MLS All-Star Game

A lot of people think that major league all-star games are useless and a waste of time. And you know what? These folks are absolutely right. They don't mean anything in the standings and they're just a showcase for a bunch of showy goals, homers, touchdowns, etc.

But you know what?

WHO CARES!

I love the MLS All-Star game. It's a great opportunity for the communities of soccer fans and players to come together and just have a good time, celebrating what the game of soccer is all about! And that's all it's supposed to be.

Back when I was covering the Columbus Crew for the official team website, I did an article about the MLS All-Star game from the fan perspective. And in talking to fans from all over the country, from all walks of life, I came to the following conclusion: no matter where they were from, or how much they made, or what their cultural heritage/identity was, that soccer was the true universal language.

I met Hispanic-Americans from Colorado, Asian-Americans from California, African-Americans from Columbus, Europeans from Chicago, and the consensus is: THIS GAME ROCKS.

Sure, soccer has its problems around the world. Take the Old Firm rivalry in Glasgow - the religion-based fight going on between the Catholics and Protestants in Scotland is displayed every time Celtic and Rangers play. But to blame soccer for that is ridiculous. It's just the outlet that these two factions have chosen. And to be sure, any time a referee or a player is attacked because of heated emotions following a match, that's a crime. People take it way too seriously. But that's indicative of something else, usually - perhaps people are so downtrodden in their societies that soccer is all they have and they put their hearts and souls into it.

Those are just some theories on my part, I am no sociologist or anthropologist. But the fact remains that billions of people love this sport. And to create an opportunity for the fans of the sport to get to see their favorite stars in action on a day that is all about fun? Forget about it!

Thank you, Major League Soccer, for giving the fans of the greatest game on earth this fantastic chance to show their love of the sport of soccer.

And fans - if you can make it to the game, do so. You won't regret it. You'll have a great time.