Exactly. American soccer fans don't have the luxury of truly rooting hard against opposing teams. Face it, if the Galaxy folded, some of you would be quite happy, but for the league and American soccer it would be a nightmare, neither of which would help the Quakes. I'm not an Earthquakes fan the way most of you are, but I still bought my season tickets, and will enjoy going to the stadium and watching top flight American soccer. I was really bummed when Chicago came up as the first game though; didn't really want to root against SJ straight away.
I can't help but say that I fell in love with the NYRB. And still am despite the Quakes being back...
LOL And to add onto that, I also have fallowed the Dynamo. Though i promised my self, once the last "quake-05 guy" is no longer on the team and its just its own team, then i'll no longer like the Dynamo.
Much like the Quakes won MLS Cup 2003 on mine. As for the team: Always the front of the jersey and only the front of the jersey! GO SAN JOSE EARTHQUAKES!!! -G
I took a job in Oklahoma in 2006, and I went to Dallas when Houston came up. Can you spot me in this photo? Yeah. I completely kept my player loyalty. I've been supporting Ching since the Tennyson debate, and I won't stop with that even now. (Though I'd much rather have him on SJE!) And I've got my "game-worn" jerseys from Clark (too small for me) and Barrett (way too small for me), and I wore my Clark jersey to the games I watched. I'll still pay a lot of attention to how Houston do this year. But as they lose more of the SJE players (what gives with them maybe picking up more ex-Quakes like Corrales !?!), my interest in Houston will fade. SJE, on the other hand... it's hopeless. I'm already getting attached to players I've never heard of and haven't ever seen play (and who may not even make the roster by April). I'm expecting us to be competitive this year - even if we don't win that much, and I think we'll finish as either the last team to make the playoffs (in the west) or just missing the playoffs (but not eliminated until the final game or two of the season).
Throw me in the same boat, but I've always had an admiration for the team for one reason or another. Fact is, I bought a Metrostars shirt long before I got my first Earthquakes shirt. It certainly didn't help that while supporting the Vics, Al of the 1906 was a displaced New Yorker who supported RBNY (NYRB, whatever). While braving the cold at Kezar, the pregame talk between us was more or less about the Red Bulls. Anyway, I've always rooted for the Quakes when they played against the Gals, despite the fact that I grew up in Los Angeles and shared an affinity with the city, where I loved the post-Showtime era/pre-ShaqKobe era Lakers, loved the Dodgers, loved the Raiders while they played at the Memorial, and loved the Kings. I'd say part of my detachment from the Quakes came from the fact that I used to have this irrational dislike of San Jose, which I attribute to my dislike for Bay Area teams while in my more impressionable years (Giants, A's, Warriors, 49ers). I also didn't want to "jump on the bandwagon" when the Earthquakes started fielding a legitimate contender each year while the Metros were toiling away in mediocrity. I could go on about this for ages, but the bottom line is that when the season kicks off, the only MLS team I'll be supporting is the San Jose Earthquakes. Period.
The first MLS shirt I bought was the '97 DC United shirt. Cause I was at Ft Meade for the summer. Went to a dozen games that summer and since DC wears Adidas, I got a shirt. Saw the Nats play (v Ecuador) in Balto that summer, too. I also have the '04 DCU shirt, but my avatar is me in a Quakes '03 shirt at an USOC game in Portland v. Timbers. I wear that shirt far more than I wear my DCU shirt. I want the new shirts (home or away) since I am into the Quakes more now than ever.
I LOVEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE David Beckham. I'm going to kid nap him and make him my personal boy toy LOL. Posh can watch.
I'll admit that after the Quakes left, it left a bitter taste to my mouth so much to the point that I really didn't want to watch any MLS games. That only last for about 2 good weeks because I couldn't stay away in general. Even to the point where I actually bought the MLS online package so I could watch not just the Dynamo but other games as well. A couple years ago, I was visiting friends down in LA and the Dynamo were playing the LA Scrum at that time so I decided to go to the game with here. I was very happy as the Dynamo won 2-1. I've also followed the USMNT of course and once in a while watched a Man U. match. Aside from that, going to Sharks games or watching it on TV was the only other thing I had going.
Like this thread's initiator, I also felt a loyalty to the guys--regardless of the kits--and watched the internet feed of their opening day match in Houston when Chingy scored a boatload of goals. I can even remember yelling and getting all excited for them. In the absence of a real SJE, I also came to find myself a casual Houston fan because of Dominic and our boys. Now, I can truly throw my allegiance behind our Quakes again but I will still have an appreciation for Houston so long as Dom is there (and our ex-Quakes.) My philosophy is sort of "if the Quakes can't win it, then I want Dom and the boys to win it." That said, I want us to get our third star before they get theirs!!! (No offense, Dom & company but I gotta be true blue. )
(1) you don't want to get into their sleeping habits and (2) that would be grounds for moving to the Galaxy section despite your moniker. There was a picture of Vicki somewhere but that won't be suitable for the boards--except it would make a fine poster when the World Tour comes to town!
There were at least three other people I saw wearing Quakes gear at the MLS Cup, and I know one group flew out from CA for the game. Me? I just drove down because Pizza the Hut Park is only about 3 1/2 hours drive away - it was convenient, it was one of my few chances to see soccer, and I didn't want to miss it - especially since it was all the old guys playing. I figure the real fans are those guys that ponied up some serious cash and flew out for the game. So thanks for the kind words, but it's those other guys... they deserve the kudos! When I get out to the Bay Area agian, I'll raise a game-day pint with all you guys! On the other hand, I probably have a lot more cowardice than bravado. (And anwway, "It just seemed like a good idea at the time." -TM7) I got in touch with some guys in the Texian Army (who post on the Houston board), and asked about watching a game with them - and I told them in advance that I'd be wearing Quakes gear. They welcomed me and were okay with the Quakes blue (even in the MLS Cup when NER wore blue!), and during the games I saw with those guys... you just have to understand how welcoming, understanding, supportive, energetic, and fun they were. My hats are off to them; great fans, great people. And yes, they totally get how lucky they are to have gotten such a great team & coach. They understand that, and they understand that we were screwed over by AEG. And they support their team, players, and coaches (it *is* their team now) as well as any supporter group I've ever seen in MLS. As bummed as I am that we were moved, I won't hold it against the Houston fans. My vitriol goes towards AEG (and a few other high-up mucky-mucks). (People are also a lot more understanding/polite/empathetic/.../real when face-to-face than keyboard-to-keyboard, and that probably goes for our board folk as well as other boards....)
I've followed MLS rather closely, although not nearly as closely as I did during the 2005 season when we still had a team. Watching games and even an MLS Cup without a true team seemed awfully vapid. Truth be told though, I half-heartedly cheered for the old guys, although I felt dirty knowing: a) Another team was going to get a star (or two) over its chest. b) Another city was going to get to celebrate their victories. c) They were owned by AEG. Ultimately then, I couldn't really cheer for them, and I didn't. It's a shame then that the Fire (my current "home" team) were only sold to Andell Holdings a few months ago. I was never able to get behind them because of the AEG connection, but it ended up working out, since in that interim that the Quakes did not exist, I never truly fell for another team. To be honest, I never had Goodsport-like optimism over our return; it reached a point where I almost considered becoming a true, dyed-in-the-wool Fire fan, but as I mentioned, there was never any real feeling there. Bridgeview is a nice stadium though.