Desperate times call for desperate measures. If your team is behind in the game, donning a rally cap is the best way to bring some luck to the field. Sacrificing a small part of your dignity in exchange for the possibility of a win is always reasonable.

Being a Cubs fan, I have a lot of experience with a rally cap. And, as you may know, in the past few home games, I have had a lot of practice invoking the rally cap but to no avail. Let’s just say …

I was trying to be good today. My plan was to finish an article I have been working on for longer than I would like to admit. To finish the article, I would have to stay home and NOT go to the Cubs game. I watched, at 1 pm, as Andrew finished his conference call and went off to the game. I sat in my chair in front of my computer- ready for the long haul.

Ten minutes of facebook, checking my email and opening up my word doc, and …

On my way to the gym, I saw a massive crowd waiting-out a minor rain delay at Murphy’s. There was a shiny, enormous bowl popping out of the crowd. My natural reaction was to think that some ‘tool’ was using this as a beer trough; you see a lot of dumb-ass things outside of Wrigley. But, when I got close enough to see that the “tool” carrying the shiny bowl was actually Chris Chelios and the Stanley Cup, I went into mass panic.

I didn’t have my cell …

As the race for the presidency is heating up between McCain and Obama, another race is running even hotter on the field- The Presidents Race at the new Nationals Park.

This weekend, we took a trip to the nation’s capital to get a look at the new Nationals Park. It’s located south of the Capitol, along the developing Capitol Riverfront with great views of the city from the stadium.

Up-and-coming is the best way to describe the Nationals experience. D.C. is a growing baseball market in a town where everyone …

There is a common philosophical riddle that goes something like this: “When a tree falls in a lonely forest, and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?” I am not an expert in philosophy but this existential conundrum seemed to sum up the opening pre-season of the Chicago Bears. Yes, football…in August…its back but no one seemed to notice. 

With two Chicago baseball teams in first place, the last thing most fans want to think about it a fledgling Bears team. …

Midwest kids are taught how to duck and cover from the time they go to pre-school. When the tornado sirens sound, hit the floor, cover your head and ball yourself up as small as possible. Chicago even tests those air raid sirens every first Tuesday of the month.

Monday’s Cubs game against the Astros was not what any fan expected. The first five innings were relatively peaceful. But, we watched as the skies darkened and opened up. It down poured …

Barca Barca Barca! 
If you are not a football fan, then I have to clarify that “Barca” is pronounced just like, “Marcia”-  as in the famous, quote by one Jan Brady: Marcia Marcia Marcia! 
If you want to sound like a seasoned soccer fan, then it is these subtleties that are quite important.
Last night at Soldier Field, two famous club teams came together for an exciting friendly. Chivas Guadalajara and FC Barcelona (Futbol Club Barcelona). Of course, FC Barcelona is affectionately known as Barca. These teams are stars …

Day 3: The second day of your trip is always a good day to do most of your touring. This gives you, at least, one more day to fit in any sights you might have missed.

We hung back while our friends took in a lighter day of sightseeing around the southern portion of the Loop. This included the Sears Tower, the Museum Campus, and Millennium Park.

Sears Tower and the Museum Campus (which includes the stretch of park by Soldier Field, the Field Museum, and the Shedd Aquarium) are staples …

Day 2: The second day of our tour of Chicago started with breakfast/brunch at a good Chicago staple: Ann Sather. A stop at Ann Sather’s was a request from our friends since they remembered and craved the enormous cinnamon rolls. Of course, I was not going to disappoint them. We all indulged in two cinnamon rolls…each.
We hopped on the El to head downtown and do some touring. We took the brown line- which is the best tourist option. It is not as fast as the redline subway, but it has …

It is not until two British tourists show up at your door that you are forced think about what to do in a city with so many possibilities. If you are a lifelong Chicagoan, then the pressure is even worse.
Our British friends, Mick and Caroline, planned a three-day visit in Chicago during their larger U.S. vacation. In the planning phase of this visit, we made sure that their visit coincided with at least one Cubs game, but that wasn’t until the last night of their trip. So, to make the …