Report from MISL Fan Forum on Tuesday's MISL Championship Celebration
in Baltimore, MD...The City Sponsored the event for the BLAST.

The crowd began to gather at the Canton Waterfront Park shortly
before 5:30 PM, and my youngest son and I arrived about 5:35 and
walked the short distance from where we parked to the waterfront.
There were three tents with food (pizza, buffalo wings with veggies
and dip, and pit beef sandwiches) being provided (courtesy of either
the Blast, or free) by a couple of local pubs, and beer and sodas by
a local distributor. The biggest tent, however, was selling Blast
championship memorabilia -- three different design T-shirts (see the
photo album for one of the three designs), hats, and signed rocket
red balls (both regulation size 5 and the mini [size 2] balls).

At about 6:15, the Blast arrived on the Water Taxi, to the cheers of
the crowd (which at this point had swelled to several hundred folks).
As the taxi was docking, Denison Cabral kicked a regulation ball into
the cheering crowd. Other players threw t-shirts and mini-balls.
The team crowded onto the stage in front of a large banner announcing
the 2002-3 MISL championship.

Art Sinclair, the voice of the Blast on local radio, acted as emcee,
and introduced Martin O'Malley, the mayor of Baltimore; Ed Hale, the
owner of the Blast; Bobby McAvan and Tim Wittman, coaches; Kevin
Healey, former coach and General Manager; and then the team members
in order by jersey number. Brett Phillips was the only player unable
to attend (I hope this is not indicative of his return to St. Louis
next year, but I fear we've lost him).

Mayor O'Malley, Ed Hale, and McAvan and Wittman gave brief speeches,
and then Lance Johnson and Jason Dieter were called forward for some
parting thoughts (they're retiring) about how this team, which was
4-9 early in the season, began to believe in themselves, and never
quit. The finish of the season, with all those road victories, was a
memory to be treasured forever.

Bobby McAvan and Ed Hale then hoisted the MISL trophy -- a huge
crystal cup (with a regulation rocket red ball inside that the team
members were autographing), and the crowd erupted in yet another
great cheer. After a team picture, the players all got down from the
stage and began to circulate so that they could talk with the loyal
fans and sign autographs. We congratulated Sean Bowers on his
selection to the first team, All-MISL; PJ Wakefield on Rookie of the
Year, and Denison Cabral on championship MVP. My son got his t-shirt
autographed by just about every player. When we headed out, the
crowd was thinning out, but still there, as were the players.

And there you have it. Another championship team in Baltimore!
Photos will follow on the MISL Fan Forum
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mislfanforum

Dave Stark (a moderator MISL Fan Forum)