I stole this image from a Flikr stream created by "thisguyprints". I hope he doesn't sue me.

A few weeks ago I took out my frustration with the 2008 season on the Galaxy front office, sending a lengthy e-mail to my season ticket rep and laying out my conditions for renewal. I turned that e-mail into this post from September 10th.

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Now that it is The Day After, I have a few thoughts on what just happened.

Alexi Lalas' firing was at least a year too late and was a laughably inept hire in the first place. Lalas was good at many things, like being a salesman extraordinaire, doing color commentary, creating funny ESPN Sportscenter promotional spots, even defending for the US MNT.

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First and most important: Stop back by here around 6:00 Pacific if you're watching the game at home. (Or, I suppose, if you're watching somewhere else but have an internet connection.) Leave lots of comments. It's always more fun to have company while I'm watching, and I consider you guys are my own personal online soccer bar.

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More fun stuff from our commenters.

Yesterday we heard from the Beckham hater. Now the Beckham-lovers. (Or at least fans.) This one came to us via Diane, with a little help from Mag.

Best quote:

"I'd rather run out naked at Old Trafford than stand in front of four people playing golf.

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More fun stuff from our commenters.

Yesterday we heard from the Beckham hater. Now the Beckham-lovers. (Or at least fans.) This one came to us via Diane, with a little help from Mag.

Best quote:

"I'd rather run out naked at Old Trafford ...

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I spotted this over on Ebay. I have no idea why it made me laugh, but...

Something about the expression on the face, maybe?

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I spotted this over on Ebay. I have no idea why it made me laugh, but...

Something about the expression on the face, maybe?

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I'm assuming AEG didn't get where they are by being clueless about business. Right? And one of the key tenets of business is that you don't separate authority from responsibility. Meaning people should have some control over the things you're holding them responsible for.

Let's go wonkish and head to a business website for some basic terminology:

Authority is seen as the legitimate right of a person to exercise influence or the legitimate right to make decisions, to carry out actions, and to direct others.

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I'm assuming AEG didn't get where they are by being clueless about business. Right? And one of the key tenets of business is that you don't separate authority from responsibility. Meaning people should have some control over the things you're holding them responsible for.
Let's go wonkish and head to a business website for some basic terminology:
Authority is seen as the legitimate right of a person to exercise influence or the legitimate right to make decisions, to carry out actions, and to direct others.

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I love children. Particularly precocious ones.

And I am sure the paparazzi completely deserved it.

As a mom, I'm quite impressed with his fine motor skills. Do you know how hard it is to do this when you're three?

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I love children. Particularly precocious ones.
And I am sure the paparazzi completely deserved it.
As a mom, I'm quite impressed with his fine motor skills. Do you know how hard it is to do this when you're three?

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I'm currently mentally working on a game review. For what it's worth. But for now:

Landon Donovan apparently did an interview with Telefutura after the game. I'll let Soccer y Futbol tell you about it:

"Some may not like it, but we are the giants of MLS.

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I'm currently mentally working on a game review. For what it's worth. But for now:

Landon Donovan apparently did an interview with Telefutura after the game. I'll let Soccer y Futbol tell you about it:

"Some may not like it, but we are the giants of MLS."

But Donovan quickly .

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I'm researching a post for World Cup Blog's main page on the incomparable announcer Thierry Gilardi, who passed away last month while I was in France. (If you're a France fan, you know his voice, even if you don't realize it.) In the process I thought I'd share Click to continue reading...

No time for a real post today, but I'd be remiss in my duties if I didn't point you to some posts you might be interested in. First, we're starting Euro coverage over at the Euro '08 page of World Cup Blog. I did a quick Thierry Henry profile that Click to continue reading...

Thought you might enjoy this photo of Zidane in Brazil. The article said "indoor soccer" but it looks more like Futsal to me. Zizou's team lost 4-3. The article says he was "slightly out-of-shape"

We should all be so out of shape.

He was there to do some charity work.

"It was a different story on his visit to a local shanty town.

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I am outta here for the long weekend. (Volunteer activities taking me away. Not the vacation yet.) I'll be back on Monday. In the meantime, longtime fan and Galaxy Offside reader Jen will be keeping you posted on all things Galaxy.

Please treat her extremely well and leave lots of nice comments, because I'm also counting on her to guest blog when I go to Europe at the end of the month.

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I got a rather unusual email the other day. My first impulse was to dismiss it automatically.

My second was to think, "Well... The world is a strange place. I suppose it's possible."

Tell me what you think. Here's what it said:

Hi Laurie,
I am a reader of the offside and a supporter of [European team.

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Imagine my surprise when this headline showed up in my inbox. I had these visions of Zizou and Veronique selling off Luca and Theo to promote the game worldwide. And I'm thinking, "Wow. What an incredible sacrifice for the good of the game!"

Alas, there is apparently a dog by the same name.

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If the person who made sculpture this did it tongue in cheek? I'll be the first to laugh.

If he/she was serious and sincere, though? To be honest, the thought leaves me a little frightened.

Either way? This is just a little...bizarre.

These photos came to me from Martha, formerly* of Italy Offside, who got them from her brother from an art show in Madrid.

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Kyle Martino, hanging out between practices. The official Galaxy website has more of Kyle, Landon Donovan and Steve Cronin in rock star mode. Made me smile.

(This isn't an official "Caption This Photo," but feel free to make my day.)

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A couple of people mentioned the idea of LA Galaxy Offside meetups this season. I think that's an excellent idea!

Obviously I won't be able to make most games live, but let's not let that stop us. What we'll need to make this happen is an LA-based person who'd be willing to coordinate and help make plans for at least one game things like deciding on a place to meet and a way to recognize each other.

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Reader Diane sent me an interesting link to an article about David Beckham on the Sierra Leone trip for Unicef. Just another reminder of how hard it is to pigeonhole the man.

On one hand, he is the exhibitionist of the Armani ads, the guy who loves to take off his shirt and strut around after games.

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I must have taken my crabby pills this morning, because stuff is pissing me off all over the place today. (Don't worry, though. I'm working on posts on our new draftees, and I'm sure that this will cheer me up.)

But for now, from the Wow, this is creepy department, by way of Nick Green:

The American Youth Soccer Organization and Herbalife Ltd.

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Some of you may have seen that SoCal soccer reporter Andrea Canales has a Sideline Views blog post up discussing her frustration with MLS, and particularly with the Galaxy, for their near-complete refusal to give out any information on the team. Or, in other words, for not allowing reporters to actually report.

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This comes from the website MLS Rumors. It is as reliable as the name suggests.

But remember here that I've read the same thing on Big Soccer. Which is...y'know...equally reliable.

This rumor comes to us via anonymous email from some claiming to be a friend of the ex-Galaxy, current San Jose goalkeeper: Cannon, one of the few bright spots for the Galaxy wanted to be traded away from what he allegedly described as "The Beckham Show".

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So when does it mean when people halfway across the world see photos like this and immediately think of me?

What does it mean? I'll tell you what it means.

It means: DAMN, I love this gig.

(Wait. Did I just say that?)

(Thanks, Massaer!)

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Zidane can go for months and months without talking with the press, and then BOOM. A very long an interesting interview.

The last big interview I saw with Zidane was close to a year ago, and he sounded unsettled. Now he sounds happy with life, thrilled to be spending time on charity and with his family, and ready to move on to the next phase.

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Speaking of walking wounded (which was, of course, what we were speaking of. Or maybe in this case it should be "hobbling wounded. Or "hopping wounded." And now that this thought is in my head, and since we're again talking about the lovely Ante Jazic, I must link you to this previous post.

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Okay, gents. Perhaps one of you can give me the definition of "simple" hernia operation, which is the surgery recently undergone by Troy Roberts and former Galaxy guy Joe Cannon.

Or not. Maybe we just don't want to go there?

Perhaps I'm overreacting, being, y'know, female and all.

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...because if you were, this is what you'd see.

I believe the phrase "larger than life" applies.

(Damn, I wish the season would start.)

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I got a fun link from Ric at Ballhype this week to the BBC Broadcast of the Queen's message!

Oh, wait, that's not the fun part. (Although I do find it interesting, as an American, to experience the whole monarchy thing from a distance.) But if you keep listening, you'll get a two-hour program where David Beckham's Line of Enquiry, where he answers listener questions, chats about life, and picks some of his favorite songs for you to listen to.

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We've been at this for over a year now, and you know far more about me than I know about you.

I've enjoyed your comments (or your silent lurking) over the past year, but now I want you to tell me about yourself. Name (or pseudonym), location, what your connection is to the France NT, who your favorite player is, what you'd like to see me write more about, and anything else you want to say.

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I spent several hours yesterday trying to finish this headline:

"This photo puts the 'Ick' back in..."

The only one I could come up with was the obvious anatomical one. (Oh, geez. Come on. You know. Rhymes with "best pickles.") And believe it or not, even I am not that crude.

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I had so much fun playing Santa Claus last year that I thought I'd do it again! Gentlemen, here are my Christmas gifts, picked out and wrapped up special, just for you! (And again, if you don't celebrate Christmas, just nod and say thank you, and remember: It's the thought that counts.

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