A somewhat reliable grad school friend of mine (who now works at KCAL-9, the CBS affiliate in Los Angeles) emailed me last night(3/31) with this shocker:

From: Name Redacted [mailto:redacted@cbs2.com]
Sent: Tuesday, April 01, 2008 3:45 AM
To: stevetoro@los-toros.com
Subject: You like apples?

[Steve], word from the Gals PR flacks, including Pat Donnelly (who I go drinking with regularly down in Venice), are preparing for a big trade. It’s all super hush-hush, but word is that that Landon will be moved… not to the ‘Quakes, but to your hometown team, FC “Don’t Call us Chokers” Dallas.

Looks like FCD’s not going to get the big striker that they need, and they’re trying to resolve their International logjam by trading for LD (whose better is better than your better). What do they want in return? Karma? Nah: just your whole midfield: Ricchetti, Alvarez, and “Drillbit” Saragosa.  I don’t think there’s even need for allocation moolah.  It works out, dollar-for-dollar, pound for pound, etc.

Don’t complain: you’ll still be able to run out a midfield of Dax, Lando, Rocha, and Toja, (4 CAMs, woo!) with Wag(ner|enfuhr), Shea “Don’t call me Chance Myers” Brek [sic], and the inestimable Bobby Rhine on the wings if you let your freakin’ coach (whom I know you adore, SteveTorrow) get his wish of putting out the first 1-8-1 formation ever fielded in MLS. Supposedly the Commish will be in town today to keep gloating Chivas fans (all 3 of them) from gloating…

Note: I was so ready to forward this to MLSRumors until I checked the calendar. D’oh!