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Fellow members of the Keon Daniel Fan Club,
The sad and fateful day that we have long feared has finally arrived. Our idol (or god, depending on how dedicated you are to the fan club) has been released from the Union. It is with a very heavy heart that I inform you that Keon "Predator" Daniel is no longer with us.
Keon first joined the club in 2011 from his old team the Puerto Rico Islanders. Since then he has been a dominant force in the midfield, striking cold fear into every opponent he faced. Of course, Keon is also a member of Trinidad & Tobago's national team, and he held the record for most international caps by a Union player (59 caps, 14 goals).
At 10:45 AM EDT, @jakemkaplan tweeted that he heard the Predator had been released.
Some @PhilaUnion news: The club has released midfielder Keon Daniel, according to a source with knowledge of the move.
— Jake Kaplan (@jakemkaplan) April 8, 2014
By 11:18, the Union had confirmed that they "mutually agreed" (I don't believe it, they cut him down in his prime) to go their separate ways.
JUST IN: @PhilaUnion mutually agree to part ways with midfielder Keon Daniel. More: http://t.co/MEgvZLo3zS
— Philadelphia Union (@PhilaUnion) April 8, 2014
Clearly, fans across the world were outraged when the announcement was made. Most were thrown into such a fit of rage that they actually started tweeting things at the team that suggested they were happy about the move. Others were upset about the lack of talent the Union now has in the hair department, as Keon's dreads have now been hailed as "Best hair in MLS" by internationally respected critics such as Ed Welsh and Edward Welsh.
Daniel's release also means that the Sons of Ben will have to find some new things to yell in support of our beloved Philadelphia Union. Without the Predator on the pitch, it would be senseless to yell things like "Use the lasers, Keon!", "Kill him, Predator!", and "Sweep the leg!".
I personally would like to think that Keon has been sent to a nice farm upstate (Reading United, maybe?), but I think we all know the truth here. I've announced the retirement of my #17 "Predator" jersey in honor of Keon, and I'll be sporting a Trinidad & Tobago scarf at the rest of the games I attend this season. I'd like to think that Keon is in a better place now.
Please join me in remembering Keon Daniel and all the fond memories that he gave us by using the hashtag #RememberingKeon on twitter (or Facebook, if you're one of those hashtag-on-Facebook type of people). I'm @EdWelshSays, feel free to join me in grieving.