Road Trip and Free Ticket: Northwestern at Michigan St.

For the fourth consecutive weekend, I went on a road trip from Chicago. Three weeks ago I drove to Ann Arbor and the last two weekends I spent time in Indianapolis. Yesterday, I drove to East Lansing, MI for the Northwestern at Michigan St. men’s basketball game. As was the case when I drove to Ann Arbor, I wanted to see Northwestern play at Michigan St. I had not seen a game at the Breslin Center. After last night, I have attended a game at nine Big Ten men’s basketball venues.

Obtaining Tickets
I arrived in East Lansing around 6:30 pm – just in time for the 7 pm tip off. I parked by Spartan Stadium for $10 and walked towards the Breslin Center ticket office. The line to buy tickets was about 30 people deep, so I asked at the Will Call window what was the cheapest ticket for the game - $13. I now knew my price to beat.

However, I failed to negotiate well at first. On my way to East Lansing, I checked craigslist.org. Most of the ads were looking for tickets and the ones that were selling tickets were asking $60 or higher per ticket. Since I failed to research the event before driving over, I was nervous when I approached my first scalper. For some reason my first offer was $20 (low compared to craiglist.org, but I should have offered $10). Instead the scalper responded with $30 and I rejected the offer. I immediately walked away realizing my mistake and he followed me – probably to accept my $20. But, immediately I found a guy who was holding up a ticket. I asked him how much he wanted and he said nothing…it’s free. He handed me the ticket and I told him he made my day.

The Game
Michigan St. could not put Northwestern away during the first half as they only had a two-point lead heading into halftime. But they started the second half with a bang – going on an 18-4 run with the highlight of the run (and the game) being Chris Allen’s spectacular dunk.

Northwestern’s John Shurna scored a career-high 31 points for Northwestern but that was not enough as Michigan St. won 79-70. With the win, Michigan St. is now 9-0 in Big Ten play for the first time ever and Tom Izzo passed Bobby Knight for best winning percentage for Big Ten coaches who have coached at least 10 years in the Big Ten.

The Drive Home
As soon as the game ended, I drove back to Chicago. For a two hour college basketball game, I left Chicago at 1:30 pm and arrived back home at 11:30 pm.

AFC Championship: Jets at Colts

It turns out the Indianapolis Colts were staying in our hotel on Saturday night – so much for the poor reviews on tripadvisor.com. Since the AFC Championship Game did not start until 3 pm we had plenty of time to sleep in and then go to brunch. I had picked out Patachou on the Park for brunch. My first pick, City Café, is closed for some reason on Sundays – even this Sunday with a major football game taking place.

Obtaining Tickets
On Saturday morning, I emailed a guy on craigslist.org about his ticket in the upper deck he was offering for $145. I asked for face value and he responded stating that if I did not want to pay $145, the lowest he would accept was $125. I was willing to pay his price but he never emailed me back. Thus, he set my “high price” to pay for the event.

Nicole and I took the hotel shuttle to downtown and it dropped us off within a couple of blocks of Lucas Oil Stadium’s ticket office. Since tickets were available at the box office for the last two Colts game I attended this season (the Patriots at Colts and last Saturday night), I wanted to check the box office to see if tickets were available. I walked to the box office as Nicole walked to the restaurant.

As I waited in line, I noticed a large group (about 10 people) collect their tickets. There were no tickets available when I asked if any singles were available. I immediately asked the group if they had an extra and they acted as though they had one. After about one minute (which feels much longer), they said they did. My first thought was that they were affiliated with the team and would give me a ticket for free. No luck on that. But they were affiliated with the team but had not received a free ticket. Instead, I paid face value ($125) for a ticket on the lower level. Not bad considering this was the AFC Championship game and it would take some work to find a ticket for face value anywhere else.


Pre Game Dining and Shopping
After buying my ticket I could now relax and enjoy a nice brunch with Nicole. Patachou on the Park was a great brunch place. Not only did it serve good food, but it was only a few blocks from Lucas Oil Stadium and the shopping areas in downtown.

After brunch, Nicole and I went sopping at Nordstrom. Since Lucas Oil Stadium is located right downtown you can spend as much time as necessary shopping to make the trip “equal” if necessary.

Tickets Part 2
After spending an hour at Nordstrom I walked to the stadium for the game. As I approached the main scalping corner on W. McCarty St. and S. Capitol Ave. there were quite a few people selling tickets and even more asking for tickets – meaning tickets would probably stay higher than face value. One fan sold his pair ($90 face value per ticket) to a scalper for $150 each. Another guy was asking for $200 for his $110 (face value) ticket. Other scalpers were also asking for much more than face.

The Game
This was the second time I have attend an NFL Championship Game. The first time was three years ago when the Chicago Bears hosted the New Orleans Saints.

The game started out poorly for the Jets as referee Tony Corrente called the Jets the Giants during the coin toss.

However, this did not effect the Jets as they started the game with a bang taking a 17-6 lead with only 2:11 left in the second quarter. At first I thought Rex Ryan may be correct in his prediction that the Jets would win the Super Bowl, but then Peyton Manning took over. After the Jets took their 11-point lead, Manning took less than one minute to score a touchdown at 1:13 left in the first half. This was just the beginning as he also drove for two touchdowns in the second half to score 24 unanswered points and lead the Colts to a 30-17 victory. Peyton Manning broke the NFL postseason record by passing for 300 yards in his seventh postseason game – he was tied with Joe Montana and Kurt Warner.


After the two minute warning in the second half, the ushers finally started checking tickets to enter the section I was sitting in – they did not want fans to attempt to get close to the field during the celebration.

Post Game Dining
After the game, I walked back to the hotel in pouring rain to meet Nicole. The one cab I found would not drive me to such a close destination and the hotel shuttle was not at its stop when I walked by.

After resting for a couple of hours, we took the hotel shuttle back downtown and ate at Harry & Izzy’s which is right next door to St. Elmo Steak House (Peyton Manning is a part owner of the partner restaurants).

Free Ticket to Philadelphia 76ers at Indiana Pacers

Nicole and I left Chicago at noon and arrived at our hotel by 4:30 pm (with some stops along the way). The hotel (which I was concerned about based on reviews online) was great! It was a 4-star hotel – the lobby and rooms were luxurious, but not “that” luxurious. With Nicole happy with the hotel, I was relieved and ready to attend the Indiana Pacers game for the third time this season. Since Nicole wanted to rest when she got to the hotel the Pacers game worked into our schedule. I left the hotel after 6 pm for the 7 pm tip off and Nicole planned to meet me after the game ended around 9:15 pm.

Obtaining Tickets
I walked towards the box office as usual. However, last week I realized most of the possible free tickets are within the main entrance of Conseco Fieldhouse (on Pennsylvania St.) – before you reach the box office but after you enter the doors to the arena. This time I asked a couple of groups if they had an extra ticket – they did not. Then I asked a few high school kids if they did. They guy with the tickets hesitated but his buddy said “who cares” and they handed me one ticket. It was only a $10 ticket but, remember, at most games you can sit wherever you want in the arena. I later learned it was Haiti night and the Pacers would donate a portion of each $10 ticket purchased – Oops!

The Game
The 76ers defeated the Pacers convincingly 107-97. Allen Iverson scored 17 points and had 5 rebounds and 3 assists. Towards the end of the third quarter I realized the game lasted longer than last week’s game and was thankful last week’s game was quicker. Last week I left the Pacers game with 2:24 remaining in order to make the Colts Divisional Playoff game on time. Here is how the timing worked to make tonight different:

8:55 pm: 4th quarter started.
9:00 pm: 8:42 left in the 4th quarter.
9:05 pm: 6:39 left in the 4th quarter.
9:10 pm: 4:37 left in the 4th quarter. Last week I would have left at this time. Elton Brand was shooting free throws with the 76ers up 100-85 and I would only have five minutes to make it to Lucas Oil Stadium – the same time I left last week.
9:15 pm: 2:45 left in the 4th quarter.
9:20 pm: 1:41 left in the 4th quarter.
9:23 pm: Game Over.

Post Game Dining
For whatever reason, Nicole was late. So even though I was waiting for her by 9:30 pm, she was still at the hotel. I walked to the place I was supposed to meet her and realized that Ambrossia Centro (an Italian restaurant) was near out meeting spot. I checked out a couple of restaurants but the Ambrossia was perfect for us for a couple of reasons: 1) It was near where we were meeting, 2) It was Italian, and 3) they would seat us after 10 pm which was the time it appeared Nicole would arrive.

Before Nicole arrived, I went to the Wild Beaver Saloon – across the street from Ambrossia Centro. Wild Beaver Saloon had a good atmosphere and good drink specials for a Saturday night.

When Nicole showed up I crossed the street. Ambrossia Centro was a great place for dinner. First, the food was great. Second, it was a rare restaurant in downtown Indianapolis that was not a national chain. We were pleased with our choice for dinner.

Weekend Trip to Indianapolis

Last week (before the Colts playoff game versus the Ravens) the Ultimate Sports Wife mentioned she did not have to teach ice skating for a full day the following Saturday morning (tomorrow) and asked if we should go anywhere for the weekend. I was already planning to drive to Indianapolis for the AFC Championship Game if the Colts defeated the Baltimore so I mentioned to Nicole we should go to Indianapolis if the Colts won their game (and somewhere else if they did not).

Booking the Hotel
When I got back from Indianapolis last Saturday night, the Colts had won and Nicole thought a weekend in Indianapolis would be fun, so we booked a hotel that night – the night before their opponent was known as the Jets defeated the Chargers on Sunday.

For the first time, I used Hotwire.com since my usual hotel sites (Marriott.com and Hilton.com) were more expensive than I liked. Hotwire offered a 4-star “Downtown Indianapolis Hotel” for $79 per night – much less than the $220 for the Marriott Downtown and $130 for the Courtyard at the Capitol. Hotwire wrote that their 4-star hotels included the “InterContinental, Hyatt, Omni, and other prestigious hotel brands.” Those brand names made Nicole comfortable so I booked the hotel on Hotwire. However, the University Place Hotel & Conference Center Indianapolis was the hotel that we actually booked.

My thought – What hotel is that? Unbelievable. Let me go check tripadvisor.com now. TripAdvisor had mixed reviews – some people thought the hotel was great, others wrote that it was a priceline.com trap since the hotel was over a mile from downtown on the campus of IUPUI. I was not sure what to think – but with no refunds I did not have many other options at that point.

Women’s College Basketball: Minnesota at Northwestern

As Nicole and I have done for Northwestern men’s basketball games this season, we drove to campus today. However, the Northwestern women’s basketball team was home rather than the men’s team. I dropped Nicole off at the Sociology department and drove to Welsh-Ryan Arena.

Obtaining Tickets
I had a free ticket for the game since it was included in my men’s basketball season ticket package. With men’s basketball season tickets, I received one free ticket for a women’s game.

The Game
Northwestern squeaked out a victory over Minnesota 61-60 as Brittany Orban missed the first of two free throws but made the second to give Northwestern a one-point lead with four seconds left (this was after missing 1 of 2 free throws to tie the game at 60 apiece). Rather than Minnesota calling a timeout to make a play with four seconds left, they ran the court as Kiara Buford missed the last second shot attempt that would have given Minnesota the win.

Halftime Show
Northwestern hired Red Panda for their halftime show. Red Panda is the Asian woman who flips bowls from her foot onto her head while riding a unicycle (appears to be 10 feet high). I have seen her several times at NBA game (mainly the Chicago Bulls), so I was surprised to see her at the halftime show of the Northwestern women’s basketball game – it does not seem to make financial sense for a women’s basketball game.

In what must have been a first, she missed the four-bowl flip on her first try. She must have been distracted since Willie the Wildcat was tossing her the bowls.

Post Game Dining
After a few hours in the department we ate dinner at Addis Abeba – an Ethiopian restaurant located at 1322 Chicago Ave. in Evanston, IL.

AFC Divisional Playoffs: Ravens at Colts

After sprinting to Lucas Oil Stadium, my ticket was scanned and I entered the stadium. I heard over the speakers there was 12:39 left in the first quarter. I left the Pacers game with 2:24 left and I was in Lucas Oil Stadium after 2:21 – pretty much as even as I could have hoped. 30 seconds later I was looking at the scoreboard as I stood in the concourse overlooking the end zone where Matt Stover kicked his first field goal with 10:44 left in the first quarter.

Secondary Ticket Market
I may have made a mistake in buying my ticket before the Pacers game. There were plenty of extra tickets available from scalpers as I ran from Conseco Fieldhouse to Lucas Oil Stadium. Even though it would have taken a minute or two more, I probably could have beaten the $50 I paid for a limited view seat. If nothing else, I would have bought a real seat for the same price.

Limited View and SRO at Lucas Oil Stadium
I realized my seat was obstructed view and I could see my possible seat – behind a pole (here is a picture of my actual seat I took towards the end of the game).

Thus, I headed towards section 632 – where a friend of mine was sitting. On route I tried stopping in a couple standing room only areas. The first was where I watched Stover’s first field goal on the lower level. However, this area was viable as fans sitting in front of the standing room only section would stand up during exciting plays and block my view. The same thing happened in the upper deck standing room only area, so I moved along toward section 632.


Just below section 632 there was an empty area where nobody was standing except for a few fans. This was a great spot for me as I realized most of the other fans seated in my same section (420) also left to find another place to either sit or stand. Under normal circumstances I would have found a place to sit in the upper deck but this was a pretty good spot to watch the game so I stuck around (plus I could chat with my friend at halftime and sit near him when there was a seat available next to him).


The Game
The Colts buried their bye-week demons and defeated the Ravens 20-3 to advance to the AFC Championship Game. The deciding drive occurred when Peyton Manning hit Reggie Wayne for a three yard touchdown pass with three seconds left in the first half. Wayne stretched for the end zone to give the Colts a 17-3 lead heading into halftime.

The play of the game occurred after Ed Reed intercepted Manning in the third quarter. Pierre Garcon stripped Reed of the ball after the 38 yard return and the Colts’ Dallas Clark recovered. In the end, the Colts technically lost 17 yards on the play as the ball was now on the 28 yard line instead of the 45 – but it was still first down.

Reed lost a second interception five plays later as Corey Ivy was called for a pass interference penalty.

NBA: New Orleans Hornets at Indiana Pacers

After buying my ticket for the Colts playoff game, buying my ticket for the Pacers game was easy. On my walk looking for Colts tickets, I had already checked in with the Conseco Fieldhouse box office – cheapest ticket was $10. I was planning to buy a $10 ticket from the box office when I walked by a few scalpers. I offered them $5 for a ticket and the guy asked for $10. I looked at the ticket and the face value was $125. I paid the $10 immediately.

I realized that everyone downtown was planning to attend the Colts game only and that nobody could sell a Pacers ticket. It was the perfect day to attend a Pacers game if wanted cheap seats.

Pre Game
After buying my ticket, I walked over to the first bar I saw near the stadium – The Pub Indianapolis. The place was packed with Colts and Ravens fans as was the rest of downtown Indianapolis – the main reason I had a $125 ticket for $10.

The Game
The seat I bought was 19 rows up from center court. One of the best seats I have sat in (legally) for an NBA game. When I attended the Pacers home opener, I noticed a fan who sits directly next to the basket. Tonight that same fan was there wearing a Colts jersey with name “Pacer Guy” on his back. He held up a sign that read “Tailgating at the Pacers Game” which was in fact what I was doing. I am not sure if this guy is paid by the Pacers or not, but his signs are very professional looking.


Half of the fans at the game were wearing Colts jerseys and the Conseco Fieldhouse was at least half empty. My main concern was that the game could maintain a swift pace and end with enough time to run to Lucas Oil Stadium for the Colts game.


The game was surprisingly good as the Hornets defeated the Pacers 101-96. However, I had to check the final score on my phone as I left the game after New Orleans called a timeout with 2:24 remaining in the fourth quarter. I estimated that was the best time to leave so I would miss a minimum amount of time from both games.

Triple-Doubles
Chris Paul nearly had a triple-double (22 points, 11 rebounds and 8 assists). This was the closest I have been to seeing a triple-double for awhile. I have seen four triple-doubles in the past:

1) Chris Mullin – Golden State Warriors vs. Seattle SuperSonics on January 14, 1994.
2) Tim Duncan – San Antonio Spurs vs. Cleveland Cavaliers on March 25, 2000.
3) Jason Kidd – New Jersey Nets vs. Toronto Raptors on February 2, 2002.
4) Lamar Odom – Los Angeles Lakers vs. Denver Nuggets on April 3, 2007.

Game Time Change Leads to DH Day in Indianapolis

All week I planned to attend the Indianapolis Colts AFC Divisional Playoff game versus the Baltimore Ravens. Since that game did not start until 8:15 ET I wondered if there was another game I could attend earlier in the day. There was. The Pacers game had been rescheduled to 6 pm because of the playoff game at Lucas Oil Stadium. However, I knew that NBA games normally last between 2 hours and 15 minutes and 2 hours and 30 minutes. Thus, I did not think I could attend because I do not like to leave one game early in order to attend another game.

But then I read the statement on the Conseco Fieldhouse website which stated – “In order to accommodate fans wishing to attend both events, the Pacers have moved the start time for their Jan. 16 game against the New Orleans Hornets to 6 p.m. in Conseco Fieldhouse to avoid a scheduling conflict with the Colts' AFC playoff game that night at 8:15 p.m. in Lucas Oil Stadium. The Pacers-Hornets game was originally scheduled to tip off at 7 p.m.”

If the Pacers truly wanted fans to attend both games they would have moved the start time to 5:30 pm and guarantee that fans could watch the entire Pacers game before leaving for the Colts game. However, they did not and I was still not convinced I could make both games until I arrived in Indianapolis and realized the drive between the Conseco Fieldhouse and Lucas Oil Stadium is only 2 minutes. The walk is between 7 and 8 minutes. With that knowledge, I planned to attend the New Orleans Hornets at Indiana Pacers game.

Parking for Two Games
Downtown Indianapolis is full of independent parking garages. However, on a day like this parking does not normally come cheap. I remembered driving by a parking lot when I attended the Pacers home opener that was only charging $3 for the game. Today that same lot (located on E. Washington St. east of N. Pennsylvania Ave.) was charging $3 and I did not have to leave until 2 am. This was a no-brainer as other lots in the area were charging a minimum of $10 and others were charging $20.

Obtaining Tickets for the Colts
Now I had one last major decision – should I buy my Colts playoff ticket before the Pacers game or in between the Pacers and Colts game? I would have no more than 10 minutes to sprint from Conseco Fieldhouse to Lucas Oil Stadium AND buy my ticket if I decided to wait. Based on my experience from two months ago when I attended the Colts game versus the New England Patriots I thought it was possible. However, I decided I would still look for a ticket.

I first walked to the Lucas Oil box office to see if tickets were still available. I was aiming for $100 since that is how much the cheapest tickets on StubHub were earlier in the week. The box office had singles available for $110 each. Instead of buying the easy single, I held out and walked around downtown Indianapolis for an hour.

No scalper would accept my offer of $60 for a ticket. One scalper offered $80 for his $100 face value ticket (note I never saw that ticket), but I thought I could do better. However, it took awhile until I found a scalper with a limited view seat – face value $60. He wanted $80, but I offered $40. We agreed on $50 and I had my ticket at 5:15 pm – 45 minutes before the Pacers game was scheduled to start.

Last Minute Ticket: Blue Jackets at Blackhawks

One reason (of many) I never buy tickets ahead of time to games I am planning to attend is because you never know if you might get invited to the same game. On Sunday Blackhawks Jim called me since he had an extra ticket to the Blackhawks game versus Anaheim. However, since I was in Ann Arbor attending the Northwestern at Michigan men’s basketball game, there was no way I could get back to Chicago in time for the 6 pm start time.

However, that bad luck probably led to good luck tonight as I received the same invite. Blackhawks Jim texted me stating he had an extra ticket to the game. This time I was in town and was already planning to attend. Instead of having to negotiate with scalpers outside of the United Center, I already had a ticket.


The Game
Blackhawks Goalie, Cristobal Huet, shutout the Blue Jackets 3-0. Huet made a great save in the second period as he blocked a hard slap shot from Fedor Tyutin and kept the rebound attempt by Kristian Huselius out of the net.

Tonight’s game was the third straight Blackhawks game I have attended where they shutout their opponent and it is the fourth overall shutout I have seen this season. Both Huet and Antti Niemi have two shutouts while I am in attendance.

This was the Blackhawks last game at home for three weeks. They are heading on an eight-game road trip and return back to the United Center on February 3 to face the St. Louis Blues.

CBK: #13 Wisconsin at Northwestern

Tonight was one of those nights Northwestern needed to win. After moving into the rankings, at #25, for the first time since 1969, Northwestern did not start off conference play well, losing to Illinois and Michigan St. They rallied from 17 points down to defeat Michigan on Sunday and tonight were facing (#13 AP) Wisconsin. A win would give Northwestern some momentum, while a loss would leave them at 1-3 in Big Ten play.

Northwestern had a one-point lead with 5:04 remaining in the game even though they had not scored a basket from 14:37 to 6:13 during the second half. However, Wisconsin’s Trevon Hughes made three 3-pointers to lead Wisconsin on a 9-0 run and take a 55-48 lead. At this point it was too late for Northwestern to stage a comeback and Wisconsin ended up winning 60-50.

NBA: Detroit Pistons at Chicago Bulls

As I have had for most of the Bulls games I have attended this season, I already had my ticket for the Bulls game tonight. I bought a $10 ticket at the start of the season. And, as usual, I sat in a lower row in the upper deck ($60 face value).

The Game
This game was not the most exciting game to attend but I figured I would have a free Monday night at the start of the season and I did. The Bulls defeated the Pistons convincingly 120-87 to give the Pistons their 13th consecutive loss. Detroit matched its longest losing streak since 1993-94.

Luc Longley was in the stands watching his first NBA game in about 10 years. He sat courtside.

CBK: Northwestern at Michigan

Over the past few seasons, I have been slowly attending games at the Big Ten football stadiums and basketball arenas. With a wide-open Sunday and Northwestern traveling to play Michigan at Crisler Arena (a Big Ten arena I had not attended a game at yet), I decided to road trip to the Northwestern men’s basketball game in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

The game time was perfect for the road trip. A 2:30 pm ET (1:30 pm CT) start time allowed me to make the drive each way at a reasonable hour – I needed to leave our house in Chicago at 9 am and would be back home around 7 pm

Parking and Obtaining Tickets
Parking in the main lot by the arena is for parking passes (read season ticket holders) only. Thus, I parked in the lot across the street from the arena for $10.

There were some scalpers selling tickets around the arena, but the lowest price at the box office was $10. Rather than hassle with scalpers, I bought a ticket at the box office for $10 and sat in the upper level of the arena where the tickets cost $15.

The Game
In a game Northwestern desperately needed to win (after losing their first two in conference play), the Wildcats came back from a 17 point deficit to defeat Michigan 68-62.

Freshman Drew Crawford single handedly got Northwestern back in the game. Michigan had a 31-14 lead with 4:23 remaining in the first half, when Crawford went on a personal 11-0 run – draining a trio of three pointers and two free throws to get Northwestern to within six points.

In the second half, the game seesawed back and forth as Northwestern took a 10 point lead (59-49) only to see that lead disappear with 1:28 left in the game as Michigan took a 62-61 lead. Northwestern eventually eked out the much needed victory.

Chicago / Milwaukee Sporting Events: Sun, Jan. 10

The Chicago Blackhawks is the best game to attend today in Chicagoland or Milwaukee. Your other options are:

1) Chicago Blackhawks vs. Anaheim Ducks at United Center (6:00 pm) in Chicago, IL.
2) Chicago Wolves vs. Toronto Marlies at Allstate Arena (3:00 pm) in Rosemont, IL.
3) Milwaukee Wave vs. Monterrey La RaZa at U.S. Cellular Arena (2:00 pm) in Milwaukee, WI.
4) Rockford Rampage vs. Philadelphia KiXX at Rockford MetroCentre (5:05 pm) in Rockford, IL.
5) Notre Dame Hockey vs. Ferris State at Joyce Center (4:05 pm) in South Bend, IN.
6) Marquette Men’s Basketball vs. Seton Hall at Al McGuire Center (2:00 pm) in Milwaukee, WI.
7) Chicago Steel vs. Lincoln Stars at Edge Ice Arena (3:00 pm) in Bensenville, IL.
8) Chicago Steam vs. Steam Rollers at South Suburban College (4:00 pm) in South Holland, IL.

Chicago / Milwaukee Sporting Events: Sat, Jan. 9

As usual Saturdays are a busy time for sporting events (mainly college sports) in Chicagoland and Milwaukee. Here are the games in order of priority.

1) Chicago Bulls vs. Minnesota Timberwolves at United Center (7:00 pm) in Chicago, IL.
2) Chicago Wolves vs. Peoria Riverman at Allstate Arena (7:00 pm) in Rosemont, IL.
3) Notre Dame Men’s Basketball vs. West Virginia at Joyce Center (8:00 pm) in South Bend, IN.
4) Loyola (IL) Men’s Basketball vs. Youngstown State at Gentile Center (2:00 pm) in Chicago, IL.
5) UI-Chicago Women’s Basketball vs. Cleveland State at UIC Pavilion (3:00 pm) in Chicago, IL.
6) Milwaukee Admirals vs. Toronto Marlies at Bradley Center (7:30 pm) in Milwaukee, WI.
7) UW-Milwaukee Men’s Basketball vs. Green Bay at U.S. Cellular Arena (12:00 pm) in Milwaukee, WI.
8) Notre Dame Hockey vs. Ferris State at Joyce Center (7:05 pm) in South Bend, IN.
9) Notre Dame Women’s Basketball vs. Villanova at Joyce Center (12:00 pm) in South Bend, IN.
10) UW-Milwaukee Women’s Basketball vs. Wright State at Klotsche Center (6:00 pm) in Milwaukee, WI.
11) Northern Illinois Women’s Basketball vs. Ball State at Convocation Center (3:00 pm) in DeKalb, IL.

Chicago / Milwaukee Sporting Events: Fri, Jan. 8

There is only one sporting even taking place in either Chicagoland or Milwaukee tonight as the Milwaukee Bucks host the Chicago Bulls at the Bradley Center in Milwaukee, WI tonight. Tip-off is at 7:30 pm.

CBK: Texas-Pan American at Northwestern

Northwestern needed to win tonight after losing two straight to Illinois and Michigan St. Although Northwestern played poorly (19 turnovers and shot 32%), they were able to pull out the victory over Texas-Pan American (who are now 1-16 after the loss) 53-44.

Obtaining Tickets
I already had my ticket to the game since I bought season tickets at the start of the season.

Post Game Dining
After the game I picked up Papa John’s for the wife and myself. My strategy is to attend the Northwestern men’s basketball games while Nicole (a Sociology Ph.D.) works at the Sociology department – then we generally eat after the game.

Chicago / Milwaukee Sporting Events: Thu, Jan. 7

For the second day in a row there are no professional sporting events taking place in Chicagoland or Milwaukee. There are three Horizon League women’s basketball games taking place tonight though. I am attending the Northwestern men’s basketball game.

1) Northwestern Men’s Basketball vs. Texas-Pan American at Welsh-Ryan Arena (6:00 pm) in Evanston, IL.
2) Loyola (IL) Women’s Basketball vs. Cleveland State at Gentile Center (7:00 pm) in Chicago, IL.
3) UI-Chicago Women’s Basketball vs. Youngstown State at UIC Pavilion (7:00 pm) in Chicago, IL.
4) Milwaukee Admirals vs. San Antonio Rampage at Bradley Center (7:00 pm) in Milwaukee, WI.
5) UW-Milwaukee Women’s Basketball vs. Detroit at Klotsche Center (7:00 pm) in Milwaukee, WI.

Chicago / Milwaukee Sporting Events: Wed, Jan. 6

No professional sporting events in Chicago tonight. But if you have never seen the Duke men’s basketball team play then you are in luck. They are in town tonight at the United Center. Here are the other games in Chicagoland and Milwaukee.

1) Iowa State Men’s Basketball vs. Duke at United Center (8:00 pm) in Chicago, IL.
2) Marquette Men’s Basketball vs. Georgetown at Bradley Center (7:00 pm) in Milwaukee, WI.
3) Rockford IceHogs vs. Toronto Marlies at Rockford MetroCentre (7:05 pm) in Rockford, IL.
4) Chicago State Men’s Basketball vs. Northern Illinois at Jones Convocation Center (7:00 pm) in Chicago, IL.

Chicago / Milwaukee Sporting Events: Tue, Jan. 5

There are two more games taking place in Chicago tonight. Your best bet is the Chicago Blackhawks game at the United Center.

However, a surprisingly good time is attending a DePaul women’s basketball game at McGrath Arena. It’s close to many restaurants and bars and will give you points with your significant other as you support women sports.

1) Chicago Blackhawks vs. Minnesota Wild at United Center (7:00 pm) in Chicago, IL.
2) DePaul Women’s Basketball vs. Louisville at McGrath Arena (8:00 pm) in Chicago, IL.

Chicago / Milwaukee Sporting Events: Mon, Jan. 4

There are two games taking place in Chicagoland this evening. Your best bet is obviously the Chicago Bulls game.

1) Chicago Bulls vs. Oklahoma City Thunder at United Center (7:00 pm) in Chicago, IL.
2) Valparaiso Women’s Basketball vs. Loyola (IL) at ARC (7:05 pm) in Valparaiso, IN.

Cowboys Stadium: Eagles at Cowboys

I woke up Sunday morning at 9 am. After my long day Saturday, it was a struggle to wake up. However, I wanted to get to Cowboys Stadium around 1 pm in order to tailgate in the parking lot before the game. I pulled away from my hotel shortly before 10 am and arrived at Cowboys Stadium at 1:15 pm.

Tailgating in Blue Lot 10
As I stated on Friday, my cousin, Andrew Holder, gave me tickets for the game. Plus, he gave me a parking pass – Blue Lot 10. Blue Lot 10 is directly next to Cowboys Stadium. It was a great spot – especially considering I needed to leave immediately after the game to get back to Love Field for my 8:00 pm flight. However, there was nobody tailgating in the parking lot. I was convinced that with a $75 parking pass that everyone would be tailgating as they do at Soldier Field but I was wrong.


Instead, my cousin’s friend and I had some drinks in the parking lot with two people from Buffalo who drove 21 hours from Buffalo to attend the game. They were also disappointed with the lack of tailgating at Cowboys Stadium.

The Game
The Cowboys defeated the Eagles convincingly 24-0 in front of the biggest crowd since the home opener (100,621). It was also the largest crowd at any NFL game I have attended.

The Cowboys also set some records during the game. First, they posted consecutive shutouts for the first time in team history. Consecutive shutouts have not occurred in the NFL since the Tennessee Titans did it in 2000 and is only the third time in 50 seasons the Cowboys have posted two shutouts in the same season.

Second, Tony Romo finished the season with a team record 4,483 passing yards – breaking his own record set in 2007.

Third, the Cowboys shut out the Eagles for only the second time ever and this was the first time the Eagles were shutout since week 13 of the 2005 season.

Fourth, the Cowboys had a winning record after Dec. 1 for the first time since 1996, while ending a nine-game losing streak in season finales.

One Eagles player even set a record during the game. Eagles’ linebacker Will Witherspoon became only the fifth player in NFL history to play 17 regular season games in a single season because of a mid-season trade.

Cowboys Stadium
Cowboys Stadium is as unreal experience. As I walked into the stadium, the atmosphere in the building was rocking as go-go dancers danced above the party pass attendees. Speaking of the party passes – they are essentially standing room only but worse. Unless you arrive at the game early, you will have to watch the game on the gigantic video board in the middle of the stadium.


However, that may not be a bad thing as the video board is unbelievable big. I found myself watching the game on the video board rather than the game on the field at times. If I was sitting in the upper deck, I would probably only watch the video board. Although everything was not perfect as the video board blanked out late in the fourth quarter.

Chicago / Milwaukee Sporting Events: Sun, Jan. 3

The first Sunday of the year brings a few sporting events to Chicagoland today.

1) Chicago Blackhawks vs. Anaheim Ducks at United Center (6:00 pm) in Chicago, IL.
2) DePaul Men’s Basketball vs. Georgetown at Allstate Arena (1:00 pm) in Rosemont, IL.
3) Notre Dame Hockey vs. North Dakota at Sears Centre (6:05 pm) in Hoffman Estates, IL.
4) Colgate Hockey vs. Niagara at Sears Centre (3:05 pm) in Hoffman Estates, IL.
5) Northwestern Women’s Basketball vs. Penn State at Welsh-Ryan Arena (2:00 pm) in Evanston, IL.
6) Chicago State Women’s Basketball vs. Northern Illinois at Jones Convocation Center (2:00 pm) in DeKalb, IL.
7) Chi-Town Shooters vs. Evansville IceMen at Midwest Training and Ice Center (3:20 pm) in Dyer, IN.

In addition, you can attend harness racing at Balmoral Park in Crete, IL (post time 6:30 pm). This is the last day of racing at Balmoral until January 27.

Alamo Bowl: Texas Tech vs. Michigan St.

The drive from Dallas to San Antonio took four hours, which was perfect timing for the 8:00 pm kick off. I was near the Alamodome at 7:30 pm, but needed to find parking. Even though I have attended a sporting event three other times at the Alamodome, I have never had to find parking for the game. I usually walk from the River Walk.

Parking
After driving past a few lots that were already full, I found a parking lot on Crocket St. that was open. For $20 I parked by the Rivercenter Mall and the San Antonio Marriott Rivercenter, which was good since I wanted to go out on the River Walk after the game.

Obtaining Tickets
I parked at 7:45 pm so I quickly walked to the Alamodome. There were not as many tickets on the secondary market as I expected. I figured this was the case since I was relatively late compared to the rest of the crowd. The first couple of guys I talked to wanted $50 for their single which was more than I was willing to pay.

I walked to the box office. The cheapest ticket available was $55. Within a few minutes, I bought a single ticket for $35 on the first level.

The Game
After a week of controversy surrounding Texas Tech’s fired head coach Mike Leach, Texas Tech rallied from behind to defeat Michigan St. 41-31. It was a back and forth affair as Texas Tech led at halftime 20-14 and Michigan St. led after the 3rd quarter 28-27. Michigan St. kicked a field goal to take a 31-27 lead with 8:05 left in the game, but Texas Tech scored twice within the final five minutes to win the game.


Texas Tech quarterback Taylor Potts threw for 372 yards – an Alamo Bowl record. That was before he left the game after injuring his non-throwing hand. Backup QB Steven Sheffield threw for 88 yards to lead Texas Tech to the win.

Post Game Dining
After the game I met Mr. Touchdown USA at Ritas on the River. We actually chatted during halftime of the Alamo Bowl, but decided it would be better to meet up after the game. Mr. Touchdown USA is attempting to attend 18 bowl games in 20 days – quite the feat since he needs to crisscross the country multiple times in order to attend as many games as possible. As of last night he was down to 15 games as flight cancellations and delays had caused him to already miss three bowl games. In fact, he was supposed to attend the Cotton Bowl earlier in the day but could not due to his flight.

After dinner
I was done eating “dinner” at 1:45 am. Before arriving at Ritas on the River, I stopped in at a few hotels on my way back from the Alamodome. Most hotels still had rooms available. The cheapest hotel had a rate of $99. Since I was not tired, I decided to drive as far as I could back to Dallas. I ended up pulling into a hotel in Buda, TX at 3 am – 15 miles south of Austin, TX. The hotel was only $49.

NHL: Vancouver Canucks at Dallas Stars

While I was on my flight to Dallas I decided my best option was to attend the Dallas Stars game at 1 pm and then drive to San Antonio for the Alamo Bowl. My timing for the day would need to be nearly perfect. I figured the Stars game would last 2.5 hours, giving me enough time to drive to San Antonio.

My flight was scheduled to land at 11:45 am and Dallas Love Field is only a 10 minute drive (5 miles) to American Airlines Center. Thus, I figured I could make the Stars game on time. My flight was five minutes late and I had my rental car by 12:30 pm. Just as I thought, I was parking at 12:45 pm – just enough time to buy a ticket from a scalper and enter the arena.

Parking
I parked in a lot near the W Hotel for $10. This was the best lot so I could make my getaway to San Antonio after the game.

Obtaining Tickets
I only wanted to spend $10 on a ticket for the game. However, when I talked to a couple of scalpers they were not willing to part with their tickets for less than $50 ($150 face value). I ended up paying $40 for a club level ticket which did not have a face value on it. After the game I looked at the Stars’ website and they do not list a price (but it is listed higher than the $150 seats).

The Game
Scoring in the game came quickly after the intermissions. Vancouver’s first goal came 1:30 into the second period. Dallas tied the game 37 seconds into the third period and Vancouver took the lead two minutes later. Roberto Luongo then shut down the Stars – making 13 saves to close out the game. Vancouver scored an empty net goal with 17 seconds left in the game to win 3-1.

As soon as the final horn blew, I ran out of the arena to my car. It was 3:30 pm and I had a minimum four hour drive ahead of me.

Chicago / Milwaukee Sporting Events: Sat, Jan. 2

There are plenty of sporting events to attend in Chicagoland and Milwaukee today plus a doubleheader at the United Center or the Bradley Center. I have ordered the events by priority to attend.

1) Chicago Bulls vs. Orlando Magic at United Center (7:00 pm) in Chicago, IL.
2) Milwaukee Bucks vs. Oklahoma City Thunder at Bradley Center (7:30 pm) in Milwaukee, WI.
3) Northwestern Men’s Basketball vs. Michigan State at Welsh-Ryan Arena (5:30 pm) in Evanston, IL.
4) Illinois Men’s Basketball vs. Gonzaga at United Center (12:00 pm) in Chicago, IL.
5) Chicago Wolves vs. Peoria Riverman at Allstate Arena (7:00 pm) in Rosemont, IL.
6) North Dakota Hockey vs. Niagara at Sears Centre (3:05 pm) in Hoffman Estates, IL.
7) Notre Dame Hockey vs. Colgate at Sears Centre (6:05 pm) in Hoffman Estates, IL.
8) Marquette Men’s Basketball vs. Villanova at Bradley Center (2:30 pm) in Milwaukee, WI.
9) UIC Men’s Basketball vs. Wright State at UIC Pavilion (3:00 pm) in Chicago, IL.
10) Loyola (IL) Men’s Basketball vs. Detroit at Gentile Center (3:00 pm) in Chicago, IL.
11) Rockford IceHogs vs. Grand Rapids Griffins at Rockford MetroCentre (7:05 pm) in Rockford, IL.
12) Northern Illinois Men’s Basketball vs. North Dakota at Convocation Center (3:00 pm) in DeKalb, IL.
13) Valparaiso Men’s Basketball vs. Green Bay at ARC (7:05 pm) in Valparaiso, IN.
14) Chicago Steel vs. Lincoln Stars at Edge Ice Arena (7:30 pm) in Bensenville, IL.
15) Marquette Women’s Basketball vs. Pittsburgh at Al McGuire Center (7:00 pm) in Milwaukee, WI.
16) Valparaiso Women’s Basketball vs. UIC at ARC (1:35 pm) in Valparaiso, IN.

If racing is your thing, you can attend thoroughbred horse racing at Hawthorne Racecourse in Cicero, IL (post time 1:05 pm) or harness racing at Balmoral Park in Crete, IL (post time 7:20 pm). This is the last day of racing at Hawthorne until February 12.

Last Minute Changes to a Sports Trip?

As with any trip, last minutes issues occur and ideally you have made your plans flexible enough to change your trip if necessary. Originally, the Ultimate Sports Wife and I were planning to spend four nights in Dallas to attend the Cotton Bowl, Dallas Cowboys and Dallas Mavericks games. Of course, we were planning to visit one of Nicole’s friends from graduate school which made the trip worthwhile to her.

However, tonight (our flight is tomorrow morning) Nicole was not feeling well and wanted to know if she could back out of the trip. Since we booked our flights on Southwest Airlines (no cancellation or change fees), have not booked any hotels and have not purchased tickets for any of the games, she had the option to not go on the trip.

I only have tickets to the Cowboys game versus the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday since my cousin, Andrew Holder, gave me the tickets. Thus, I still have to make the trip. One quick call to my cousin and he has a friend to attend the Cowboys game with me.

New Plans
Now that Nicole is not travelling with me, my Saturday night has opened up. There are three options of games to attend based on when my flight arrives.

1) Dallas Stars @ 1 pm, the Alamo Bowl in San Antonio @ 8 pm
2) The Cotton Bowl at 1 pm, TCU men’s basketball @ 7 pm
3) Interliga doubleheader (Copa Libertadores qualifying tournament for Mexican soccer clubs) in Houston at 5:30 pm and 8 pm

At first I thought I could attend both the Cotton Bowl and Alamo Bowl. However, the drive from Dallas to San Antonio is between 4 and 4.5 hours. With bowl games taking four hours these days, I would have to either leave the Cotton Bowl (end around 5 pm) early or get to the Alamo Bowl late (starts at 8 pm).

The most likely scenario is option #1, unless I get lazy and do not want to make the drive to San Antonio. If my flight is extremely delayed I will drive to Houston.

Chicago / Milwaukee Sporting Events: Fri, Jan. 1

With all of the college football games and the NHL Winter Classic to watch on television today, there are two sporting events to attend on New Year’s Day in Chicagoland and Milwaukee.

1) Milwaukee Admirals vs. Houston Aeros at Bradley Center (6:00 pm) in Milwaukee, WI.
2) Chicago Steel vs. Lincoln Stars at Edge Ice Arena (7:30 pm) in Bensenville, IL.

If racing is your thing, you can attend thoroughbred horse racing at Hawthorne Racecourse in Cicero, IL (post time 1:05 pm) or harness racing at Maywood Park in Maywood, IL (post time 7:20 pm).