Last week, when Tab Ramos was asked to play for either DC or Colorado in the Hall of Fame game, his answer was "no". He did not want to wear any MLS jersey other than the Metro one. So Ramos watched the game from the sidelines in a suit and then became the first MetroStar to be enshrined in the Hall. Because really, who's gonna count Marcelo Balboa.

Unfortunately, when we look back at Tab's Metro career, we get a feeling that something is missing. Something? A lot is missing; a title, a healthy season, better scoring numbers... Look at Ramos' league games played year to year; 25, 13, 17, 5, 20, 18, 14: in his seven years in MLS, that amounts to just 52% of matches. The fact that he is still the Metro all-time leader in assists with 36 (39 in all competitions) is masked by the ineptitude of the Metro passing game throughout the years; that number is very low when compared to other teams' leaders. His eight goals (ten in all competitions) as a Metro, including none in his last two seasons, is also nothing to get excited about. And when we think about Ramos walking off the field for the final time, in that 3:0 debacle in New England in 2002, we can't help but think that Tab's Metro career was not close to anything it could have been.

When Tab became the first player to sign with Major League Soccer, much more was expected of him. And in reality, his impact on MLS -- and on U.S. soccer altogether -- was much more than his impact on Metro. His signing opened the door for other players, showing that the league in its infancy could have some legitimacy. And his influence on the U.S. national team is unrivaled; a veteran of three World Cups, the best dribbler, if not the best midfielder ever to wear the U.S. colors, Ramos' skill on the ball was often shoulders above his teammates'. And who can forget his dramatic goal against Costa Rica in the 1998 qualifiers. And then, in 2000, when the U.S. needed a win to move to the next round in CONCACAF, who but Tab was surprisingly called up and then made his final U.S. appearance in a 4:0 win.

And let's not dwell on the negative when discussing his Metro career as well; one can remember the 1997 match versus Colorado, when Ramos had his only two-goal game of his MLS career; 2000, when he fought off injuries and captained the team down the stretch to the best season in its pathetic history; 2002, when he turned it on for a mid-season match versus Kansas City, flashing his form of old for unfortunately such a short time.

When Tim Howard was asked if any teammate stood out during his time with Metro, without any hesitation he named Tab. "For me, the best teammate was Tab Ramos. He's one of the most decorated players we've ever had in MLS, he's a gentleman, he's for me the top U.S. player ever," said Howard. And we'll leave it at that.