I remember my first time watching him live in action while at the All-Star game in Columbus. Diallo was miffed, at first, that he wasn't selected a starter despite leading the league in scoring. He then showed the league why he should be starting scoring twice and adding an assist in 22 minutes. Everyone at the press box was left shaking their head. If he didn't leave the match with a back strain who knows what else he could have done?

Which brings me to the following comparison. Is Diallo the equivalent of the Mark McGuire of soccer? Both are big guys. McGuire stands at 6-5, 250 - Diallo at 6-3, 190. Both are generally nice guys. McGuire is known for his charitable acts dealing with abused kids and Diallo is always smiling. Both stand out in a crowd. Big Mac with his big red goatee and "Hollywood" - as his Mutiny mates call Diallo - has those badass sunglasses, stylish clothes and Rodman-esk blond hair. Both have cool post home run/goal celebrations. McGuire pounds his chest and points to the sky while Diallo does that thing where he hikes up his legs up and pushes his arms out forward.

And both know what the fans want. McGuire is the ultimate home run hitter and everyone loves home runs while Diallo is MLS' best striker and every soccer fan loves goals.

To top it all off - both had huge offensive outbursts before taking home scoring/home run titles. McGuire, while tied with Sosa at 66, finished up his big season by hitting two-home runs twice in the final few games to end up with 70. Diallo has had two hat tricks and seven goals in the last four matches in his quest to break Roy Lassiter's record of 27 goals in a season (1996).

But can Diallo do for MLS what McGuire did for baseball? McGuire almost single-handily took baseball back to its pre-strike popularity during the legendary summer of 1998. Diallo, on a much smaller scale, did give MLS some credibility as a first-division soccer league. Unfortunately that may mean the departure of Diallo just as soon as we begun our (or at least my) love affair with him (platonically speaking of course).

Diallo is falling under the same light as former Crew and current English First Division striker Stern John. John came off a MVP season in the A-League and captured the MLS scoring title in his first year. Diallo entered Mutiny training camp in March as a guest player and wound up taking the lone striker job from one of MLS' greatest strikers in Raul Diaz Arce.

Big Mamma did his Keyshawn Johnson impression and said, "Give me the damn ball!" Well, he really didn't say those exact words, but something in that nature when Coach Hankinson didn't give him the playing time he deserved. Now after the two made peace, Hankinson's Mutiny is riding high and Diallo is a front runner for league MVP.

But could his playing days in MLS be numbered. John, after scoring 26 goals in 1998, scored 18 in 1999 just to prove to everyone Year One in MLS wasn't a fluke. Diallo may have to do the same if he intends to bolt to Europe after MLS. From talks with Diallo and his agent, it's a touchy situation.

Mamadou likes MLS - it's made him a star on a big worldwide stage. He enjoys his situation in Tampa and is close friends with playmaker Valderrama. In fact the two room together on the road and speak French to each other. But unlike El Pibe, Big Mamma is in the prime of his career- turning 29 last week (Happy Belated B-Day). But at the same time, no one in their right mind would turn down a great opportunity to play at a higher-caliber league if the opportunity arose.

But Diallo did have this to say at Tuesday's MLS Teleconference, "It is a very difficult question. To me the best thing is to stay with the league. I have spent nine years in Europe and know how that was. I would like to break the record here this year and then talk to MLS about returning for next year."

Hopefully the league can keep this former guest player and make MLS Diallo's home.