Who We're Buying a Beer For...

"Soccer journalism" is a weird phrase it's like "jumbo shrimp" or "must stay at least 500 yards from schools and playgrounds". You see it and question what it is all about. In the U.S. soccer journalism is in its infancy. We have a couple of columnists that crank out regular writings on the subject and have made huge in roads into the old school sports media that just loves to hate the emerging American game. Obviously the big news was when Grant Wahl got promoted to full-time soccer beat write for Sports Illustrated (we bought him a beer then) and Steve Goff and others have been doing the same in their little local fiefdoms that have grown more national as people crave established soccer writers.

But when it comes to serious and in-depth soccer journalism that's something that we haven't quite evolved to yet. As newsrooms die across the country the last thing that editors are investing in is long-form sports writing, and definitely not for soccer. Just as bloggers and free-lance writers in other news areas of interest pick up the slack the same is for soccer journalism. We have great writers like Jason Davis (who we've bought a beer for) and Matthew at The Shin Guardian and many others that put in the tireless and often thankless hours of work for no pay that few others do and do well.

This is all a long, round-a-bout way to getting to the contributions that Adam Spangler of This Is American Soccer has made the the field of soccer journalism. In the past Spangler has produced great human interest pieces on Clint Dempsey, Martin Luther King Jr. High School in NYC, and the Curious Case of Devann Yeo that have set the standard for not only soccer journalism, but sports journalism.

Last week, Spangler posted another, true-to-form, human interest piece on the outside-looking-in USMNTer Sacha Kljestan. Despite our own reservations about his contributions for the National Team and the fact that we're just fine with the fact he missed the South Africa cut (sorry Sacha) it was a great read and yet another example of the potential of great soccer journalism and the stories that are just sitting out there waiting to be written.

It's also another example of the power of great writing in growing a sport (or anything for that matter). How many random articles have people read about obscure people in obscure situations that have made them more human and more interesting than you ever though possible? That's the power of good writing and American soccer has those stories just waiting to be reported on. That's how American soccer is built... the more the public knows, the more they care. Spangler is among the few doing the heavy lifting.

Cheers.

Next up is a gentleman who is one of the "brains" behind the American Outlaws machine that is sweeping our soccer nation. For those of you who caught the "Send Off Series" for our boys in the red, white, and blue then you saw, for the first time in a long time (maybe ever), a massive pro-American soccer crowd. And no where was the presence felt more than the sections behind the goals in East Hartford and Philadelphia. That's the American Outlaws for you.

But the leaders of such a movement we're not in attendance for those games, unable to see the monster of support that they've created and led.

That's because the president Korey Donahoo was standing faithfully behind his own Joe Biden, Justin Brunken, as the VP tied the knot.

We're tearing up over here. Pull yourself together FBM! But mostly it's congrats all around for a good guy and a great leader of building American soccer support across this great nation.

If your new wife let's you have one... we'll buy you a beer.

Lastly.... a tragedy.

Two weekends ago saw the United States Men's National Team win their final game in Philadelphia before departing for South Africa and their World Cup dream. A spirited second half effort saw Team America come from behind to defeat Turkey, 2-1.

A great game to watch on TV, but even more special to catch the game in the "City of Brotherly Love". Unfortunately in one aspect the city's nickname did not live up to its billing as a friend of the Free Beer Movement was falsely accused of lighting smoke bombs before the game and forcibly removed from the stadium by security. A huge U.S. fan, Erin Dutka made the Houston to Philly trip with friends to support her boys in uniform only to miss the opportunity due to over-zealous and incredible wrong actions by the security company, APEX, working at Lincoln Financial Field.

Erin is massive fan of the U.S. National Team, a dues-paying member of the American Outlaws Supporters Group, and has an unhealthy obsession with several members of the squad, but NEVER, never would she jeopardize the opportunity to see her Nats in action. Reading her account of the incident it was crystal clear that the individual that was responsible for the smoke bombs in the supporters section was not only identified by security at first, but that Erin and her friends were only following the instructions of security personnel when they became involved with the smoke bombs. LOOK AT THE PICTURE!!! WHO HAS THE LIGHTER???? PRETTY OBVIOUS WHO'S AT FAULT HERE!!!!

Before you'd know it Erin was out on her ass to watch the US's final home match from the bar instead of the stands. A real diservice to her incredible committment to her team and real embarassment for the rent-a-cops that occupy the stands.

We guess there's a reason these assholes aren't professioanals because any quick look or fact checking would've confirmed the obvious; that Erin was innocent.

A consoling beer for Erin who we wish a safe and incident-free trip to South Africa.

P.S. We'd be remiss if we didn't acknowledge a few more poltico fat cats that FINALLY did something right. Good work DC City Council, who followed Toronto's lead and passed emergency legislation to allow the opening of bars for the early World Cup games. Guess that just shows how much soccer has grown in this country because I certainly don't remember the push for bars opening for the early Korea/Japan Cup games back in 2002. Then again 3:3oam is kinda early to start drinking. That's why we always recommend when it comes to "business" early in the morning just don't stop drinking from the night before (the exception being driving loved ones to the airport very early!).

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