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(Photo Credit: Conrad Akier)
We are chewing down on some quite delicious pizza at Piece restaurant in Wicker Park, and a certain silver-haired Greek-American is practically bouncing off the walls.
When Frank Klopas is animated about something, everyone in his vicinity has little choice to not only be very much aware of it, but to embrace it: I've never seen one of his half-time team talks, but I can only imagine that there isn't anywhere to hide, that Frank's 45 minutes of side-line pacing builds into an unavoidably exuberant "talk." Maybe I'm wrong, but that's what I like to think goes on in the locker-room when Frank's in charge.
What I do know for sure is that on this particular evening in the summer of 2009 – when, of course, he was not the Fire's coach but instead its technical director – Frank had a real bee in his bonnet. The Ring of Fire member and Chicagoan wanted to know why we didn't do more to celebrate the Club's birthday on October 8th. It was a tie that could bind the Fire community's past and present together, Frank said, and one that uniquely linked the Club to the City (OK, I'm paraphrasing; Frank's enthusiasm is such that I'd need more words than you want to read to actually piece together the whole conversation).
You're right, Frank, we said. Let's do something on October 8th. We only have a few weeks (it was late August, if I recall correctly), but if there's one thing those of us in Section 8 can do, it's scratch together an event on short notice by drawing on the collective willingness of slightly unhinged fanatics to volunteer and pull together when the inspiration strikes.
And strike it did. Why wouldn't we celebrate every October 8th? After all, whatever the ups-and-downs of the Club, the one thing anyone who says they are "Fire til I die" with a straight face ought to be keen to honor is the date of the club's founding, the name of the Chicago Fire Soccer Club announced on a Fall day at Navy Pier back in 1997 on October 8th.
The date, you probably know, was not chosen by accident. It was 126 years earlier, October 8th 1871, that Chicago was set ablaze not for the first or last time, but for the defining time: a conflagration that tore a city asunder, only for its survivors to respond by building a city greater than anyone could ever have imagined possible.
"Flames! Flames! Terrible flames! What a fearful destruction they bring. What suf'fring and want in their train follow fast, As forth on the streets homeless thousands are cast. But courage! Courage! From the mid'st of the furnace we sing."
Those words written by George S. Root come from the Chicago History Museum's "Web of Memory," a remarkable collection of contemporary accounts of the Great Chicago Fire. And sing Chicagoans did, of the tragedy and of survival and of reconstruction. A popular song soon emerged, one you may now hear in the Harlem End of Toyota Park, and it goes like this:
Late one night, when we were all in bed, Mrs. O'Leary lit a lantern in the shed. Her cow kicked it over, Then winked her eye and said, "There'll be a hot time in the old town tonight!"
With this kind of folklore building, Chicagoans had determined that, however it really started somewhere around 12th and Halsted Streets , the Great Fire that destroyed nearly 20,000 homes, left 90,000 homeless and killed 300 people would not be forgotten – and nor would the monumental rebuilding effort soon undertaken to remake the city. Within a week, 6,000 temporary structures housed the homeless, as the Tribune declared CHICAGO SHALL RISE AGAIN.
Every year, as the city continued to expand in the late nineteenth century, Chicagoans gathered on the Great Fire's anniversary to show this city had not been cowed. As G.W. Steevens put it: "Therefore the men of Chicago resolved that the twenty-fifth anniversary of her destruction by fire should not pass without such a demonstration as should convince the world that she is very much more alive than ever."
The annual celebration in October became known as Chicago Day, and editorials in the Chicago Tribune were accompanied by gleaming illustrations, beams of light shining from the resurrected city. Great monuments were proposed: one never built was designed by William LeBaroney Jenney (a key developer of the skyscraper), a tall tower crowned by a female figure clutching a flaming torch to symbolize – as the Tribune put it – "the triumph of energy and enterprise" in the wake of disaster.
In some ways, it is difficult now to grasp just how monumental Chicago's survival and growth in the wake of the Great Fire seemed in the late nineteenth century. But for city boosters – especially as Chicago's business sector dramatically expanded – elegiac heights of almost absurd proportions were reached to describe the rebuilding effort. A poem by Edmund S. Holbrook on the tenth anniversary of the Fire illustrates this well. Chicago is reborn not by providence but by man's Herculean effort, becoming a symbol of Civic beauty in the New World – the Garden City:
The massive stones are laid below, the walls arise above.
In strength that neither flame, nor storm, nor time itself shall move.
Nor Use alone, but Beauty comes, and with deft hand adorns:
See parks, and boulevards, and groves--see lakelets, flowers, and lawns.
The Garden City, twice herself, sits as a Queen again--
Not by Amphion with his lyre, but Man, stout-hearted MAN.
Enduring symbols of Chicago continued to be shaped by the Great Fire. It imbued the spirit of the 1893 World's Fair: the "I Will" maiden's bust was topped by a phoenix that, naturally, arose from the ashes. Indeed, the entire Fair – commemorating the 400th anniversary of Columbus' arrival in the Americas – was planned by the city's elite to showcase Chicago's remarkable transformation into a great metropolis following the Fire. Twenty-seven million visitors duly passed a number of statues that referenced the Fire in the White City, such as Karl Bitter's "Fire Controlled."
Chicago Day's commemoration of the Great Fire at the Fair saw the presentation of a "monster concert," a "grand chorus," "the most gorgeous display of fireworks ever seen in America," all forming "the Most Significant and Grandest Spectacle in Modern Times." Actually held on October 9th (rather than the 8th), over 750,000 citizens crammed in to the gleaming White City to celebrate the city's emergence from the Great Fire's disastrous wake, almost triple the Fair's record attendance.
(In a terrible irony, White City itself was left to be destroyed by fire in the coming years.)
The Great Fire would not be forgotten as the decades rolled on. In 1921, the Great Fire's 50th anniversary was commemorated in the city as all high school soccer and football games played on October 8th were made part of the "Semi-Centennial Games." Songs were created, pageants were held, and a play called The Seven Fires: A Masque of Chicago was held in Humboldt Park. When Chicago held its next World's Fair in 1933, the "I Will" maiden was still adorned on top by a phoenix rising from the flames, and Chicago Day was held again in October (though not with the fanfare of its predecessor in 1893).
By 1946, at the 75th anniversary, the Fire Department itself was involved in a week long "Fire Show" held from October 4-11, with "thrilling exhibits and demonstrations marking the 75th anniversary of the Great Chicago Fire." In the local press, the spirit of the city's rebuilding from the Fire was brought up as civic leaders were urged to tackle the post-war issue of homelessness with the same dedication that homes had been built with after the 1871 disaster.
The 100th anniversary in 1971 was topped by a gala dinner: the menu included "Mrs O'Leary's Baked Beans," and in 1996, a "FireBall" was held to mark the 125th anniversary in October. But it would be the next year that a new, lasting monument to the Great Fire would be announced: the Chicago Fire Soccer Club.
The news that Chicago's new Major League Soccer club would be known as the Fire was kept a secret until it was unveiled on Navy Pier that October 8th in 1997: the club's General Manager Peter Wilt fooled the media by feeding rumors that the team was to be called the Blues, sending invitations out to media for the event featuring a pen drawing of the Blues Brothers.
Fortunately, the club's name also didn't end up being the Rhythm either, as Nike – who shaped the identity of numerous late '90s MLS teams whose names have now been changed or disappeared into the history books – had wanted. It took a high-level intervention to ensure that the Chicago Rhythm was never born, as Peter Wilt explains:
"To the joy and relief of many, we avoided a lifetime of misspelled team references, bad Catholic birth control method jokes and just plain poor branding when at my urging Phil Anschutz intervened at the highest levels to Nike and told his counterpart Phil Knight that it was his team and he was going to name it whatever he wanted, but it sure as sheep sh*t wasn't going to be "Rhythm". OK, he probably didn't say "sheep sh*t", but he wasn't happy."
And so we in Chicago have been able to embrace a Club called the Fire that speaks to the City's greatest achievement, its restless, pounding energy, its desire to do – just the kind of spark I saw in Frank Klopas that night three years ago at a pizza restaurant, one that inspired us to hold a celebration every October 8th since.
On October 8th this year, we mark 15 years of the Chicago Fire and in the tradition of grand Chicago Day events, you are invited to a major celebration to commemorate the founding of the Club on a date unparalleled in significance for Chicago.
A Committee of volunteers, fans from around the stadium from the first Barn Burner Don Crafts to current ISA Chair Joel Piktel and numerous other old-timers, has been working round the clock to ensure the celebration is a fitting one. The choice of venue was key to this: it was on October 8, 1871 that the Chicago Historical Society's building was burned to the ground. Their collection was lost.
Like Chicago generally, that building was not just replaced, but reborn grander, and is now the marvelous Chicago History Museum at North and Clark adjacent to Lincoln Park. Inside there is the Museum's major exhibition to the Great Chicago Fire, one that will be open to attendees as we gather at the Museum and honor Club heroes scheduled to attend including Piotr Nowak, Lubos Kubik, Ante Razov, Peter Wilt, Frank Klopas and many, many more.
Please join us there and celebrate fifteen years of Chicago Fire and 141 years since the city we love rose unbowed and restless from the ashes.
Click here to order your tickets to the Chicago Fire Soccer Club 15th Anniversary Celebration on October 8th 2012 at the Chicago History Museum or head to FireAnniversary.com to learn more about the celebration.
Tom Dunmore is a former Chair of Section 8 Chicago and is currently an editor of XI Quarterly. Follow him on Twitter @tomdunmore.
Another game, another win for the Fire last weekend against Eastern Conference rivals Montreal Impact. The task gets a little harder this week when Columbus Crew come to Toyota Park on Saturday night looking for the points they need to stay in playoff contention. Columbus will be buoyed by their last gasp winner against Chivas USA on Wednesday night at Crew Stadium but they come up against a Fire team that has only lost one of its last eight games. Here are a few things to look out for on Saturday night.
Balls over the top: a Crew potential weakness
The Crew center back pairing of Chad Marshall and Julius James have had some trouble this season with balls played over the top into the path of an on-running striker. This was especially evident in the Crew's match against New York last weekend.
In one case, Rafa Marquez played a brilliant ball over Marshall's head for Henry to score. Dax McCarty also played Henry in over the top from a more advanced position than Marquez which almost led to a goal.
Even though it's not really the Fire's game, the midfielders, especially players like Fernandez, Pause and Pardo should be on the lookout for chances to play Rolfe and potentially Nyarko in over the top, if the opportunity arises.
Federico Higuain - don't allow him room to cross
Federico Higuain has boosted the Crew attack dramatically since arriving a few months ago. His crossing ability as well as his excellent free kicks make him a threat against any team.
Against a similar sort of danger man in Felipe last week, the Fire dropped Logan Pause deeper to prevent the Brazilian from operating in the space between the midfield and back line. Higuain does that but also likes to move out wide where he can put in teasing crosses.
Against Philadelphia in August the Fire allowed Freddy Adu too much space to cross and it resulted in a goal. The team should look to prevent something similar from happening on Saturday night.
Playing 90 minutes plus: no switching off
This Crew have had a love/hate relationship with the last 15 minutes of games this season. They have conceded quite a few goals late in games but in recent weeks, they are reversing that trend. The last gasp winner last week against Chivas USA is one example. Earlier this month, the Crew came from behind to beat Montreal in the 93rd minute.
Though not necessarily a tactical point, you can be sure that head coach Frank Klopas told his team this week that they cannot shut off against the Crew and that giving up a late goal could be very harmful in the push for first place in the East.
On the other side of the coin, Columbus have proven that they are guilty to shutting off late in games and this could come back to haunt them against a Fire team who have capitalized on their opponents mistakes time and time again this season.
Prediction: 2-1 Fire with goals from MacDonald and Oduro.
Stephen Piggott is a Contributor to Chicago-Fire.com. Follow him on Twitter @irish_steve.
Over the summer, we presented 15 memorable games and goals from the club's first 15 seasons. We also asked you the fans who the top 15 players in club history were.
To be clear, you won't see numbers ranking the players. That's because this isn't a countdown but rather a series to honor 15 great players in Fire history.
In the first installment of the series last week, we named Jesse Marsch, Logan Pause and Chris Rolfe to the #Fire15. Today,
Today, DaMarcus Beasley, Ante Razov and Chris Armas join them...
DaMarcus Beasley - The youngest player to ever appear for the Fire, DaMarcus Beasley began his very promising career as a 17-year-old in Chicago during the 2000 season.
The future U.S. international would go on to appear in 134 competitive matches, tallying 18 goals and 28 assists as he dazzled fans with his speedy and ability on the dribble.
Beasley would use his early time with the Fire to make appearances on the first of three U.S. World Cup teams in 2002 before springing to Dutch giants PSV Eindhoven midway through the 2004 season.
Ante Razov – There is no doubt and little argument about forward Ante Razov's inclusion on the #Fire15 list. One of the all-time leading goal scorers in MLS, Razov holds the distinction by a country mile for the Fire, tallying 95 across 196 competitive games from 1998-2004. Razov's strike rate is more impressive when you consider the next player on the list is Chris Rolfe who has 49 goals at the moment.
Razov led the team in scoring in five of his seven seasons (playing only half a season in 2001) and tallied his career high of 25 competitive goals in 2000.
QUOTABLE: "I took pride in my craft. I wasn't the fastest guy, I wasn't the best dribbler but I knew how to shoot and get myself in position and do the best with what your talents are. I worked at that constantly and I was never harder on anyone than myself. We had such a good group [in those early years] that everyone demanded the best from everyone." – Ante Razov on the All-In Podcast (September 10, 2012)
Chris Armas – Much like Razov, Armas is a necessity on this list. The second captain in club history, Armas is also one of the longest tenured Fire players of all-time, playing from 1998-2007. The former U.S. international joins C.J. Brown and Zach Thornton as the only three players in club history to be part of all six domestic titles.
The Ring of Fire honoree is one of a number of American players including Razov, Thornton and Jesse Marsch that built the core and found their career stride with the club's early successes.
An honest, hard-working player, Armas racked up 13 goals in 272 competitive appearances. Perhaps most surprisingly, the Fire captain sits second all-time in assists with 53, behind only Peter Nowak at 60.
QUOTABLE: "I believed the little things added up to big things. I knew that on game day, I wasn't going to be pushing magic buttons, I wasn't that type of player. It sounds cliché but literally, working at technique, technique and technique. Being able to execute that in games and being able to work at the craft every day. That meant coming early and staying afterwards. I felt like I had some ability but it was followed up by hard work and the mentality, staying grounded." – Chris Armas Blast from the Past Q&A (September 11, 2012)
Stay tuned to Chicago-Fire.com as we name the rest of the #Fire15 players in the month leading up to the club's Anniversary match on Wednesday, October 3 vs. Philadelphia (TICKETS) and 15th Anniversary Party to be held Monday, October 8 at the Chicago History Museum. (TICKETS).
Re-watch Episode 1 featuring Jesse Marsch, Logan Pause and Chris Rolfe
Well, things didn't go our way last night.
Out East, Sporting KC did what no one else has done this season, using two goals inside the first 20 minutes from C.J. Sapong and Kei Kamara to defeat New York at Red Bull Arena 2-0. From the offset, it seemed a game that New York wasn't quite up for as Sporting dictated the play, much to the visible frustration of Red Bull captain Thierry Henry.
Both teams face a quick turnaround for Saturday as KC (54pts.) heads to Montreal (39pts.) for a matinee kick (12pm CT on MLS Live/Direct Kick) while New York (49pts.) visits New England (6:30pm CT MLS Live/Direct Kick).
A little bit closer to home, Columbus found another late winner, this time an 89th minute strike from substitute Justin Meram to earn a 1-0 victory and a valuable three home points over Chivas USA. The win keeps the East race very tight as the Crew (45pts.) leaped back over D.C. United (44pts.) and into final playoff spot in the East.
All it will take for the Crew to be bumped back down to sixth is a D.C. United draw Thursday night when they visit the Philadelphia Union at PPL Park (7pm CT on ESPN2).
Of course, United is favored and expected to win. If they do, they'll jump all the way back over Columbus and Houston (46pts.) and into fourth place in the East.
The Positives
- Red Bull has shown they are in fact beatable at home, which is good with the Fire heading there in just over two weeks.
- The Fire maintain second place in the Eastern Conference with a game in hand on both first place Sporting KC and third place Red Bull.
- Red Bull is just 4-18-5 all-time at New England. In a span that stretches almost exactly 10 years back to the MetroStars era, New York hasn't won in Foxboro in 15 matches, going 0-11-4 since the streak began on September 21, 2002.
- Sporting KC midfielder Roger Espinoza picked up a yellow card and will now be suspended for the team's game Saturday at Montreal, where the Impact are 10-3-2 this season.
- The Fire hold a game in hand on all but D.C. United.
The Negatives
- Albeit with a game in hand, Sporting has opened up a four point lead on the Fire for first place in the East. Even if the Fire win Saturday and Sporting loses, the team will still be one point behind KC.
- The Fire are just six points ahead of sixth place in the East, leaving little room for error.
- Houston, D.C. United and Columbus all have much easier schedules than the top three teams, indicating a Top 3 Eastern Conference finish is far from a certainty.
Saturday Schedule
Montreal vs. Sporting KC – 12pm CT (Direct Kick/MLS Live/TSN)
New England vs. New York – 6:30pm CT (Direct Kick/MLS Live)
Chicago vs. Columbus – 7:30pm CT (NBC 5.2)
Sunday Schedule
Philadelphia vs. Houston – 3pm CT (Direct Kick/MLS Live)
D.C. United vs. Chivas USA – 6pm CT (Galavision)
Sporting KC just barely rescued first place at the top of the East while the Fire, Red Bulls and United all tightened up the race… An updated breakdown of the week and month and a half a head in this edition of Playoff Math…
1) Sporting KC
Current Points: 51
Games Remaining: 6 (2 home, 4 away)
Maximum Possible Points: 69
Average Opponents Points: 42.6
Remaining Schedule: at New York (9/19), at Montreal (9/22), vs. Chicago (9/28), at Columbus (10/7), at New York (10/20), vs. Philadelphia (10/24).
The Rundown: By virtue of C.J. Sapong's late header to equalize with Houston on Friday night, Sporting KC still controls their own destiny for first in the East , if only just barely. The team enters this week with two big away matches, facing third-place Red Bull at midweek and Montreal on Saturday.
Neither game will be easy. With their 3-1 win over Columbus Saturday night, New York moved to 10-0-3 overall at home and a perfect 8-0-0 vs. the Eastern Conference at Red Bull Arena. While those stats are daunting, if Sporting are going to finish first in the East, they'll likely have to find a way to take four points from this game and their next visit to New York on October 20. If New York stays consistent and beats another East team at home, they will at least momentarily move to first in the East.
Sporting will then head to a somewhat down-trodden Montreal side whose playoff hopes seem only mathematical at this point. Despite that, the Impact's home form combined with KC playing on just three days rest, will make this a very difficult game for Sporting.
This could be a week where Sporting puts a stamp on the Eastern Conference lead or gives it up completely…
2) Chicago Fire
Current Points: 50
Games Remaining: 6 (3 home, 3 away)
Maximum Possible Points: 68
Average Opponents Points: 40.1
Remaining Schedule: vs. Columbus (9/22), at Sporting KC (9/28), vs. Philadelphia (10/3), at New York (10/6), at New England (10/20), vs. D.C. United (10/27)
The Rundown: The Fire had a huge week, taking six points at Toronto FC and at home to Montreal Saturday night. In neither match did the team play a complete game but Fire fans should feel confident in the fact that the team is 1) capable of coming back from a deficit to win and 2) can have a bad day and still earn three points and 3) with six wins from their last seven, are the hottest team in Major League Soccer.
With KC drawing the night before and both New York and D.C. winning earlier Saturday, the pressure was certainly on the Fire to get the three points in order to maintain second place in the east. With KC playing New York as well as D.C. playing Philadelphia at midweek, there's chance the Fire could momentarily fall from that spot and it seems almost certain things will tighter heading into the weekend.
That all matters very little as long as the Fire continue to hold serve at home and defeat a Columbus team on short rest Saturday night to set up a humongous match at Sporting KC the following Friday.
3) New York Red Bulls
Current Points: 49
Games Remaining: 6 (4 home, 2 away)
Maximum Possible Points: 67
Average Opponents Points: 38.1
Remaining Schedule: vs. Sporting KC (9/19), at New England (9/22), vs. Toronto FC (9/29), vs. Chicago (10/6), vs. Sporting KC (10/20), at Philadelphia (10/27)
The Rundown: This is also the week in which New York can really make their claim for first in the East. If they can take advantage of their perfect home record vs. the Conference and earn three points on Wednesday vs. KC before doing what's expected at eighth place New England on the weekend, they'll find themselves on top.
Taking care of business this week would also be huge as Red Bull will have four matches remaining, three at home and two of those against direct top of the East competitors Chicago and Kansas City in October. It's also worth nothing that of the top three, Hans Backe's side has easiest schedules to finish the season as their opponent's point average equals out to 38.1
4) Houston Dynamo
Current Points: 46
Games Remaining: 5 (3 home, 2 away)
Maximum Possible Points: 61
Average Opponents Points: 30
Remaining Schedule: at Philadelphia (9/23), vs. New England (9/29), vs. Montreal (10/6), vs. Philadelphia (10/20), at Colorado (10/27)
The Rundown: Houston nearly took three points from Kansas City Friday night in a match that many didn't expect them to take any. While they'll be disappointed in giving up a late equalizer, the Dynamo by far have the easiest schedule of anyone in the East from here on out, with their five games coming against teams outside of their Conference's Top five and three games remaining at BBVA Compass Stadium.
It would be a reasonable expectation for the Dynamo to take 12-15 points and really keep themselves in the conversation for a Top 3 spot as the Fire, New York and Kansas City all have matches remaining against each other.
5) DC United
Current Points: 44
Games Remaining: 6 (2 home, 4 away)
Maximum Possible Points: 62
Average Opponents Points: 32.8
Remaining Schedule: at Philadelphia (9/20), vs. Chivas USA (9/23), at Portland (9/29), at Toronto FC (10/6), vs. Columbus (10/20), at Chicago (10/27)
The Rundown: No DeRo, no problem. D.C. United found a way to be victorious without their captain in Saturday night's 2-1 victory over New England, effectively leaping over Columbus and into the final playoff spot in the East. Much like Houston, United have a very easy upcoming schedule to make things even tighter in the East as they face the literal bottom four teams in Major League Soccer over their next four games.
The only problem is that three of those four come on the road where United hasn't been great this season (3-9-0). Nonetheless, if D.C. can take maximum points from the next four, they'll put themselves not only in a good position to qualify for the playoffs but a chance to finish a bit higher than fifth.
6) Columbus Crew
Current Points: 42
Games Remaining: 6 (4 home, 2 away)
Maximum Possible Points: 60
Average Opponents Points: 37
Remaining Schedule: vs. Chivas USA (9/19), at Chicago (9/22), vs. Philadelphia (9/29), vs. Sporting KC (10/7), at D.C. United (10/20), vs. Toronto FC (10/28).
The Rundown: In a previous edition of Playoff Math, I said that I wasn't yet convinced of the Crew's run up the table because during their four-game winning streak, they'd played three of the worst teams in the East.
A trip to Gillette Stadium caused a somewhat surprising 2-0 loss before the international break and then Saturday night's visit to Red Bull Arenas saw a less surprising 3-1 defeat for the Crew. The two losses have Columbus now back on the outside looking in. Though they have two matches over the next seven days just like KC, New York and D.C., it's safe to say the week ahead could be very telling for the Crew's playoff chances.
The Crew should expect to defeat Western Conference bottom dwellers Chivas USA at home on Wednesday but their visit to Chicago, will be very difficult as the Fire haven't fallen to an Eastern Conference team at home since October 12, 2010, going 12-0-5 in that time.
7) Montreal Impact
Current Points: 39
Games Remaining: 4 (2 home, 2 away)
Maximum Possible Points: 51
Average Opponents Points: 36.7
Remaining Schedule: vs. Sporting KC (9/22), at Houston (10/6), at Toronto FC (10/20), vs. New England (10/27)
The Rundown: Montreal's really just run out of game but it doesn't mean they can't affect the Eastern Conference playoff race (which they still sort of remain in). The Impact's home form has had me mark this Saturday's game vs. Sporting KC as one that really have implications on the top of the East while a point at Houston isn't completely out of the cards either.
After October 6, Montreal could mathematically be out as they face two other teams that are already that way.
I'm not a huge fan of predictions but I got all the East's playoff related results correct this weekend so, I'll go with three midweek predictions…
Midweek Predictions:
New York 2, Sporting KC 1
Columbus 1, Chivas USA 0
D.C. United 2, Philadelphia 1
Sega 200. No that isn't a new gaming console.
Seeing as Gonzalo Segares has only missed three regular season matches the past two seasons, it seems a good bet that the eight-year Fire veteran will record his 200th competitive appearance for the Men in Red when the side welcomes the Montreal Impact to Toyota Park Saturday night.
The Costa Rican international enters the match having racked up 172 regular season, 12 MLS Cup playoff, 12 U.S. Open Cup and three SuperLiga appearances since his rookie year of 2005.
Not a bad haul for a guy that saw 34 other names called before his in that year's MLS SuperDraft.
Sega Plays All Parts in the 2011 Capital Comeback
"I'm very excited," Segares told Chicago-Fire.com Friday afternoon. "In this day and age it's definitely not an easy thing to play 200 games with the same team. It's something I'm really proud of."
If not for an injury riddled 2009 campaign and his short stint in Europe during the first half of 2010, Segares would have easily hit the mark earlier. It's still worth noting the veteran really has no equal in terms of consistency at the position over the course of the club's 15 seasons.
"I'm always thankful for the Fire to have given me the opportunity. Since 2005, it's been a long road -- I have memories of very good moments and some tougher ones but it's been a very positive experience."
Of those moments, Segares pointed to his first game as a professional (a 2-1 win over Colorado on May 21, 2005), his first goal less than a month later (4-3 loss at D.C. United on June 15). A less fond memory is his stoppage time equalizer that was disallowed in that year's Eastern Conference final at New England.
More recently, Segares counts playing in front of a sold-out Soldier Field against Manchester United last July and his role in providing two assists in the stunning 2-1 stoppage time "Capital Comeback" last season at D.C as happy memories.
Nothing beats the time he hoisted the 2006 U.S. Open Cup in front of the Fire faithful at Toyota Park.
"That was my first championship as a professional. You can't replicate a memory like that, especially at home."
The second longest tenured member of the current squad, Segares recently stated on the All-In Podcast that he wouldn't mind ending his career as a member of the Fire.
"It's place where I was given my first chance to become a professional. If I get the opportunity I would love to stay here."
After beating Toronto 2-1 on Wednesday night, the Fire face Canadian opposition again on Saturday, hosting for the first time Montreal at Toyota Park (LIVE 7:30pm CT on CSN Chicago). Winning games that you don't play well in is the sign of a good team and the Fire certainly showed that against TFC.
Montreal is still fighting to sneak into the MLS Cup Playoffs but the Fire haven't lost to an Eastern Conference foe at home for over two years. Here are some things to look out for in Saturday night's game:
Montreal's formation: back 3 or back 4?
Montreal manager Jesse Marsch has experimented with both a back three and back four this season. When fit, Nelson Rivas, Alessandro Nesta and Matteo Ferrari serve as the first choice defenders and you would be hard pressed to find a more experienced trio in all of MLS. The trio has hundreds of Serie A matches under their belt.
In Montreal's last game they played a back four system away against Columbus and I think we will see the same on Saturday night as the Fire's attacking ability and willingness to push the outside defenders up in support of the wingers would cause big problems for a three back setup.
Experienced defenders = lack of pace
Whenever an opposing team is asked about the Fire, the first aspect of the team's game that every coach and player talks about is "pace." Montreal's defenders may have all the experience in the world but with the Fire they come up against a team that has the ability to beat them with speed.
In his last two games, Patrick Nyarko has used his pace to devastating effect, blowing by the Houston defense to score after less than a minute and forcing the Toronto back line into making mistakes by applying pressure high up the field. Nyarko was also very dangerous on the break, especially after Toronto set pieces.
Patrick played very high up the field against TFC on Wednesday, almost as a third striker, and I think that will continue against the Impact.
Felipe - the often overlooked danger man
In attack, Montreal have two excellent wingers in Davy Arnaud and Justin Mapp. For the past decade, both players have consistently helped their teams by scoring goals but more importantly netting assists.
For the Impact, both play in the wide positions and distract from Felipe who is more central. He can fade in and out of games but he is very capable of providing a killer assist. Philadelphia were so concerned about his attacking threat that they man marked him for the entire match. I don't think the Fire will follow suit, but they cannot solely focus on the wide men and neglect Filipe.
Fire offense: finish your chances
In the game against TFC on Wednesday night, the Men in Red were once again guilty of missing too many excellent goal scoring opportunities. Those misses made the game a lot closer than it should have been, especially after TFC pulled it back to 2-1 in the second half.
Pavel Pardo and Sherjill MacDonald were both guilty of missing after going 1v1 against TFC 'keeper, Milos Kocic. Obviously not every chance will result in a goal but I would expect that coach Frank Klopas was stressing the importance of taking your chances to the players this week.
With the playoff race in the Eastern Conference so tight, a goal or two here and there could be the difference between coming 1st and 3rd in the final standings.
Prediction: 2-0 Fire. Frank Klopas' side take their sixth win in seven matches with goals from MacDonald and Nyarko.
Despite a plethora of chances, the Fire didn't make things easy on themselves Wednesday night in Toronto. Going up 2-0 with goals from Alvaro Fernandez and Chris Rolfe before halftime, the Fire had plenty of chances but couldn't put Toronto out of its misery with a third goal.
Eric Hassli's 79th minute strike and Toronto's constant pressure late kept things interesting but Frank Klopas' side found away to lock things down at the back and grind out another important three points on the road.
Ugly as it may have been at times, at the end of the day, Frank Klopas' side still came away with a valuable away win and catapulted itself into second place in the East. The team now sits even on games played (27) and one point ahead (47) of the New York Red Bulls (46).
Heading into Saturday's game vs. Montreal, there's a chance the Fire could sit atop the East by the end of the weekend.
Sporting KC vs. Houston Dynamo – 7:30pm CT (NBC Sports Network)
New York Red Bulls vs. Columbus Crew – 6:00pm CT (MLS Live, Direct Kick)
D.C. United vs. New England – 6:30pm CT (MLS Live, Direct Kick)
Chicago Fire vs. Montreal Impact – 7:30pm CT (CSN Chicago)
Let's put things in perspective…
WATCH: Sporting KC 0, Houston 0 (7/7/2012)
One of two huge matches in the East this weekend is Friday's nights encounter between first-place Sporting KC and fourth-place Houston at LiveSTRONG Sporting Park.
If Kansas City, who are just a surprising 4-3-3 at home vs. East teams loses, it sets the Fire up for a move to first on Saturday night. If that happened, the Dynamo could also potentially jump all the way into second place (at least momentarily) as well.
Lucky for the home side, Houston's away form against the Conference has been quite poor (1-5-4), though one of those four draws did come at Sporting on July 7 (0-0).
The obvious hope for the Fire is to see the Dynamo earn their second away win against the East Friday night but I think anything more than a point for Houston is unrealistic.
PREDICTION: Sporting KC 1, Houston Dynamo 1
- Further East on Saturday, third-place New York welcomes the Columbus Crew to Red Bull Arena. I wrote recently that I wasn't yet convinced about the Crew's surge up the East table because of the level of opponents they'd played during their run and in their last match, they fell 2-0 at New England.
In Saturday's game, they travel to play a New York side that is unbeaten at home this season (9-0-3) and hasn't even drawn against an East opponent at Red Bull Arena (7-0-0). Interestingly enough, at 4-6-4, Columbus has a much better away record than Houston and has gone 3-5-2 away in the conference, including a victory over Sporting KC.
Even with all that, it's hard to go against New York's home dominance this season. As it relates to the Fire, a draw would be a fantastic result for a few reasons but I have to think Red Bull comes away victorious this weekend.
PREDICTION: New York Red Bulls 2, Columbus Crew 1
WATCH: New York 4, Columbus 1 (4/7/2012)
- Sixth place D.C. United hosts New England Saturday night at RFK Stadium in a match where all three points will be quite necessary for the home side.
Most of MLS was in shock Thursday morning with the club's announcement that captain Dwayne DeRosario had suffered an MCL sprain that will keep him out 10-12 weeks, effectively ending his season.
Even still, United (41) sit one point back of the final playoff spot, even without DeRo are better than New England and much like Red Bull, have fantastic form at RFK this season, going 9-1-4 overall and 7-1-3 against Eastern opponents.
While New England bounced back with a home win against Columbus before the international break, their away record is abysmal (1-10-2; 0-7-2 in the East) and I suspect their skid down the East table continues Saturday night.
PREDICTION: D.C. United 2, New England Revolution 0
- In the last Eastern match of the night, the Fire will know exactly what they have to do to move into first place or retain second place by halftime against Montreal.
If all the predicted results above hold and the Fire win oer the Impact, they'd stay in second place but sit just one point back of East-leading KC.
The Fire's home form this season (9-2-2; 7-0-1 vs. East) combined with Montreal's away record (2-11-1; 2-6-1 vs. East) certainly favor the Men in Red in this match, though Klopas' side will be coming off just three days rest while the Impact will not have played in two weeks.
Also remember that while the first-year MLS side is just three points out of the final playoff spot, they only have five games remaining while almost everyone above has seven.
A loss for Montreal on Saturday would come as close as could be to effectively end the Impact's bid for a playoff place in their first MLS season.
PREDICTION: Saturday night will certainly be a battle but I think the Fire take their 10th home win of the season and move within one point of first in the East with a 2-1 victory (what other score line is there?) over Montreal.
Eight days ago I wrote a blog on the policy regarding the use of flag poles by away supporters at Sporting KC's LiveSTRONG Sporting Park.
In the piece, I appealed for Fire and all MLS supporters to tweet Sporting CEO @RobbHeineman and the club's Twitter account (@SportingKC) asking why the club wouldn't allow this right to away supporters. You may have once or twice seen the #FearTheFlag hashtag...
There are many words to describe that blog and Twitter campaign: agitating, pestering, annoying would all be appropriate. Admittedly, it was a little jab at Robb and our friends down in Kansas City but seemed a worthy point to raise considering LiveSTRONG was one of only two MLS venues that had this restriction in place.
While I wasn't sure that the policy would ever change, Robb proved be wrong last night by tweeting this...
A call to Sporting's public relations folks today confirmed that the policy has indeed changed and away supporters will be allowed to fly flags inside LiveSTRONG Sporting Park going forward. Recognizing this fact, I think it appropriate to give credit where it's due.
First, Robb points to the collaboration with the KC Cauldron as the reason the policy has changed. The fact that the club's own supporters pushed for rights of visiting supporters in their own stadium is really a great thing. Well done, bravo.
Secondly, I have to give kudos to Robb and the club as a whole. To make a change in stadium policy like this during the season isn't as simple as snapping two fingers. The fact that Robb and the club considered the arguments (whatever they were by the Cauldron) and perhaps the tweets from supporters outside of KC and decided to listen to popular opinion is a breath of fresh air.
Robb, I look forward to visiting LiveSTRONG for the second time this season at the end of the month and would be happy to do a "flag pole photo op" with you on the 28th. I'm sure our PR departments can talk.
Third, thanks to all those fans, both Fire and otherwise, that supported the cause through Twitter and other means.
We bombarded @SportingKC and @RobbHeineman with our protest tweets, I think it would now be appropriate to tweet thanks and appreciation for being willing to change in a way that everyone wins.
Now on that note, we just have to convince @PhilaUnion to do the same...
Fly flags with Jeff and Section 8 Chicago in LiveSTRONG Sporting Park on September 28. Get on the bus to Kansas City by putting your deposit down here.
It didn't seem a likely result but the Fire and a few other teams in the East got playoff help as the low-lying New England Revolution knocked off the high-flying Columbus Crew 2-0 Wednesday night at Gillette Stadium.
Riding a four-match winning streak, popular wisdom had the Crew continuing their run, but in this match, they looked nothing like the Columbus team we've come to know over the past month. The visitors rarely threatened the New England goal and the home side which has seemed down and out for a while, rattled off a rather dominant performance.
The Revs took a 1-0 lead through Dimitry Imbongo's "clean up" effort in the 53rd minute and looked to have a second goal seven minutes later, but Stephen McCarthy's header was negated by an offside call. With the Crew only down 1-0, the most curious case moment of the night came when Columbus defender Chad Marshall (pictured above) headed a ball over 'keeper Andy Greunebaum and into his own net to give the Revs a 2-0 lead. The goal was puzzling as Marshall seemed to give up on the ball when it looked as though he could have saved off the line.
Unfortunately for Robert Warzycha's side, their best efforts didn't come until the 87th minute when a two-shot sequence was thwarted by by Revs 'keeper Matt Reis, to complete the New England victory.
The result means the Crew have missed out on what would have been regarded an easy three points and an opportunity to move all the way to third in the Eastern Conference standings. Long story short, everything in the East playoff race stayed the same Wednesday night but Thursday night, the Houston Dynamo will make their bid for a return to third in the East as they host Real Salt Lake at BBVA Compass Stadium.
HIGHLIGHTS: Revolution 2, Crew 0


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Hornet 24 Backpack
Out of Stock Product Number: 25923
When super light hiking or a quick peak summit is the order of the day, call on the Hornet 24 to get you there. This panel loading, hydration compatible pack features Osprey's highly ventilated and supportive BioStretchTM harness and hipbelt as well as a spacer mesh backpanel for a lightweight, comfortable carry.
Gender: Unisex
Weight: S/M: 1 lb 2 oz. (0.50 kg)
Material: 70D Triple Ripstop Nylon
Dimensions: 19 x 11 x 7.5 in (49 x 27 x 19 cm)
Volume: S/M: 1320 cu in (22 L)
Season: S13 F13
Vendor ProductId: 33024
Review ProductId: 25923

subset: commoncrawl


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By C.JMcManusSun Advocate reporter
I fought the law and the law won." - Sonny Curtis of the Crickets.
Those of you who have been following the life and crimes of Puff (my dog, a Chinese Crested Powder Puff), know that this is the third installment written featuring the criminal activities. To bring newcomers up to speed, I will say this; my dog barks sometimes and my neighbors don't like it. They called the cops, they called animal control and I got a ticket. I have been raving about the injustice of it all ever since.
Puff's saga picked up again when Officer Shawn Sackett attempted to serve me with my court papers and instead got my wife. This wouldn't have been a big deal if my 3-year-old daughter hadn't let him in to the house without my wife's knowledge. As Murphy's Law dictates, my wife was folding clothes while wearing a small T-shirt and her underwear when she noticed the red faced police office standing their with our daughter.
"Oh, maybe I should put on some pants," said my wife while trying to maintain some dignity.
"At least you weren't naked," I said, trying to sound compassionate. She had a few choice words for me which I will not recount here but the gist of the message was, "When is this going to be over?"
The end of the whole mess finally came into view on Thursday, as I was scheduled for court, and boy was I ready to roll. I had my subpoenas ready. One for a city councilmember, the other for the area's Catholic Priest - both of which were willing to swear that they had never heard my dog Puff bark during the night in question. Heck the priest (who lives right behind me) didn't even know I had a dog.
Before court started, I discussed my case with the city attorney Jeremy Humes.
Hoping he would cower at my stellar list of witnesses, I went over my defense.
When I finished, he looked at me kindly, reminded me that only one of us was an attorney and then told me he would see my councilmember and priest and raise me a police officer.
"I have to tell you my friend, if the cop says it happened, the judge tends to believe him," he said.
Devastated, I realized I was going to lose even if I took this all the way to the Supreme Court. Puff was going down and I was headed into the gutter with her.
While I have had a great time poking fun at this whole situation, I do have to say that portions of what has gone on really do anger me.
Based on the way some of the city's nuisance laws are written, one citizen could accuse another of anything and subsequently get them charged with a crime. Now while everyone knows that our country bases its legal system on the pretense of innocent until proven guilty, in reality, the truth reads more like innocent until charged or guilty due to lack of resources. Speaking plainly, you need deep pockets to really play this game.
My dog Puff was charged with barking after 9:30 p.m. I was ticketed for the offense and then told when I would have the pleasure of appearing in court. Feeling as though my little angel had done nothing wrong I plead not guilty and began earnestly plotting my defense. What I meant about resources is this, I had missed three days of work to deal with this matter and I would imagine I would have had to miss at least three more before the trail had commenced.
Simply put, most people can't afford to miss more than a week of work over a fine that for most wouldn't amount to one day's wages. As sinister as is seems, I believe they have done this on purpose. Cities all over our fair land are extorting money from their residents based on petty crimes and the fees which keep climbing.
Because it was my first puppy related offense, I was given a $25 fine. However, I learned that the usual fine is almost always $90 and if the court finds you to be a repeat offender, the Class B Misdemeanor can carry a six month in jail term and a $1,000 fine.
While it would be easy to blame this on the city council, whose job it is to define municipal offenses, however they aren't really at fault. You see, I have sat through countless council sessions and I can tell you from countless experiences that the city's ordinances are dictated by complaining residents not the city fund.
So why the ruckus then? Every time I attend municipal court in East Carbon it's the same thing. Dog, Dog, Yard, Dog, Yard, Yard, Possession, Probation Hearing, Yard, Dog. It seems that eight out of every ten nuisance complaints are heard for every actual crime. The city's nuisance ordinance is so overly vague that I watched an attorney nearly get his client off based on it's ambiguity alone. If your dog bothers someone for any reason, here comes the judge.
And that is the most unfortunate piece of this whole situation. When did neighbors start calling the cops instead of calling each other? When did the sound of a barking neighborhood dog become a crime? East Carbon is a city struggling to find its center since the destruction of East Carbon High School and until that center is found the city feels like a collection of strangers.


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FORT DRUM — More than 100 soldiers, aviators, and student military cadets learned the ropes about rappelling as a part of the post's air assault school Tuesday.
Their training was part of the third and final phase of the challenging 10-day course, which helps students work effectively with aviation resources. Earlier phases focused on aircraft operations and sling loading equipment, which come following a rigorous physical fitness test.
"With us being in a mountainous environment over there, you never know where you're going to be at or what you have," said staff Sgt. Joshua A. Dozanti, who led the rappel phase of the course Tuesday.
From the start of the course last week, the class number dropped from 165 to 106 students, who called out "Air Assault" loudly as they moved between stations.
"They have to want to be here," Sgt. Dozanti said.
The students started Tuesday morning by learning how to tie a seat harness properly, a skill many had not learned when rappelling during their basic training and one they needed to learn quickly. First tested while going down a 12-foot tall slanted wall, the students were immediately sent to try rappelling from the top of a 34-foot tall tower.
"It's a lot of knots you got to get right," said Andrew D. Metz, an Air Force ROTC cadet from Syracuse University.
On his hands and knees only feet from the edge of the tower, Sgt. Edward A. Monczynski grinned and tapped his knuckles on the ground prior to tying himself in to the ropes with the help of an instructor.
Sgt. Monczynski, who does explosive ordnance disposal work at Aberdeen Proving Ground, Md., with the 22nd Chemical Battalion, 48th Chemical Brigade, admitted some rare nerves about his initial descent.
"It doesn't really happen all that often, other than carrying fused ordnance," he said on the ground.
Air Force Maj. James D. Miller, an air liaison officer based here with the 20th Air Support Operations Squadron, said he kept his trust in what his instructors told him when dealing with worries about descending the tower.
"It can't be any worse than dropping bombs from 30,000 feet," he said.
Surrounded by many service members and cadets at least a decade younger than him, the 38-year-old said his classmates hadn't mentioned the age difference.
"Nobody's made any geriatrics jokes yet," Maj. Miller said.
Following their initial descent from the tower, the students then completed several additional descents without wall support and descents while equipped with different gear.
Other skills taught were how to stop a fall from a person making a descent.
The course usually calls for soldiers to rappel from a Black Hawk helicopter, but with the portions of the 10th Combat Aviation Brigade that fly the aircraft away on deployment, that portion was canceled for the course.
The air assault course will end about 2 a.m. Thursday with a 12-mile ruck (backpack) march that students will have to complete in three hours.
The post will hold the school nine times this year, a small uptick from the six held in 2012.
Video from Tuesday's rappelling training can be found at http://wdt.me/L9RwUK.
Thousands of readers like you have made Northern New York Newspapers the number one ranked website* for local news and sports coverage in the north country.
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CRANSTON – Lincoln High junior Jon Wahl achieved medalist honors on Day 1 of the two-day Interscholastic League individual and state golf championships, waving his putter like a magic wand just about every time he set foot on the greens at Cranston Country Club.
Wahl finished the day with an even-par 71, and he'll take a two-stroke lead into Wednesday's final round with Barrington's Stephen Miller and Justin Matrone each carting round 73. Three additional players sit three strokes off the pace Wahl set.
What made Wahl's performance somewhat surprising is that he got off to a rough start with bogeys on the first and fifth holes. He started to find harmony with a par save on No. 6, which he followed with a birdie on the 344-yard, par-four seventh.
Wahl ended up bogeying the ninth to finish the front side at plus-two 37. Making the turn with confidence in his putting ability, Wahl began the back nine with four straight pars. His birdie on the 349-yard, par-four No. 14 was made possible thanks to knocking in a 20-footer after hitting what he felt was a mediocre approach shot onto the green.
Wahl's third and final birdie came on the 369-yard, par-four 16th. Swinging an 8-iron from 150 yards out, Wahl landed the ball within 10 feet of the hole. He took care of the rest to post yet another red number.
"Overall, I putted really well today and that helped," said Wahl as he sat inside the clubhouse with his teammates and Lincoln head coach Nick Maresca. "I was able to get up-and-down four times on the back side, so I'd say that was pretty good."
Wahl walked off the 18th green shortly before 4 p.m. Prior to his total going up on the board, the cut line stood at any score within 10 strokes of 74. Needless to say, Wahl's total removed quite a number of contestants from the equation.
"It's great knowing that I'll be able to compete (Wednesday) and I hope I can replicate (Tuesday's round)," Wahl stated.
Joining Wahl as the local entries for day two include Burrillville's Matt Morse, who teed off at 7:16 on Tuesday morning. Morse finished with a 77 that included two birdies. Morse's day would have put him nearer to the leaders, but he closed out with a triple-bogey seven on the 355-yard, par-four 18th.
North Smithfield's Max LaPlante also finished with a 77, though he arrived at his score in a much different fashion than Morse. After struggling on the first side with a plus-six 41 – he closed with a three-putt on No. 9 – LaPlante kicked it into high gear by playing even-par golf over the final nine holes. He birdied back-to-back holes – Nos. 16 and 17 – to wrap up with a satisfying 36. The junior had a chance for a third straight birdie on 18 but came up short on a six-foot putt.
"The front nine wasn't what I wanted; I wasn't making a lot of putts," said LaPlante, who started the season as the Northmen's No. 1 player before struggles forced head coach Brian Chuey to reshuffle the lineup. "(At the turn) I felt like I had nothing to lose. In my mind, it was a failure of a season so I just wanted to give my best in the state championship."
Junior Tom Crudale of Mount St. Charles rounds out the local qualifiers after firing an 80. He notched a birdie on the 180-yard, par-three No. 4 to go along with four bogeys and a double bogey on the front nine. Crudale notched four straight pars to begin the final nine before running into trouble on 14 and 15, two holes that resulted in bogeys.
None of the three teams that sent six-person delegations to the states ended up factoring in the team race. Lincoln shot 332 as a group followed by North Smithfield (348) and Mount St. Charles (353). Barrington finished with a four-person score of 300.
With inclement weather expected Wednesday, golf officials mapped out a strategy in the event that players cannot complete 36 holes. In the event that 27 holes cannot be completed, the championship will become an 18-hole event that would be applied to both individual and team.
R.I. Golf State Championships, Day 1
At Cranston Country Club, par 71
Team scores
1. Barrington 300; 2. Bishop Hendricken 314; 3. Chariho 317; 4. North Kingstown 320; 5. (tie) La Salle, Cranston West 322; 7. Portsmouth 326; 8. South Kingstown 330; 9. Lincoln 332; 10. North Smithfield 348; 11. East Greenwich 349; 12. Mount St. Charles 353; 13. (tie) Mt. Hope, North Providence 389.
Local placements
Jon Wahl (Lincoln) 71; Matt Morse (Burillville) 77; Max LaPlante (North Smithfield) 77; Tom Crudele (Mount St. Charles) 80; Brendan Guerin (Cumberland) 82; Dave Cavallaro (North Smithfield) 85; Sam Lombardi (Mount St. Charles) 86; James Isabella (Lincoln) 86; Valmore Dumont (Lincoln) 87; Jake Laverdiere (Lincoln) 88; Elliot Ray (Cumberland) 89; Alan Benoit (Tolman) 89; Will Degnan (North Smithfield) 89; Adam Bouley (Mount St. Charles) 91; Victor Dumont (Lincoln) 92; Ryan Blais (Lincoln) 93; Davon Driscoll (St. Raphael) 93; Jacob Mefford (Cumberland) 93; Devin Votta (Mount St. Charles) 96; Ryan Badeau (Mount St. Charles) 97; Nick Degnan (North Smithfield) 97; Jake DeCelles (North Smithfield) 98; Talia Venditti (North Smithfield) 103.
Wednesday's tee times
Tom Crudale (MSC), 7:08 a.m.; Matt Morse (Burrillville), 7:40 a.m.; Max LaPlante (North Smithfield), 7:48 a.m.; Jon Wahl (Lincoln) 8:04 a.m.View more articles in:


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Located just 18 miles south of Seattle, Tacoma offers a mix of urban sophistication and scenic beauty. As a cultural hub of Washington, Tacoma features great attractions like the Museum of Glass and the Washington State History Museum, in addition to many fabulous galleries and theaters. Walk or bike around city trails and explore salt-water beaches.
Sip tasty microbrews while savoring some of the country's best steaks and then head out to experience a bustling nightlife featuring everything from jazz clubs to casinos. Outdoor enthusiasts will find plenty of opportunity for hiking, skiing, kayaking and golfing. With a wide variety of great venues and convention centers, Tacoma makes a wonderful destination for your next corporate meeting, wedding, engagement or reunion. Find out more at Tacoma.
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From topping your dog and cat's food, to training treats, the versatile, healthy and delicious Only Natural Pet Green Beef Tripe Nibblets are exactly what they love!
These easily digestible, incredibly tasty treats are made from 100% pure freeze-dried beef tripe. They feature no grains, no fillers, and no preservatives; only the protein packed, tripe taste your pets love.
Only Natural Pet Green Beef Tripe Nibblets
Let your dog and cat enjoy the delicious taste and nutritious benefits of Only Natural Pet Green Beef Tripe Nibblets.
Available in a 6 oz single bag or a 3 pack.
Country of Origin: USA
Manufacturer: Only Natural Pet
Ingredients - 100% Green Beef Tripe
Guaranteed AnalysisCrude Protein (min) 49.0%Crude Fat (min) 36.0%Crude Fiber (max) 1.2%Moisture (max) 8.0%
Feeding Guidelines
Feed as a treat. This product is intended for intermittent or supplemental feeding.
The reviews below are presented for informational purposes only and are not intended as an endorsement of any product. The information is not intended to be a substitute for visits to your local veterinarian. Instead, these testimonials offer the reader information and opinions written by pet owners and/or veterinarians concerning animal health and products that they have used.
(based on 23 reviews)
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Dogs love it
By Golden Mom
from Corolla, NC
Comments about Only Natural Pet Green Beef Tripe Nibblets:
All of my dogs love this treat. Also healthier to give to my dog with kidney problems.
Bottom Line Yes, I would recommend this to a friend
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By quimbey
from central new jersey
I read all the reviews and decided to try this product. I have three cats and they all sniffed the nuggests from a foot away and turned and walked away. I left the nuggets out, available for eating, and after a week they were all still where I'd left them. Then I gave the product to my neighbor who has a dog. The dog did the same thing my cats did. I offered the product to two other dog owners who refused the product.
Bottom Line No, I would not recommend this to a friend
High Value Training Treat
By The fluffy mom at It's Dog or Nothing
from Great Falls, MT
I have two Great Pyrenees and if you know anything about the breed, you'll know they are stubborn! We have to have a good rotation of high-value treats to keep them motivated. We received the treats to review on our blog and they have become a staple in our training treat mix!
Images shared by The fluffy mom at It's Dog or Nothing
Tags: Treat, Training, Dog, Picture of Product, Great Pyrenees
(1 of 1 customers found this review helpful)
Wonderful product
By Barb
from Marietta, GA
This is a wonderful, convenient product. I've recently changed my senior dog to a raw diet in order to help with her arthritis and these treats prove to be just the trick for enticing her to go up and down the deck stairs in order for her to do her business as well as their extremely necessary and beneficial for this diet change. I would highly recommend them and they really are akin to "crack" for dogs, thank you for a great product at a great price!
(0 of 1 customers found this review helpful)
My dogs love this!
By Andrea
from Portland, OR
My dogs absolutely love this treat. I have them on a home cooked diet and heard tripe was really good for dogs. It's difficult to find fresh tripe for their meals so I figure this is a good way to add it in, even just if a treat. The smell is a little strong but I can tolerate it and they'll do whatever I say once they hear the bag opening. I'm only half way through the first one and just ordered another so I never run out!
My dog's favorite treat out there!
By susie lou
from Spokane, WA
It's a treat. Treating my dog after good behavior, a sit, a stay, a lay down, a come, etc. This is my dogs favorite treat. In class if I keep losing his attention with other treats, I pull this out. It helps get his attention.Even the neighbor dog went bonkers for it when I had some in my pocket.
By mandy
from ohio
I feed a raw diet, this is a good treat for my pugs, it is not over possessed so i feel good giving it to them, and it must taste really good, by the smell i would not think so, but i do not think like a pug, they sing for it :) so i will take their word for it.
This is the treat supreme.
By Spike
from Juneau, Ak
I like it that the bites are different sizes:larger for my bassett hound and smaller for my cat and equally good for both.
(2 of 2 customers found this review helpful)
The rattle of the bag does it for my two
By Ms Pea
from Roseville, California
This is the best, healthiest treat I have found for my two Maltese. They come running at the sound of the bag. I only feed Raw and these treats are so healthy for your dog. Mine love them as treats, but some nights they get picky about their dinner. I just put 4 or 5 of these in the food, and they clean their dish. I sure wouldn't want to be without having them on hand.
Images shared by Ms Pea
Dinner of Only Natural
(2 of 3 customers found this review helpful)
My Cat Likes This
By Beth K.
from DeLand, FL
I feed my cat a wet diet, and I feel that, like humans who need pressure on bones & teeth to keep them strong, she needs something to crunch (and she LOVES crunchy stuff.) This is extremely nutritious. I cut each nibblet into about 4 pieces so she doesn't swallow it whole. She really loves them, and they are the most nutritious treat I've been able to find.
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2016 CX Bikes
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Rides and Events
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We're an independent, family-run chain of cycle shops, based in central England. Established in 1981, we have Britain's biggest bike shop and a leading Giant brand store, both in Rutland, plus two more centres located at Grafham Water, Cambs and Fineshade Wood, Northants. We're proud to have been voted Best Independent Cycling Retailer in 2014, 2013, 2011 and 2010.
In addition to stocking all the best bike brands, including Giant, Specialized, Trek, SCOTT, Cube and Whyte, we also offer traffic-free cycle hire, a full workshop, Body Geometry Bike Fit, custom build, and a regular calendar of free rides and seminars.
We offer free standard delivery, interest-free finance, Cycle to Work, and free enrolment to our Rutland Rewards scheme, where you can earn points on every purchase and redeem them online and in store.
Visit us in store, buy online or use our free Click & Collect service – we look forward to welcoming you.
Happy pedalling!
Getting Layered
Cyclescheme - In Three Simple Steps
Autumn Cycling Essentials
I ordered the wrong height bike, couldn't touch the floor with my tippy toes. The smaller replacement bike was no longer available but they honoured the price I had ordered the smaller bike for, and offered me the more expensive alternative, no quibbles! I could go on raving about other stuff they resolved for me, but that would fill this box and more. Ben, who sorted everything was completely on the ball. Emails answered in a flash. Equivalent bikes were generally more expensive and miles behind the build quality of the Giant. Please....please use Rutland Cycling. You will not be disappointed.
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Our Customer Rewards scheme allows you to earn points every time you shop with us. The points you earn can be used to spend on products both online and in store. You can spend your points as soon as they're on your account, so you won't have to wait around for your savings.
Signing up to the Customer Rewards scheme is free, and the points you earn can be used both online and in store. You can spend your points as soon as they're on your account, so you won't have to wait around for your savings. Rewards Points are valid for 12 months from purchase date.
Any bike purchased using 0% finance and/or Cyclescheme (or other employee salary-sacrifice scheme) is excluded from this offer.
When you buy a new bike at full RRP from rutlandcycling.com, you can now benefit from the added reassurance of our Rutland 30-day test ride. Once your new bike arrives, you can ride it as your own for 30 days, and we're confident you'll love it! However, if it's not right for you, we'll exchange it for another model. (There's a nominal charge of £10 for us to collect your bike - just make sure you keep the box your bike arrived in.)
The Rutland 30-day test ride is available on all full price, non-discounted bikes available for home delivery on rutlandcycling.com. It is not available on discounted or special offer bikes, click and collect bikes, bikes bought on finance, bikes bought through Cyclescheme, or bikes bought in store. This offer is only available on bikes delivered to mainland UK addresses.
Your 30-day test ride starts from the date your bike is delivered. You must notify us by email within 30 calendar days of delivery that you intend to return the bike within this scheme. This offer applies to all bikes purchased on or after 14th August 2014. To ensure you remain eligible, we would ask that you adopt a 'fair usage' attitude during the test ride period, and make sure there is no damage to the bike outside of the minimal wear you would expect from a bike ridden for 30 days or a few rides. Please note that any damage to the bike, including damage from incorrect assembly, will invalidate the test ride.
We will allow up to two exchanges within this scheme.
Choose our Interlink Predict Priority service and avoid the hassle of waiting around all day for your delivery. Interlink will notify you of your one-hour delivery window by SMS and email, and you can track the progress of your delivery on a real-time map, all the way down to a final 15-minute time slot.
Furthermore, if you find yourself busy on the day of delivery, Interlink will off you rescheduling options, both the night before and on the day, so you can select an alternative delivery date, deliver to a nominated neighbour, leave the parcel in a safe place, collect your parcel from your local Interlink depot, or upgrade to delivery before 1200.
This service is available on most items, but does exclude bikes. If you require a 1 hour delivery slot for your bike delivery then please call our customer service team who can book this service for you over the phone.
Interlink Predict Priority is a premium delivery option. Additional charges apply.
Our Click & Collect service offers all the benefits of shopping online, combined with an award-winning retail experience in one of our stores. Simply order your items, select Click & Collect and pick up your item at a time that's convenient for you — our stores are open 7 days a week. Best of all, the service is completely free.
Don't live near our stores? Use our Collect+ service to collect your package from a location near you.
Price is important to everyone these days, so we regularly price check our competitors to make sure we have the best offers for you — but if you see the same product cheaper from one of our listed competitors, then get in touch and we'll do our very best to match the price.
Please note that we can only price match identical items (including size and colour), which are in stock and available for immediate delivery. Comparison price includes all delivery charges.
Our Cytech-qualified technicians will build, check and despatch your bike in 2-3 working days, so it arrives ready to ride. All you have to do is add the pedals, tighten the handlebars and you're ready to go.
We'll contact you as soon as your bike is ready for despatch.
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The game is the first of two Play 4Kay, formerly Pink Zone, games for the Lady Demons and the day is also the Lady Demon reunion where two former greats – Joskeen Garner and Angela Simpson – will be inducted into the Graduate N Club Hall of Fame in a postgame ceremony.
The Lady Demons (5-18, 1-9 SLC) have dropped their last six games and nine out of 10 and is coming off an 82-61 loss to Lamar on Wednesday in their last outing. Southeastern Louisiana (8-14, 3-6) has won three of four including a 73-66 win over the Lady Demons in Hammond on Jan. 28. The Lady Lions defeated Texas-San Antonio 64-63 on Wednesday.
"We're going to keep fighting and play hard," said head coach Jennifer Graf. "We're taking them one game at a time. I can promise you we'll go into the Southeastern game completely focused."
Jordi James continues to top the team in scoring at 13.6 points per game followed by Trudy Armstead at 13.0 ppg and Jasmine Upchurch with a 12.0 average.
Armstead leads the team in rebounding (8.9) followed by Upchurch (8.3).
SLU is led in scoring by sophomore forward Aja Gibson's 12 points a game. Gibson was the driving force in her team's win over the Lady Demons two weeks ago when she scored 20 points and pulled down 10 rebounds.
Play 4Kay is a nationwide event held every year in February by women's basketball teams in an effort to help raise breast cancer awareness and funds for research.
The Lady Demon program is doing its part by selling t-shirts, pens, bracelets, and a silent auction. All money raised will be divided and donated to the Kay Yow Cancer Fund and the American Cancer Society.
Following the game on Saturday, Garner and Simpson will take their well deserved place in the Graduate N Club Hall of Fame.
They will also be featured during halftime recognition of former players, coaches and team personnel. Garner was a first-team Parade All-America star at Florien High School while Simpson was a two-time All-State standout from Shreveport-Huntington.
They rank 2-3 in school history in scoring with a combined total of 3,945 points. Playing for Smith, head coach for 17 seasons, they helped Northwestern State to three 20-win seasons, the 1995 Southland Conference championship, and WNIT appearances in 1993 and 1995, with a runner-up finish in 1995 featuring wins over Notre Dame and Clemson.
Membership in the Graduate N Club Hall of Fame, the athletic letterwinners' association at Northwestern, is the highest athletic honor conferred to former student-athletes by the university.


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The only light that you need
It's getting dark, and the only audible sounds are from your pedals turning over, the tires on the gravel, and a distant sound of the forest settling in for the night. As you reach the summit of the hills, you watch the sun set on the distant horizon before you flick on your light to descend. Sadly, you have to ride your brakes down the single track at a snails pace because your light isn't bright enough to see what's in front of you. It's time to invest in a new light before you waste any more money on new brake pads. Ditch your ill equipped light and send the trail like you were meant to with a Light & Motion Seca 1700 Race Light. The Seca 1700 puts out an ample 1700 lumens, providing all of the light that you need for night rides with friends or for your next 24-hour race.
Designed for night trail rides and racing, the Seca is the crowned King of Light from Light & Motion. With its increased lumens and battery life, the Seca 1700 is lighting the way brighter and longer than ever. And though many light manufacturers have picked up on the high-lumen craze, Light & Motion hasn't simply added lumens to the Seca for the sake of brightness, it's redesigned the light to use the power output more wisely and efficiently. Due to the Seca's bi-conic reflector, its six LED bulbs cast an intense light in a wide beam that makes you forget that it's nighttime.
Four settings on the Seca let you adjust the output in accordance to the desired application. Now, you can expect a range between 1.5 to 15 hours of light. High puts out 1700 lumens, medium 850, and low and flash are both at 425 lumens. All 1700 lumens are essential to some while descending the trail, but going up hill doesn't require firing up every lumen. Thanks to the race mode setting, you can use less light while ascending the trail by skipping the medium and flash mode -- this leaves you with the high and low settings only. And when you're ready to head back down the trail, a push of the power button has you back at full power.
For convenience, the light mounts on either your helmet or handlebars. The three-cell, lithium-ion battery comes with 127 cm of cord -- enough length to stow the battery in your backpack or strap it to your top tube. It's also worth mentioning that the helmet mount works with all Light & Motion helmet compatible lights. The Seca weighs in around a feathery 343 grams -- a small price to pay for instant daylight on the trails. Along with the weight changes, the Seca also features a lower profile design to minimize any obstruction.
The Light & Motion Seca 1700 Race Light is available in the color Black/silver, and the light, battery, cord, and charger are all included.
Tech Specs
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Light & Motion Seca 1700 Race Light
? Share a...
Jared C.
Could you use the 6 cell Light & Motion battery with this light for extended battery life?
Gavin McBride
Hello there, yes you can us the 6 cell betteries with any of the Seca and Stell models. Let me know if I can get you an order started, you can reach me at 801-736-6396 ext 4769


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ALBUQUERQUE, NM (KOB) - An Albuquerque, New Mexico family has had an unwelcome visitor not just once, but twice, a mysterious patio furniture re-arranger.
It happened the first time a week ago, then again Wednesday.
"It's been funny but it's kind of creepy to know that someone is coming on our property," says Angela Dentandt.
The woman has twice struck the home.
Surveillance footage shows her walking up to the Dentandt's front porch and moving around the family's patio furniture.
Dentandt said she just moves the furniture back.
The first time it happened, she thought it was the handy work of her daughter, but when that turned out to be false, she turned to the family's surveillance cameras.
The footage shows the woman walking by at about 8:00 a.m.
You can see her spot that the furniture has been moved back, and she moves in.
"I have no idea what she could be thinking," Dentandt said. "She looks around making sure no body is watching before she takes care of it."
Dentandt's husband, Carl, said the couple laughed about it at first.
"The second time you start thinking a little bit more about it - going something is wrong here," he said.
You can even spot the woman looking back to admire her handy work.
Carl Dentandt is shocked that she doesn't notice the cameras.
"It's in broad daylight and you can't miss the cameras that we have on our house," he said. "There's eight of them and their big and black. so, that person was just on a mission."
So after two unsolicited furniture moves the Dentandt's are hoping there won't be a third time.
"She decides to come by and wonder what our house looks like inside and what she can rearrange in there you know," Angela Dentandt said. "What if she tries to get in with one of our kids inside?"
The Dentandt's said they do not think it is a big crime to move their furniture around, but they said if it happens again, they will call the police.


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- Northern New York Newspapers
- Watertown
- Ogdensburg
- Massena-Potsdam
- Lowville
- Carthage
- Malone
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NORFOLK In order to remain under a $5.9 million project budget, Norfolk town officials have made some changes in their long-awaited sewer project.
The sewer project involves the construction of a new sewage treatment plant on County Route 38 just past West Main Street. The town also will reline all of the sewer mains as part of the project.
The Town Council had decided on 80 percent of its contracts for the work in late February, accepting four of the five project bids.
After a special meeting last week, however, Town Supervisor Charles A. Pernice said that some numbers had to be altered.
We accepted and are going to award contracts one, two, three and four. Due to the change in the scope and change in the work in contract five, we will be going out to rebid there, Mr. Pernice said. Basically we were way over budget and are trying to get back in our budget numbers.
Contract one consists of building the actual plant and contract two involves installing the equipment required along with a majority of the piping inside the plant as well as the heating system. Contract three has to do with the interior plumbing for sinks, toilets and other minor items. Contract four is all of the electrical work and contract five relates to relining the collection system or sewer mains.
Contract one, which consists of general construction, is going to Danko Construction Corp., Massena, at a cost of $3,267,000. The town initially had put this portion of the work out for another bid two months ago.
Contract two was awarded to Perras Excavating Inc., Massena, for $580,000. The original accepted bid from the contractor for the mechanical construction was $688,382.
Contract three, for the plumbing work, is by far the least costly of the projects five components. The initial accepted bid of $26,700 from Norwood Plumbing Inc. will be unchanged.
The original budget was supposed to be $5,952,550. We are just about there but, hopefully, if we can save a little money on contract five, we can add a couple of other things in, Mr. Pernice said.
The final portion of the project that was changed, contract four, deals with electrical work. Town officials accepted a bid from Watson Electric in February for $405,000. That figure has been reduced to $366,000.
Each of the four accepted contracts was the low bid received.
In February, contract five, the collection system rehabilitation, was awarded to Branon Construction Co. Inc. for $1,353,000. Because of the other changes in cost, that contract will be going out for a rebid.
Im hoping that it will only be a couple of weeks until we get contract five squared away, Mr. Pernice said.
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The power of BlackBerry
on your computer and tablet
No wires, no saving to a cloud, no transferring between devices. It's just there.
Use Bluetooth technology to stream music wirelessly from your smartphone to your car or home stereo system.
Keep your BlackBerry smartphone or tablet safe and looking like new with a durable case.


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ABC Family's "Baby Daddy" - Season One
Something Borrowed, Something Ben' - Riley helps organize the perfect... News PhotoArts Culture and Entertainment,Assistance,Baby,California,Childhood,City Of Los Angeles,Father,Friendship,Horizontal,Organization,Perfection,Television Show,USA,WeddingPhotographer Ron TomCollection: Disney ABC Television Group 2012 American Broadcasting Companies, Inc. BABY DADDY - 'Something Borrowed, Something Ben' - Riley helps organize the perfect wedding for her childhood friends. But when Ben and his wild buddy Gene go out all night, Ben ends up waking up next to the bride...on her wedding day! Meanwhile, in their haste to help, Danny and Tucker end up dropping the wedding cake and Bonnie tries to document the event on film, if only she can remember to turn it on. The romance of the wedding brings Riley a little closer to one of the guys...but is it Ben or Danny? - on the season finale of 'Baby Daddy,' airing Wednesday, August 29 at 8:30pm ET/PT, following an all-new 'Melissa & Joey' on ABC Family. (Photo by Ron Tom/ABC Family via Getty images) MELISSA PETERMAN, CHELSEA KANE


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- Northern New York Newspapers
- Watertown
- Ogdensburg
- Massena-Potsdam
- Lowville
- Carthage
- Malone
- NNY Business
- NNY Living
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Its been a good winter for the city of Watertowns hydroelectric plant, but it has little to do with the amount of snow that has fallen.
Water Superintendent Michael J. Sligar said Tuesday that the hydroelectric plant off Marble Street is on a record pace for February, generating 22 percent more power than usual for the month. Were running pretty well, he said, attributing the production strength to recent rainfall.
Whats good for the plant is good for city coffers. Energy from the Black River plant is used to power city buildings, and the rest is sold to National Grid for 17.59 cents per kilowatt hour.
Plant revenue through Jan. 31 is $180,113 above what was budgeted for the first seven months of the fiscal year, City Comptroller James E. Mills said.
In the past, daily power production for February has averaged 43,565 kilowatt hours. But, Mr. Sligar said, the daily average this month has been 53,289 kwh. February normally is the third slowest month of the year, behind August and September.
The plant also is on pace to break the record for the first seven months of the fiscal year, producing more than 12.4 million kilowatt hours through Jan. 31, compared with the average of 10.9 million kwh for those months in the past, Mr. Sligar said. The current record was set in 2008-09, when the plant generated 13.9 million kwh from July through January.
While the north country has been hit hard this winter with about 20 separate snowstorms, wintry weather has little effect on how much hydroelectric power is generated by the plant. Instead, its all about rainfall and whether the plants three turbines get blocked by ice chunks, Mr. Sligar said.
If the snow melts too quickly or ice floes jam the Black River, there is an adverse effect, Mr. Sligar said.
Its like a big strainer, he said. If something blocks the strainer, it doesnt work.
Production could have been better if it werent for some ice jams along the river early in winter, he said.
He said he wished a new $240,000 trash rack and raking system, which the city intends to buy and install later this year, were already in place. The new equipment could break up the ice more effectively than the 20-year-old existing system, he said.
Through Jan. 31, the plant has generated $1,897,696 in revenues this fiscal year, compared with $1,227,584 for the same seven-month period last year.
But last year was an off year, so it has to be put into perspective, Mr. Mills said. Revenues were down overall for 2012-13 because of a drought that left a shortfall of $415,467 in the city budget, he said, adding that the situation could change quickly if drought occurs again this year.
There are too many variables and its only February, he said.
Still, the better-than-expected hydropower revenues will help offset what has been only bad news for sales tax revenues. So far, sales tax revenues are down $669,848 this fiscal year, Mr. Mills said.
The citys franchise agreement to sell excess electricity to National Grid began in 1991 and expires in 2029, when the rate the company pays the city is scheduled to jump to 34.7 cents per kwh. The arrangement came about after the city decided against going into municipal power.
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I am struggling to find an elegant way to create species richness maps. I thought there would be a rather simple and straightforward method to proceed but I could not find it using a Mac and QGIS -- are any other Mac softwares, if necessary.
I'm using IUCN data available here: http://www.iucnredli...ts/spatial-data
There are about 5,500 species of mammals. I wish to count how many polygons (1 poly = 1 species) are present per square based on, say, a 1 km grid. And then assign colours according to the species density in each square. Simple. But how? Struggle.
Does somebody know how to meet this challenge (challenge, that is, at least for me)?
I would be enormously grateful.


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Breast cysts are fluid-filled sacs within your breast, which are usually not cancer (benign). You can have one or many breast cysts. They're often described as round or oval lumps with distinct edges. In texture, a breast cyst usually feels like a grape or a water-filled balloon, but sometimes a breast cyst feels firm.
Breast cysts don't require treatment unless a cyst is large and painful or otherwise uncomfortable. In that case, draining the fluid from a breast cyst can ease your symptoms.
Breast cysts are common in women before menopause, between ages 35 and 50, but can be found in women of any age. If you have breast cysts, they usually disappear after menopause, unless you're taking hormone therapy.
Signs and symptoms of breast cysts include:
Having one or many simple breast cysts doesn't increase your risk of breast cancer. But having cysts may interfere with your ability to detect new breast lumps or other abnormal changes that might need to be evaluated by your doctor. It's important to become familiar with how your breasts normally feel so that you'll know when something is new or changing or just doesn't feel right.
Normal breast tissue in healthy women often feels lumpy or nodular. But if you detect the presence of any new breast lumps that don't go away after a menstrual period, or if a previously evaluated breast lump seems to have grown or otherwise changed, make an appointment with your doctor to get it checked out right away.
Each of your breasts contains lobes of glandular tissue, arranged like petals of a daisy. The lobes are further divided into smaller lobules that produce milk during pregnancy and breast-feeding. Small ducts move the milk to your nipple. The supporting tissue that gives the breast its shape is made up of fatty tissue and fibrous connective tissue. Breast cysts develop when an overgrowth of glands and connective tissue (fibrocystic changes) block milk ducts, causing them to widen (dilate) and fill with fluid.
The cause of breast cysts remains unknown. Some evidence suggests that excess estrogen in your body, which can stimulate the breast tissue, may play a role in breast cyst development.
For evaluation of a new breast lump or changes on your breast exam, you'll likely start by seeing your primary care provider. In some cases, based on a clinical breast exam or findings on an imaging test, you may be referred to a breast-health specialist.
The initial evaluation focuses on your medical history. You'll discuss your symptoms, their relation to your menstrual cycle and any other relevant information. To prepare for this discussion, make lists that include:
Basic questions to ask your doctor include:
Don't hesitate to ask questions anytime you don't understand something.
Be prepared to answer questions that your doctor may ask, such as:
Screening and diagnosis of a breast cyst usually begins after you or your doctor identify a breast lump. In addition to discussing your symptoms and health history, your doctor will do a breast exam and may do a breast ultrasound or fine-needle aspiration, depending on your needs.
Your doctor will physically examine the breast lump and check for any other problem areas in your breasts. Because your doctor can't tell from a clinical breast exam alone whether a breast lump is a cyst, you'll need another test, either an imaging test or fine-needle aspiration.
Breast ultrasound can help your doctor determine whether a breast lump is fluid-filled or solid. A fluid-filled area usually indicates a breast cyst. A solid-appearing mass most likely is a noncancerous lump, such as a fibroadenoma, but solid lumps also could be breast cancer.
Based on what the doctor sees on the ultrasound, he or she might recommend a biopsy to further evaluate a solid-appearing mass. If your doctor can easily feel a breast lump, he or she may skip breast ultrasound and perform fine-needle aspiration instead.
During a fine-needle aspiration, your doctor inserts a thin needle into the breast lump and attempts to withdraw (aspirate) fluid. Often, fine-needle aspiration is done using ultrasound to guide accurate placement of the needle. If fluid comes out and the breast lump goes away, your doctor can make a breast cyst diagnosis immediately.
No treatment is necessary for fluid-filled (simple) breast cysts. If you haven't reached menopause, your doctor may recommend closely monitoring a breast cyst to see if it resolves on its own.
Fine-needle aspiration, the procedure used to diagnose a breast cyst, also may serve as treatment if your doctor removes all the fluid from the cyst at the time of diagnosis, your breast lump disappears and your symptoms resolve.
If you have a breast cyst, you may need to have fluid drained more than once. Recurrent or new cysts are common. However, if the cyst is persistent through two to three menstrual cycles and increasing in size, you should see your doctor for evaluation with an ultrasound.
Using birth control pills (oral contraceptives) to regulate your menstrual cycles may help reduce the recurrence of breast cysts. But because of possible serious side effects, birth control pills or other hormone therapy, such as tamoxifen, is usually only recommended in women with severe symptoms. Discontinuing hormone replacement therapy during the postmenopausal years may reduce the formation of cysts as well.
Surgical removal of a cyst is necessary only in unusual circumstances. Surgery may be considered if an uncomfortable breast cyst recurs month after month or if a breast cyst contains blood-tinged fluid or shows other worrisome signs.
To minimize discomfort associated with breast cysts, you might try these measures:
Evening primrose oil is a fatty acid (linoleic acid) supplement that's available over-the-counter. A few small studies suggest that evening primrose oil may help minimize menstrual cycle breast pain, sometimes associated with breast cysts. But evidence isn't conclusive, and more research is needed. Although the exact mechanism isn't clear, some experts believe that women deficient in linoleic acid are more sensitive to hormonal fluctuations during the menstrual cycle, resulting in breast pain.
Your cyst or lump needs medical evaluation to be sure it's not cancer, so follow your doctor's recommendations. Let your doctor know if you're taking any vitamins, herbal remedies or other dietary supplements.
Original article: http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/breast-cysts/basics/definition/con-20032264
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