"Earthquakes announce partnership with T-Mobile" (SJEarthquakes.com - Wednesday, 4/4/12) (San Jose Earthquakes) GO SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES!!! -G
"'FIFA Street': Reboot takes its soccer seriously" (San Francisco Chronicle - Thursday, 4/5/12) GO SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES!!! -G
"Quakes D Suggs loaned to Tampa Bay Rowdies" (SJEarthquakes.com - Thursday, 4/5/12) (San Jose Earthquakes) GO SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES!!! -G
"Former standout Suggs still chasing dream" (HSUJacks.com - Tuesday, 4/10/12) (Sammi Sheppard, Sports Information & Communications Specialist) GO SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES!!! -G
All I can say is, "He is a Lumberjack and he's OK!" Interesting to hear the perspective about what it means to be on and to make the team from a guy who is struggling to get there (and, so far, succeeding).
Interesting tidbits in the article. The Quakes held open tryouts for TWO MONTHS last fall, having the trialists do two a days. That's a lot of work to find potential players. Also, I found the comments Suggs made about Ramiro and Wondo interesting. Ramiro takes care of his body, which is why he can keep playing with the energy that he does. And Wondo is so competitive that he brings the level of play up for other players in training "so they don't disappoint him". That's two good leaders for the team to have. Good for Suggs, hope he continues to develop.
"Quakes announce partnership with Alaska Air" (SJEarthquakes.com - Friday, 4/13/12) GO SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES!!! -G
"Commissioner says MLS would use goal-line technology" (San Jose Mercury News - Thursday, 4/19/12) GO SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES!!! -G
"Where Are They Now? The Vaguely Unsettling Giant Inflatable Jersey at Buck Shaw Stadium." (Center Line Soccer - Friday, 4/20/12) GO SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES!!! -G
"The Surprise Team: Quakes take it in stride" (SoccerAmerica.com - Monday, 4/23/12) GO SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES!!! -G
"Quakes, Kaiser Permanente partner for Get EQ Fit program" (SJEarthquakes.com - Monday, 4/23/12) (San Jose Earthquakes) GO SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES!!! -G
"Earthquakes unveil Dollar Dog Wednesdays" (SJEarthquakes.com - Wednesday, 4/25/12) GO SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES!!! -G
"First-place Earthquakes in top form in 2012" (CSNBayArea.com - Monday, 5/7/12) Chris Wondolowski leads the MLS with 11 goals. (US Presswire) GO SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES!!! -G
That Ratto piece just felt like the biggest back-handed complement I've ever read. Has he ever watched a game before? Maybe I'm just bitter because of his crap coverage of the Sharks, but seriously, I'd rather have no press than have people learning about the team through him.
"Quakes announcer Gus Johnson making an impact in first year calling soccer matches" (San Jose Mercury News - Tuesday, 5/8/12) GO SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES!!! -G
Actually I thought it was well informed. It is the nature of sportswriters to be smarmy, so he has to throw some balls with spit and spin. Ten years ago this guy wouldn't have acknowledged that soccer is a sport. Here he is writing that it is time for casual fans--Euro snobs, Hockey heads, Sports Center Sofa Sitters, and rec league co-ed soccer players--to start paying attention to the San Jose Earthquakes. More evidence that MLS is reaching the tipping point.
Didn't someone, somewhere on these boards say that Ratface only considered Europe, and in particular, the EPL, the only set of leagues worth his condescending consideration? I gathered from that that he was the genuine Euro-snob and found MLS to be below his line of vision.
A Euro-snob at least likes the sport of soccer. Ratto doesn't. He reluctantly researches it for the sake of his job in sports media, just like lots in the sports media reluctantly have to cover NASCAR as if they held any interest in it, or hockey for others. He's a douche.