In fact, it is so insane to me that this is happening that I am starting to develop some conspiracy theories around it. I’m not sure if any of these are likely, but they make sense to me, because the pure hype around this team doesn’t seem real yet.

1) MLS pulled some strings and asked ESPN to broadcast the game in order to test the TV markets for FC Cincinnati. How much does Dayton tune in to an FC Cincinnati game? Lexington? Louisville? Indianapolis? WIll these cities watch a Cincinnati professional team? How about Columbus? Will their fans hate-watch this game? It’s undeniable that Cincinnati is the smallest TV market in the running for expansion right now, but if other markets tune into their games, that becomes a moot point.

2) MLS pulled the strings here in order to get ESPN ready for the next MLS club. Yup, pie-in-the-sky as it is, this may be a trial run for our inevitable MLS bid. And if Miami won’t be ready (it won’t be) maybe MLS needs a club to join for next year to balance out the schedule. Gotta make sure you know where to put the mics and cameras to make Nippert look like an MLS venue, because we just might need them to look like one until that stadium is built in the West End.

3) ESPN might actually start caring about the U.S. Open Cup and soccer again. Now I know, this is the most far-fetched theory on here, but maybe, just maybe, ESPN might be realizing there is a hidden gem here in the Open Cup and they could be the champions of it. Just like ESPN built the ACC into a football conference people care about (RIP Big East) they could build and hype the Open Cup into the next big American tournament. Storylines like Christos FC and FC Cincinnati make this tournament so interesting, stories that they can hype for weeks. They’d only need to carry the biggest few games later in the tournament, just like they’re doing now. And in those first two rounds they could do a NFL Red-Zone impression that would whip you around to the most interesting games and story lines at that moment. They put drone racing and competitive video games on ESPN, why not the biggest, oldest, and best soccer tournament in the country? You know you want to ESPN, give in to the dark side, do it, care a bit more about soccer.