That Commercial Could Be Worth Money!

     Growing up in the Chicagoland area, there are certain commercials that stick with you.  The Empire Carpet commercial(or more specifically the jingle at the end).  The Luna Commercial(or once again, the jingle) is another legendary earworm. But in the category of commercials that get stuck in your head, nothing takes the cake quite like this:

     Victory Auto Wreckers has used the above commercial continuously since 1985, only replacing the narrator over the intervening time.  Originally it was made by pulling a Victory tow truck driver(Bob Azajdel) off of his shift and having him film the spot.  He was paid $25 for his time, and the rest was history.  Now, 30 years later, Victory is celebrating the commercial by asking for new ones!  Just send your idea over to Victory, and it could win $500 and be featured in a new ad.

Trivia Thursday: Analysis of a Chi-Town Beatdown

     Okay folks, first off, here's the answer to last week's question: When the old Board of Trade building was torn down in 1929, the two statues that adorned the entrance were saved from the wrecking ball and made their way to the Hidden Lake Forest Preserve in Downers Grove.  One of the trustees of the Board of Trade had an estate there in 1929, so that's how the statues got over there.  Since then, the Industry and Agriculture statues have been brought back to the plaza outside the current Board of Trade.  And now, this week's question:

 

After the Bears completely destroyed the Packers at home by a score of 61-7, what did Dan Hampton say about the result?

 

     As always, we'll be back next week with the answer and more trivia.

Last Ride of the 2400s

     In the 1970s, the CTA was in the process of retiring its 4000 Series of rail cars, but it didn't have enough new cars to replace them. So they ordered the 2400 Series to fill the gap. The Series arrived in 1976, 200 brand new train cars with a festive red, white, and blue decoration that was ALL Bicentennial:

     The trains were a breath of fresh air, being the first series to have sliding doors since the 4000 series arrived way back in 1914. By 2003, the coloring on the cars had been removed to both make it look uniform and cut down on maintenance costs. By the early 2010s, the CTA began taking delivery of the new 5000 series, and the days of the old cars were numbered. First the 2200 Series was retired in the Summer of 2013, and then the time came for the 2400 Series to be retired right after the morning rush on October 31, 2014. However, much like with the 2200 Series the cars are being given one last ceremonial ride in recognition of their 37 years of service to Chicago's commuters. That ride is happening today. To start with, it will make two round trips of the Loop before turning into a Brown Line train. After going from Kimball to the Loop and back again, the train will then switch over to Howard where it will mimic the North/South Route on its last trip. The cars will be back in their old livery for this run, as well as having period advertisements and decorations, so that rail fans and commuters of all ages can pay homage to a venerable member of Chicago's transit history.

Cubs Convention Day 3: Finishing Up

     After laughing with Ryan Dempster and enjoying the quirks of our fellow Cub fans, the final day of the convention was up to bat. To start things off, Bobby Dernier, Gary Matthews, Lee Smith, Rick Sutcliffe, and Billy Williams participated in a panel led by Wayne Messmer on "30 Years of Cubs Convention Memories". After that, there was the annual Farm System update, which saw C.J. Edwards, Pierce Johnson, Addison Russell, and Kyle Schwarber sit down with Head of Scouting and Player Development Jason McLeod to talk about some of their experiences in the farm system. Schwarber talked a little bit about how he got to this point. He said that it "really ticks me off when people say I can't catch", which definitely helps his case when it comes to proving his dedication. Everything finally clicked for Schwarber when he was at Class A Kane County for a 4 day stretch of work last summer, and he is now being developed as a catcher.

     Another player on the panel was C.J. Edwards, who you may remember from the Matt Garza trade in July 2013 trade that netted 4 players in return. Edwards thinks of his parents as his idols but also looks up to Pedro Martinez, a recent nominee to the Baseball Hall of Fame. Considering Pedro's pitching prowess, this is a good omen. Martinez and Edwards also share body types, to the extent that one fan gave the young pitcher some cookies as he was leaving the hotel to help put some weight on. Another famed pitcher whom Edwards has been compared to is Mariano Rivera, by the virtue of the characteristics of his fastball. To have a pitcher in our system who is drawing comparisons to those two legendary hurlers can only be a good thing.

     During the session, McLeod also told fans to keep an eye out for some names to come on the horizon, such as pitchers Duane Underwood, Paul Blackburn and Jen-Ho Tseng, plus catcher Victor Caratini, third baseman Jeimer Candelario, and outfielder Bijan Rademacher. McLeod said that Underwood has the "best pure stuff" among the team's Minor League pitchers. As the panel was wrapping up, all four of the young players truly got a taste of the devotion that the fans have.  One man told them that "We love you like we love our wives and our children". Cubs fans have loved their team and their players for generations, and title or not, they will continue to love them. As the 2015 Convention wrapped up, all eyes turned to April 5, when the Cardinals would come to the still-unfinished Wrigley Field, and the annual pursuit begins once again for this moment right here:

Cubs Convention Day 2: Cubs Central

     After the rousing first night of the convention, Cubs fans of all ages were back in their seats for the 2nd day. First thing up was a panel led by the Ricketts family. The topics ran the gamut of all that you would expect to hear, but the real entertaining pieces came when they opened up the floor for questions. One guy came up to the stage where he proceeded to announce that he had a "prepared statement", which elicited many groans from the audience. After that, a young lad came up who had a certain Twitter conversation with Ian Stewart in June 2013(the story is in the link, but long story short, Stewart said some things he shouldn't have about the organization and was let go 2 weeks later). After calculating that dumping Stewart had saved the team roughly $100,000, the guy asked Ricketts where his cut was. Ricketts made a comedic evasion to that question. Finally, a lady walked up who was a self-proclaimed "crazy die-hard Cubs fan":

     Based upon her hat, I'm not willing to dispute her assertion. After the panel was over, there were numerous things going on, but my next item was "A Recent Look Back: The Cubs of 2007-08". This one had Jacque Jones, Mark DeRosa, Ryan Dempster, Kerry Wood, Ted Lilly, and Bob Howry reminiscing and answering questions about those glory days(also the last time the Cubs were any good). By some miracle, I ended up in the front row for that one, so I was able to snag some pretty good pictures. After that session ended, I was on the 4th floor waiting around when I saw a very distinctive uniform:

     Yes folks, that is indeed the one and only Ronnie Woo Woo(because of course he'd be here). After some more scouting of the vendors, I ran into a gentleman on the lower level with a very peculiar pennant from the 1984 World Series that had a Cubs roster on it. The Cubbies made it pretty far in '84, but not that far. So what gives? Apparently the pennant was made up before the NLCS ended, so some backups were made in case the Cubs had made it. It was never supposed to see the light of day, but this guy got his hands on it anyway. After an update on the business operations of the club(which pretty much revolved around contingency plans for the non-completion of the 1060 Project by Opening Night) and a special preview of what lies ahead, I took a break for dinner at the Billy Goat Tavern.

     While I was chowing down at the Billy Goat, I happened to fall in a conversation with an elderly gentleman next to me. Turns out that he remembers hearing about the Cubs when they were playing in the 1945 World Series. No, I'm not making that up. After that chance encounter, I decamped back to the Sheraton where it was time for Cubs Bingo. Hosted by Wayne Messmer, this annual tradition saw hundreds of Cubs fans competing to win prizes, which wrapped up the evening.

Cubs Convention Day 1: Age of the New Manager

     As the lights dimmed in the ballroom of the Sheraton last night, the assembled crowd cheered in approval of their baseball heroes. Cubs baseball had returned, and fans were coming out in droves to the 30th Annual Cubs Convention. The evening stated out with a live broadcast by B96 in the hotel's bar, which saw many different giveaways(I even won a fedora!) Then the opening ceremony started, and as expected, the biggest applause was saved for Jon Lester and Joe Maddon. After all the festivities ended, it was time for Friday Night with Ryan Dempster, a talk show where Dempster interviewed different big names involved with the team, including new manager Joe Maddon, Anthony Rizzo, and other figures as well. Dempster even took a page from David Letterman and came up with a Top Ten List of why the Cubs hired Joe Maddon:

10. "We misheard and thought he knew [actress] Eva Longoria."

9. "We're trying to set the Guinness Book of World Records for most fired managers."

8. "We needed someone who would take the leftover Harry Caray glasses."

7. "The Cubs' bus keeps breaking down so we figured, 'Hey, we can use his RV.'"

6. "Most managers take shots from the media; Joe Maddon buys shots for the media."

5. "We have a young team here in Chicago, and if 60 is the new 40, well, we need someone to manage all of our toddlers."

4. "[Model wife of former Cub David DeJesus] Kim DeJesus told us to."

3. "He's the son of a plumber and, let's just face it: the Wrigley bathrooms need a ton of work."

2. "We just feel bad for anyone who lives in Florida."

1. "Well, because of all the other managers we tried to tamper with, none of them called us back."

     That was about it for Friday's first day, but Saturday promises to be the meat of the order, with several different sessions taking place, all which should be very interesting to see.  As promised, Chicago 365 will be there for all of the hype.

Baseball is Back! Cubs Convention Preview

    This weekend, Cubs fans will be gathering for the 30th year in a row to be with other fans, learn about the new season, and hope that this year may just be the year(of course, if Back To The Future Part 2 is to be believed, 2015 really IS the year). The convention returns to the Sheraton on North Water Street for the third year in a row. Along with the traditional sessions on Management, the farm system, and the ever popular Cubs Bingo, this year has several special sessions, including a look back at the 07-08 teams, a panel on 30 years of Convention memories, and a Friday night Evening with Ryan Dempster. But for all the new panels, possibly the two most highly anticipated sessions are the Meet the New Cubs slot, where both Joe Maddon and Jon Lester will be given Chicago style welcomes(no word yet on whether Maddon will buy brewskis for the house at Billy Goat Tavern), and then the Owner's panel should also be a must-watch, featuring the Ricketts family, updates on the 1060 Project, and much hand-wringing over the relationship(or lack thereof) with the rooftop owners. Then of course, you have the autograph sessions, the dealer's room, and the relentless crush of fans crowding the table after each panel. I will be at the Convention this weekend, and giving all of you the tale of the tape after each day on Chicago 365, your source for all breaking Cubs news on this Convention Weekend.

Downstate Spotlight: Illinois Inauguration 2015

     People from all across Illinois descended upon Springfield this past Monday for the 2015 Inauguration. While the big draw was Governor Bruce Rauner, the other constitutional officers got their moment in the spotlight as well. The festivities at the Prairie Capital Convention Canter started off with a musical prelude. After the presentation of the colors, Jim Cornelison dropped by to get things going by singing the Star-Spangled Banner. After his usual rafters-shaking performance, Lisa Madigan, Leslie Munger, Jesse White, Mike Frerichs, Evelyn Sanguinetti, and Bruce Rauner were all introduced to the crowd, at which point they were sworn in. After each one of them were sworn in, they would give a speech. Obviously, Governor Rauner gave an address that touched heavily on many of the same topics from his campaign, and the speech was well received. But of all the other speeches, the one that impressed me(and many other audience members) the most was the one given by Jesse White. His speech outlined how he had come into the office of Secretary of State in 1999 amid chronic corruption, poor customer service, and a department in shambles. Over the next 15 years, he succeeded in cleaning up the Secretary of State office, as well as improving the DMV experience greatly. Given the enormity of Governor Rauner's task ahead of him, he should take heed of White's words. After the speeches, there was a benediction and two more musical numbers, and the ceremony was over, at which point attendees could choose from a number of different activities to fill out their day.

     Right next to the Convention Center, the Illinois Is Back Expo was taking place in a heated tent(you heard me right, a heated tent). This was a place for many Illinois companies to come together and show off what's new, and to potentially find employees. Some of the highlights included free samples of Goose Island beer, an earth mover that was under the tent, and an Abe Lincoln character(because of course they'd do something like that), standing right next to a motorcycle. Once the expo wrapped up, the newly sworn-in officers held open houses where the citizens could greet them. White, Munger, and Frerichs were in the State Capitol, Madigan was in her office, and Sanguinetti and the entire Rauner family were receiving guests in the Old State Capitol(the site of Lincoln's famous "House Divided" speech, which actually had nothing to do with the Civil War[it was really about the divisions in the Republican Party during the 1858 election]). I ended up meeting the Governor and Lieutenant Governor, and the pictures are attached at the end of the article. After all the receptions, it was time to party back at the Convention Center, with the Inaugural Concert(held in place of the traditional Ball) featuring Buddy Guy, Toby Keith, and all the refreshment you could desire. All in all, the 2015 Illinois Inauguration was a great way to kick off the new governmental terms, as well as serving notice that Illinois Is indeed Back.

     Myself and Lieutenant Governor Evelyn Sanguinetti

     Governor Bruce Rauner and I

Public Undress: Part 1

     This past Sunday, roughly 150 Chicagoans got onto the Red Line and promptly took off their pants. But rest assured, there was some method to their madness. Sunday was the 14th annual No Pants Subway Ride. Part of a global movement put on by the New York based group Improv Everywhere, the ride is meant to "raise awareness of nothing other than having fun not wearing pants on the train", according to Justin Hardesty, who is in his sixth year of organizing the Chicago event(and his eighth year participating). Here's how it works: those who are doing it meet up in Rogers Park, coordinate when exactly they'll be dropping their pants, and then board the Red Line at Loyola. Somewhere on the ride south, the pants come off, and it starts looking like this:

     Now one key thing is that those without pants are supposed to play it cool and act like going around the train in your skivvies is the most normal thing ever.  When the train finally gets to Roosevelt, everyone gets off for a No-Pants Dance Party. After that,they ride back to their point of origin. Last year Hardesty estimates that the ride got just over 100 pantsless participants. Surprisingly, the colder the weather, the more people that show up. As Hardesty puts it, "There's not much bragging rights when the weather is better". As far as what the CTA thinks of all this tomfoolery, spokeswoman Catherine Hosinski doesn't immediately recall whether there have been any complaints, but Hardesty is sure to always notify the CTA whenever the ride is supposed to happen.  This year's ride seems to have gone well and without any major hitches, which bodes well for the future.

Trivia Tuesday: Where did the Statues go?

     We're back for more trivia.  First off, last week's answer: the first person to slide down a pole in a fire station was George Reid, member of Chicago's Engine Company #21 all the way back in 1878.  This inspired a trend, and the fire pole was born.  Now, on to this week's question.  The current Board of Trade building(the one with the figure inspired by Madeline LaSalle on top) was built in 1930.  Before that, the Board operated out of a magnificent 1885 building.  When that building was demolished, two of the statues were removed to another location.  This here, is the question:

 

Where did the two statues wind up?

 

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

Trivia Wednesday: Fire Poles

     Happy New Year! Welcome back to another year of both Chicago 365 and Trivia. As you may have seen in the previous entry, 2015 will be yet another year of learning new tidbits of Chicago-related knowledge, and sometimes testing your memory thereof.  With that being said, here is the answer to the previous trivia question.  When the Great Chicago Fire Festival failed to fire up, here's what happened. The flames were controlled by an electric ignition switch. The switches got wet, so the ignition system didn't work, which is why the big show of the Festival never got off the ground. And now for the next question:

What is the name of the first person to slide down a pole in a fire station, thus inspiring the concept of the fire pole?

     I'll be back next week with the answer and another question.

The High Five

     Dusty Baker is best remembered around Chicago for serving as manager of the Cubs for four seasons, years that saw them go from winning the NL Central(before being impeded by Steve Bartman) to turning in a 96-loss season. But he also played ball for 18 years, for the Braves, Dodgers, Giants, and Athletics, and that is where he earned another claim to fame: being one of the inventors of the High Five.

     In 1977, Baker was in the middle of his career, and playing on a Dodgers team that was easily rolling through the end of the season. On the last day of the season, with a playoff spot already in the bag, there seemingly wasn't much left to work for. But for Baker, there was something left to go for. Ron Cey, Reggie Smith, and Steve Garvey all stood with over 30 homers. Baker had 29. All he had to do was hit one more over the fence in order to make the '77 Dodgers the first team ever with 4 players having at least 30 home runs in a season. Finally, Baker cracked one out in the 6th inning. As he was rounding the bases, Glenn Burke joined the triumphant mob of Dodgers at home plate. Overcome with emotion, Burke threw his open palm up into the air. Not quite knowing what to do in response, Baker slapped it. The High Five was born.

     Dusty Baker isn't the only Chicago connection in this story. Ron Cey wound up playing on the 1984 Cubs, who would make it all the way to the National League Championship Series before falling to the Padres-and Steve Garvey. In the 37 years since, people of all walks of life and of all professions have used the High Five as a symbol of approval and appreciation.