‘Blanco Cam’ to follow Fire striker through game

CHICAGO -- First they brought you “Beckham Cam,” and now ESPN2 will debut “Blanco Cam” -- a single camera that will follow striker Cuauhtemoc Blanco’s every move throughout Thursday’s Chicago Fire road game against FC Dallas.

The “MLS Primetime Thursday” telecast will be Blanco-heavy, with ESPNDeportes’ Fernando Palomo joining Eric Wynalda and Glenn Davis in the broadcast booth.

“We’re going to show what kind of player he is -- what kind of person he is,” Palomo said about “Blanco Cam.”

“He can control the game whether he has the ball or not, whether it’s by controlling the refs or getting in the opponent’s mind, and we’re going to show that.”

Blanco, like Beckham, played his first MLS game in July. The Mexican star has three goals and five assists in his eight games with Chicago. The Fire is 8-10-6.

Wynalda has stated his dislike for Blanco, whom he faced several times as a member of the U.S. national team.

“Blanco gets on some people’s nerves, and that probably has driven Wynalda’s dislike for Blanco,” Palomo said. “It’s black or white with Blanco. There’s no gray area. You either like him or don’t.

“We’re going to try to tell this story of Blanco with the broadcast.”

-- Luis Arroyave, Chicago Tribune