Chicago Olympic Smackdown

Chalkie (unofficial Chi-town Bid Masot)

In the end, not even the bedazzling glow of an appeal by beloved President Barack Obama could sway the International Olympic Committee.  Chicago is out, Rio is in.  So much for all those ‘Chalkie’ t-shirt sales.  So much for a new corruption fiasco revenue stream for Chi-town.  In a fitting bit of irony, the Chicago bid appears to have been out-politicked by the international community within the IOC.   Too bad we still don’t have Blago heading up our fine state; with him (and his hair) given free rein to implement the Chicago Way and work all the bid-angles along with Mayor Daley, who can doubt the IOC would’ve eventually been persuaded.

From where I’m sitting, south of I-80, this failure is a good thing.  Sure the Olympics would’ve brought jobs, cash, and publicity to Chicago, but at what price?  Veteran Tribune Columnist John Kass knows the score.  He was ready to invest heavily in T-shirt sales along these lines: ‘Chicago 2016′ on the front, ‘Terra Haute 2020′ on the back.  Why, you ask?  Because, as he so eloquently puts it:

As every Chicago politician knows, Terre Haute, Ind., is home to a federal prison. That’s where a few would be tossed after boodling their way to Olympic fortunes. And why 2020? That’s how long it would take for grand juries to do their work.

A Soccer Day

Saturday was an official soccer day in Beemsville, starting with last-minute preparations for our trip north to Chicago for the World Cup Qualifier.  But before that, my daughter’s team had one last youth soccer game.

The Bandits have made some progress over the last few months, notably in advanced tactics such turning and going the right direction and actually passing it to someone open.  Yeah, someone should give that coach a raise…

After that it was northward to Chi-town.  The typical road construction, multiple stops, and general procrastination meant we were way behind in our pre-game plans.  Didn’t make the pre-pub and march to the stadium or the tailgate, which sucked.  I never fail to underestimate our ability to get around in a city like Chicago.  Of course we were heavily outnumbered at the game.  Hondurans made up, I would guess, about 70% of the crowd.  I read that a lot of folks planned or incorporated family reunions with this game; that’s how important it was to them.

on the Field Museum

Our recent Chicago trip included a trip to the Field Museum–a place we haven’t seen since our high school days. The strange thing: it didn’t seem all that different. Depending on your perspective, this is either right and proper or evidence of yet another aging institution in need of change.

Allied forces over at Vanniereal posit the Museum needs more levers and buttons (and steak’ums, naturally), which may well be a valid point. Interactivity is the watchword these days–keep those kids engaged and entertained. Their attention spans are short; their patience for reading stuff even shorter. And there’s a lot to read at the Field Museum.

Contrast this with the other major museum we’ve visited of late, the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum and Library, right here in Springfield. Now that’s an interactive exhibit, complete with animatronics, special effects theater, mock news casts, multimedia timelines, and Lincoln Logs(!). The Lincoln Museum is clearly designed around the one day field trip. At the same time, it has been criticized for being a bit too Disneyland.

Chicago Trip Slides

A brief montage from our most recent Chi-town trip, featuring night at the Annoyance and afternoon at the Field Museum.  (You may need to go to the blog site to view the pics.)

Sadly, none of the wrestling troupe in full regalia…

Bodyslam! What you should see in Chicago

Still playing at the Annoyance Theater on Chicago’s north side, it’s Bodyslam! The Rise and Fall of C.A.W.C. (Continental American Wrestling Association). We made the trip and saw the show, and were vastly entertained.

It’s not just the overt comedy of average dudes in spandex, preening and stomping and philosophizing about the fine art of the suplex or camel clutch, no–it’s also the odd subtle lines they throw in, the quirky off-the-wall asides and references, the songs and music… It is damned fine comedy. They have themselves an actual ring and some authentic costuming. The cast is talented, intense, and totally committed.

Wrasslin’ Masterpiece Theater

Multitalented Beemsville ally Mark V. has a new show on the comedy circuit in Chicago:

Bodyslam! The Rise and Fall of CAWC

The picture pretty much says it all.

After an outstanding opening weekend, the show was a pick of the week for Metromix Chicago (details here). This is clear indication of either the powerful comedic stylings of Mark and Co., or that someone in their troupe has managed to compromise a local journalista. Judging by the unitards, Probably both.

Bodyslam! playing Friday nights at the Annoyance Theater, 10 p.m., until April 11. We hope to make the trip north for a little big city culture sometime soon.