After the Fire’s 2-1 win over New England, I had a brief chat with Chicago’s John Thorrington. The midfielder has missed the entire 2010 season with a quad strain, but recently returned to full training with the team. I didn’t have my audio recorder out, but Thorrington said he’s feeling good and is itching to get back on the field. When asked if he could possibly feature against Houston on Saturday, he said it depended on how his next few training sessions go, but it is certainly possible.
The frustration with his long layoff was evident in his voice, and Fire fans are no doubt frustrated as well. Thorrington has been a key player for the Fire over the past few years, and if he can regain full fitness, he will not doubt be big boost for the Fire’s playoff push.
By: Sam Svoboda
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After talking to Thorrington, I headed out of the locker room and toward the stadium exit. A security guard was holding the door open, and as I approached him he said, “Hey, how come no one ever interviews the security guys?”
“You want an interview?” I said. “Here you go.” I turned on my audio recorder and tried to think what in the world I should ask a Chicago Fire security guard.
I know that Monterey Security has not always received plaudits from Fire fans (particularly the Section 8 supporters club), but Dave the security guard was pretty cool. The transcript of the short interview is below:
TheSportsBank: So what’s it like being a security guard at Toyota Park?
Dave: Well we live to keep the fans safe- we want to make sure everyone’s secure, has a good time and goes home happy.
TSB: Do you have a lot of interaction with the players down here or not too much?
Dave: Quite a bit- they’re very friendly, they’re very informative and they’re very nice to us.
TSB: Who is the funniest guy?
Dave: They’re not- none of them are funny.
TSB: Really? No jokes at all?
Dave: No, they’re very serious. When they come in, they’re all game-focused… today was good, because they’re all happy ’cause they won. Lot of hugs, lot of high fives… but they’re kind of sweaty too. Ya know, I’m a clean guy, so…
TSB [confused as to whether that meant they wanted to hug him but he refused due to said sweatiness, trying to change the subject]: Anything… regular fans wouldn’t know, something interesting about being a security guard?
Dave: You know… the soccer players are probably the most genuine, real people you’ll ever meet, as far as athletes go. They’re wonderful guys.
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If you were to guess which song a sports team might play after a thrilling victory, a power ballad by REO Speedwagon would probably not be one of your top choices. So naturally I was a little bit surprised when, right after the final whistle, “Keep on Loving You” began blasting over the loudspeakers. Was it unexpected? Yes. Do the lyrics really fit for the occasion? Perhaps not. But did I still enjoy the hell out of it? You know it.
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Also, stay tuned for a TSB interview with recently re-acquired Costa Rican defender Gonzalo Segares, to be posted soon