This is a bit off the reservation, as it’s not in keeping with the series.  However, I needed a proper format to write this and the Midnight Riders blog wins by default.

Gillette Stadium is a modern American stadium.  It’s the home of the New England Patriots, who rake in millions hand over fist for the team and stadium owners: The Kraft Family.  They did a wonderful job in privately financing it when their search for a new home in Boston (and then Hartford) failed.  People are always impressed with it’s character and the new Patriot Place development has only added ... Continue Reading

Who doesn’t? You get that feeling that you know what’s really going in the world and “the civilians” don’t. Conspiracy theories are older thanTony Meola’s Weight Watchers’ membership for a reason. They spread, they get digested into the culture, they become something your older brother tells you about when he thinks you’re old enough. As long as you don’t really believe Radio Shack is asking you personal information to use later when they kidnap and build a moon base for the elite, you’re ok.

It’s been a long time, folks. Too long, too long. Sometimes it feels like the MLS off-season is longer than the Trail of Tears. “But,” you say to me, “you follow an English team! Your season never ends!”

The team I follow is Newcastle United, people. You want to talk tears, we’ll talk.

But enough of that foreign mish-mash and jibber-jabber. Our own top flight league has restarted and restarted in quite a fashion thanks to Seattle. But we’ll get to that in a little bit. This time around you’re ... Continue Reading

Do you smell what I smell? Do you see what I see?

That chicken breast is juicy and plump, dressed in the fabulous gown known as Italian spices and garlic herbs that have been soaked in lemon juices ready to be taken off by your palette that has been watering for almost half a year.

Those steak tips have been marinating in the fridge for a while now, and you cant wait to throw them into the crock-pot where they will absorb even the tiniest amounts of carrot, potato, ... Continue Reading

Well the time has come and gone for the Revolution this season, and for the first time in 7 years, they will not make a trip to the Eastern Conference Finals.

All in all, you have to look at it as a positive campaign, even thought the ultimate goal was not reached. The loss of players a certain times in the year seemed to have just enough impact to erase the Revs hopes of reaching the MLS Cup for an unprecidented fourth straight year. Fortunately, the tailgating season does not stop there as you can easily replace the pain of seeing ... Continue Reading

A Manager’s Job Never Stops

It certainly has been way too long since the Revs last played. I actually had to see my family this past weekend. Thankfully, that won’t happen again anytime soon as the Revs are about to embark on an incredible stretch of matches. A portion of the schedule that would put even the deepest European sides in a tough place, never mind a team constrained by the salary cap among many other league mandated roster rulings.

Steve Nicol doesn't rest, he scouts!

The Revs ... Continue Reading

First things first - TeamOps security is the biggest fucking joke I have ever encountered.

That being said, I have decided to turn this week’s blog into…

Tailgating: SuperLiga Style

Sunday 7/13 vs Santos Laguna: A

Oh man. A late game start is the first ingredient to an absolutely glorious tailgate. The second is weather. Now if you have been reading my posts vigorously, you know how much I have been complaining about the lack of cooperation from Mother Nature for our pre-game festivities. Not on Sunday though. The sun was shining, the wind was calm, not a cloud in the sky. ... Continue Reading

This blog entry was God’s will, honest…

Farewell, Chase Hilgenbrinck. You accounted for yourself well in your brief time in the Revs’ red, white, and blue but now you are off to the clergy. I hope we get some allocation money or at least some cash considerations in return. One thing is certain, Chase, you willl be in my prayers to the Flying Spaghetti Monster in the Sky.

Hilgenbrinck’s departure, all future sainthood aside, appears to be the type of transaction that you find in small print at the end of the sports page. Hilgenbrinck is just a ... Continue Reading

Ahhh, another successful venture into the chilly Razor.

Last night’s match against an upstart Toronto side had fans coming from each side of the border, which led to an incredible tailgate. No surprise though, there always has to be something that doesn’t quite push the tailgate into that “A” range. At least this time it was something that nobody can control - the weather.

Almost all the tailgates that we’ve had this year include some sort of lame weather. Cloudy. Rainy. Cold. All the above. And the ones that did have nice weather were the games that the scheduling geniuses placed in ... Continue Reading

In the spirit of M. Shyamalan’s new film, there is a “happening” going on. What in the world could it be?

There were no emails in my inbox regarding my column.

Now this means one of two things. Either you have a huge lack in ideas, or you’re not reading. Now most of you are intelligent individuals, so I am going to go with the lack of reading. So… TELL PEOPLE ABOUT THIS BLOG!!!!

Seriously, this is written for you – the fans. I am here to help the rookie fan or the seasoned veteran with their tailgate experience. ... Continue Reading