If we look at the current "standings" on Major League Soccer's website its is easy to see that the Fire are in second place according to all of the raw statistics. We should also be able to see that just because the PTS column is in bold doesn't mean that it tells the full story.

There is something misleading in how this table reads, and more specifically how it is used in soccer reporting. Although the final measurement of team standing is points accumulated from wins(3) and draws(1), this number is only truly significant in two situations. First, when by some miracle, all teams in the league or in either the East or West conference have actually all played an equal number of games-this can happen more than once and at various times during a season. Second, the only guaranteed time that all teams will in fact have equal number of games played: The Playoffs.

Keep in mind that in MLS points for wins and losses are obsolete after the playoffs begin. The English Premier League (EPL) does not have a playoff system and game points reign supreme. So, no quarterfinals or semifinals exist. In very simple terms the MLS season is simply qualification for a Cup tournament a system that, like most American sports, is geared toward high-drama and underdog stories as opposed to praise and reward for consistency and work ethic.***

With this "points until playoffs" system we have a league table the fluctuates in dramatic fashion and does not reflect the quality of play and the circumstances of scheduling week in and week out. Take, for example, the article just posted titled Week in review: Races heat up. This piece exemplifies how the league table is used to perpetuate the sports writing machine and how it ignores the more practical and interesting topics on display in that same table.

"In the Eastern Conference, the New England Revolution took over the top spot..." ^(Source)

It is lines like these that we will continue to read every week or two when they never reflect the true state of the conference and never attempt to explain how a lead like this fits into the greater context of the league.

According to points earned, yes New England did just take the top spot in the East. So does that make them the best team in that conference? Not quite. Chicago and Columbus are a point behind and both have played fewer games than New England. We can give New England credit for their 1-0 victory over their meeting with the Crew on May 24th. It is still a hard case to make that NE are a better team so far this season. Better yet, the Chicago Fire have currently scored 7 goals against New England this season between two games. New England has yet to answer with a single goal and their silence has contributed to Chicago's overall goal differential of +13.

You tell me which team is leading their conference, if not the league, having played only 9 games, earned 19 points, accumulated a goal differential of +13 and lost less games than anyone in either conference? The answer is simple.

Columbus fans can also make a strong case that they are the second best team in the East and the league, and that New England is actually third. All that aside, these three teams should be just as worried about the West. The latency of both L.A. teams has expired and Southern California is looking more and more dangerous every week. Go Chivas! Go Fire!

^{*** Although I loved seeing the NY Giants upset the Patriots this year we have quickly forgotten the immaculate season the New England had until the Super Bowl.}

Today an article was published on www.mlsnet.com praising Chicgao Fire midfielder Cuauhtémoc Blanco as 2008 MLS Player of the Month for May.

In this story the Fire are cited as being one point behind the New England Revolution. Both of their records are listed but there is no clear mention that New England have played two more games than the Fire.

Story telling is subjective, sure, but when the story is centered around a player and his contribution to his team doesn't it seem like the perfect oppotunity to further highlight their collective acheivement by say, " They may be behind on point but only for lack of games played."