Dear Mercury, I am positively honored to have been selected your "Letter of the Week," but unfortunately, I am actually leaving Portland in about an hour for a long overdue trip overseas and will not return until September. However, I don't want the tickets to go to waste, so please give them to the first person willing to come down to your office and say "I flirted with Mr. Freedom, and I'll I got was two tickets to the Laurelhurst Theater and lunch at No Fish! Go Fish!" Thanks again, and I will let you know if my overseas flirting is any more successful than that of the average Portlander when I get back.

Sorry, correct that "I flirted with Mr. Freedom, and ALL I got was two tickets to the Laurelhurst Theater and lunch at No Fish! Go Fish!"

+1 General Zod. Although if the Mercury wants to continue courting Portland's soccer fans, I wouldn't mind continuing to read Brian Costello's articles on the Timbers through the next year and also hearing more about soccer related stories across the city.

Here Here

Costello's okay in my book.

General Zod is correct. However, his thesis falls apart when it becomes apparent that he thinks soccer should be respected. The Mercury should not be allowed to jump on the "Soccer Is Cool" bandwagon because soccer sucks.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jUORL-bvwA0

Soccer is cool but Elvis Costello is mo' better.