The one thing we love more than drinking beer and watching some soccer is being able to share said beer with people. We do it all the time and so do the fine men and women that subscribe to the of the Free Beer Movement Philosophy. We share our beer with our friends, family, and co-workers who desperately need some education on the soccer front to understand the passion that drives our connection to the sport of soccer.
Some people already get it and they're working day in and day out to improve the atmosphere in the U.S. for soccer. Those people or groups deserve some recognition and we only know one way to say thanks.
A beer on us.
Each week we serve up a healthy dose of brewskies for the individuals and organizations that are building a foundation for soccer in America. Hey... kinda like us at the FBM!
Yeah... most of this is literary flourish, but if we were to ever run into one of our honorees, we'd be obligated to let them know that their next drink is on the Free Beer Movement. And we'd hope, dear readers, if you ever ran into one of the ladies or gentlemen you'd let 'em know the FBM owes them a beer (or better yet pick up a drink for them and send us a picture and the tab!)
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By Ryan Rosenblatt / Senior Los Angeles Correspondent
What does one do when someone buys him a beer? He buys that someone the next round, of course. What does one do when someone buys more than 40 beers for him and his closest friends? He writes about how everyone should buy that someone a beer.
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| American soccer? Check. Beer? Double check. |
On January 22, the American Outlaws gathered in Glendale, AZ
to see the United States take on Venezuela and it wasn’t for the high quality
of play or the thrill of a vital match. Both teams showed up with few
first-teamers and some players who would be best classified as fourth, fifth or
even sixth choice. The match had no real importance other than the flags each
side represented. It was not the type of match that soccer hitches itself to as
an advertisement of all that is well and good about “The Beautiful Game.”
That day was exactly what the American Outlaws hitches
itself to as an advertisement of its fanaticism, though. Without any
recognizable players or stakes and on a random January Saturday in a city
within relatively close driving distance of one major market, the American
Outlaws showed up in force.
First, the group settled in for a tailgate outside the
stadium that featured a lot of people, some people kicking a soccer ball around
and a beer or two. As time crept on and it was nearing time to enter the stadium,
the chants at the tailgate grew louder and by the time the group settled into
their spot at the stadium, their section was full and the songs were echoing in
a still-empty stadium an hour before kickoff.
Nobody in section 139 at University of Phoenix Stadium
needed an excuse to sing and chant after hours of tailgating and drinking, but
they found one. Having spotted Drew Carey standing on the field behind the goal
sporting his United States scarf, the American Outlaws started chanting for the
comedian, Price is Right host, vocal soccer fan and Seattle Sounders owner
(order of importance left at your discretion).
What began as an innocent and beer-fueled chant turned into
one of the best moments of the day and the ultimate Free Beer Movement exercise.
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| "I want to give you free beer!: (Photo Credit: Kayla Knapp) |
Carey walked over towards section 139, waving his scarf in
the air and saying something, but exactly what he was saying wasn’t quite clear
over all of the chanting. When he got to the front of the section and pulled
his hand out of his pocket, it became clear what he was doing and saying. He
was buying a beer for me. He was also buying a beer for more than 40 of my
closest friends, whether I knew their names or not. He certainly didn’t know
our names, not that it mattered. Drew Carey was buying the entire section a
beer.
Several hundred dollars later, the American Outlaws were
well lubricated, or more accurately, more lubricated than 20 minutes earlier
and it was thanks to Drew Carey.
As the match wore on and the U.S. struggled to find a goal,
but finally in extra time, Ricardo Clark (RICARDO. CLARK!) nodded home the
winner. A day that had a great start (the tailgate), now had a great end (a
win) and thanks to Drew Carey, it had a great middle too.
So next time you see Drew Carey, be it in Seattle, at a
soccer match near you or on the set of the Price is Right (you can totally
smuggle stuff in), buy the man a beer. After all, he bought dozens in support
of U.S. soccer.
Do us a favor and say thanks to Drew Carey for his support of American soccer through his Twitter account and let him know if you ever run into him you'll buy him a beer.
About Ryan
When not posting about adoracute animals posing with soccer balls, or flying about the country taking in USMNT matches, Ryan Rosenblatt deigns to cover MLS matches for SB Nation Soccer. The lollipop of Soccer, Rosenblatt's got a flavor that will appease anyone: coverage of the US national team? You got it. Stepping in to write about the Eredivisie? I bet you can't even spell the Dutch League correctly. Mocking Arsenal fans? It might not show up on the front page, but it's almost certain there's a running dialogue in this Spurs' supporter's head.
Rosey is also silly enough to be a fan of the Los Angeles Dodgers, but that shouldn't make you take his soccer writing any less seriously.
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