So. I know you were sittin' there saying to yourself, "I needs to hear me some Peter Wilt on a right wing political talk show". Well your inner monologues have done been answered son. Peter Wilt will be coming in studio on the Steve Malzberg program at 10:30pm ET (9:30pm your time) on WOR Radio 710 AM in NYC. He'll be discussing Beckham arriving in NYC, and his importance to American soccer, and how he gots a gimpy ankle. A bit about Malzberg: http://www.wor710.com/pages/418904.php For those in Chicago, we don't have an affiliate near you, so you can go to wor710.com and click on 'Listen Live' to hear the show beginning at 8pm your time. Again, Wilt will be on 9:30pm your time. Also, if you want to call the studio to comment on the topic, the number is 1-800-321-8828. Once you dial, you'll be answered by the dulcet sounds of me picking up said phone and putting your brilliant comment on the air.
Great job Peter! You were smooth and well spoken. You rattled facts off the top of your head. I can't imagine it is easy stay cool a radio show. Well done.
Very good job Peter. Looking forward to the day that soccer fans can just discuss the sport without having to defend it from people who aren't at least informed of it's current state....but then again this is a right wing radio host, those guys are still celebrating the Nixon era, the Reagan years and other goold old bad days, so it's not surprising to hear him take a swipe at immigrants and not know a single current soccer star. Hope that producer bought ya a beer.
Peter, Horse racing was not "the king of sports" in the past as you stated. I believe you meant that horse racing is called the "sport of kings." Not quite the same thing.
Indeed the common reference to horse racing is the "sport of kings", but my usage of "king of sports" was a play on words to describe its status for most of the 20th century as the number one spectator sport in the United States. peter
OK, don't kill me for this, but I've only closely followed the Fire for the past couple of seasons. I've read enough on these boards that he's considered something of a saint by hardcore Fire fans, so what made Peter Wilt so beloved? I've read some stuff about how he sat with Section 8 alot, sported a Brandon Kitchens scarf after his passing and came across the famous "Yank in Torino?" thread here on BS where he personally posted and helped arrange a trial for the much-hyped up Yank. What else do I need to know to appreciate him? What are the reasons for his departure?
Peter Wilt is pretty much adored because he is a wonderful, wonderful friend to soccer and soccer fans. He built the Fire from scratch and his ability to reach out to the soccer community, and community at large, was pretty phenomenal. He's a genuine human being and when you put someone like that as GM and President of a sports team, his attitude and effort spread throughout the entire organization. He is Fire through and through. He motivated and encouraged so many people and players to love the Fire badge.
Thx very much Ben. I'd like to think helping to shape the championship teams, establish the culture of the organization and develop TP have something to do with it as well. This 90 Minutes article did a good job describing my time with the Fire and the reasons for being let go: http://www.90soccer.com/news/200506160005.shtml peter
“We can improve as a business and that’s an important reason why I’m here,” said Guppy, formerly an executive at Octagon Sports Marketing. “Across the board: ticket sales, sponsorship sales, merchandise and all of our revenue streams, we can do better and that’s the area I’m going to be focusing on.” How's that working out for you John? Blanchopolfe should give us a boost in all of these areas, but its a long time coming.
It is a testament to Peter's character that the latter part of this statement never game to fruition. I still love that I can point him out to friends who attend games with me. "See that guy going crazy in the center of the group of guys going crazy? Yea, he built all of this."
No, we won't kill you and it is appreciated that you posed your question as you did. In addition the other reasons mentioned and the article Peter Wilt linked, there are many reasons that Peter Wilt was so beloved. It is exceedingly rare for a President of a Sports team to be as open, honest, genuine and "fan friendly" as Peter Wilt. Even more than being exceedingly rare, I would say Mr. Wilt was unique in terms of being available to fans. Whether it was walking through the stands, greeting fans, answering emails sent to him, even having several "Ask Peter Wilt" threads on BigSoccer after he was dismissed, Mr. Wilt was always very warm and genuine. He really defined what it meant to be "fan friendly" and we will always appreciate him for it. Couple this genuiness with his professionalism, undying loyalty to the Fire, building a championship team in his first year (with a core of young players, as well aging veterans, which sustained the team for the next 6-7 years), bringing in players who infused the Fire with a sense of unbridled optimism, particularly in the first three years, and you can see that Mr. Wilt gave the Fire a tremendous foundation upon which to build a winning club and a winning tradition. What has happened since 2005 is an erosion of what Mr. Wilt did to build the club. Fans have become disenfranchised from the team and disenchanted in the direction of the club. We look back fondly on Wilt's era and are nervous about the future. In addition, John Guppy was seen as a corporate shill and has pretty much lived down to that perception. All of this worked to increase our admiration for Mr. Wilt and the "good old days" of 1998-2004. All that being said, the perception of the team is most definitely changing. Bringing Osorio on board was a tremendous move, signing Blanco and Wanchope were terrific moves. Personally, I wish the Fire would never have replaced him with Guppy, but they did. What they need to do know is to rebuild the tradition that was burgeoning under Peter Wilt. It finally appears that they are doing that now.