Respect is a funny old business. Fans almost demand it from national analysts and pundits, seeing a lack of respect as something that is demeaning of their team’s perceived quality, something that is often a little skewed because of the natural bias that all fans have towards their own teams.
But sometimes, there is a team that is genuinely not given the respect they deserve. They often come from a smaller market or smaller city. They sometimes don’t have the heart-fluttering individuals or sell-out stadiums to demand extensive coverage. They are easily, but dangerously, overlooked.
This season provides perhaps the perfect example of such a team: Sporting Kansas City.