Inauguration Pitch
On this Inauguration Day in our fair city, soccer and culture/politics intersect again on the Insider.
We applaud new press secretary Robert Gibbs, a former North Carolina State goalkeeper; Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's son Key, who starred at Virginia in the early '90s; first kid Malia Obama, who plays the beautiful game; and Sunday Mall concert performers John Mellencamp, whose nephew of the same name started every match for Indiana University this past season, and Renee Fleming, who sang the Liverpool anthem "You'll Never Walk Alone."
We also salute.....
Former MLS scorer Dante Washington
Portsmouth Manager Tony Adams
Peruvian forward Jefferson Farfan
James Madison University Dukes
Jamaican defender Kemar Monroe
D.C. United draft pick Lyle Adams
Brazilian midfielder Jackson Avelino Coelho
Colombian midfielder Harrison Otalvaro
English announcer Martin Tyler
Former England manager Graham Taylor
Ex-MLS defender Rusty Pierce
Four former Scottish national teamers named Buchanan
Brazilian midfielder Lincoln
USA forward Eddie Johnson
Former Chelsea manager Avram Grant
Onetime D.C. prospect David Hayes
Jamaican defender Garfield Reid
Brazilian legend Arthur Antunes Coimbra "Zico"
MISL's Cleveland Force
Portland Timbers goalie Chase Harrison
Former MLS defender Ivan McKinley
The new pitch at Manhattan's Sara D. Roosevelt Park
NASL midfielder John Taft
Former DCU defender John Wilson
Ex-Australian national teamer Dave Harding
Platense (Honduras) founding member Roosevelt Garbut
English forward Barry Truman
Ireland winger Mark Kennedy
English striker Andy Johnson
T&T forward Jerren Nixon
Jamaican defender Simon Ford
English midfielder Darren Carter
Former San Diego Sockers defender Rodney Bush
USA midfielder Clinton Dempsey
Ex-USA player Susan Bush
and finally.....
Israeli forward Barak Yitzhaki
(No luck on an Obama footballer)
UPDATE: See readers' comments for an Obama playing in Spain!
I welcome your suggestions for a Van Buren, Polk, Fillmore, Coolidge, Hoover, Eisenhower and Reagan. (Sorry, former MLS defender Tim Regan does not count.)
By
Steve Goff
|
January 20, 2009; 6:30 AM ET
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Posted by: Ben7LA | January 20, 2009 7:13 AM | Report abuse
Reagan Noble of AmaZulu?
https://www.allsoccerplayers.com/en/players/69443.html?PHPSESSID=4c00ae910bbe3c8d11675ba63e53632b
You gotta love it when you follow the links and, viola, there is an article with a DC United player photo.
MR Caretaker
Posted by: postgolb | January 20, 2009 8:31 AM | Report abuse
The Eisenhower Soccer Club of Washington (state)
Posted by: Reignking | January 20, 2009 9:05 AM | Report abuse
Holy shnikees!
Bored, Goffer? Your list looks like a lot of work. Not enough b'ball going on to keep you busy? :-)
Posted by: DrBeaker | January 20, 2009 9:05 AM | Report abuse
Nice post, Steve. I run the NASL Alumni Association, and even I had never heard of "NASL midfielder John Taft." I looked him up, and it turns out he played in three games for...The Connecticut Bicentennials.
Dave
www.DaveBrett.com
Posted by: DaveBrett | January 20, 2009 9:15 AM | Report abuse
All I got is a "Miguel Michael Obama" in what seems to be some English university league, from what I can tell.
Posted by: Wendell_Gee | January 20, 2009 9:31 AM | Report abuse
Gotta say, I'm impressed with what you found, who cares about the other six or however many it was.
Posted by: JacobfromAtlanta-ish | January 20, 2009 9:34 AM | Report abuse
Ronaldo Reagan.
I have read that Cristiano Ronaldo was named after President Ronald Reagan.
Dont know if its true.
Posted by: Ron16 | January 20, 2009 10:28 AM | Report abuse
How about Morecamb legend Lance Millard (Fillmore)
Posted by: Eric_in_Baltimore | January 20, 2009 10:34 AM | Report abuse
And if you go to the proper German spelling of Ike's last name you will find that it is shared by goalkeeer Uwe Eisenhauer, although he appears to be an out of work amateur.
Posted by: Eric_in_Baltimore | January 20, 2009 10:39 AM | Report abuse
Ron, that's true.
Posted by: Reignking | January 20, 2009 10:48 AM | Report abuse
With regard to C.Ronaldo:
Posted by: universityandpark | January 20, 2009 11:18 AM | Report abuse
Now THAT was impressive.
Posted by: DCUinCT | January 20, 2009 12:03 PM | Report abuse
What?
Posted by: Reignking | January 20, 2009 12:11 PM | Report abuse
In FM2008, I'm always linked to buying a player named simply "Obama".
I'll have to check the data editor to find out.
Posted by: alecw81 | January 20, 2009 1:04 PM | Report abuse
According to FM2008's default database, there are several:
Common Name: Obama
Full Name: Fernando Obama Galindo
Central Defender for Murcia
First Nation: Spain
Second Nation: Ghana
Then there are several Obama's from Equatorial Guinea with no club: Arsenio, Chuku, and Thomas, as well as Eyenga Obama from Cameroon.
Posted by: alecw81 | January 20, 2009 1:15 PM | Report abuse
You know, I remember reading an article on that Obama -- that he became somewhat famous in Spain when Obaba won the nomination.
Posted by: Reignking | January 20, 2009 1:27 PM | Report abuse
Geroge H W Bush played soccer at Philips Academy.
The Audacity of Hope Solo.
Toe Polk
Posted by: I-270Exit1 | January 20, 2009 2:16 PM | Report abuse
Nice list, very clever. But I think my favorite part is this:
"Ex-MLS defender Rusty Pierce";
Specifically, the "Ex-" part. What a hack. Never should have made it up past USL-2.
Posted by: dcufan | January 21, 2009 11:27 AM | Report abuse
The comments to this entry are closed.
What a histroy ladden post, great idead tough.
Enjoy if you can and want to.