Excerpted from: http://www.manutdusa.org/redviews/redviews.asp?id=29 

Red Views // Andy Cintron
USA Tour Diary Summer 2003

Los Angeles

Lord of the Rings and Manchester United, an unlikely combination you might think but fate works in mysterious ways. In this case it turns out that Dominic Monaghan (Merry) is a huge Manchester United fan actually being born in Manchester. His publicist calls Pete asking if Dominic and Elijah Wood (Frodo) can come to the game with us. This just keeps getting better and better especially since I’m a huge LOTR fan. We’re going to the game with the Hobbits! Check in to the Merv Griffin Hilton is a horror show primarily because our reservations are not there and the hotel is overbooked. There’s a Magic Johnson basketball awards show, what seems to be a prom and a charity event all going on that night. The lobby is like Grand Central station and we adjourn to the hotel bar to plot our next move and wait for a contact to help us get a room. Pete, calm and collected as ever doesn’t seem to mind the wait. Me being the impatient man that I am pass the next five hours by answering the question “how much beer and peanuts can one man consume in a hotel bar before going insane?” Seven Heinekens and two bowls of peanuts later, its “Pete, I can’t take it, we gotta go somewhere else.” We actually end up at the Hyatt a mile away, a beautiful calm hotel that upgraded us to a suite when I complained that the price I was quoted on the phone was lower. Pete is ecstatic as he has his own room and is spared my (alleged) snoring.

Later we head back to the Hilton as Sir Alex has said earlier that he’d try to see us later for a drink. As I continue my ice-cold gold intake at the bar along with some shrimp cocktails, I notice both Neville brothers and Paul Scholes sitting across the lounge apart from the United Staff. I’m not keen on going over to say hello, as their reputation allegedly is that of not wanting to be bothered. However a man goes over with his family (turns out to be MUSCA member Viken from LA) and they willingly take photos. Viken comes over and renews his acquaintance with Pete and in a bit I’m thinking ok, why not? I saunter over to Scholes and the Nevilles and they’re great lads who endure my uncharacteristic nervousness. It gets to the point where I actually say “Guys this is screwed up, I’m a grown man and I’m nervous talking to you”. They laugh and willingly take a photo amongst some joking around. Cheers to Gazz for being so top notch.
The next day, Sunday is the big day. After an expensive but delicious breakfast (mmm $18.00 pancakes!) we await the Hobbits. At this point I’m glad we’re away from the craziness of the team hotel as we learn most of their rooms were above the hotel driveway and were noisy as hell. The players were not happy about that and that hordes of supporters were roaming the hallways outside their rooms.
Soon Elijah pulls up followed by Dominic and his cute as a button girlfriend Gigi. Super-cool and friendly. After presenting them with MUSCA hats and shirts (why on earth did I think they would take a XL?) and taking some photos with the banner we head out to the game. We arrive at the LA Coliseum and head toward the hospitality tent at which point I promptly knock over a tray of pasta. Dominic’s a top lad as he brings me back two beers and we talk about the next Lord of the Rings movie. We head to our seats, prime mid field again. The section is a mix of casual/United/ Club America Supporters so there’s no atmosphere to speak of. I try to get a couple of songs going only to be met by icy stares by the Mexican supporters. Undaunted I continue and fair play to Dominic he joins me in singing “Pride of all Europe” I’m impressed by what a big supporter he is as he rattles off players, games, and statistics, this boy is ok, He even owns all the Pete Boyle tapes!
After a lackluster first half we head to hospitality for a drink and miss the first two goals of the second half. Damn! We do see that the last goal though and Club America’s late strike gives their supporters something to cheer about. We go back to the hospitality tent. They’re not serving alcohol anymore, but me wanting to be the perfect host slip the barkeep $20 to give me two bottles of wine. I triumphantly come back to the table pour a glass for everyone and no sooner does the nectar hit my lips when a security bimbo obviously emboldened by her walkie-talkie rushes over and pulls a power trip “Did you bring those bottles into the stadium sir?” “Yeah and I parachuted in too, what do you think?” She drops the hammer, “You can’t have those I have to take them, there’s no alcohol served after halftime” As the bottles are taken away I try to reason with her to no avail. She is clearly not moved by my persuasive arguments which basically go like this: Her:“ I could lose my job if I let you drink, I’m doing this for your own protection”. Me: “Well I really don’t care about your job, all I care about is having a drink with my mates” which is not the answer she wants to hear. Easy come easy go.
The hobbits are keen to meet Ruud and he likewise wants to meet them. Pete arranges a meeting in the hotel bar later in the evening. A quick jump back to our hotel to change and we rendezvous at the Hilton bar. At this point I must say that the old adage “Good things come to those who wait” is certainly true. All week I’ve wanted to meet Ruud personally and now here he is! Me, Pete, Ruud, Elijah, Dominic, and Gigi sit on a couple of couches in the corner of the bar and I’m struck by how laid back Ruud is, totally unpretentious, totally genuine, a class guy all the way. Hanging with Ruud is awesome and I’m having a blast. Various fans come up as they realize Ruud is there and he is a marvel of patience, even to some slobbering drunken fans. Elijah is soon mobbed, and a surreal sight is a 12-year-old girl literally hyperventilating as Ruud signs her soccer ball. She starts crying as Dominic also signs it and says, “ I can’t believe I’m signing the same ball as Ruud.” Very cool indeed. Ruud signs some things for me and takes a couple of photos as well. Man Utds official photographer takes a photo of me, Ruud and the hobbits which is a keeper and I think this can’t get any better. WRONG!
Nike is throwing a party for the team at a beach house it owns that night. The Nike rep comes over and tells Ruud his car is waiting. She looks at us and tells us that we’re invited too! What are the chances we would have been invited if Elijah and Dominic weren’t with us? Still we don’t have to even think about it- let’s go!
Pete and me get to the house with an acquaintance of Dominic's and again it seems Elijah's driving directional skills leave something to be desired as he parked almost half a mile away from the beach house. (He took a wrong turn to the Coliseum as well) While waiting for Elijah I run into Ricardo outside the house and he remembers me “Aah in Portland you have the banner yes?” I ask him if he knows about LOTR and to my surprise, he tells me how he loves the books, and that his mother bought them for him when he was a kid. I tell him he’s got a surprise coming. Finally Elijah arrives just as Ruud appears at the entrance and waves us in.
The house has a touch of the surreal to it. Artsy, dimly lit, psychedelic, one room is hopping with a DJ and people dancing up a storm (Go Rio Go!) another room is full of bean bag couches and weird artwork and who is sitting against the wall but Ryan Giggs and Nicky Butt looking like part of the artwork! I introduce myself, thank them for a great season and for the tour and I get a cordial “cheers” and handshake from them. Outside is a deck with my good friend Mr. Open Bar. It’s crowded but the cool thing is aside from the team, it’s mostly LA people who have no idea who the team is!
My greatest memories of that night are turning around and coming face to face with Roy Keane and having a five-minute conversation with him! Thankfully it was early in the evening and I still had a full control of my senses. But wow! I told him my cousins in Ireland are from Limerick and that’s how I got into United. “Aah, Knife City” he laughed. When I asked what he meant, he said that when he was growing up in Cork, a city near Limerick there was always 9-10 stabbings a year in Limerick, hence the name. We talked about a couple of other things whatever it was, I can’t even remember, but a “Good to see you again, I’ll see you in New York” from Roy left me grinning. I found Pete and all I could say was “I can’t believe I just had a five minute conversation with Roy Keane” over and over. “Steady on Lad” says Pete obviously amused by my reaction to having a private moment with my all time United Hero. Beers flowed throughout the evening and another highlight was hanging with John O’Shea for a good 20 minutes again talking about relatives in Ireland and his in New Jersey. John is so down to earth that within two minutes I felt like I was talking to an old friend. He asked me a lot of questions about New York City, about how I thought the tour was being received etc., I told him of meeting the Nevilles and Scholes and being nervous and he laughs. “What’s with that whole class of 92 they never seem to smile” I ask jokingly "Oh they’re great lads, Giggsy and Butty are legends" he said. As if on cue the duo walk past us “Hey there’s the guys that never smile” laughs John .He calls over to them “Hey lads smile!” not surprisingly they don’t!
I have a brief conversation with Seba Veron who looks like a walking jewelry store and Diego who suprises me by being very friendly. Somehow I start hanging with Mark Lynch, Ricardo and Danny Pugh. Danny and I wind up talking for a good half-hour. When he asks what I do and tell him I’m a Financial Planner, he suprises me by asking very knowledgeable questions about the US Stock Market. We joke about the bimbos at the party and he asks if I want a beer, Coronas are good I say. He comes back with a Budweiser and says “I’m really sorry Andy, they’re out of Corona.” Polite, friendly and very cool. Great to see him win Reserve Player of the year. When he asks how old I am and I tell him 36, he is generally shocked “Get out of here, you’re not! I thought you were 24 or 25!” God bless you Danny. At that point, Pete calls out that they’re leaving and I can come with them or take a cab. Figuring a cab is going to run about $75 back to the hotel I opt to leave, saying good-byes and running into Rio again on the way out (good to see you again mate!)
The next day our flight was delayed two hours and we had to board a different plane due to mechanical difficulties .Typically there was a monster of a screaming baby two rows ahead of us screaming for the whole flight (Screamzilla I dubbed him) and the fact that I didn’t get home until 3 am couldn’t tarnish in the slightest what was without a doubt the greatest vacation I’ve ever had.