Photo Credit: Don MacGregor
CHICAGO, IL—On Monday, the Chicago Fire held their 20th Annual Season Kickoff Luncheon at the Hyatt Regency Chicago in Downtown. This was a chance for fans to meet and greet players and coaches and the opportunity to donate to the Chicago Fire Foundation for a good cause.
Fire general manager Nelson Rodriguez reaffirmed the club’s motto of “Tradition, Honor, Passion” in a
speech to the crowd.
“These are not merely words,” said Rodriguez. “These are the hallmarks of Chicago Fire Soccer Club. It is who we are and who we wish to be at all times. As we enter our 21st season of play and this year as we recognize The Double of 1998, we’ve maintained the longest standing tradition in the history of this club—this event.
“When [Fire head coach Veljko Paunovic] and I accepted this challenge, we set out to form a team that was worthy of the great Chicago sports legends. This is the greatest sports town in North America and one of the greatest in the world. And we are committed to representing it with the values of the principles that we adhere to on a daily basis: doing the right things, doing things right, and always doing our best.”
Rodriguez maintained that each player was selected “very specifically and very intentionally” not just for their talent, but for the content of their character. He also mentioned the sponsors and their charity work as mentioned Cara Bachman and the Chicago Sports Commission who brought tennis’s Rod Laver Cup to the United Center in September and the United Soccer Coaches Convention to Chicago next January.
One chief aspect of the Luncheon is to highlight the Fire’s well-renowned community work such as their
P.L.A.Y.S. program (Participate, Learn, Achieve, through Youth Soccer) which is now in 22 schools in the Chicago area with a goal to get to 40 schools in the future. Over $150,000 was raised through the Luncheon towards the Chicago Fire Foundation.
Unfortunately, players and coaches were not made available for media questions in order to keep the focus on the charity event. However, the Luncheon is always an event where optimism for the season flourishes and it is hoped that the team will improve upon next season.
THOUGHTS: It was a good time at the Luncheon. However, we would be remiss if we didn’t think that the club is cutting things close as it relates to the roster, a local television deal which as yet to be announced (which is not the first time), as has the Chicago Fire Weekly program which aired on television throughout the season. Yes, the primary MLS window remains open until May 1st, but it may be better to settle some things before the season starts. The 21st season of the Chicago Fire kicks off in 12 days and while this was an event where optimism was on a high and everyone is in good spirits, it could erode quickly if the Fire get off to a slow start and its apparent lack of depth is exposed.
(Editor’s Note: You can check out all of our photos from the event on SmugMug)
