UNITED POLL

Who will be D.C. United's breakout star in 2009?
  • G. Janicki
  • T. Khumalo
  • C. Pontius
  • R. Wallace

Talon

Community
On April 20, 1996, Washington, D.C. gave birth to two wonders -- Major League Soccer's D.C. United and D.C. United's beloved mascot, Talon. D.C. fans and players alike egg-spected the first birth, but the second came as quite a surprise! Let's take you back to that historical date… It was 7:15 p.m., and RFK Stadium was rocking. Sounds of fireworks and boisterous fans cheering for their home team bounced throughout the stadium. Professional soccer had returned to Washington, D.C.! Egg-cellent!

D.C. United players huddled around each other for what many in the stands thought was a normal, pre-game pep talk. Rather than a pep talk, United star Marco Etcheverry was alerting his teammates to the giant egg he had discovered right at mid-field. The players were baffled; what was this? As the team medical staff came rushing onto the field, a hush fell over the crowd. What was going on?

RFK personnel were flustered-how did an egg appear on the field? Then the Stadium Manager remembered how long ago, a family of American Eagles used to make RFK its home, the same family who descended from the eagle who modeled for the back of the United States' Quarter. The egg must have been left behind and sheltered for all these years in the confines of RFK!

Back to the field-all of a sudden, the players moved away from the egg. It was moving! One of the younger ones egg-cidentally dropped the ball with which he was juggling. It struck the great egg, cracking the shell. Viola! Talon was born…

Talon-who was not immediately aware of his surroundings-picked up the ball with his beak, flicked it to his head and blasted a full volley straight into the net. Kevin Payne, D.C. United's President and General Manager at the time, immediately signed Talon to a life-time contract, making him a permanent part of the D.C. United family and leaving Payne hoping to change Major League Soccer's rule on not allowing birds to play. To this day, D.C. United is still fighting his battle with the League on this rule.

And until the rules are changed, Talon happily spends his time training United's younger players on the perfect full volley and cheering on his brothers as they play before the D.C. United faithful. When not at practice or at home games, Talon flies all over D.C. making various appearances-anywhere from visiting his Eagle-ettes (D.C. United Youth Fan Club members) to teaching children how to play the egg-citing game of soccer-D.C. United style.