The Off-Season Near News and Rumors Thread :: Part I

Welcome to the second installment of the off-season near news and rumors thread.

Before posting on this thread please take a look at the following guidelines and the notes on thread organization.

The guidelines and notes will be modified and amended as needed. Indeed, the honest truth is that, like MLS, we make it up as we go.

• A Few Guidelines •

DC United Rumors Blog

This thread is a blog for DC United related rumor and gossip with a bit of light banter added in. Here are a few guidelines to keep in mind.

→ Near beer ain't really beer. Near news ain't really news. :: The tolerance of mere rumor on the DC United board is really fairly low (how many times have you read angry demands for a link?). But at the same time some of us like to read unsubstantiated rumor because it breaks up the boredom of the off-season and gives us something to bellyache about. So this thread has less restrictive standards than those generally agreed upon on the rest of the board. That way posters who want to post something unsourced or badly sourced have the opportunity to do that without inspiring the wraith of those who demand that anything posted here be verifiably true.

→ Be Concise :: If you’re interested in a rumor and want to have an in-depth discussion about it then please start a new thread. This isn’t a thread for analysis.

→ Keep Things in Proportion :: Let’s keep things in proportion. Don’t take what you read here too seriously. Once it appears in the established press, that’s when to take it seriously.

→ Focus On The Team Situation :: If there’s any chance a rumor is embarrassing to the team, a player, the coach or anyone else please run it by a moderator before posting. We’ve had some problems along these lines in the past and we’d like to avoid them in the future. So keep things focused on the team situation. We don’t need to delve into personal lives unless there’s a clear and direct team implication. Again, consult a mod if there’s any question.

→ Not all rumors belong here, but most do. :: While not every rumor needs its own thread (hence this thread), it's quite possible that a few actually do. Use your judgment to figure out which is which. If in doubt consult a mod. Also, if your “rumor” derives from an article in the Post, the Times or one of the other reputable soccer news websites then it's hard news – not rumor – and doesn’t belong here.

MLS News Blog

Second, this is also the only place on the DC United board for discussion of non-DC United related news.

→ Off-Topic MLS Discussion :: This thread will also serve as a repository for links to news on other boards and websites. There is a lot of interest in having a place on this board for broader MLS discussion, but the truth is we just can't have that here without losing our focus on DC United. This place simply isn't a general MLS board. However, on this thread we can sneak in a bit of general MLS discussion for those that want it. Just don’t tell revelation about this. He’ll freak if he finds out there’s off-topic discussion here.

→ Be Concise, The Sequel :: Part of the reason people want a bit of general MLS discussion on this board is because they don't have much time, but still want to know about the latest trades and happenings around league. Please keep that in mind when posting here. Let's keep things pretty light and not overwhelm folks with lengthy analysis and opinion.

→ Linking To The Big Wide BigSoccer World :: Please link to threads on other boards for those that might want to follow up on the news and events.

• Thread Organization :: Notes for regulars and irregulars alike. •

This thread will cover a variety of wide ranging topics and have more than one discussion going on at once. To make it easier to navigate we (particularly the thread regulars) should try to maintain a few posting habits to take advantage of the board's new threading features. (Click "display mode" in the upper right to experiment with these features if you're not already familiar with them.)

→ Avoid Cryptic POST Titles :: When starting a new topic please make the post title very explicit and clear so that folks using the threading features can identity the topic of your post easily. See the examples below in the first couple posts.

→ One Topic Per Post :: Try to limit posts to a single topic to help maintain organization.

→ Use The Quick Reply to REPLY :: When replying to a post please use the "quick reply" box below or be sure to "quote" the post to which you're responding (and don't change the title from the default).

→ Use The Regular Reply Button to Start a New Topic :: You'll need to change the post title when starting a new topic. So use the regular reply button for that, or hit the "Go Advanced" button if you use the quick reply to gain access to the post title field.

By doing these things we'll be able to maintain some thread continuity more easily for those who don't follow this thread religiously. I know it sounds like a lot to do all this, but it's actually really simple and straightforward in practice.

 

Rapids GM Dan Counce Fired

In case you've been under a rock the last day or two, they fired their GM Dan Counce over at the Rapids.

https://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showthread.php?t=151505

 

Horns banned at HDC?

Rumor has it they're banning horns at HDC.

https://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showthread.php?t=151295

 

Meola returning to the Metros?

A rumor posted in various places has Meola angling to return to the Metros. With Bo having a breakout season, Meola getting up there in age, and the Metros having both their keepers in the expansion draft, maybe this rumor has some legs.

https://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showthread.php?t=151486

 

Mathis to Real Salt Lake Rumor

Mentioned during the USA vs Jamaica WCQ.

https://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showthread.php?t=151519

 

Re: Kreis to RSL

Kreis to RSL is official: http://www.usatoday.com/sports/soccer/mls/2004-11-17-real-salt-lake-kreis_x.htm