An Edson Buddle Thanksgiving and Other Assorted Tales

As we wind down another MLS season and find ourselves less than a week away from Thanksgiving and the beginning of the holiday season, I feel I should find time as a fan. to count my Cosmo-colored blessings and give thanks to the wondrous things and people during the year that was. It’s been full of ups and downs, on and off the field. But here we are, still playing in November as if everything went according to plan.

So does LA have to be thankful for? Being in the playoffs and even getting the chance to get to MLS Cup for starters. If you thought LA would make the playoffs 5 games into the season, either you have Joan of Arc faith in this team or you’re lying. It’s almost nothing short of miraculous that the team turned things around, despite injuries and the start of the first half of the season.

I first and foremost give all thanks to the gamma-powered Omar Gonzalez for shoring up the center defense. You truly are a hero in Galaxy white.

To Tommy Meyer, thank you for becoming a man at the right time of the season. Despite your Hoosier humility, when Landon Donovan says you’ve become a man…you’ve become a man, man.

I would personally like to thank San Jose for giving up the ghost at the most opportune time of the season. The playoffs. You nearly gave me and a lot of other Galaxy fans a scare for ninety minutes, but tis the season for giving and yours was the greatest and most perfectly timed gift of all time. When I finally have wee ones of my own, I will make sure they know the date of November 7, 2012 and tell them how we feasted on San Jose tears.

But lastly, as we Galaxy fans enjoy the hopefully joyous beginnings of the holiday season, we should turn our attention to the less-fortunate. A player with a heart of gold but feet of lead, whose turn from hero to villain would make Two-Face seem tame in comparison.

Ladies and gentleman, we should be thanking Edson Buddle.

Now before you hit the big red x on your Internet Explorer 5.0 and threaten to never return to the Jewel of MLS blogs, consider the previously mentioned San Jose Western Conference Semi-final game. Yes, I realize he didn’t score, have an assist and only generated two shots on goal. But what he did do is draw the defense towards him on two of Robbie Keane’s goals. Sure, you can say that’s his job and you’d be right.

However, this is Edson Buddle in 2012. So yea, there’s that.

All joking aside, Buddle’s hold-up play has helped alleviate pressure on the defense and forces opposing defenses to deal with a more physical presence than Robbie Keane. If you pay really close attention and suspend some (well a lot) of disbelief, Buddle could easily be That Guy of 2012. The one we all made fun of but did the really cool thing that stand out in our minds and give us warm feelings for the rest of the year.

But that’s what the holiday season is about, Right? Small miracles coming from unlikely sources. Stories being created and told for future generations to enjoy and cherish

So Galaxy fans, who are you giving thanks for as Thanksgiving rolls around?