The Chicago Fire entered MLS red-hot, winning MLS Cup in their first year. While the first ten years of the team's existence on the field was by any measure good, their off-field (along with a ill-fated move into the suburbs) have left the team all but irrelevant in the Chicago area. The change in ownership coupled with restrictive lease terms on the stadium only served to make matters worse.
However, the Fire look set to leave Bridgeview and return to Soldier Field in Chicago, but is playing in a 65,000 seat stadium really a cure for the disease, or could it actually make matters worse? I discussed the state of the Fire with Guillermo Rivera, writer for The Athletic, and Nicole Hack, chair of the Section 8 supporters group (warning, audio is a bit wonky on this episode; apologies in advance).
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