Hi. I'm going to beat this nickname into the ground until it sticks and/or we get a cut of whatever merch sales come from it. Cool? Cool.
Recaps of D.C. United's win over the Chicago Fire from us (with more from us here), MLS (with more from them here) and the Washington Post. Hot Time In Old Town has the Windy City perspective.
Armchair Analyst: A lesson to be learned from Mullins & D.C.'s ascent | MLSsoccer.com: Matt Doyle's love letter about Patrick Mullins and to a larger extent, college soccer, is worth the time to check out.
Steve Birnbaum on USMNT roster for upcoming World Cup qualifiers - Black And Red United: Birdbomb gets another callup to the United States team for World Cup Qualifiers.
Q&A pt. 2: D.C. United’s Nolan Sheldon talks fees, DA, more — Soccer Wire: Remember last Monday's Kicks when I mentioned Part 2 of Charlie Boehm's piece coming out? Well, here it is, also worth your time if you didn't see it.
The Evolving Design of the New DC United Stadium: Urban Turf with a nice look at some subtle changes from the earlier renderings of Buzzard Point.
Turmoil At D.C. Agency Follows Contract Dispute With Top Campaign Contributor | WAMU 88.5 - American University Radio: Muriel Bowser changed the stadium deal for fairness to the city, or something. Word comes that the city Director of General Services and two staffers are being forced out because a Bowser campaign contributor lost out on construction contracts to Buzzard Point and to the Washington Wizards facility. Because fairness, I guess.
Dynamo revitalizing East Downtown | Get Me In There: Houston | MLSsoccer.com: If you want to see some potential of a downtown stadium, this look at the Houston Dynamo's home is worth a look. As one who's been a couple of times early when it opened, I'm pleasantly surprised at what they've done around the place.
Washington Spirit hold on for 2-1 win over the Orlando Pride - Black And Red United: Teams in the DMV made Orlando teams sad over the weekend, and I couldn't be happier. Combined with Portland Thorns FC's loss, the Spirit are now 6 points clear in first.
Leicester City 2-1 Swansea City analysis: Don't let the scoreline fool you as Fabianski limits the damage - Wales Online: In kinda sorta partner club news, Leroy Fer scored for Swansea City against defending EPL champs Leicester, but it was more a consolation than anything as the Swans lose and drop into the bottom half of the table.
Inter Milan 1-1 Palermo: Wasteful but Better - The Offside Inter Milan: In more partner club news, Mauro Icardi scored for Inter Milan, but it was to level the match with Palermo, which ended in a 1-1 draw and kept Inter winless in their first two matches this season.
Finally, you know Stanley Kubrick's The Shining, right? You know the caretaker Dick Halloran in there, right? Well, Scatman Crothers, who plays him, was more than appreciative of being cast in the film, and one notable interview had him in tears of appreciation. We get to see a song he whipped up about tKubrick. Now go have fun today, OK?