Jock Itch Sneaking onto the Rapids bandwagon early

Rapids fans might groan when the attention turns toward their team for the first time this year, but secretly they’re pleased their team and sport have taken center stage. I crank out a Rapids column at least once a year, mostly to complain about the team’s name—but last year I was able to crow about the championship match the Rapids went on to win over FC Dallas. Well, it’s that time again. The Rapids bandwagon typically doesn’t leave for another week or so, but since the team is fighting for its life in the MLS playoffs, you should climb on board a little early just to avoid the rush, or you may miss it entirely. 

The Rapids lost 2-0 to Sporting Kansas City (a team with an even worse name than the Rapids’) this past Sunday at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park, and the team is now heading to KC for the second leg of the semifinal round this Wednesday. I can’t think of anywhere I would less like to be than Kansas City in early November. (Scratch that—I think mid-November, when the Broncos travel there to take on the Chiefs, may be worse. But Rapids players are wearing less clothes, so let’s call it a wash.) KC is in the Eastern conference, but the Rapids represent the West. I know, it’s completely screwy. You could have two Western conference teams playing each other in the final. At least I think that’s how it’s going down; it’s kind of confusing.

I’m not sure why the MLS playoffs use a two-leg system where the winner of the semifinal is decided on a goal differential. The Rapids will need to score two more goals than KC on Wednesday just to force overtime. It could mean the most anticlimactic moment in sports—a 0-0 tie—would usher KC into the Eastern conference final. That could be a reason why American sports fans, for all their many faults, just can’t get into MLS. But it gives the Rapids another chance, as slim as it is, to move on to the next round.

Only two teams have repeated as MLS champs in in its 15-year history, so the Rapids’ work is cut out for them. That’s no small feat, but what could be even harder is cracking the local news, since Tebow talk typically doesn’t lose its strength until a good four days have passed since his last game. Like sailors waiting for a hurricane to dissipate at sea, the Rapids are barely getting any coverage at all during this playoff run while the Tebow storm rages on, dominating every aspect of local media. The Denver Post gives cursory coverage to MLS, and the local TV news, always a sucker for novelty, only gave the Rapids attention after one of the players “Tebowed” the other night during the Columbus game. Whatever it takes, I guess.

It’s fairly unreasonable to ask your average sports fan to suddenly adopt soccer full time; if it hasn’t happened by now, it never will. Even if the Rapids don’t make it all the way to an appearance in the MLS Cup Final Nov. 20 in Los Angeles, then Colorado sports fans should still take note. The Rapids, no matter where soccer ranks in each fan’s list of sports, deserve accolades for simply being the most successful Colorado sports franchise of the last couple years. Unlike the league’s baffling playoff format, the Rapids’ success is not confusing at all.