Chicago 365 Stanley Cup Central: Let's Party!

     Well, we rode the Lightning alright. And after 3 days worth of riding the city's bars harder than a mechanical bull, the Hawks are ready to parade in front of their city showing off their fancy new hardware. Crowds of adoring fans will clamor to see the Stanley Cup and the Conn Smythe Trophy. The double-decker buses will roll through the streets of the city as they did in 2010 and 2013, until they reach the jam-packed Museum Campus, at which point the festivities will move over to Soldier Field for the rally. (Why no Grant Park? The field still isn't dry from Monday's deluge, and putting 100,000 people in a muddy field is not a wise decision.) How drunk will the players be? Just how X-Rated will Corey Crawford get this time? How many people will expose themselves during the 2-hour wait? And will the weather hold together for all of it? All of those questions and more will be answered tomorrow. And believe you me, I'll be back with all of the gritty details.

Chicago 365 Stanley Cup Final Central: Names

     Kyle Baun. Bryan Bickell. Daniel Carcillo. Corey Crawford. Kyle Cumiskey. Phillip Danault. Scott Darling. Andrew Desjardins. Ryan Hartman.Niklas Hjalmarsson. Marian Hossa. Patrick Kane. Duncan Keith. Marcus Kruger. Joakim Nordstrom. Johnny Oduya. Michael Paliotta. Ville Pokka. Antti Raanta. Brad Richards. Michal Rozsival. David Rundblad. Brandon Saad. Brent Seabrook. Patrick Sharp. Andrew Shaw. Viktor Svedberg. Teuvo Teravainen. Kimmo Timonen. Jonathan Toews. Trevor van Riemsdyk. Antoine Vermette. Kris Versteeg.

     These gentlemen are just 40 minutes away from winning the Stanley Cup on Home Ice for the first time in 77 years. They can make history. They've just got to close it out. Come on boys, you can do it.

GO HAWKS

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Chicago 365 Stanley Cup Final Central: Chicago Blackhawks man, Join the Hype Train!

     Ever since the Hawks won Game 5, the city has been salivating at the chance to win the Cup on home ice for the first time since 1938. Yeah, that's right. A National League Pennant has been raised in Chicago more recently than the Stanley Cup has been. Preparations for what might happen tonight are already underway. The Tribune Tower is decked out in a big Hawks banner:

     Nearby the Tribune Tower, the Official Blackhawks Store is doing land-office business, so much so that it might need to be renamed the Madhouse on Michigan. Meanwhile in Wrigleyville, the authorities are preparing right now. First off, the area already got a taste of Cup Fever on Saturday:

     Now combine that with what you may recall seeing back in 2013:

     And you've got something that the powers that be definitely don't want to happen again. To that end, there were reports of barricades going up all up and down Clark St. so that if the Hawks do win, the masses of liquored-up twentysomethings stay on the sidewalks. Finally, with the Hawks able to win it all tonight, there will be an additional guest at the United Center tonight. Earlier today, they were seen going through Security:

PUCK DROPS IN 7 HOURS

GO HAWKS

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TrekTopia Day 2: Rubbing Elbows with Fans and Stars

     After the excitement of the first day, the fans were back at the Westin for another day of hobnobbing. Walter Koenig started things off by stepping onstage and talking about some of his more recent work, such as a fan-made series(more of which will be discussed later). After that I stepped into the lobby to do some work on a blog post, when I ran into a fellow fan. We exchanged pleasantries for a bit, then I stepped back into the theater to watch John Tenuto give another lecture, this time about the creation of Star Trek Voyager, going through the cast and sharing informative anecdotes about then, such as the fact that Janeway was originally played by an actress other than Kate Mulgrew. Tenuto then ceded the stage to Tim Russ, who covered many things in his talk, including the new project that Walter Koenig was referring to earlier. It's called Star Trek: Renegades, and it promises to take a slightly grittier look at Star Trek, as well as moving the entire saga forward in the Prime Universe(i.e. separate from the timeline that J.J. Abrams is working in). Russ showed a trailer during his talk, and you can check it out at this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OjeX5drV9ms


     After an intermission, Adam Malin(the head of Creation) and Richard Arnold(Gene Roddenberry's right hand man and an expert on Star Trek) came up to give some remembrances of Leonard Nimoy, who just passed away on February, including a promo for a film being directed by Nimoy's son, which can be found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fLuU8v81EOw    


     Once the appeal was finished, all kinds of cosplayers took the stage to partake in the costume contest. This Annual event lets attendees compete against one another to win a $250 gift certificate. After the winner was crowned, the stage was cleared yet again to allow for the No Minimum Bid Auction, where all kinds of goods can be had for very good prices. While that was happening, I stepped away to do some work on another blog post, and who should sit down across from me? None other than Robert Picardo, who was doing some work at the computer. After a bit, Armin Shimerman showed up as well, doing the same thing. When I finished, I bid both of them safe travels and went back to the theater to catch Connor Trineer and Dominic Keating(both of them from Enterprise) take the stage. During their time they shared all kinds of anecdotes relating to their time on the show, the experiences that they shared during those 4 years, and even beyond to the present day.


     After that, the stage was cleared for Tim Russ to sign. While we were waiting, Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final was playing at the hotel bar. So there I am, watching the Hawks game in a Star Trek costume(yeah, I did that) in a hotel restaurant(#becauseitsthecup), when Dominic Keating walks in, waiting to meet up with Connor Trineer for dinner. After about 15 minutes of watching the game and making small talk, Connor shows up, and Dominic steps away. On my way back to the theater, I run into the same person who I saw earlier in the day at the computers, and we start talking about fandom. And in fact, as I finish writing this right now, two other girls are in front of me playing cards. That seems to be a common theme here. Fans come for the weekend, make new friends at the shows, and even rub elbows with the very same people they see onstage. I guess that's what the fandom is all about, and what has been keeping Trekkies coming back for 49 years. Long may it live(and prosper!).

Chicago 365: Stanley Cup Final Central: LET'S GO HAWKS!

     After a thrilling comeback victory at home in Wednesday's Game 4 that finally featured Patrick Kane getting a point for this series, the Final shifts back to Amalie Arena for Game 5. Ben Bishop took part in the morning skate, but there is no official word on his status for the game. There isn't even any official word on why Bishop hasn't played, so who knows what's really going on there? As far as the Blackhawks, our stars finally started playing like they mean it in Game 4, with Toews scoring a goal, Kane notching an assist, and Keith continuing his practice of living on the ice. Hopefully we can continue the press, because Tampa has proven to be relentless. Winning tonight would put us in a GREAT position, since then we can be one win away, and come back to our barn on Monday night with the Stanley Cup in the building. What an inspiration that would be. But we can't think about that at all till we win tonight. Puck drops in just over an hour.

GO HAWKS

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TrekTopia Day 1: The 49 Year Mission

     Yesterday, hordes of Trekkies descended upon the Westin O'Hare for Creation Entertainment's 49 Year Mission Celebration in Chicago, and the fans were ready to greet their heroes. Chase Masterson started off the affairs by appearing onstage, talking about her recent work, and even doing some singing. After that it was time to welcome Garrett Wang to the stage, where he shared some anecdotes related to attending conventions, as well as relaying to us fans the story he wanted to see written for Harry Kim. Once Wang left the stage, fans were given the chance to test their knowledge by answering Trek trivia either Yes or No, with the winner of each round not only recieving a $200 gift certificate, but then being invited back onstage for further rounds with the ultimate potential to collect $1,200 worth of certificates.


     The festivities continued with Terry Farrell coming up to talk about her experiences being a model at the age of 17, working on Star Trek: Deep Space Nine, and her journey of learning to stand up for herself. After that Armin Shimerman came up to talk about his instrumental role in the evolution of the Ferengi on Star Trek, from their marauding first appearance on Next Generation to their current role as hapless, chauvinistic hyper-capitalists. John Tenuto then proceeded to come up and give a talk about the making of Star Trek VI, showing some rare production photos and sharing insider stories, such as the fact that all scenes on the Klingon prison planet in the movie were actually flipped(i.e. outdoor scenes were shot inside and indoor scenes were shot outside).


     After Tenuto gave out more informative nuggets of knowledge, Ethan Phillips took the stage. Phillips spent the time reflecting on his experiences working on Benson, Star Trek Voyager, and other work. Then the stage cleared and Terry Farrell was signing autographs on one side of the stage while Ethan Phillips was signing on the other. With that, Day 1 ended. We're back right now for Day 2, and I'll be back with those updates.

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Awesome A+ Arianna

     Like many students graduating from Chicago's prestigious Kenwood Academy, Arianna Alexander will be going off to college in the fall. Unlike many of her fellow grads though, Arianna won't be paying a dime for her higher education. As a result of a prodigious session of applying to colleges, as well as her father's inspirational advice to apply for scholarships like they're going out of style, Ms. Alexander was accepted to 26 different universities(including 6 Ivy League schools), as well as receiving more than $3 Million in scholarships. Yeah, you read that right. Three Million Freaking Dollars.

     Arianna said that the response from colleges was "...a lot to take in. I received emails, letters. It was just like, 'Come here, come here!' They were bombarding me with all this information." And for good reason too, as Arianna graduated with a 5.1 GPA on a 4.0 scale. After much deliberation, Arianna has decided to go to the University of Pennsylvania in the fall, a choice that she credits in no small part to Paul Brush, one of her teachers. “He said, ‘Do you know about the Wharton School of Business? ‘I said, ‘I have no idea what you’re talking about,’” said Arianna. Mr. Brush had this to say about his influence: "As teachers, we have a big moment to play with the lives that we have in our classrooms."

     The scholarship windfall means a lot to her father, who has already put Arianna's three older siblings through college. "When she graduates from Penn...We expect bigger and better things for her," he said. Arianna is already starting to affect those plans, starting to lay the groundwork for the menus of the four restaurants she plans to own as part of her future desire to become an entrepreneur.

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Weekends Can Get Crazy Around Here

     Summer is officially upon us, and it's hitting us with everything it's got. Trekkies from around the world are converging on the Westin O'Hare for Creation Entertainment's annual Star Trek Convention which goes through Sunday. Meanwhile, just up the road at the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center, MyFreeCams is hosting the Exxxotica Expo, a salute to all things hot and kinky. So we've got Trek fans and Adult Entertainment fans covered, what about Music fans? Fear not, for we've also got the Spring Awakening Festival going on at Soldier Field for those EDM lovers, and Blues Fest is happening at Grant Park. On top of all of that, Saturday will also see the World Naked Bike Ride taking place. And finally, even though we may be nerds, nudists, Adult Afficianados, EDM geeks, and bluesmen, we're all Blackhawks fans. Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final starts at 7 PM on Saturday. All that, and I'll be bringing as much coverage of it as I can to you.

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Chicago 365 Stanley Cup Final Central: Double Down and Win!

     The cards are on the table. After two one-goal losses in a row making them lose back to back games for the first time this postseason, the Hawks are down 2-1 in the Stanley Cup Final. We have to pull it out and win tonight. Get the puck to Kaner, work some magic, I don't know. But I sure as hell don't want to be going back to Tampa in a 3-1 hole to these upstarts. So the challenge has been issued. Let's win tonight!

GO HAWKS!

 



Summer 2015: Locked, Loaded, and Ready to Launch!

     As much it may not feel like it, we're in the first weekend of June. Summertime is fast approaching whether the weather is ready or not. From Star Trek Conventions to Erotica Conventions, L.A.T.E. night bike rides to Naked bike rides, the Joliet Pops in Bicentennial Park to Sir Paul McCartney in Grant Park, tourist traps to tourist Tastes, this summer's gonna(to borrow a line) hurt like a mother. Once again, Chicago 365 will be there on the front lines giving you all the most salient recaps of the fests and festivities that make a Chicago summer unlike any other. The craziness starts today, with the opening of The 606 and the Printer's Row Lit Fest. And as if that wasn't enough, the Hawks start Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final at 6:15 PM. I'll be covering various facets of today's activities and will report back later. So let another summer of living vicariously through my blog commence!

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(I'm ending this with Love Never Felt So Good, a song which really should have been the song of the summer last year, but didn't catch on. I'm not giving up on it!)

Chicago 365 Stanley Cup Central: We Have Met The Enemy, and He is No Slouch(for most of the game anyway)

     Last night was Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final, and for the first two periods, it really looked like the Bolts had us on the run. They fired one in past Crawford 4 minutes in, and then spent the next two Periods out-skating and out-playing the Blackhawks. Finally the Hawks broke through 13 minutes into the 3rd Period when Teuvo Teravainen shot one past Ben Bishop. 1:58 later, the Hawks would strike again with Antoine Vermette scoring on a goal set up by Teravainen. Crawford once again defended the net from a flurry of last minute shots, and the Hawks won to take a 1-0 lead in the series. In the lead up to the Final, much had been said about the Lightning's advantages, and that their dispatching of 3 Original Six teams served notice on the Hawks. And I will tell you, for the first 2 periods, I saw what they were talking about. In short:

     (Thank you Dennis Green). But then the craziest thing happened at the end of the game. All of a sudden the Hawks started finding opportunities. I've heard some comments attribute that to Tampa merely trying to hold on to the victory instead of putting the team away. If that's true, it's not good. If you're playing a team, you've gotta play to win. You've gotta play to kill EVERY. SINGLE. TIME. You can't let up for one minute, even if you're nursing a 3 goal lead.

     All week I've been eschewing talk of this being a short series, but if Tampa continues to let up while they're only nursing a 1 goal lead, this is going to be a 4-game sweep and we'll be having a parade next week. If the Lightning find their tenacity from the beginning of the game, this Final could easily go 7 games with many overtimes in between. What kind of series will we get? I guess we'll have to wait till the puck drops on Game 2(6:15 on Saturday) to find out.

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Breaking News: #TraumaCenterNow

     While the rest of the city is engrossed in Game 1 of the Finals, apparently there are other things going on too. One of which is a protest at the University of Chicago. Apparently there is a protest going on over at the University of Chicago over people wanting to put a trauma center in. The University is saying no, people are getting upset, and things are going from there. You can catch some more updates here

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Chicago 365 Stanley Cup Central: The Quest for Forever Begins Now

     The recaps are over. The posturing has reached a fever pitch. The time for talk has ended, and the hype train is pulling up to Tampa's Amalie Arena for Game 1 of the 2015 Stanley Cup Final. Much has been written about the disparities between the squads, about the fact that the Hawks are the most playoff-tested team in the NHL right now, and even the great disparity in experience between Joel Quenneville and Jon Cooper. But these teams are playing for something more than a title. They're playing for immortality:

     Most of the pundits are picking the Hawks, because it seems like the obvious choice. Even a woman's pet cockatoo seems to be committing to the Indian. However, the Lightning are not to be discounted. Their path to the Final went through Detroit, Montreal, and the Rangers. Three Original Six teams, not to mention knocking off New York at home in Game 7, breaching the fortress that is known as Madison Square Garden. Those facts give the Bolts a whole hell of a lot of legitimacy and panache. Even with those qualifications, I'm not picking against my home team.

Blackhawks in 6

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GO HAWKS

Chicago 365 Stanley Cup Final Central: They're Just Jealous.

     The Stanley Cup Final starts tonight, and if the Tampa Bay Lightning have their way there won't be very many Hawks fans in attendance. They are following the lead of the Predators, and restricting ticket sales to Florida residents. That part is dubious enough, but here's the rub. In certain areas of Amalie Arena, the team is actually RESTRICTING WHAT SWEATERS FANS CAN WEAR. Tampa, right now your policies are making you look like this:

Or are you just looking like this?:

     First off, this kind of bush-league move is so childish as to be embarrassing. Secondly, this will most likely have the opposite effect, as if anything it will inflame the passions of Hawks fans even more. Not only that, but I have a feeling that there are more than a few Florida residents willing to buy tickets on behalf of out-of-towners(for a piece of the action, of course). In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if there are MORE Hawks fans than there would have been. On the other side of things, Mayor Emanuel has issued a statement extending a big Chicago welcome to ALL Floridians here for the games:

     Yes Tampa fans, we'll gladly welcome you to our city, take your money, then let you watch as we beat the Bolts like they owe us money!

The puck drops in 8 hours, 27 minutes

 

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Chicago 365 Stanley Cup Final Cental: RIDE THE LIGHTNING!

     The Conference Finals are over. Both teams have advanced, and Lord Stanley's Cup is awaiting it's newest suitor. On Saturday, the Blackhawks proved once and for all that it is:

     Up next awaits the Tampa Bay Lightning. After going through the Red Wings, Canadiens, and Rangers, the Lightning now become the first team to ever play 4 Original Six teams in the same postseason. The experts are extolling the youth and newness of the Lightning, as well as their tenacity in dispatching 3 respected opponents, culminating in their defeat of the Rangers in Game 7 at the Garden. Of course, they're not the only team who won Game 7 in hostile territory. The Hawks have experience on their side, not to mention one of the best, skilled, and most playoffs-tested rosters in recent history. We will see just who is the better team starting on Wednesday.