has never been used in MLS. But being the regular Boy Scouts they are, MLS officials are ever prepared. Clubs in northern cities always have orange balls nearby. You know, just in case.
And they'll be yanking them out of storage this weekend in three MLS cities, where official forecasts call for snow and general "yuk" on Saturday.
Here's what potentially awaits in Columbus, according to Weather.com: a few snow showers, wind, and a high of 37.
In Chicago: a few snow showers, wind, high of 35. (Hmmm. Columbus suddenly doesn't sound so bad.)
In Denver, site of the ABC-televised league opener: rain and snow, high of 38. Ice cold Sierra Mist, anyone?
The New York Red Bulls play in Columbus this weekend. The New York club was once involved in perhaps the most bizarre opening day weather event of 11 previous seasons. Gale force winds and driving rain turned the MetroStars-Real Salt Lake match in 2005 into a comical quagmire, where goal kicks could manage about 50 yards on the fly, but then backtracked boomerang-style, sometimes landing at just 35-40 yards out.
DRAW UP A DRAW: If you're looking to make a friendly wager on this, the 12th opening weekend of Major League Soccer, heed these three magic words:
Bet the tie.
Whether it be opening night jitters in front of the home folk or an insufficient bent for risk so early in the campaign, the draw has been atypically common on opening weekend lately.
Last year, for instance, teams won five home openers, lost two and managed draws on the other five. During the last five seasons, 37 percent of the MLS home openers have finished in ties. By comparison, just 26 percent of all 824 matches over that same period have finished level.
And which MLS club would everybody prefer to avoid at home opener time? That would be Kansas City, which is 5-0-2 since 1999.
Toronto will be the Wizards' first opponent this year at Arrowhead Stadium, but that won't happen until April 25. Curt Onalfo's men play at D.C. United, Real Salt Lake and Chicago before their first match at home.
KAMARA BETTER FOR EZRA: Second-year Columbus forward Kei Kamara is apparently a little ahead of Jason Garey as manager Sigi Schmid sorts out that impressive gaggle of young attackers.
Schmid says Kamara's approach and ability to accept direction has matured significantly since last year. One reason is that Kamara, 22, has roomed with veteran Ezra Hendrickson during the preseason.
"I think Ezra has had a tremendous influence," Schmid said. "He's really gotten Kei to look at the game a little bit, to analyze the game a little bit."
As a result, Kamara is heeding advice now instead of stubbornly fighting it. Schmid has already seen examples during preseason matches, where the young Californian diligently executed a halftime suggestion or carried out an adjustment.
"It makes a big difference," Schmid said. "Last year, he would have come up with a reason why his way was the right thing, not the wrong thing. He's just matured in his ability to deal with constructive criticism."
Kamara had three goals in 19 appearances in 2006.
HUNT STAYING ALL IN: Writers who specialize in the National Football League speculated long before Lamar Hunt's death last December that the family's interest in soccer might wane once the family patriarch passed on. The theory was that Clark Hunt, Lamar's oldest son, would assume a greater role in running the Kansas City Chiefs, and that the family would slowly begin to divest from soccer.
Clark Hunt, who played collegiate soccer at SMU, said recently that he doesn't see that happening. HSG still counts the Columbus Crew and FC Dallas among its holdings.
"Our intent right now is to keep both teams and continue to help them build," Clark Hunt said. "Where MLS goes down the road, I don't know. There have been discussions that at some point, owners can't own more than one franchise. Maybe if that happens, my brother (Dan Hunt) and I will flip a coin and see who gets Columbus and see who gets Dallas. But I think that's in the future. Our intent right now is to keep both."
That doesn't mean MLS is marching quickly in that direction. Hunt and other MLS investors have long stated publicly that greater diversity in ownership is good for all concerned. But a strict mandate demanding one club per owner is no where near imminent, he said.
"I don't see the league having that rule in the near future," Clark Hunt said.
BAD LUCK IN T.O.: Things aren't beginning well in Mo Johnston Valley, where valuable Toronto FC wing midfielder Ronnie O'Brien may have rushed his comeback from a minor injury and now will miss the season's first 4-6 weeks.
O'Brien injured his right knee in practice on Tuesday, reportedly suffering a torn medial collateral ligament when, as Johnston told the Globe and Mail, he "lashed out to kick at somebody."
The long climb up Expansion Hill doesn't look easy these days, even with good luck in avoiding injuries. The last pair of expansion clubs won nine games between them in 2005, when Chivas USA went 4-22-6 and Real Salt Lake finished 5-22-5.
MORE POP FOR MLS PAPARAZZI: Now that the late-March internationals are done, Galaxy forward Landon Donovan will point his focus toward the Galaxy. Donovan understands that one major issue his teammates will deal with increasingly in 2007 is the colossal media buzz - attached to David Beckham, of course - that will hover over The Home Depot Center like biblical locust.
"There's nothing like this that we've ever gone through," Donovan said. "Nobody in normal human life can understand it, because most people haven't gone through it. We're not any different. ... But we'll learn to deal with it. It will definitely be interesting."
Donovan said he knows a smidgen about it, since he's dealt with fan clamor and media demand for years, albeit on a lesser level. He hopes his teammates are prepared, but knows there's no way to rehearse.
"You simply don't know how you're going to react until you've dealt with it," Donovan said.
SAY IT "TAY-mow": About the Chicago Fire's new signing, the third MLS bite off the DP apple: The "Blanco" part is a piece of cake. No pronunciation guide required.
The "Cuauhtemoc" part might force a couple of extra practice sessions for Major League Soccer's legion of radio and TV voices.
You gotta want it, guys!
For the fans, well, just call him "Temo." (Say it "TAY-mow")
Or Cuau. (Say it like "KA-wow")
Or go with "Temoc." It's like "Temo," but with the hard "c" at the end. It's a little more edgy; a hard "c" for a tough guy.
Heck, this fellow collects nicknames like the Friends cast collected, well, friends. Some of Blanco's handles are a little less, ahem, neighborly. Such as "Hunchback," because he's a tad lean in the neck region.
Which is the most common nickname? Spanish-speaking broadcasters say it's a "flavor of the moment" thing, often driven by the latest variety show stylings from Mexico.
FYI: There was a time when Blanco might have had to dodge the Fire's trips down to Texas. For instance, he had to back out of Mexico's 2004 trip to Dallas to play the United States. Blanco had been included on El Tri's roster, but couldn't come to Texas for fear of being served in a civil suit, the result of a January 2004 fight in a Houston bar. That matter was resolved shortly thereafter.
MATHIS MAKING HEADWAY: Word out of New York is that Red Bulls manager Bruce Arena is happy with Clint Mathis so far, and that "Cleetus" looks newly energized.
He played the second 45 minutes last weekend as RBNY closed preseason with a loss to Houston in Charleston, S.C. The team traveled Sunday, then had Monday off. So Mathis had three full training sessions (Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday) to get acquainted with his new mates. The team is scheduled to train briefly on Friday before traveling to Columbus.
Steve Davis is a freelance writer who has covered Major League Soccer since its inception. Steve can be reached at BigTexSoccer@yahoo.com. The views and opinions expressed in this column are those of the author's, and not necessarily those of Major League Soccer or MLSnet.com.
