Because My Fleece Blanket Says So, That’s Why!

By: David | January 31st, 2009

Sure you have lots of ways to keep tabs on the Bay Area’s favorite new womens soccer team … but you should definitely read this blog first.

I am the new The Offside FC Gold Pride blogger, and you should try hard to read everything I write. Why? Please find your own good reason from among these options:

Because I’ve been a fan of womens sports for years. I watched my collegiate classmates win the NCAA Womens Basketball Championship back in 1990 and 1992. For a seven-year stretch, I was their postseason good luck charm. If I was in the building – tournaments, regionals, final fours – they won; If I was absent they lost. Before that, I covered the girls soccer team for my high school paper (and probably write no better today).
And, yeah, I’ve watched the US WNT for years, too. I saw Brandi do the sports bra thing (who didn’t). But I also went nocturnal for the last Olympics, and watched Carli Lloyd’s goal live. I was calling for Greg Ryan to be fired before that World Cup semifinal game. I was disappointed they even let him back into the country before canning him.
Third time is the charm. I had season tickets to the ABL Seattle Reign’s entire, um reign, before the WNBA drove the superior league out of business. I saw Mia play Brandi at Spartan Stadium, and was the game-day producer for the CyberRays before WUSA famously imploded. The cultural implications of a third failure would be unacceptable.
And I’ve got two daughters (no sons) who are cutting their sports fan teeth on this new league. My 10-year-old lived through the demise of the WUSA, but wasn’t really old enough to be too upset. But she is now, so don’t blow it.
For Christmas, my whole family exchanged yellow and black clothing, in anticipation of the new team. That was before there was anything other than a hat for sale on the fcGP online store. I’ve got a gold and black fleece blanket with “Gold Pride” and a lions paw print hand-sewn onto it. And you do not.

Hot Tip: The FCGP Store still only includes one item. It’s still the hat (as seen here modeled by Nicole Barnhart). For $21.95. Same one you could have gotten for free if you’d come to the team’s name announcement party back in November. I’ll sell you my blanket for $1499.99*

So read this space, where sports and culture will collide with some real family values. Oh, and … because it’s probably the only one updated by a 40-year-old dude. But I’ve got credentials, so behave.

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* probably not really