I’ve been a Galaxy fan since the very beginning of MLS. Before Carson there was the Arroyo (not to be confused with Stamford Bridge from whence the world was created, of course) where I made the weekly pilgrimage to see our boys in then gold and green until they moved southward to the fancy-pants HDC. My kids don’t know a world without the Galaxy, the water from our first child’s arrival into the world flowed down the Arroyo steps one afternoon in May 1997. CoJones is from my hometown. My kids play for the same guys Cobi played with at Westlake High who are now local club and AYSO coaches. The Galaxy is as home-town local to me and my family as a pro-side can get.

I’m a “heart guy,” a super-fan who often conflates the Galaxy players to be my very own sons. Most of you have probably picked that up from my comments here in the past. I try to be a good “Dad” about the boys in blue and gold, but I’ll admit I’m prone to emotional outbursts and mass quantities of malted refreshment down at the HDC. My wife keeps telling me they’re someone else’s boys. Sure, deep in the darkest corners of my mind I know that, but I can’t help myself, I love those eleven-plus heroes that grace the burned and tattered pitch every week, even Landycakes, in spite of all the ribbing and moaning I give him–I just want him to earn the hooplah, and when he has, I’ve been screaming his name jumpin’ up and down with the lot of Galaxy fans the world over, like any passionate Dad does when his kid makes good, right?

Mostly I dunno Jack about all the fancy sports-things. I grew up when “soccer” was called “commie-ball” by the locals and if you weren’t good at stand-around-ball (a.k.a. “baseball”) or throw-ball/pointy-ball (that grid-iron thing) you weren’t a “sports guy.” I’m Just Jack and I know futbol only from the artist’s heart, from the dirt-pitch pickup games at the park, from the LOTG & ATR the USSF drills into us at referee clinics, and from what I experience facilitating a half dozen youth matches every week, whistle in hand and shirt-eater grin plastered on my face. That’s what I hope to contribute here, that heart-beat that burns for the Beautiful Game and for the men who play for the LA Galaxy, our side, our pride, our fine strong sons. [geez, cue fanfare music...while I dodge the water bottle missiles and popcorn storms]

I hope you’ll share my commiseration in your comments, and keep teaching me all that MLS business and fancy sports-thing stuff too.

A little while ago Laurie invited me to be a part of this blog, which I can only imagine is a bout of temporary insanity, but before she gets wise and boots me off the blog, I’m going to take the liberty to post up thoughts and analysis on the Galaxy. (I’m using the word “analysis” in the broadest possible terms, you understand.)

As Laurie says I do a weekly Supporter’s View column covering the Galaxy over at Soccer By Ives, which ya’ll can check out by by clicking this link. Because of my agreement with Ives, I won’t be posting any of that content here, but feel free to leave me comments here and there if you want.

I’m hoping I can use this space for thoughts and tidbits I can’t get into that column for space limitations and to have wider ranging conversations about what’s going on with the Galaxy in specific and MLS in general.

See ya’ll in the comments!

NathanHJ

It’s a slow Easter weekend in MLS so I thought I’d regale you with a brief history of my Galaxy fan-ness (as opposed to finesse, of which I have none).

I was living in Pasadena, just two miles from the Rose Bowl, when MLS began. That first season I learned of the Galaxy’s existence because of the traffic. Traffic jams, traffic rerouting. I could smell the hodas and hear the fireworks on the fourth. That season I caught a few games toward the end of the season and was addicted.

The next year I used some of my student loan (I was limping through grad school — and shh, don’t tell the government) to purchase season tickets. My tickets were behind the Galaxy bench, about fifteen rows up, and I believe were in the $350 range. If anyone is sitting in similar seats at the HDC, I’d love to know what the season ticket price is now.

And so for the next several years I had fifteenth row tickets to the best game in town. I saw some great and some not-so-great soccer. I saw Dan Calichman break his leg, and I got to chip the ball into the giant inflated Kellogg’s cereal bowl during the halftime festivities. (I missed off the rim. I blamed it on my running shoes. If I had only been wearing my turf shoes . . . I’ll never know the freedom of a year’s worth of free cereal.) And I used to have a running joke, albeit in my head, with Mauricio Cienfuegos. He was “allowed” to make only 5 mistakes per game. He was usually under that.

I got married, had my first daughter, and the Galaxy moved to the HDC. With a baby and the distance I couldn’t justify season tickets anymore. Then I moved to Virginia — the land of four seasons and affordable housing. I’ve lived here five years now and have followed the Galaxy each year via satellite and internet.

So I want to know — who else is not local to LA but loves/follows the Galaxy? What’s your story?

Yup, I’m sorry, but it’s true. I love European soccer. I have serious warm fuzzy feelings for the France National Team. And I have a soft spot for every European club (French, English, German, Spanish, Italian, even occasionally Turkish) where my French guys play. And I thought The Headbutt was the sexiest act ever shown on television.

(And I can’t believe I just admitted that here.)

So why am I writing the blog on the LA Galaxy?

Because I realized that I am part of the problem. I’ve wanted soccer to be big over here, as big as it is in Europe, and then I haven’t supported the teams. Granted, there’s not a team in my town yet, but that’s no excuse. I haven’t lived in Denver for years, but I still love my Broncos. So I figure, what the heck? If I can declare myself Unofficial Team Mom for one team, I can do it for two.

So this is me, blogging on (and learning to love) The Galaxy and MLS. Getting to know the players and learning what makes American soccer unique. And now, as an added bonus that comes with Beckham’s arrival, getting to blog about exciting things like Beckham’s non-Posh girlfriend — back from when he and Posh were engaged — with whom he played Strip Scrabble. Seriously. But that’s a story for another time.

If you’re already a fan, feel free to give me thoughts, tips and pointers. (Like on SuperLiga. Or that whole “assist” thing.) And if you’re not, yet, I hope you’ll join me on the ride.

(And Galaxy guys? If you were to throw in a headbutt or two over the course of the next year? Well, I’d kind of probably be okay with that.)