Winning City

The bucket list item of attending a Stanley Cup final hasn’t been crossed off yet, but I experienced a unique proxy Monday night.

Circumstances resulted in my being in Chicago for business the same night the Hawks ended up polishing off the B’s. I saw only the last ten minutes of the game, but as you know, that WAS the game. So, with their second Cup in four years, the Chicago dailies celebrated the win with the cheeky headline – REFILL!!!

The Windy City is back to being the Winning City. This is a community that loves their champions. Across the street from my hotel sat Ditka’s restaurant, named for the Bears’ last Super Bowl winning coach. The wireless password for visitors at the company I was meeting with was “JORDAN23” and if I have to explain that, please STOP READING MY BLOG! Immediately. An office tower on Lakeshore Drive was lit up with GO HAWKS GO, spelt out by a precise pattern of offices left lit for the evening. The night after the big win, it was joined by several downtown landmarks awash in celebratory red.

All day Tuesday the entire city sported a goofy grin. A championship mood carried in by the lake breeze made the buzz of activity seem effortless. A parade to be planned. Sponsor tribute ads crafted for publication. Championship souvenirs put on display.

By fluke I got within a few feet of the entire team and the Cup on Tuesday night as they partied at Rockit Bar&Grill on Hubbard. Dozens of cops closed the street as the players hoisted the trophy to the squealing delight of thousand of young fans below. They lapped up every glimpse of the hardware and the sprayed champagne sent raining from a second floor patio by the jubilant players. Each of them holding up a smart phone to create their not so unique memory of this glimpse with glory.

Silly as it may seem on paper, it was an indescribable atmosphere, one that I can only hope we feel soon.