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.

Trivia Tuesday: The (Almost) Perfect Crime

     Hello folks, and welcome to another round of trivia.  First off, last week's answer: The name of the Staff Member who escorted Steve Bartman out of Wrigley on that infamous night was Erika Amundsen.  And now, this week's question:

Leopold and Loeb committed one of the most infamous murders in Chicago history on May 21, 1924.  What was the name of their victim?

     We'll be back next week with the answer and the next question.  Happy sleuthing!

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!

Trivia Wednesday: Bartman's Protector

     For this week's edition of Trivia, we're going back into one of the most infamous moments in Chicago Baseball History.  But first, here's last week's answer.  The "Japanese Schindler" was really a Japanese diplomat by the name of Chiune Sugihara.  And now for this week.  You know the name Steve Bartman.  You know the story of the seat he occupied on that infamous night. You even know that famed Tribune reporter John Kass wound up sitting very close to Bartman that night.  But do you know this?

What was the name of the Staff Member who personally escorted Steve Bartman out of Wrigley Field on October 14, 2003?

     We'll be back next week with the answer, as well as the next question.

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

Trivia Tuesday: The Japanese Savior of the Jews

     Welcome to Trivia Tuesday!  First off, last week's answer: The two fire disasters in December that I have covered are the Our Lady of The Angels fire and the Iroquois Theater fire.  And now, this week's question:

Which person who saved thousands of Jews during the Holocaust was known as the "Japanese Schindler"?

     Check back next week for the answer.

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.

Suburban Spotlight: Thursday Nights on Bluff St.

     As we've seen, there's plenty of stuff to do in the city all throughout the summer, but there is also a good amount of stuff that can be done out in the suburbs.  One of those things can be found in Joliet, where every Thursday during the summer residents are treated to a series of concerts at the Bicentennial Park band shell.  Constructed in 1976 on the site of Bluff Street(Joliet's first ever street), the Park served as a commemoration of the nation's 200th Birthday.  Every year since then, the park has played host to a dizzying array of artists and genres, from clogging, to solo singers, to theatrical previews, to traditional concert bands, to even polka.  This year has been no different, with a wide variety of acts performing.  One of the acts is the park's own Pops Band.  In existence since the 1990s, the Band plays 5 concerts per year at the band shell.  On Monday nights throughout the summer, the Band meets up at the park and rehearses its music.  All throughout the summer, the band improves from performance to performance and continues to wow the audience week in and week out.  The Pops Band just concluded their season last night, but you can check out the Concerts on the Hill every Thursday through the end of August.

Saddle up, We're taking our show on the road tonight

     Okay guys, now for something totally different.  All summer long we've been covering stuff going on in the city.  But tonight, we're mixing things up.  Tonight I'll be writing about something going down in the suburbs.  What is it?  Well you'll just have to come back later tonight and find out.   Cheers!

Lolla Recap 3/3: Monday Morning Coming Down (to the Courthouse)

And now, the final Lolla recap.  Cheers!
    
     Most people think that Lolla ended on Sunday night. Well most people would be wrong. Monday morning saw another time-honored Lollapalooza tradition: the court appearances for those folks who got busted with drugs over the weekend. This show featured only one stage, manned by the Honorable Adam Bourgeois Jr. Over the weekend, 34 different people were arrested on various levels of drug charges. On Monday, 6 people came before the judge, including: the 23-year-old Tennessean who was arrested with 27 Ecstasy pills and 11 grams of marijuana(proving that everything is NOT better with a bag of weed) and ordered held on $50,000 bond, or the 23-year-old Michigander who was busted at Lolla with $500 worth of cocaine and was held by Bourgeois Jr. with $10,000 bond, or the 3 suburban kids who were all booked for dealing ecstasy/cocaine, or finally, to the 19-year-old Houston native who was fingered trying to sell several pills of ecstasy. All in all, Judge Bourgeois Jr. was kept mighty busy with all the Lolla-related cases coming through his courtroom.

Lolla Recap 2/3: Inside the Music Zone

And now, for the second Lolla vignette of the day: 


     When the skies opened up on Friday's set list, Cage The Elephant was unfazed, taking to their set like seagulls to food on a beach. The ferocity of their play impressed many. Meanwhile, Rich Homie Quan left some things to be desired in his set, falling back on his DJ for the final 20 minutes of his act. One of the most committed fans there was Rich Viola, who camped out in the front row early for one of the shows-in full gorilla costume. Another fan who was committed in an, um, different way was a follower of Portugal, The Man who was determined to go full on groupie with the band's front man. Just one problem: she was plying her skanky trade in the front row-of the kid's stage. You stay classy, Lolla! One of the most anticipated acts was Calvin Harris, who did not disappoint. At one point, his bass drop was so intense that it rendered one reporter's camera inoperative for a few hours. Which makes it even more astounding that a girl was seen TALKING ON THE PHONE in the FRONT ROW of Harris' show. Additionally, many different things were held up by attendees, including sex dolls, dolphin balloons, and fake Gary Busey heads. Speaking of the attendees, there was another interaction of note: after the Calvin Harris show, one of the exiting girls drunkenly fondled someone's face. Of course, what would people-watching be without quotes? So, here's an apt one to round out the piece: "It's Sunday. Please enjoy. The struggle is real". Yes indeed. The struggle is most definitely real.

Lolla Recap 1/3: The President's Daughter

     On Sunday during Chance the Rapper's set, Valparaiso teenager Meghan Lomas happened to glance to her right. Upon doing so, she was greeted by the sight of several imposing men in suits who looked like they meant business. After consulting with several of her friends(who've seen this stuff in movies), and saying hi to this mysterious(yet well-protected) person, she figured out that it was none other than Malia Obama. The First Daughter was present for the proceedings in pigtails and a sunflower-pattern dress, and was there to see Chance, who is from the South Side as well. All reports have Malia being chill and down to earth, until her presence was made public and the Secret Service closed their ranks.

Get Ready for your Lolla down-low

     Okay folks, as I mentioned this morning, tomorrow is the day that my analysis of Lollapalooza goes live.  But it won't just be any old piece.  No, I'll be releasing it in 3 parts tomorrow, so make sure to stay tuned in to Chicago 365 all day long.  And this won't be like most of the Lolla recaps you've been reading, I won't be droning on about how this act did this, and this act did that, etc... No, I'm going for slightly more interesting entries.  Think of them more as vignettes than anything else.  Anyway, the first entry goes live early tomorrow morning.  Get ready, it's gonna be a Lolla-riffic day tomorrow.

Trivia Tuesday: The Flames of December

     Hello folks, and welcome to another edition of Trivia Tuesday.  First, here's last week's answer: Arsenio Hall was discovered in 1978 at Zanies Comedy Club by jazz singer Nancy Wilson, who proceeded to launch him on his way to stardom.  And now, this week's question:

 

Which two infamous fire disasters (that I have written about) have befallen the city in the month of December?

 

 

     Think about it, and I'll be back next Tuesday with the answer.

 

 

Author's Note: For those of you wondering where my post-mortem on Lolla is, stay tuned, for it will be coming soon...

Bearing Down with the family

     Last night Chicago saw Bears action for the first time this season.  20,000 fans streamed into the stadium to watch the Bears take a team practice.  But the practice was far from the only thing going on that night.  The Fest kicked off at 3 pm with festivities outside of the stadium itself, a time that saw live music, special activities for the kids, as well as a special outdoor location for the Bears Pro Shop(in addition to the main store inside the East Entrance).  Meanwhile, things were going on inside of Soldier Field as well, with a youth football demonstration put on by the Greater Chicagoland United Youth Football League, the Frankfort Falcons, The Will-Cook-Kankakee Youth Association, and the Chicagoland Youth Football League.  And then, the actual event kicked off with the player introductions at 6:30, after which the team launched into a normal practice session.  Overall, things looked decent on the field, and the team will be resuming practices tomorrow, with the first preseason game slated for this Friday at Soldier Field.

Lolla? Holla!

     If I were to ask any of you what is going on in Chicago this weekend, I might get answers ranging from the Chicago French Film Festival, to a Chicago Sky game, even to the Bears Family Fest.  But let's be honest.  The big deal here is Lollapalooza.  Now I won't be doing my big analysis piece on it till later on in the weekend, but stay tuned all throughout the weekend for flash updates, minor posts, tweets, and Facebook updates related to what's going on, as well as some fun Lolla facts. No matter what platform, all Lolla-related posts of mine will be put under #chicago365, so they shouldn't be that hard to find.  With that, see you in a few days, and happy festing!