Tuesday Happy Hour: Day After Presidents’ Day Sale

"I'm sorry, I can't deal with Qumar with right now. I'm discussing a starting XI for Italy with Klinsmann."

Everyone’s back to work today, and the soccer world had a few stories featuring our nation’s Presidents in light of yesterday’s holiday, among some other great tidbits:

• From George Washington to Jed Bartlet, The Other 87 brings us a starting lineup of our nation’s greatest real and fictional presidents.
• KCKRS brings us a bunch of great photos today, from modern Presidents playing soccer to a purported presidential mistress kicking a ball around.
• The Guardian’s Sportblog covers the inaugural meeting of the Independent Supporters’ Council, America’s first league-wide fan lobbying group.
• Just because it looks pretty cool, here are Philadelphia Union players participating in a four-way push-up on their final day of training in Florida, on MLSSoccer.com.
• Finally, KCKRS also brings us the latest “Sh!t ___ say” YouTube video, “Sh!t Soccer Girls Say”:

Rapids’ Preseason Trip to the Islands

This week the Rapids preseason takes them on an adventure to an island far away, one filled with wonderful beaches and beautiful people. The Rapids will play in this season’s Hawaiian Islands Invitational, with teams from four different countries. The club will face the Japanese side Yokahama FC on Thursday for the first match of the tournament. The club will then play either Melbourne (Australia) or Busan (S. Korea) on Saturday, February 25th. You can watch both of those matches on ESPN3.

Is Your Local Gay Bar gay4soccer?

Nellie's in Washington DC has done charity work with DC United and has their games on the bar's schedule along with the Nats, Caps, and Wizards.

The number of gay sports bars in America continues to grow, and last year their rise garnered the attention of everyone from sports blogs to Business Week.

But how sports-friendly are our gay sports bars, and more importantly to our interest, how soccer friendly are they? When 10:30 PM rolls around on March 10 will Boston’s gay bars that claim to be sports friendly be tuned into the Revs taking on the Quakes at Buck Shaw Stadium, or will they choose to use those screens for music videos to please the clientele looking to dance?

Monday Happy Hour: Slow Work Day Monday

Ironically, an empanada-making competition is also part of being a trialist under Sigi Schmid.

No holiday off here at g4s central, but it has been a slow work day so have been able to read a bunch and share some favorite links from the day with you.

• Eric on The Other 87 Minutes does a good analysis of Landon Donovan’s return to MLS and USMNT action after his stint at Everton.
• The Free Beer Movement works to answer the question of why the 2000 MLS Cup won by Kansas City has found its home in a Dallas skyscraper.
• MLSSoccer.com previews a sketch on this week’s episode of IFC’s Portlandia in which the shows stars find themselves in the midst of the Timbers Army at their first match. Took you guys long enough to do a nod to the Timbers!
• The English FA today launched a five-year anti-homophobia campaign, including a half-hour video on the subject recorded yesterday on Justin Fashanu’s birthday. Your move, Sunil.
• Finally, if you like us noticed the absence of Andrew Weber in last night’s Amazing Race, you can see what he was up to in the jungles of South America in extra footage on the CBS website.

The Amazing Race Week 1 Recap

I can’t wait for March! I am dying to see MLS action. On Sunday my Twitter timeline was blowing all evening. Why? Was there another match? Heaven forbid another trade. None of those, but something to help with the MLS offseason boredom.

A professional soccer player, the very attractive and athletic  goalkeeper Andrew Weber, is on The Amazing Race Season 20. He is currently in Florida at the Seattle  Sounders FC’s training camp. He and his musical twin brother Elliot are racing around the world with the show for a million dollars.

VIDEO: Anton Hysén in Britain’s Gay Footballers

For those of us who don’t live in the United Kingdom, here’s Anton Hysén’s segment in the BBC3 documentary “Britain’s Gay Footballers.”

Seattle Trades are Done…Time to Drink!!!

Ok…where to start this post???

**Warning the following is from an upset and soon-to-be drunk Sounders fan.**

Please pardon me as I grab a shot of whiskey… Tequila… Rum… What the hell one of everything!!!

This is almost as bad as black Tuesday when we lost Riley, Wahl, Boss, and Arlo White.

This is a big blow! Not only do we lose two players for the price of one, we get a Europe reject trying to come back to MLS in an attempt to gain favor with the National Team.

I loved see Mike grow and enjoyed seeing his cute big butt running up and down the pitch.

Now to my hometown boy Lamar! This is what has me so upset. He is a great player and a great guy. He is a local guy. From Federal Way. Really close to where I live. He was drafted in 2009, and sent to Charleston Battery to develop. Then sent to Europe. Then in 2011 after camp he was signed to the first team. When I met him for the first time I said he was doing a good job and I can’t wait to see him grow as a player… that’s all before his hat trick, and amazing season! Now I’ll have to watch from afar.

Damn it! Just know Lamar I’ll be rooting for you always! A fan for life. Let me know when you’re in town. Love to take you to dinner and/or a drink!

I wish the Impact luck with their Sounders as they now have 5 alumni.

Dear Mister Johnson, you have big shoes to fill. If you feel up to it, I’m glad and I really wanna see this go well! I also have Lamar’s match-worn and signed boots. If you wanna give me yours too that might help to ease my pain.

I don’t envy you. This is a hard place to be put! The best of luck to you good sir. Welcome to the team and to Seattle! Lets go out there and put on a good show.

Sigi I trust you…but please don’t lose your mind like Nowak.

Tentatively appeased and buzzed until later.

Is it march yet?

Grant F.

Chris’s Soccer Valentine

Mike Chabala

defender, Portland Timbers

Why is he Chris’s Soccer Valentine? There are a lot of things that are sexy about Mike Chabala, but nothing is a bigger attraction to me than a guy who stands up for my rights. I’ve been a fan of Mike ever since he became the first player to do a NOH8 Campaign photo shoot, and have always been impressed by the charm, humor, and kindness he displays to all of his fans, doing charitable work whenever he can. And I’m not going to deny that Mike is an incredibly handsome man.

What would their Soccer Valentine date be? Our date would be at my perfect date location in Austin, Texas, the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema. And I think Mike would be game for one of their special “Action Pack” events, like a music video singalong or movie quotealong. We’d get there early for the preshow along with our first round of drinks and some conversation. Then we’d sing along to our favorite 80’s hits or shout out our favorite Office Space quotes for 90 minutes, maybe sharing a gourmet milkshake while we do.

gay4soccer founder Chris’s personal Twitter is @CJBinATX

Friday Happy Hour: The ABC’s of Soccer Valentines

Amarikwa, Bocanegra, Califf, Donovan, and the rest…here are this week’s Soccer Valentines, listed by the one being admired:

• Quincy Amarikwa, Teddy’s Valentine
• Bruce Arena, Tommy’s Valentine
• Carlos Bocanegra, Anton Hysén’s Valentine
• Danny Califf (and Jordan Harvey), Janine’s Valentines
• Landon Donovan, Jon’s Valentine
• Torsten Frings, John’s Valentine
• Jake Gleeson, Jorge’s Valentine
• Frankie Hejduk, The Free Beer Movement’s Valentine
• Zarek Valentin, Rachna’s Valentine
• Abby Wambach, Adam’s Valentine
• Bobby Warshaw, Justin’s Valentine

Plus one more coming shortly from yours truly…

Tommy’s Soccer Valentine

Tommy wants to date one of these men. No, the other one. No, the other one. No, the other one.

Bruce Arena

head coach, LA Galaxy

Why is he Tommy’s Soccer Valentine? If the man can turn around the dysfunctional side that was the 2007/2008 LA Galaxy into arguably the best side ever in the league, imagine what he could do with a fixer-upper relationship!

What would their Soccer Valentine date be? “Your ideas are stupid,” Bruce would say to me in his trademark bluntness and Brooklyn accent upon the introduction of my proposed evening itinerary.  “We will do what I want and you won’t know what I’m planning until we’ve already done it.  And even then, you’ll only know if I decide to tell you.”

On the plus side, our evening will be quite pricey by American standards.  Brucie – as he likes to be called, erm, by me – always seems to have ample cash on hand. “Allocation money,” he calls it. Whatever. You don’t have to tell me where you got it from or what you do on the side, Brucie.  It’s not like I’m going to stop you from spending it on me.

Our LA Galaxy writer Tommy is on Twitter at @grnrngr80