Big news, soccer news: worlds colliding memorably

I love soccer and I cherish the moments when my soccer world mixes in great ways with the “real world.” So, a little story from a wild night:

I was at Pizza Hut Park for the soggy FC Dallas-Galaxy match. If you’re up on current events – the “little” current, not the big “current,” that is – then you know about the crazy scene from suburban Dallas. Long story very short: Yucky cold; Galaxy good; Ferreira-less Dallas not so much; rain; crazy rain; wind and lightning that would threaten; hour-plus delay; teams back on field; crazy Brek Shea cross-turned-goal; ballgame.

As Landon Donovan said outside the Galaxy locker room: “We’re all disappointed and upset, but we’re not really sure what to be upset about.”

Then the grumbling Galaxy left hastily. I went to meet a friend who works for the Galaxy. I texted FCD play-by-play man Bobby Rhine to see if he could join. So, I’ll always remember, just like you will, who delivered the huge news of the night.

Rhine told me he was already home glued to the TV. Bin Laden is dead.

Holy lightning strikes! Sure enough?

Sure enough. So I left. I told my friend I had to take off, that I was sorry I missed him. But I wanted to get home and glue myself to the TV as well. Plus, I had to finish writing SI.com’s weekly Five Things to Know about the MLS weekend – which I did with CNN in the background.

I did stop for one right around the corner from my house, where everyone was watching the news, and where two people at the bar assumed I was coming from the game and asked about David Beckham. See, worlds coming together. I had my one, paid up and said, “Well, it’s quite a night."