Sunday Night Mailbag Call: Dead Men Walking

The schedule is usually bleak once Sunday Night Football ends—perhaps the dregs of an NHL game, perhaps some playoff baseball, but usually just the sad recognition that yes, Monday is upon us.

Tonight, though, there’s a USL Championship—that’s the second dision of American soccer—Western Conference semifinal match, with Phoenix Rising traveling to play San Diego Loyal.

We know, in the end, that it’s going to be a bittersweet farewell for the Loyal. After MLS announced San Diego would be getting a team of its own, reality set in for Loyal—they play in the 6,000-seat Torero Stadium on the campus of the University of San Diego but could not find a long-term stadium solution. Co-founded by Landon Donovan in 2020 and one of the stronger teams in the West since then, Loyal will fold once they lose in the playoffs this year, their rights transferred to a new USL team.

Just to drive home what a bankrupt, boring, corporate atmosphere MLS is committed to, here’s the new San Diego FC crest:

A soul-sucking rebrand for the money, devoid of any passion or creativity. Huh.

Here’s your space to ask us your Big Ten, college football, or life-related questions. We’ll compile them on Tuesday night and get you some answers on Thursday, we hope.

In the meantime: are you more sad about the Big Ten West’s demise or happier about the new quality of football being added to the conference?