He can say that about his beloved New York Giants and New York Jets -- in fact, I hope he gets to say it more about the Jets, as I've rooted for them more and more in recent years -- and I can say it tonight about the Portland Timbers.
3-1 win for the season opener! Another season-opening win at home in the rain, like last year. (Gerald, who I was watching with at the bar Beulahland, said "Imagine if it starts snowing at the half.") There was the standard beautiful footwork the players (on both teams) display when the ball's near the sideline; I especially like seeing that, though not as much as seeing goals or even near-goals. The bar was packed, the stadium was packed, the energy was good -- this feels really good, really right.
This is a good start, this year. Just a start, of course. I'm re-learning how maddening soccer can be, with how genuinely hard it is for players to score and how tantalizingly close the game can be, how much it makes you yell. Quite a few players (on both the Timbers and the Philadelphia Union), plus quite a few spectators, had arms wide in that "Come ON!!!!" gesture several times during the game. It's a good game for protests, and for fans yelling "Take another bong hit, ref!"
We can keep up this energy. Let's hope it translates into a kick-ass season.