Join NowWhat Do I "Do"? Here's A "Typical" Crazy Day
Yesterday was a long and crazy day...though when i think about it, "long and crazy" tends to be the norm in a pro soccer start up phase. The day started with posting to this blog at 7 a.m. from my Chicago area home before heading to Toyota Park at 8:30 am. The day ended around midnight after a two and a half hour drive back from Champaign, Illinois highlighted by an exchange of international text messages while driving past small Illinois towns such as Rantoul, Gibson City and Kankakee.
In between there was:
* The Chicago Red Stars weekly 9 am staff meeting led by GM Marcia McDermott
* Toyota Park Safety and Evacuation Class
* An hour and a half meeting with a new media strategist
* Selection of my weekly predictions for the Steve Pastorino organized soccer pool
* My weekly call with WPS Commissioner Tonya Antonucci and Red Stars Alternate Governor Gary Weaver
* Review of a couple sponsor proposals
* Response to Red Stars management team on Toyota Park lease questions
* Meeting with Red Stars CFO and co-owner Arnim Whisler
* Discussion of various issues with Marcia and Red Stars department heads re: ticket sales, sponsorship and promotion
* An email to WPS Board of Governors re: the ad hoc Expansion Draft Committee's recommendation (i serve as the committee's chairman)
* An unusually high number of phone calls (i mainly communicate online or in person these days)
* An email exchange with leader of Red Stars supporters group Local 134 re: scarves and St. Louis road trip
* A few Twitter and FaceBook updates and responses (If you don't already, please Follow me at http://twitter.com/RedStarsCEO
* Proofing of a Red Stars news release on affiliation with W-League Chicago Red Eleven
* Giving our business manager a sizable (for me) check as part of my investment in the Red Stars
* Responding or forwarding about a hundred emails including messages from Section 8 Chicago Marketing Committee Chair (i serve on that committee)
* Reading dozens of online articles and blog posts and prolly a hundred plus texts, Tweets and FB messages
* Running the Norton anti-virus scan on my laptop to prevent the nasty virus due to hit world computers today from taking over my laptop
* Driving two and a half hours through pouring rain to Champaign (with a White Castle drive-thru on the way) for the Red Stars final pre-season tune-up before Saturday's inaugural Red Stars game at Saint Louis Athletica.
* Marcia and i watching a scoreless match for 40 minutes before the Red Stars put up a snowman by exploding for 8 unanswered goals in the last 50 minutes.
* Speaking with Marcia, coaches, trainers and a few players afterwards for 45 minutes
* Hitting another drive thru before heading back north on I-57 while dangerously texting, tweeting and talking most of the way home.
The international texts i referred to at the top were intriguing. Since i "left" the Chicago Fire at the end of 2005, i've had serious discussions with three teams about returning to MLS as well as a few other less serious inquiries. My deal with the Red Stars is multi-year and i am an investor in the team, but my agreement does have a provision that would allow me to take on a leadership role with an MLS team in the future. While i haven't thought about it in awhile and i haven't sought one out, last night's text messages gave me a slim hope that someday i could return to the League i am so passionate about.
Have a great day!
In between there was:
* The Chicago Red Stars weekly 9 am staff meeting led by GM Marcia McDermott
* Toyota Park Safety and Evacuation Class
* An hour and a half meeting with a new media strategist
* Selection of my weekly predictions for the Steve Pastorino organized soccer pool
* My weekly call with WPS Commissioner Tonya Antonucci and Red Stars Alternate Governor Gary Weaver
* Review of a couple sponsor proposals
* Response to Red Stars management team on Toyota Park lease questions
* Meeting with Red Stars CFO and co-owner Arnim Whisler
* Discussion of various issues with Marcia and Red Stars department heads re: ticket sales, sponsorship and promotion
* An email to WPS Board of Governors re: the ad hoc Expansion Draft Committee's recommendation (i serve as the committee's chairman)
* An unusually high number of phone calls (i mainly communicate online or in person these days)
* An email exchange with leader of Red Stars supporters group Local 134 re: scarves and St. Louis road trip
* A few Twitter and FaceBook updates and responses (If you don't already, please Follow me at http://twitter.com/RedStarsCEO
* Proofing of a Red Stars news release on affiliation with W-League Chicago Red Eleven
* Giving our business manager a sizable (for me) check as part of my investment in the Red Stars
* Responding or forwarding about a hundred emails including messages from Section 8 Chicago Marketing Committee Chair (i serve on that committee)
* Reading dozens of online articles and blog posts and prolly a hundred plus texts, Tweets and FB messages
* Running the Norton anti-virus scan on my laptop to prevent the nasty virus due to hit world computers today from taking over my laptop
* Driving two and a half hours through pouring rain to Champaign (with a White Castle drive-thru on the way) for the Red Stars final pre-season tune-up before Saturday's inaugural Red Stars game at Saint Louis Athletica.
* Marcia and i watching a scoreless match for 40 minutes before the Red Stars put up a snowman by exploding for 8 unanswered goals in the last 50 minutes.
* Speaking with Marcia, coaches, trainers and a few players afterwards for 45 minutes
* Hitting another drive thru before heading back north on I-57 while dangerously texting, tweeting and talking most of the way home.
The international texts i referred to at the top were intriguing. Since i "left" the Chicago Fire at the end of 2005, i've had serious discussions with three teams about returning to MLS as well as a few other less serious inquiries. My deal with the Red Stars is multi-year and i am an investor in the team, but my agreement does have a provision that would allow me to take on a leadership role with an MLS team in the future. While i haven't thought about it in awhile and i haven't sought one out, last night's text messages gave me a slim hope that someday i could return to the League i am so passionate about.
Have a great day!
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I can't imagine the conflict in many Fire fans' hearts if you took up the offer to start a new MLS team. To many people you WERE the Chicago Fire, and some, like myself, became die hard fans specifically because of you. Now that the Red Stars are here, I'm sure I will become a die hard fan of theirs too and you will have a great deal to do with it. Your communication about the day to day goings on of the team have been fantastic, and the WPS will need that kind of energy for a long time to survive and thrive. So I, for one, hope you stay on with the Red Stars. If you do decide to leave, you shouldn't settle for anything less than a major role at MLS or WPS headquarters.Posted 01 Apr 2009 at 09:13 AM by Thorsten 
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Can I have a job?
Posted 01 Apr 2009 at 09:41 AM by SCBozeman
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Thanks. i will never "leave" the Red Stars. i will always be an owner and if i would take a position elsewhere, i would maintain a guiding role for the Red Stars.
Thank you Thorsten. i would also struggle emotionally running an MLS team outside of Chicago as this is my hometown and i had and still have deep feelings about the team and organization. Milwaukee was the one market that i could pretty easily handle the emotional switch due to my strong connections there. Running a team in New York or elsewhere would require a seachange in my mentality.Posted 01 Apr 2009 at 09:41 AM by Peter Wilt
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SCBozeman, we may need another account exec! if interested, please send me your resume: pwilt@chicagoredstars.com
Posted 01 Apr 2009 at 09:47 AM by Peter Wilt
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Jobs
Yeah, he also needs a personal driver so he won't run himself off the road while texting and twittering.
Posted 01 Apr 2009 at 10:23 AM by Thorsten
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Thorsten's right, please be careful w/ the texting/twittering while driving! Safety first. Your being poached/snapped up by another league is one of my bigger fears for the WPS. I don't think it is by chance that the RedStars have more sponsorships and are leading season ticket sales (both statements based on the info I've found on the web). You, Marsha, et al have what seems from the outside to be a first class organization. Your jerseys look the best, too
Posted 01 Apr 2009 at 11:33 AM by kool-aide
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I can't imgaine you leaving Chicago. But I know how much you love the game and how great of a leader you are. We first met in your box at Soldier Field. Since then, I have become a huge fan of yours and the Fire. Now I'm a fan of the Red Stars. Now matter where you end up you will be a great blessing to that organization.
Posted 01 Apr 2009 at 11:41 AM by Maxxi
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Thx for the kind words. The Red Stars are leading in season tickets, but I think LA is leading in sponsorships. It's a marathon though not a sprint and all the teams are making good progress.
And kool-aide, I really do't use my BB (much) while driving. Occasionally on wide open highways w/limited traffic or the other extreme when traffic is stopped.Posted 01 Apr 2009 at 11:53 AM by Peter Wilt
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I-57
I am very glad my drive on I-57 was on Sunday and not yesterday. Please get a designated texter.Posted 01 Apr 2009 at 12:09 PM by SuziQue
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If there was any justice in the world, Stan Kroenke would toss out the clowns running his Rapids and hire you, Peter. But you'd probably want more than the current Colorado minumum wage of $7.28 an hour. Well, there's probably free nachos and hot dogs on game days.Posted 01 Apr 2009 at 12:26 PM by Sal Paradise
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