Team's move scores a `goooooal!' with city Congratulations to Peter Wilt and the entire Fire organization, this article gushes with accolades regarding the job they have done in Naperville. What could have been a disaster has turned out rather well, in my opinion. A good team starts with good management and it's completely obvious that we have the best in Chicago. http://chicagosports.chicagotribune.com/sports/soccer/cs-0304150186apr16,1,4099872.story?coll=cs% "It took the City Council "about two seconds" to vote to approve to host the Fire again this year, said Pradel." Thanks again Peter for doing what you do...
Not being a big fan of the team, I have always been impressed with their management. That's a really nice article. Keep up the good work Fire.
Really you can't buy statistics and the stats about the hotline realy blow me away. The article flies in the face of every "American" perception of soccer-fans and can be used as a strong basis of a New Soccer Nation. As I'm sure Mr. Hunt used Naperville as an example for the Burn the commish could walk into any prospective village or city with a laminated copy of this article and half of the convincing would be done. Well done Peter and everyone that was involved!
Jaqua Article in Washington Post There is a nice article in today's Washington Post sports section by Steve Goff (who does a great job covering soccer) on Jaqua. See here http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dy...-2003Apr17.html. Besides that the Fire are playing DCU (one reason for the article), most of you may already know that his dad played for the Washington Redskins and was a real special teams headhunter (I was a big fan of his at the time). Anyway, it's a good read and quite complimentary. Especially the line from his dad (Jon) about how he's grown to love soccer b/c there is no let up in the intensity.
BTW--the link up above has a period at the end of it (that's what I get for trying to be grammatically correct!) so it won't work. Try this one http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dy...-2003Apr17.html instead.
That really is a great article. The Fire has bent over backwards to make this partnership work and I think Naperville is really seeing the benefit of hosting the team in their city. The mayor is quoted as saying that they'd like to keep the Fire. I guess we'll see when the RFPs come back. Although it will be difficult, if not impossible, to duplicate this successful situation if we end up in a location that is not closely aligned to a downtown area with restaurants, shops, parks, bars, etc... Hopefully every city that received the RFP also gets a copy of this story. The Fire's PR dept must be thrilled. I think it would be great for the team, city of Naperville, and NCC to partner and build the Firehouse on the site of Cardinal Stadium and let the school use it too. IF the economics would work for the Fire, the benefits to the city and school are obvious.
And IF Metra could be persuaded to run express trains FROM Naperville after the game...and maybe another train after midnight for the rest of the car- challenged city-living party animals. Naperville: Nice town, great relations with the FIRE, but it's a lonnnnnnng commute.