Can you feel it? It's in the air. You can almost smell it! The beginning of the 2007 MLS season is just a few short weeks away. Unfortunately, the Los Angeles Galaxy's home opener is on a Thursday, but we have already purchased our tickets for the first Honda Super Classico on April 28th against Chivas USA. (We hate them SO much!! J/K) It's gonna be a very big year for our team, seeing how it is the farewell season for Galaxy and U.S. National Team great Cobi Jones, as well as the inaugural season for soccer superstar David Beckham for the MLS here in Los Angeles. We have a lot to look forward to, and hopefully that includes a Championship victory at the end of the season. (But I'm getting ahead of myself!). This past Sunday was the return of Fan Fest at the good ol' HDC, and it gave fans an opportunity to get up close and personal with players and the venue.
We were treated to a warm-up session by the team for about an hour, where we got to see their new warm-up gear, featuring the logo of new corporate sponsors, Herbalife. We saw Cobi's new haircut, and we also got to get autographs of, and take pictures with, Galaxy President (and U.S. National Team great) Alexi Lalas. There was a series of events that took place during the afternoon. There were locker room tours, which we had previously taken the last time we went to the HDC for Open House. Alexi Lalas addressed season ticket holders as to the status of the team and their plans for the season. The entire team was presented to, and addressed, the crowd. And there were plenty of booths and activities taking place in the main courtyard.
But the main reason we were attending the event was for the fact that players would be having an autograph session. I had received a Galaxy t-shirt for my birthday from the Team L.A. store, and I decided that it would be worthy of being autographed. We made it a mission to get every player's John Hancock, and I think we accomplished just that. The big 2, of course, were Landon Donovan and Cobi Jones. Donovan for being the newest U.S. soccer sensation (and pride of the Galaxy), and Cobi Jones for his swan song season.
I caught Donovan just as he was finishing reading a story to the children in attendance along with Quavas Kirk. (I also managed to snag an autograph for my girlfriend, seeing how she's in love with Donovan!) I got her autograph on an MLS scarf that I had bought before I entered the HDC.
There was a prize wheel in one of the booths that was free to spin for a series of prizes. We managed to snag a Cobi Jones action (or maybe inaction is a better word for it) figure, that my mom managed to get signed by the man himself, just before they ended the autograph sessions.
All in all, it was a fun event that gave us the rare opportunity to come face to face with out favorite players. (For some reason, my mom was smitten with Santino Quaranta, and even got a picture snapped with him!) It pumped us up for the upcoming season, and also gave us a mission for this year...get Beckham's autograph!! I'll resume my Galaxy updates just as soon as the season kicks off. Make sure to check back often!
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