Where's the Love for the Baltimore Blast?

Did you know the Baltimore Blast is headed to the MISL championship series for the third year in a row, and that championship series begins Thursday?

Neither did I. (Until, obviously, I received the information via an MISL press release).

So I'm sitting here, feeling sorry for the Blast, a team that routinely makes the playoffs and has five MISL championships to its name. The team's most recent title came in the 2008-09 season (no having to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the most recent championship for this team!).

While the Blast lost in the finals in 2011 and 2012, this is the sixth straight year the team has been in the playoffs (and the third straight year it's been in the league's equivalent of the Super Bowl). The team's most recent failure to qualify for the playoffs (the 2006-07 season) was preceded with a championship title and followed with two titles—not too shabby!

The soccer team has as many titles as the Orioles and Ravens (not counting the Colts here) combined, yet Baltimore doesn't seem to show the love for its soccer team that it has for its baseball and football teams.

While Ravens games are consistent sellouts, the Blast is averaging just 5,544 in home attendance this year, according to the team's website.

Last year, the Baltimore region went absolutely gaga over the mere fact that the Orioles would not finish in last place; that they would finish a season above .500 (even-Steven in the win-loss column) was reason to dance in the streets!

When the Birds actually secured a spot in the playoffs and won their wildcard game, orange became an "in" color and all of a sudden, everyone was an Orioles fan.

Because the Ravens have enjoyed such recent success that they seem to always end up in the playoffs, we take them for granted. When the team lost three straight games in December, the fair-weather friends said the Ravens were "one and done" in the playoffs.

But playoff fever hit the town, and the region turned purple, from front porch lights to spotlights on government buildings, from clothing to game-face makeup, from purple plastic flamingos in gardens to scenes actually painted on lawns—the town went crazy for the Ravens as they marched steadily toward their second Super Bowl victory in as many attempts.

And through it all, the Baltimore Blast, this blue-collar group of athletes, just quietly kept doing what they're best at—winning games and claiming titles.

There's no Red or Yellow Friday proclaimed, no special light bulbs that go on sale at the local hardware stores, no tents that pop up on roadways, hawking the latest in Blast memorabilia, no pep rallies scheduled across the region and no cheerleader appearances.

In short, no public displays of affection for this hometown team that seems to win all the time.

In addition to the team doing well, several players (and Coach Danny Kelly) have been nominated for individual honors.

William Vanzela is nominated for both Rookie of the Year and Goalkeeper of the Year; Pat Healey and Mike Lookingland are nominated for Defender of the Year; and Kelly is a candidate for Coach of the Year.

On Tuesday, it was announced that Lookingland was named to the 2012-13 All-MISL First Team and Healey was named to the Second Team.

Lucas Roque and Vanzela were named to the MISL All-Rookie Team.

The individual honors will be announced Wednesday.

The Blast takes its 21-5 record into Game 1 of the championship series Thursday against the Missouri Comets (at Missouri).

The Comets will come to Baltimore Saturday for Game 2 of the series. A split after Game 2 results in a mini-game overtime period. The trophy will be handed out in Baltimore either way.

The game starts at 7:35 p.m. at the First Mariner Arena.

Call 410-73BLAST to get your tickets, and show some love for a successful team that surely feels like an unloved orphan here in its own town.

Now I'm going to go see if I can find some yellow light bulbs (I've decided that red ones are perhaps not such a great idea!).