A Christmas Song All My Own

This is a rather feeble attempt to write my own Christmas Song. As if the title hadn't given that away already. I have no idea what its called.

How could we know? The little boy, stable born, would be hope everlasting? To this baby bowed, shepards, wise men. To the man will bow the world. From a crib, worshipped, to a cross, glorified. This man we call Emmanuel,

Glory, glory, to the King!
Glory, glory, let us sing!
Let us worship this Christmas Day!

They knelt on hay with gifts of gold. We kneel before the cross, with tears of joy. From trough to tomb, from birth to death. How could we know? This man, crucified, would be salvation eternal? This man we call Emmanuel.

MLS Expansion

Now as for MLS Expansion. The pros and cons of each and what MLS should try and get from each will be discussed below.
City 1. Atlanta. Owner-Arthur Blank. Now, Atlanta seems like a good choice because it would be an expansion into the south and its a growing city with a good soccer background. The problem, though, is stadium location. I've seen what people have to say about where its proposed site is, and have said its terrible choice. Now, if Atlanta fixes the stadium location, I don't see any reason why this couldn't or shouldn't work for MLS. What MLS needs Atlanta to do is fix the stadium local and make sure they get Mac Kandji back for their first season.
City 2. Miami. Ownership group-FC Barcelona & Marcelo Claure. On the surface, this looks like the best choice of all 7. The power and brand recognition of FC Barcelona and the money of Claure will insure this team is one of the best built-and possibly most star filled-in MLS. Also, with Miamis diverce population and status as a global city, the potential for passionate, loyal fans is huge. A team here would also expand MLS south. A few problems are the first stadium they'll play in. College football field, turf. Good thing. Its free. After maybe 2, 3 years the team will most likely build a new stadium downtown near the old Orange Bowl, which would probably make it the largest stadium in MLS. Biggest con, a Miami franchise has already been there, nearly won a title, and failed. Other then that, this does look like the best bid.
City 3. Montreal. Owners-Joey Saputo & George Gillet. This, actually, could be the best bid. They have a succesful team, stadium, and passionate fans in place already. Right now, the stadium seats 13,000. After expansion, 20,000+. Good owners who know how to run a team and run it well. Really, the only 'bad' thing about it is how close it is to Toronto. But it won't bring a conflict in markets, simply a heated rivalry.
City 4. Ottawa. Owner-Eugene Melnyk. Ottawa is the long shot. No stadium, no team, no fans. Just a really good owner. Its close enough to Toronto to bring about a really good rivalry, but with such a strong bid from Montreal and Ottawa's relativly small size, it just doesn't look good for Ottawa.
City 5. Portland. Owners-Paulson family. Another city with a team and fans in place, much like Montreal. The potential for soccer in this market is huge, while the rivalry with Seattle would be instant. The biggest problem is the lack of a stadium. It doesn't look like the city will want either a new baseball stadium or a new soccer stadium. The good thing though is that if they do allow construction of a new baseball stadium, all Portland has to do is renovate the current one to fit their needs. And lets face it. Baseball teams have more money to build stadiums then soccer teams, even if it is Minor League Baseball.
City 6. St. Louis. Owner-St.Louis Soccer United. St. Louis is truely legitimate soccer town. High soccer there is like HS football in Texas, or wrestling in Iowa. Its huge. The fans are just waiting for a team. Rivalries with Chicago and Kansas City are given. Players from the St.Louis not only want to play there, but say MLS needs a team there. Biggest problem though, for me, atleast, is the location of the stadium. Collinsville, Illinois? Thats plain odd. This is St. Louis's team, playing in the state of their rival Chicago for all their home games? MLS needs to ask them to try and get approval to build a stadium in Missouri, as close to fans as possible. Other then that, this is a city that deserves a franchise more then any other city on this list, and has deserved one for a very long time. That time might be coming soon.
City 7. Vancouver. Owners-Greg Kerfoot, Steve Nash, Jeff Mallet. This group boasts strong leaders, star power, and deep pockets. They have a championship team and good fans, a rivalry with Seattle, and even have a stadium to play in until they can build their own. Not to mention, Vancouver is also North Americas fastest growing city. And have you seen the city coat of arms? Put some of that in the team logo, and it could have the best logo in MLS. I was unable to find current info on their proposed stadium, but I've read that it will apparently be in a beautiful waterfront location with easy public access and nerby public transportation. The current plan does call for an original 15,000 seat stadium that can be expanded to 30,000+ The only problem they face is that the area of consturction is Vancouvers last undeveloped waterfront, so they are using caution as they go about the building. It does lool like even if they don't get an MLS team, they'll still get their stadium.
Now, the winners and losers. My pick for who gets the expansion slots-Miami and St. Louis, with Kansas City moved to the Western Confrence where it belongs. St. Louis beats Montreal because of its much larger proven fan base and soccer heritage. Falling just short-Montreal, Vancouver, Portland. I already said why Montreal lost, Vancouver loses beacuse of stadium issues, along with Portland. The Losers-Atlanta, Ottawa. I just don't see Atlanta getting it. I don't why, I just don't. Ottawa, to small, to many unknown factors regarding fans. But keep hope. The next round of expansion is likely 2013. Then you'll just have to try and take down New York's bid for a second team.

The State of MLS

This is my first blog on the american soccer league, Major League Soccer, and will be quite a long one, dealing with many of the problems and changes facing not only MLS, but the USL 1 as well.

First off, the quaility of play in MLS is regarded as poor compared to the rest of the world. Here I'll look at a few solutions to fix the problem of average league play and disappointing international appearences. 

The First Solution. Raise the salary cap. Do not get rid of it altogether. The league is still to young and financially unstable to do away with a salary cap, but please, raise it! Right now, the 2.9 million dollar salary cap is barely good enough for teams to field a winning starting eleven. But when competitions like Superliga and the CONCACAF Champions League start, the salary cap doesn't allow clubs enough money to field a team with enough quality reserves to actually win. 28 players is a good enough roster size, but 2.9 million is not enough. Its so low we can't even keep our own stars, let alone attract young stars from Europe! A good raise would be to anywhere from 4 to 3.5 million. No lower, maybe higher.

Second. Count less money from the Designated Player slot against the salary. 500,000 is to much for such a low budget. Lower it to atleast 3oo,ooo. Also, instead of teams having to trade for another DP slot, let them buy one with a maximum of three per team for 500,000, with each slot counting for 300,000 against the overall team salary. The cost of buying a DP slot would also hopefully be enough to make teams stop and seriously consider the best canidate for a DP slot, instead of spending them on someone who had a good year that they don't want to lose.

Third. Fix the youth system. Let each team train and sign its own players from its own youth academies instead of waiting for them to graduate college at 21, 22. Letting them develop and sigh their own players would give teams a chance to give a player league play experience for 5 to 6 years before he's 22 like all the European teams have a chance to do. 

Recap. Raise Salary Cap to anywhere from 3.5 to 4 million. Lower the amount of DP slot money that counts against team salary from 5oo,ooo to 3oo,ooo, and let teams buy extra DP slots with a maximum of 3 per team. Fix the youth system. Let teams sign as many kids from their youth academies as they want and let them start playing.

Also, fix the refs. Please, for the love of all holy, fix the refs. Lets allow skills to show and a smarter use of physicality. When the players can show their skills without feat of getting hammered and fouled with no calls, then the level of play will improve.
Now as for international and local tournaments. More advertising and better incentives. For petes sake, the US Open Cup tournamnet is the oldest, most prestigious tournament we have, and its barely even mentioned or advertised. Get bigger name sponsors for it, and add some kind of incentive outside of CONCACAF Champions Leaugue slot. Money draws intrest from teams. Better promotion draws more fans which generates more revenue. Same thing needs to be done with the CONCACAF Champions League so that it benefits every team involved. The Superliga really only needs better promotion. The sponsors are there, and so is the cash prize. It just needs promotion.
If MLS does these things, I honestly believe it will improve the quality of play, the amount of American star power that stays and the age of stars coming in. It should also see a significant increase in revenue and bigger intrest levels not only in league play, but tournament play as well. Go MLS, and conquer the soccer world.

Humilty and Faith

As you know, the last blog I wrote was some reflections on Mark. I'm now in Luke. Chapter 7, to be exact. Some quick refrences, Luke 7:1-10, 7:36-50.

The first part of Luke 7 tells of a centurion and his sick servant. Now, the centurion sends some religious leaders to ask Jesus to come heal his servant instead of coming himself. Odd. Later on, however, we find out why. He sends some friends to Jesus to tell him to not bother coming, because he is not worthy to have Jesus under his roof. This centurion recognizes his lowliness before Christ, and admits it! He also says that with a word, he knows Jesus can heal his servant. Jesus is amazed at this Gentiles faith, and even says to the crowd following Him that He has not seen such faith in Israel. When the friends return to the house, they find the servant healed.  If we admitted or own lowliness and lack of worthiness before Christ, how much better and easier might our walk with Christ be?

In the second refrence to Luke 7, Jesus is dining at a religious teachers house when a 'woman in the town who was sinner,' came to the house with a jar of fragrant oil. She stands behine Him, at His feet, weeping, and washes His feet with her tears before drying them with her own hair and annointing them with the oil. Jesus then procedes to speak with the Pharisee and Simon, before telling the woman 'Your sins are forgiven you.' If we showed our humility towards Christ in our actions, what rewards might be reaped for the kingdom of heaven?

The faith and humility in the words and actions of the centurion leads to the healing of his servant. The faith and humility in the actions of the woman lead to forgivness. This is a picture of humility and faith in action. Let us strive to live like these examples. Humility in admitting our lowliness and our brokenness. Faith that Christ has the power to heal and to forgive.

Mark

I recently finished reading the book of Mark last week. One theme really stood out to me through the whole book. Hard Heartedness. The Pharisees and the people were so stupid! They were so wrapped up in themselves they could not see Jesus for who He was! How many times do we get so wrapped up in ourselves that we can't see what God is trying to tell us in our daily lives? I know it happens quite often for me. I would like to say that this is something all of us should pay much more attention to in our lives. Not just self absorbtion, but self reliance. Watch yourselves. You never know when love of self might make you miss what God has to say.

Micah 6:8

He has shown you, o man, what is good and what the Lord requires of you: But to do justice, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your Lord.

James 4:7

Humble yourself before God. Resist the Devil and He will flee from you.

Reflections On An Un-likely Sermon

Over the weekend I had the privlege of attending a wedding in Warsaw. Besides the good food, and the wondering about what my sister's wedding will be like, I heard a most unlikely sermon. The Preacher and The Translator gave a very eloquent message on what Marriage really is. It is not just a union of two people for there whole lives, but a union of two people, broken sinners, who will fail without Christ. The charges to the Bride and Groom were something worth considering. 

The Bride was reminded to be submissive to her husband in all things. The groom was reminded that he is to love his wife like Christ loves us. He is to forget himself, and love her more then he loves himself. Both of them were reminded that without turning to Christ in everything, they will fail.

Now, I feel that this can also apply to those of us who are still single. Be submissive to those in authority. Love those around with self sacraficing love. There is no reason we should wait till our wedding day to put these things into practice. We should start right now, with those around us. With our relationship to Christ. If we can practice that submission and love in our walk with Christ, how much easier will it be in marriage? 

And now the Final Reflection. I can already see that my sister's fiance, though he is already putting these points into practice, took them to heart and was inspired to do even better so he will be the best he can be when there time comes. I feel that when the time comes for them to be together, these points will be clearly seen to everyone around them, an example of Christ's love in living, breathing action.

A Plea From One To Another

I've been looking around at the world lately, mainly the state of people in my generation, and I must say, I am saddend. Not just by their behavior, but by ours. Our generation is drowning in sin. It is a sickend generation, devoid of hope. Yet we, those who have the key to Hope, to Eternal Life, sit by silent. People are married on days like today, 8,8,08, because the numbers are symbolic of prosperity and good fortune. How sad! If they only knew the true source! They might not be prosperous and have good fortune by the worlds standards in the end, but they would be by Christ's! We should not be afraid of this world, we already have the victory! Let us share the hope that is in within us. Let us all, myself included, no longer be afraid to spread the Gospel. Let us not be afraid of what this world might do to us, we have eternal life! May we all go out and make a difference for God in this, our generation.