He's So Wondo! The continuing chronicle of Chris Wondolowski's career

Wondo is ageless. He never fatigues.

 

You do know that Wondo was a distance runner right? and he was recruited by more schools for his running than his soccer. So it would be safe to assume he has the stamina requiered for a "beep test"

 

Every professional soccer player should have "the stamina required for a "beep test.""!

 

According to Shea Salinas, everyone upped their "beep" game compared to last year. After learning what Almeyda required last year before and during the season, the players came in much fitter this year than in past preseasons.

 

At least wives and girlfriends are going to be happier this season.

 

Yes, i know he's said that in high school he could run for miles but at just one speed. And on some podcast, Wondo joked that he doesn't get injured because he doesn't have any muscles.

But that running ability is almost 20 years ago. I just don't think the beep test reflects Wondo's superior aging as much as a lack of upcoming comparably-fit-for-their-age young men. I know the 2019 team was fitter than every team before it, but if none of them but TT can beat Wondo, then to me, something is wrong with this picture.

 

The 2020 Quakes team is basically the same as the 2019 Quakes team (as has been bemoaned on here repeatedly), and the 2019 team was MLS’ most fit team. Therefore Wondo winning the beep test is not a poor reflection on his teammates but underscores what a freakish marvel he is.

 

Apparently not!!!!

 

Wondo took some pics and then took off early yesterday and didn't stick around for the meet and greet.

 

At the NCAA Women's Cup in December, Wondo was there with his wife, kids & mom (in-law?). We asked if we could take a group picture with him and he willingly obliged.

My friend wanted to talk to him and I indicated that we had taken up enough of his time and he said, "No problem!" and continued to talk to my friend. I turned to his wife & mom and said, "I'm really sorry" and they both smiled and said, "No problem!"

Really cool, approachable folks, those Wondolowskis!

 

The old celebrity line always was...."I'll complain when they stop asking"!

 

Heh, Yeah, but I got completely blown off by Godoy when I approached him once... in the Portland airport... and I was wearing my Quakes jersey!

Total D-bag move, in my book.

 

He was a D-bag d-mid?

 

Godoy was very personable and interactive when I sat next to him at last season's wine and dine, and this was after his future rights had been traded to Nashville, so there was no angle in continued currying favor with Quakes fans.

Sometimes you just catch people on a bad hair day, so to speak.

 

I not infrequently feel sorry for 'recognizable' people, because they are expected to always be 'on' and are not allowed by fans to have a bad day. If they happen to be busy, or lost in thought, or otherwise not instantly welcoming and smiley, the word goes out that "X is an asshole, because he blew me off at the airport."

 

People are human and I don't expect them to be "smiley" all the time, (I know I certainly am not), but when a fan spends hard earned money and flies to another city to support their team, a simple acknowledgment would've been nice. Godoy didn't even look at us.

My original point was that Wondo seems like a super nice guy and I appreciate that. I did tell him that one thing I will always remember about him will be the way he went around and engaged with all the fans after all the Buckshaw matches, even the games they lost. The looks on the kids faces after they got a photo or an autograph were priceless.

 

Back in the Clash days in the 90s, when I was not yet a real fan, but casually attended a few games every year in fourth row center line seats on the east side that went for $20, I was struck not only by how affordable the games were relative to other professional sports, but by how much more organically festive the supporters (the Casbah) made the games -- and how accessible the players were in signing autographs for the kids in what I suppose was "autograph alley." It made a real impression on me. My (obsessive) love of the Quakes today is a direct outgrowth of that experience witnessing this.

 

Wondo is a special case. He is definitely one of the most open, friendly, and genuinely nice people I've met during my time in soccer. There are only a few (e.g. Brian McBride, Joe Cannon, Jorge Campos, etc.) pros that I would put on that pedestal with Wondo.

 

What about Shea Salinas?

 

Well, I didn't have time to think of/list everybody!

There really are some folks who stand out as being particularly genuine people. Shea is one of those as well.

 

I guess if you didn't get one then, they mailed you one in Jan? I got one in the mail in Jan (unless the one with the personal note is different than the one they gave out at the end of the season?)

 

I would add Pat Onstad and Craig Weibel to that list.

 

Before he became MLS’s all-time leading scorer, a San Jose Earthquakes legend and one of the league’s ultimate out-of-nowhere success stories, Chris Wondolowski was dead broke.

This was 2005, and Wondolowski was an unknown, lightly-used rookie more focused on making ends meet than on making a name for himself with the Quakes. His salary was just $11,700 that first season. That’s around $400 per paycheck. Bar tabs, needless to say, weren’t in the budget.

One night, however, Wondolowski was determined to make an exception. He had just gone on his first road trip as a pro and, though he didn’t make it off the bench during the match, the Quakes took home a win. After the game, the team went to a local bar to celebrate. Wondolowski, ever the eager rookie, tagged along. On arrival, he made his way to an ATM. He wasn’t quite sure how much money he had in his bank account, but he was riding a high. He figured he’d enter his PIN and pray.

He tried to withdraw $40.

The ATM spat back a nasty message. Insufficient funds.

He tried to take out $20.

Another cruel collection of pixels. Insufficient funds.

“I’m like, ‘Oh my god, this is my first road trip, I gotta go out. I’ve got to,’” he said. “So I went back to the ATM and I pulled out $40. I took that surcharge, that overdraft fee. It was like a $40 fee to pull out $40, but I just couldn’t miss out and I didn’t want to ask anyone to help, so I paid $40 to take out $40, just so I could hang out.” . . . .

https://theathletic.com/1557058/2020/01/23/mls-minimum-salary-memories/