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.