Might as well get this out of the way now:
For the next item, I've invited a guest blogger, Tommy Flanagan, to give us his take on the MLS CBA situation.
"So as I was telling my wife Jessica Alba…I mean Keira Knightly, yeaaahhh…..um, so as I was telling her, I was on the Concorde to Paris talking to two MLS Union Reps….um, ah, that is MLS players…eh, uh, I mean people close to MLS players, yeah, that's the ticket…so they told me that the whole CBA is complete except for some details.
Anyway, the one who once served coffee to…uh, that is, the one who did shots of Ketel One, yeahhh, Ketel One with a player says that they've agreed on a huge…uh, a large…I mean a very small increase in the salary cap. What? The salary cap isn't a "bargainable issue"? Well, I mean yeah, sure, of course, but they, you know, agreed off the record on it. Yeah, that's the ticket.
And then the other guy, the one who sold a player some tires…..that is, he tricked out his Escalade.I mean, uh, tuned a player's Maybach , yeaaahhh….said he heard that the whole free agency thing is the only issue left to decide.
What's that? Free agency is the biggest issue, not just a minor detail? All I'm doing is repeating what Pat Onstad told CBCSports.ca on Wednesday and claiming it came from "secret sources"? The Players Union issued a statement on Thursday saying that I'm full of crap?
Well, sure, I mean, yeah, of course, what do you expect them to say? I mean after weeks of stiffing Galarcep, Goff, Bell, McCarthy, Green, Seltzer, Wahl and Grantland Rice, they had to deny it.
Anyway, you can't trust what the Union says about me; after all, they're nothing but a bunch of pathological liars."
Via the always timely DUNORD HERE ARE SOME HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE EVERTON – CHELSEA MATCH.
He's also got tips on Jaime Moreno, an Irish signing in Colorado and a new keeper for Kansas City.
DOWN THE BYLINE is confirming that this appears to be the end of the road for Kevin Hartman, and reports that it wasn't a cordial breakup.
I apparently don't shop for MLS jerseys often enough, because I missed the fact that Chivas USA unis have been pulled off the market after the loss of their shirt sponsor, Comex.
Not a good thing this close to the season.
Also, as pointed out by a commenter, the NATIONAL SOCCER HALL OF FAME is shutting down entirely and shifting the displays to various as yet undecided locations locations.
Maybe that Seattle suggestion wasn't just a joke. I should be more careful.
Finally, a while back I offered Upper Deck World Cup 94 Meola, Lalas and Agoos cards for anyone who could name the three MLS coaches with the worst league records.
Yesterday I found the cards under some junk on my desk and, frankly, I feel bad about it. Not that it's, you know, a million bucks or anything, but you gotta do what you say you'll do.
So I'm sending puttputtfc the entire US, Italy and Brazil teams, along with three teams of his choice and the entire Walter Iooss Jr. insert set, along with my public apologies.