When Taggs and Soccer Studs come together... this is how it's done.

First, background for those who have never been to an MLS game (that's soccer:0). When the players walk onto the field, they are holding the hands of these cute little kids that are wearing the home team's jersey. Ok?

So a couple weeks ago I hear that J-dude and Jess are invited to lead the Colorado Rapids onto the field in the playoff-spot-deciding game against Real Salt Lake. I was pretty excited, but J-dude was exciteder. When he first heard, he squeezed me real tight while SCREAMING quite loud, then plunked down on my lap and told me to find some cool Rapids videos to watch. The time finally comes... and excitement is in the air.

We show up early at the stadium where we meet up with the boys' extremely hyped teams. (BTW, their seasons just ended quite successfully) So we wait for a long time, then the boys are whisked away with my photographer dad who gets to be on the field and take pictures. Sticks and I get our free soccer balls (COOOOOL) and go to our special seats - in the bleachers behind the goal. But that's not cool until I say that the locker rooms for the teams are right off that part of the stadium and you get to stand there and high-five all the players as they come on and off. REALLY cool that we were early and KYLE BECKERMAN had nobody to high-five except us. And yes I did say KYLE BECKERMAN. But I'll say it again: KYLE BECKERMAN!!!!!!!! Dreadlocks himself!!!!! And yes he high-fived us cuz we screamed that he rocked as he walked by. The rest of Real Salt Lake pretty much high-fived us too, and that was awesome. Chris Wingert comes out and I whoop and hold out my hand, but he was already walking on the other side of the hall, so he just smiled and gave me a little wave. But I pouted and said, "Aw come on!" And... I suppose since I was so cute(:P) and all by my onesie he walked all the over to where I was to give me some skin. How sweeeeeet:P

But now warm-ups were over and I knew my boys would be coming out with them soccer players. Here's what they had been doing in the locker room, courtesy of my dad:

The cutest nutcases you'll ever see!!!

Yup, that's Kyle the BeckerMAN. He's too cool. In this one he's hittin Jess's hand in the light blue.

Then they come onto the field holding a Real Salt Lake player's hand!!!! I got video, but it's not here. But J-dude was holding Nat Borchers's hand (Denfender) and I'm not sure who Jess got. I was kinda bummed that they didn't get a player they knew on the Rapids, but it was ok. Here they were, courtesy of my dad, who had the wrong camera lens - hence the farawayness:

YAY!!!!

YAY some more!!!

Our National Anthem, which I was too busy getting in my seat and being excited to pay any attention to...:P

THEN...

They ran off. But the fun had literally just begun - the GAME was starting!!!! The only thing was that Christian Gomez didn't play, and he's my fave on the the Rapids. But it was ok. We were winning 1 to nuthin at the half, and I - heheh - wanted the Rapids to win, but I knew Real Salt Lake was awesome too. Sticks and I rushed to our spot to high-five players as they came back out. Snagged more Real Salt Lake guys. But the RAPIDS came out next!!!!!!! And even better... slowly!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Tom McManus (yes the man himself) high-fives screaming girls with vigor. Terry Cooke and Colin Clark didn't even look at the twenty people yelling and holding out desperate hands:( But that was ok... cuz in everyone's disappointment, I looked up and saw coming down the steps... "GOMEZ!!!!!!!!!!" Yeah I hollered real good, and everybody else started up too. Christian Gomez kinda walked slow and didn't look at us a whole lot, leaning toward the far side where we couldn't reach him. But we yelled all the louder, and he smiled, shrugged and ran down the line again, high-fiving everybody. THAT was the coolest thing, cuz he rocks even more than Beckerman!!!! Ok, maybe not. Well - yeah he does!!!... Alright, it's a tie... no, I dunno... point is: they are both amazing and my hand was dripping with muy famousa soccer-player germs!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! It was soooooooooooooo much fun!!!!!!!!

Hate to spoil things now... but the game ended at a tie and the Rapids needed a win to go to the playoffs, and... their season is done:( BUT that's ok!!!!! Because we had a big blast at the game, and got pictures, and free stuff, the boys got to keep their awesome light blue jerseys, and Sticks and I got to high-five awesome soccer guys. I bet God had fun watching us have all that fun - he tends to do that:)

Peace out!!!:D