Soccer is for hard men, Part 2

Boston, drizzly ...

You'd think anyone with the surname Bates would have some reservations about posing for the accompanying photo, but Daniel "Ahab" Bates is no ordinary dude. Ahab, er, Dan is the forthright, no-nonsense manager of the Wen-Ham United Football Club, our Over-40 band of booters, and a take-no-prisoners outside fullback with a little offensive pop (Dan, I know you were aiming for that far corner all along last Sunday!).

Plus, the guy's a hockey player, and isn't afraid to take to the ice with a helmet labeled "Joey" but sans shoulder pads. Yeah, he skates kinda funny, but he's more than willing to muck it up in the corners (preferably with his stick, not the axe). Pretty impressive for a guy who moonlights (during the day) in a more cerebral capacity as an architect. Still don't think soccer is for hard men? Tell it to Dan. Better yet, send him your name and address ... I'm sure he would be more than happy to stop by to, um, persuade you about the finer points of the beautiful game!

Good luck!
-Brion