Back to the Future

Actually, if you'd like to buy a jersey, don't click on the picture, click here instead.


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WPS unveiled all its uniforms last night at a fashion event in New York City. The Chicago Red Stars jersey design was inspired by Puma's 2005 Chicago Fire third strip which was a solid light blue jersey with four red stars across the chest. The main improvement we wanted to make to that jersey was the inclusion of a horizontal white band, which is finally included now in the Red Stars home jersey. While i was with the Fire, one of my final acts as team president was to try to convince adidas to keep the light blue "Chicago flag" jersey as either the team's away jersey or third jersey. i failed then, but am very pleased we were able to resurrect it here.

Both our home and away uniforms were misassembled for last night's New York City unveiling event and are erroneously shown as solids from top to bottom instead of the actual alternating blue and white to emulate the City of Chicago flag. In photo number 8 of the slide show above, Carli Lloyd should be wearing blue shorts and Nikki Krzysik should be wearing white shorts.

Fortunately, this is a one-time error that will be fixed when we start playing games!

i do believe the home blue/white/blue look that Lindsay Tarpley is modeling here has the chance to become an iconic look for the Chicago Red Stars.

The best news, though, is that the event received tremendous national coverage including this morning's appearance by Kristine Lilly and Hope Solo on The Today Show and the Red Stars jersey received praise in both its actual and erroneous combinations.

Here are some of the comments i received via email, text, Twitter, WPS Fan Zone and Facebook in the first couple hour after it was released:

Scott Viar: "Nice pic of Lindsay in the team gear."

David Herman: "Looks strangely similar to the third kit Puma put out three years ago - which was fabulous and classic - so, is it inspired or ...?!"

Diana Salisbury: "Nice jerseys!!!"

Nick Hawkins: "Awesome. :)"

Jim Kogutkiewicz: "Really like the white one. They look great, and they also put me in the mind of watching about three dozen Chicago Red Stars team cars chasing a couple of "blues brothers" through the streets of Chicago and crashing awesomely into support beams for El tracks."

Alex White: "strong, very strong."

Kenn Tomasch: "Love it. I didn't get the email, so I haven't seen the white one! But the blue one is aces."

Bryan Darger: "I dig the jerseys. My friend has the Chicago flag tattooed on his forearm-- it's a timeless image, and now everyone is just going to think he's a Red Stars fan. :-)"

Stuart Reid: "Outstanding!"

Deb Autry: "Oooh! Love em!"

Keith Lewis: "Really glad you did this. I was afraid you'd feel they shouldn't be done like this but I'm very pleased. They look fantastic."

Patrick Evans: "I think Lindsay will enjoy wearing Carolina blue again."

Lindsay Coffey: "sweet uniform!!! cant wait till game day!!!!!!! actually my whole team is coming...but i hope to have better seats than them since i'm a season ticket holder. haha"

Melissa Meyer: "The kits are great and all but where are Siriano's "interpretations?" So far, Chicago appears to be skort-free and for that I thank you."

Nick Buchel: "classy"

Kathryn Knapp: "Love the uniform Peter!!!"

Carmela Lopriore: "I <3 the jerseys!! Chicago has the best uniforms!!! Cristiane would look dazzling in one... Any word?"

Jeff McCrum: "Looks like you've been using the same design firm that cam up with my favorite blue Fire jersey... :)"

Josh Graning: "Easily the best kits in the league. Very nice."

Milan: "I love the Red Stars uniform! Just perfect. Well done Peter!"

Jack C: "Peter- the uni's rock- but I am pretty sure that's not you in the picture."

Brett: "Best uniform in the League. Good stuff."

Troy Garris: "Those jerseys are slick... Almost West Ham colors! I'll rock one!"

Robyn Vinje: "love them! can't wait to buy a replica!"

Karsten Roy: "Peter, I like the look! Looking forward to the season and taking our club players."

Colin Deval: "Great new kits for the team."

mikegonzalez: "The uniforms are absolutely perfect. Really, fantastic. I love them."

flatlander: "Very nice! It's also consistent with what you've done with the Red Stars brand so far, which is ..."

Lbaus: "That's hot!"

jcoria: "beautiful! simple, but not too simple. these will look great on the field."

joanofdark: "Why not sell the jersey she's modeling? Seriously, the long sleeves look top notch, but the site is selling SS. Nice! Really good. I guess I could live without a cloak. ;)"

thatkindagirl "Looks great! My daughter is ready to order one"

kornkid15: "those look amazing!"

MinnesotaSoccer: "Like it!"

Monika7: "SWEET!"

What do you think? Would you buy one? If you'd like to, you can order one at the Red Stars website.

Preaching the Red Stars on a Sunday Morning in a Catholic High School

After watching Fulham top West Brom at the Highbury Pub early this morning, i joined Red Stars Account Executive Carrie Sear at Milwaukee's Pius XI High School to speak to the Wisconsin Soccer Coaches Association. By the way, there are funnier school nicknames out there, but i've always found it humorous that the women's athletic teams at Pius are nicknamed the "Lady Popes".

It was great to see old friends, several of whom helped with our unsuccessful efforts in 2006 and 2007 to bring an MLS team to Milwaukee including Wisconsin Youth Soccer Association's (WYSA) Terry Donini.

WSCA President Chris Martinelli and longtime WSCA leader Marti Coan invited us to speak to the group about the Red Stars. Among other things, i told the group about the Red Stars upcoming season, the similarities and differences between WUSA and WPS, the inspiration the WYSA played in the Red Stars partnership with the IWSL and three important reasons to attend Red Stars games:

1) Entertainment
2) Education
3) Aspiration

i specifically told the coaches that they shouldn't bring their teams and clubs out "because it's women's soccer and supporting women's sports is the right thing to do." i hear this occasionally and it bothers me, because that mentality positions WPS as a charity or a cause, which it is not.

i told them, instead, that they should attend and encourage others to attend first and foremost, because the games are going to be entertaining, high level and fun.

Secondly, i told the coaches to use the professional game as an educational tool to help their players get better by watching the professional game in person and the nationally televised games on Fox Soccer Channel. This will allow players and coaches to learn from WPS and improve the sport at all levels.

Finally, i told them my belief that professional women soccer players aren't necessarily role models - role models should be the youth players' parents - but they are aspirational heroes. WPS players are among the few professional women athletes in team sports that young girls can see, emulate and work hard to try to achieve similar accomplishments. i believe that is important.

Afterwards i had the chance to speak with Wisconsin soccer coaching legend Jim Launder (BTW, the link to "Jim Launder" includes a video, which is included below, of perhaps the greatest goal ever scored in MLS history - a full volley OT game winner by John Wolyniec at Giants Stadium) and Wisconsin soccer journalists Eric Anderson and Nate Leaf among others, before returning to the Highbury for more EPL action.

Red Stars Tryouts

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The Chicago Red Stars held their open tryouts last week at the impressive McCook Athletic & Exposition (MAX) center. We had a great turnout both in terms of numbers and quality. Players came from across the area, the country and the world.

The video above provides a glimpse into the quality of the two day tryouts. Kudos to the Red Stars coaching and operational staff as well as the trialists themselves who all made it a positive and professional experience for the young women pursuing their dreams.

The pool of seventy players who participated the first day was narrowed to thirty for the second day. Six players were selected from the tryouts to join the Red Stars for the first official preseason training sessions starting March 1st. The chosen half dozen are Tina Estrada, Shannon Schneeman, Erin Walter, Molly Uyenishi, Bonnie Young and Michelle Wenino.

Best of luck to all.

Cristiane Speaks

i'm not sure what the Red Stars top international draft pick is saying in this video, but she sure has a nice smile and there are some gorgeous goals by her and Marta on the video below...i sure hope we sign her!!

Thoughts on a Rainy Day

Brett Favre retired...again. i'm sure this is the final time and that's a good thing. Though it didn't end well, i'm glad he came back for one more year. i thoroughly enjoyed the weekly drama and competition and i'm sure he enjoyed the weekly competition.

Marquette was blown out by 18 points at Villanova last night. After being ripped by Coach Buzz Williams for an innocuous post-game interview question a week ago, Jim McIlvaine tosses a softball to coach when a brush back was more warranted.

Red Stars are hoping to be the first WPS team to sign all five of it's international draft picks. Four down, Cristiane to go.

Really enjoyed spending time with Red Stars allocation and US Soccer Female Player of the Year Carli Lloyd and Fire star Brian Mcbride Monday night at the Comcast Sports Awards.

Got to see some of my heroes in person this week: Blackhawks great Bobby Hull gave a slightly inebriated comedy monologue for his acceptance of the Comcast Sports Lifetime Achievement Award. Hawks President and former Sting Marketing Director John McDonough and Disco Demolition's Steve Dahl hosted segments of the Awards show. Then yesterday McDonough and great Tribune sports columnist Bob Verdi sat at the table next to mine at Harry Caray's.

Hull was my first boyhood sports idol and inspired my love of hockey. i later had the pleasure of escorting Bobby and Stan Mikita while honoring legendary Blackhawks announcer Lloyd Pettit prior to a Milwaukee Admirals game in 1985. McDonough and Dahl have always inspired me with their marketing acumen and Verdi's writings inspired my pursuit of sports journalism.

Mexico at Columbus tonight may be Sven's swan song and there will be no cold air to blame. 2-0 USA (Landon and Hajduk).

Go U-S-A!

Section 8 AGM

After spending the morning at The Globe yesterday with Red Stars coaches Emma Hayes and Denise Reddy and staff members Alyse Lahue and Billy Barmes watching EPL action, we all went over to Section 8 Chicago's Annual General Meeting at Schuba's.

The meeting and uncommonly sunny and warm day made the soccer season seem close at hand after a long and frigid winter.

American soccer supporters organizations and "Annual General Meetings" don't always go together, but S8C is not your typical American supporters organization. It is a formal non-profit with elected officers, significant budgets and regular board meetings. S8C's leadership, including its first and current chairmen, Ben Burton and Marcin Tlustochowicz, are behind the professional nature of this independent supporters association.

That doesn't mean their meetings are staid formal affairs. Yesterday's 90 minute (appropriately) affair involved much imbibing of alcoholic beverages and plenty of good hearted vulgar put downs of fellow supporters in Schuba's staged music room, which is part of one of the north side's historic Schlitz tavern.

Meeting highlights included:

* Birthday boy Chairman Ben accepting whiskey shots from the crowd during his "State of Section 8" address. Updates were provided on the replacement of the megabandera (will happen sometime this year) and the development of a fan charter/bill of rights patterned after similar club/supporters agreements prevalent in Europe.

* The $7k+ check presentation by new Chicago Fire VP of Sales and Marketing Mike Humes. i had a chance to speak with Mike afterwards and came away impressed with his experience and understanding of his task at hand. It is great to see the team and supporters back on the same page as the new season approaches).

* Election of officers including Vice-Chairman Tom Dunmore, Treasurer Mario Ortega, Director of Merchandise Jim Schifeling, Director of Operations Mike Giacometti and i think i'm co-assistant, w/Miri Ceballos, to new S8C Marketing Director Melissa Hamming.

* And an update from me on the Red Stars...including our super secret, not yet official news of three more international signings and a schedule change that will allow Fire fans to attend the first Red Stars game in St. Louis without missing the Fire's April 5th home opener. All this news should be made public and official later this week.

* Post meeting social. Among others, i enjoyed drinking a couple of Schlabst™ (my soon to be trademarked hybrid recipe combining the great tastes of native Milwaukee beers Schlitz and Pabst Blue Ribbon!) and speaking again with Jackie Rodgers from Best Buy, Karl Schuster from Whiskey Bros '05 and Ian McNally from Mike Ditka Street Crew.