The Weekend That Was: 1/23/2017

Welcome to the start of a new weekly series, where we look at the big stories from the weekend in MLS and around the world.

MLS Preseason 2017 Starts Today

It’s happeniiiiiiiiing! The Fire, along with most of the league, began preseason prep today. Fire players are training at the PrivateBank Fire Pitch this week and take off for Florida on Sunday. Their first preseason game is February 4th against Florida Gulf Coast University.

Get. Hype.

Ryan Mason Recovering From A Terrible Head Injury

Hull City midfielder Ryan Mason was taken off early in the second half of their 2-0 loss to Chelsea. He was rushed to the hospital and went right into surgery to treat a skull fracture. He’s in stable condition now, conscious and talking to people around him. Glad he’s going to be okay, but it makes you wonder how bad head injuries in the sport have to get before something is done.

Mario Balotelli Deals With More Racist Abuse

During Friday’s Ligue 1 clash, Bastia fans hurled racial epithets at Nice striker Mario Balotelli. The incident made headlines after the former AC Milan and Liverpool #9 made a post referencing it on Instagram. Afterward, a teammate backed him up and Bastia feigned shock. French football officials are investigating, but let’s be honest— nothing will change. Fines will be handed down and everyone will forget until the next time this happens.

Chapecoense Plays Their First Friendly Since The Airline Crash

Shut up, you’re crying.

The Section 8 Chicago 2017 Election

Section 8 and the team face a tremendous amount of work this year, and we at Hot Time wish the new board all the best.