(International) Football in Kansas City

I haven't had much in the way of hockey news lately, and until the Nash/Ryan/Luongo/Semin shoe drops, it appears that I will only hear about the signings of minor significance.  My baseball coverage is still sorely lacking despite promising quite a bit during All-Star week, so no more promises on that until I can swing by the Negro Leagues Museum, since Kansas City has a rich history in baseball.

As you may have figured by the picture above, today, I will be talking a little football.  No, not the one most Americans think of, but rather the sport everyone not in the United States calls football.  As for a specific subject, today will be all about football in Kansas City.

Kansas City Comets 1979-91

The origins of football in Kansas City date as far back as 1981, when the Comets played indoors.  Prior to 1981, the team that became the Comets played their first year as the Detroit Lightning and their second year as the San Francisco Fog.  From 1981 until they folded in 1991, the Comets would play their home games at Kemper Arena and made the playoffs seven of the ten years in existence.  However, the drop in revenue forced the team to fold after the 1990-91 season.

Kansas City Attack (1991-2001), Comets (2001-05)

Almost immediately after the Comets folded, Kansas City got another indoor football team in the Attack of the NPSL.  Originally the Atlanta Attack, that franchise moved to Kansas City after two years in Atlanta.  That franchise won the championship in the 1992-93 and 1996-97 seasons.  After the 2000-01 season, the NPSL folded and the Attack would form a new MISL with the leftover teams from the NPSL.  That move saw the team rename itself the Comets, albeit with a new logo.  That team would not see the league fold in 2008, as the Comets would cease after 2005.

Missouri Comets 2010-present

A brand new MISL formed in 2008 and in 2010, the Comets name would make a return, though they would become known as the Missouri Comets, complete with original logo.  This current Comets team calls the Independence Events Center home.

Kansas City Wiz 1996

Major League Soccer would make its maiden voyage in 1996 and Kansas City has been a part of the league from the very beginning, though it did undergo two different name changes.  The first incarnation of the Kansas City franchise was known as the Wiz.  No, not the Wizards (though that would be rectified the following year), but the Wiz.  Imagine the jokes to come from that name.  The team itself actually made the Conference Finals that year, losing out to the Los Angeles Galaxy.

Kansas City Wizards 1997-2010

The team would become the Kansas City Wizards, ending an error that spawned many jokes about the name.  They would have some horrible years, but with an MLS Cup in 2000 and the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup in 2004, it's safe to say the Wizards had some success.

Sporting Kansas City 2011-present

In 2011, the franchise was rebranded as Sporting Kansas City.  To date, Sporting has had some great success, which has largely coincided with the new Livestrong Park that opened in the middle of the 2011 season.  I know there were (and still are) people that hate the name change, but I am not one of them.  The name Sporting Kansas City rolls off the tongue and presents some new marketing opportunities (many of them, remain unused).  Given that they're winning...a lot, I don't hear many complaints now, which goes to show that winning does indeed solve a lot of problems.

Timbers Thoughts

Last night was one of those rare moments when I could break out my Portland Timbers shirt and have it actually be relevant.  You see, they were in town last night to take on Sporting KC (I don't get all those who think that name sucks because it actually rolls off the tongue, but I digress).  Some of the personnel was actually in town the day before the game, and I was quite fortunate to procure an autograph from one of them (the goalkeeper coach).  The day of the match, I also happened to see one of the players at a coffee shop.  Given my nature, I didn't approach him, as I figured he was busy with whatever it was he was doing.  As luck had it, he approached me, since he had to notice the Timbers shirt I was wearing, and a few short words later, I wished him and the team luck.  Unfortunately, the Timbers didn't do so well, losing 3-1 and avoiding a clean sheet in the 81' minute.  The other big story out of the game: Bobble Head Gate.  Last night was Omar Bravo (a Sporting KC player) Bobble Head night, so some lucky fans that were there early enough received their own.  To make a long story short, two idiots (no word on who they were rooting for) decided to throw their bobble heads onto the pitch after a Sporting KC goal, one of which hit Sporting KC goalkeeper Jimmy Nielsen.  Neilsen would stay in the game, but the fuckwits who threw the bobble heads were taken out in handcuffs and are now banned from Livestrong Park (the Sporting KC venue).  As someone who has been to the new venue, I can say that hopefully, this incident should not take away from what truly is a great experience where every seat is a good one.  However, idiots like those who threw the bobble heads will not be tolerated, and the surrounding fans let that be known, so I give praise to those who are actually there to enjoy the game.  And how stupid must those two feel, to know that they can never attend another event at Livestrong Park and almost cost Sporting KC (their own team, for fuck's sake) a chance at making their playoffs.