Campaign 2010: on sale now!

Posted on January 17, 2010 by Hoover Dam

I had such a great response to the Campaign 2010 project that I decided to call my pals at Busy Beaver, reprint all five buttons plus a sixth mystery button, and sell them together as a set. However, these buttons are slightly different from the initial run–they’ve got really cool metallic printing this time.

set of six

Each set contains six buttons with a campaign slogan advertising a potential addition to the 2010 US World Cup roster. (We like to think Davies has it in him to make it back in time). The set is $7, including shipping within the US. (International: email tifosi@hooverdam.net and we’ll work it out).

All gone!

Be the most soccer-savvy hipster on your block and buy a set today!


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Posted in finished projects, goofy, nats, somebody paid for this |

hot player rumors

Posted on January 4, 2010 by Hoover Dam

Last week, an item appeared on Yanks Abroad indicating that Adin Brown, inspiration for what is quite possibly my stupidest escapade to date, has left Norway and is considering joining up with a team back in the US. Several people asked me, mostly on Twitter, if I knew anything about his current work and/or future plans.

Normally, this site’s not about player news, but in this case, I’ll make an exception, since I do have a bit of an exclusive on Adin’s current status:

That fucker still has my iPod.

Happy new year, everybody!

Posted in goofy |

how do you measure a year

Posted on November 27, 2009 by Hoover Dam


click here for bigger or here for unwieldy

Posted in breakers, finished projects, goofy, how did I get here, I can't believe we pulled this off, melonhead, nats, revs, why we do this, you should've been there |

been there, done that, made the t-shirt

Posted on November 25, 2009 by Hoover Dam

When the guys at MLS Extra Time realized who Mike’s plus one for the weekend would be, they asked me if I’d like to do a special t-shirt they could give away all weekend. Hell yes, I said.

On Friday and Saturday, I got a series of emails. “Well, this might be impossible, but could you do one where it’s the guys from Pike Place throwing fish, only they’re throwing the trophy, like one guy throwing it on the front and a guy catching it on the back? And the guy catching it is behind a fish counter? And could you get it to us by end of day Tuesday?”

“End of day?” I said, “how ’bout ‘before Price is Right comes on?'”


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The final shirt. I’d rather the graphics have been printed along the bottom hemline, like they were on the Fierce ones, but whatever. Hidden inside the display case are the Superliga, Open Cup, and Supporters’ Shield trophies. These were kind of a hot item this weekend; they only ran up 150 and every single one was gone before the game. Half were done as you see above (pitcher on front, catcher on back) and half were done in reverse (catcher on front, pitcher on back) so you had a complete picture if you had two shirts side by side.

Had a lot of fun doing these, since I needed the practice on Illustrator. Hope I get to do more next year!

Posted in finished projects |

72 hour party people

Posted on November 24, 2009 by Hoover Dam

Back in August, my husband the luchador did a little video of his time at Meet the Revs, in which you can see him ask stupid questions of various players and coaches. Then MLSnet announced a contest where, in exchange for a video of yourself interviewing anyone, you could win a trip for two to MLS Cup in Seattle, including hotel, airfare, some spending cash, and a gift certificate to MLS Gear. Mike sent in his Meet the Revs clip.

Mike’s video won. (skip to 6:23)

This can only mean one thing: an in-jokey trip report that’s name-drop-tacular. Follow along with the photos as you read!

Continue reading →

Posted in finished projects, goofy, how did I get here, I can't believe we pulled this off, somebody paid for this, why we do this, you should've been there |

oh, look, more pumpkins

Posted on November 1, 2009 by Hoover Dam

When they announced that the first round of the Eastern Conference semifinal playoffs would be at Gillette on Halloween, I immediately got on the horn with the Revs to see if they needed pumpkins for the occasion. “Sure,” they said, “but we rescheduled the game for Sunday.”

No matter; I was on a carving binge anyway. They did request I do a Fox Soccer Channel logo pumpkin, as well as a Chicago Fire one for balance, but the rest were up to me. Results here and here.

Oh, yeah, I guess these were on TV and maybe I should dig up a screencap at some point.

Posted in finished projects, goofy, pumpkins, revs |

trick or treat with the usmnt

Posted on October 31, 2009 by Hoover Dam

Well, two of them:


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Both outside my house on Halloween, 2009, and both using photos from celebrations after the US punched its ticket to South Africa. The Davies one is of him winking in the post-Honduras champagne bath, and the Howard one is, well, Tim Howard in a cowboy hat, what the hell more do you need?

Posted in finished projects, goofy, nats, pumpkins |

we get around

Posted on October 29, 2009 by Hoover Dam

Three press clippings in one week. It’s been a busy year, I guess.

The Original Winger

Mmmm…cupcakes!

Go USA Bid

Posted in finished projects, nats, nuts and bolts, revs, why we do this |

one more word

Posted on October 18, 2009 by Hoover Dam

In the midst of my October painting marathon, I got a little punchy, and one day on Twitter, I challenged Revs backup GK Brad Knighton to explain why he should get his own banner. (Previously, I had told him he’d get his own if he kept a clean sheet during his last start, but that didn’t go according to plan).

A few hours later, I had my answer.


Brad Knighton, “WORK”: The only player to date who’s picked his own word.

Not counting paper ones, this was banner #20 for the season, which sounds like a lot, until you realize I did 22 last year.

Posted in finished projects, revs, words |

my day at rfk

Posted on October 18, 2009 by Hoover Dam

For weeks, buddies of mine kept asking if I was going to go to the last of the WCQs, the game in DC vs. Costa Rica on 10/14. Nah, I had to tell them–South Africa, what if there’s an emergency trip to Seattle in November, pumpkins, the budget’s not there. Then JetBlue got in a price war with Southwest and AirTran and I got a plane ticket for $75, a hotel room for $45, and a rental car for $25. A month later I hit the road for a 24 hour road trip, in which:

  • My game ticket got lost
  • Which was okay, because I got a media pass thanks to volunteering to be interviewed about my plans for South Africa
  • “Hey, this one here, she’s not a real fan, she’s Costa Rican in disguise.” If there are other countries in which the head of the national federation crash fan interviews, I’d like to hear it
  • Got on the plane with three scarves and five banners; got off the plane with one scarf and two banners
  • HEY THAT GUY STOLE MY BANNER
  • Watched Ruiz and Navas have a killer game; honorable mention to AaFK’s own Herrera, who made a pest of himself all night
  • Hey, drunk guy behind me, I don’t care if you hate Stewie Holden for Houston, he’s playing for your team now, put a sock in it
  • You too, drunker guy next to me who doesn’t even know what’s going on in the game
  • Oh, man, we’re totally playing not to get injured…wait, Gooch what?
  • Got a bunch of sideline-level warmup photos, most of them terrible
  • Kept running into Thomas Rongen postgame
  • Also some people who really obviously had the last name of Onyewu
  • A WCQ where I’m cold and wet, wow, that never happens
  • Airfix, you are my new best friend
  • Managed to miss damn near everyone with whom I was supposed to meet up; superluminal nature of trip kept me from most of the pre- and all of the postgame
  • Mumbled something about dropping some banners off for US Soccer and managed to get free great parking for the effort
  • ZIP TIES ARE FOR SUCKERS, I CANNOT STRESS THIS ENOUGH
  • The bouncing stands are nice and all but attending a game at RFK is watching entropy in action
  • Did you know there’s a dude who works for US Soccer who looks like that sparkly vampire guy?
  • There can be no better statement of all that is right with American soccer than Tim Howard in a cowboy hat
  • Playing for the draw, playing to save face, yeah, we know; doesn’t matter, we are in
  • Tired, bruised, dehydrated, damp, typical flight home after a national team game…only this time I’m watching Sportscenter highlights of the banner I painted being displayed game I was just at.

This concludes our WCQ cycle, and commences a long eight months of putting together next year’s vacation.

Posted in finished projects, goofy, how did I get here, I can't believe we pulled this off, nats, why we do this, you should've been there |