2014 Great Awwnime Bracket: Championship Results

Kosaki Onodera @ Nisekoi 634

Shinobu Oshino @ Bakemonogatari 649

Tonight

Wandering out into the sea of streetlights

Calling up everyone I know

We're trying our best to keep our monsters inside

Nobody wants to be alone

But tonight, we’re all believers

And I feel all right, with all of my heart

Oh tonight, we’re all believers

And I’ll be all right, as long as you are

Running our hands over the stone and pavement

Giving up all the fights and complications

Nobody tells you that the city’s different

Nobody wants to be alone

But tonight, we’re all believers

And I feel all right, with all of my heart

Oh tonight, we’re all believers

And I’ll be all right, as long as you are

How could you say that I was too in love to remember myself?

How could you say I left you waiting up on the shelf?

The colors are dangerous, they shine so bright, thunder and lightning

How could you say this was a home?

But tonight, we’re all believers

And I feel all right, with all of my heart

Oh tonight, we’re all believers

And I’ll be all right, as long as you are

Tonight, we’re all believers

And I feel all right, with all of my heart

Oh tonight, we’re all believers

And I’ll be all right, as long as you are.

2014 Great Awwnime Bracket: Championship Odds

Kosaki Onodera @ Nisekoi 3-1
Shinobu Oshino @ Bakemonogatari 6-1
Prediction: Kosaki Onodera by <=100
Over/Under: 1100
Over

2014 Great Awwnime Bracket: Semifinal Results

Chitoge Kirisaki @ Nisekoi 435
Kosaki Onodera @ Nisekoi 550

Shinobu Oshino @ Bakemonogatari 571
Haru Onodera @ Nisekoi 435

2014 Great Awwnime Bracket: Semifinal Odds

Chitoge Kirisaki @ Nisekoi EVEN
Kosaki Onodera @ Nisekoi 7-1
Prediction: Chitoge Kirisaki by >=100
Over/Under: 1200
Over

Shinobu Oshino @ Bakemonogatari 10-1
Haru Onodera @ Nisekoi EVEN
Prediction: Haru Onodera by >=150
Over/Under: 1200
Over

Lick It Up

Don't wanna wait 'til you know me better

Let's just be glad for the time together

Life's such a treat and it's time you taste it

There ain't a reason on earth to waste it

It ain't a crime to be good to yourself

Lick it up, lick it up, it's only right now

Lick it up, lick it up, ooh yeah

Lick it up, lick it up, come on, come on

Lick it up, lick it up

Don't need to wait for an invitation

You gotta live like you're on vacation

There's something sweet you can't buy with money -

lick it up, lick it up

It's all you need, so believe me honey

It ain't a crime to be good to yourself

Lick it up, lick it up, it's only right now

Lick it up, lick it up, ooh yeah

Lick it up, lick it up, come on, come on

Lick it up, lick it up

Come on - it's only right now (it's only right now)

Ooh yeah (ooh yeah) ooh yeah (ooh yeah), yeah yeah...

2channel Anime Saimoe 2014: Fourth Round Results, Match Day 8

Official results.


1位　131票　暁美ほむら＠劇場版 魔法少女まどか☆マギカ[新編]叛逆の物語
2位　65票　美樹さやか＠劇場版 魔法少女まどか☆マギカ[新編]叛逆の物語
3位　21票　由比ヶ浜結衣＠やはり俺の青春ラブコメはまちがっている。
4位　13票　辻垣内智葉＠咲-Saki- 全国編

Rank from 17-32 forthcoming.

2channel Anime Saimoe 2014: Fourth Round Results, Match Day 7

The official tally.

FL7

1位　117票　九条カレン＠きんいろモザイク 2位　116票　巴マミ＠劇場版 魔法少女まどか☆マギカ[新編]叛逆の物語 3位　106票　宮永照＠咲-Saki- 全国編 4位　10票　愛宕洋榎＠咲-Saki- 全国編

Loud Like Love

Love on an atom, love on a cloud

To see the birth of all that isn't now

Can you imagine a love that is so proud?

It never has to question why or how

Total abandon the love in my dreams

When I wake up I'm soaking in my sheets

Breathe, breathe

Believe, believe, believe, believe

For all of our youth

We have craved them

Their beauty and their truth

Breathe, breathe, breathe, breathe

Believe, believe, believe, believe

Breathe, breathe, breathe, breathe

Believe, believe

That we are loud like

Love on an atom, love on a cloud

To see the birth of all that isn't now

Can you imagine a love that is so proud?

It never has to question why or how

For all of our youth

We have craved them

Their beauty and their truth

So we name them

And somehow they pull us through

We have craved them

For all of our youth

Breathe, breathe, breathe, breathe

Believe, believe, believe, believe

We are loud like love

We are loud like love

We are loud like love

We are loud like love

We are loud like love

We are loud like love

We are loud like love

We are loud like love

We are loud like love

Western Sydney Wanderers: 2014 AFC Champions League Champions

"The Western Sydney Wanderers!", they said!

They've changed the sporting landscape, they said! Their success in beating that team from Saudi Arabia to win the Asian Championship is the harbinger of a new age, they said, where football – yes, FOOTBALL, you knuckle-dragging Neanderthals – is finally going to rise up and take its place at the forefront of the Australian sporting codes!

By any measure, the success of the Wanderers, just a couple of years after being established, is staggering. 

I have one thing to say to all you smarty-pants who've been writing such emails to me, you narks, you sharks, you whingers, you whiners, you know-all blow-hards. Just one thing to say:

I think you might be right.

By any measure, the success of the Wanderers, just a couple of years after being established, is staggering.

Firstly, their success in the A-League. For who knew that that comp could be so successful? Not this little black duck, who has uttered sneers for years that soccer would never take off in this country. But you only had to see the crowds at A-League Wanderers matches – whole battalions of them standing on their seats, all in red, and seemingly allsmoking the same thing – to know that something fundamental has changed. Such enthusiasm! Such passion! So many of the boogers!

And then for them to be crowned the kings of all Asia?

A phenomenal achievement, and congratulations to them. Let the record show, the sleeping giant of Australian sport,  will likely soon be dancing for the pleasure of hundreds of thousands.

The question is, which other sports is this going to impact on?

My email inbox is filled with predictions that it will finish off rugby union – at least from those generous enough to acknowledge that rugby is not already dead.

I don't think so. Rugby has major problems right now, and it really is under threat from a variety of forces and factors – not least self-mutilation – but the growing of soccer doesn't show up on my radar as one of them. For that to be the case, there would need to have been a migration from the Waratahs and Wallaby support base to soccer and, anecdotally at least, I have no evidence of that. I further note that the one ace-in-the-hole that Australian rugby has is precisely the same one that Australian soccer is so demonstrably benefiting from – the growing global pull of their game. In that sense, soccer and rugby are allies not competitors. 

Rugby league then? A bit. The Wanderers are at their strongest in the very heartland of the Parramatta Eels, and though the A-League is a summer comp, it has been hard to miss the fact that Western Sydney seems to be right behind the Wanderers the way they used to be behind the Eels.

Ditto the Western Sydney Giants. In the competition to win the hearts and minds of the people, and turn those into bums on seats, there is no way around the fact that the Giants and Wanderers have come along at much the same time . . . and it is the Wanderers breaking all the records and getting all the headlines, all while the Swans have been making the running in the AFL all the way to the grand final.

But the sport that should be loosening its collar right now is, oddly enough, cricket. Both the A-League and cricket are on at much the same time, and are going after much the same people. Can I put it to you that if you like watching T-20 matches, it is not such a massive leap to go to a Wanderers or Sydney FC match instead, or even pay to watch it on the tube? And all this at a time when Australian cricket is struggling.

So we'll see. How it is all going to play out will become clearer as the summer progresses, but my pound to your peanut says that as the share price of soccer rises, so too will the share price of cricket drop. You heard it here first.

I haven't been wrong before, have I?

Oh, do shut up, Buddy.

Twitter: @Peter_Fitz 

2channel Anime Saimoe 2014: Fourth Round Results, Match Day 6

Official count.

1st　190　SAKURA Kyouko @ Madoka Magica Movie: Rebellion Story
2nd　173　ATARASHI Ako @ Saki Zenkoku-hen
3rd　26　MISAKA Mikoto @ To Aru Kagaku no Railgun S
4th　13　AMAE Koromo @ Saki Zenkoku-hen

Thanks to Anon-kun.

2channel Anime Saimoe 2014: Fourth Round Results, Match Day 5

This is the official count.

1st 206 MIYANAGA Saki @ Saki Zenkoku-hen
2nd 191 KANAME Madoka @ Madoka Magica Movie: Rebellion Story
3rd 33 KIRISAKI Chitoge @ Nisekoi
4th 21 NAKAGAWA Kanon @ Kami nomi zo Shiru Sekai: Megami-hen

Result provided by Anon-kun.

A little heads-up here...

Results for the next match day in 2channel Anime Saimoe will be coming in very late because I am working a real-life election on Tuesday. However, they will be up and most likely it will only be the official numbers coming in. Thanks again for keeping up to date on the news regarding the 2channel Anime Saimoe Tournament here on the Bedlam.

Lonely Boy

Well I’m so above you

And it’s plain to see

But I came to love you anyway

So you pulled my heart out

And I don’t mind bleeding

Any old time you keep me waiting

Waiting, waiting

Oh, oh-oh I got a love that keeps me waiting

Oh, oh-oh I got a love that keeps me waiting

I’m a lonely boy

I’m a lonely boy

Oh, oh-oh I got a love that keeps me waiting

Well your mama kept you but your daddy left you

And I should’ve done you just the same

But I came to love you

Am I born to bleed?

Any old time you keep me waiting

Waiting, waiting

Oh, oh-oh I got a love that keeps me waiting

Oh, oh-oh I got a love that keeps me waiting

I’m a lonely boy

I’m a lonely boy

Oh, oh-oh I got a love that keeps me waiting

Hey!

Oh, oh-oh I got a love that keeps me waiting

Oh, oh-oh I got a love that keeps me waiting

I’m a lonely boy

I’m a lonely boy

Oh, oh-oh I got a love that keeps me waiting!

The Arrival Of Los Angeles FC

(CNN) -- Derbies often provide the highlight of any football season -- whether that be Boca Juniors vs. River Plate, AC Milan vs. Inter or Arsenal vs. Spurs -- and Major League Soccer (MLS) is now hoping that Los Angeles can join that illustrious list.

For the hope for the city's new franchise, whose working title is simply Los Angeles Football Club, is that it can have an intense rivalry with four-time champions LA Galaxy.

The first derby is scheduled to take place in 2017, when the club is set to enter the league.

And it should be a high profile event if any of the illustrious co-owners, NBA legend Magic Johnson, U.S. football great Mia Hamm and her husband, Major League Baseball star, Nomar Garciaparra, attend.

"We feel strongly that this city cannot only support but will really thrive with two teams -- rivals on and off the field," said Don Garber, the MLS' long-standing commissioner.

Garber's enthusiasm for the new franchise -- which also numbers motivational speaker Tony Robbins and controversial Cardiff City owner Vincent Tan among its diverse 22-person ownership group -- is seemingly limitless.

 The future of soccer in the U.S. Lampard: Leaving Chelsea now feels right Lampard determined to make mark on MLS

"This visionary ownership group will chart a course that will further elevate the sport in this great city and, combined with a new state-of-the-art stadium, accelerate us down the path toward becoming one of the top leagues in the world," he added.

Yet the MLS is well aware of the need for caution given that Los Angeles FC's creation comes just three days after the city's former second club, Chivas, ceased operations following 10 years of existence.

Set up in 2005 by Jorge Vergara, the owner of Mexican side Chivas de Guadalajara, and Mexico City businessman Antonio Cue, the American Chivas failed in its aim of tapping into the interest of LA's sizeable Hispanic community.

The fact that the club ground-shared with Galaxy may have hindered its ability to establish its own identity, which might explain why a new stadium for Los Angeles FC is a leading priority.

"We believe this team can become one of the most outstanding clubs in the MLS and a globally-recognized brand," said the ownership group's leader, Henry Nguyen, in a statement.

"Today is day one and time for us to focus on developing a world-class stadium for the club to play in and for fans to enjoy."

 South Africa mourns slain football star Kicking out prejudice

MLS Commissioner Garber wholeheartedly agrees.

"There are four key elements to success in MLS soccer," he said.

"You need a community that loves the game, owners that are passionate about the league, and you need to have them be local - it's important for them to come from the community yet support that effort with resources from international investors, which is very much the case here.

"Lastly, we need to have a plan for a stadium, whether that is a large stadium downtown or a soccer stadium that we start from scratch."

"We have all of those elements here."

In addition to uncertainty about the team's official name, prospective fans must also wait for confirmation of who will form the front office, coaching and administrative staff.

What is known is that Peter Guber, who owns NGA's Golden State Warriors and co-owns Major League Baseball's Los Angeles Dodgers, will serve as executive chairman.

Los Angeles FC's presence will make the MLS a 22-team league in 2017 with New York City FC, which is co-owned by English Premier League side Manchester City and baseball side New York Yankees, and Orlando City joining next season.

Starting with ten teams in 1996, the MLS will thus double in size to 20 teams as it enter its 20th year.

I have no more caddies to train. Boo-urns.

I took this morning to eat breakfast at Carl's Jr. at the local gas station on the corner of PCH and Santa Fe. I noticed, while I was eating, this poor bum standing there, awestruck, in disbelief, emotionless. I wondered, did something happen to this guy? An attendant asked him what was wrong. He said it was nothing, and he left. As I left the gas station to return here to blog, I noticed the poor guy still standing outside. Yep, something must have happened to him. I don't even want to know.

With that said, I took a leap of faith this past weekend to satisfy my Pangya addiction and do some grinding. As a result, a number of things have happened. First, all of my 12 caddies are fully trained, Big Papel being the last, taking just two days to reach Level 4. All four Pang caddies, with the exception of Titan Boo for now, are on vacation. Secondly, I got all the motion items for Nuri R on my main account, got a Pink Umbrella motion item for Hana R on my main, and I ended up getting the Halloween sets for Hana R on my main and alt.

Third, I ended up acquiring both sets of wings for Hana R on my alt and the Devil Wings for Hana R on my main. Fourth, I have all the Scratchy Sets for this current update. Fifth, my Hana R on my alt looks like a naughty Gothic imouto and the evil twin sister of my Hana R on my main. And finally, I recorded my first few short game achievements. Thanks to the update, I can now play short games on Grand Prix mode. So now I won't have to worry about getting crushed by golfers who are far better than me at chipping and putting in a regular short game. As long as there is no one in the room, I get to finish first, and I've cleared all of the short games in Grand Prix mode, although I had to redo one or two because someone else decided to join in, which I detest.

The only major problem I had with Pangya this update is the server instability. It's no longer the hackers that are the problem. I received two disconnects in this event and my alt received another, so both accounts now have three quits. I hate these things. I work real hard for my Fairy title, my Devil Wings and especially my Angel Wings. There has to be some sort of Quit Rate event around the corner because this is spreading faster than Ebola. It sucks.

As does the recent Papel/Gacha update. What should really be a Papel exclusive now is divided into Papel shop and Gacha. The earpieces are the Gacha items, while the headsets are the Papel Shop items. Really lousy idea because the one Gacha I was anticipating, Cien the caddie, didn't arrive. Maybe they haven't found a decent voice actress for her, who knows. But the fact that this is a Gacha that I have no intentions to spend opened the door for me to get the motion items I need taken care of.

Take a look at this video from my good friend Hachi7, who is of Master rank, one floor above me. He's obviously played this game longer than I have. I am just entering my 17th month playing Pangya. He has some complaints about this Halloween Event that I think you'll agree, if you incorporate logic and reasoning (and timing).

2channel Anime Saimoe 2014: Fourth Round Results, Match Day 4

A rough count from the tracker...

投票数：397レス　本日の投票は終了しました。

1位　154票　松実玄＠咲-Saki- 全国編
2位　141票　神代小蒔＠咲-Saki- 全国編
3位　52票　雪ノ下雪乃＠やはり俺の青春ラブコメはまちがっている。
4位　48票　シャロ（桐間紗路）＠ご注文はうさぎですか?

Here is Shasya's results, following some late add-ins.

今日もひっくり返りはなしかな？
1位　174票　松実玄＠咲-Saki- 全国編
2位　154票　神代小蒔＠咲-Saki- 全国編
3位　56票　シャロ（桐間紗路）＠ご注文はうさぎですか?
3位　56票　雪ノ下雪乃＠やはり俺の青春ラブコメはまちがっている。

The revised results. Official.

流石のRUNも結果を覆せなかったか
1位　87票　松実玄＠咲-Saki- 全国編
2位　81票　神代小蒔＠咲-Saki- 全国編
3位　55票　シャロ（桐間紗路）＠ご注文はうさぎですか?
4位　44票　雪ノ下雪乃＠やはり俺の青春ラブコメはまちがっている。

2channel Anime Saimoe 2014: Fourth Round Results, Match Day 3

もっと減るかと思ってた。変わらず
1位　127票　高鴨穏乃
2位　108票　末原恭子
3位　77票　チノ
4位　12票　初春飾利


This is the tally from Shasya's tweet. Official.

2channel Anime Saimoe 2014: Fourth Round Results, Match Day 2

華麗なる寝落ち
1位　145票　原村和＠咲-Saki- 全国編
2位　108票　清水谷竜華＠咲-Saki- 全国編
3位　73票　西木野真姫＠ラブライブ!
4位　10票　松実宥＠咲-Saki- 全国編

2channel Anime Saimoe 2014: Fourth Round Results, Match Day 1

昨日(10/30)の試合結果（2位以内で決勝T進出）
1位　87票　園城寺怜＠咲-Saki- 全国編
2位　80票　アリス・カータレット＠きんいろモザイク
3位　74票　大星淡＠咲-Saki- 全国編
4位　8票　愛宕絹恵＠咲-Saki- 全国編

San Francisco Giants: 2014 World Series Champions

KANSAS CITY -- The names roll smoothly off the tongue, for they have become legendary. Willie Mays. Willie McCovey. Barry Bonds. Juan Marichal. Christy Mathewson. Carl Hubbell. Mel Ott. Each occupies a hallowed spot in the pantheon of Giants franchise greats. Add another to this distinguished group: Madison Bumgarner.

The 25-year-old left-hander joined this distinguished group Wednesday night by completing a World Series performance that just might rank as the finest by a Giant in the club history. He garnished his victories in Games 1 and 5 with five shutout innings of relief to earn the save in Game 7 to help San Francisco outlast the Kansas City Royals, 3-2. The decision sealed the Giants' third World Series triumph in five seasons.

"Right now, I'm not tired at all," said Bumgarner, who came on in relief of winning pitcher Jeremy Affeldt. "We just won the World Series. It's hard to be tired right now. Probably tomorrow I'll be tired, though."

After the Giants scored what proved to be the winning run in the fourth inning on Michael Morse's RBI single, Kansas City used three relievers to blank the Giants over the final five innings -- something Bumgarner did all by himself on two days' rest after pitching a four-hit shutout in Game 5.

"He was throwing so well, there was no way I could take him out," said Giants manager Bruce Bochy. "Just get on him and ride him. Again, it's just amazing what he did. The innings were easy, and we had his pitch count about where he ended, and he said he was exhausted at the end."

Bumgarner's effort was nothing short of remarkable. He yielded a single to the first batter he faced, Omar Infante, before proceeding to retire the next 14 batters he faced.

Then, with the Giants one out from victory, Alex Gordon lined a single to left-center field on an 0-1 pitch. After the ball skipped past center fielder Gregor Blanco, left fielder Juan Perez struggled to pick it up as Gordon raced to third base.

That didn't faze Bumgarner. Salvador Perez popped a 2-2 pitch into foul ground outside of third base, where Pablo Sandoval made a careful, two-handed catch before falling backward in ecstasy. The Giants, many of whom played on the Series-winning teams of 2010 and '12, flooded the field in celebration.

Bumgarner became the first left-hander to pitch at least four innings in Game 7 of the World Series on two days' rest since the illustrious Sandy Koufax beat the Minnesota Twins in 1965.

"He's incredible," said Morse, who drove in two runs. "He's incredible. He's a different human being. Yesterday, I told him, 'If you're going to go out there tomorrow, you better bring it.' And he said, 'Just watch me.' This guy, every start, he gets better and better. And this is what you get. What you see, is what you get." 

MOMENTS THAT MATTERED

MadBum keeps dominating: Three days removed from a shutout in Game 5, Madison Bumgarner has delivered a relief appearance for the ages, conjuring up memories of Pedro Martinez in the 1999 American League Division Series by blanking the Giants from the start of the fifth through the end of the eighth.

Bumgarner gave up a leadoff single to Omar Infante, then retired the next 12 batters in order, requiring only 52 pitches to twirl four scoreless innings. The Giants' ace has given up all of one run in 20 innings in the World Series, setting him up to be the Most Valuable Player of the Fall Classic if the Giants finish it off.

Fire on the mountain: Madison Bumgarner began his much-anticipated relief appearance in the fifth inning of Game 7, recording three outs to pass Curt Schilling for the most innings (48 2/3) in a single postseason.

It wasn't all smooth; Bumgarner gave up a leadoff single to Omar Infante and a sacrifice bunt to Alcides Escobar before Juan Perez -- starting in left over natural first baseman Travis Ishikawa -- made a running stab of Nori Aoki's line drive to prevent the tying run from scoring. Bumgarner then struck outLorenzo Cain to break Schilling's record, which stood for 13 years.

That sent Game 7 into the sixth inning, with the Giants clinging to a 3-2 lead.

Bullpens, assemble: Both starting pitchers were out of Game 7 before three and a half innings were complete. Giants righty Tim Hudson was taken out, replaced by lefty Jeremy Affeldt, with two outs in the bottom of the second. And with one out and runners on the corners in the top of the fourth, Royals rightyJeremy Guthrie was pulled in favor of righty Kelvin Herrera -- the Royals' typical seventh-inning guy.

Herrera proceeded to give up an RBI single to Michael Morse, giving the Giants a 3-2 lead, then struck out Brandon Crawford and got Juan Perez to ground out, limiting the damage. Pablo Sandoval and Hunter Pence started the inning with back-to-back singles, making them a combined 22-for-51 in this World Series (a .431 batting average).

Replay! It did not take long for instant replay to have an impact on Game 7.

With Lorenzo Cain on first base and one out in the third, Giants second baseman Joe Panik made a terrific diving stop of Eric Hosmer's ground ball near the bag, flipping it with his glove to Brandon Crawford for the inning's first out. Crawford then set his eyes on first base, delivering the ball there just as Hosmer slid in headfirst.

First-base umpire Eric Cooper initially called Hosmer safe, but Giants manager Bruce Bochy challenged and umpires reversed the ruling following a two-minute, 57-second review. It was the second replay review in World Series history, following an unsuccessful Ned Yost challenge in Game 4.

Giants reliever Jeremy Affeldt recorded a quick third out from there, moving a 2-2 game into the fourth.

Royals back in business: Moments after the Giants took a two-run lead in the top of the second, the Royals tied it up, took Tim Hudson out of the game and almost lost their Gold Glove catcher.

Billy Butler led off the bottom of the second with a sharp single up the middle, then motored around the bases to barely score on Alex Gordon's liner in the right-center-field gap, a double that gave Gordon only his fourth hit in 25 at-bats this World Series.

On the next pitch, Hudson's 89-mph cutter caught Salvador Perez on the side of the left knee. Perez had a hard time getting up, and initially couldn't put any weight on his left leg, but he gingerly made his way toward first and remained in the game.

Gordon then tagged and went to third on Mike Moustakas' flyout to left field and scored on a liner to center field by Omar Infante. Lefty Jeremy Affeldt replaced Hudson after Alcides Escobar's single, then retired the left-handed-hitting Nori Aoki on a chopper that shortstop Brandon Crawford fielded right on top of second for the forceout.

One night after Jake Peavy recorded four outs, Hudson recorded just five.

Two Giant runs: Considering how strong these two bullpens are, both managers spoke to the importance of jumping out to an early lead in Game 7. The Giants were the ones who actually did it, parlaying a bases-loaded, no-outs rally into a two-run second inning.

Royals starter Jeremy Guthrie opened the second by loading the bases on a hit batsman and two singles. Michael Morse and Brandon Crawford then hit consecutive sacrifice flies, giving the Giants a 2-0 lead. By the time the rally ended, left-hander Brandon Finnegan was already warming up in Kansas City's bullpen.

Everybody up: For 28 consecutive years, they suffered through losing seasons and empty Octobers, waiting, anticipating, a night like this. And from the moment the first pitch of Game 7 came in at 7:11 p.m. CT, it was evident. A sold-out Kauffman Stadium crowd stood on its collective feet the entire first inning, basking in a windless 55-degree night while living and dying with each pitch.

They roared when Gregor Blanco flew out to center field to start the game, went nuts when Mike Moustakas made a diving play on Buster Posey's sharp grounder, completing a 1-2-3 first for Jeremy Guthrie, and began waiving towels after Nori Aoki's one-out walk in the bottom half. Royals fans finally sat down after Lorenzo Cain's fielder's-choice groundout and Eric Hosmer's swinging strikeout ended the first -- but only momentarily.

Chris Haft is a reporter for MLB.com. Read his blog, Haft-Baked Ideas, and follow him on Twitter at @sfgiantsbeat. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.

Chivas USA: 2 Aug. 2004-26 Oct. 2014.

Dear Chivas USA Supporters,

Later today, the League will announce a new strategy for the Los Angeles market. After conducting a comprehensive strategic review of the market and Chivas USA’s operations, we will announce that effective this afternoon, Chivas USA will cease operations. This was a very difficult decision. We want to thank you, the fans, for ten years of unconditional support. We are grateful for your commitment to the club and to the sport.

As part of our new Los Angeles strategy, we will launch a new MLS Los Angeles club for the 2017 season and will announce the new team’s ownership group later this week. I believe strongly that a new MLS Los Angeles team with passionate local ownership and an inclusive approach targeting all soccer/sports fans will be very successful.

While I will wait until Thursday’s formal announcement to get into specific details, I can assure you that this new team will have world-class ownership with local connections and residency and a commitment to a new soccer stadium in the greater Los Angeles area.

I believe that our new strategy for Los Angeles provides the best opportunity for success and is the best way to connect with an engaged and impassioned fan base in Southern California. I am confident that this new direction will help us achieve our goal of becoming one of the top leagues in the world.

Sincerely,

Don Garber
MLS Commissioner

27 October 2014

Los Angeles, CA

Dear Fans and Partners,

Later this week, Major League Soccer will announce that a new ownership group has been granted the right to operate a second soccer club in Los Angeles. So as to allow that LA-based group the ability to develop and market a club with its own identity, the League has also decided to cease operations of Chivas USA effective immediately.

While the new club promises to be inclusive and will benefit from residing in its own soccer-specific stadium in Los Angeles, the news is obviously bittersweet for our loyal fans and dedicated partners.

Over the last decade everyone associated with Chivas USA has worked earnestly and with deep devotion. Staff, players and coaches have defended the Red & White with the same pride and honor that you exhibited on our behalf. You have been unconditional in your support of the club, only asking that in return we give our best each and every day.

As like any team in any sport, we have suffered unimaginable heartache as well as enjoyed moments of unbridled joy.  We have felt the pain of the cruel ricochet, the unlucky bounce and the wrong clang off the post. However, we have also been blessed to witness Cubo’s golazos, the grace of a Claudio Suarez tackle and the superhero saves of Brad Guzan and Dan Kennedy.                                            

History will say many things about Chivas USA, but the one, undeniable truth will be that in every instance – no matter the circumstance, setting or outcome – our resiliency was supported by the indomitable spirit of our most loyal and proud fans.

It has been my honor to be associated with you and Chivas USA. Thank you.

Nelson C. Rodríguez

President