Fred Huebner - Fire Play by Play Man

Fred Huebner will make his debut as the Fire play by play man on My50 TV this Sunday.

I've known Fred for quite a few years now and am quite pleased that he's earned this opportunity. Fred is one of those rare people in the sports media. He grew up following all sports - except soccer - but has become one of the most passionate and knowledgeable soccer fans around. The 1990 World Cup brought Fred into the soccer fold and since then he's been Chicago sports media's biggest fan of the sport. At the Score (WSCR 670AM, where Fred has been a host/reporter for 15 years), soccer is not a prime topic of conversation. Yet Fred has always done his best to slip in soccer results and comment when big soccer stories present themselves.

He had Peter Wilt on the air the first day that the Chicago Fire announced their front office staff and he continues to push for more soccer guests in his current stint as co-host of the Mike North Morning Show. You can usually find Fred at all the matches in town (Fire, US matches, friendlies) and more often than not, he's in the stands, not in the press box. A true fan, he visited Germany during the last World Cup and watched the US play their group stage match against the Czech Republic. What a letdown ... but the beer was good!

I hope that these two matches lead to more over the air broadcasts for the Fire with Huebner describing the action. It's great to have a real fan commenting on the game.

From the Fire press release:

"My50 to Air First Game Broadcast This SundayThe My50 broadcast team will make their MLS debut this Sunday, as the Fire's newest broadcast partner, Fox affiliate My50, airs their first of two games this season. Local sports radio personality Fred Huebner will handle the play-by-play duties and long-time Fire broadcast sideline reporter Chris Doran will join him in the booth as color commentator, while local Fox affiliate reporter Sarah Kustok will make her Fire broadcast debut with the sideline call. Chicago Fire Soccer and My50 reached an agreement in early August to broadcast two games this season, including the Oct. 21 home finale against the Los Angeles Galaxy. More information on My50's programming is available at www.my50chicago.com."

Blanco Changes Chicago Soccer Atmosphere

In a short period of time, in so many ways, Cuauhtémoc Blanco has changed the Chicago Fire atmosphere.

On the field, the results are pretty evident: a 4-2-2 record, three goals & five assists, and he has pushed the Fire into the eighth and final playoff spot.

In the community, he has connected with Chicago's large Mexican-American community. Even Chivas fans (this one included) are willing to put aside his time with Club America and give him our support. He was asked to be the Grand Marshall for the 16th of September parade this past weekend - quite an honor for somebody who has only been here a couple months (story link below).

http://www.mlsnet.com/news/team_news.jsp?ymd=20070917&content_id=117687&vkey=pr_chf&fext=.jsp&team=t100

The biggest change though, seems to be the change in atmosphere at Fire home matches. Besides the larger crowds (near capacity), fans are actually starting to pay attention to the match instead of wondering what they'll eat or drink next. It's great to see young kids watching the match and reacting to the play on the field instead of asking mom or dad for another slice of pizza. Indeed, the youngsters are very savvy soccer wise and they are generating a lot of the atmosphere each time Blanco gets the ball.

Section 8 continues to organize a constant buzz through the matches but it's now being augmented by fans throughout the park on a regular basis. There are plenty of Blanco supporters who have been fans of his play with Club America & El Tri but now, many are supporting the Fire while wearing the Blanco Fire #10 shirts and t-shirts. Each flick, each backheel, each expertly weighted pass is drawing oohs, ahhs, and applause whether it results in goals or not. It's the magic that people want to see, the beautiful football/soccer/futbol that makes people smile & shout.

MLS has always prided itself on a being a tough league with hard tackles and end to end activity. What often has been missing is the creativity and subtlety. Players like NYRB's Dave van den Bergh can complain about what he perceives as diving and how this is not the tough play MLS players like. However, I think he misses the point that a foul is a foul and it can't be excused just because MLS players like to play tough. The game should be about creating chances and bringing something special to the game.

Blanco has brought that magic to Toyota Park.