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.