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Polis Report

Clash Conscious By Todd S. Inoue It was a sad day at the Community Value Center thrift store in downtown San Jose last winter when the racks displayed someone's discarded collection of San Francisco Bay Blackhawks gear--practice uniforms, warm-up T-shirts, even goalkeeper's jerseys. But sadness turned to hope last Saturday as former Blackhawks players and current San Jose Clash teammates Jeff Baicher, Paul Bravo, Troy Dayak, Tim Martin, John Doyle, Paul Holocher and Eric Wynalda vindicated soccer's past failures. A standing-room-only throng came thirsty, downright lusty, for well-played soccer, They oohed and ahhed at the right moments and quashed numerous attempts at The Wave. As a four-year Earthquakes season ticket holder, I know that some things stay constant at Spartan Stadium. Krazy George was vocal and bald as ever. Kool and the Gang's "Celebration" rang at the close. There were some new sights: Melrose Place's Andrew Shue and ball barriers with big-time advertising. Then the really encouraging sights: ESPN coverage, a multinational parade of drummers and dancers snaking through the stands, and parents who remember watching the Earthquakes with their children. Most encouraging was seeing 31,683 folks watch 22 players kick a round ball for 90 minutes straight--without dot racing, Deion, strikes or futile chomping. I love this game already. [ Metro | Metroactive Central | Archives ]