Lawrence, KS - Franklin Templeton Jr recently admitted something to his parents that he never wanted to see the light of day. That is, that Mr Templeton is a Sporting Kansas City and Major League Soccer supporter.
TNN spoke with Mr Templeton to find out his own perspective on the story, "I had to tell my parents. A friend of mine found me with a match being displayed on my cell phone that I was covertly watching when we went to a Royals game. He threatened to blackmail me and successfully did so for over a year. I couldn't take it anymore. The shame, the fear, the constant loathing of my own person, it was as destructive an environment as I could possibly have imagined. One time, I had to buy him Totino's pizza every week for over six months. It was horrible."
Templeton's parents were shocked to find out that their son was involved in the MLS lifestyle.
"I never believed it" said father Frank Templeton Sr. "He was a good boy, I'll admit that he never really seemed interested in Baseball or Football growing up but I thought that was a phase and he would grow out of it. Seeing him like this, betraying his midwest values and going in with a league like Major League Soccer is something that really makes my stomach turn. If he was going to go in with a soccer league, he could have at least gone for a talented league like La Liga or the Premier League. When I was overseas during the war, my friends and I managed to sneak down to London and catch games together. The atmosphere was steamy, and the stands back then were all men. It was the good old days, but This... THIS... MLS? This is an abomination."
Mr Templeton's mother, Betty Sue Templeton, tried to mend the fences. "Well, I played soccer in college and I would come into the room when he was little and find him trying on soccer cleats. I knew there was always a chance. I mean some people are likely born a soccer fan. It is disappointing to me though because I'm not going to get to go to anymore Chiefs games with my son. He won't be giving me any more little football players, because he isn't into buying me the rare set of Hummel figurines of the Chief's greatest concussions anymore."
The biggest change of Mr Templeton's life came when he had to inform his best friend Donny Kasziemeric of his attachment and attraction to Major League Soccer. "What the hell was I supposed to do" Said Mr Kasziemeric. "We were in a fantasty football league together and now he is talking about Graham Zusi and Dom Dwyer. I just constantly think that he isn't paying attention to Marshawn Lynch's rushing statistics anymore and seems to be dreaming about the passing tempo of tiki taka. I'm an open minded guy, but I'm afraid that he is just going to try to push me into the Major League Soccer lifestyle. He keeps dropping hints about wanting to go to a game."
Fortunately, Mr Templeton found friends that are understanding and supportive within the Sporting Kansas City community. "I made friends in the Cauldron and at the tailgates on gameday. They understand what I had to go through and we all hang out together. Some day I hope that my father can understand and maybe even attend a game with me. That way he can see that I'm happy and that's all that matters."