"Finally, Tony Bakker has his trophy."
Photo Courtesy of Mike 'Mikey' Buytas |
So that's that then is it? The Charleston Battery are the new A-League champions for the next 365 or so. A trio of goals from Ted Chronopoulos, Paul Conway, and Steve Klein paced Charleston to a sound victory over Western champions, Minnesota. Finally, the championship expectations were fulfilled for those who have run the Battery so well over the years. This club has finally won the big prize in the A-League and every penny seemed to be worth all of the smiles seen around Blackbaud Stadium last Saturday night.
What of their opposition in the championship match, the Minnesota Thunder? Well, one thing's for certain and that is that they are a class organization from Jim Froslid to Buzz Lagos to the team trainers and those players who truly deserved better than a pasting in the penultimate match of their season. Guys who played steadily all season long such as Joe Warren, Marco Ferruzzi, and Don Gramenz really deserved to have a better fate but in the end they still managed to handle themselves with the class that helped get them this far.
Everybody already knows about what went on in the field of play last Saturday night so I guess my take will recount some of the interesting things off of it. So here's what I'm going to do, if you've been reading my column for awhile now you know I love lists so I'm going to list some of the noteworthy things I saw last weekend:
1. I ran into Nigel Cooper and Andrew Bell at halftime. I asked Nigel if he could've written a better start for the final - the look on his face as he ran off to perform more of his gameday duties was one of a man who couldn't have been more excited or happy.
2. In the hotel lobby the morning before the match I had the pleasure to meet the Branans (i.e. Rick and Kaye and their son, defender for the Thunder, Dustin and other son Ryan) and as a bonus watched Joe Warren wolf down some biscuits and gravy for breakfast which also happened to be the first time in several trips to Blackbaud that I can recall the hotel having biscuits and gravy as part of the continental breakfast. Hmmmm….
3. Had the opportunity to talk A-League schtuff with Bob Lilley, Gerald Barnhart, and my boss, Dan Barnes, over some Sticky Fingers barbecue prior to the match. By the way, did anyone else know Bob was an LSU fan?
4. There's a comforting feeling when you realize a guy like Tim Holt is as much a fan of this game and this league as you and I. Believe me, the guy loves this game as much, if not more, than all of us. If you don't believe me check out the photo my colleague Allison Andrews got of him and a "mysteriously" acquired Timbers Army scarf.
5. Jim Froslid has guts, I'll give him that. We traded a couple of barbs back and forth on which team was going to win the final throughout the weekend and he gives as well as he gets. He also happens to be a class act all around. He even asked for Buck by name at an impromptu tailgate.
6. Did anyone else think the demeanor of the two teams kind of gave the ending away at the kickoff? If you saw the way the Battery players were jumping around and the more composed, almost business-like approach of the Thunder players you could kind of see where this one was headed. Charleston's players looked like caged animals during warm-ups and pre-game festivities.
7. So where was the best seat in the house last Saturday night? Depending on who you ask, it didn't matter. One could argue the luxury boxes, the pub and its FSW feed that gave people a head start on post-match festivities, in the stands, or at either end of the field behind the signage. I think Terry Phelan wound up with one of the best views, though, from upon the shoulders of teammate Chris Bagley at the final whistle. Then again there was also the ride owner Tony Bakker received from the team as well when the trophy was raised.
8. What fan had the best hairdo at the match on Saturday? That honor goes to young Battery fan, Johnathan, who decided to go with the Mohawk a la Charleston netminder, Dusty Hudock, and garnished that with a little pro-Battery paint work.
9. Is there a much better set-up around the league for a visiting fan than having the affordable Hampton Inn, Queen Anne's Revenge, and Blackbaud Stadium trifecta all within a quarter mile (or less) of each other? The Queen Anne's was a nice place to be a fly on the wall Friday night as the USL's braintrust was in the house as well as the Thunder and their entourage. I was lucky enough to break bread with Dan and Vicki Barnes and Allison Andrews that night at the Queen Anne's.
10. Other notes from the lobby: who was that gentleman speaking with Tim Holt Saturday afternoon? Stay tuned.
11. Still more notes from the lobby: want to know what the bosses around the league do after breakfast on A-League final day? They meet with their boss, Francisco Marcos. It seemed they were having meetings all weekend which I'm sure they were in some form or another.
12. Another note from the lobby for good measure: from what I heard and saw it looked like Jim Froslid and soon to be former Thunder Director of Sales and Marketing, TJ Varecka, had a chance to check out the beach while down in Charleston prior to the big game.
13. Met Rob Wilson in person for the first time before the game and tailgated with him alongside major Battery backer and sponsor, Buck, and the others in the a-league.com party. It's always nice to finally meet people you've worked with over the 'net for so long.
14. You have to give it up for the Regiment who spent a lot of their free time last week and on matchday volunteering to help make this such a huge success for the Battery.
15. Also finally got to meet Charlotte's Tom Engstrom. The guy is a true friend of the game and I am certain I am not the only one that will miss his Eagles club playing in the A-League next season. However, I know I'll be keeping an eye out for those Wilmington-Charlotte matches next season in the PSL.
16. Seen in the pub post-match: a jubilant Andrew Bell, media relations for the Battery, adorned with another one of those Timbers Army scarves. Those things sure did get around. Andrew does a fantastic job with calling the webcasts for the club in addition to all of his other duties.
17. Last but not least, happy belated birthday to Stella Lucille, the newest addition to the Gramenz family and congratulations to Don and his wife Kate.
"Was it Conway or biscuits?"
Photo Courtesy of Mike 'Mikey' Buytas |
I did want to mention one other thing, so bear with me for a second. At breakfast on Final Day, as I mentioned earlier, I got to share the hotel lobby and continental breakfast with the Thunder and others. I got up to give Dustin Branan my chair and noticed that Joe Warren was in the chair behind me and that he was munching some biscuits and gravy. I said to myself, "Self, I wouldn't be eating biscuits and gravy on a day that could warm up a bit and I could be nervous before a game or something." I mentioned this to several folks that I saw during the game and also said I wouldn't be real surprised if the choice of breakfast might now slow him down a bit in his reactions.
Now I couldn't outrun a biscuit or gravy to save my life and I'm hardly one to criticize anyone about their choice in culinary delectation but I will say that I think it odd that a professional athlete would be consuming biscuits and gravy on the morning of the championship match. If this had been Sunday morning then no big deal but me thinks next time, and for a keeper who has done as well as Joe there will be a next time, go for the granola. By the way, Joe, if you happen across this consider it good natured ribbing and chalk up Saturday to experience and, heck, I'll buy the victory biscuits next time.
So those are some of the things I wanted to let you all in on and the reason why is because it was fun and more of you folks out there should try and make the final at least once. You see, a lot of the whole A-League Final charm lies in the fact that you'll meet so many fellow fans of the game from the front offices on down to the folks who just want to take in a spectacle. So next time I urge you to do what you can to make it to an A-League final… even if it doesn't happen to be in the friendly confines of Blackbaud Stadium.
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