Re: Re: How right you are Isn't the the irony of the standard sports columnist. They waste all this ink on railing against overpaid atheletes and egomanical owners and GM's, but when you have an organiziation like the Fire, they dismiss it because it is soccer. Are the FIRE players not out in the community giving clinics and volenteering their time? When is the last time Sammy Sosa gave a clinic? When has Jerry Angelo walked around and talked to all the fans before the game? When has any Chicago team been able to remain competitive despite a massive player turnover and a stadium move? I guess if you see what you want to see.
How many titles have Chicago's pro soccer teams won? The Bulls have six, the Hawks had one, though I assume you weren't around in 1917 for the Sox! (All this from a St. Louis boy!) Just curious since I only know of one soccer title.
The Fire have three (MLS Cup 1998, two Open Cups 1998, 2000, and came THIS CLOSE to the Shield twice), the Sting had two Soccerbowls (1981, 1984), the Power won the NPSL championship in the 1990-1991 season, Chicago Sparta won the Open Cup in 1938, and was co-champion after a tied series against Baltimore SC in 1940. Chicago Vikings won the Open Cup in 1946, Chicago Falcons in 1953, Chicago ACC Eagles won it in 1990. That's 11 by my count (including only titles with legitimate claims to being a "national championship," I'm not counting the Brimstone Cup, or purely amateur competitions (PDL, W-League championships) or lower division titles (D3)), and we're going to add to that this year.
That's cool, I didn't know about the older ones. I also don't count the indoor ones, not real soccer. In St. Louis we don't count our indoor title(s?) with the Cardinals and Rams! I also don't know if you can count the Open Cup, yes it is great and an accomplisment, but I was under the impression we were talking about league championships. Oh, well! I still learned a bit about the history of Chicago soccer.
Couple of things. One, the Hawks have won it three times. Second, I think the Open Cup is fair simply because it usually comes down to MLS teams anyway, which are the best in the country. So, it is essentially a single elimination MLS tourny. Third, the MLS hasn't been around long, so three out of a potential 10 for the Fire is pretty good.
That was the crux of my response to him. That the Fire run their club the way a pro club ought to be run, and the way successful clubs in other sports _do_ run their clubs.
I don't understand that sentiment at all. If anything, a multi-league nationwide tournament would seem more impressive to me.
Indeed. Anytime that there's been a legitimate top level professional league in this country, they've competed in and generally owned the US Open Cup. The major exception was the NASL, which had no interest in tradition, let alone operating with a balanced budget. The fair argument is that there hasn't always been a top level pro league, so at times the competition has become little more than an amateur tourney, but if all you have is a hammer...
Ah, maybe so. But not during my lifetime. I have seen five outdoor titles by the Sting and the Fire (notice I wrote "national" titles, not league titles). I have watched the Bears win won and the Bulls (whom I didn't mention) win six. And that's it. Every other team has stunk and thus unworthy of my precious time. Hopefully, in October, I'll be able to write to Rick: "Chicago's pro soccer teams have won more national titles in my lifetime than the Bears, Bulls, Sox, Cubs and Hawks combined."
The wolves aren't on you list but they won a few titles and deserve an honorable mention. The games are a blast too. I've yet to not have a good time at a Wolves game.
That's true and a shame the Chicago media doesn't give them more coverage when the Hawks and their organi-I-zation are embarassing the city. That said, I'm trying to compare apples to apples and the Wolves are not a first division team. (Then again, that could be said for the Hawks, Bears, Bulls, etc.)
Man, it's amazing how touchy a number of you guys are and how so quick many of you forget. A few years ago Telander accompanied Mike Mulligan, who is a huge soccer fan (Used to stop by the Shamrock in the day to watch Div 1 matches in the AM on Saturdays) to watch the World Cup Final between France and Brasil. He wrote a very good article about the game and the experience. The man may not be a soccer fan but I hardly believe that he dislikes the game and I take the comment you guys refer to as a grain of salt. Although, he has a great point if you're talking actual TV ratings. Chill out and save the energy for tomorrow night when we zap the wrong shade of red.
I just wrote to Telender and said I watch the Fire... Just to let him know. Telender mentioned on an interview in the score he's been to a few soccer games in Europe. So, I don't think he hates the game. He's just not a big fan of it. No one said you had to be, although, it would be nice... If you want scum bag reporting in the Sun-Times, just turn your head a bit and read Marrioti...
Re: Re: Re: How right you are Believe me, it is no better on the Score or AM1000, either. They practically waste all their time on how the Sox, Cubs, Bears, Bulls, and Blackhawks are all bad or underachieving. It has gotten so bad that I only listen to Mike Murphy and Fred Huebner on my way to work, but switch to 104.3 after that.
What the hell is this guys name anyway? Hi scolumn says Rick Telander, but my auto reply was from Robert Telander , but signed "rick".
A few of you guys need some serious therapy. This is pretty damn pathological. Every time, there's somehting posted which seems anmt-soccer, the zealots come out in droves to bitch to the Editor or whomever about how this person dissed the beautiful. Get a grip and find something better to do with your letter to the editor by sending one about more stories on education, poverty or some other social cause which is actually worthy of a damn letter to the editor. Guys sound like the tattle tale kid from grammar school. (Rolls eyes and shakes head in disgust). So what, you don't like what he said. Get over it.
I actually agreed with a lot of what he said. But he posed the question, "Who Watches the men's league anyway?" I let him know that I did. I offered it out to others to do as well at the start of this thread. Some people found his opinion to be more negative than it needed to be. But I've certainly read much worse that I haven't felt a need to respond to. Oh, and Fonsos, the reason why people write letters to editors or to writers is to express their opinions. I don't think what they did is any worse than you telling people on here that they need serious therapy or that they are pathological. Take your own advice...if you don't like that people disagreed with you and took time to respond, so what. Get over it.
IMO, it's better to be a polite soccer fan that just points out that he's missing a good thing. The old adage that you catch more fat balding sportscasters with honey than with vinegar certainly applies here.
I think the reason that we get so PO'd is that the only coverage soccer seems to get in papers on a regular basis is snide comments like this. He's a journalist who people will read and his nonsense will influence their opinion on the state of soccer in this country. I know in todays USAToday, the only comment about soccer was that it was hard to follow because it didn't have ad breaks to give a chance for replays or somesuch nonsense. How can they show replays if they are showing ads? Maybe there were some comments on the WWC too, but certainly no MLS mention in either that or the NY Times. Do they report on it on Sunday then? Because they even had College Football pages. I know angry emails aren't going to be much help, but I get angry when the national media pretends we don't exist.
yup, that's exactly what i said. i threw in a 'never buy another sun times again' mostly just because i get the trib anyway...
Okay, I have to call you out on this one. The NY Times has a very well-written column on MLS every Tuesday from Jack Bell, which accompanies some pretty good stuff on world football as well. Just because it's not there when you look for it doesn't mean it's not there. Later, COZ
Yeah, on TUESDAY, but no match reports, as far as I can tell. They gave space to that China-Mets friendly because they had space, but not a word on monday. They have Champs League news sometimes, too, I know. I just want more. I look every day...