Note:  I might have promised to Taylor S. that I’d title this as a quote from a Dan Aykroyd/Jane Curtin SNL sketch, but I couldn’t find the gumption.

[Ed. Note: I preferred The Gripes of Wrath but let’s get to the article.]

I haven’t spent a lot of time with the Coopers but in that time I’ve been privileged to meet a wonderful and diverse cross-section of individuals. That cross-section includes Cooper, Cooper-lite, and non-Cooper all the same. Every one of us is just a bit different, but I can’t help but detect a common thread among us. It’s one of those things that you can only catch out of the corner of your eye. Staring right at it doesn’t reveal it; only a sideways glance uncovers the truth.

What is this truth? In a word, passion. No matter where I look I see a concrete belief that what we have is good and it should be preserved. This, at the end of all things, is the one thing we can rely upon as a common and unifying bond. The common denominator in all the arguments I see is the desire that Louisville be able to maintain (in some form) a professional association football/soccer team.

Complaints towards the front office? We like this thing we have and we feel your actions are jeopardizing its continuation. Strife within a supporters group? We like this thing we have and we feel your actions are jeopardizing its continuation. Strife between disparate supporters groups? We like this thing we have and we feel your actions are jeopardizing its continuation. Time and again I see the same common thread that ties together every argument. We like this thing we have and we feel your actions are jeopardizing its continuation.

I love this passion, as I feel it invigorates us far more than it deflates us. Just keep in mind that passion is a visceral concept. Football vs. Soccer? A fun discussion, but at the end it’s the same thing we love. Cosplay vs. noplay? Am I the one wearing the costume? Beer vs. liquor? Depending on which comes first; I’m either sicker or fearless. We are all intelligent folk, and we are all here for a reason. I firmly believe the reason is that we love either the sport, the community, or both. So keep up those arguments because they are the bellows to our fire. But always remember where the fuel came from to begin with. It’s likely the coal that fuels your fire is the same coal that’s in the other person’s furnace.

WE LOVE YOU, AND WHERE YOU GO WE’LL FOLLOW, ‘CUZ WE SUPPORT THE CITY, AND THAT’S THE WAY WE LIKE IT!