What's the old saying? White skinny jeans make everything a lot more fun? Something like that, right? But what about white skinny jeans, an open bar, a dance floor and 700 good-looking people packed into a warehouse in the name of charity?
Yeah, the second annual Chicago Fire Foundation White Party was legit. We took a little field trip out there yesterday, and came back with a few stories.
Paladini's pad: When you're in a city for 18 hours, there's no time to mess about. Not long after arrival we were on the top floor of Fire midfielder Daniel Paladini's swanky Lincoln Park apartment building. I asked Daniel about how he thought the night might go. His response?
"It'll be good." And it was.
Quote of the night: "Logan Pause is one of the coolest and best guys on the planet. He eats like a rabbit." - Arne Friedrich. Not really much to elaborate on other than that I can now confirm that Logan Pause is a great pro and this sound bite from Friedrich is really funny to say on your own in your best German accent.
Up close with Frank Klopas: Yeah, you know the gaffer was in the building. Being the boss of the club and all, Mr. Klopas had plenty of people to talk to, but I was able to grab a few minutes to get the lowdown on one of Frank's in-game rituals. Did you know worry beads were a thing? Pardon me, because I didn't.
It's true, though, Klopas was given a set of beads by a close family member some time ago, which he keeps in his pocket during the run of play. The wooden set of beads remain largely ignored for most of the match, as only during the last five minutes will Frank call upon the good vibes of the beads, taking them in his hand until the final whistle.
To my knowledge, Klopas did not bring them to the party. The only real letdown of the evening.
Marco Pappa is class: If you needed a reminder about how quickly things can turn ugly between club and player during the transfer window, this has been your week. So it was refreshing to speak with Marco Pappa, a guy who has been downright stellar at times in his tenure with Chicago, and hear just how much he loves this club.
Pappa is on his way to Heerenveen when the season is over, but you can be sure he'll be holding a special place in his heart for Toyota Park.
Good night, good cause: The real reason we were here: Not only did all the beautiful people in attendance have a night to remember, but the Fire were able to raise $40,000 to benefit the Chicago Fire Foundation.
It's not always about the linen capris.
