On Chris Rolfe - Lake Forest Sportscars

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to the victors
running, skating and kicking on tracks, rinks and fields near and far, these
stylish local jocks always look sharp on game day and beyond
By matt lee | Photography by david anthony | Styling by Stacia mayfield at ford artists
Stylist’s Assistant: Isaiah Freeman-Schub | Production Assistant: Maia Harms | Photo Assistants: Mariah Smith and Robert Ayersii
CHalk it up to Midwestern vigor for the outdoors or just an excuse to chug beer with your pals at a
Lincoln Park bar, but whichever way you look at it, Chicagoans love their sports. To highlight fall’s freshest
new looks from the likes of John Varvatos, Prada, Etro and Hugo Boss, we brought together nine of the city’s
top athletes at the brand-new Dana Hotel and Spa. Some guys you’ll know, others you may not—but all are
phenomenally talented, preternaturally gritty and have an uncommon will to succeed. From born-and-bred
natives like Belmont Cragin’s world boxing champion, David Diaz, to more-than-welcome transplants like
19-year-old NHL rookie of the year Patrick Kane, all of these guys do us proud when representing our city
against top competitors around the world. Check them out live or on television in the coming months as
they continue their quests for excellence—and take in these great new looks from Chicago’s best men’s stores
for some serious inspiration on and off the field.
garrett wolfe
Growing up on the west side, second-year Chicago
Bears running back Garrett Wolfe knew he wanted
to be a pro athlete, but who could have guessed
that he’d never have to leave home to do it? From
Fenwick and Holy Cross high schools, Wolfe went
to Northern Illinois University, where he set several
rushing and scoring records. Drafted in the third
round by the Bears in 2007, Wolfe, 25, now looks
to make his mark in the pro ranks. What was the highlight
of your rookie season? Every week brought something
different. I was living the dream, getting that
opportunity. Describe draft day. It was surreal. I got the
call; I thought my agent was lying to me. You never
really dream about getting to come home and play.
How would you describe your style of play? Explosive. I’ll make
you miss and get up field. I think I’m an exciting
player. Was it a big adjustment to the NFL? It was actually
a bigger adjustment going from high school to
college, because you go from playing with boys to
playing with men. Don’t get me wrong, professional
football is at a different level, but what makes it
On Garrett Wolfe: Jacket, $1,475, by Corneliani at Syd Jerome,
312.346.0333. Sweater, $185, by Theory and jeans, $280, by
Prada, both at Scoop NYC, 773.227.9930. Henley, $155, by
John Varvatos Star USA at Bloomingdale’s, 312.440.4460.
Belt, $280, by Gucci at Neiman Marcus.
different is the mental aspect of the game. When did you
realize that you could go pro? From when I was young, there
was never a doubt in my mind that I would be a
professional athlete. It’s all I thought about. Who are a
few of your favorite players of all time? Barry Sanders, Emmitt
Smith, Deion Sanders, Jerry Rice. The highlights I
saw of Jim Brown. We’ve heard you’re a pretty stylish guy. What
labels do you like? I love Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Burberry.
I’m kind of all over the place. For suits, Gucci.
chris rolfe
While it might be a bit of an overstatement to say,
as Chicago Fire striker Chris Rolfe jokes on his
website, that David Beckham plays in “the league
Chris Rolfe plays in,” and not the other way around,
there’s little doubt about the strength of Rolfe’s play.
Consistently hailed as one of the top strikers in the
league, the 25-year-old from Kettering, Ohio is also
regularly called up to play for the U.S. National
Team. ‘The league that Chris Rolfe plays in,’ huh? Ha. Yeah, we
added that to my home page. I got in trouble with
my mom because of that. That was just my friends
and I joking around. You’re considered to be one of the top
American players. To what do you attribute your success? I’ve had
a couple of great coaches along the way. I’m very
devoted to the game. I’ve always been, every waking
minute, with the ball. What would you say the highlight of your
career has been so far? I think getting my first national
team cap, back in 2005. We played A.C. Milan
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my rookie season at Soldier Field and I
scored a goal that game and tied it 1-1,
and they were the second-best club team
in Europe at the time. How do you like the Fire’s
chances going into the playoffs? We beat three
of our Eastern Conference rivals, New
York, D.C. and New England, all on the
road, so that’s a big boost this year. The
first leg of the playoffs you play home
and away, and that’s kind of been our
downfall. We’ve gone to New England
the last three years and they’ve beaten
us. Now we know we can beat them.
patrick kane
It’s been a huge year for Patrick Kane,
and not just because, on the day we
met him, the precocious 19-year-old
was condo-hunting at a few of the city’s
most exclusive addresses. The Buffalo,
New York native also was selected by the
Chicago Blackhawks as the number one
draft pick in 2007, and he wrapped up
his 21-goal, 51-assist season by winning
the rookie of the year award for the
National Hockey League. Wow, what a year.
What’s been the highlight of it all for you? I would
say my [overtime, game-winning] first
goal against [legendary goalie Dominik]
Hasek. I’d grown up watching him.
Growing up, living in Buffalo, Joe Sakic
was one of my favorite players, so my
first goal against Colorado [where Sakic
plays], that comes to mind, too. Why do you
think you’ve had such an easy transition to the NHL? I
think it’s probably just my style, the way
I play that helped me transition into the
NHL. What’s been the hardest part? The speed
of the game. The play develops so much
quicker. Describe draft day. That was one of
the best days of my life. It was pure
excitement, getting drafted first overall.
All of my sisters and family were there;
I had about 20 or 30 family members,
some friends. It was one of the best days
of my life. How do you dress off the ice? I have
the backwards hat going on, I tuck in
the front shirt, usually wear sneakers.
But I like getting dressed up in a nice
suit, too. You look good, you feel good.
greg costello
As Chicagoans, we all at least know a
few people who’ve run the marathon.
On Chris Rolfe: Black leather motorcycle jacket,
$2,795, by Dsquared, and black and olive striped
sweater, $204, by Ever, both at Saks Fifth Avenue,
312.944.6500. Zatiny jeans, $220, by Diesel at
Bloomingdale’s, 312.440.4460. T-shirt, $38, by
S.C.P. at Scoop NYC, 773.227.9930. Dog tag,
$400, by David Yurman at Neiman Marcus.
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Well, Lakeview resident Greg Costello,
27, also runs the marathon—in times
as fast as 2:20:48. One of Chicago’s
best marathoners, Costello runs for the
Nike Elite Racing Team and recently
participated in the Olympic trials. Though
he didn’t make it to Beijing, he did set a
personal record. And the marathon isn’t
even his best race. So you’re actually better at the
half-marathon? Yeah, I think a 10-miler and
half-marathon are my peak distance,
but after the 10,000 meters there’s no
Olympic race except the marathon. How did
you get started running? In high school I was a
big soccer player. My dad played for the
Chicago Fire. I ran track to stay in shape
and turned out to be a little more talented
than I thought. Do you like running such long
distances, or are you just good at it? It’s interesting.
My first marathon I had a horrible race. I
was walking with five miles to go. I went
On Patrick Kane: Trench coat,
$495, by Theory; shirt, $295,
and sweater, $475, both by
Etro, all at Neiman Marcus.
Pants, $125, snakeskin belt,
$255, and watch, $450, all at
Hugo Boss, 312.660.0056.
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On Greg Costello: Leather blazer,
$1,195, and sweater, $195, both
at Hugo Boss, 312.660.0056.
Button-down shirt, $495, by
Gucci at Neiman Marcus. Jeans,
$231, by Rock & Republic at Saks
Fifth Avenue, 312.944.6500.
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out way too hard; it was a very painful
experience. I was like, ‘man I don’t know
if I’m ever going to do this again.’ But 10
minutes later I thought, ‘I can’t wait to
do my next one.’ It’s addictive. Describe your
personal style. I like bright clothing, I like to
stand out. I actually do care what I look
like when I’m running. I like to have a
nice jacket in the winter. I tend to have
a lot of Banana Republic, J. Crew. I love
Burberry. I love suits. When I was in sales
I had some nice suits, one from Ralph
Lauren, a Hugo Boss jacket. Sometimes
I miss dressing up for work.
adam buRish
When it comes to hockey archetypes,
every team needs a bruiser—and, on the
Blackhawks, no one has stepped in to fill
that role of late like winger Adam Burish.
From a highly Youtube’d one-punch K.O.
of former Calgary Flame Eric Nystrom to
an all-out brawl with Dallas Star Brenden
Morrow (in which Burish had the tiny
disadvantage of having lost his helmet),
Burish, 25, has stepped up to give the
Hawks, and Hawks fans, that extra spark
that can only be ignited with a good oldfashioned dustup. You’ve really become a fan favorite,
haven’t you? If you want to play in the NHL,
you have to do something special. There
are a lot of other guys trying to do your
job. For me, I enjoy getting in peoples’
faces; I enjoy being the blue-collar guy
that works his tail off. I love doing the
dirty work, fighting somebody. At the end
of the game you have a black eye, or you
give somebody else a black eye, and you
feel pretty good. Was that always your style of play?
No, when I was younger I was more of a
skill guy. But I want to stick up for guys
like [second-year Blackhawks] [Jonathan]
Toews and [Patrick] Kane. Is being a bruiser
more of a mental or physical thing? Both parts are
hard. Sometimes it’s hard mentally before
a game knowing someone’s going to tap
you on the shoulder and want to fight that
night. But physically it’s hard, too. You’re
fighting guys that are 6’5”, 220 pounds.
Are you friends with those guys after the game? That’s
the cool thing, everybody understands
it’s part of the game. Sometimes you go
to dinner with them afterwards. Are you
competitive in other aspects of your life? Oh, yeah.
logan pause
A pillar of the Chicago Fire’s defense
since he joined Major League Soccer in
2003, Hillsborough, North Carolina
native Logan Pause, 27, is a top defensive
central midfielder, and has recently been
described as “the glue that holds the
team together.” Starting in 21 out of 23
games last year, he has also on occasion
stepped up to the plate to fill in gaps at
right back. So what does a Southern guy like you
think about playing in Chicago? The fans here are
insane, they’re awesome. There are huge
Hispanic and Polish populations that
have a lot of grass roots in soccer, so that
helps. Where were you when you found out you’d been
drafted? I was actually in Portugal playing
with the Olympic team. There was a
group of us huddled around the Internet
[following the draft], trying to see when
we were going. One of the coaches there
was an assistant coach for Chicago and
he walked into the room and threw a
On Adam Burish: Panther leather jacket,
$1,495, by Belstaff; turtleneck sweater,
$300, by Zanone; and wool shirt, $845,
by Luciano Barbera, all at George
Greene, 312.654.2490.
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Fire T-Shirt at me and said, ‘Welcome
aboard.’ It was a pretty cool feeling.
You live with your roommate and teammate John
Thorrington in Old Town. Where do you guys like to hang
out? I love live music, whether it’s Park
West or Northerly Island. I play the
guitar a little. What are a few of your favorite bands?
I love classic rock, Led Zeppelin, Bob
Dylan, The Who. I just saw The Wailers
and Matisyahu, which was a cool show.
If you could test yourself against any player in the world,
who would it be? Well, David Beckham is
in our league, everyone knows who he
is, but people don’t give him enough
credit for how good of a player he is. I’ve
played against him, which is exciting.
And I’m fortunate enough to play with
Cuauhtémoc Blanco, who’s arguably the
best Mexican soccer player in history.
David diaz
There are tough guys in every sport,
but none more so than boxing—and
few boxers are as tough as Humboldt
Park native David Diaz, 32. Though
he recently surrendered his WBC
lightweight crown to pound-for-pound
champ Manny Pacquiao over nine
grueling rounds in Vegas, Diaz will be
back on the warpath soon. A member
of the 1996 Olympic team, he lives in
Belmont Cragin with his wife, Tanya,
and kids David and Elias. Describe how you
felt when you beat the Mexican legend Erik Morales for
the title last year. It was a major title fight in
Chicago, one of the biggest fights since
the ’20s or ’30s. It was something I always
dreamed of, and, ironically enough, I got
to defend my title at the place where I
won my first Golden Gloves, which
back then was the Rosemont Horizon,
now the Allstate Arena. The whole fight
was a throwback to the ’20s and ’30s,
a gutsy fight where we were toe-to-toe
every round and it came down to the last
round, and I did it. When did you decide to turn
pro? After the Olympics. Participating in
the Olympics is the best feeling in the
world, even better than winning the
title. It was in Atlanta and Muhammad
Ali lit the torch to start the games. It’s the
best feeling in the world when 100,000
people are cheering for you. Where do you and
your wife like to go out on a Saturday night? All over.
On Logan Pause: Vest, $398, by John Varvatos and
jeans, $225, by John Varvatos Star USA, both at
Bloomingdale’s, 312.440.4460. T-shirt, $125, and
sweater, $225, both by John Varvatos Star USA;
and boots, $830, by Alexander McQueen, all at
Saks Fifth Avenue, 312.944.6500. Bracelet, $380,
by David Heston at Neiman Marcus.
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We like La Vita down on Taylor Street.
We’ll go there for pasta, I love Italian.
We like Morton’s Steakhouse. For
dancing—for Spanish, 720, for English
music, Red No. 5. We mix it up with
everything. There’s no downtown like
this, this clean. I love Chicago. I’ll never
leave. What’s next for you? Probably one more
fight, then go for another title.
john thorrington
It was a long and winding road for star
midfielder John Thorrington to reach
the Chicago Fire, but we don’t feel too
sorry for him. Raised in Palos Verdes,
California, Thorrington, 29, was the
youngest American ever to sign with
Manchester United, where he played
two years. He then played in Europe for
six more years before returning stateside.
Thorrington has twice been named to
On David Diaz: Sweatshirt,
$290, by Helmut Lang at
Bloomingdale’s, 312.440.4460.
T-Shirt, $38, by S.C.P. at Scoop
NYC, 773.227.9930. Ring, $980,
and bracelet, $380, both by David
Heston at Neiman Marcus.
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On John Thorrington: Merino wool
cardigan sweater, $298, by Elie
Tahari and corduroy pants, $185,
by John Varvatos Star USA, both at
Bloomingdale’s. Plaid shirt, $148, by
Juicy Couture for Men, and suede
belt, $175, both at Saks Fifth Avenue.
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the U.S. National Team. That’s amazing that
you were the youngest American player ever signed to
Manchester United. It was a dream come true.
I was in the youth system, in the reserves,
but it was the best players in your age
group in the world. It was a huge step up.
What would you say has been the highlight of your career
so far? Last year, I’d spent a lot of time
injured. To come back for the second
half last year and end up scoring the
goal that got us into the playoffs [against
the L.A. Galaxy], that was especially
satisfying. Who are a couple of your favorite players?
When I was with Manchester United
I played the same position as David
Beckham. So I saw his game up close
and got some insight into how he carried
himself on and off the field. Now I play
with Cuauhtémoc Blanco, and you don’t
appreciate how good he is until you see
him every day. Describe your sense of style. Well,
I went from California wearing shorts
and sandals, to Europe, which was super
label-conscious. I was 17 and that’s
what I spent my money on. I get flak
from [teammate and roommate] Logan
[Pause] because I went for the Prada and
Armani suits. But they last!
nick mancuso
Car racing requires not only an
addiction to adrenaline, but also great
mental dexterity—one wrong turn of
that wheel and watch out. So it seems as
if Lake Forest’s Nick Mancuso, 21, was
born to race. A passionate and brainy
guy, he’s an amateur herpetologist (that’s
the study of reptiles) and a black-belt in
karate; and he tested well enough to skip
his freshman year at the University of
Santa Barbara. Did we mention he was
named the 2007 Rookie of the Year for
the Sports Car Club of America, and
recently beat out dozens of other drivers
to take part in the Volkswagen Jetta TDI
Cup Race Series? What is the TDI series? Thirty
drivers race against each other in eight
races, and the winner gets $250,000
and continues with Volkswagen. “TDI”
means turbo direct injection. It’s a way
for Volkswagen to showcase its clean
diesel technology. What are your strengths
as a driver? I’m pretty analytical; a lot of
drivers are. People take it for granted
how much work goes into this. The first
thing we do is pull the cars in the pit and
plug a computer into them and analyze
the data for hours. How else do you prepare for a
race? There’s a big fitness aspect. The suits
are thick and don’t breathe well, then
you get into the cockpit and it’s over
100 degrees. Your heart rate is elevated.
They’ve done studies and found that
drivers at the Grand Prix burn almost
as many calories as a marathon runner.
OK, what’s up with the herpetology? I have no
idea. My mom let me keep a snake that
I caught when I was younger, and I
took classes at this wildlife center, then
I started working there. I really like
to photograph [reptiles] in the wild.
That’s kind of how I pick my travels. My
destinations the next couple of years are
Africa and New Guinea.
On Nick Mancuso: Check pleats jacket, $2,930, by
Yohji Yamamoto, turtleneck sweater, $325, by Zanone,
pants, $360, by Incotex, all at George Greene. Belt,
$245, by Gucci at Saks Fifth Avenue. Cuff bracelet,
$650, by David Yurman at Neiman Marcus.
Grooming by Joyce Taft at Artists by Timothy
Priano using Aquage, and Lia Rivette at
Stuart Talent using Earthscience.
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