Jimmy Conrad Dishes About Poland, MLS, and Running Around with Grown Men in Shorts. Exclusive to The Offside.

By: Laurie | May 21st, 2008

And you thought we were just a blog!

Well, you’re right. But we do sometimes do real, actual journalism, too.

(You know. When we’re not laughing about Michael Ballack’s AIDS commercial or posting important stuff like Champions League Whack-a-Mole games.)

Our own Dave Martinez, Red Bulls Offside blogger, has a fantastic interview with Kansas City defender Jimmy Conrad over at MLS Offside. Very interesting and personal.

Here’s an excerpt to whet your appetite. And when you’re done, stop by and read the full interview here:

The Offside: Your accessibility has been a solid part of your reputation for years. In many circles, you’re known as the “media darling” of the MLS what with your work on radio, tv interviews and your different blogs and articles. What is your inspiration for all of that?

Jimmy Conrad: I guess the basis for it is that I don’t take myself as serious as it would appear? I mean, when I am on the field, its time to concentrate and do all of that good stuff, and Ive learned to find that balance of when to turn it on, and when to turn it off, and to make sure I have my parameters. But when I am not on the field, I can see things for what they are. I can see the big picture – I run around with other grown men in shorts, and that’s all it is. I am very passionate about what I do and what it’s about and I am going to continue to want to be a part of it before I am done . . .

…

The Offside: And this love of all media, bouncing around from blogs, to print, to tv and radio, it’s all rooted in Poland right?

Jimmy Conrad: Ya! I went on loan to a team in Poland, my second year in the league in 2000? And that is when the regular season ended, mid September, and we didnt make the playoffs with San Jose. And I think we were clearly the worst team in the league that year. And that was tough to take. And for alot of us young players, to think we would be off from mid September to January before we get started again was disheartening.

So there was an opportunity in Poland. One of my team mates Wojtek Krakowiak was going over there. And he kind of asked if they needed to pick up other guys, and they said yes. So they took myself and Ian Russell. And we went over there, played in the FA Cup, helped them fight relegation – it was great! And to be emersed in their culture, even though it’s one of the hardest languages to understand or pick up was interesting.

Fortunately, we were in Poznan, which has alot of Universities there, so there are alot of younger people that were learning and speaking english. So it wasn’t too hard to get acclimated. But we would go to the internet cafes, and that was in the time of really really bad dial up, and it would take like thirty minutes to write emails! So it got to a point after like two months where I just had it. I had it with – seriously, it would take usually take like fifteen minutes to write one email. So I wrote this scathing thing about Poland, and just this place is a nightmare, it’s in the stone age and all that stuff. And it wound up being like a thousand? Twelve hundred words? And I sent it to everybody, including my agent. And they started to pitch it around.

Now Garth Lagerway was writing for CNNSI.com and he just got knocked out of the league, he wasnt part of the league anymore, so they were looking for somebody. So the timing just worked out. I just kind of stumbled on that, wrote for them for four years, and they were going to par down their soccer website, let Wall be their only voice. So then I started pitching it around again, and I joined ESPN and Ive been there ever since. Its been a good relationship. I think the best part about it is that those guys give me subjects to write on? And I dont do that, I write my own stuff, they let me be me, and I think it works out best for everybody.

Good stuff, eh? Now go read the rest of the interview.