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Unexpected Sports Post


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I’ve become a fan of the YouTube sensation Laurence Brown and his popular “Lost in the Pond” series which takes a humorous look at how Americans and Brits are both different and similar. As I already have a bit of that going on in my own home, his observations didn’t come as a surprise to me. They are a lot of fun, though. 

This is why I wasn’t a bit surprised to learn that a former River Hill High School soccer star is playing professional football in England. Because, as you probably already know, what we call soccer in the U.S. is called football across the pond.

Donovan Pines, born in Clarksville, graduated from RHHS and went on to play for Maryland before leaving school to go pro with DC United. From there he went to the Barnsley Football Club in South Yorkshire. Pines even has his own Wikipedia entry, which details his career moves far better than I can. 

I would not know any of this had I not seen the following on Bluesky:

Barnsley will have a USA international in their squad tonight - Donovan Pines from Clarksville, MD.

Bonus information: while Pines was matriculating at the University of Maryland, his father, Dr. Daryll J. Pines, was appointed the President of UMD. I wonder how dad felt about his son leaving without a degree? 

Another question: does this mean that Pines, Sr, will get to meet Kermit the Frog??? 

Returning to Lost in the Pond, I wonder if Laurence Brown would be interested in interviewing a Clarksville transplant about what it’s like to become acclimated/acclimatized to South Yorkshire? 
Hmm…



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