Well, not that we all aren't aware of the poor (aka relatively non-existant) media coverage of the sport in the city (sans Luis A.), I thought this was a fairly amusing summarization of it:
If there was any sort of pressure on the media to cover the team, then we'd be reading about why the Fire have allowed 4 back post goals in the past 2 games, we'd be reading about why the Fire have yet to sign the player that they took at the #8 overall slot in this year's draft, and we'd be reading about why it was that the Fire let Jaqua walk for free to protect Logan Pause. Thankfully for Guppy and Sarachan there are only about 500 people in Chicago who've noticed these things, so the media doesn't feel the need to pander to us.
By and large, newspapers are a zero sum game. Column inches given to one sport is column inches that can't be used by another.
I saw the article on Jaqua. You may have missed it because the article was only two words. Nate Sucked.
Are we talking about the fact that it's blank? If so, articles came up when I reloaded the page. I don't know why they didn't load the first time.
A slight correction: There are articles under the Fire heading (almost all AP may I add)....but nothing outside of fire....also, in all honesty, this was really just meant to give an example of how lacking our media is when it comes to the sport
And it's been that way for awhile.....they're trying to kill soccer, the bright spot is they've been trying for a long time without success. Cream will rise to the top, and you can't blindfold everyone. A good friend of mine at work might be coming to the Dallas game, I'll find out tomorrow, that's what we can do. Bring people in.
lziehm@suntimes.com <---writes some articles about the Fire in the Sunties. It wouldn't be the worst thing on earth to write a complimentary e-mail now and then or one to the general sports editor about something Fire related when they have general "ask your chicago sports questions" thing. Oh and let everyone else know when stuff like that comes up.
I'll agree that currently this would probably be the best thing to do...and it should be done, because he hasn't written an article in a few weeks which is even less than usual for offseason of the "big 4"
Unless you get a bunch of Jay Marrioti and Rick Morrissey clones who absolutley hate soccer and bash it everychance they get.
Not arguing the point of how good he was, dipstick. All I'm saying is that other teams in the league don't seem to mind trading for him, and yet the Fire would rather let him walk for free. Even you can figure this out of you try hard enough.
Listened to about a 15-minute interview this afternoon on the Score with Huebner and David Haugh from the Trib. Not a bad interview, though Chris isn't the most dynamic public speaker...nothing you guys who read and post here wouldn't have already known but it was still nice to potentially have some casual fans listening in. I could've been nitpicky about some of the comments and questions, but in general I won't because it was nice to have some talk out there.
Soccer coverage is piss poor. Louis gives us a taste in the Tribune (loved his World Cup coverage) but it's not enough. One would think the Tribune and Sun-Times could put in at least one stinking article a week. But what is to be expected since nationally soccer coverage sucks. Foreign magazines print more about the MLS than our media does.
Thank the Score - and let them know that soccer fans are listening. Also, radio is sponsor (ad) linked. Find a company who would sponsor a weekly update or interview.
Wrong. Dead wrong. 180 degrees, talking-out-of-your butt wrong. Luis blogs almost every day. He's had 6 bylines in the paper in the last week, including a piece on the team's problems this morning. Len Ziehm does a nice job around gamedays (preview, game story) for the Sun-Times.
Soccer coverage has increased in Chicago. With the Trib having a dedicated reporter for the Fire and soccer in general. They get more coverage than the Blackhawks now! Are all the Trib bashers on here now buying the Trib? Actually putting their money where their big mouths are? I just wish the Fire deserved it. They play poorly. They DON'T SCORE!!! They make a game that is ill fitted for the American sports/entertainment scene even more brutal than it has to be!!! To justify the increased coverage, I'd like to see the Fire draw about 18,000 people today. It is going to be a beautiful day in Chicago. 70's and sunny skies. Also, I'd like to see TV ratings that won't be confused with blood alcohol law limits!!!
I can't get the Sun-Times as readily as the Trib seeing as I live down here in cow town, so I apologize for the mistake if this was the case. But I see online that Lacy J. wrote an article on Rolfe and the Fire so that's good to see. However, people have also made mention of how great Luis is, so that is not a question, I read his articles all the time....and besides Luis there is???? I want to be an apologist to, but it's hard to be when the Sun-Times is featuring 3 articles on Wildcat softball and the only one on the Fire was due to Banks' just deciding to write about 'em today. He could've very well written whatever, I'm sure, due to his senior status. I guess what I'm really looking for is a columnist like the "Big 4" have in the papers. Someone to regularly criticize them- Ziehm isn't listed as a columnist by the Sun-Times, so I take it his recent opinions have been also on his on accord; but he obviously seems to be split between 'Hawks and Fire depending on season, ok, fair enough. Anyway, perhaps the papers have been doing an alright job. I mostly started this discussion as a half-joke but now it's obviously turned into a discussion. Also, it'd be nice not to get as much info. from the Washington Post as I do from Chicago. Finally, perhaps I should direct my fingers at the local news. Obviously, I can't watch Chicago news down here as the Fire are nearly unknown south of I-80, but my parents also say they heard nothing of the Blanco signing on the local sports news. I hope someone can prove that wrong; cuz that would be a real joke. Indeed the biggest issue I have is that soccer is still being relegated to a lower class in that for the "big 4" the writers will actually write about non-Chicago teams. The nearly Fire only soccer reporting I believe is what puts us with the Wolves, Rush, and Sky.