Better Know A Supporters Group - Texian Army

We continue our comprehensive coverage of American soccer culture with our series "Better Know a Supporters Group," just like Steven Colbert's "Better Know a District" from "The Colbert Report". 

Our goal: to feature each of the MLS teams' supporters groups. We've sent e-mails to each and every SG in Major League Soccer and soon you'll be able to check all what each is all about and what awesomeness they have to contribute to our growing American soccer world.

When we devised this idea a while back it was cool to be able to see what each supporter group is about, but in light of the terrible, one-sided, anti-American, condescending profile of Philadelphia's Sons of Ben SG by the British GQ (not even going to link to it to give them the site hits) we think its all the more important to give supporters groups in Major League Soccer the proper exposure and voice they deserve.

Today we feature one of Houston Dynamo's largest supporters groups, the Texian Army.

As told to the Free Beer Movement by James Hromadka, a member of TA's Board of Directors.

The Basics


SG Name: Texian Army

MLS Club: Houston Dynamo

Stadium: Robertson Stadium (New soccer-specific stadium currently under construction. Opening date: 2012)

Year SG Founded: 2006

Section Name (if other than SG name): North End

Any other SGs apart of your section? La Bateria, El Batallon, Brickwall Firm

Location of SG in Stadium (section #, side, direction): 214

The Meaty Questions

What are the origins of your groups’ name? 

The original name of the Dynamo was going to be “Houston 1836” after the year in which Houston, Texas was founded. However, 1836 was also the year that Texas won its independence from Mexico, and a big political stink was raised by county commissioner Sylvia Garcia. Since the team was going to need political help to get a stadium, they caved on the name and changed it. The Texian Army uses the same name as the Texas revolutionary army that fought and defeated Santa Anna during Texas’ fight for freedom. Even after 1836 was no more, the group decided to keep the name.

Favorite chants/songs?

“Oh Dynamo You Are My Love” and “Forza Houston” are our two most popular songs.

Why is being in the supporters section the “best seat in the house”? 

It’s where all the action is. Elsewhere in the stadium you’re just a fan. But being in the supporters’ section you feel as though you were part of something bigger, that your cheering “wills” the team to victory. And when your team does score, the section goes nuts.

Every soccer fan should spend one game with the supporters.

Brag. What makes your SG one of the best supporters groups in MLS?

Our tifo is top notch. We have a new banner for every opponent this year that’s a cartoon making fun of the opponent. We have come up with some good banners over the years. Next year at the new stadium is going to be exciting because it will be an opportunity to come up with all new banners for the occasion.

Our group also loves to travel. Texian Army members have amazing stories from seeing the Dynamo play at Pachuca and elsewhere. The annual trek to Frisco for the FC Dallas game is always fun because it is obvious that we are not wanted there. 

Greatest game(s) in team history?

It would be easy to say the very first game or the two MLS Cup championships, but there’s nothing l enjoy more than the games against FC Dallas. The first time we played them was a barnburner win, and one of the most exciting games ever was the home leg against them in 2007. There’s a lot of bad blood between the two teams and its fans alike. We don’t like each other, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Predictions for this season? 

The Dynamo get its only road win of the season in Frisco. Brad Davis finishes the season as the assists leader. The Dynamo don’t make the playoffs.

Why Major League Soccer? Why American soccer? 

Houston is our city. MLS is our league. If you truly enjoy soccer, why wouldn’t you want to watch soccer in your city? In your country? How can you be a fan of a team from a city (or country for that matter) that you’ve never been to? Plastic Man Utd and Chelsea fans are just as bad as plastic Red Sox and Yankees fans.

For more information and/or how to join the Texian Army go to their website.

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Brews and Views Series: Why American Soccer?

We continue our new series on the Free Beer Movement. It's called "Brews and Views" and we pose a question or topic to various prominent soccer persons and, well, they give us their view on it.

We've got loads of get people that have already responded to our call for essay submissions and each week we'll feature a unique perspective on the current topic/question at hand. Kicking it off (pun intended) we're asking our respondents the question, "Why American soccer?".

As inhabitants of the U.S. of A we've got loads of soccer viewing options and limited amount of time. We want our panel of essayists to make their case as to why the American version of the world's game is the one we should all invest in.

Regularly readers know where we stand on this issue. Buy American. It's ours. Build and shape it so it ranks as one of the premier leagues in the world.

The series will include such diverse voices as former U.S. Men's National Team player Alexi Lalas, The Shin Guardian, MatchFit USA's Jason Davis, Church of Soccer, Nutmeg Radio, FutFanatico, MLS Insider, and many more.

Interested in submitting your own answer to the question, "Why American soccer?", then send us an email with your response. Please keep your submission to under 1000 words (that's like 2.5 pages typed!) and include a picture that you feel goes well with your response. Send it to freebeermovement(at)gmail.com.


This week we've decided to start the series with two contributions. Wednesday we heard from SB Nation's Jeremiah Oshan; today an answer to our "Why American Soccer?" question AND a tribute to former Major League Soccer player and FC Dallas TV analyst Bobby Rhine who passed away Monday at 35 after suffering a heart attack. 


The essay is written by Zach Woosley (also known as "The Ginge"), host of several shows on the Champions Soccer Radio Network and writer at his own site, "Ginge Talks the Footy".

----------------------------------------------------------------------

Photo Credit: C1 Photography

Why American soccer?

Because that’s what Bobby Rhine would want.

For years Bobby and players like him gave everything to the game of soccer in America, not because it would make them rich and famous, but because they loved the game. They formed bonds with the fans who built the foundations of the modern supporters culture while the players built the foundation for the growth and success we’re experiencing today.

Bobby would want us to be proud of our sport and to treat it with the respect and adoration it deserves. To enjoy every moment we have with the game and to share it with everyone we can so maybe they can experience the love and passion that is so much a part of our lives.

Most importantly Bobby would want us to remember that when the 90 minutes are over, the game should be about bringing us together and uniting us, not pulling us apart. No matter how heated things on the field, when the whistle blows there are more important things like friends and family that deserve the same love and passion we give to the game.

We have the unique opportunity to help continue shaping a sport and it’s culture in the coming years. As soccer stands on the verge of further growth and attention, we set the tone for how the rest of the country will view the game. We want them see the good that comes from the game and the positive influence it can have.

We have the chance to make American soccer something better than what it sometimes is across the globe. Let’s leave out the ugliness that sometimes creeps into soccer and focus on making our game about unity and acceptance.


Let’s love American soccer like Bobby Rhine did and always remember to smile.

Why? Because he would want us to.


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Going Suds Up: The Best Beers, The Best Soccer

By Kirsten Schlewitz / Senior West Coast Beer and Aston Villa Correspondent

The Serie A season finally kicks off on Friday, and what better way to welcome it than the return of my column? I know y’all missed me during the summer – how on earth did you find new beers to try? Well, I’m back, my lovelies, ready to challenge your both your taste buds and your soccer watching preferences, encouraging you to try some of both from around the globe.

Never fear, though – just because I’m writing about Italian calico this week doesn’t mean I’ll be trying to convince you to sample beer from the boot. Sure, Moratti is perfectly fine when you’re drinking in a piazza on a sweaty summer evening, but it’s not one you’d purposefully pick up in the US. Instead, we’ll have a nod to Italy’s drinking culture with a couple beers aged in wine barrels. And when we’re dealing with beers aged in wine barrels/oak barrels, it’s almost certain they’ll be one of two types: an imperial stout or a lambic/sour ale. So I’ll give you one of each, ‘cause I’m nice like that (well, not give. You’re going to have to go out and buy these yourselves).

AC Milan v Lazio (Friday, 1:45PM CT)

What better way to celebrate Friday than by ducking out of work for a late lunch, drinking some strong beer and watching as Milan attempt to kick off their scudetto defense in style? I recommend trying to find a bar that has Great Divide Brewing Co "Oak Aged Yeti" Imperial Stout (Denver, CO) on tap. Granted, it might be difficult in early fall, but the beer is widely available. It pours black with a thin tan head and some clings. Delicious smell, of chocolate, oak and caramel. The oak aged stout tastes, appropriately, of coffee and chocolate with some bitter peppery hops and an oaky, bourbon finish. The smoothness should meld well with the style of Milan, who retain much of the same title-winning squad as last year, while continuing to strengthen both their defense and midfield. Plus, how can you not want to watch this adorable face?

Serie A Sunday (Begins at 5:30AM CT, ends with 1:45PM match)

Besides Cesena – Napoli, which is the only Saturday game (and I refuse to write about for fear of jinxing it), the rest of the Serie A clubs play their first matches on Sunday. I’m a Serie A diehard and refuse to get up for the first, Juventus – Parma, so I suggest you sleep in as well, and simply look at photos of the club’s new stadium to get your kicks. If you’re picking a match to watch during the 8AM block, I suggest Lecce –Udinese, which probably won’t be what Fox is showing, but will likely be the most entertaining match of the five available. And by all means, grab a bottle of Cantillon Vigneronne (France) to watch Palermo host Inter Milan (particularly if you’re a Palermo fan, although you may need something stronger). This bottle is expensive, but is one of the best lambics that can be found, and works perfectly for a Sunday brunch feast. Made with white grapes soaked in lambic, this one changes as it sits, allowing more flavors to come through, from a beginning overpowering sour to a more mellow sour apple to lemon flavors at the end. Of course, if you don’t like vinegar, don’t go for this, as the aroma is overwhelming, but the taste is worth it.

If you’re looking for a full Serie A preview, I’ve got you covered here. Enjoy your calcio weekends, and whatever beers you choose to accompany the matches!


About Kirsten

I may be a law student at Lewis and Clark, but soccer is my true love, with beer coming in a distant second. That's not to say I don't love beer--I've tasted over a thousand different brews, and listed many of them onRatebeer. Living in Portland, Oregon, I attend quite a few festivals and tastings, and am able to argue passionately about the merits of Cascade hops vs. Chinook. 

As for the soccer, I'm the Managing Editor of SB Nation's Aston Villa site, 7500 to Holte, the Italy Editor for SB Nation Soccer, and cover the Seattle Sounders on SBN Seattle (don't judge--I'm from Seattle!) Finally, I write for Two Footed Tackle when I find words worthy enough for the site. Want more? Follow me on Twitter!


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VIDEO - USWNT "Fun and Games"

It's USWNT video day here at the Free Beer Movement. Even though the Lady Nats are seriously focused on capturing the 2012 Olympics title in London we've always appreciated the fact that they're never too serious about their sport. Game time is one thing... play time... they're got some of that too. A nice series of outtakes from various U.S. Soccer interviews and features shows the USWNT always "looks on the bright side of life".

 

US WNT - Fun and Games from Atlee Hargis on Vimeo.

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VIDEO - USWNT 2012 Olympics Hype

Probably one of the best U.S. Soccer "hype" vids we've ever seen and it comes on the tail of an amazing World Cup performance by the U.S. Women's National Team. Their run isn't over yet. The 2012 Olympic games are just around the corner and the Lady Nats have their sights set on capturing the gold medal in London.


Untitled from Atlee Hargis on Vimeo.

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Brews and Views Essay Series: Why American Soccer?

Today we're excited to announce a new series on the Free Beer Movement. It's called "Brews and Views" and we pose a question or topic to various prominent soccer persons and, well, they give us their view on it.

We've got loads of get people that have already responded to our call for essay submissions and each week we'll feature a unique perspective on the current topic/question at hand. Kicking it off (pun intended) we're asking our respondents the question, "Why American soccer?".

As inhabitants of the U.S. of A we've got loads of soccer viewing options and limited amount of time. We want our panel of essayists to make their case as to why the American version of the world's game is the one we should all invest in.

Regularly readers know where we stand on this issue. Buy American. It's ours. Build and shape it so it ranks as one of the premier leagues in the world.

The series will include such diverse voices as former U.S. Men's National Team player Alexi Lalas, The Shin Guardian, MatchFit USA's Jason Davis, Church of Soccer, Nutmeg Radio, FutFanatico, MLS Insider, and many more.

Interested in submitting your own answer to the question, "Why American soccer?", then send us an email with your response. Please keep your submission to under 1000 words (that's like 2.5 pages typed!) and include a picture that you feel goes well with your response. Send it to freebeermovement(at)gmail.com.

Our first contribution comes from Jeremiah Oshan. While you may not necessarily know his name, he's the editing engine behind the network of American soccer, team-specific blogs at SB Nation.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

Photo Credit: Erika Schultz, The Seattle Times

There are few questions easier for me to answer than "Why American soccer?" Simply put, it's there.

Like so many people, what has always attracted me about soccer is not as simple as watching crisp passing, gorgeous goals and acrobatic saves. Soccer, more than almost any other sport, is about community.

Whether that community is in the stands, in the pubs or or even on-line, the sense that we're all in this together is palpable, especially when the team is a local one.

Admittedly, I only really fell in love with American soccer after moving to Seattle. I was in a new city, was out of school, out of work and needed some way to meet other people. After going to the local soccer pub to watch a game, I was immediately drawn to the Sounders in a way that was entirely new to me. I could feel the energy. I could feel the heartache. I could feel the life.

Eventually, I found Sounder at Heart and my love for the domestic game went to an entirely different level. I found a community that wanted to dig deeper into the game, but didn't want to skimp on the passion. We found a team that embraced our curiosity.

The gameday experience takes it all to another level. The pubs around CenturyLink Field are packed with Rave Green. The streets around the stadium are teeming with energy. The March to Match is an almost religious experience for big games.

It is, very much, a shared experience.

I do not pretend that American soccer is on as high a level as it is in Europe. I refuse to apologize for this fact. I have fallen in love with a team and formed a community with its fans. I'll take that trade-off any day.

Jeremiah Oshan lives and breathes American soccer. He is the MLS editor at SBNation/Soccer, the managing editor at Sounder at Heart and co-host of the podcast Nos Audietis. You can also follow him at @jeremiahoshan.


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A Belgian Beer Writer Talks About Belgian Beer For Today's... Er.... Um... Belgian Match

The is definitely the stadium the USMNT plays in today. Wikipedia told us.

This is a guest post by Joe Stange, former soccer blogger, former so-called serious journalist, who currently writes about beer. The FBM cannot be held responsible for any of this nonsense, except for the very questionable decision to allow this post to happen in the first place. Strange currently lives in Costa Rica where still still brilliantly writes about all things beer at "Thirsty Pilgrim".

Me. Me, me, me. That's what this post is really about. Oh, ostensibly it has something to do with today's friendly between the United States and Belgium. But even the existence of that game itself is a front, a facade, a farce no doubt concocted to give me the excuse to write about me.

But enough about me, for now. Let's talk about drinking. As in, where to drink in Brussels, if you were hypothetically attending this match. Which you are not, of course, but let's pretend.

Trust him. He's published.

The game is at Roi Baudouin Stadium, which is in a northern sector of the city strategically chosen, perhaps, to be far removed from any of the really decent places to drink beer. Oh, there are a few dive bars around. Brown cafés, they call them. You will find a Stella Artois. You might even find a Duvel. But here is what the Belgian beer marketing geniuses will never tell you: Stella Artois is the Coors of Belgium. Duvel is the Colt .45. You can do better.

I have a map of all the best places to drink beer of real character in Brussels. I have this map because I trudged all over town and wrote a guidebook on the subject. (Somebody had to do it.) The book is called Around Brussels in 80 Beers, and it's really good. I know it's really good, because my wife and my mom both told me so. I trust them. Anyways, I wrote the book with a local brewer and beer historian named Yvan de Baets. And he wrote the book with me. Me, me, me. You see?

So, if you were hypothetically attending this game, which you are not, you should first make time for a healthy session in the center of the city. Most of the interesting drinking holes are there. That's where you can find the Mort Subite, a.k.a. “sudden death,” which hasn't changed much since the turn of the century. No, not the turn ofthis century. I mean the one before. There you can have a Westmalle Dubbel on draft and some plattekeis, which is the classic breakfast of flat-capped Belgian geezers, who may or may not still speak the local dialect. It's a creamy cheese that you spread over a gigantic slice of bread, livened up with some scallions and shallots. Healthy, maybe.

Or, if you want to be like the more sophisticated young bruxellois, you can head to Moeder Lambic Fontainas, which is just a few blocks walk from the Mannekin Pis. (The Mannekin Pis, by the way, is Belgium's great zwanze, or joke, on the hordes of tourists who descend on Brussels every day. The clever thing to do is sit at the Poechenellekelder café, just across from the little peeing boy, and have a Zinnebir and a chuckle while the funny foreigners snap their photos.) At the Fontainas you'll find 40 taps or so of real biére artisanale, plus plenty more bottles and some serious cheeses and whatnot. Here you will want a glass of Cantillon lambic hand-pulled from the cask, a spontaneously fermented beer that is as entertaining and sour as our chances under this funny new German coach of ours.

Speaking of Cantillon: I used to see the father-and-son brewing duo, Jean-Pierre and Jean, at soccer games in my neighborhood. When I lived in Brussels I walked about 20 minutes to watch fourth division Union St-Gilloise. During my time there they managed to climb up into the third division – oh, dare we hope? – before tumbling spectacularly back down into the fourth. They had their moments, but I've seen American high school teams play better. All of that is beside the point. They were my local club, as far as that went, and beer was cheap: Maes pils for $2 a cup. And the St-Gilles branch of Moeder Lambic was on the way home -- twice the price for beers that were ten times as good.

I also watched the Belgian national team play a few times, but I have no insider information for you. They don't have a style you can nail down as easily as the Dutch or French. They're a mish-mash. What they do have, however, is lots of good beer. Lucky Belgians.

I mean, if you were going to participate in the Free Beer Movement, can you think of a better place than Brussels, and thus a better night than tonight?

Did Dan ever tell you who invented the Free Beer Movement? (Editor's Note: Yes. I might have mentioned it once.) I invented it, and the movement was invented by me. Me, me, me. OK? At the time I was writing a blog called We Call It Soccer. Maybe you can find it in the Wayback Machine. It was kind of hot shit, back in the day when there weren't nearly as many soccer blogs. (At least me, my wife and my mom liked to think so.) At the time I was working toward a master's degree and studying propaganda. I learned that one of the most effective propaganda tricks is something called cognitive dissonance. Basically, people will do things that don't necessarily mesh with their previously held beliefs. After they do them, they will re-arrange their beliefs so that their actions make sense. The trick is getting them to take those actions.

Good beer for you and your friends.

I thought: Lots of people in this country don't believe in soccer. Seeing a game live might change their minds. What's the best incentive in the history of mankind, to get them to do something they don't believe in? FREE BEER! A simple and effective idea that someone else would have invented, had it not been me. Me, me, me.

Who knows? It might even have been Dan. Or Greg Lalas.

Anyway, let's drop the pretense of you being in Brussels tonight. Instead, head to your local specialist bottle shop and pick out something strong and gorgeous: a Rochefort 10, perhaps. Let it numb your senses for the likely loss to one of the more underachieving, nondescript teams in Europe. Remember to buy extra bottles for friends. Afterward, even if you haven't turned them on to the beautiful game, at least you've turned them on to a beautiful beer.

And then remember to give proper credit to me.


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The Tuesday XI: USMNT 80s Night Edition

Editor's Note: We continue a great new feature on the Free Beer Movement site. In collaboration with the quality soccer site, "The Other 87 Minutes" we present the "Tuesday XI" (and sometimes the "Tuesday Ten") a thoughtful list on a variety of topics in the world of soccer.

Make sure you head over to "The Other 87 Minutes" and check out all the... well... other great writing on their site. What do you think of the "Tuesday XI"? Let us know in the comments section!


The bar where one third of The Other 87 watches the U.S. National Team play hosted 80’s (and Ladies) Night Friday while the game was going on. In honor of the soundtrack we had for the match, here’s our player ratings from the match, assigned in the form of 80’s songs.

Player: Tim Howard
Song: “White Wedding”
Operative Line: “Hey little sister who’s your Superman?”

Not even Timmy 1’s heroics could keep the U.S. score sheet unblemished. Today against Belgium will be a nice day to start again.

The "journey" might be over, Edgar.

Player: Edgar Castillo
Song: “Don’t Stop Believin’”
Operative Line: “Some will win, some will lose/Some were born to sing the blues.”

Like Journey, Edgar Castillo asks us to keep believing despite the fact that he sucks. Actually, that’s kind of unfair to Edgar. No one sucks as bad as Journey does.

Player: Carlos Bocanegra
Song: "You Can Call Me Al"
Operative Line: "A man walks down the street/He says, why am I soft in the middle now?"

The answer: Poor communication and inexperience at the center backs doomed the U.S. again, just as it did in the Gold Cup.

Player: Michael Orozco
Song: "Another One Bites the Dust"
Operative Line: "And another one's gone and another one's gone."

Add Orozco to the list of center back casualties the U.S. has had in the last year – DeMerit, Onyewu, very nearly Tim Ream (I’m sure he’ll be back, but for a while there his head seemed next on the chopping block). Orozco’s not been terrible, but his performances have at times had fans hanging on the edge of their seats, and not in a good way.

Player: Timmy Chandler
Song: “Mickey”
Operative Line: “You take me by the heart when you take me by the hand.”

U.S. fans think Timmy #2’s pretty fine, so thank goodness he didn’t break their hearts by committing to Germany.

Player: Maurice Edu
Song: “Should I Stay or Should I Go?”
Operative Line: “But you gotta let me know/Should I stay or should I go?”

Poor Edu. He finally gets 90 minutes that aren’t at centerback and now people are suggesting he take a back seat to Kyle Beckerman against Belgium. I’m a big Edu fan, and with his performances for Rangers and when he does get minutes, I can’t understand why it’s always tease tease tease with him.

Player: Jose Torres
Song: “I Want a New Drug”
Operative Line: “One that won’t make me nervous/Wonderin’ what to do”

Torres is a new type of player in the center of the midfield for the Nats (at least in the last five years, practically a lifetime in international soccer), a passer rather than a runner or destroyer. Based on Friday’s game, it’s an experiment that very well could work, and that would be one result that won’t keep fans up all night or make them feel too bad.

Get it, Landon.

Player: Landon Donovan
Song: "Eye of the Tiger”
Operative Line: “So many times it happens too fast/You change your passion for glory.”

For years, when the U.S. played, Landon had that eye of the tiger, man, that edge. Now he’s gotta get it back. See that look in their eyes, in the eyes of Dempsey and Bradley and the other guys. He’s got to get that look back. Eye of the Tiger man.

Player: Brek Shea
Song: “Superfreak”
Operative Line: Uhh, “She’s a superfreak, superfreak/she’s superfreaky, yow.”

Ignore the gender confusion and look at it this way. What we have in Shea right now is a pacy winger with good dribbling ability who’s not afraid to take people on and to draw out defenders before slipping passes through the defense. That skill set, so far, only rarely takes advantage of the fact that he’s 6’3. If he learns to harness his size, increasing his upper body strength and becoming better in the air, he could be a full dual threat, a target forward on the wing and a constant threat crashing the back post.

Player: Jozy Altidore
Song: "Here I Go Again"
Operative Line: "Here I go again on my own/going down the only road I've ever known."

This is how we imagine
Rodgers dresses anyways.

Once more, Jozy was asked to plow a lonely road as the only center forward in the side. I actually thought he was quite effective, particularly in the first thirty minutes, when he was dropping deep, receiving passes and moving the ball quickly to forward runners. The consensus seems to be he works better with a strike partner, but I still think Jozy has the tools to be a lone front man, he just lacks the practice doing it.

Player: Robbie Rogers
Song: "Beat It"
Operative Line: "You better run you better do what you can."

I've never been a fan of Rogers, but I'm willing to change my mind if he shows a consistent ability to use his speed to stretch play or beat people on the dribble out on the flank and put in good crosses into the box. If not, then he should probably just, you know, get out of here or something.

About "The Other 87 Minutes"
What is this new site we're exposing you too? We'll let them explain:

The Other 87 seeks to provide something that’s not instant analysis or eve of matchday previews. Think of us as the good bits of your favorite soccer coverage: the profiles that examine what makes a certain player tick, the historical background that sheds some light on how the sport has evolved to the present day, the silly features that are more than just tacking names on a list, but considering and explaining why each one deserves to be there.

O87 wants to be a home for soccer writing that makes you think, but that also treats the game as just that, a game. The greatest game, the one we obsess over and fixate on, to the point where we can’t read that gas costs 3.43 a gallon without thinking of Ajax’s 1995 Champions League winning team. But a game nonetheless.

“When you play a match, it is statistically proven that players actually have the ball three minutes on average. The best players – the Zidanes, Ronaldinhos, Gerrards – will have the ball maybe four minutes. Lesser players – defenders – probably two minutes. So, the most important thing is: what do you do those 87 minutes when you do not have the ball…. That is what determines whether you’re a good player or not.” –Johann Cruyff

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GRAPHIC - United States of GOOD Beer

While we're not quite there when it comes to world-class soccer there's no doubt that the suds coming from America are some of the best of the bunch.

The folks at GOOD put together a map of the United States based on their readers' responses to their favorite brewers in each of the 50 states (although Idaho doesn't have one... we just had something from there... Laughing Dog Brewery).

What are your thoughts for your state's (or other's) pick? Got something else to suggest?


Credit: http://www.good.is/


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Photo Contest...Vote For Us! Potential Fabulous Prizes!

You're looking for THIS photo.

We're not just connoisseurs of beer and fine American soccer here at the Free Beer Movement; we're artists too.

Over the years we've brought our camera to all corners of the globe and trained it on the beautiful game (and plenty of other things). Photography is a fun little hobby and a great window to the world around us.

Others seem to appreciate it from time to time. We've had our pictures featured on sites like "Vanity Fair" and "The Original Winger".

That second site, TOW, has been running a series for a couple years now that we're big fans of and have submitted several photos to. Called "Soccer in America" it's a collection of TOW's own photos and their readers, assembling a visual demonstration of the sport in this country. A great series.

Now "The Original Winger" is launching a contest where people will vote on some of the finest pics that people have submitted with the winner becoming a Bumpy Pitch (cousin company of TOW) inspired t-shirt and sold at Eurosport (soccer.com).

We're been honored as one of our pictures has been chosen to participate in the first edition of this contest.

Each of the five pictures in the contest are fantastic and we're not hurt if you decide to vote for another one, but maybe, just maybe you click on ours for a vote. Completely biased, but we think that our photo would make one hell of a shirt.

If we win we're going to get a bunch shirts from our friends at BP and reward our readers for their help in pushing us over the top.

So go here and vote for one (hopefully ours) and share the link with friends as well.  Thanks, as always, for your support of the Movement.

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