My dinner with Peter

(UPDATED) OK, it actually wasn’t dinner, but the Quakes’ annual media day provided an unexpected opportunity to spend some time with former Fire GM Peter Wilt.

Historically, Fire fans have had a good relationship with the Earthquakes. After the Fire was eliminated in the semifinals of the playoffs in 2001, the denizens of Section 8 turned out with fellow Fire fans to cheer for the Quakes — or, more accurately, against the Galaxy — at MLS Cup 2001 in Columbus. Quakes fans joined Fire fans in mourning Wilt’s firing from the Fire front office in 2005.

Wilt, a virtual legend in MLS fan circles, was in the Bay Area for a meeting regarding Chicago’s entry in the new women’s professional soccer league, which begins play in 2009. (The league’s headquarters is in San Francisco.) His schedule allowed him the opportunity to travel to the Oakland Coliseum to check in on the team he left behind, and we took the opportunity to talk to him about the future of soccer in Chicago.

“I’m pleased that I’ll finally have a team playing in Bridgeview,” he said, acknowledging his departure from Chicago’s MLS side before the opening of the stadium he worked so hard to create.

There’s more to the story, though. Fire GM John Guppy quit his position today, and we were visiting with Wilt after the media day event when he learned of the move.

“Excuse me,” he said, stepping away as his cell phone rang. Returning a few minutes later, somewhat dazed, he reported on the incoming call. “Someone just told me that John Guppy is leaving the Fire.”

We try not to lobby in this space, but let us say this: There is no one on this planet who is more qualified to serve as GM to the Chicago Fire than Peter Wilt. We mean that quite literally; if the chairman of (insert the name of your favorite European club) came to the Fire’s owners and volunteered for the job, he would come up short in comparison to Wilt. While in charge of the Fire, Wilt demonstrated time and again that he was one of the MLS executives who had a complete understanding of the symbiotic relationship between the front office, the players, and the fans. That’s a rare thing.

Wilt went on to explain that he had an appointment with Fire owner Andrew Hauptman this coming Tuesday, although it had not been about the GM position when it was originally scheduled. He refused to speculate on Hauptman’s agenda for the confab.

If it wasn’t about re-hiring Wilt as GM then, it should be now. Both the Fire and the league as a whole would benefit greatly from Wilt’s talents. We hope that the Fire’s owners are also aware of this and return Wilt to his former position. (And hey, a raise wouldn’t hurt, either.)

UPDATE: Peter Wilt has written about Friday’s happenings on his own blog. One interesting observation: Guppy’s departure came three years to the day after he was hired to replace Wilt. Also, he spilled the beans on the location of our little get-together: Brennan’s in Berkeley. (The original plan was to go The Albatross, but they don’t open until 4:30 on Fridays.)