Where were you eight years ago?

I was in my near east side apartment in Madison, WI. The alarm sounded sometime after midnight, I dragged myself into the living room and turned on the TV.

I was joined within a few minutes by my wife (then girlfriend), then shortly by two of my Celtics teammates, Brandon and Dan. Both lived in the neighborhood and didn't have cable.

We sipped OJ and ate doughnuts while watching the USA defeat Mexico 2-0 in the quarterfinal of the 2002 World Cup. Goals from Brian McBride and Landon Donovan had us cheering and dancing through the night.

Today the USA is back in the quarterfinals. The opponent is different - Ghana. The menu will be different - brats, potato salad, and brownies with the OJ replaced by beer. The group will be a different mix - four sleepy adults replaced with parents, kids in tow.

The vibe will be the same, a good group of people drawn together by the beautiful game, ready to cheer on the red, white, and blue. Win or lose we will have a good time and be proud of the men wearing the crest of the USA.

This is just one of the reasons I love, love, love this game.