Wichita Wings: the Hollywood blockbuster - Part I

We're not hiring Hollywood stars to make a fictional version of the 1980s Wings story. But what if we were?

Roy Turner would be portrayed by...

the English actor Dominic West (from HBO's The Wire)

 Kim Roentved portrayed by... 

Game of Thrones star Kit Harington

General Manager Bill Kentling portrayed by... 

Hangover star Zach Galifianakis

Star forward Andy Chapman portrayed by... 

Hawaii Five-0's Scott Caan

To be continued...

What my book looks like

This is the copy of "Make This Town Book" I obtained when we agreed to take on this Wichita Wings documentary project. I hope the co-authors aren't too upset with me. It's been dog-eared to death, with coffee stains and placeholders all over the pages.
Really, they should take that as a compliment. This book is a blueprint for the documentary, after all. This is proof that I've not only read it, but I've studied it for scenes.

A Milestone: 600

Of all the people that attended Wings games in the '80s, how many are still interested in the Wings? How many are readers? How many have the disposable income to buy a big fat book? How many will hear about its publication? All these questions were unknowable a couple years ago. Needless to say, I am pleasantly surprised to have just sold our 600th copy of Make This Town Big: The Story of Roy Turner and the Wichita Wings.

It makes me wonder how many people will see our film upon completion. A lot more people watch movies than read books, so the film is bound to be more popular. We do not yet know how the film will be distributed (hey, ESPN's 30 for 30...how YOU doin'?) Regardless of where it ends up, it's reasonable to assume more people will watch the documentary film than read the book. Since we are evangelists for the Wings, our utmost desire is to spread the indoor soccer gospel far and wide. All I know is that as the producer of the film, I have seen most of the footage we have shot so far. Let me tell you folks, you will not be disappointed in the final product. I promise you that it will do justice to the memory of the Wings and what they meant to Wichita. It will show the rich history of the team, but it's not just a history. It will make you laugh (in a good way!) and it might even make you cry. Am I overselling it? I hope not!

Our mini-flyers

Here are the mini-flyers that co-director Kenny Linn and I had last weekend at the Austin Revolution Film Festival, where our previous documentary "Out Here In Kansas" was incredibly well received.
We also passed these out at our event at Aero Plains Brewery a couple of weeks ago (although we hadn't put the stickers on them yet). I'm pleased to say that I gave out the very first flyer to Wichita Wings legend Kim Roentved, who drove down from Kansas City for the festivities.
If you'd like some flyers of your own, just let us know.

The future of Wichita pro soccer

From 1979 to 2001, pro soccer in Wichita meant "The Wings." After a 10 year absence, the return of the Wings heralded new beginnings for professional soccer in Wichita. The four years of the new Wings and the B52s whet the appetite of soccer fans in this town. The 2011-12 season yielded several sellouts of Hartman Arena. Talented players from around the US, and several from Brazil, gave old Wings fans something to celebrate. It seemed that pro soccer might be back for the long haul. As we know, it didn't last. The Wings and their successor team, the B52s, were gone by 2015.

But thanks to Blake Shumaker and other investors, our city gained a new team in the form of FC Wichita. Though this team has thrilled its fans with excellent play on the field, it plays in the NPSL, which is a league composed mainly of amateur college players. Recent news that the city of Wichita will be constructing a new dual-use stadium to replace the venerable Lawrence-Dumont ballpark has the potential to change the soccer landscape in this town. The USL has expressed interest in bringing Wichita into its new Division III league that targets cities between 150,000 and 1,000,000 people.

The USL requires that owners have $10 million in assets. That is certainly a wise decision on their part. Consider this: the Wichita Wings never made a profit in their 22 years of existence. What made the Wings work, in a financial sense, was that prominent local businessmen saw the team a point of Wichita pride. They were willing to continue to lose money as long as the people of Wichita were willing to come out to see them play. The diminished salaries of modern indoor soccer put profitability within reach for a new team. But make no mistake, professional soccer in Wichita is not a business one should enter in order to make money.

What to do? Wichita is underserved when it comes to professional sports. An affiliated baseball team and a professional USL team would go a long way to help that problem. But where does indoor soccer fit in? In Cedar Rapids, the Rampage compete in the Major Arena Soccer League and also field an amateur outdoor team in the summer. That model could work for Wichita; a USL franchise coupled with an indoor team. Players could live and play here year round. One management team could run both franchises. We already know that FC Wichita wants to grow into a professional team. Soccer fans could spend their winters at Hartman (or maybe even Intrust Arena) and their summers on Roy Turner Field in Delano. I believe that an outdoor team needs the Wings brand to help build success. The 2011 Wings managed to sellout Hartman Arena several times with very little marketing. The Wings name helped make that happen.

The backers for this already exist here in Wichita. Our community has a multitude of wealthy businessmen who could afford to make this a reality. But they would need support from the fans. Numerous season tickets would need to be sold. Perhaps most importantly, the right management team would need to be found that would guide these franchises forward. The Wings had Roy Turner and Bill Kentling. These new teams would need a similar duo who could promote and manage these clubs with skill and efficiency. When the Wings returned in 2011, the team missed an opportunity to promote individual players in the way that the old Wings did in the 1980s. Sure, none of those guys were Chico Borja, but they had legitimate talent on those teams. People want to connect with individual players and follow their progress. Kids want posters in their bedroom. The fans in Wichita deserve quality professional soccer. But those regular folks, and the business community that serves them, need to show that they will spend the money to make this happen.

Chico Beer-ja party details

By now you may have learned that the new brew honoring the 1980s Wichita Wings will be called "Chico Beer-ja." It made us laugh the first time co-director Kenny Linn suggested it. It is, of course, named after Chico Borja, one of the most popular players in Wings history, who gave us his blessing.
And hopefully, by now you know that beer will make its debut 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 15 at Aero Plains Brewing, 117  N. Handley Street in Delano. The Chico Beer-ja Premiere Party will last until 9 p.m. or so.
More details ...
* We will be premiering a two-minute trailer for our documentary about the 1980s Wings, which will include all 16 people we've interviewed so far.
* There will a food truck there. It's called Funky Monkey Munchies, and they're known best for their Asian Fusion Tacos.
* Chico Beer-ja will sell for $6 a pint, $1 of which will go toward the making of our documentary.
* The beer is orange with a citrus taste. (Think Leinenkugels or Blue Moon.) Aero Plains has many other terrific beers on tap if you're not into that. (Trust us - we've been there a few times these last couple of months.)
* If you're not a beer drinker, Aero Plains offers wine and mixed drinks as well.
* The entire filmmaking team will be there, as well as some folks who are featured in the movie.
* Nashville singer/songwriter Taylor Kropp will be performing.

Wings beer premiere

Now this should be fun.

You're invited to Aero Plains Brewing on Friday, Sept. 15 for the unveiling of a special beer that was created in honor of the 1980s Wichita Wings.
The event begins at 7 p.m. You can learn more on our Facebook event page.
I spent a couple hours this morning with Aero Plains owner Lance Minor kegging and sampling the beer, which is orange and has a citrus taste. For every pint sold, one dollar will go toward funding our documentary about the Wings of the '80s.
What will be the beer be called? That's a surprise reserved for Sept. 15. (Editor's note: We didn't save it for Sept. 15.) There will be live music, a food truck - maybe even a local celebrity or two.
If you're never been to Aero Plains, it's an extremely cool venue located in the heart of the Delano district. And in case you haven't heard, Wichita is one of the best places in America to drink beer.

I Produce Pizza...a poem

I Produce Pizza

by Tim O'Bryhim

The producers you've heard of before

make movies and movies galore.

Making movies about many great things...

But Tim? He just knows about Wings.

Be sure that Tim's not that cat

that invites Spielberg over to chat

on a weekend in sunny LA,

saying, "We SURELY must see that new play."

A "producer" can be hard to define.

For Tim it means checks he must sign.

He carries the group's debit card,

"No Adam, we CAN'T buy Die Hard!"

Tim has another big task:

He brings food for the actors...just ask!

They can be sure to know he'll treat ya'

to a lovely New York-style pizza.

If you want to know about Seamus,

or any of the guys Roy made famous,

Just ask Tim and he'll opine,

and refer you to pg. 89

of the book that he wrote with Romalis

about the Digger who started in Dallas.

Shooting in style

If you're a women in her 20s or 30s who would like to be in our 1980s-style music video, another opportunity is coming up.
On Saturday, Sept. 2, we will be holding a rehearsal and shooting for the video, which will be featured in our documentary about the Wichita Wings. The event will take place at Roxy's Downtown, 412 E. Douglas.
Anyone interested should come in a black cocktail dress. (We'll have an orange sash to go with it.) From 10 a.m.-noon, we will have students from Crave Beauty Academy on hand for hair and makeup, re-creating the look of Robert Palmer's videos in the 1980s.
A choreographer will be also be there to teach the routine. We'll have lunch catered in, as well as a couple of volunteers helping with any need our dancers might have. Children are welcome, provided they don't interfere with the shoot.
The actual shooting will begin around noon, and we'll be finished by 2 p.m.
Dance experience is a plus, but not required. If you're interested, please let us by messaging our Facebook page. If you're not on Facebook, feel free to email me at adamduaneknapp@gmail.com.
We'd like to express our appreciation to Crave, which is going to be involved in future shoots, as well as the folks at Roxy's, a first-class venue which will always hold a special place in my heart.

A good place to hang their hat

During the first season of the Wichita B52s professional indoor soccer team, Johnny Freedom asked me to go meet up with some guy who supposedly had big plans for a supporters group for the team. It turned out his name was Josh Kippenberger and he had even bigger dreams than that: he wanted to start a fan group that would support ALL levels of soccer in Wichita. I was "all in" from day one. Josh, myself, Johnny Freedom, and Anthony Villegas formed Futbol Wichita Live, which not only rallied support for soccer, but also produced original articles about the team and began an internet broadcast of the B52s games at Hartman Arena. At his own expense, Josh purchased all the equipment necessary to make that happen. He was the play-by-play man, with Johnny Freedom providing color commentary. On Wednesday nights, we would host a live podcast at The Monarch in Delano, talking about the latest happenings in the MASL and around Wichita’s college and professional soccer scene.

It was clear from the beginning that Josh is a passionate supporter of Wichita soccer. No, that’s imprecise...he is a passionate supporter of Wichita...AND a passionate supporter of soccer. Both he and Jaco General Contractor, where he serves as CEO, support both wholeheartedly. When Mike Romalis and I wrote Make This Town Big: The Story of Roy Turner and the Wichita Wings, Josh and Jaco stepped in to sponsor our book. And now, they’ve done so again, supporting the Wings documentary film at quadruple the level of their book sponsorship.

Since the demise of the B52s, Josh and Jaco have provided substantial support to FC Wichita, our city's outdoor soccer team. Josh has even loaned his voice and time to their broadcasting team, partnering with Johnny Freedom and MJ Productions to deliver a live YouTube broadcast of the home games. Furthermore, Josh invested his hard-earned dollars in FC Wichita, working to help make the organization bigger and better.

Meanwhile, Jaco is a prime player in the development of our city. The company was an important contractor on a project that has helped define the new spirit of Wichita: Dwight D. Eisenhower Airport. Jaco was selected to build three retail spaces inside this city’s new and improved transportation hub. Anyone who flies in and out of Wichita can now appreciate the quality product that Jaco can produce.

Beyond the airport, they have partnered with Freddy’s Frozen Custard to construct three stores for Wichita’s fastest growing franchise. Also, Jaco is working with Wichita’s HealthCore Clinic to build a new addition to their 21st and Grove headquarters, a project now in its final stages.

Nestled between the big and Little Arkansas Rivers, Botanica is a Wichita institution. Jaco is currently working to freshen up their facility on a pro bono basis. You could say that Jaco wants to be in the middle of Wichita’s 21st century renaissance, figuratively AND literally. They are in the midst of moving to downtown Wichita, just south of Intrust Arena, so they can be where the action is happening.

All the folks at the Wichita Wings documentary film are stoked that this city is where Josh and Jaco have decided to hang their hat!

The one we've been waiting for

Our interview with Wichita Wings founder Roy Turner was scheduled for April 14. Roy cancelled because he was ill. As it turned out, I wasn't feeling too good myself that day.
Yesterday, nearly four months later, we finally rescheduled with our friends at the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame. It's kind of funny that it took us so long to interview with Turner, who is pretty much the face of the Wichita Wings. After all, we used his home to interview Kevin Kewley. He sat in on our interview with Kim Roentved. I profiled Turner in the Wichita Business Journal nearly 10 years ago, which means I've known him even longer than the authors who wrote a book about him.
Point is, we weren't worried because we knew Turner wasn't going anywhere. He has called Wichita home since arriving here to start the Wings in 1979, and he's always been gracious with anyone who wants to talk about them.
His interview was fantastic. He spoke freely about his favorite players (he couldn't pick just one, of course), his rules (more relaxed than most) and their relationship with the fans (he actually encouraged them to go out at night).
One sidenote: For those who don't know, Turner's nickname is "Digger." Kewley's nickname is "Tiger," and that's how we came up with the name "Digging Tiger" for our production company. Hey, I've seen worse.
Turner made the same jokes about his struggles trying to guard the legendary Pele, and I made the same jokes about Turner being the most famous person from Liverpool.
"Please don't tell this to the guys," I said afterward, "but this was our best interview."
Roy had a gleam in his eye.
"You're going to tell them I said that, aren't you?" I asked.
"I would have told them that," he said, "even if you hadn't said it."

by Adam Knapp (posted by Tim O'Bryhim)

Wichita, we can do this.

(Flag by Johnny Freedom)

In 2015, there were times when I felt overwhelmed by what seemed a Sisyphean task: completing a book about the Wichita Wings. After much metaphorical gnashing of teeth, I would usually suck it up and plod on. One thing that always helped was a word with former Wings general manager Bill Kentling. He had a way of reminding me why I was doing all this.

This afternoon I was thinking, "Tim, what the heck are you going to write about in your next blog post?" And wouldn't you know it, an email from Bill Kentling appeared in my Inbox. Bill had sent me an article about WSU basketball's impressive attendance figures last season. Specifically, the article stated that the 2016-17 team had achieved its highest NCAA attendance ranking since the 1983-84 season. Bill pointed out that the 1983-84 season also happened to be one of the Wichita Wings' best attended campaigns: "That was the season we sold out 19 of 24 regular season home games. Happy memories for Shocker and Wings fans," said Bill.

But Bill wrote something else that struck me: "It's not the location or the building. It's the show." In 1983-84, Xavier McDaniel, Aubrey Sherrod, and company were puttin' on a show at Henry Levitt Arena. Up the road, in (what seemed at the time) the faraway Kansas Coliseum, Roy Turner and Bill Kentling were puttin' on a show as well. And it paid off for both squads. Here's a statistic that will likely astound Wichita sports fans: the Shockers averaged 9,989 souls at their 15 home games that year. Meanwhile, the Wings averaged 9,034 at their 24 home games. Furthermore, both teams were playing at the same time of the year. In fact, on Thursday evening, January 26th, the Wings and Shockers played simultaneously at their respective arenas. That same year, 137,018 baseball fans attended (Cincinnati Red's AAA-affiliate) Wichita Aeros games. 

If 1983 Wichita, with only about 72% of 2017 Wichita's population, could support these teams, there's no reason why we can't today. Yes, people have more options for their entertainment dollar. But I refuse to believe that Wichita is incapable of supporting both Shocker basketball and professional sports. This past season, the Wichita Thunder hockey team managed to draw over 12,000 people to their home opener. With the right leadership, professional sports in our town can build on this success. Imagine an NBDL franchise, affiliated baseball, or even the return of indoor soccer. All we have to do is "put on a show." 

Wichita, we can do this.

Here's to Digging Tiger Productions

If my co-director Kenny Linn has taught me anything about filmmaking, it's to celebrate the milestones. So Friday night, when we signed an operating agreement with producers Tim O'Bryhim and Jon Pic to form Digging Tiger Productions, I came prepared with a bottle of IPA.
Tim was thoughtful enough to break out his souvenir Wings glasses. I requested to drink from the glass of my favorite Wing, Mike Dowler. Jon, being the ladies' man, chose Andy Chapman. Kenny wanted Roy Turner, because we're interviewing him Thursday morning, and that left Tim with Jorgen Kristensen.
Why "Digging Tiger Productions?" And why did we toast with beer, and not champagne? Keep following this blog ... we'll explain everything.

How good were the Wings???

Today, professional indoor soccer has become a fringe sport. Check ESPN's website if you'd like confirmation; there's nary a mention of the indoor game. Outdoor soccer, or "proper soccer" as some might call it, dethroned the indoor game in the early 1990s. But that dethroning is itself lost in the mists of history for anyone under the age of 30. Not only do many young people not know that the indoor game lost the championship belt, they didn't know they had it to begin with.

In the 1980s, the Major Indoor Soccer League (MISL) was the highest level of soccer in North America. The old North American Soccer League (NASL), featuring George Best and Pele, was eclipsed by the new and exciting indoor game brought to the American public by Earl Foreman and Ed Tepper. Into that league came the Wichita Wings. But was the level of talent REALLY that good?

Well, 45 Wichita Wings played on various national teams around the world. Per Roentved, Kim's older brother, was the longtime captain of the Danish national team, with an impressive 75 caps (international game appearances) and 11 goals. Incredibly, five (FIVE!) future Wings played on the 1984 US Olympic team (Chico Borja, Mike Brcic, Mike Fox, Jeff Hooker, and Jean Willrich). In fact, Wings appeared on teams from various countries in every Olympic games from 1976 to 1992.*

(This actually the 1983 Team America photo, but Borja is in it, so you get the idea)

The most astounding fact of all is that Wichita Wings players appeared in 535 international games. Yes, that's 535 caps. One cap for every member of our US House of Representatives and Senate (none of whom were good enough to play for the Wings!)

Not only that, but 13 Wings played first division soccer in England. Today, we call that the Premier League. Three Wings played for the storied Manchester United. Jimmy Ryan, "Tricky" Mickey Thomas, and Willie Anderson all played for "ManU" before they became Wings. Ryan scored four times while Thomas accumulated 11 goals in that famous uniform (or "kit" as they call them across the pond.) Jeff Bourne (Derby County), Dave Hoggan (Bolton), Kevin Kewley (Liverpool FC), Seamus McDonough (Bolton & Everton), Victor Moreland (Derby County), Terry Nicholl (Sheffield United), Barry Wallace (Queens Park Rangers), and several others played in what was (and arguably still is) the greatest soccer league in the world.

 

(Picture above: Jeff Bourne and Mickey Thomas)

Perhaps the two best players to play for the Wings were Erik Rasmussen and Kim Roentved.** Both came to the Wings from Denmark as relatively inexperienced players; Rasmussen a 24 year old and Roentved still a teenager. If they had stayed in Europe, it's impossible to say what would have happened to their careers. However, there is no doubt in my mind that both were legitimate top level European talent. If you have any doubt about Rasmussen's genius, watch this video:

How good were the Wings??? They were top-notch. Believe it.

*David Brcic made the 1980 US Olympic team. But he didn't play due to the American boycott of the games. Cris Vaccaro played for the Puerto Rican Olympic team in the qualifying rounds of the 1992 games.

**For a more detailed discussion of who is the "best Wings player," read my book: Make This Town Big: The Story of Roy Turner and the Wichita Wings

My co-director Kenny

I've already received a fair amount of attention for being the director and narrator of "Out Here In Kansas," which is currently on the film festival circuit. But believe me when I tell you it was only because of my editor that I look good. Kenneth Linn (pictured on the right) is now co-directing this Wichita Wings documentary with me. 

As I told one film festival audience after accepting an award, without Kenny "I'd just be a dumb ol' sportswriter from Wichita."

Kenny and I have no reservations whatsoever about sharing the director's role. I pride myself on being a great storyteller, but his ideas and execution made "Out Here In Kansas" a truly special documentary. Kenny has a film degree from the Art Institute of Colorado, and is currently in North Carolina competing in a 48-hour film festival. 

Hopes, dreams, and possibilities

When Mike Romalis and I wrote Make This Town Big: The Story of Roy Turner and the Wichita Wings we knew there would be constraints on what former Wings we could interview in person. Though many figures from the Wings' past could be found locally, others were far away. Luckily, since we were writing a book, we could interview people like Terry Nicholl or Chico Borja over the phone and simply record the conversation for later use. Thanks to email, we were even able to reach across the Atlantic and interview the great Wings keeper Mike Dowler.

But now we are making a movie. The visual format obviously demands in-person interviews. That means that many of our most important subjects (Andy Chapman, Terry Nicholl, Mike Dowler, Dale Ervine, the Rasmussens, Jorgen Kristensen, etc.) are more difficult to interview. Lucky for us, we were able to interview Norman Piper while he was visiting Wichita. But we have come to grips with the reality that we will need to travel to interview these important figures.

The filmmakers have decided that many of these figures MUST be a part of this movie. That will mean travel to places like Michigan, Ohio, and Florida. It will stretch our resources thin, but what sort of Wings documentary would it be without Andy Chapman or Terry Nicholl? Our new motto is "Go big or go home." We're going big.

Sometimes our dreams expand even further: flying to Europe to interview men like Mike Dowler, Mickey Thomas, Frank Rasmussen, and Jorgen Kristensen. Heck, if we can scrape up enough money, maybe even a journey to Africa to find the elusive Erik Rasmussen! I don't know if we'll be able to make all these dreams a reality, but we sure are going to try our best.

If you'd like to help us travel to interview these Wings greats, click below to contribute:
Wings Movie GoFundMe

Winging it with big Bill

Tonight we re-watched our interview with the great Bill Kentling, who served as the Wichita Wings' general manager from 1980-86 before becoming MISL commissioner. Kentling was known for his risk taking, a keen marketing mind and fiery personality (he famously got into it with Minnesota goalkeeper Tino Lettieri).
The interview was shot at Century II earlier this year, but I'd forgotten some of the surprising things he revealed.
His biggest regret? Moving the MISL offices to New York, where the league soon wouldn't even have a team. The first indoor soccer game he saw, Kentling said, was his first as GM.
"How much of this stuff were you guys just making up as you went along?" I finally asked.
"One hundred percent," he replied.

The Wings, this film, and you

Photo by Don Marler

I once read an article that estimated there were only a couple hundred people in the country that could actually claim to earn a living from writing alone. I can say that, without a doubt, a career as a full-time indoor soccer author is untenable. Our goal for the book was to "not lose money." Thanks to the generosity of our many sponsors, we achieved that goal. We even made a little money (emphasis on "little").

Once again, here we are with another project, and the same goal: To not lose money. Making a documentary film is similarly lucrative (ha!). Again, I find myself turning to the old ranks of the Orange Army, and the people of the Wichita area, for help in funding a project. This time, it's even more expensive. Making a movie is no small effort. I'm lucky beyond belief that the three filmmakers (Jon, Adam, and Kenny) are 100% bought-in to this project, no matter whether they lose or make money on it. It has been exciting to see them get drawn into the world of the Wichita Wings. If you are reading this post, you probably know what I'm talking about. The Wings, at their height, were a magical thing...they affected lives in profound ways. That feeling comes across in every interview we do.

Asking for money from friends and strangers isn't easy. Most of you aren't rich. We can't promise you dividends or profit. At least not in the financial sense. What we can promise is to make a piece of art that will convey the feelings that you had when you sat in the Kansas Coliseum with 9,000 other screaming fans. We can convey the emotion of a Chico Borja goal. We can bring a small piece of that joy back from the depths of your memories. We can make something that shows what the city of Wichita can do when it comes together for something bigger than the sum total of the individuals living here. In a sense, all that is priceless. But, of course, there is a price.

We decided that we want our donors to be a part of this film. Literally. So, any donation of $25 or more gets you in the film's credits. You'll be a part of Wichita Wings history...no...of WICHITA history. Because this isn't just about soccer. It's about our city and what we can accomplish. Click below to donate:

https://www.gofundme.com/wingsmovie

Atta kid

So when I was in Lawrence for the Free State Film Festival over the weekend, I texted my 17-year-old daughter with the news that I had found another cool sticker she could put on her guitar case. She collects them.
"I have something for you too, actually," she replied.
This was her find, which she picked up a Goodwill store. This makes me proud for a couple of reasons.
1. She actually knows what I'm working on.
2. She is aware of the Wings, who folded when she was just a few months old.

Stormin' Norman amongst the tall grass

Norman Piper was the first player signed by the Wichita Wings in 1979. Of course, if you've read Make This Town Big: The Story of Roy Turner and the Wichita Wings, then you'd know that he wasn't SUPPOSED to be the first one signed (For the whole story, as they used to say in those Time-Life commercials, "read the book!") Nonetheless, Stormin' Norman was one of the most recognizable names on the Wings throughout his career.

It was a pleasure to interview him over the phone for the book. It was a greater pleasure to meet him in person last summer at the book launch party at the Boathouse. It was an EVEN GREATER pleasure for us to have the chance to interview him for the documentary film. It was our dumb luck that he happened to come to town recently. At the last minute, we scrambled to find an appropriate venue for the interview. Thankfully, Tallgrass Country Club stepped up and let us film in their clubhouse, with a lovely view of the course in the background.

As we make our way through many of the great figures of Wichita Wings history, we know that we can't interview them all. However, we are doing our best to get as many on camera as possible. Norman reminded us about the many faces that can no longer be captured...J.B. Johnson, Barry Wallace, Jeff Bourne, and many more. It is our hope that the film does justice to those men and women who have passed on but still live in the hearts of the Orange Army.

How a dog almost ruined our shoot

When we were trying to secure a location to interview Wichita Wings legend Kevin Kewley, he suggested the home of his friend and former coach, Roy Turner. It's a nice pad with a beautiful background on the east side. Perfect, right?
What we didn't realize was Roy had a dog. I don't know what kind of dog it was, or how old it was. I don't even know if the dog was a boy or a girl. What I did know was that dog really wanted Kevin's attention while we were trying to interview him.
We tried putting the dog outside, and in other rooms, but the dog was having none of it.
While this was happening, Roy was not on the set. Fortunately, Mike Carpenter was. Mike was visiting from his home in Denver, where he went to film school with co-director Kenneth Linn, and was helping us with the shoot that night.
The dog decided it would be acceptable to receive off-screen attention from Mike, who was able to pet the creature while manning the sound and the main camera. Crisis averted.
(I should note that diverting the dog's attention would have been a perfect job for producer Tim O'Bryhim. Unfortunately, I forgot to tell him about the shoot. I have a feeling I'm going to hear about that one.)

Angels aren't just in heaven

Last week we had the good fortune to spend some time with four Wichita Wings Angels. It turns out that they often get together to rehash old times and enjoy each other's company. Lucky us! We brought Wings memorabilia and some old video footage for them to enjoy. Needless to say, it was loads of fun to see their reactions to the good ol' days.

We weren't the only ones to come bearing gifts. They showed us their collection of old Angels uniforms, which are still in excellent shape. Each of these ladies enjoyed sharing their memories of the Wings' glory years; though we probably enjoyed hearing about it even more. We were happy to share what we had as well, and were able to leave them with a few DVDs of old footage that brought a smile to their faces.

Whenever we speak to the people involved with the Wings' players, coaches, owners, cheerleaders, or office staff, we are reminded of how special those days were for both the people involved and the city of Wichita. The Wings truly did make this town bigger than it had been before. We're just glad we can put it on film for you.

Why we needed a little Shine

Yesterday, I wrote about the demolition of the Wichita Eagle's longtime home at 825 E. Douglas on the blog for our documentary "Out Here In Kansas." Today, I decided I would be remiss if I didn't acknowledge the Eagle on this blog, also.
Before the building was torn down, I decided it was important to shoot an interview there with former Wings beat writer Tom Shine (pictured). Tom's father, the late Neal Shine, was a legendary editor and publisher of the Detroit Free Press. His son Conor is a reporter for the Dallas News.
As for Tom ... he never left Wichita, and I for one am grateful for that. He's the one who hired me at the Eagle. He's a lively storyteller and is absolutely one of my favorite people in the world.
Tom wasn't my boss for long. I was his last hire before he left the sports desk, and he's now the Eagle's deputy editor.
As for me, I went on to write sports for 11 years at the Eagle. In all that time, I never covered a single Wings game. Do I wish I would have? Not on your life. It's much more fun to be a fan.

Local author and...music video producer??

Has your life ever taken an unexpected turn? Did you ever start walking down one path and find yourself on another? Have you ever unexpectedly helped make a music video about the Wichita Wings? Most of you might be able to answer "yes" to two of these three questions. But it's the third that I didn't really see coming.

One of the joys of working with a group of creative filmmakers is that they can take relatively mundane parts of a book and turn them into something you'd never imagine. And I definitely didn't imagine this. But when Adam Knapp, Jon Pic, and Kenny Linn told me their idea for this shoot, I immediately loved it. I can't really go into details because we'd like for this to be a surprise, but I can tell you it will be '80s-rific and will involve one of your favorite all-time Wings stars. 

The shoot itself was loads of fun. We had the help of a bunch of talented young ladies who made it all pretty easy on us. I'm not exactly Martin Scorsese, so I stayed well away from the cameras. But the guys that are actually shooting this movie have a gift for this sort of thing. It was an awful lot of fun to watch them work their magic. A great hair and make-up team transformed these actresses into something you'll all recognize...a blast from the past. My role? Look, I am pretty darn good at bringing snacks...and helping find talent...and answering Wings-related questions. Also, I can pick up a pizza like a BOSS.

Not every documentary film includes a music video. But this isn't your normal documentary. The Wichita Wings were an extraordinary phenomenon, and they deserve an extraordinary film. Hopefully, that's what we'll deliver.

More to come soon...

Why we couldn't resist the Wings story

I met Tim O'Bryhim on the best night of my life.

It was last year's world premiere of "Out Here In Kansas," a documentary short I had just poured several months of my life into. Many Wichita celebrities were there, including the mayor. We sold out the venue at Roxy's Downtown - had to turn people away at the door, actually - and the film was incredibly well received. We even received a standing ovation. Because of the challenges we overcame to make the movie, it was a completely gratifying moment.

Tim's brother Brendan was largely responsible for this. I first met Brendan about 10 years ago at a social event, and through the next decade we would invariably run into each other in different places (usually either at the gym or in a bar). Brendan started following what we were doing with "Out Here In Kansas," he asked if I wanted to speak at one of his social groups, and that evolved into the photo you're looking at right now.

Brendan's brother was there that night. I was already aware of Tim O'Bryhim and Michael Romalis, who had made some headlines after co-authoring the book Make This Town Big: The Story of Roy Turner and the Wichita Wings. I was glad to learn they wrote it. Sometimes history has a way of forgetting just how big of deal certain things were.

And make no mistake about it - the Wings were a big deal. They transcended sports, really, and engrained themselves into Wichita's pop culture. How many Wichitans were soccer fans before the Wings came along? Not many, I'll bet. I'm a perfect example.

Understand, the 1980s were my adolescent and teenage years. I was a country kid at a rural high school. Soccer was not on my radar. Then along came the Wings. Suddenly my friends and I were pooling our resources so we could make two or three trips a year to the Kansas Coliseum, just to be part of the excitement. Soon, after playing in high school football games on Friday nights, we were turning around Saturday mornings to play in a soccer league - a league that didn't exist before the Wings had swallowed Wichita whole.

So ... back to our movie premiere on Oct. 11. After meeting Tim, the first words out of his mouth were his desire to collaborate on a documentary about the Wings.

It sounded cool. I knew Roy Turner a little bit, socially and professionally, and he was certainly fun to be around. He's a personable character, as were many of his players. My team had been bothering me to start on a new film since the minute we wrapped up the old one. Why not the Wings?

But where would we get the money? Filmmaking, even on the independent level, is not cheap. I had already gone broke making "Out Here In Kansas," even with our fundraising campaign. True, most of the key players in the Wings franchise were still alive, but they were scattered all over the country and the rest of the world. The logistics were troublesome.

But what it came down to was, I really wanted to do it. And I knew we could do it well. Roy (pictured on the left) was going to help however he could. Michael (second from the right) and Tim (far right) had already written a 500-page book that could serve as our blueprint. I already had a great working relationship with Kenneth Linn, the DP and editor of our last documentary, and producer Jon Pic. The opportunity is right in front of our faces, and everyone involved in the project is excited about it.

So here we go. I hope you look forward to following our filmmaking process on this blog ... and
I promise you, the rest of my posts will not be a long as this one.

How it all began

When Mike Romalis and I were researching and writing Make This Town Big: The Story of Roy Turner and the Wichita Wings, we would often comment on how we wished our readers could SEE the events we were writing about. After all, this was the oh-so-flashy 1980s, when even the hair was big and bold. Alas, we didn't have the budget for a full-color book with fold-out pictures of Andy Chapman's leather pants. But we did joke about making a Wings movie. Now, it's no joke.

Last fall, my brother Brendan invited me to attend the world premiere of a documentary film made by the local journalist Adam Knapp. That film, Out Here in Kansas, was being unveiled to the public at Roxy's Downtown, one of Wichita's most stylish theaters. At the end of the screening, as I joined the packed house in loud applause, I wasn't just thinking about the emotional storytelling or the fine technical craftsmanship of the filmmakers...I was thinking about the story of the Wichita Wings.

I was able to meet Adam that evening, though only briefly. I'm pretty sure the first words out of my mouth were, "Hey, your next film should be the story of the Wichita Wings." I smiled as I said it. I probably laughed too. But it wasn't a joke. I meant it. For the first time, it became possible to imagine the Wings on the big screen. Luckily for all the Wings-lovers out there, Adam began to imagine it as well. It's no surprise. The story of the Wichita Wings is a story of the people of Wichita coming together for something special. Great films are about compelling human stories and the tale of the Wings is full of them.

Once Adam and his team of filmmakers (co-director Kenneth Linn and producer Jon Pic) agreed that they wanted to make this documentary film, we sat down with Roy Turner and Mike Romalis and had our first conversation about Adam's vision for the movie. Since that wonderful day, I've had zero doubt in my mind that this story, that means so much to so many of us, is in the right hands. Adam and I look forward to keeping you all up to date on the progress of the film by posting regularly on this blog. Like you, I can't wait for the finished product!