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 …

When I was a kid, my family and I would show up early to Oakland Athletics and San Francisco Giants games to ensure we received the promotional giveaway. At the time, I also wanted to show up early so I could catch batting practice home run balls from Mark McGwire and Jose Canseco. So the time spent before the game in the ballpark was worthwhile. However, as time moved on, I ended up giving away nearly all of the promotional giveaways I received and only kept the baseballs I caught.
For …

There are many reasons NOT to buy tickets in advance to any game and show up outside the stadium to buy tickets. First, tickets will be cheaper outside of the stadium than buying in advance (even buying tickets for face value from the team most of the time). Second, if you have a change of plans you do not have to sell your tickets (most likely at less than what you paid for them). Third, sometimes, at the last minute, a friend may have an extra ticket for the same …

Last week I wrote about how the Chicago Blackhawks hosted their earliest game I could ever remember. This week the Blackhawks hosted their most important regular season game I could remember. This was a game between the top teams in each conference and NBC was televising the contest making it the second straight Sunday the Blackhawks would play an 11:30 am game. Besides this fact, I was hoping to watch Alex Ovechkin, arguably the best player in the NHL. The last time I saw Ovechkin in person was on March …

I would never say I am opposed to fans “sneaking” liquor into sporting events. With beers in Chicago averaging $7 per beer and wine and mixed drinks priced higher, fans can save themselves a good amount of money brining in their own. In fact, I have used my Bears flask (the Ultimate Sports Wife bought me a few years back) to make myself some rum and cokes or seven and sevens in the upper rows of any ballpark.
Granted I have not “snuck” in any alcohol for awhile (mainly …

As always, in this blog, I write about how I begged, bought, received for free or used my season ticket to gain entry into a game. Some of these experiences are lucky, some are random, some are typical and some plain boring – however, whenever I receive a free ticket or buy a $100 ticket for $20, most people do not believe it.
Last night was one of the random experiences. For this Blackhawks season, I have adopted the general rule that I would rather spend $25 on a …

It was a relatively warm Sunday in Chicago and the Chicago Blackhawks were playing in their earliest game I can ever remember – the puck dropped at 11:30 am. 2.5 hours earlier than their usual 2:00 pm March Sunday afternoon start time.
The early start time must have affected the goalies as the Red Wings gave up four goals and the Blackhawks gave up five goals in the second period alone. Crostobal Huet, who started the game, was replaced by Antti Niemi, after the Red Wings scored their fourth goal within …

The Chicago Blackhawks are hosting the Detroit Red Wings at the United Center in Chicago’s best game today. The puck drops at 11:30 am meaning you will need to get an early start. In fact, I believe this is the earliest start time ever for any professional sporting event in Chicago.

The best game to attend tonight is the Chicago Blackhawks game at the United Center. While one might think it is expensive to attend a Blackhawks game, remember to check Ticketmaster before buying anywhere else. Although only singles are currently available, there have been times where seats (available on Ticketmaster) are priced above face value on StubHub.