THE MAILBOX: Agoos' autograph puts kid in soccer heaven In this morning's Dispatch there is a letter to the sports editor complimenting Jeff Agoos on his post-game behavior following the game two loss in Columbus. I don't know if the above link will work, though, as parts of the Dispatch web site now cost money. I'm sure someone will figure it out, though.
Usually, if the article is on one of the newspaper sites that requires you to log in, somebody sets up a BigSoccer generic username and password. So try username bigsoccer@bigsoccer.com and password bigsoccer for the Columbus Dispatch.
Bill R., you were right about the password. Since this was a letter to the editor, and not a copyrighted article... I'm pasting it here. If this is a problem, please delete this post. Editor: Last Saturday, my wife and I took our 10-year-old soccer fanatic to Crew Stadium to watch the Crew play the San Jose Earthquakes. Our son's idol, Jeff Agoos, plays for San Jose. Aaron wore the No. 12 jersey (Agoos' number) he wears in the Olentangy Youth Athletic Association. After the game, we went to where the visiting team leaves the locker room. There we waited in hopes Aaron could catch a glimpse of his idol. Jeff Agoos exited and headed for the team bus. Aaron asked whether he would autograph his game jersey. The 34-year-old man looked very tired after the painful loss but graciously stopped to sign the jersey. When I asked whether he would pose with Aaron for a picture, he put his arm around my son and posed. Aaron rode all the way home with his shirt in his lap to allow for complete drying of the permanent-marker autograph. The photo now occupies a space with the trophies in his bookcase. Thank you to the athletes who remember what it is like to have an idol and for not being too big or important to acknowledge a fan. -- Terry Clayton, Powell
As a father of two young children, both of whom are big soccer fans, this is why I love MLS more than any other professional league in the US of A. It is small things like the kind act Agoos did that will grow the league quicker than almost anything else. That 12 year old kid will remember that forever. Plus, he is now even more motivated to be a better player I would bet. This should cement him as a soccer and MLS fan forever.
I think I've said this before but let me say it again, I love Jeff Agoos. He is so sweet and funny and nice, and to all those girls that think Landon is the bomb you are all wrong. Jeff Agoos is God in my book (besides, older and wiser is better than younger and not so wise).
I have nothin but the highest compliments for most of the team. Including Landon. All this Landon hype is pitifull though.
I agree with that as you well know. However, none of the Landon hype is being created by Landon, which is something I have tried to say over and over to people like IBT. Donovan's a team player and he goes with what the team tells him to do, no matter whether that team is the Quakes, the US Nats or the PR guys at MLS and US Soccer. The reason he has not performed as well as he should have in the months after the WC is attributable to the demands of that PR machine not to the guy himself.
Not to steal Agoos' thunder but my five year old nephew was walking near the railing near the field and he was all by himself (wife and I were waiting for crowd to disperse)and Wade Barrett was about 20ft out saying hi and goodbye to family and my nephew, who is a Wade fan, yelled "Hi Wade".....Barrett stopped, saw it was a little kid and ran all the way back over borrowed a pen from a girl and signed my nephew's program. He is now a fan for life. There are quite a few class acts on the Quakes.
Like I said, I have nothing but the highest of compliments for most of the gus on the team. Wade would be one of those guys. Remember the game I took my nephew to? After the game, Wade was standin there and talking to him for a good five minutes, and my nephew was laughing so hard. All the way home, he was talking about "The guy with the cool hair".