Although Ben Franklin had probably been considering industrious colonial farmers when he recommended going to bed early only to wake up before the rooster crowed would make one "healthy, wealthy, and wise," his words still resonate today and appear an apt suggestion to the modern professional athlete. Far too often we hear of players in various sporting disciplines caught in the wrong place at the wrong time with headline stories that invariably begin, "Last night, outside a local night club..." Houston Dynamo now have that type of issue to sort out now with the matter of Tyler Deric and Warren Creavalle having recently been arrested and charged following an incident at the Roosevelt Lounge. While the story continues to unfold, layered with an element of possible racism on the part of a business known to have practiced such policies before, what likely concerns Dominic Kinnear and Dynamo's front office is why these players placed themselves in such a situation when issues of health, wealth, and wisdom should be utmost on their minds.

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Having now had time to digest the news Kris Boyd rejected an offer from Houston Dynamo that Dom Kinnear and the front office worked on diligently only to later accept a reportedly hastily-assembled one from Portland Timbers, it's time to flesh out possible reasons why. Granted, there's still a bit of acid reflux felt by some fans of the Naranja, but at least getting a first round draft pick out of Portland soothes the situation like Pepto Bismol.

In his recent interview with Glenn Davis, all Kinnear would say is that the former Rangers forward turned down the Orange for "personal reasons." Whether those personal reasons came down to Boyd having a closer relationship with Timbers manager John Spencer, not wanting to play in the heat of a Texas summer, gridlock traffic, cowboy boots, a bad burrito experience, or whatever might make the city of Houston a hard sell to overseas players, we likely will not for certain know. Instead, then, let's examine what we do know about the team that a potential designated player like Boyd found unappealing.

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Recite the last name of some of association football's legendary players and their achievements immediately spring to mind. Just mentioning Pelé, Maradona, Eusebio, Puskas, or other luminaries should arouse images--most likely fuzzy and pixelated ones from YouTube--of what made them great and become instantly vivid, incredibly tangible. There are others, however, whose names might be just as influential in the progression of the sport internationally and domestically but their principal accomplishments were made off the field. While this might make them less tangible when being measured against those who have become quick answers to sports bar quizzes owing to their status in the game's lore, their contributions could be considered just as notable.

Internationally, Belgian player Jean-Marc Bosman forever made his name the reference when discussing contemporary player transactions in Europe and brought about grander implications for foreign labor across European borders following the 1995 European Court of Justice ruling on his behalf. Domestically, David Beckham lent his name to the rule that allows Major League Soccer clubs to recruit higher priced players whilst keeping them within the league's salary cap structure. Granted, there is more attached to Beckham than the Designated Player Rule (beyond his attachment to a possible cyborg via marriage), but for the game's evolution here this could be his more lasting legacy. Going forward, MLS might need to readdress the parameters within which clubs are allowed to lay claim to and sign Homegrown Players, for reasons that pertain not only to the viability of future SuperDrafts but also to the relationships top division clubs like Houston have with the semi-pro and amateur league teams. Might we be soon referencing the importance of a Richards Rule, and how might that impact Dynamo?

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Kermit the Frog didn't give us the entire truth. While it might not be easy being green it seems even a touch more difficult being Forever Orange. Houston might be one of the more unlovable clubs in the league stretching back to 2006 with their origins birthed to the detriment of the city of San Jose and its an original MLS franchise. Sore feelings still remain throughout the league, with general derision directed toward the boys from Space City. With the reborn Quakes sporting kits with a preference toward black shirts, they could be seen as being in a perpetual state of mourning since, a tangible reminder to all MLS fans as to how Houston earned their place in the league and what constitutes the ugly turn of the word "franchise."

Sources for heaping scorn upon Houston have also emanated from within, what with the club first seeking to be re-branded as Houston 1836 upon trekking east now six years ago, immediately presenting the opportunity for Anschutz Entertainment Group to alienate a sizable contingent of their new supporter base. A more contemporary moniker and two MLS Cups later, Dynamo have ensured the rest of the league's fans can still find no cause to embrace them, even when this past season's MLS Cup against Los Angeles presented MLS with that time-honored tradition of rooting for David against David Beckham's Goliath in an American sports final.

Even then, the red-headed stepchild of AEG's soccer operations lost out to the importance of seeing a club with Designated Players win something (especially one that was Robbie's Keane's boyhood club), and now with the off-season snafu of Impact de Montréal calling Brian Ching's bluff in the Expansion Draft, Dynamo have provided the rest of the league with another hearty guffaw at their missteps. The Ching matter, as well as some other issues Houston must consider entering 2012, illustrate just how tough it is being orange.

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Sorry for the bad headline, I couldn't resist.

MLS and adidas released images on the new 2012 match ball. Gone is everyone's favorite Jubalani, replaced by Prime...looks facny. The ball of course has no relation to Optimus Prime...or Rodimus Prime...I'll just stop

Looks cool I suppose...

Alright, I'm done...I promise.

OK, I guess by now we have all let the news sink in that Dwayne De Rosario has been named the 2011 MLS MVP and not our very own Brad Davis. (I put that photo up there just to kind of soften the blow for everyone if you had not heard.)

Personally, while I would have given the award to Davis (Don't get me wrong. Prick me, I bleed but it ain't red that's coming out.).  However, there are multiple layers of good that come out of this.

First, I see this as a complete and total repudiation of the concept of "valuable" in favor of a straight Player of the Year. And I am totally in favor of that. I cannot stand each and every year, at the end of the season of any sport, this ridiculous conversation of how so-and-so is more "valuable" to his team than some other player is to his.  The truth is that De Rosario is no more valuable to his team that any other high quality player. DC United, as has been pointed out, could have missed the playoffs without DDR, so what is his value anyway?  

His value was that he was the best damn player in the league this season. That was his value. His numbers, which I will not repeat, but peruse them here if you want to, were astronomical, way better than anyone else in the league this season, even Davis.  And furthermore, as no less of an authority that Du Nord pointed out the other day, it's time to seriously consider the case that De Rosario is the best player in MLS history.  (Here's a fun little thought experiment. Imagine if DDR was an American and not a Canadian.  Can you imagine how much better the USMNT might have been over the last decade with THAT GUY in the Red, White and Blue? He's got to be one of the best, if not the best CONCACAF players never to make a World Cup.)

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Now that the finalist for the 2011 MLS Awards are out, it's time I share how I voted with everyone. I'm a firm believer in the need for transparency in award voting if for no other reason that if you submit a crazy ballot, you should be accountable for your choices.

We were allowed by MLS to select two choices for each category from a pre-selected list. The names in parenthesis next to the award are the finalist (winner in bold), my votes are below. Winner will be annouced over the next week and a half, culminating in the MVP award announcement on November 18th. You can see the complete list here.

Feel free to comment on my choices, I'd like to know what you think.

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Houston Dynamo midfielder Brad Davis has been named to Major League Soccer's Best XI, league commissioner Don Garber announced today. It is the first career Best XI selection for Davis, a finalist for the 2011 MVP award, which will be announced on Nov. 18, and a four-time MLS All-Star.

The MLS Best XI recognizes the league's top 11 players at each position on the field - one goalkeeper, three defenders, five midfielders, and two forwards. The Best XI members received the most votes from the media, MLS players and MLS coaches and general managers.

Davis led MLS with 16 assists during the 2011 regular season and added two more in the Eastern Conference semifinals. Davis started every match, scored four goals, and led the league with 121 offensive chances created, 52 ahead of the closest competitor. At no point during the regular season did Davis go three games without notching a goal or an assist, and he was named to MLSsoccer.com's Team of the Week seven times, tied for the highest total in the league. He left Sunday's Eastern Conference championship game against Kansas City in the first half after suffering a right quad injury, but the Dynamo went on to win their third conference title.

"This is definitely a big honor," Davis said. "It's my first time on the Best XI, so it's been a special year to be in the Best XI and in the running for MVP. I'm proud and I'm happy with the year that our team had, and I'm excited that we still have one game left."

The selection of Davis is the seventh Dynamo selection to the MLS Best XI in the team's six-year history. Houston had two players selected in 2006, 2007, and 2009. Previous Dynamo players to be named MLS Best XI include defender Geoff Cameron (2009), defender Eddie Robinson (2006), midfielder Dwayne De Rosario (2006, 2007), midfielder Ricardo Clark (2006), and midfielder Stuart Holden (2009).

The 2011 MLS Best XI is as follows:

Goalkeeper - Kasey Keller (Seattle Sounders)
Defender - Todd Dunivant (LA Galaxy)
Defender - Omar Gonzalez (LA Galaxy)
Defender - Jamison Olave (Real Sale Lake)
Midfielder - David Beckham (LA Galaxy)
Midfielder - Brad Davis (Houston Dynamo)
Midfielder - Dwayne De Rosario (D.C. United)
Midfielder - Landon Donovan (LA Galaxy)
Midfielder - Brek Shea (FC Dallas)
Forward - Thierry Henry (New York Red Bulls)
Forward - Chris Wondolowski (San Jose Earthquakes)