Chicagoing Out - Sports

In a previous installment Candy mentioned that she may come to Chicago if it involved a trip to Wrigley Field.  I knew I was going to write about our sports scene, but I didn't think it would be this soon in the series.

According to Wiki, we have a ton of pro sports teams, but to be honest, most people in town wouldn't know that we even had 2 pro rugby teams (Lions & Griffins) let alone an outdoor lacrosse team(Machine).  I'm going to hit the biggies.  As a side note, I'm not really a diehard fan of ANY of the Chicago teams, and this is really more about the venues and the event-iness of it, rather than really about the teams themselves.

Chicago Cubs / Wrigley Field:  Sorry Sox fans, but they own the summer.  True, some treat it as nothing more that a beer garden with a hefty cover charge.  And the LPT's in their pink Cubs hats asking what down is it (so not you MelO, if you're out there) can be annoying.  But the grass, the brick, the ivy, the neighborhood on game day.  It simply cannot be beat.  It's old, and shows it's age.  But with dignity and grace.  With Boston's Fenway Park it is a baseball shrine that every true fan of the game should visit.

And yes, "Wrigley" is an extremely popular dog's name.

Extra curricular:  I saw Jimmy Buffett here one Labor Day.  It ruled.

Chicago White Sox / U.S. Cellular Field aka "The Cell" aka New Comiskey  Park:  I was just there, and let me tell you, if you have a chance to watch from the Jim Beam Club, do it.  But only if you aren't paying for the ticket.  And dear GOD in heaven, do not sit in the upper deck.  I never made it to the old stadium, but this new one isn't as bad as everyone will tell you.  And tickets are MUCH easier to get.  And you can take the Red line L right there, just don't wander around the neighborhood.  But if you want to watch good baseball, not a bad place to go.

Extra curricular: I saw the Rolling Stones with the opening act of the Pretenders here.

Chicago Bears / Soldier Field:  No, there is no "s" or " 's".  Just "Soldier Field".  This place was a nasty OLD hole before the redid it a few years ago.  It is now a nasty NEW hole.  Butt ugly modernist stadium stuck in a classical shell.  You've seen the  pictures.

It's worse in person.  And stupid.

I ask you, if you're dreaming of hosting the Olympics, why would you spend a crap load of money remodeling your primary stadium, but make it TOO SMALL to host the opening and closing ceremonies?  Cluster fuck.  But ask me how I really feel.  :-)

And it is a MISERABLE place to watch a game in December.  That lake wind which can make a July baseball game feel like it's in November, can make a football game in December a special kind of hell where they tell the wind chill in Kelvin because it's easier.

Extra curricular:  I saw some exhibition soccer games here in the 90's.  Otherwise, I got nothin'.

Chicago Bull & Blackhawks / The United Center:  To be perfectly honest, I've never seen either team in this venue.  Not a huge fan of either team.  But I can tell you, this is an extremely soulless and sterile building.  The best features are the Jordan statue out front, and the very wide concourses, which are nice.  (At this moment, the Bulls just were defeated (not "lost" there's a difference) in the playoffs by Boston (Go Green!) but the 'hawks are still going strong.)

Extra curricular:  I saw the first event here, a Billy Joel concert on the 'River of Dreams' tour.  And later I've seen the Eagles and Rush here, too.

16" Softball: But you can't talk Chicago sports without mentioning 16" softball.  It's a dying game, but it's still big here.  You probably know it as 'mush-ball' from grade school PE with that huge ball.  There are jammed fingers and mangled knuckles all over the city.  It's being replaced by the much more common 12" variety.  Not that I play either.

Chicago Marathon: And there's also the Chicago Marathon.  It's an "open" marathon.  Unlike Boston, you don't need to qualify.  And also, unlike Boston, there are no hills.  When I ran it, I think there was about 42,000 people registered.  It's a thundering herd that passes fairly close to most of the venues listed above, but the crowd is amazing.  Usually 2 or 3 people deep.  Shoulder to shoulder.  For most of the 26.2 mile course.  All cheering for YOU.  There are spots (down by the Cell) where the crowd thins, but there's always people there cheering for you.

An amazing experience.  But I don't overly recommend starting a new job the day after your first marathon.