This will be the only time I am ever able to attend two sporting events on Easter Sunday – the benefits of Nicole working on her dissertation all day. At least she had the heart to work on it at home so I could attend the Blackhawks playoff game.
Beg, Borrow and Deal
Tickets were not that easy to come by since fans thought the Blackhawks could actually come back from a 3-0 deficit versus the Canucks. I ended up paying $95 for an $85 face value ticket. The guy said he …

I missed the first Chicago Blackhawks home playoff game on Sunday night when I was flying back to Chicago. So there was no way I was going to miss Game 4 (the Blackhawks second home game) especially with the Blackhawks down in the series 3-0.
Also, I don’t think there is anyway Game 6 will be played back at the United Center so this is the only Blackhawks playoff game I will attend this season. For the second night in a row, I planned to miss the Cubs home game for …

After going back to San Carlos for an hour, my Dad and I were off to Game 2 of the Kings and Sharks playoff series.
Beg, Borrow and Deal
Since there were a few fans selling tickets outside of the arena on Thursday night, I chose to see if there were fans selling on Saturday night and not walk downtown to find any scalpers. That was a big mistake as there was nobody selling extra tickets around HP Pavilion.
The cheapest tickets on StubHub before the game were between $50 and $60. I …

My second sporting event for Thursday was the San Jose Sharks opening round playoff game versus the Los Angeles Kings. After the golf tournament, I dropped the Ultimate Sports Baby off at my parent’s house and drove down to San Jose for the game.
Beg, Borrow and Deal
In the past there have been plenty of scalpers outside of HP Pavilion. However, tonight there were no scalpers outside of the arena. They must have been downtown which is in the opposite direction from where I parked.
There were some fans who were selling …

Before Game 4 of the NHL Finals in Philadelphia ticket prices for Game 5 were insane. On StubHub, SRO tickets were priced at $650 each upper level seats were $1000 each. At these prices, I would have stayed home and watched Game 5 on television. But, the Blackhawks lost Game 4 and tickets prices went into a free fall.
Beg, Borrow and Deal
I figured my best bet for buying tickets last night was to once again show up at Billy Goat Tavern. That was a good strategy for Game 1 when …

It was the Ultimate Sports Wife’s and my first night out after the birth of our son three weeks ago. And, what better way to spend the night then at Game 2 of the NHL Finals (at least in my opinion). The only issue – ticket prices were insanely expensive. With prices this high, I would normally buy tickets ahead of time from a ticket broker. This not only avoids having to carry around a lot of cash but also guarantees your tickets. Plus, you will probably not spend much …

As I wrote this morning, my plan for today was to attend both the Chicago Blackhawks playoff game this afternoon and Chicago Fire game this evening.
Beg, Borrow and Deal
Blackhawks Jim volunteered to pick me up so we could drive to the United Center together. On route, I checked craigslist.org and found the following ad, “Just found out I have to work and can’t go to today’s game, I’ve got two standing room only tix available $60 for the pair which is less than face+fees. I live at Wells/Division and can …

With the Cubs game lasting 10 innings, I did not have any time at home before needing to meet Blackhawks Jim for dinner before the Blackhawks game. After the Cubs game, I went back home to meet the Ultimate Sports Wife and we were off.
Pre Game Dining
The Ultimate Sports Wife chose Carnivale for dinner before the game. Located at 702 W. Fulton Market, Carnivale is less than two miles from the United Center – meaning you will need to drive to the arena after dinner. The dinner was great although …

As soon as we were done eating at El Mariachi, I left to meet Blackhawks Jim before the Chicago Blackhawks opening playoff game.
Pre Game Dining
We were supposed to meet at Crossroads Bar & Grill, but with a long wait, we met at Plush instead.  Plush is next door to Crossroads at 1104 W. Madison St.  This was not the best decision.  The Ultimate Sports Wife and I went to Plush a few years ago after a Chicago Bulls game and we vowed not to go back before or after an …

Last night the Detroit Red Wings beat the Dallas Stars to win the Eastern Conference Finals and advance to the NHL Finals. Also, last night, the San Antonio Spurs defeated the New Orleans Hornets to advance to the NBA’s Western Conference Finals.
I was considering the double dip for this weekend. The drive from Chicago to Detroit is about 4.5 hours (290 miles) and the flights are under $200 round trip.
The Pistons were scheduled to host the Celtics in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals this Sunday, May 25. Knowing …