On a humid June evening, I found myself in Madison, Wisconsin, with two hands firmly grasped onto a ten-foot-tall inflatable flamingo.



I was joined by four fellow Minnesotans who had made the trek across our state’s eastern border. Our task was simple: carry the story-high bird from the center line to the edge of the box, have one member hop out from the flamingo, and score a goal. To our left stood our opponents: the parents of members of Forward Madison, a USL League One expansion team.



They had twice as many members as our team. How were we supposed to beat professional soccer moms and dads? To the dismay of The Flock (Forward’s supporters section), it meant being the first team to try a new tactic in the contest: defending.



How did this writer end up being asked to join the halftime entertainment at a USL game? How did the Wisconsin capital become the fledgling League One’s golden market? And what’s with the flamingos,...