"Clint, Tim?" "Hello Mr. Cheap Avalanche Jerseys China . President, hows it going?" The US World Cup campaign formally ended Wednesday with a cosy two minute chat on the phone between the President, the captain and Americas latest superhero. The team might not have scaled 2002s quarterfinal heights, but they leave Brazil with something not even Qatari petrodollars could buy. They have changed the conversation with how old football perceives soccers new frontier. No one connected with the United States Soccer Federation could have dreamt that. Or for that matter Major League Soccer. Especially when you factor in they were drawn in a group with a nation thats made it through to 15 straight quarterfinal appearances, another still smarting from how extremely close they got in 2010 to finally become Africas first ever semi-finalist and Ronaldo who proved in the playoffs one player could indeed carry a nation. How very American of him. Bookies in London had the US at even money to finish bottom of the group. Defy those odds they certainly would. It was one thing to target victory in their opening fixture and quite another, the manner in which they achieved it. Ghana should have been home and dry well before John Brooks Jr. popped up on the edge of the six-yard line in the 86th minute. Then to discover afterwards Brooks had disclosed to a couple of team mates on the eve of the match he dreamt hed score the winner was that Hollywood moment all of America could relate to - underlined by a visit to the victorious locker room by none other than Vice President Joe Biden. On to the Amazon Rainforest and that much anticipated date with Ronaldo was next on the agenda. The drama that unfolded that particular prime time Sunday evening was watched by over 25 million. To put that into a clearer sporting perspective last falls World Series averaged just a shade over 15 million whilst the NBA Finals averaged 15.5 million. Speaking to the beautiful games growing stateside support that 25 million viewing audience represents a 20 per cent leap on the number which watched the US v England match at South Africa 2010. Going into the tournament it was well established that outside of Brazilians, the US was the second largest ticket buying nation with close to 200,000 tickets purchased from US Zip codes. What that figure didnt tell us was what percentage of those 196,000 were immigrants who would be in Brazil to cheer on their nation of birth. That question was answered by the pictures we witnessed on match day and did not go un-noticed by the English media in attendance for US games. Back home in the living rooms and pubs in cities right across the US it reinforced the message of soccers growing appeal and allure. Come Tuesdays round of 16-match against Belgium viewing parties stretched right across the MLS landscape. Fabled NFL stadiums Soldier Field and Cowboys Stadium drew crowds of 25,000 and 20,000 respectively. As Barrack Obama and his 200 strong staff settled in to watch the game at a White House viewing party workers across the country went on a collective dental appointment which according to Yahoo Finance would cost the US economy over $700 million. These types of things were only supposed to happen in Asia, Europe or South America. With the USs World Cup over, as MLS players return to their clubs and European based players finally get their delayed vacations now comes the hard work to ensure those part time fans become connected to soccer year round. Just because someone will willingly don the stars and stripes in support of their nation doesnt mean theyll automatically transfer that emotional connection to Major League Soccer. Certainly as in previous World Cup cycles MLS and its clubs will register an uptick at the box office and the merchandise store. This will be especially so for the clubs who had players who featured in Brazil. A nice problem MLS faces will be keeping hold of the players whose stars shone in Brazil. An entirely different one stems from yesterdays France v Germany quarterfinal. Listening into ESPN Radio a tweet was read out from a listener saying, "Im enjoying your commentary whilst spraying my corn in Alabama. Last time I checked Alabama doesnt have an MLS franchise, and yet here was a soccer diehard listening on the radio whilst working on a Friday afternoon. The defining image for me of the US World Cup wasnt a Tim Howard save, Demspeys or Julian Greens goals. Or even Jürgen Klinsmann berating the fourth official in his best Anglo-Saxon when only one minute was added to the end of extra time in the Belgium game. Instead it came from the twitter account of Major League Baseball. "Looks like @ussoccer is the only thing that matters right now," was accompanied with various images from MLB Stadiums of players watching the big screens as they took in the action of the US v Belgium during batting practice ahead of that evenings MLB games. Bill Clintons Soccer Mom has evolved into Barrack Obamas Soccer Sophisticats. Noel.Butler@BellMedia.ca @TheSoccerNoel TSN Radio is an official licensed radio broadcaster of the 2014 FIFA World Cup™ Brazil. Check www.tsn.ca/radio for the broadcast schedule in your home town. Cheap Adidas NHL Jerseys . After losing a shutout bid in the dying seconds of Sundays win over the Colorado Avalanche, Luongo would not be denied against the punchless Oilers and is now just one back of Patrick Roy for 14th on the all-time list. Cheap Adidas Avalanche Jerseys . - Derek Wolfe says hes finally healthy after suffering a seizure in November that doctors now believe was related to the spinal cord injury he suffered in the preseason. http://www.cheapavalanchejerseys.com/ .Mila Kunis was a guest on Kimmel last night and revealed a surprising side of herself that comes out when she watches sports. It turns out screaming something vulgar at professional athletes is therapeutic for Kunis.JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - The Jacksonville Jaguars have taken another step toward parting ways with suspended receiver Justin Blackmon. The Jaguars removed Blackmons name plate from atop his locker, the latest indication that the former first-round draft pick has no future with the franchise. The team placed rookie quarterback Stephen Morris from Miami in the stall. Blackmon is suspended without pay indefinitely for repeated violations of the leagues substance-abuse policy, and general manager Dave Caldwell indicated last week that he would consider cutting Blackmon when and if he gets reinstated. Owner Shad Khan weighed in after the teams state-of-the-franchise presentation Tuesday. "I think its an absolute tragedy," he said. "I have a hard time expressing. Im a parent myself. I met with his parents. I think hes such a talented guy, the best years ahead of him. But after a while, its out of your control." The Jaguars have expressed disappointment with not being in contact with Blackmon, and NFL rules limit contact coaches and front-office personnel can have with suspended players. "The league has rules. We have to follow them. And its simple as that," Khan said. "The league, the players association, theres a huge amount of resources. The only thing I can (say) is please take advantage of it. If youre a player, its like all of this stuff is being offered to you. Take advantage of it. I think NFL players are so lucky from the viewpoint all these resources that are available to him." Blackmon was suspended the first four games of last year for violating the substance-abuse policy. Hee played four games before getting suspended again — at least for a year. Cheap Avalanche Jerseys Authentic. The Jaguars had been hoping Blackmon would be eligible to return after eight games in 2014. But after losing contact with him, coach Gus Bradley said last week that "it doesnt sound like its going in the right direction. ... We cant count on him." Jacksonville drafted two receivers in the second round Friday to fill the void, selecting USCs Marqise Lee with the 39th overall pick and then adding Penn States Allen Robinson at No. 61. "Having those guys in that room will definitely help us get better on the field," fellow receiver Cecil Shorts III said. Blackmon has 93 catches for 1,280 yards and six scores in 20 games — all since Jacksonville traded up to select the former Oklahoma State star with the fifth overall pick in the 2012 draft. His problems have been off the field. Blackmon was involved in three substance-related incidents in three years. He was arrested on a misdemeanour DUI charge in Texas in 2010 after officers caught him speeding on a suburban Dallas highway. The charge was later reduced to an underage alcohol possession charge. A little more than a month after the Jaguars drafted him, he was arrested during a traffic stop in Stillwater, Oklahoma, after a breath test allegedly showed his blood alcohol content to be three times the legal limit. A subsequent violation landed him the four-game suspension. Another one got him the indefinite suspension. Khan said the tough part is that Blackmon doesnt seem to want help. "Its frankly hard to understand," Khan said. ' ' '