The Secret behind Fredy’s Slump

There’s been a lot of speculation this week about what it’s going to take to get Fredy Montero back on track. It’s made me wonder what it was that got him off track in the first place. And I think I’ve figured it out. It’s quite obvious, in fact.

It’s the shoes. Yep, those red boots that he’s been sporting lately.

In the beginning we had this:


Lovely goal scoring feet shod in plain ol’ neutral-toned shoes. The kind that left defenders standing with their jaws dropped open. Then, around the time of the Kansas City game, those shoes came off, literally:


And things changed. Next thing I knew, Fredy came out with red boots on. Sure, they catch the eye. And red symbolizes all kinds of sexy things like lust, courage, danger even. But it also represents sin and guilt and volatility. After all, red cars are statistically more likely to be involved in accidents. And it sure seems like Fredy’s crashed recently.

What happened? Why the change? Don’t soccer players have the same superstitions as the rest of professional athletes? I see enough players crossing themselves as they run onto the pitch or step up to a corner kick to think that’s true. Don’t mess with a good thing, Fredy! Go back to the old shoes and leave the red boots to Le Hawk: