The night before.

Here we sit. Getting ready for the biggest, and last game of the 2013 season. We've sat through cold, heat. humidity, rain, good games, and bad games. There have been many drinks shared, hugs, high fives, angry words, and all sorts of emotions shared. Guys, we are playing for the fucking cup. Do you realize how big this is? This isn't and overnight happening. The work of the players and the front office has been phenomenal. There have been a lot of hard decisions made to get us where we are. The players know this means nearly as much to us as it means to them. I remember the Royals winning it all in 85. I don't remember everything as I was very young, but I remember the night we won quite vividly. I want my children to have the same memories of "our" team. Yeah, it's gonna be cold as fuck all during the game. We can go in and warm up or grab a hot chocolate. The players will be out there playing in it. This should be one hell of a game. Both teams are deserving of their place in the match. It may get sloppy due to the weather or the pitch. It may get chippy, well, just because it's us and RSL. Bring everything you have, our boys will do the same. Enjoy the day. Make some memories. Win or lose, make the day count. This may not happen again for a very long time. Then again, we may get to experience this over and over again for years to come. If you can't make the game, be loud at home. Do the same as those of us lucky enough to be there in person. Make memories and act like you're there. I'm off to have a couple more beers and try to get to sleep. This season has been a treat so far. We've all got one more day to go. I will see some of you tomorrow. Come say hi and have a beer. I'm bringing everything I can muster. Together, we can get this done.

First Kick 2013

Finally, we're back into soccer season. After another off season that seemingly wouldn't end, our boys are back on the pitch. We all know the guys came into camp ready to go as shown by the club jumping straight into tactics as opposed to conditioning. With several new players joining the squad, this was probably more important than years past.

As usual, the preseason was just a small glimpse of the team. Nothing was very impressive, but nothing was very worrying either. It wasn't hard to see that everyone was working extremely hard to become an unit, and the new guys were fighting to learn PV's system.

The watch party for the season opener was outstanding. There seemed to be more people in the Boulevard Member's Club for this event than any one previous. The club looks to have learned from crowds last year. They went to the trouble to set several extra tables out to accommodate the large crowd.

The fans at the stadium and the intelligence of said fans really show that the game is catching on. The silly comments and questions about game basics are becoming less common.

Sporting came out and played a bit tight to begin the game. After giving up an early goal, and a few more minutes of strained play, everyone calmed down. When we began to get our rhythm, Zusi was able to cash in off of a rebounded shot. The second half showed us what we can expect this season. The team seemed to mesh very well and earned themselves more open looks, and two more goals. Rosell and Beiler were both able to put one home. This will hopefully be the first of many for our new DP.

It was great to be able to be at the Member's Club for this match. Many familiar faces were in the crowd, along with many, many new ones.  The game was the main focus, not just being part of the scene. Cheers came after good plays, not just the goals. There was also a lack of jeering after calls that went against us that were valid.

It's nice to see the hard work of SKC, and the Cauldron paying off. Crowds will continue to grow and learn. With the couple of calls for help that have gone out via the Cauldron, this group of people have shown a tremendous amount of heart. When Hector needed help, money to help defray medical costs came pouring on. With Montez' situation, again, money and goods came flooding in. The sense of community is something to be proud of.

To anyone that has read anything on this blog before, I need to apologize. I promised more posts, and didn't follow through. My goal for this year is to be more active. I enjoy getting these thoughts out of my head and "on paper" as it were. I will make no more promises though. As we all have to deal with real life, I will post brain dumps as I can. I am looking forward to talking with more people this year and writing about the fan experience. This is for everyone to read, but more so for me to look back at fun times, and show my children how things were "in the old days" as they mature.

April thoughts

Well here we are at the end of April, and I am finally sitting down to put more thoughts in print. I promised as the season got going I would be more active on the blog. So here I go, finally keeping my word.

The first part of this season has been great so far.  I have had a great time tailgating and going to matches. The crowd this year seems much more knowledgeable about the game. Sure, there have been quite a few folks just there for the party or just getting into the sport after last years success, but for the most part, smart fans.

I have had the fortune to bring a couple of folks to their first pro matches, and to bring folks to the Cauldron for the first time. They all have the same thing to say. "That was great!" I have to admit, I drank way too much at the home opener. It wasn't by design. I planned on partying, just not that hard. My friend Joey joined us for that game. He thought the crowd in the parking lot was outstanding. All the food, beer, and people really impressed him. This was Joey's first time at an MLS match, and obviously his first time in the Cauldron. I didn't hear anything but compliments from him about the stadium, atmosphere, and game play. I look forward to getting him to more games and hopefully buying season tickets. My little brother has also finally made an appearance at LSP with me. He went to a couple of games at CAB with me a few years ago. Needless to say, he had a blast and will be back for more. My dear friend Scott came to the LA game. Last minute tickets are great. Scott has always enjoyed the game, just not at the pro level. I coached both of his sons, and joined him at the boys high school games. Again, all good things to report. Scott had a great time before and during the game. He got into all the noise and excitement right away. I know for sure he is excited to come back.

I have to start another paragraph to tell the story of another friend.   I recently got back in touch with a friend and former teammate from high school. After graduation we went our separate ways and went where life took us. Mine took me to work, marriage, and fatherhood.  His took him to college, then work, marriage, and fatherhood. I shot him a message on facebook and asked when he would like to get together and catch a match with me. I knew he had been to LSP previously, just not to the members section. He was up for it, so off we went. Normal pregame festivities. Food, cold beer, and lots of tales of days gone by.

 Now as I said, we played together in high school. I moved out to Tonganoxie at the end of our sophomore year. I had no clue that some red-neck school would have a soccer team. Turns out they did. I showed up for practice shortly before our junior year ready to play, but not sure what I was going to face being the new kid. Nick was one of the few guys that welcomed me straight away. He ended up being captain of our team for our senior season. After coming a couple of games from winning state our junior year, he had big shoes to fill. Nick jumped right in and took off running. For those of you that know me personally, keeping me calm can at times be a chore. This was no trouble for Nick. He was always able to calm me down and voice my frustration to the appropriate person in a civil manner. I was lucky to have him as a teammate. I hope he feels the same about me.

Back to the game. Nick had a great time in the members club. Getting to see something set aside for "members" only impressed him. He thought the service and the care we get in the members club is top notch. His first match in the Cauldron was enough. The chanting, singing, and harassing the opposing team drew him right in. He picked up and started singing along straight away. Nick is now putting together a large group of his friends to join the Cauldron for the Toronto match.

I would like to thank everyone that has helped me show my friends such a wonderful time. You all make it so easy to get new people to come and enjoy their trip to our little slice of football heaven.

March 5 SKC ramblings

I  am at home with a sick little boy, so I decided I would drain some of the clutter from my brain.

Like most of us, I am looking forward to another fun season at LSP. I think the staff and players have done a tremendous amount of work in preparing for the 2012 campaign. It was great to have so many of the guys stay in KC over the winter to work out together. It seemed as nearly everyone came into camp ready to get into tactics rather than spend time getting into shape. The Arizona portion of preseason seemed much better in my opinion. What little I was able to see looked pretty good. When the team got to Florida things didn't seem to flow as well as I thought they should have. Watching the first squad play was a bit hard at times. It looked as if they hadn't played together before. Sure, there were moments when things seemed to gel, but it all fell apart as quickly as it started. The reserves and trialists looked better. They did however have much more to play for. Several of them were looking to earn a contract and a spot on the roster. With all that being said, I am not terribly concerned with the upcoming season. I think whatever was in the guys heads will be out come March 10.  While I'm not sure we will be on a tear like last season, I like our chances. We have maintained the core group of guys that made the run last year. 2011 ending like it did left a bad taste in many of the players mouths. Adding Convey was a great move in my eyes. As long as he stays happy, he will do great here. Sporting is so deep up front, we should have very little trouble scoring more this year than last. We don't have the same luxury at mid and defender. Hopefully everyone can stay healthy and out of trouble. I think SKC is poised to make another run at the top of the conference and hopefully the Cup. The technical staff showed us last year that they can correct problems when they arise and turn things around. Hopefully this season won't need such a dramatic shift. Regardless of the outcome of the year, I am most looking forward to being back at the park and having fun. Games are my escape from reality. Win or lose, I will still be there yelling and cutting loose.

I just finished up watching the film Pelada. I am glad it was recommended. Not only was it nicely done, it made me think. I haven't played organized ball since high school. Sure, I have played pickup games here and there. I have also done a bit of coaching. I have just been looking for something that gave me this same sense of belonging to the game that playing did. I think that is a big part of what I am doing here. I still have the passion and fire I did while playing as a child. I just don't move as fast or as well as I used to. I  know I am too old to go out for open tryouts. I can't keep up with kids more than 10 years younger than I. What I can do is continue to go to matches and stay involved with the game however possible. Writing this little blog helps as well. I am getting my football story out there, as well as the story of SKC from my pov, and the story of others. As previously stated, I am fortunate enough to be able to bring a few people to their first MLS matches this year. I want to get their stories out and hope it can spread the game.

It has been great this off season for me. Getting involved with the SKC chat on Tuesday nights has been a blast. Being around everyone involved with painting the banners the past few weeks was great as well. Meeting many of the others involved with the Cauldron has opened my eyes a bit. I have always been one to keep to myself and keep walls up around me. I am still that person and always will be. What I have seen is that is ok to listen to other people and accept help and advice from them. Not everyone is out to push their ideas and thoughts on me. However some are. I really don't have the time or desire to deal with many of the people I come in contact with. The beautiful thing about the Cauldron and the game is, I don't need to deal with them. I can go do what I want to do and be happy. Everyone else is entitled to do the same. If you don't like what I do or who I have around me, go away. It was made clear to me in the process of painting banners that someone thought their group was better than mine. Shocking I know. Well good for you. Go sit with your group, that is so much better than mine, and have fun. I really enjoyed the thought that I cared. What got me going is the smug attitude that came with the unsolicited comments. I didn't ask about anything. I was just spoon-fed someone else's opinion. I don't mind groups not being best friends, just don't cry when you talk trash on someone else and they don't stand for it and put you in your place.

It has been good for me to follow several blogs this fall and winter. I appreciate the variety of writers that put SKC news out. I have found myself drawn to the blogs that are written by strongly opinionated authors. I have found what had been written very ignorant or stand offish at times, but that is the wonderful thing about opinions. I get on my soap box here and shout what I want to shout. Even the things I have disagreed with have made me think, so the fundamental disagreements have been a good thing for me.

With the season finally starting, I will be more active on here. I will actually have something to talk about. I have only jumped on here when I have something to say relevant to the club and the folks around it. I look forward to meeting some of the Tuesday night chat crew and others this season. I hope that my stories and thoughts will be entertaining enough to keep people coming back to read new posts. I am hoping to expand the blog a bit so I can add photos and other things pertaining to the Militia and SKC.

First of 2012. Finally!

The joys of a laptop and a wi-fi connection. I can sit on the sofa and type up a blog. Surely a wonderful thing.

So far this has been a monthly deal for me. There hasn't been much going on,  so there isn't a whole lot for me to comment on. I assure everyone once the preseason and season get going, I will have plenty to say. Perhaps more than most care to hear.

I was able to be home and watch most of the Superdraft. I was overjoyed to hear my fellow fans and Cauldronites so loud and proud on ESPN. Good show for KC to a national audience. The videos I was able to find of both of our draft pick were quite good. Both young men look like they should fit in well and gain a wealth of knowledge from PV and the rest of the club. Dom should be able to step in and get some quality minutes in training as everyone tries to figure out their  roles and places in this years front line.

Hedrick's highlight video made me think he could give the defense another enforcer.  What I saw was a defender not afraid to get in the mix and move forward. Decent headers, decent touches and passes, and plenty of physical play. If I am right and that is how he plays out, look out MLS. SKC will have a brute squad on the back line to protect Jimmy. Perhaps I am doing a bit of wishful thinking, but oh well. That is how I played the game. I just think you gotta let the other team know nothing is going to come easy, and you are going to be in their face the whole way.

I was a bit put off with CJ and his comments a while back when talking of perhaps playing in Europe. I fully understand this is his job and he will need to secure his future as football won't last forever. I just don't like seeing people cut their teeth in MLS and running to Europe. If this league is going to continue to get better, we have to find a way to keep talent here. Donovan went to Germany and couldn't cut it, for whatever reason. He came back to MLS, got some good money and is thriving. His loan spells in England are a great thing. He is bringing eyes and respect to the league from across the world. Although I am NOT a fan of his, I hope he stays home to finish his career. As far as foreign stars coming over to play near the end of the time, it brings fans in just for the star value, but it would be better if we could find a way to bring these guys over in their prime. I know our league is still young and working  on fitting into the mix on the global market. The MLS needs to make the money to get and keep big name players in the US. New York and LA are not the only teams that matter. The Cosmos stacked their lineup all those years ago and we all know how that experiment worked out. There has got to be equal chance to draw these people in league wide. The more teams that can grab or better yet, grow big talent, the better. The casual fan is going to be more likely to come to games and turn into a true fan if someone they have seen on ESPN or FOX plays in their city on a regular basis. I hope that what I want happens. CJ is a joy to watch. I don't doubt his loyalty to SKC. I would love to see him succeed both here and with the national team. I only want our players to build a strong squad here and stay. Maybe I am just a bit old school in thinking the name on the front of the jersey is more important than the name on the back.

I was fortunate enough to join some of the Cauldron folks at the recent Comets game. It was the first time seeing the Comets since I was a boy. My kids were kind enough to go with me. A big thanks to all that helped put that together. The highlight of the night for me was the retro game at halftime. It was a real treat to see Gino Schiraldi and Tatu out on the floor again. Hopefully I can get out to the IEC and catch another game before season's end.

Isaac, author of Footy Chronicles, brought up some good points with his recent tweets and blog. Check out his blog if you haven't seen it. He brought up the current number of blogs and what is being put out there to read. What is it that the bloggers are bringing to the table? What makes yours different from the rest? Well Isaac, I submit this to you. Mine is opinion. As stated in the description of this blog, this isn't a place for breaking news. There are plenty of fine bloggers out there taking care of that. I am here to give my thoughts on goings on. I also just want to share my soccer story. I get a kick out of telling people about what I experience throughout the season. I am however going to be stealing and idea from Isaac. He is going to interview folks that write blogs, run supporters groups, and have twitter accounts dedicated to SKC. I am going to try to get new people to come join us for matches, and tell their stories. What I put in this blog comes from my heart. I am going to have these people give me their thoughts from their hearts. If they have a good time, I will insist they let us all know why. If they think the whole experience was a waste of time, same think. I want to share why they think so. Again, it is all just to tell a story and let us know as fans what we can do to better a visit to Livestrong Sporting Park.

I look forward to the preseason getting underway so I have more to talk about. I really do want to put more out there for your consumption. This season is going to be great. I finally feel I have found my spot with everyone in our little world. I have people that follow me on twitter and find what I have to say entertaining enough to keep following me. I hope my blog continues to grow and gets new folks stopping by to read it. I owe a huge thanks to those that have spread the word about my blog and twitter. A huge thanks to AdAstraSKC for adding this to the list of SKC blogs. Again, I put this out to share what is in my head with the SKC world. If you read this and disagree with me, so be it. I am usually up for a good debate. If you read this and think it is all rubbish, don't read it. I am not in this to deal with people being pricks. If you really have nothing better to do than put people down that are putting something original and sincere out there, get a life. Preferably far away from mine.

We are just 2 short months away from getting the 2012 season underway. The buzz building around this year is getting louder by the day. I would love to see a gathering of bloggers before a game for some good food and good banter. I would get a big kick out of the SKCchat people getting together before a match. We have had a good time during the offseason "getting together" on tuesday nights to chat about what is going on. Faces to go with names would be cool.

Thanks for taking the time to read this. I will do a better job of keeping up and saying more. It's all just finding a balance and making sure I take time to do this.

december 12 dribble

I sit here to spread some more dribble on the internets listening to my footy tunes playlist on the ipod and thinking of the past couple of weeks. I haven’t had a chance to sit down and write much as the end of this year is coming at me like an angry Spartan. Here comes what has been bouncing around my bean.

Davy’s going away party at Johnny’s at P&L was a big success. Many big thanks to Jeff and Sean from the Cauldron for putting that on. It was a real treat to see the crowd that showed up to send Davy off, and to be able to speak to him as much as I did. Davy was very sincere and didn’t shy away from any questions asked of him that evening. He is going to Montreal without any bad feelings. Davy said he would have loved to spend the rest of his career in KC. He is looking to get 4 more years if his legs will hold up. The prospects of playing time here vs there were part of the decision. Davy still feels he can contribute on the pitch, and he will get more opportunity to play in Montreal.

For me this was a very special occasion. As previously stated, I am huge fan of Davy’s. This was my chance to say thank you and good bye to a player that has been KC soccer for quite some time. He took time to talk to anyone that wanted to say hi. He signed the autographs and took the pictures smiling the whole time. When he took the mic to speak to all of us, you could hear in his voice that it was all coming from the heart. Davy truly enjoyed his tenure here and all the support he got over the years. He did remind all of us that he still hasn’t scored a goal at LSP. I think he is entitled to 1. So long as we still win the match. He told Jimmy that KC can tie one game against Montreal, but he will make sure they win the other matches against us. I had to make sure he knew that when we play them I was going to hate him for 90 minutes. Once the match is over, everything goes back to normal. Davy laughed and said he understood. That night cemented his legacy in this city even more in my book.

This was also my first chance to chat with the White Puma. Jimmy is also a class act. He did all the pics and chatting and autographs with a smile as well. He took the time to thank everyone for their support  as well. He is the first keeper since Meola I have been excited to tend the net in KC. I look forward to the next few years watching him.

The news of the day. Omar is gone. Is anyone really surprised? Is it going to be a big deal? I am not really shocked by the move. He was upset with his lack of field time in the playoffs. I believe his frustration was there because he is an intense competitor. He came out and proved that he still has what it takes. The Mexican league is now better having him back. Omar leaving doesn’t leave a bad taste in my mouth. It was cool to see him play in KC. I think he will be happier with Cruz Azul. He will be back home and making better money.(most likely) He is going back home to play with and for the people that have been there his whole career. There shouldn’t be a hole in his position on the field. The players we have up front will be just fine without him. With the addition of a natural lefty in Convey, I feel confident that our front line will be just as strong, if not better in 2012. Of course that is if everyone can stay healthy and happy with their roles.

That being said, I think this will give Teal and CJ a chance at more quality minutes. Neither seemed to miss much last season. They just won’t have to compete with a player that has such a big field presence with Omar gone. I couldn’t help but compare Teal with Josh Wolff this season. Some good and some bad. I don’t feel that Wolff ever quite lived up to expectations while playing here. He had his shining moments sure, but overall, not what he should have or could have been. Teal seemed very frustrated at times and it affected his play. He did a good job of overcoming whatever had him down. I just hope as he matures that he is able to keep a more steady pace in his play. I did like the passion I saw from him. I feel he is a special player that could do tremendous things in the league. I hope he is able to do those things in the very near future and all of them in KC blue.

In my first blog, I did mention my friend Luis. He has several ideas of his own, and quite a lot to say at times. With our work and family schedules, it is sometimes difficult to keep up with the twitter account and this blog. I will be sharing the twitter and the blog with him. This way our thoughts and reactions will hopefully be out for your digestion a bit quicker. He has more chances to check twitter and other online news regarding our beloved club than I do. I would also like everyone that reads the blog and our updates to get more than just my thoughts, or what someone else thinks coming from me secondhand. We will sign our posts so everyone knows who they came from. It will stay just the two of us for the time being. We do of course welcome any comments or questions.

First Go 'Round

Here we go. This is my first and only blog. It isn't meant to be professional or a source of breaking news. I have been following the club for quite some time now. My first match was way back in 2000. Needless to say I have seen the ups and downs of the past decade, and changes for the good and bad.
I will probably ramble quite a bit as i don't necessarily organize my thoughts before I start typing. It should be a fun ride though.
Let's start with some background about me. I have been involved with the game since I began playing at 4 years old. It is something that always has been, and always will be a big part of my life. As i said, my first Wizards match was way back in 2000. I began attending as often as possible a few years later. I made that long drive to Arrowhead more than I could afford to. The Zard Card program was my salvation. As life moved on and marriage and kids required more attention, my attendance began to slip. I still watched on tv when possible and went when I could. A few years ago, I began a new job and found a new crew of friends that loved the beautiful game as much as i did. Shockingly, they were Mexicans. I had finally found people with the same level of sickness I have. The seed was planted once again. Last year, a friend gave me the shocking news that her husband had cancer. In a one day visit to them, I finally met her husband Chris. Turns out he had as much passion as I did. The texts and ribbing began. The seed sprouted.
I was not happy a few years back when OnGoal bought my team and changed everything. I couldn't afford to go to as many games. I really didn't like the idea of playing at CAB. I attended a couple of games that i was given free tickets to. Of course the Cauldron was still the shining star is always has been. Other than that, I was terribly unimpressed. Nearly everyone I knew had left the team. The building of the new stadium helped. I was glad to see that soccer in KC was going to have a home. Enter Andy Edwards. I worked with Andy and got to know him and what he was doing with and for the club. I saw the new name and logo the same day he found out. Didn't like it. He convinced me to wait things out and to keep my faith. (What little I had left.) then we finally got the date for the home opener. I knew I would attend more games as they are closer to my home, but I figured on a few. Then one day, one of my fantastic Mexican friends said he was getting season tix and told me how much they would cost. Mrs. Militia said go for it with a smile on her face. She had seen the excitement for the club and game come back to me. With all the talk with my friends and watching the stadium go from a grass lot to the best stadium in MLS, I was sucked into the hype.
I didn't know what to expect driving into Lot F for the first time. The stadium was grand. The tour we took when we picked up the season tix showed me that. I just wondered if I would see any faces from the old days. They were, and still are, few and far between. I did learn however that all the efforts of the ownership group, and the die hard fans had paid off. The lot was full of younger people just as passionate as ever. Needless to say, I was happy.
I have managed to get some people to games that hadn't been to many before. I got them to sit with the Cauldron and experience why I love going to matches. Sadly, Chris lost his battle with cancer. His wife moved back to Kansas. She attended a handful of games this year. Chris planted the footy seed with her during the last World Cup. After her first game at LSP, she was hooked. Mrs. Militia is not a big fan of the game. However, she loves the stadium and atmoshphere in the Member's Stand.
I am lucky to be surrounded by people that love this as much as I do, and understand what it means. The folks i attend with are truely special people. I wanted to give them something back. Enter the Militia.
I am a huge fan of the supporters in other countries. The pride and passion is unmatched in popular American sports. I felt the need to have something to call my own that I could share with the crew I party and watch games with. I am loud, foul mouthed, and obnoxious. They have no issue with that. They ask if I am ok if they think I am not being those things. We decided we needed our own supporters group. We will fight tooth and nail to help our boys win. We will handle our business inside and outside the stadium. LSP is our home and will be protected. Opposing teams will learn to fear LSP and the Member's Stand. We will gladly do our part to assure that.
This blog is my little way to give back to anyone interested. This will be written from our point of  view. It will be biased. It will be emotional. This will be our outlet to get our thoughts and feeling out, and have a dialogue with whomever wants to have one with us. I would like to see our little group grow and branch out much like the Cauldron boys have done. I am not trying to compete with them, or take over anything they do or are involved in. I would just like to build on what we all already have as my schedule allows.
In closing, I have several people to thank.
 Luis and Carlos, thanks. In the two of you I found something that is hard to find. You put up with my sense of humor and passion without batting an eye. You guys keep me in check when I need it, and use me as a barrier between our fans and the Chivas fans.
Charles. All those games years ago were more fun than we should have been allowed to have. Although you have moved on in your life and aren't around much, I still hold your friendship dear. Next season we will get you to more than one game.
Chris. Unfortunately you aren't around to enjoy this with me. That is my loss, not yours. You helped me get back into this silly game. I will ALWAYS be there to help your wife and son. I will take them to as many games as possible. I can't thank you enough for the short time we were able to be footy friends.
Andy Edwards. (@AndyEdSKC) Thank you for telling me I was and idiot and to have some faith.
I was being a stubborn old fan and fighting change every step. You were right. This season was a fun ride. I had a great time. Thank you for helping to give me this part of my life back.
Mrs. Militia. My wife, my love, my life. You didn't quite know what you were getting into all those years ago. What a ride we have been through. Both in life and with football. Thank you for the season tix. That was something I never thought I would get. Then you let me renew for next season. I don't know if you are crazy or just like me being gone. :)  Next year won't be so hectic. We won't have a 2.5 month home stand. Thank you for my wonderful children. Thank you for letting me implant the footy sickness in them. Thank you for all you patience. I know I have beat SKC into your head.