fire news 10/23

I have not been one to get upset over press coverage or lack of press coverage for soccer because I agree with the position that coverage has to be earned through fan interest.

But what is the excuse now? Even if the papers assume that those first two crowds had something to do with the new SF, they would have to be blind not to see that there is a buzz surrounding the team.

So as we pick up a couple of pieces of hardware, and are in position to win the big enchilada, we get nothing from the big 2 until a short blurb on game day, and something buried on page 10 with no pictures after a big win.

Instead we get daily coverage of the Bulls and Blackhawks, the latter of which struggles to put 10,000 butts in seats (and I am a Blackhawks fan!). I know its apples and oranges as these two have been around for decades, and have large -- and largely dormant -- followings.

I know that McDill has taken his shots on here from some people, but I applaud him and the Daily Herald for giving the most consistent coverage in the area.

 

Chicago is in an interesting position. I could be wrong, but I get the feeling that MLS is still small time, but The Fire have been embraced by the Chicago Sports community. It's almost as if Chicago doesn't realize MLS is small time when seen nationwide. I don't mean that The Fire are on the same level as the big 5 here, but we seem to be bigger in Chicago with respect to the big 5 than MLS is nationwide.

So sports writers might still be blinded by the fact that MLS is a distant 6th in the nation even if it's a much closer 6th here in Chicago.

Just my two cents.

 

The Fire do get a fair degree of coverage in the city's two major news papers. I know it's not as much coverage as we would like, but we haven't been around as long as the other teams. I can only see us getting more coverage now that we are back in chicago. One step at a time people. The Fire have penetrated the chicago sports scene. They don't dominate it, or maybe not even get a fair slice of it, but they're there. The hard part is over. The team is accepted as major league and now we just have to build on that. Every day more sports columnists and radio hosts take notice. Things are going in the right direction pretty quickly. All we need to do is maintain a presence.

 

Since Chris won't get upset, I will.

If the sportswriters are so blind, they shouldn't be in their jobs, seeing as their jobs are all about being informed yourself so you can inform others.

Considering that the baseball season is over and that the Fire are now the only Chicago team besides maybe the Wolves with any hope of actually winning something, you'd think we'd get more coverage than we have. If Frank Thomas or Kordell Stewart burps today after eating a reuben sammich, it will get four pages in both the Trib and the Tabloid and get ten minutes on all the nightly news stations. Meanwhile, the Fire are actually WINNING stuff and we get maybe a quarter page every few days in the big papers and a three second blurb (only on game day, mind you) on the network news.

The argument that the papers cover only what their readers want to read is a steaming load of Dallas Burn. The dirty secret is that they are also there to pump up teams and keep the interest running and they refuse to do this for the Fire, probably because all the writers and editors and TV sports guys are baseball and football guys who feel threatened by The New Soccer Nation and therefore resent our presence on "their" turf.

I just hope that when these sports media dinosaurs start to literally die off they'll be replaced by folks like Bretos and Hopkins, McDill, Wynalda and the late Darrian Chapman. Whatever else you may think of any of these guys, at least they know soccer and therefore aren't threatened by it.

 

I'm afraid you've got it all wrong. It's all Peter's fault. He's not putting out a good enough spread in the Press box.

 

Well, I guess I understand why the sport doesn't receive the amount of coverage it may or may not deserve. All that's a given, and I can accept that. I can even accept people who don't like it for sporting reasons (i.e., not enough action, lack of scoring,etc.) Fair enough.

What is intolerable and unacceptable in my mind is the xenophobic, racist insuinuation by certain writers and broadcasters (not all of them, thankfully) that the Beautiful Game is for foreigners and is, by definition, consequently, "Un-American". The pig from the Trib, Steve Rosenbloom, comes to mind as such a xenophobe who seems somehow to be threatened by the sport.

Even if we take them at their word (i.e., the sport is not a mainstream part of Americana), that still leaves tens of millions of people who love it. Remember, 10% of the US population here is foreign born.

So these people are, what, "Unamerican"? What complete, contemptible dog*#*#*#*#*#! This is the thing that makes me angry.

All this being said, I'm thankfull of the coverage we do get and appreciative of the fact that the sport is, slowly but surely, becoming accepted at the professional level by the Joe and Josephine Schmos of this land.

Ok, rant over.

 

My take on this subject is a little different. I kinda like the underground positioning the Fire and soccer in general have in media coverage in Chicago. I think it is a very good opportunity for all of us, enthusiastic types, to start a movement at the bottom. I totally ignore coverage in the big papers and I suggest you do, too. I think, however, that it is important to talk to your friends, extended family, coworkers, neigbors, even strangers you meet on the el that it is soccer in Chicago that is hip and cool nowadays and they should come and experience great soccer fests personally. I think the word-of-mouth mysteriousness of your message can be an extremely powerful tool.

If I can give any related proven example of such activity, think Metallica.

At the same time, I believe we should talk to the small publications: school/(very) local papers and freelance writers/papers. If we win them, we won the underground.

Marcin

 

I definitely see your point, and I agree with you based on my own experience. Whether its music, writing or sport, often the best experience flies completely under the radar of the major media.

I guess I am more frustrated for the players. I see countless stories about the boneheads playing for the Bears, and I would love to see Ante, Chris, Jesse, DMB and company get a little recognition. they deserve better.

 

Media Coverage

You know, everyone brings up valid points about how soccer is covered compared to the "Big Time" Sports in Chicago. But the fact of the matter is, it doesn't matter how many fans you draw to a game, its how many papers they can sell if they cover the sport. The quickest way to get some coverage is to show the editors of these papers you read their paper. Send e-mails complimenting good articles, send letters rebuffing the bad ones. One thing any newspaper person knows is to give the people what they want. As fans, we just need to be more proactive about our love of the sport, MLS, and the Fire.

And a very good point has been made: The other major teams have been around for decades. Everyone is used to there always being coverage of Bulls, Blackhawks, Sox, Cubs, and Bears coverage in the paper. Getting the papers to expand coverage of the Fire is a long term project, and one that will be fought by both the fans and the management.

Of course, a few pieces of hardware and some championship parades wouldn't hurt either.

Just my humble opinion.

DC