Talk About Propaganda

Major League Soccer is expanding again. Ives Galarcep reported earlier this week that the Seattle Sounders, who currently play in the USL, will join (be promoted to?) MLS as the 15th team in 2009. But what I find interesting is this article, which found its way to my Google Reader:

SEATTLE SAID TO BE MLS EXPANSION CITY

Okay, rumors and innuendo. That's cool. But who published the story? The MLS official website! It includes the gem, "The league would not confirm or deny any impending accouncement [sic] on a Seattle franchise." Well that may be, but it won't stop them from all but "accouncing" it on their website. This is like:

RED SOX RUMORED TO WIN AL EAST (source: mlb.com)
COLTS PURPORTED SUPER BOWL CHAMPIONS (source: nfl.com)
ARENA FOOTBALL COULD BE IRRELEVANT (source: afl.com)
CLAUDIO REYNA PERHAPS OVER-RATED (source: nyredbulls.com)

So I'm "accouncing" a contest. Best stupid rumor propaganda headline. Winner gets an MLS-style press release written by yours truly to be posted for posterity on J&S. Your entry has to be sports-related, true, and (above all) HILLARIOUS. Submit your entry via the comments. Multiple entries are okay, as long as they are funny.

Also, I don't know if MLS can handle this torrid expansion pace (Toronto F.C. joined the league this year and San Jose hits the pitch next year) - it doesn't even seem to know how many teams are in the league. The sub-headline states, "Pacific Northwest reportedly targeted for 14th franchise" and there's mention of Seattle as 14th franchise in the first paragraph. BUT... the league currently has 13 teams (RBNY, New England, Columbus, D.C. United, Toronto F.C., Chicago, F.C. Dallas, Houston, L.A., Chivas USA, Colorado, Real Salt Lake, and Kansas City, all of which I sadly named from memory) and San Jose (re)joins the league next year, making the Sounders the fifteenth MLS team.

Also, San Jose, the real 14th team, isn't in the Pacific Northwest (last I checked). Maybe I need remedial math and geography classes. Or, the person who wrote the press release is a referee.

Don't forget the contest!