New-look Fire hitting past-forward button
Club has to find delicate balance between its history and owner Mansueto’s rebranding of the franchise
The Fire aren’t a new club, but they’re trying to become one. They have new ownership and a new home and could be getting a new logo. To build up the game-day experience at Soldier Field, the Fire recently hired Todd Albright from the Seattle Sounders to lead game presentation.
“We think of this as a new beginning,” Fire president and general manager Nelson Rodriguez said. “We want to ask ourselves, ‘What did the old Fire do, and what will the new Fire do?’ We want it to be new and fresh.”
Founded in 1997, the Fire are established in the area. Over that time, they’ve built a history and started out as a successful franchise. But the last 10 years under Andrew Hauptman were unsuccessful, and much of the history turned sour with the club fading from relevance.
So considering what they’re trying to do under owner Joe Mansueto, is having a history a good thing?
“That’s a great question,” said Marc Ganis, the co-founder and managing director of Sportscorp. “In many ways, the Fire’s existing history is an anchor around the neck of what Joe wants to do. People already have an impression of what the Fire are. People already have become fans or haven’t. Most haven’t. He needs to find ways to reintroduce the Fire as if it is a new team.”
It feels as though the Fire are trying to build off their history and stepping into their next phase at the same time. And that can be a delicate balancing act.
They have to be cognizant of their history and how supporters view the club’s past, which Rodriguez acknowledges isn’t easy as the franchise undergoes its transformation. Rodriguez also sounds ready for some criticism, which goes with the territory.
“There is a challenge,” Rodriguez said. “There’s a balance because we have proud fans. The brand refresh will be a part of that. There will not be universal acceptance of anything that we do, and we understand that. But trying to honor and respect the past is important.”
To help in that effort, the Fire have created an alumni network and are looking to hire somebody full-time to manage that group. Rodriguez said he wants the club’s past to have a role in the future, and former players who are liked and recognized by fans will be key components.
“We’re trying to reach back and say, ‘You are part of the club. You are the club. Please join us in celebration every time we come to Soldier Field,’ ” Rodriguez said.
At the same time, Rodriguez said, “We need to create some rituals.” He mentioned how Portland Timbers fans sing along with the national anthem and how supporters in Minnesota belt out the Oasis anthem “Wonderwall” after victories.
“We need something like that,” Rodriguez said. “It needs to be natural. It needs to be organic. It can’t be contrived, but we need to have those, and we need to create more touchpoints for our fans during the games. We’ll do that with music, with food, with visuals, so we’re excited by it.” ✶