Tony Limarzi on the Upcoming Season and Being an Original Fan

I recently had the pleasure of getting Tony Limarzi to answer a few questions for me. You know him as the radio voice of United and the face of Access United, here he is answering questions about television and United!

Tony, Thank you so much for answering a few questions for the blog! We look forward to hearing your goal calls more than ever in the upcoming season.

B & R: What was the moment you fell in love with DC United?

Tony Limarzi: Day One. I remember watching the inaugural game against the Clash and being pretty bummed when we lost at the end. As a soccer player and fan growing up in D.C., there wasn't any soccer easily accessible except for the World Cup. I went to some Dips games but I was pretty young. Then this new MLS came out of nowhere and I was an instant fan. The memories from the Big Bertha Game vs. Tampa Bay and Leg 2 of the 1996 Eastern Conference semifinals against the MetroStars still stick out as the best memories.

B & R: You have done work as a commentator on CSN for United broadcasts, is this something we can expect more of in the future?

TL:It seems like I'm still going to be the backup for Dave Johnson who has been the Play-By-Play man for D.C. United since the beginning. Dave is one of the best two or three soccer announcers in the whole country, so people are naturally very happy with his work. I'm always ready to contribute to Comcast Sportsnet whenever they call on me.

B & R: As a close associate to the team, how do you feel the direction of the team has changed to try to redirect the team back to achieving the lofty goals expected of the club?

TL: It's very detrimental to keep trying the same thing year after year without the success you want and demand. It's going to be a very different United team this year, but the club felt as though running the race with the same horses was not the way to go. The chemistry has not been great the past few years. It's not simply the talent level that matters most. I don't think anybody would say that Real Salt Lake had the most talented roster in 2009, but they had the right pieces in place.

B & R: The DC United fans hold Jaime Moreno in the highest regard due to the time he has spent with our club. Can you give us some perspective on how the rest of league (fans, clubs, players) view Jaime Moreno and the impact he has had on this league?

TL: Jaime is certainly well-respected around the league, and no one can deny his greatness and impact to MLS and American Soccer. I think one of the reasons that you don't hear as much about Jaime as you should is that he always has a sort of business like approach. Jaime doesn't really look happy that often, even when he's scoring beautiful goals. With all of his success, and his demeanor, it's easy for other teams and fans to dislike him. No one can say anything bad about him, so that's why you don't hear much about him at all. The masses prefer flamboyant and flashy players and Jaime will never be that. I feel like that's the reason he was overlooked for the 2004 MLS MVP award, and that's the reason he's not a media darling. Jaime is a hero to everybody who loves D.C. United.

B & R: The work you have done with DC United.com is providing more access to the players, something that is not normally provided for the sport on the national level. What can we expect from DCUnited.com in this regard for the upcoming season?

TL: We have a lot of fun stuff planned this season. People have already seen the live coverage from Ben Olsen's retirement, and Curt Onalfo's hiring. Last season, "Access United" was a great way for fans to get a little closer to their favorite team, and this season the great people at dcunited.com are coming up with new ways to make the website even better for the fans. D.C. is sort of leading the way in MLS in terms of on-line content and we're trying to stay in front. So, all the fans need to check out dcunited.com first thing, every morning. They won't be disappointed.

Tony, thanks again for answering some questions. We fans truly appreciate your work and your love for United!

-Black and Red on Both Sides