Chicago 365 World Series Central: We've Been Bounced

     Unless you were either living under a rock or partaking in way too many recreational substances back in August, you've heard of Jackie Robinson West. I covered them extensively in this blog back then, from their encounter with Mo'ne Davis and the Taney Dragons, to the hometown celebration of their U.S. Championship, to everything in between(including that time when they were the most popular baseball team in the city). It was a glorious run that will live on in the memories of Chicagoans forever. The record books, not so much.

     This morning Little League Baseball announced that JRW will be stripped of all victories from their postseason run(including their miracle comeback in the Regional Title game and their Finals game versus South Korea). Apparently the team illegally included players from outside the city limits to create a Superteam. In addition to being stripped of its wins, the team's manager has been suspended, the head of the local Little League Disctrict has been fired, and JRW is also suspended from playing until they get their act together. Going forward, the fate is unclear, but we can all rally around the kids, remember how they made us feel, and look forward to the next baseball thrill to hit Chicago(maybe the Cubs and Sox will actually put a watchable product on the field this year)

Friends in Windy Places

     The last time that country superstar Garth Brooks played in Chicago, we hadn't heard of Britney, barely knew anything about Justin, and knew way too much about Bill and Monica. Times certainly have changed. Brooks has begun his comeback tour, and he got the ball rolling right here in Chicago. To kick things off, he played an 11 concert engagement over at the Allstate Arena which his fans gobbled up like a good home-cooked meal. His fans weren't the only ones affected though. The Chicago Sky were forced to play their home games of the WNBA Finals at the UIC Pavilion because Garth was taking up the Allstate with his comeback shows. But Garth did more than just play old hits and kick the Sky out of their home court.

     Before one of the shows, he met backstage with roughly 20 sports figures who have worked with his charity over the past several years. Two of those attendees just so happened to be coaches with the Chicago Fire, who went on to present Brooks with a team jersey during the meet and greet. After that, it was time to take the stage. The house lights went out, and all of a sudden a skull and crossbones appeared. After a light show and rousing intro by his band, Garth came out to perform one of his newest songs. After going back to some old standards, Garth had a small mishap when he fell onstage. While on a riser in the middle of a song, he tried to jump off, but misjudged the landing and took a spill. But he handled it like a champ, rolling into it and hopping back up on his feet. All told, Garth Brooks is back, and Chicago loves him. 

     And now, a little ditty on your way out:

What a Riot!

     This past weekend, we saw one more signpost that summer is almost over, the annual return of Riot Fest to its Humboldt Park abode. Celebrating its 10th edition this year, the fest has grown from a few bands playing in a scattering of area clubs to more than 160,000 fans cramming into the outdoor venues. Many different acts graced the stages, ranging from Dashboard Confessional, The National, Wu-Tang Clan, to acts like Patti Smith, but one of the most highly anticipated bands came directly in the face of international infamy.


     I am specifically referring to the Russian femme-punk group Pussy Riot, fresh out of a 20-month stint in a Russian jail for daring to criticize the Putin Regime(you mean there's an act out there that got sent up the river for a good reason rather than dealing drugs/other shit like that? Yes Virginia, I guess there is a Santa Claus after all). The panel featured several other punk names, from such acts as Black Flag, Bad Religion, and Rise Against. On the final day of the festival, Patti Smith took the stage to perform a moving set as she paid homage to her late husband, while at the same time extolling the youth of today to not lose their edge: "We do have the power!...Don't forget it!...People, you can change the f*****g world!"


     Of course, having 160,000 people roaming around a wet field all weekend isn't going to be very good for the field.  In fact, so bad that the field was a wet, muddy mess afterwards.  There was scheduled to be a walk through today to see how bad the damage is, but last year's cleanup cost $54,000.  With this year's increased attendance, costs could only go up.  So we'll see how that goes.  Otherwise, Riot Fest proved to be yet another successful festival in the city's crowded music calendar.

Chicago 365 Playoff Central: Mercury Poisoning

     Coming back to Chicago, the Sky were up against the wall, having dug themselves an 0-2 hole against the Phoenix Mercury.  But their home floor was waiting for them.  Well, not exactly their home floor.  Due to the Garth Brooks concert(more on that later), the Sky were booted out of their normal home at the Allstate Arena, and trekked it over to the West Side to play at the UIC Pavilion(which was their first home upon joining the league).  Regardless of the venue change, their fans still showed up to cheer them on as they made a bid to avoid the sweep.

     One thing that the Sky had going for them was the absence of Mercury star Brittney Griner, who was sidelined due to an eye injury she sustained in Game 2.  The Sky came out of the gates hard and fast, and were hanging even with the Mercury through the first quarter.  By halftime, Phoenix had a 2 point lead.  But in the 3rd, the combined efforts of Chicago's Big Three(who put up a total of 62 points) started to show when the Sky ended the quarter with a 63-61 lead.  It all came down to the 4th Quarter, where the Sky made one final stand to save their season.  Alas, the effort came up short, and they wound up losing to Phoenix 87-82, allowing the Mercury to capture their 3rd WNBA title in 7 years.

Bacon!

     Like all good things, this summer must come to an end, and the same goes for our summertime coverage.  I'll be keeping the party going for the next week and a half, before wrapping our summer up on September 21(you know, around the time of the actual end of summer).  But for now, let's take a look at one of the most important food groups out there-Bacon.

     This past weekend, the Great American Bacon Festival took up residence in the Great Hall of Union Station.  Put on by Red Frog Events(who have produced several different events in the city over the past few years, but they might be best known as the folks behind the Warrior Dash), the event celebrated bacon and the love of bacon in Chicago.  With such fare as Hickory Smoked Bacon, Jalapeño Bacon, Canadian Bacon, and Dry Cured Bacon, the fest conspired to tug at the taste buds(and cholesterol levels) of all Chicagoans.  A spokesman for Red Frog put it best when he said that "We as a company love bacon...who doesn't?...We don't think there's an end to the love of bacon in Chicago."  He's right, there most certainly is not.  And with so many bacon-infused dishes, how could there be?  Oh yes, I did say bacon-infused dishes.  Here are some examples:

• Smoky Bacon & Quinoa Salad
• Cajun Bacon Wrapped Shrimp
• Smoked Bacon Chili
• Bacon Caramel Corn
• Smoked Gouda Bacon Mac n' Cheese
• Bacon Cheddar Mashed Potato Croquet
• Moroccan Spice Rubbed Bacon Wrapped Water Chestnut

     Plus many, many more things containing what is said to be America's favorite food group.  In fact, so much of a favorite that the Great American Bacon Festival was the 4th major Bacon event to take place in the city in 5 months, after Baconfest(a porcine-themed hoedown at the UIC Forum), the Bacon, Sports, and Beer Celebration, and Red Frog's own Bacon Chase 5k/.05k back in June.  But the timing of this specific fest also served a purpose, according to the Red Frog spokesman. "This is also a nice way to extend summer as long as possible in Chicago."  Yes, indeed it is.

Chicago 365 Playoff Central: 0-2,(and once again) in the hole

     After losing the first game of the series, the Sky were back for Game 2. Plus, after missing most of Game 1, Elena Delle Donne was back at full strength for Game 2.  Additionally, the Chicago Sky came out of the gate much more physically.  Unfortunately, all that was for naught, as the Mercury drubbed Chicago for the most lopsided win in WNBA Finals history.  Specifically, Phoenix capitalized on a 15-2 run to put the Sky away for good.  After suffering a few facial injuries, Brittney Griner put the team on her back and rallied for the victory.  Even though Delle Donne scored 22 points, the combined effort of the Sky still fell short.  Right now the Mercury is up 2-0, and one win away from locking up their 3rd title.  The pivotal Game 3 tips off on Friday over at the UIC Pavilion.

The Memorial Fountain

     If you've indulged in one of our city's many river cruises, you may have noticed a giant jet of water shooting over the river at various times throughout the day. Well, what you have seen is not a fluke, but it is one of Chicago's more unique memorials. Built in 1989, the Nicholas J. Melas Memorial Fountain was erected to commemorate the 100th Anniversary of the Metropolitan Water Reclamation District. The creation of the MWRD came about at a time when the Chicago River had devolved into a disgusting and disease-ridden cesspool that emptied straight into the source of the city's drinking water. After one too many cholera outbreaks(I'm not joking) the city decided to reroute the river. The MWRD was created for that, and it worked. The fountain itself sprays across the river for 10 Minutes every hour on the hour. It was named after Nicholas Melas, who had been a member of the MWRD for 30 years, including the last 18 as President.

Chicago 365 Playoff Central: The Sky is the Limit

     After JRW's success on the Little League diamond, guess what?  We get even more playoff action, this time coming to us from the land of the Women's National Basketball Association.  The Chicago Sky have spent most of the time since their founding in 2006 on the outside of the playoff picture.  Not recently though. Last season the sky made the playoffs but lost in the first round(the WNBA runs its season from May to August with the playoffs coming in September). This year the Sky returned to the postseason and rolled through the first two rounds, beating both Atlanta and Indiana 2 games to 1. And so, they've now made their way to the WNBA finals, which is a best-of-5 format.  They're up against the Phoenix Mercury(a founding member of the WNBA when it started in 1997), who've made the playoffs 9 times and have 2 titles to show for it.  Game 1 of the Finals was contested yesterday, and the results were not beneficial.  The Mercury took it to us early and often, and the Sky ended up losing the game 83-62.  It didn't help that Elena Delle Donne was still suffering from an injured back and only played 11 minutes of the game.  Sylvia Fowles picked up some of the slack by chipping in for 19 points, but the combined forces of Candice Dupree, Diana Taurasi, and Brittney Griner proved to be too much for the Sky.  Game 2 is tomorrow night in Phoenix, and we'll hope for a better result then.

Chicago 365 Championship Central 3/3: Chicago Celebrates

       They came to Williamsport. They won the U.S. title. They showed the world that Chicago was a force to be reckoned with. They came back home. The only thing left to do was to have a party. And that's just what Chicago did on Wednesday. The day started off with a rally down south at Jackie Robinson Park. There were speeches by Coach Darold Butler, the players, and even some brief remarks from Mayor Emanuel and Governor Quinn, who read a letter from the widow of Jackie Robinson and proclaimed Wednesday JRW Champs Day in Illinois(and no boos this time, just some crickets[maybe Pat Quinn should just stay away from sports rallies from now on]).

     After that party was all done, the team boarded buses and made their way north. But before reaching their final destination, the convoy made a stop at U.S. Cellular Field. That was where the White Sox lent the team their 2005 World Series Trophy to use for the day. That was also where the team switched over to double-decker coaches(the same type that have carried the Blackhawks for their parades) to complete the journey into the city. After processing right down Michigan Avenue, the team disembarked in Millennium Park to kick off the downtown rally, where they were introduced by Hawk Harrelson. Theo Epstein and Ken Williams were there to represent Chicago's pro clubs, but the focus remained upon JRW.  Coach Butler's reaction to the screaming fans was palpable: "Wow, wow, wow, this is unbelievable...Y'all are about to make me cry. Chi-town, thank you, we love you."  After some more congratulations from the city, the rally dispersed.  But the celebrations didn't end there either.  Navy Pier dedicated its Wednesday night fireworks show to the boys of JRW.  Not just that, but the Rainbow/PUSH coalition was working out a deal to send all the boys to Disney World to further toast their accomplishment.


    

Chicago 365 Championship Central 2/3: Chicago Plays

     This past Sunday, Jackie Robinson West competed in the Final of the Little League World Series. They were up against International Champion South Korea,who reached the title game by way of a commanding 12-3 defeat of Japan. The game started with high hopes, as JRW sought to become the first all-black team to win it all. South Korea jumped out to an early 1-0 lead right out of the gate. After falling another run behind, West got one back in the 4th inning. South Korea added two more runs to their lead by the end of the 5th, before piling on 4 more runs in their half of the 6th. But even with their backs against the wall, JRW still held on till the end, scoring 3 runs in the bottom of the 6th and beginning their comeback bid. Alas, it was not enough, and South Korea wound up capturing the 2014 Little League World Series title by a final score of 8-4. Regardless, JRW put forth an effort to be proud of, and made memories that will last a lifetime. Not just that, but they seem to have accumulated accolades from all corners of the city. But there will be more on that in the next entry.

Chicago 365 Championship Central 1/3: Chicago Watches

     Well, what do you know?  After being humiliated by Nevada, and being advised by at least one Little League official to book passage home early to make it more streamlined, Jackie Robinson West reeled off 4 victories(including a win against Nevada) in a row to make it to the World Championship game.  Now what actually happened in the game will be the subject of the next part, but for now we'll be talking about the scene back in Chicago.  And what a scene it was.  Let's start down south. Jackie Robinson Park on 103rd Street has been the site of all the watch parties for their whole run dating all the way back to their Regional tournament. This game was no exception, except for a few differences.  This time, the watch party was at the Kroc Community Center, and there were even such people there as Pat Quinn, Bruce Rauner, and Rahm Emanuel.  But the big party was located downtown in the Loop.  And not just any part of the Loop, but right in front of the Chicago Theater.  The city actually went to the trouble of closing down State Street so that the viewing party could be held.  At this party, Chicagoans of all types turned out united in one desire: to see our boys from the Heights bring home the World Championship.  It was marvelous.  Of course the results of the game, not so much.  But that's for the next entry.

Music and Running in the South Loop

     Summer is starting to wrap up.  That doesn't mean that Chicago doesn't have a few more fests up its sleeve though, as was seen this past weekend in the South Loop.  Crowds streamed into the fest to see all that it had to offer, and there was quite a bit.  The staple of any summertime fest worth its salt is the music lineup, and the Bash on Wabash was no exception.  This fest was interesting in that it featured 100% home-grown musical talent, with such acts as:

• California Wives, an 80s revival group with a twist. These guys trade the stereotypical synth-heavy sounds for more of pop sense and rhythms that you can dance to.
• Mar Caribe, which is a 7-member band covering the classics, 60s ballads, movie themes, cowboy songs, and surf numbers.  The name translates as 'Caribbean Sea', so it is little surprise that they have been described as "a combo as utterly fun as it is utterly weird"
• Martin Van Ruin, an amalgamation that took one member from Derek Nelson and the Musicians, some other guys from Planetsexploder, other folks from Jenny Dragon, and some other guys to sit in the back and think up more random band names.
• The O'My's, who actually aren't a George Takei tribute band, who are leading a new breed of local funk and soul music with generous doses of Chicago pride.  They've actually had quite a storied history of collaboration, including with folks like Chance the Rapper.

     Of course, the music isn't the only thing luring folks into the fests environs, with many other attractions as well. For those basketball fans in the crowd, there was even an opportunity to check out our very own DePaul Blue Demons.  The team was there to shoot hoops with their fans, play Hot Shot, and distribute information on the 2014-15 season.  There was even something for the runners and bikers out there, as the fest included a 5k run as part of the fest and a 10 Mile bike ride as well.  The 5k wasn't a strictly competitive race, but it was an opportunity for those attending the festivities to get out and explore the city on a run with other like-minded individuals.  Additionally, there were the usual smatterings of food offerings, kids events, as well as Goose Island having a presence at the festival.  All told, the Bash on Wabash ended up being a success, and one more sign of the wind-down of Chicago's summer.
 
 



 

Chicago 365 Playoff Central: When Storylines Collide

     Jackie Robinson West came to Williamsport as the first all-black team to play in the Series in 31 years.  Couple that with the violence that strikes far too often in the area of the team's Washington Heights home park, and JRW's run is the stuff that dreams are made of makes for great news stories(nice try, Bogart).  Incidentally, JRW isn't the only team there producing good copy. Once you get past West's run, the biggest story coming out of Williamsport has got to be that of Mo'ne Davis, the female phenom pitcher for Philadelphia's Taney Youth Baseball.

I think I see a hand there in the back of the room.  Yes Hamilton Porter, you had something to say?

     Why yes Hambino, Mo'ne Davis does play ball like a girl.  A girl who throws at an equivalent speed of 93 miles an hour on a full size diamond.  A girl whose pitching angle never varies by more than 3 degrees. A girl who can deliver a pitch at 80% the velocity of the average Major League pitcher. A girl who on Monday will become the first Little Leaguer to be featured on the cover of Spprts Illustrated.  Suffice it to say that Davis' pitching was attracting many fans, followers, and newsmen to her team's exploits in Williamsport.  And then all of a sudden, thanks to West's victory over Texas and Taney's loss to Vegas, these two compelling stories collided in the United States Semifinal.

     JRW started off the action by pouring on 4 runs in the first inning, before Taney answered back with 2 in their half.  West immediately took 2 more runs in the 2nd to make it 6-2.  Taney would score 3 more runs to pull within one, but Cameron Bufford recorded the save to add to his pivotal role in West's postseason run.  Along with some hits by Josh Houston, all of JRW once again pitched in to help our guys go the distance and punch a ticket to the United States Championship(hmm, maybe putting Mo'ne Davis on the cover of Sports Illustrated wasn't the best idea).  Once there, they will face a familiar opponent: Mountain Ridge of Las Vegas.  Representing the only blemish on JRW's record(a 13-2 drubbing that still managed to outpace Chi-town's pro clubs), Vegas presents a unique challenge.  Regardless, West will be ready to face it.  First pitch is at 2:30 PM local time on Saturday.  All the luck to our boys from the Heights.


     On a totally unrelated note, if The Sandlot clip above left you wanting for more, here's a clip of the same actor who played the little kid at a celebration of the 20th Anniversary of the movie.  Quite interesting if you ask me.

Chicago 365 Playoff Bonus: Major League Baseball? What Major League Baseball?

     On Sunday, Jackie Robinson West got clobbered 13-2 by Mountain Ridge. But while they lost that game, they proved that they're far and away the most popular ball club in the city right now. The game was broadcast on Channel 7 and took in a 4.6 rating, which corresponds to 161,000 households watching the game. The Cubs and the Sox on Sunday combined for only 91,000 households. That's right, 70,000 more people tuned in to watch the boys from the Heights give up 13 runs than those who cared to watch either of Chicago's pro teams play out yet another moribund season. Not just that, but their win in the opener drew better ratings than either the Cubs or the Sox averaged out over their entire seasons. We'd better enjoy the ride while it lasts, because this is going to be the best baseball we see for the rest of the year.

Chicago 365 Playoff Central: We messed with Texas-and we won!

     After squeezing out a narrow victory over Rhode Island, Jackie Robinson West was back in action last night against Pearland East of Texas.  Thanks in part to a Pearland error, JRW jumped out to an early 3-0 lead in the first inning, including a run scored by persistent star Pierce Jones.  Even though Pearland did manage 1 run in the 3rd, Joshua Houston once again was solid as a rock, guiding West to a dominant 6-1 victory, giving Houston a 3-0 record(yeah, that's right; Houston beat Texas) and propelling the boys from the Heights into the United States semifinal.  Afterwards, the parents of the team were breathing much easier than they were during the Rhode Island game, and Manager Darold Butler said he was excited about the team's chances, as well as what they were doing for the city.  As it stands now, JRW is one of 3 U.S. teams remaining in the World Series, with Nevada and Pennsylvania playing each other tonight.  West takes on the loser of that game tomorrow night, and then the winner of that game if they advance. All the luck to our boys, and here's to continued World Series success!

Chicago 365 Playoff Central: Surviving and Advancing

     After being embarrassed on the field to the tune of 13-2, Jackie Robinson West couldn't afford any more missteps in its next game against Rhode Island's Cumberland American squad.  And no missteps were taken, as JRW eliminated Cumberland to move on to the 3rd Round of the tournament.  Of course, as has been the case with much of West's postseason, things didn't come easy. Pierce Jones started things off by smacking one out of the park to give JRW an early lead.  Unfortunately, Josh Houston would commit an error in the bottom of the inning that would allow Cumberland to take a two-run lead.  But he ultimately made up for his earlier mistake by both going 3 for 3 on the day with 2 RBI, and pitching a 1-2-3 4th inning.  Once Houston retired the side, West scored 2 more runs in the 5th to make the final score 8-7, putting away Cumberland for good and sending them packing back to Rhode Island.


     However, this is not the time to get complacent, as they're due back on the field at 6:30 tonight to play a game against Texas.  The winner of that game will play in the United States semifinal.  As always, best of luck to JRW, and hopefully we'll be back with the next edition talking about a victory.  Cheers!

Look! Up in the Air! It's a Bird! It's a Plane! Yup, it's definitely a Plane.

     This past weekend, it seemed that all of Chicago had turned out to the city's beaches to watch aircraft and watercraft parade all over the lakefront.  All of a sudden, daredevil pilots from across the nation were on hand to mystify and amaze the crowds gathered on North Avenue Beach.  This was all part of a Chicago tradition that has been going on since 1959.  Even though there were military demonstrations on our beaches prior to that, that was the year of the first official show.  That year was a mere shadow of the festivities that would come, with a Coast Guard Air Sea Rescue demo, water ballet, water skiers, and a diving competition.  For the 1960 show, the Thunderbirds and the Golden Knights would initiate an annual tradition by joining the show.

     The show normally operates on Saturday and Sunday, with an unofficial practice show taking place on the Friday beforehand.  However, the schedule was changed up for the 2008 50th Anniversary show, and Friday's practice became a fully-fledged show day.  Not just that, but they pulled out all the stops for it.  Florence Henderson got things started with the National Anthem, followed by the Golden Knights parachuting out of the skies-with Chicagoan Bill Murray in tow, who was there to promote the USO.  But all the excitement wasn't just in the air.  On land, the Lt. Dan Band was rocking the night away with fellow Chicagoan Gary Sinise leading the band.  After a freestyle jet-skiing demonstration from Gary Burtka and some of his award-winning buddies, the night drew to a close with a flyover by a B-1 bomber and some fireworks.  All told, 3.l Million people were estimated to have watched the 2008 show.

     In the years since there have been such spectacles as 50 Air Force recruits being sworn in during the show, to protests against the military aspect of the show, to several women protesting on the beach for their right to go topless in public, to an on-beach proposal.  This year marked the triumphant return of the Blue Angels to the show, and what a sight they were to be seen.  Unfortunately, Chicago only got one day of the Air Show, because Sunday's festivities were called off due to fog.  Regardless, the Air and Water Show dazzled in its 56th edition, and 2015 looks just as promising.  As we wrap up, I'd like to leave you all with this picture.  If this doesn't encapsulate the Chicago Air and Water Show to a T, I don't know what does:

Chicago 365 Playoff Central: It's a wash(but they're still alive)

     Well, what do you know?  Here I thought I wouldn't be going back to Playoff Central this year(cause who else is gonna make the playoffs, one of our baseball teams?  ha!) but the Boys from the Heights proved me wrong.  So here's to Jackie Robinson West and their World Series success!

     After drubbing the team from Lynnwood, WA so badly in their opener that not only was the slaughter rule invoked, but the opposing pitcher actually started crying...

     Attention readers, we interrupt this edition of Chicago 365 for a special announcement from Tom Hanks.

     And now we return you to your normal programming.

     ...things turned out a bit differently for them against Las Vegas' Mountain Ridge this time around.  Like giving up 13 runs and having the slaughter rule invoked on them differently.  This just wasn't JRW's day from the start.  Mountain Ridge jumped to an early 4-0 lead in the first inning.  And though our side managed to put a run up there, the high rollers from Vegas just did not let up.  By the time that the game was called in the 4th inning, Mountain Ridge was up 13-2.  Regional Championship hero Cameron Bufford tried to help by adding another run, but Mountain Ridge simply ran away with the game.  Luckily, the Little League World Series is a double elimination tournament, so JRW could still take the crown, but if they lose again, they're finished.  Their road to the World Championship continues tomorrow night at 7 PM on ESPN 2

Chicago's going to the World Series!

     It may only be August, but a Chicago team has already stamped its ticket to the World Series!  The Little League World Series, that is.  This past Saturday, Jackie Robinson West clinched the Great Lakes Regional and advanced to the Little League World Series in Williamsport, PA, marking the first trip to the Series by a Chicago team since 1983(coincidentally, West was also the last team to represent Chi-Town in the Series in 1983)

     This Regional action was familiar ground for the team, as they had been in this same position merely a year ago, before ultimately coming up one game short.  This year however, things were different.  Facing the team from New Albany, IN in the Regional final, the team found themselves two innings away from falling victim to the same fate as the 2013 team.  However, the team benefited from some late-game heroics in the form of a 7-run 5th inning, which was punctuated by a grand slam off the bat of Cameron Bufford.  After the game, Bufford said that he "was trying to get a base hit...but it went over the fence...I never thought I'd be here." Now that they're on the road to Williamsport, their next stop is the World Series, where they'll face 15 other teams, 7 of them being from the USA, and the other 8 coming from various places around the world.  The action begins Thursday, with West's first game airing at 2 PM on ESPN, where they'll be playing the champions of the Northwest Regional.

     The players' parents appreciate the accomplishment as well. “It’s a combination of factors,” said an adult involved with the team, "Our league has a strong tradition. The coaches were once players. It’s taken hold in the community. You pull kids from a limited area(all of the players on Jackie Robinson West live in the Washington Heights neighborhood), so there’s a sense of community to start out with. Being state champions (the league has won two Illinois championships in a row) is incidental to what we’re trying to do.”  And that is trying to build up better people. The coach of the team then emphasized just what these players meant. "We've got a whole park of 7-to10-year-olds watching these guys like they're Alfonso Soriano, Derrek Lee, or Milton Bradley." (well, hopefully not Milton Bradley :P )

     The parents aren't the only ones praising the youngsters.  Governor Quinn even got in on the celebration by issuing a statement praising the team, applauding their perseverance in closing out the game after being behind. "This group of young ballplayers and their coaches have made all of Illinois proud.  I wish them the best of luck as they represent our state on the world stage"  Additionally, he designated this past Saturday as Jackie Robinson West Little League Champions Day statewide.  Mayor Emanuel also made his approval known, saying that "[the] hard work displayed by the Jackie Robinson West Little League Team and Coach Darold Butler has once again reminded all of Chicago the very best of what we hope from and for our kids. I want the whole team and Coach Butler to know that Chicago is rooting for them, and as they take the field for the Little League World Series, they will be taking the best wishes of an entire city with them.”

 
 

Celebrating Summer for 85 Years

     In 1929, a parade stepped off on the South Side that would still be inspiring kids all over Chicago 85 years later.  That parade was called the Bud Biliken Parade. To get the full story of who/what Bud Biliken is and why there is a parade about it, we must first go further back to 1923, when Richard Abbott(the founder of the Chicago Defender) was trying to brainstorm a children's character to include in his newspaper. At that moment, he was looking out the window when he saw a Biliken, which was a kind of talisman/good luck charm that was all the rage in the early years of the 20th Century. Inspiration struck, and he named his new character Bud Biliken.  Soon afterwards, Bud Biliken became the mascot of the Defender's youth club. Throughout the 20s and the 30s, the Biliken character appeared in the pages of the Chicago Defender, and became a symbol of hope and pride for black residents on the south side.

     In 1929, David Kellum(a fellow member of the Defender staff) decided to start a parade focusing on the Biliken character to celebrate the "unity in diversity for the children of Chicago." Over the course of many years the parade has also became known as the traditional marker denoting the waning days of summer and the impending return to school. Nowadays, the parade has become the second largest annual parade in the country, right behind the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. In fact, the 2010 parade was viewed by more than 25 Million People. In addition, the parade is a popular place for politicians to drop by, including Richard M. Daley, Dick Durbin, Pat Quinn, and even Barack Obama himself(once when he was running for the Senate, and then twice more as a Senator). This year, the parade turned 85, and the celebrations were as festive as ever.  It remains a point of pride for South Siders, as well as a spirited celebration of summer for all Chicagoans.