The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly: Pickett’s Fan, the Lions’ Home Record, and Conspiracy Theories

I come to you from Asheville, NC this week while on vacation. Don’t tell my family I’m taking time out to write an article for you. Let’s see what managed to catch my attention this week.

The Good

Carson Pickett. I don’t mean some of her play recently. After all, she was sitting the bench to start the Pride’s last game. I do, however, mean what she does in addition to being a player. She is an inspiration to many, and has always been accessible. Case in point: this recently caught photo at a Pride game.

The look on the face of that child is echoed back in the expression on Pickett’s face. This is the type of thing that will grow both the women’s game and soccer in general in this country.

The Bad

Orlando City’s home record is as bad as the team’s away record is surprisingly good. Sitting at 4-6-1 with 13 points, the Lions’ home record is a significant factor in the team being below the playoff line. We know it isn’t the supporters, as they have shown up as usual to support this club through good and bad. It can’t be completely blamed on the schedule (though it hasn’t helped either), given that many of the starters for the last match were actually rested. As for bad luck, well I don’t actually believe in luck, but if I did I would consider it a factor. Perhaps the woodwork simply has a vendetta against the players. Regardless, James O’Connor and the players need to figure it out if they hope to make the MLS playoffs for the first time.

The Ugly

Remember when Dom Dwyer was sent off for elbowing an opponent in the face? Remember when he was given an additional one-game suspension for the same incident? Remember when Zlatan Ibrahimović also hit a player in the head and wasn’t sent off? Zlatan also received no punishment beyond a “formal warning” after the incident was reviewed. In case you’re wondering what Josh Williams (the guy Dwyer elbowed) thinks of the decision:

I know that PRO gonna PRO, and that Don Garber has it in for us, but one would think they’d be a little bit more subtle about it. Between the bad calls against, the lack of calls for, the scheduling, and too-small charter planes, it’s very difficult not to buy into the conspiracies. But take heart, my tin-foil hat wearing brethren, O’Connor might just be a stubborn enough Irishman to overcome it all.

That will do it for now, but let me know what you think in the comments below, and what brand of tin foil you recommend. Go City!