Just as Rory Best began the last media preamble on the 17th floor of Trump Towers – the Ireland team hotel – joyous yells of 2.6 million Chicagoans reverberated against the plate glass window. Is The Donald in town?
Nope. Politics is irrelevant in the Windy City this weekend. Their beloved Cubs were streaming down Michigan Avenue in open-top buses, a 108-year World Series drought over after a dramatic Game 7 victory over the Cleveland Indians on Wednesday night.
A sea of blue tried to sweep away any thoughts of the All Black brand. Still, we tried. What’s the pitch like, Rory?
“Obviously it is a little bit patchy in places, it is different...”
Soldier Field is different. They had to widen the narrow pitch where the Chicago Bears are having a nightmare season to accommodate Ireland v New Zealand.
Adidas and AIG have done their damnedest to generate hype around this Test match. And a wondrous sporting city has responded out of curiosity more than anything else and with some help from expatriates. Business is business, plenty of cash swilling about. The Irish who make it in the Midwest know the secret of America.
Corporate America
Chicago will pause briefly over the rugby. Because sport is corporate America. The question is, how rugby could possibly ever catch hold on this continent?
“The nature of the America sports is it’s a market, it’s entertainment,” said All Black captain Kieran Read yesterday morning as AIG was still getting a bang for its bucks.
“Stopping every five minutes for an ad break,” Read continued. “It’s a different game, but I have seen rugby grow here. Fans have come up to us on the street throughout the week, it is going to be huge, especially with the Sevens.”
Ah, Sevens. Different sport, dude. Imagine, we pressed Read, if the sleeping giant that is US rugby woke from its slumber?
“That would be awesome. Be great for the game. Hard one though – rugby isn’t a game where you can just pick up great athletes at 19, 20. It’s a type of game you need to learn early.”
Or not at all. Go, Cubs, go.
