Those of us who are loyal ticketholders on the Tommy Thompson Hype Train (yes, it's official now, and thus gets the capital-letter treatment) weren't the least bit surprised to see the San Jose Earthquakes feature their Homegrown striker in the reveal of their new alternate uniforms.

He's still a teenager and has barely one calendar year of professional soccer under his belt, but Thompson's skill and flair have already made him something of an underground sensation. Even if the casual fan hasn't quite caught on yet, Thompson's the subject of keen attention and sky-high expectations from hardcore fans who want to see what the US U-20 international can do as an everyday starter.

Unfortunately for us – and, perhaps, the Quakes' attack as well – Thompson neither started nor got off the bench in San Jose's 1-0 season-opening loss to FC Dallas on Saturday. Coach Dominic Kinnear seemed content to set up shop with a careful, defensive mindset, and to be fair, it nearly worked, with only an injury-time communications breakdown handing FCD a late win.

But back to the matter at hand. It speaks volumes that the Quakes used Thompson's wizardry on the ball to showcase their new gear, and the gritty audio track in the background has us wondering if TomThom needs to line up a collaboration with one of the Bay Area's hip-hop labels to keep the streets fed.

Tommy Thompson: Your favorite striker's favorite freestyler?