’83-’84 T-Stars

By Heather Johnson

When it was announced in June of 1983 that Tacoma had been awarded an MISL franchise (that of the defunct Denver Avalanche), I was appalled, even if the effort was led by John Best. Sure, it was Tacoma, so who really cared, but by then it was sadly obvious that my beloved Sounders were in financial trouble, and I feared the effect that the competition would have on them. Besides, indoor soccer was an abomination, a needless bastardization of an already great game. It was crassly commercial, a soccer/hockey hybrid created for the express purpose of fitting commercials into television broadcasts. The very idea was an outrage. But then the Sounders folded in September of that year, with the Stars scheduled to start play in November. After a week or so of mourning, indoor soccer didn’t seem so bad. It was soccer, after all. And there was now a glut of out-of-work soccer players on the market. Maybe it was worth a try. 

Not surprisingly, several of these former Sounders did wind up on the Stars, along with players such as Tony Chursky and Jimmy McAlister who had played on the Sounders in earlier years. The projected star of the team was Danko “White Shoes” Grgic (not a former Sounder). He wasn’t. Quite honestly, I can’t remember a single thing about him, except for the fact that he didn’t even wear white shoes all the time. So much for truth in advertising. Far more entertaining was former Sounder defender Ray Evans, who adapted to the indoor game remarkably swiftly. In no time at all he became adept in the multiple uses of the boards and he became one of the team’s leading scorers. Mark Peterson (another former Sounder, and Tacoma native) was the team scoring leader, to no one’s surprise. Tony Chursky and John Baretta shared goalkeeping duties, and split a number of concussions between them, too. Ralph Black’s never-say-die attitude was infectious (and would prove to be the backbone of the team for years to come), and Gary Heale’s smoothness on the ball was also indicative of future greatness.

Aside from the soccer itself, games were, um, an experience. Every game was preceded by the fabulous player introduction production, which was comprised strobe lights, a laser light show (featuring Star Man), and non-toxic laser mist. Players entered the field through a lit goal, and stood amongst huge inflatable stars. On top of that, disco-esque music was played throughout much of the game. It somehow managed to be both cheesily entertaining and annoyingly distracting at the same time.

But when all was said and done, it was an enjoyable year. Coached by Bob McNab, the new team ended the season with a respectable 22-26 record, and had averaged 5300 fans per game. Fans were eagerly awaiting their second year.