Brandon Marshall isn’t done with Chicago just yet.
The five-time Pro Bowler was traded from the Bears to the New York Jets in March but plans to continue to live in Chicago with his wife Michi Marshall and their twins. Their Project 375 Foundation – which seeks to change the stigma surrounding mental health — will also remain in Chicago.
“I love Chicago,” Marshall said Friday at the 1st Annual Paddle Battle at Harry Caray’s 7th Inning Stretch, which benefited Project 375 (formerly the Brandon Marshall Foundation). “Chicago is awesome. From day one, they embraced me with all my baggage. They embraced me and said ‘You’re one of ours.’ We’re continuing to live here. It’ll be our offseason home for sure. We’re here in the community putting on-sight behavioral health care centers in our schools – that’s Project Prevent. We’re going to continue to do work.
“When I retire, it depends on where we’re at with our careers in television and fashion and whatever else we’re doing. We’ll decide then. As of now, Chicago is home.”
(There were plans for Michi Marshall to open a clothing boutique in the Gold Coast, but those now appear to be on hold.)
Marshall has been living with newly appointed Jets staring quarterback Geno Smith near the Jets’ facility the last two months, likely to build a repoire with each other. Chicagoans might remember that Marshall and quarterback Jay Cutler also frequently hung out as Bears teammates, occasionally going on double dates with their significant others. Smith made the trip to Chicago to lend his support at Harry Caray’s 7th Inning Stretch, where Marshall is an investor. Also in attendance: The Cubs’ Anthony Rizzo, Sky’s Elena Delle Donne, Bears’ Ryan Mundy and Jordan Mills and former Bear Israel Idonije.
“Every day I wake up and see (Marshall’s) ugly mug,” joked Smith. “He’s quiet. He reads a lot of books. He keeps too himself. But he’s also like a big brother. I can talk to him about anything. He’s been through a lot. He’s at a stage in his life where he only wants to help people get better. I see that with the types of things he does in the community.”
Marshall was diagnosed with borderline personality disorder in 2011 and spent three months in McLean Hospital in Belmont, Mass. receiving treatment. He has become an advocate for mental health since then, raising awareness and funds for the cause. Proceeds from Paddle Battle went toward early intervention services for students 11-18 years old.
Has Marshall – known for being outspoken on and off the field — noticed much of a change in how the media portrays him in the years since he has opened up about his borderline personality disorder?
“I’m still being judged by my past,” said Marshall. “That’s what it is. I’m a guy who takes chances. I’m opinionated. When you’re that type of person and you have that type of personality, sometimes people can get it misconstrued with a character flaw. It’s not a character flaw – it’s my personality. I’ll always be that way. I’ll teach my kids to be that way, to always let whatever is on the inside out. If you keep it inside, you’ll be a ticking time bomb.”
Chicago pride: Get used to seeing elements of the Chicago flag in Fire jerseys. Fire chief operating officer Atul Khosla said it’s a trend that the team – which will wear its spiffy, flag-themed secondary kit on the road Friday against the Columbus Crew – hopes to continue for years to come.
“It means so much to the supporters and the players,” said Khosla over the phone last month. “We’ve seen an incredibly positive response. (Fire owner) Andrew (Hauptman) says it’s a privilage to represent Chicago and we need to do it right every time. We worked with Adidas to start incorporating the flag into our jersey and want every jersey to pay homage to the city.”
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Smart move. Much has been made of Chicago’s obsession with its own flag.
The flag’s two horizontal blue stripes — which represent Lake Michigan and the North Branch of the Chicago River — sandwich the Quaker Oats logo on the front of the white secondary kit. The stripes also appear on the matching socks along with the flag’s four red six-pointed stars, which represent Fort Dearborn, the Great Chicago Fire, the World’s Columbian Exposition and the Century of Progress Exposition (don’t say you never learned anything from this column). The flag appears in its entirity on the back neck area of the jersey with the words “Chicago Fire Soccer Club.”
The Fire incorporated the red stars into its light blue third kit in 2005 but then discontinued the classic jersey when the team made the move from Puma to Adidas in 2006. In recent years, the team has slowly begun incorporating elements of the flag into jerseys again, including the fan-designed third kit introduced last year with the flag on the right sleeve. The players will wear that third kit when they begin their pursuit of a fifth U.S. Open Cup title in mid-June.
Heads up: The White Sox will celebrate the 10th anniversary of the 2005 World Series winning team during “A Season to Remember: A Night with the 2005 World Series Champions” July 19 at the Chicago Theatre. Members of the team – including Jermaine Dye, Jon Garland, Paul Konerko, Scott Podsednik and Cliff Politte – are scheduled to be on hand and share stories from the team’s run to the title. The event benefits Chicago White Sox Charities.
By the numbers:
3. Outfit changes for Miami Heat star and Chicago native Dwyane Wade during his wedding to actress Gabrielle Union, according to his interview Wednesday on “Late Night with Seth Meyers.” (via Uproxx)
128 x 39. Size, in feet, of Soldier Field’s two new main video boards, making it three times as big as the previous video boards.
On the record: “I’m sure somebody was kind of confused and worried about it,” – The Cubs’ Tsuyoshi Wada, who found a credit card on the the field during Wednesday’s game at Petco Park and handed it to security.
Sightings: The Cubs’ Anthony Rizzo, Kris Bryant and Jake Arrieta dined, separately, Friday at RPM Italian, as did the Pittsburgh Pirates’ Andrew McCutchen. Former Fire captain Logan Pause dined Saturday at RPM Italian. … Cubs’ manager Joe Maddon dined Saturday at Jellyfish. … Duke men’s basketball star Jahlil Okafor had dinner Saturday at Gibson’s Bar & Steakhouse-Chicago. … Joakim Noah was spotted Monday on the riverwalk at Japonais by Morimoto. Fellow Bull Jimmy Butler hung out Saturday at Bull & Bear. Teammate Mike Dunleavy Jr. dined Saturday at the newly opened Dinosaur Bar-B-Que on the Near North Side. … Former baseball commissioner Bud Selig dined Friday at RPM Steak. … Blackhawks’ legend Bobby Hull dined Monday on the patio at Chicago Cut Steakhouse.
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