You wouldn't have predicted it when the season started, but 2008 has been a historic year for the Metro Bull franchise. And that means, all in all, there is plenty of stuff for fans to be thankful for this season.

With that in mind, and in no particular order, here are the top 10 reasons Red Bull fans should be thankful this 2008 season:

Top 10 Reasons to Smile and Give Thanks This Season

1 - The MLS Cup

Who thought the Bulls would ever represent any conference in the final, let alone the West!

The Red Bulls announced the release of Sainey Touray, Gorden Klejstan, and Gabriel Cichero. Yes, you read that right; midseason super signing Gabriel Cichero. The guy who would be the future anchor of the Red Bulls franchise. The person who would be the glue to the defensive 3 (or 4), controlling the backline like a young general.

The Seattle Sounders braved the dark dredges of the USL waters and have begun plucking MLS talent like vultures on a carcass. In an odd twist, the Red Bulls loss in Jeff Parke, though sentimental, was also inevitable and costless.

And in a move that can be best described as giving the Red Bull fans a big fat hug after taking a couple of emotional beatings, Mike Petke will be making his return to New York for the 2009 season (as reported by SBI)!

By now, the news is already as old as the socks I wore in L.A. - the Columbus Crew are your 2008 MLS Cup Champions. And to be honest with you (and with myself), they were the better team, and hence, more deserving of the title. What Guille can do with the ball at his feet still has me wishing he had never left Boca.

Good Morning,

It is 8am New York time, and my flight is set for 11:30 a.m. today.

I will be in LA by 4:30 West Coast time.

Tickets? Glad you asked.

I will be running back and forth through two sections - 117, which is ESC country, and 131 row H which has an amazing view.

November 23rd rocks.

The Red Bulls have made an inprobable run to this years championship, which culminates this Sunday out of Los Angeles.

And I will be there.

Awesome.

Icing on the cake? I will be covering the supporters summit, featuring a quick q and a with Don Garber amongst the leagues most rabid fans.

There is alot of stuff going on this week, so lets get at it:

- There are now over 200 Red Bull supporters traveling out to Los Angeles, California to catch this historic game. ESC will be alive and kicking, along with Raging Bull Nation, and the rest of the RB supporters.

Good Evening Dave Martinez,

The New York Red Bulls have won the Western Conference Championship. All year, you have followed their exploits, interviewed the usual suspects, and speculated on their playoff hopes. All questions have been answered, and now its time for the final phase of this project to go into motion.

13 years.

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Ownership changes.

Name Changes.

Cursed playoff history.

Stadium Issues.

Disrespect.

You name it, this franchise has gone through it.

And it took a goal post to change our fortunes. Four times.

For one magical night, the stench of disappointment was swept away by the sweet smell of victory.

While most of Red Bull Nation is just starting to realize they aren't dreaming, the Red Bulls find themselves less than 48 hours away from the final judgment. It's sink or swim at Rio Tinto Stadium as the Bulls take on RSL in Utah for the Western Conference Championship.

This match will be unique in the sense that both teams symbolize a Cinderella story, much like Columbus in the *ahem* East.

This one is for CUCS.

Enjoy.

(PS: Notice how the spanish announcers pronounce Wolys name perfectly - while every English speaking announcer outside of NY calls him WALL KNEE ACK)

Ladies and gents,

Tune into Fox Football Fone-In tonight at 8pm. Our capitano supremo is gracing the studios to fill us in on the greatest upset of the playoffs this season.

FOX SOCCER CHANNEL
8PM
BE THERE.

Hey, I can eat crowe all day if you want me to - but who saw this coming? The Red Bulls played an extremely physical game against the defending MLS champions, and came out on top in a commanding three nil performance. All doubters? You are silenced.

Featuring the same lineup two weeks in a row, the Red Bulls pulled off the impossible; a win in Houston.

As the starting lineup for the first leg of this home and home series was announced, it seemed that the omissions were louder than the stadiums speakers. Juan Pietravallo, Gabriel Cichero and Jorge Rojas all rode the bench in a crucial playoff showdown. But put it into context; these are the show pieces of the Coaches midseason signings.

Here is a video from ScaryIce - the top goals of the year from your New York Red Bulls.

Enjoy:

Thanks to Rob P for the heads up . . .

My home computer has a huge, disabling virus.

My throat is more ripped than Van Winkle.

My head, throbbing and sweating like a fat guy on a stair master.

My body? Completely weakened and dead.

You see, though 4 tickets to the Houston playoff game laid within eye distance from my bed, I could not get up and use them.

I have to hand it to the Footie God of SBI, he has been covering the Red Bulls / Dynamo series like butter on a hot bagel. What has he taught us?

- Seth Stammler is out for the rest of the season with a knee injury.

- The Red Bulls are relying on past experience to assume that the Dynamo hate playing on the Giant Stadium turf/cement (as evidenced by the 3-0 destruction that took place earlier in the year).

Hey everyone. Alot of things have been going on and I have fallen way behind. Forgive me.

Here are some highlights of the past week, and today.

- The Red Bulls have found themselves facing Houston in the first round. Yes, the Western Conference Houston Dynamo. How? For the uninformed, the final wild card spot, based on the entire leagues aggregate point standings (single table), found the Red Bulls barely squeeking in with the very last spot.

An Open Letter From TORB to the Head Coach . . .

How many times have we heard the old saying "you never know when you will get a second chance." In the cruel history of the Metro Bulls, New York has consistently been dealt the dirty end of the poo poo stick. Where there was a chance, a Bulls fan could rest assured it wouldn't be in thei favor.

Rock out like its 1987 folks! Do the Pee Wee! And thank DC UNITED! The Columbus Crew! Mr. Evans and his friend Hejduk! The Red Bulls are officially in the playoffs!

Ill give my thoughts on it all tommorrow. But for now . . . CELEBRATE FOLKS!

Your destiny is in your hands.

Win and you're in.

We have heard all the cliches before. And it always seems to be so encouraging before you step into a game. "Win and you're in. . . ," yea right.

Juan Carlos Osorio had to travel to the city he shunned to breathe life into his new teams playoff hopes.

Don't tell me it was the Columbus Reserves, don't tell me it was a gift, don't ruin my parade - THE RED BULLS WON! And now they are a gentle whisper away from the final Wild Card berth. And to think, Andrew Boyens thought the Crew would throw the kitchen sink at them . . . . but I digress.

Riding the backs of Juan Pablo Angel and Danny Cepero (YES, DANNY CEPERO), and relying on a depleted defensive line, the Red Bulls did what winners do in these situations, burying home 2 goals in the clutch to seal a victory and a potential playoff berth.

One thing is for sure - when Juan Carlos Osorio set his sights on a tall centerback to man the Red Bulls defensive line, he wasn't kidding. I mean look at this picture - he sticks out like a mountain in a big blue shirt!

After the initial shock that came from being traded out of Toronto, Andrew Boyens has lived through an up, down and up again rollercoaster of a season.

Brian Lewis at the NY Post Blog reports Jon Conway and Jeff Parke have both been suspended 10 games as per MLS Drug Policy. They ingested some over the counter drugs that contain both androstatriendione (ATD) and boldenone metabolites. I may not be a pharmacist, but anything that ends with an "o-n-e" should be a sign for any pro player to RUN.

Before I put up the Andrew Boyens / Big Mac Kandji interviews, I would be remiss not to note the performance of our international players (and a former one as well):

DANE RICHARDS

Dane came in around the 75th minute earning his 4th cap in another Jamaican win, this time over Honduras 1-0.

Amidst the hustle and bustle of the FIFA 09 release party, Matt Mbuta, the newly acquired right wing prospect for the Red Bulls, watched the gaming action on a huge 104 inch projection screen while sipping a glass of what seemed to be ginger ale. "I don't play video games.

Welcome back to one of the few places on the net that regularly uses the words "Bull" and "Market" in the same sentence.

After a historic crash the past few weeks, seeing NYRB lose valuable points on the leaderboard, it is this traders humble opinion that this stock may be ready for a surge.

Let me give credit where it is due - Rio Tinto Stadium is absolutely gorgeous. And the RSL fans were electric, as would be expected for the debut of their home stadium. Moreover, Real Salt Lake has some really exciting components to their team! I absolutely love Javi Morales, and not just because he is a paisano.

Tonights game has that weight of importance that MLS fans only seem to feel when David Beckham and the Galaxy are in town. Its with that in mind that I invite NYRB and RSL fans alike to the TORB for some LB (Live Bloggings).

Here is some stuff to hype ya' up for tonites showcase clash, on ESPN 2 @ 10pm:

- Dema Kovalenko is dying to get into tonights game, and he tells the Desert News all about it.

The Red Bulls will be following Leonardo the Lion and the rest of RSL to Rio Tinto Stadium for the inauguration of the teams new home. It is this blogger's hope they don't go there bearing any gifts . . .

That means no own goals.

No more than 1 goal against.

As work continues to get in the way of my blogging and online trading, I figured I'de combine both for a new feature on The Red Bulls Offside (TRBO on your stock tickers) simply entitled "Bull Market."

Much like our current financial crisis, the Red Bulls are falling down an endless pit of despair without a rope or cleaver to prevent the fall.

THE CURRENT STANDINGS:

x - Columbus - 53
x - Houston - 43
New England - 43
Chicago - 42
Chivas - 39
RSL - 35
NYRB - 35
Rapids - 34

KNOCKING ON THE DOOR

Everyone EXCEPT the Galaxy

Dallas is actually at 34, but the tie breaker belongs to Colorado.

Hey everyone,

I will be at the game tonite, so don't expect my usual running commentary. But for those that would like to use this as the games forum, feel free to comment on the action.

While we wait for the game, here is some stuff to look out for tonight:

MATCH UPS TO WATCH:

Amado Guevara v.

Hey everyone,

A few months ago, I highlighted my brand spankin new Black on white Red Bulls racing t-shirt, made by Puma.

Well, I went back to the same manufacturer for this gem! Its a red on black shirt, same design, just a much cooler look to it.

And before someone says anything, NO I did NOT purposefully take a strand of my slicked back hair to make a dumb Superman curl on my friggin forehead!