Soccer Frenzy

Yes, Chicago does have a professional women’s soccer team, the Red Stars, who coincidentally play in the same college sports’ complex that once housed the softball Bandits.  Talk about a missed chance for synergy.

The Red Stars should see a bump in interest now that the U.S. women’s team has won the World’s Cup; beat somebody by a hockey/baseball score of 5-2, and the curious will come out, if only one time.  According to the Tribune, women’s soccer is doing quite well both on the high school and college level.  One of the reasons, I think, is there’s no real shadow cast by the men’s game.  If anything, a casual sports’ fan can probably name more female players (Chastain, Solo, Wambach) than males.  Too bad for the Chicago Fire, but an opportunity for the Red Stars.

The other day, a sports’ columnist in the Sun-Times criticized the Stars’ owner for complaining over a lack of media coverage.  You see, “it’s not the media’s job to increase attendance or raise interest in the game.”  No, but writing about the 6-10 Bears 24-7 accomplishes both those ends.  

The game ended up being the most-watched soccer telecast ever in the United States.  American soccer fans must be like 17-year locusts, only they come out every four years.  That, or media coverage does create a buzz.  At the very least, a little time and space could be devoted to seeing if the Stars are in fact ready to come out.  And I know just where to start.  The Sun-Times has a weekly outdoor column heavy on fishing.  Use the space from all those photos of record-breaking carp for women’s soccer.  Or trim the pieces of a certain columnist.  The Bears won’t miss the attention, trust me.