Today’s newspaper column from The Daily Journal (Kankakee, Ill.) and The Times (Ottawa, Ill.) …
Three playoff ‘wins’ in the Windy City
The WISCH LIST
April 16, 2011
Chicago is on a roll.
With seeds.
Postseason, that is. Not poppy.
Last spring, the Blackhawks snared the No. 2 seed in the NHL Western Conference Playoffs, and then skated to the Stanley Cup championship. This past winter, the Bears nabbed the No. 2 seed in the NFC Playoffs, and then ended up with a home-field edge in the conference championship game.
(Let’s just not talk about who they lost to.)
And, now, this spring, the Bulls have upped the city’s vertical by securing the No. 1 overall seed in the NBA playoffs for the first time since Michael Jordan was winning rings.
The Bulls’ first-round series tips off this afternoon against the Pacers at the United Center, and come Sunday night, the Blackhawks (only an eight seed, guys?) will join in on the postseason fun at the UC with Game 3 vs. Vancouver.
So, with Playoff Fever (and Spring Fever) again sweeping Chicagoland, I thought I’d share with you a three-pointer’s – or hat trick’s – worth of fun city sports bars where you can get a unique taste of the postseason action over the next several weeks.
Hopefully, the Bulls’ and Blackhawks’ runs last that long.
Joe’s Bar
940 W. Weed St.
Visiting Joe’s on gameday – pretty much any gameday – is kind of like visiting a Best Buy that serves pizza, wings and beer.
There are that many TV sets in the place.
In fact, the 20,000-foot warehouse-style venue located just off North Avenue not far from the Chicago neighborhoods of Old Town and Lincoln Park (and the North/Clybourn CTA Red Line stop) boasts more than 110 plasma televisions and high-definition projector screens.
Joe’s, which calls itself home to the Chicago chapters of 14 different college alumni groups (including the University of Illinois), is always hopping and also features a spacious outdoor patio that includes a 20-foot-tall projector screen. Of course.
My tip: If you go on a weekend, get there early. And if you really want to pay attention to a game, grab a booth in the front room. They each feature their own personal flat-screen TVs.
For more information, visit joesbar.com.
Mother Hubbard’s
5 W. Hubbard St.
If you want to go old-school sports bar hopping in Chicago, then Mother Hubbard’s is your place.
Tucked downtown just west of the Mag Mile, the bar still offers a casual neighborhood feel on a street that’s now dominated by trendy River North nightspots.
The pub features more than 40 TVs, including several of the jumbo-sized variety, and is proud of its meaty menu (burgers and ribs are specialties), bragging that Mother Hubbard’s is the place “Where the cupboard is never bare.”
My tip: If you visit Mother Hubbard’s on the night of a playoff series clincher, venture down along Hubbard Street later on. Hawks or Bulls players could be out celebrating at one of the nearby clubs.
For more information, visit motherhubbardschicago.com.
West End
1326 W. Madison St.
Billing itself as “Chicago’s Official Partner of the Blackhawks,” West End – located in the West Loop (hence the name) – is about as good a seat as you’re going to get near the United Center without actually being inside the United Center.
Last spring, the upscale-but-casual bar – and its 32 plasma TVs – was considered by many Chicagoans to be the place to watch the Hawks’ Stanley Cup run. It’s also fun place to watch the Bears, although during a Sunday visit last fall I found far too many patrons bringing babies – and even strollers – into the bar, making for a somewhat awkward scene.
My tip: Don’t bring a baby.
For more information, visit westendwestloop.com.