Fire, Birmingham clash: approaches to ‘the’ game

Different strokes for different folks and no one is approaching the Fire’s clash Thursday night against unbeaten Birmingham more differently than Virgil Carter, the analytical quarterback, and Steve Wright, the carefree fight tackle.

Everybody around is calling the nationally televised contest a “pressure game” and tickets are selling faster than ever, according to the Fire.

Quick to agree as to its importance is Carter, the World Football League’s leader in completion percentage. “I like to think it’s an important game,” he says. “Psychologically, it makes it easier for me to prepare knowing there are certain things I must do and things I cannot do in a game. This week’s been easier to prepare for. But, the pressure is not really on us. Birmingham is the unbeaten one. I don’t compromise the fact that we have to win.”

“The problem is a man can put too much pressure on himself,” notes Carter. “Then you get too chancey. In games like this everything has to be done well, you can’t make any mistakes against a team like Birmingham. Pressure-wise, I like to think I am as good as any. I certainly played under pressure in Cincinnati’s playoff drive [1971]. I suppose I play better under pressure: at least I’d like to think so.”

But along comes Wright, 6'6", 245, and grinning, to calm things down.

“This is only game No. 8,” he says. “How can you talk about pressure? Everybody is making such a big deal out of this game. There’ll be 12 games left, you know.

“I can understand how it’s being promoted as a so-called pressure game,” he says, noting that Chicago and Birmingham are both in the WFL Central Division. “That’s where the pressure is coming from, promoters.”

“For my part, I take every game as a personal challenge,” he says. “There is no defensive end who is going to beat me.”

Wright played in his share of “big games” with the NFL champion Green Bay Packers, 1965-67, but that was different.

“In the WFL, with such a long schedule, a lot of things can happen,” he insists. “Hell, Portland Storm could win the title. Let’s not make this game the end of the world.”

Carter, hoping to lead the Fire to its seventh victory in eight games, understands the approach of his free-spirited teammate. “Steve has always had his own peculiar way of putting this game into perspective,” says Virg. “That’s OK for him, he does a great job for us. I guess we just see this game a little differently, that’s all. The important thing is that we win.”