj97DptE1G2MEM0lkIImMY6ONLtzRzemk/s1600-h/Group1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYBgnu6GScXGq3-6qtWXgf3mFxOWl1e0VWJ0FPP1krnibVL6W2YVfu7RkDFHR1uqnwKXJoDmApnhiCvfQwrOTMawUCZbFgoS_1QrN-DIiaQNZj97DptE1G2MEM0lkIImMY6ONLtzRzemk/s320/Group1.jpg" /></span></span></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYBgnu6GScXGq3-6qtWXgf3mFxOWl1e0VWJ0FPP1krnibVL6W2YVfu7RkDFHR1uqnwKXJoDmApnhiCvfQwrOTMawUCZbFgoS_1QrN-DIiaQNZj97DptE1G2MEM0lkIImMY6ONLtzRzemk/s1600-h/Group1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></span></span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYBgnu6GScXGq3-6qtWXgf3mFxOWl1e0VWJ0FPP1krnibVL6W2YVfu7RkDFHR1uqnwKXJoDmApnhiCvfQwrOTMawUCZbFgoS_1QrN-DIiaQNZj97DptE1G2MEM0lkIImMY6ONLtzRzemk/s1600-h/Group1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a name='more'></a></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsKexeIR8LmFMl3uh9wPVw7LbpxukZJ764Gvp2RPoQWhNj7LzDmLKfDhyphenhyphen6r4WPC3bhosymkXyebW7-BhN4nqsQ4OKmmDetIP4-SVQVg3r5Ut0eAlREWQJ7hmzYywUZhEkh5Er_xqRZpr0/s1600-h/Group.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsKexeIR8LmFMl3uh9wPVw7LbpxukZJ764Gvp2RPoQWhNj7LzDmLKfDhyphenhyphen6r4WPC3bhosymkXyebW7-BhN4nqsQ4OKmmDetIP4-SVQVg3r5Ut0eAlREWQJ7hmzYywUZhEkh5Er_xqRZpr0/s320/Group.jpg" /></span></span></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4Xph4AovQFEZ_8iXc35BjP-0icEO8UjAyIpUKoMwyl8nxL6UdTOUKRFyER4QbjpsRTDdW6w1QhnRj1PrZX1iLgTBOQVavGgCJGITpe49pqAHkeiy8mY1dOk79p1OXQwxUXJik8oB1FGU/s1600-h/Autos1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4Xph4AovQFEZ_8iXc35BjP-0icEO8UjAyIpUKoMwyl8nxL6UdTOUKRFyER4QbjpsRTDdW6w1QhnRj1PrZX1iLgTBOQVavGgCJGITpe49pqAHkeiy8mY1dOk79p1OXQwxUXJik8oB1FGU/s320/Autos1.jpg" width="320" /></span></span></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh5mGDozbEM3CjIZb2IwPRV2rq41o6fzE0_ETlT2c_nStRkR8ldTT2njF73E2sNZlFDvmkC3TkMJm1lMSHjb-zZ1_dEZDC65lA4dXxG0tdJ3zplh7QlPod2QLjRT_tjsVeOfa6BpqWnCo/s1600-h/Autos2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh5mGDozbEM3CjIZb2IwPRV2rq41o6fzE0_ETlT2c_nStRkR8ldTT2njF73E2sNZlFDvmkC3TkMJm1lMSHjb-zZ1_dEZDC65lA4dXxG0tdJ3zplh7QlPod2QLjRT_tjsVeOfa6BpqWnCo/s320/Autos2.jpg" width="320" /></span></span></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidicSfol3iAbNbwINOCLXHRdcgHiG2rXirY948-_iUF99m5sWI77KLAvD3O63PE0SO4pEG1mWZ2jxGWOSwQ86a_LYxPaXbFOzZ2H8OG8rNpYW5ImQTEDT9b5YktCyhH1mnu5SKHRaepbY/s1600-h/Marta.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidicSfol3iAbNbwINOCLXHRdcgHiG2rXirY948-_iUF99m5sWI77KLAvD3O63PE0SO4pEG1mWZ2jxGWOSwQ86a_LYxPaXbFOzZ2H8OG8rNpYW5ImQTEDT9b5YktCyhH1mnu5SKHRaepbY/s320/Marta.jpg" /></span></span></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNfTospay2MNHTKafs3wqiwDhN8Ne5mF3EPURVKdNrcVStVB5ZHl89z7XUpM6tsThLarxNmhZT7JElPmjBYnj3qnj7DgJWgB6nZo3MpinCjjwjq6OL2gyQsMtQOKKy_5TXlo7_ZqJ57qk/s1600-h/Zerb.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNfTospay2MNHTKafs3wqiwDhN8Ne5mF3EPURVKdNrcVStVB5ZHl89z7XUpM6tsThLarxNmhZT7JElPmjBYnj3qnj7DgJWgB6nZo3MpinCjjwjq6OL2gyQsMtQOKKy_5TXlo7_ZqJ57qk/s320/Zerb.jpg" /></span></span></a><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYBgnu6GScXGq3-6qtWXgf3mFxOWl1e0VWJ0FPP1krnibVL6W2YVfu7RkDFHR1uqnwKXJoDmApnhiCvfQwrOTMawUCZbFgoS_1QrN-DIiaQNZj97DptE1G2MEM0lkIImMY6ONLtzRzemk/s1600-h/Group1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>On the Ballhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16643463912133593840noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1689536025296527543.post-23641538154803507392010-01-30T21:43:00.001-08:002010-01-30T21:45:12.680-08:00ReDesign<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Working on a new design for the blog. Might just keep it simple-template style. Everything else just gets...cluttered. So if you check in and see something weird, it's probably going to change...</span></span>On the Ballhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16643463912133593840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1689536025296527543.post-24167192736636360862010-01-14T15:59:00.000-08:002010-02-05T00:13:38.215-08:00How to Follow WPS 2010 Draft Day via Twitter<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">The 2010 Women’s Pro Soccer college draft is happening concurrently with the </span></span><a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_1263510183442"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">NCAA </span></span></a><span style="color: #0e0e0e;"><a href="http://www.nscaa.com/annual.php"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">convention</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"> in Philadelphia, PA. Starting at 10am ET, the coverage will begin on </span></span><a href="http://www.womensprosoccer.com/Home/news/general/100108-follow-2010-draft-on-twitter.aspx"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Twitter at 9am</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"> to follow a roundtable discussion. Scroll to the bottom of this post to find a list of the various twitter accounts you should follow to be in the loop.</span></span></span></div></div><a name='more'></a><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Even with twitter, this will get confusing. I know this because I followed the </span></span><a href="http://areyouontheball.blogspot.com/2010/01/background-on-womens-pro-soccer-league.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">B/r mock draft</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"> (which was well tweeted, with some entertaining one-liners thrown in to fill the down-time). But that was conducted via Twitter. This draft is the real deal and will be </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">announced</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"> via Twitter, which means there’s a lot of drama going down that will never find its way into a tweet.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Ok, that will find it’s way to twitter but not from the official account. And maybe a bit later, depending on how close the tweeters are to the actual events going down. Or there may be an avid tweeter in the know who keeps us filled in a beat after the decisions are made. Fingers crossed ;)</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">First off, here is a list of the first round:</span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><b><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">First Round:</span></span></span></b></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="color: #363636;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">1. Atlanta Beat </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="color: #363636;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">2. Boston Breakers* </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="color: #363636;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">3. FC Gold Pride </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="color: #363636;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">4. Chicago Red Stars </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="color: #363636;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">5. Los Angeles Sol*</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="color: #363636;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">6. Sky Blue FC </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="color: #363636;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">7. Washington Freedom </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="color: #363636;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">8. Los Angeles Sol*</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="color: #363636;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">9. Los Angeles Sol </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="color: #363636;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">10. FC Gold Pride*</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="color: #363636;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">11. Boston Breakers*</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.womensprosoccer.com/Home/news/transactions-09.aspx"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">* Picks that were acquired from trades</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">The Trades and How They Happened</span></span></b></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><b></b></span></span></span></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"></span></span></div><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: small;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">2. Breakers got this pick (and the bonus #11) when they traded their 2009 1</span></span><sup><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">st</span></span></sup><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"> draft pick overall (so the first pick in the WPS college draft history) Amy Rodriguez to the Philly Independence, along with their 2010 #5.</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">5. Philly Independence got this pick when they got ARod (as I just mentioned) then traded it to LA Sol for Allison Falk and Val Henderson.</span></span></div></div><blockquote><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Falk was instrumental to the Sol defensive back line for the 2009 season, but missed several games towards the end due to injury and then was ejected early in the championship match due to a very bad call. I was there, I have photographs of the sequence, and Kai took a dive. On top of that, Falk was NOT the last defender. Bad call all around. </span></span></div></blockquote><blockquote><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Val played one game for the Sol in NorCal and did a fantastic job. Her UCLA and US Youth National records also speak to her potential. Hopefully we'll see more of her as the starting GK in Philly this season.</span></span></div></blockquote><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">8. Early in the 2009 season (May 8th to be exact) the LA Sol traded Kendall Fletcher, Christie Welsh and a 2nd round draft pick for 2011 to the St. Louis Athletica. A slightly complicated deal basically resulted in the LA Sol getting the #8 pick in the 1st round of the 2010 draft and Athletica's first round pick in the 2011 draft.</span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">10. FC Gold Pride traded backup (stellar) GK Allison Whitworth and the 23rd (overall) 2010 draft pick to Atlanta Beat. They got the 10th and 12th overall draft picks in the 2010 draft.</span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">11. Look at the breakdown of #2.</span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><b><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">The Whole Shebang</span></span></span></b></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Here's a few links to full lists of the rounds and who has what pick. The wikipedia page is up and ready to go, with blank spaces and everything! </span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://www.womensprosoccer.com/Home/schedule/2010-wps-draft.aspx"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">WPS List</span></span></a></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2010_WPS_Draft#cite_note-ReferenceB-3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Wiki List</span></span></a></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Brevity. See, I told you I'd work on it. </span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><b><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">A Little Birdie Told Me...</span></span></span></b></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Who to follow on Twitter and what you'll get from following them.</span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://twitter.com/AreYouOnTheBall"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">@AreYouOntheBall</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"> | The </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">On the Ball </span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">twitter account. I will try to reTweet other peoples notable info with my thoughts, so if you don't want to follow a ton of new people this might be a great route for you.</span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://twitter.com/AreYouOnTheBall/wps-essentials"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">WPS Essentials List</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"> | A lists made on the </span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">On the Ball</span></span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"> twitter account full of the teams, GMS and notables who will be tweeting tomorrow. </span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://twitter.com/womensprosoccer"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">@WomensProSoccer</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"> | WPS main account that is the OFFICIAL tweeter of the draft.</span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://twitter.com/br_wps"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">@br_wps </span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">| The </span></span><a href="http://bleacherreport.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Bleacher Report (B/r)</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"> official twitter account for the WPS. Followed this for the mock draft (so if you go back through their tweets you can see how it went down) and theoretically the 3 beat writers will be tweeting updates from it as they travel behind the scenes.</span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><a href="http://twitter.com/katgalsim"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">@katgalsim </span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">| One of the beat writers personal accounts. She's an avid tweeter and should be a solid source of behind-the-scenes deets tomorrow.</span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><a href="http://twitter.com/JeffKassouf"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">@JeffKassouf</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"> | Owner/Operator of The Equalizer, specializing in women's soccer reporting. Check out </span></span><a href="http://www.equalizersoccer.com/webpages/UserIndex.aspx"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">The Equalizer</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"> for some articles on the WPS. He's in Philly so will most likely be tweeting updates during the day.</span></span></span></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">(more to follow...comment if I've forgotten somebody you think I should add to this list!)</span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"></span></span></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><b><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Bleacher Report – 3 Beat Writers Against the Convention</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></u></b></div></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">B/r has </span></span><a href="http://bleacherreport.com/articles/326011-2010-wps-draft-to-be-covered-by-three-bleacher-report-writers"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">3 writers heading to Philly</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"> to work as a team to cover the event. They’ve got a game plan, splitting to cover as many events and teams as they can, and are bringing along a videographer and a photographer to create a video diary of the frantic activities that will be going down this weekend. Check out the </span></span><a href="http://bleacherreport.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">website</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"> (search WPS) in the following days to read up on their impressions / experiences. </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"></div></span>On the Ballhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16643463912133593840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1689536025296527543.post-66569540479269712012010-01-14T14:33:00.000-08:002010-01-30T21:37:00.833-08:00Background on the Women's Pro Soccer league 2010 College Draft<span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 8pt;"><b>16 hours and counting...</b></span><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 8pt;"><o:p></o:p></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 8pt;">The 2010 draft happens this <b>Friday, January 15 @ 10am ET</b></span><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 8pt;"> (so 7am for us West Coasters) in Philadelphia, PA, home to the new Independence expansion team.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><br />
<a name='more'></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 8pt;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">In case you are not fully up-to-date on the draft intrigue that has been building over the past few months, below are a ton of links to get you ready for what’s coming tomorrow.</span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 8pt;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">And ‘cause I am feeling so helpful today, I am going to put up a second post with the order of draft picks and a couple ways you can follow the event tomorrow. (will link when it's up)</span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 8pt;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">For those truly not in the loop, the United States has a new Women’s Professional Soccer league running into it’s second season. The 9 teams are as follows:</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: center; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 8pt;"><b><i>Team Website | Team Twitter Account</i></b></span><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 8pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: center; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Times-Roman; font-size: 8pt;"><a href="http://www.womensprosoccer.com/boston"><span style="color: #3e1d75; font-family: Verdana; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Boston Breakers</span></span></a></span><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 8pt;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> | </span><a href="http://twitter.com/bostonbreakers"><span style="color: #3e1d75; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">@bostonbreakers</span></span></a><span style="font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: center; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Times-Roman; font-size: 8pt;"><a href="http://www.womensprosoccer.com/chicago"><span style="color: #3e1d75; font-family: Verdana; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Chicago Red Stars</span></span></a></span><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 8pt;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> | </span><a href="http://twitter.com/chicagoredstars"><span style="color: #3e1d75; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">@ChicagoRedStars</span></span></a><span style="font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: center; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Times-Roman; font-size: 8pt;"><a href="http://www.womensprosoccer.com/bayarea"><span style="color: #3e1d75; font-family: Verdana; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">FC Gold Pride</span></span></a></span><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 8pt;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> | </span><a href="http://twitter.com/fcgoldpride"><span style="color: #3e1d75; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">@FCGoldPride</span></span></a><span style="font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: center; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Times-Roman; font-size: 8pt;"><a href="http://www.womensprosoccer.com/la"><span style="color: #3e1d75; font-family: Verdana; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Los Angeles Sol</span></span></a></span><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 8pt;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> | </span><a href="http://twitter.com/losangelessol"><span style="color: #3e1d75; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">@LosAngelesSol</span></span></a><span style="font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: center; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Times-Roman; font-size: 8pt;"><a href="http://www.womensprosoccer.com/stlouis"><span style="color: #3e1d75; font-family: Verdana; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">St. Louis Athletica</span></span></a></span><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 8pt;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> | </span><a href="http://twitter.com/athleticasoccer"><span style="color: #3e1d75; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">@AthleticaSoccer</span></span></a><span style="font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: center; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Times-Roman; font-size: 8pt;"><a href="http://www.womensprosoccer.com/ny"><span style="color: #3e1d75; font-family: Verdana; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Sky Blue FC</span></span></a></span><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 8pt;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> | </span><a href="http://twitter.com/skybluefc"><span style="color: #3e1d75; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">@SkyBlueFC</span></span></a><span style="font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: center; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Times-Roman; font-size: 8pt;"><a href="http://www.womensprosoccer.com/dc"><span style="color: #3e1d75; font-family: Verdana; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Washington Freedom</span></span></a></span><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 8pt;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> | </span><a href="http://twitter.com/dcfreedom"><span style="color: #3e1d75; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">@DCFreedom</span></span></a><span style="font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: center; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Times-Roman; font-size: 8pt;"><a href="http://www.womensprosoccer.com/atlanta"><span style="color: #3e1d75; font-family: Verdana; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Atlanta Beat</span></span></a></span><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 8pt;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> (NEW expansion team for 2010) | </span><a href="http://twitter.com/atlbeat"><span style="color: #3e1d75; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">@AtlBeat</span></span></a><span style="font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: center; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Times-Roman; font-size: 8pt;"><a href="http://www.wpsphillyindependence.com/"><span style="color: #3e1d75; font-family: Verdana; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Philadelphia Independence</span></span></a></span><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 8pt;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> (NEW expansion team for 2010) | </span><a href="http://twitter.com/wpsphilly2010"><span style="color: #3e1d75; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">@WPSPhilly2010</span></span></a><span style="font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 8pt;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">As you can see, the last two teams are new to the 2010 season and created an interesting expansion-special post season for 2009, including an </span><a href="http://www.womensprosoccer.com/news/press_releases/090915-expansion-draft-results"><span style="color: #3e1d75; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">expansion draft</span></span></a><span style="font-weight: normal;">, but the expansion phase has ended and the league is jumping back on track with the </span><a href="http://www.womensprosoccer.com/Home/schedule/2010-wps-draft.aspx"><span style="color: #3e1d75; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">college draft</span></span></a><span style="font-weight: normal;">. </span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: center; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 8pt;"><b><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Getting To Know You </span></b></span><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 8pt;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 8pt;">T<span style="font-weight: normal;">he WPS worked hard to get a bunch of articles out on their </span><a href="http://www.womensprosoccer.com/"><span style="color: #3e1d75; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">website</span></span></a><span style="font-weight: normal;"> to help fill fans in on the top prospects, starting with the “Getting to Know You” series. According to the WPS Web Coordinator’s blog (</span><a href="http://www.amandavandervort.com/blog/2010/01/gearing-up-for-the-wps-draft/"><span style="color: #3e1d75; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Soccer Science</span></span></a><span style="font-weight: normal;">), the series was put together by the “</span><span style="color: #0c0d0c;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">content team, lead by the one and only Karyn Lush (</span><a href="http://twitter.com/klush17"><span style="color: #234076; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">@klush17</span></span></a><span style="font-weight: normal;"> on Twitter).” (quoted from the aforementioned blog, here's the </span><a href="http://www.amandavandervort.com/blog/2010/01/gearing-up-for-the-wps-draft/"><span style="color: #3e1d75; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">link</span></span></a><span style="font-weight: normal;"> again).</span></span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: #0c0d0c; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 8pt;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">By the by, the Web Coordinator is </span><a href="http://fans.womensprosoccer.com/profile/AmandaVandervort"><span style="color: #3e1d75; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Amanda Vandervort</span></span></a><span style="font-weight: normal;"> (</span><a href="http://twitter.com/vandey01/"><span style="color: #3e1d75; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">@vandey01</span></span></a><span style="font-weight: normal;"> on Twitter). </span><a href="http://www.amandavandervort.com/blog/"><span style="color: #0020e3; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Her blog</span></span></a><span style="font-weight: normal;"> puts mine to shame and she has a fantastic list of other soccer blogs in case you are looking to expand your collection.</span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 8pt;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: center; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 8pt;"><b><i>Series Articles | College Bios</i></b></span><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 8pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: center; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Times-Roman; font-size: 8pt;"><a href="http://www.womensprosoccer.com/news/spotlight/100113-getting-to-know-heath"><span style="color: #3e1d75; font-family: Verdana; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Tobin Heath</span></span></a></span><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 8pt;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> | </span><a href="http://tarheelblue.cstv.com/sports/w-soccer/mtt/heath_tobin00.html"><span style="color: #3e1d75; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">UNC</span></span></a><span style="font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: center; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Times-Roman; font-size: 8pt;"><a href="http://www.womensprosoccer.com/news/spotlight/100104-getting-to-know-ohara"><span style="color: #3e1d75; font-family: Verdana; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Kelly O’Hara</span></span></a></span><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 8pt;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> | </span><a href="http://www.gostanford.com/sports/w-soccer/mtt/ohara_kelley00.html"><span style="color: #3e1d75; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Stanford</span></span></a><span style="font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: center; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Times-Roman; font-size: 8pt;"><a href="http://www.womensprosoccer.com/news/spotlight/091226-getting-to-know-cheney"><span style="color: #3e1d75; font-family: Verdana; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Lauren Cheney </span></span></a></span><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 8pt;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">| </span><a href="http://www.uclabruins.com/sports/w-soccer/mtt/cheney_lauren00.html"><span style="color: #3e1d75; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">UCLA</span></span></a><span style="font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: center; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Times-Roman; font-size: 8pt;"><a href="http://www.womensprosoccer.com/news/spotlight/091218-getting-to-know-naeher"><span style="color: #3e1d75; font-family: Verdana; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Alyssa Naher</span></span></a></span><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 8pt;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> | </span><a href="http://www.gopsusports.com/sports/w-soccer/mtt/naeher_alyssa00.html"><span style="color: #3e1d75; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Penn State</span></span></a><span style="font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: center; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Times-Roman; font-size: 8pt;"><a href="http://www.womensprosoccer.com/news/spotlight/091214-getting-to-know-nogueira"><span style="color: #3e1d75; font-family: Verdana; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Casey Noguiera</span></span></a></span><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 8pt;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> | </span><a href="http://tarheelblue.cstv.com/sports/w-soccer/mtt/nogueira_casey00.html"><span style="color: #3e1d75; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">UNC</span></span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: center; text-autospace: none;"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: center; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 8pt;"><b><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Expert Opinions</span></b></span><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 8pt;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 8pt;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">The league’s PR Director, Rob Penner (</span><a href="http://twitter.com/rdpenner"><span style="color: #0020e3; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">@RdPenner</span></span></a><span style="font-weight: normal;"> on Twitter), pulled together groups of soccer experts to put together rankings in the slow months of the off-season. </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: center; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 8pt;"><b><i>WPS Article| <a href="http://fancorner.womensprosoccer.com/"><span style="color: #3e1d75; text-decoration: none;">WPS Fan Corner</span></a> Discussion</i></b></span><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 8pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: center; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Times-Roman; font-size: 8pt;"><a href="http://www.womensprosoccer.com/news/press_releases/091223-top-defender-prospects"><span style="color: #3e1d75; font-family: Verdana; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Top Rated Defenders</span></span></a></span><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 8pt;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> | </span><a href="http://fancorner.womensprosoccer.com/forum/topics/countdown-to-2010-wps-draft-1"><span style="color: #3e1d75; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Forum</span></span></a><span style="font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: center; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Times-Roman; font-size: 8pt;"><a href="http://www.womensprosoccer.com/news/press_releases/091230-top-midfield-prospects"><span style="color: #3e1d75; font-family: Verdana; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Top Rated Midfielders</span></span></a></span><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 8pt;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> | </span><a href="http://fancorner.womensprosoccer.com/forum/topics/countdown-to-2010-wps-draft"><span style="color: #3e1d75; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Forum</span></span></a><span style="font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: center; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Times-Roman; font-size: 8pt;"><a href="http://www.womensprosoccer.com/news/press_releases/100106-top-forward-prospects"><span style="color: #3e1d75; font-family: Verdana; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Top Rated Forwards</span></span></a></span><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 8pt;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> | </span><a href="http://fancorner.womensprosoccer.com/forum/topics/top-forwards-2010-draft"><span style="color: #3e1d75; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Forum</span></span></a><span style="font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: center; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Times-Roman; font-size: 8pt;"><a href="http://www.womensprosoccer.com/news/press_releases/091215-top-gk-draft-prospects"><span style="color: #3e1d75; font-family: Verdana; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Top Rated Goalkeepers</span></span></a></span><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 8pt;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> | </span><a href="http://fancorner.womensprosoccer.com/forum/topics/who-are-the-top-5-goalkeeper"><span style="color: #3e1d75; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Forum</span></span></a><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 8pt;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">The WPS was not the only one commissioning these lists. Here are a few more thoughts on the </span><a href="http://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/?id=3945680"><span style="color: #3e1d75; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Top Midfielders</span></span></a><span style="font-weight: normal;">, </span><a href="http://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/?id=3943903"><span style="color: #3e1d75; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Top Defenders</span></span></a><span style="font-weight: normal;"> and </span><a href="http://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/?id=3948116"><span style="color: #3e1d75; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Top Forwards</span></span></a><span style="font-weight: normal;">.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: center; text-autospace: none;"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: center; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 8pt;"><b><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Draft Predictions: the Experts and the Fans Weigh In</span></b></span><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 8pt;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 8pt;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Now that you know some of the top names, let’s see how the experts and the fans predict they will fit into the draft picks.</span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Times-Roman; font-size: 8pt;"><a href="http://www.womensprosoccer.com/news/press_releases/100112-wps-draft-predictions"><span style="color: #3e1d75; font-family: Verdana; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">WPS Expert Prediction</span></span></a></span><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 8pt;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> of the First Round 11 Picks</span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Times-Roman; font-size: 8pt;"><a href="http://fancorner.womensprosoccer.com/forum/topics/top-5-prospects-for-the-2010"><span style="color: #3e1d75; font-family: Verdana; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Fan Corner Discussion</span></span></a></span><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 8pt;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> on the Top 5 Picks</span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Times-Roman; font-size: 8pt;"><a href="http://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showthread.php?t=1195343"><span style="color: #3e1d75; font-family: Verdana; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Big Soccer Prediction</span></span></a></span><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 8pt;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> Thread on the Draft</span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Times-Roman; font-size: 8pt;"><a href="http://bleacherreport.com/articles/323346-jr-salazar-simulates-the-2010-wps-draft"><span style="color: #3e1d75; font-family: Verdana; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Bleacher Report Prediction</span></span></a></span><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 8pt;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"> by JR Salazar</span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 8pt;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">If you want to engage in some great discussions regarding the WPS then jump onto Big Soccer and start going through their threads. If you're a die-hard fan, jump between the WPS Fan Corner and the Big Soccer threads to see how the thoughts differ (or don't). </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><br />
</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-align: center; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 8pt;"><b><span style="text-decoration: underline;">The Bleacher Report</span></b></span><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 8pt;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 8pt;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">T</span><span style="font-weight: normal;">he Bleacher Report has been a great record of solid WPS coverage with beat writers assigned to every franchise, usually 2-3 writers deep. The draft is no exception and will be </span><a href="http://bleacherreport.com/articles/326011-2010-wps-draft-to-be-covered-by-three-bleacher-report-writers"><span style="color: #3e1d75; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">covered by 3 B/r writers</span></span></a><span style="font-weight: normal;">. They will be providing some coverage (and an eventual video diary) of the WPS draft. Check my next post (I will link it when it's up) for links to some twitter accounts you can follow to keep up-to-date via these beat writers.</span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 8pt;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Not content with just covering the event, B/r actually held a mock draft on Twitter a week or so back with some staff standing in as </span><a href="http://www.womensprosoccer.com/news/spotlight/100109-wps-mock-draft"><span style="color: #3e1d75; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">GM’s for a day</span></span></a><span style="font-weight: normal;">. Very well run by someone on the B/r staff, I stuck on my TweetDeck for a while to keep on top of their 3 round go at the draft. </span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 8pt;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Here is Kat Galsim’s </span><a href="http://womenssoccer.wordpress.com/2010/01/11/its-draft-time/"><span style="color: #3e1d75; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">play-by-play</span></span></a><span style="font-weight: normal;"> of her experience as the Washington Freedom and Philly Independence Mock-GM. It’s found on her blog, </span><a href="http://womenssoccer.wordpress.com/"><span style="color: #3e1d75; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Team on 3</span></span></a><span style="font-weight: normal;">. Shortly after posting that she wrote a </span><a href="http://bleacherreport.com/articles/325350-washington-freedoms-jim-gabarra-all-set-for-the-draft"><span style="color: #3e1d75; text-decoration: none;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">B/r article about the real Freedom GM, Jim Gabarra</span></span></a><span style="font-weight: normal;">. A nice double read if you are a Freedom fan.</span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 8pt;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">The B/r draft was a bit predictable, but I expected that. It's hard to break out of the norm when only privy to the tip of the iceberg. The surprises I'm hoping for are probably going to come after each other, snowballing down the hill, after one brave GM breaks the norm.</span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 8pt;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">For example, if Tobin Heath is not the first pick (which she 90% is, but I refuse to committing my last 10% to the Beat's set in stone secret decision...I'm hoping for an upset), then the rest of the field will get knocked around as teams scramble to adjust their lists accordingly. Oh to be in the room or a part of those discussions. </span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-weight: normal;"><br />
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</b></span>On the Ballhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16643463912133593840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1689536025296527543.post-1656325393600043432010-01-09T13:26:00.000-08:002010-01-30T21:38:19.873-08:00The Fan Experience<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">I’m not a short post person. I start with one idea and write my way to 3 others. It’s easy to split them (see my last two posts) but I don’t like the fractured idea concept…I’d rather put it all out in one massive post and let you read or not read it all as you will. </span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">I’ll work on focusing my posts, but for now here are some of my musings on the Fan experience.</span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
<a name='more'></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Weak Fan Experience</span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></u></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">A weak fan experience could mean a lot of things, tying into the performance of the team and the outcome of the game, but here I refer to everything that happens at a game that’s off the field. From the minute a fan arrives at the stadium: the parking, buying a ticket, entering the stadium, their first sight of the field. There’s a great quote that I once read, and yet cannot seem to find now, that I remember as being attributed to Michael Jordan. His legendary commitment to every game came, in part, from an awareness that every single game he played was somebody’s first time seeing him play. And he played knowing he had to make it special for that one person.</span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Every game is somebody’s first game, somebody’s first experience, with a team. And that is going to make or break a relationship between this spectator, this potential fan, and the team they are watching. So every game needs to be taken as seriously as that. Every game should be a special event for someone who attends it. </span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">(This is definitely not to say that the topic is not taken seriously in women’s soccer, this is merely my musings on the subject).</span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Another great Michael Jordan quote is, “</span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">I never looked at the consequences of missing a big shot... when you think about the consequences you always think of a negative result.”</span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">When shaping the game experience, the WPS shouldn’t be afraid of scaring off kids if they cater too much towards adults or visa versa. They should instead look at it from the kids perspective AND the adult perspective. The biggest mistake a WPS team could make is to create a game-experience that is mutually exclusive, only for a family or only for childless adults. </span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Club Traditions</span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></u></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Traditions usually start with friends and stupidity, shared things to do created from a passion to connect, to boast and celebrate fandom. Or a persuasive and imaginative liar, and I say liar in the utmost positive manner, decides to mix things up. Another great Michael Jordan story found while looking for that elusive quote I mention above, is affectionately called the </span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/sports/nba/longterm/jordan/articles/wilbon14.htm"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;">LaBradford Smith saga.</span></a></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Jordan created a gauntlet, a challenge made by Smith after a Bulls v. Bullets game, to spur himself (and his teammates, and the press, etc.) to achieve more in the subsequent matchups. The story goes that Smith scored 37 points against Jordan one game and mockingly said post-game to the basketball giant, “Nice game, Mike.” Mike spread the story and challenged Smith in the press, saying he would get 37 points before the half in the next Bulls v. Bullet game. </span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">And he did. </span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Though not a tradition, this story illustrates my point that as long as there is passion and conviction, truth (and age) don’t matter. An act becomes tradition the moment an individual or a group of people commit to it. It doesn’t need to have been done for years, thought it hopefully will continue for years to come. Athletes do this all the time with their pre-game traditions and superstitious ticks. </span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Being a fan is much like being an athlete, so why not give the fan experience just as many “superstitious ticks” as the athletes?</span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">I know many clubs are developing traditions and the fans are as well, but I firmly believe that the fans want more. They want more. Show them the way and even if they don’t pick up this tradition or that one, they might fall in love with the third idea or the fourth idea or the tenth idea. And when that one tradition finally sticks, the failures before it won’t matter.</span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Having trouble coming up with ideas? Sit in a room with fans and ask them what they want. Then sit in the room with smart people at the club, doesn’t matter how high or low they are on the chain-o-command, and ask them what they want. Talk to anyone from outside the US. Or shoot me an email and I’ll chat it out with you. The point is: talk it out and ideas will come. That’s my rule of thumb.</span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The Root of the Problem</span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></u></b></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">One of the biggest problems with soccer in the US is that they need the crowd to help create that unforgettable experience and yet American crowds will not turn out for just the sport of soccer. Not consistently, at least. Football, Basketball, Baseball and Hockey all have commanding crowds that guarantee (depending on the team) a great experience even if the team does poorly. That guarantee is part of what a spectator buys when they purchase a ticket. </span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">The <a href="http://www.bluessoccerclub.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;">Pali Blues W-League team</span></a> has a fan group called the Tony Danza Army. These guys come to the games and whole-heartedly cheer the players on when they do well or call them out when they screw up. They heckle the ref (a bit) and mock the opposing team (with good cheer). They throw some adrenaline in the seats; carry chants with just their own voices if the crowd doesn’t join in, come dressed the part, etc., and help make the spectator experience a contributory experience. </span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">The game is not just won for the players and the staff on the field it’s won for the fans. I have never come home from a Trojan defeat and not felt the sting of it, any spectator that chooses a side stings when their team loses. But when the Trojans win…the entire stadium is electric. The entire campus and the 2-mile DPS safety bubble are alight with Cardinal and Gold. </span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Another great thing the <a href="http://www.bluessoccerclub.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;">Pali Blues</span></a> seem to embody is the idea that it’s OK to be competitive. There is etiquette to athletic competitiveness, of course, but the worst thing anyone can do to a female athlete is making her feel bad for wanting to win. I always hear talk about how feminine a female athlete appears, how intelligent, how nice…the first attribute I care about, regardless of gender, is the athlete’s undefeatable competitive spirit. You can never defeat a truly competitive person because there is always another game. </span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">You may have won this battle, but one battle is not the war. Michael Jordan conceded he lost 27 points to LaBradford Smith and used that to motivate an extraordinary performance in a later game. The loss may have been fictitious, but the reasons behind Jordan’s decision to create that story and use it as motivation exemplify the “one battle is not the war” mentality. So many of his quotes spoke of failure and how he succeeds because he allows himself to fail. </span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">She may not be the most feminine, she may not be the most polite, but damn if she can’t play the game. Start with the core and build off of that, but there has to be that core and the WPS league should embrace and support that competitiveness even if it sometimes diminishes other “more favorable” qualities.</span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Every game is a new chance to excel, every time you lose provides more motivation to win next time you face the same opponent. </span></span><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">That</span></span></i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"> spirit, </span></span><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">that</span></span></i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"> passion, should be celebrated before a female athlete’s femininity, before their intelligence or demeanor. Not to diminish the other attributes, but stars are made on the field with their wins and how they handle losses. </span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Look at Hope Solo (saw this coming, didn’t ya?), she is celebrated for her desire to win above everything else. She was not nice, she was not polite, she was not the “I’ll have two fillings…” image of a woman soccer player—and she is one of the most well known female soccer players in the world because of it. </span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">And going back to the crowd, that passion and spirit also needs to be instilled in the fans because the fans can also fail. And the club should have a standard that fans must live up to; this is a large part of the purpose of traditions. </span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><u><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">A True Fan</span></span></u></b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Have you ever heard the phrase “a </span></span><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">true</span></span></i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"> fan…?” A </span></span><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">true</span></span></i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"> fan knows to do this and not that, a </span></span><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">true</span></span></i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"> Trojan knows to add “UCLA sucks” at the end of </span></span><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Tusk</span></span></i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"> no matter what team the team is actually playing, to sing the </span></span><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">SoCal Spell-Out</span></span></i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"> after every touchdown and, my favorite, at a key moment in the game (such as a fourth down, punt or go for it?) to chant “Big Balls Pete” with an accompanying gesture. That’s such a student tradition and it will always make me smile while fondly remember my four years of Trojan football. </span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">And that’s the key. The traditions, the off-the-field experiences, make the game better. They elevate the memory of it. They make it more than just a soccer game—they make it a Sol game, a Red Stars, an Athletica, a Breakers, or Freedom game. It’s not just the team on the field and their colors that make it their game; it’s what they do to make their stadium and their game experience differ from everyone else’s.</span></span></div>On the Ballhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16643463912133593840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1689536025296527543.post-39542064288949233012010-01-07T09:02:00.000-08:002010-01-30T21:38:50.866-08:00The Egg before the Chicken: Crowds and US Soccer<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">So what is it about soccer that attracts the largest and most passionate crowds across the world and yet only has this slowly growing “handful” in the U.S.? And I know this is a bit misleading as the sport is one of the most played in the US showing it as a quite popular sport to play, but playing is a far cry from following. </span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a name='more'></a></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Unfortunately, the U.S. is stuck in a bit of the egg before the chicken syndrome: generally speaking, the crowds grew as the sport grew around the world so fans in those countries today go to games not just for the sport but also for the experience that has grown out of generations of fans and their traditions. The U.S. is a bit behind the times with soccer as a professional sport and most Americans dedicate their fandome at an early age to one of the American sports Trifecta (Baseball, Basketball and Football). Breaking a Trifecta-Fan from that connection won’t be easy and definitely not with barren stands and quiet games.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Thankfully the sport hasn’t been that bad in a long time, but it’s not an unfair comparison to say that, in regards to the WPS league, the stands are rather barren compared to the top draws in the MLS or the bottom draws in the EPL. </span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">For those of you wondering, that would be </span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">61,572</span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"> in a </span></span><a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_1262824295252"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Columbus Crew</span></span></span></a><a href="http://www.blogger.com/goog_1262824295252"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"> v. </span></span></span></a><b><a href="http://web.mlsnet.com/news/mls_news.jsp?ymd=20090808&content_id=6324760&vkey=news_mls&fext=.jsp"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">San Jose Earthquakes</span></span></span></span></a><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"> </span></span><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"> game and </span></span></span></b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">16,172 in a </span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://soccernet.espn.go.com/stats/division?league=eng.1&cc=5901"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Wigan Athletic v. Fulham game</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">. The Women's Professional Soccer average was </span><a href="http://pitchinvasion.net/blog/2009/09/02/grading-wps-in-year-one/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">4,000-6,000 with an occasional peak near 15,000</span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"> for inaugural matches. (Look at that last link for an interesting grading of the league's inaugural season from </span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Pitch Invasion</span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">)</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Being a Trojan I know very well that the pre-game, the crowd noise, the general frivolity and the seriousness with which fans take their fandom are huge factors in a game experience. I remember my freshman year when tailgaters were on campus before the sun came up even though the game didn’t start until early afternoon. And I remember it well because they started blasting the </span></span><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Fight Song</span></span></i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"> right after they set up their cardinal tent. </span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span> </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAOirfxJKSne53MvdGz0IsJHjO3LZDW0TXqnKv0TcFJD0zG2GBZnyKpk2uGquyK6Dn-zBba3LI4LLGORKxDLyeU9a3YSfa81KJDjSzXbK7aKHS5Q8D8DSmcKKy20ctDoPGKoZFcX-yKss/s1600-h/IMG_5086.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><img border="0" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAOirfxJKSne53MvdGz0IsJHjO3LZDW0TXqnKv0TcFJD0zG2GBZnyKpk2uGquyK6Dn-zBba3LI4LLGORKxDLyeU9a3YSfa81KJDjSzXbK7aKHS5Q8D8DSmcKKy20ctDoPGKoZFcX-yKss/s320/IMG_5086.jpg" width="320" /></span></span></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">(copyright 2009 by Julie Logan)</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">In my book, the weak fan experience at a game/event is the root of the problem with soccer as a follow-able sport in the US. Many smart teams have recognized this and work hard to develop traditions and no matter a clubs youth, it should have traditions. They are the heart of the fan-club relationship, which is the heart of a great crowd.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: ArialMT;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"> </span></span></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: ArialMT;"></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #413c3c; font-family: ArialMT;"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 16.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Until next time,</span></span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Are You On the Ball?</span></span></span></b><span style="color: #413c3c; font-family: ArialMT; font-size: 14pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div></span>On the Ballhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16643463912133593840noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1689536025296527543.post-85493502095807859232010-01-06T16:14:00.000-08:002010-01-30T21:39:19.164-08:00UCLA v. Virginia and Great Soccer Culture<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Looking at the UCLA v. Virginia game from a few weeks (ok, months) ago, two words sufficiently sum up the game: UCLA dominated. Even when Virginia had the ball, UCLA was only a touch or two away from reclaiming it. More importantly, the Bruin women stepped onto their field knowing they owned that ball. Though this is not Football (you will never get me to talk like this about Bruins and the pigskin), even admitting the obvious talent of last years Bruin women’s soccer squad hurts my Trojan sensibilities. So when I say they were </span></span><i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">good</span></span></i><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"> you know that it is overcoming a lot of collegiate prejudice to get there. The 3-0 score—one goal by Dea Cook to start the whole game off in the 3’ minute and two more by Sydney Leroux in the 41’ and 88’ minutes—reinforces their authority on that field.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"></span><br />
<a name='more'></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">I wish I could remember more about the play in the game or that I could decipher the incomprehensible scribbles in my notebook; sadly neither my memory nor my handwriting is working in my favor at the moment. Moving past the game itself, I want to focus more on the crowd and atmosphere in UCLA’s Drake Stadium.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9CpJluNGr1aAuYVrCjdJ5BaSyj5gsHTXyDphlhR1eeJS3iOtGiB0hae5so0M3yuvgax9py_-pMJ4dOdf4b2zDHgDPmh4DZxgp9m3s_3luGfcPM8ttEp-dWdU2hn7mA26IqReIB7YaN38/s1600/track-drake4-lg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9CpJluNGr1aAuYVrCjdJ5BaSyj5gsHTXyDphlhR1eeJS3iOtGiB0hae5so0M3yuvgax9py_-pMJ4dOdf4b2zDHgDPmh4DZxgp9m3s_3luGfcPM8ttEp-dWdU2hn7mA26IqReIB7YaN38/s320/track-drake4-lg.jpg" width="320" /></span></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.uclabruins.com/genrel/062200aae.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;">(via the Bruin Athletics Site)</span></span></a></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span> </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><a href="http://www.uclabruins.com/genrel/062200aae.html"></a></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">For those who do not know, UCLA has a big section of seats going up the hill that (sadly) are too big to be filled by women’s soccer fans (at least in any of the games I have gone to). As far as I can tell, the UCLA fans seem to leave that desolate space to the away team and the away team rarely brings that many fans. Not even the cross-town USC v. UCLA match-up had more than a handful of Trojans—the loudest of which, I assure you, were me and my friends—so why not regulate them to a desolate space that rarely produces more noise beyond a dull gust of wind.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
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</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC9WCETrSG4BopheywktdYweVJznkE-5NMxWwfdi0MVMq386xogCZp4ukLxlK7mx3G_u_JoSOgBuM5fuDDPoHsIG33-gfsOlIsP3AI-i2FHUskwPy5M3A4X-kF9atYK7pJPxoSFrc1Kyg/s1600-h/track-drake1-lg.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC9WCETrSG4BopheywktdYweVJznkE-5NMxWwfdi0MVMq386xogCZp4ukLxlK7mx3G_u_JoSOgBuM5fuDDPoHsIG33-gfsOlIsP3AI-i2FHUskwPy5M3A4X-kF9atYK7pJPxoSFrc1Kyg/s320/track-drake1-lg.jpg" width="320" /></span></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.uclabruins.com/genrel/062200aae.html"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: black;">(via the Bruin Athletics Site)</span></span></a></span></div><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Across from this sparsely populated hill of seats are a few full stands bursting with Bruin blue and blue. If you ignore the college students playing soccer or Ultimate Frisbee on the fields behind the stands and focus on the game be forewarned that you might get involved in the game. You might start cheering with the crowd around you, passionately calling the players by name and number, cheering them on and harassing them when they make a mistake.</span></span><br />
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</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">The crowds I have seen at UCLA’s Drake Stadium and USC’s McAlister Field got involved in the games. Almost as much as the players on the benches across the field. They may have been small when compared to the crowds either school’s football team could call upon, but they were passionate and loud. The good was cheered on, the bad were cheered at and the fans were as integral to the game experience as the players themselves. That’s great soccer culture.</span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 16.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Until next time,</span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">Are You On the Ball?</span></span></b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
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</div>On the Ballhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16643463912133593840noreply@blogger.com0