Fire Drill

On Thursday, my sports writing class took a field trip to the Chicago Fire game to play sports reporters.

The Fire is the city's professional soccer team (MLS) and plays in a neighboring suburb. Thankfully one of my classmates drove so I didn't have to take the El to Midway airport and then hop on the shuttle to the stadium. Although it sounds like a lot of work to get to a soccer game, I think it's great that the team makes it convenient for car-less fans to get to the matches.

Seeing we got to the stadium early, the three of us decided to tailgate with some cupcakes another classmate brought along. We felt pret-ty cool wedged between fans tailgating with burgers and beer! We thought about trading our fourth cupcake for a beer.

After stuffing our faces with delicious desserts, we headed to the press area to take advantage of the night. My professor secured press access for the few of us who responded the quickest, including access to the post-game press conference and the locker rooms (although we never did get in there). There, we ate some real food before heading to our seats with the normal people.

Toyota Park is one of the few soccer specific stadiums in the country. There is no bad seat in the place and the close proximity to the players and the field add to the fan-friendly experience. The section behind one of the goals, the section next to us, was filled with fans who chanted and waved flags the entire match (yes, it was as annoying as it sounds).

The match ended in a 1-1 draw (which is soccer speak for tie), so the coach and the players weren't all that excited to speak with the press after the game. The mood was somber as we stood outside the locker rooms in the "mixed zone." I was a little disappointed that we couldn't get into the locker room, as I really wanted the full true reporter experience. However, because they had tied (and were acting like they had lost) and I didn't really have any good questions to ask about the technicalities of that evening's effort (mostly because I don't understand the details of the game yet), I was a little relieved.

Oh well, at least I got a cupcake out of the deal. Also, in my post-game research for my assignment/article, I discovered that the New England Revolution will be in town in August. I will definitely be in the crowd. As long as I can navigate my way to the shuttle and all.