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 …

The NBA Playoff Schedule is set and for the first time since the 1990-91 season the Chicago Blackhawks, Chicago Bulls and Milwaukee Bucks are all in the playoffs in the same season. Below are the first round home schedules for each team:
Chicago Blackhawks vs. Nashville Predators:
Friday, April 16 at 7:30 pm
Sunday, April 18 at 7:30 pm
*Saturday, April 24 at 2:00 pm
*Wednesday, April 28: TBD
Chicago Bulls vs. Cleveland Cavaliers:
Thursday, April 22 at 6:00 pm
Sunday, April 25 at 2:30 pm
*Thursday, April 29: TBD
Milwaukee Bucks vs. Atlanta Hawks:
Saturday, April 24 at 6:00 pm
Monday, …

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 …

Even though I owned a San Jose Sharks partial season ticket plan when I was in high school, I rarely get to a Sharks game anymore (obviously, since I live in Chicago). The last Sharks game I attended was May 7, 2007 when the Sharks hosted the Detroit Red Wings in a conference semi-final playoff game. The last regular season game I attended was November 30, 2002 when the Ultimate Sports Wife sang the National Anthem before the game.
Given these facts, I realized on the ride down to …

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 …