Though Major League Soccer deserves some props for not inviting The Click Five to perform at their championship game two years in a row, not since the NBA allowed Cowboy Troy to ruin the 2005 All-Star Weekend has any major sports league (or minor, in this instance) come up with something as contrived and dopey as the MLS Mashups campaign.

Particularly bizarre is the league and Adidas’ selection of hubby & wife duo Mates Of State as the musicial representatives of the New England Revolution. Presumably, the Mates moved from San Francisco to New Haven because they were depressed over the Earthquakes leaving San Jose. But even if MLS couldn’t find one appropriate band from the Greater Foxboro area (and no, I’m not gonna suggest one), how about the matter of M.O.S.’ geographic eligibility? New Haven is 128.5 miles from Foxboro. The band’s alleged residence is only 85 miles from East Rutherford, NJ, home of the former MetroStars. So what’s the deal here? If it’s all totally random, why not just invent bands for the specific purpose of being sneaker pimps — preferably with better names and songs?

The entire desperate exercise is only slightly mitigated in that I saw no mention of any of this during last weekend’s coverage of the MLS playoffs. When Shep Messing is embarrassed to talk about it, you’ve really gone too far.

now playing : Edwyn Collins – “Adidas World”