The One.....Where I talk about boxing again.

A few weeks ago I managed to get out of work at a decent time so I decided to stand in line behind some Mexicans.  What can I say, I like waiting in line. It’s definitely one trait that the Duchess and I don’t share.  If she was with me, there is no way she would have waited in line for 30 minutes, Mexicans or no Mexicans.  But I wasn’t there because I’m a big fan of waiting or because I’m a really big fan of pissing off office workers at rush hour (we were kind of blocking the sidewalk and they were forced to walk on the street).  I was there because the biggest show in boxing was in Chicago.

In order to promote their upcoming pay-per-view Floyd Mayweather and Saul “Canelo” Alvarez embarked on a cross-country promotional tour stopping in 11 cities to get boxing fans excited about the biggest fight of the year.  Since it was free it was right in my financial wheelhouse.  However, since it was free it was in a LOT of people’s wheelhouse.  When I arrived, about 45 minutes before the festivities were scheduled to kick off, the line went out the front door of the Chicago Theatre down State Street and wrapped around Lake street.

I would provide pictures, however my phone picked a horrible time to run out of juice.  Which also meant I had no way to entertain myself while I was waiting, possibly in vain, to get in.  Lucky for me, boxing fans are chatty and seem to have endless things to talk about.  Right behind me two ladies were debating the merits of Mayweather, mostly if his out-of-ring antics detracted from his in-ring performance.  They were also planning their trip to Vegas in September for the fight,

“I might not get to the fight, ‘cause I ain’t got $1500, but I’m definitely going to be on the strip for the fight. Vegas is great when Floyd is fighting” one of the ladies opined.  I too don’t have $1500 to blow on a ticket, but I would disagree with her about Vegas being great when Floyd is fighting.  Vegas is great when there is ANY big boxing contest in town.  It’s also the best time to play “Hooker, Not Hooker”.

As the 6:00pm start time neared people started to get antsy about getting in, especially since the line had barely moved.  Eventually we did start shuffling to the entrance only to encounter another obstacle - you needed a ticket to get in.  And the lady that was nearest to us had no more tickets.  She nonchalantly pointed to another worker who “might have some left” which set off a mini-stampede.  I would like to thank my youth basketball coach and my predilection for cheeseburgers for helping me box out two young kids as they tried to get past me to get a ticket.

With ticket in hand I entered the historic theatre (really, take the tour if you’re in town) where I saw A Christmas Story: The Musical (one of the best Christmas presents of all-time) and was promptly faced with another obstacle.  Seriously, Link had less challenges rescuing Princess Zelda then I had getting into this dog-and-pony show.  This time I had to choose between waiting in another line to check my umbrella or abandon it because it wasn’t allowed in the seating area.  I guess they were afraid I might use it as a weapon should a melee break out during the event.  Sorry Hambone, but your Avocent umbrella was left to its own defenses as I hot-footed it up to the balcony level.

In the end I didn’t need to be so hasty.  As I settled into my seat the show was still in its preview stage.  A couple of large monitors were looping a 5-6 minute video of show promotion all built around the theme of the contest “The One”. Mayweather was “The One” while Alvarez was “The Next One”, which during the first showing of the video I thought they said “The Mexican One,” which I thought was a pretty risqué way to advertise a fight.  Hey, I’m old and the ears don’t work so well.

The video asked various fans who was going to win the fight and why.  They went through pretty much all of the demographics and even had the couple who disagreed (something along the lines of  “if Alvarez wins we’re not getting married, ha ha ha ha”).  In the footage the opinion was pretty much split down the middle with the analysis along the basic premise - Mayweather is smarter and faster while Canelo is younger and stronger.

Now, there was no such disparity in the Chicago crowd, which was overwhelmingly pro-Canelo. There were a few folks from “The Money Team” in the crowd acting pretty much as douche-tastic as you can imagine.  While in line a couple of 20-something year-olds called their friend at the head of the line to get tickets.  Once they got them, they screamed, “That’s how The Money Team rolls, bitches!”  Yes, you got free tickets before the rest of us.  You’re a success in life, son.

Finally, the show was ready to start and the promoter introduced Alvarez first. The “Mexican James Dean” wearing jeans and a tight fitting blue polo shirt came to the stage to cascading applause and CA-NEL-OO chants from his admirers.  He was prompt, respectful and reserved.

Then it was Mayweather’s turn.  In true heel fashion he took his time, made the crowd wait, wait, and then wait some more.  When he finally graced us with his presence he was decked out in a grey sweater, flat-brim “TMT” hat, sunglasses and obnoxiously large gold chain.  He stood and smirked at the boos, because, well, he’s the best in boxing at what he does - make his detractors go ape-shit crazy. People don’t dislike Mayweather, like they might dislike a fighter like Fernando Vargas.  You won’t hear them say, “Eh, yeah Mayweather, I just don’t care for him.” They despise him, they don’t want him to lose, they want to see him hurt.  They want him lying on the canvas in pain like Danny LaRusso after his leg was swept.

After a quick stare down (where there wasn’t as big of a height/size difference as I thought there would be) he finally took his seat, his daughter on one side and his hype man Lenard Ellerbe on the other. Mayweather then proceeded to spend the rest of the show drawing something on a piece of paper.  It was awesome.  While De La Hoya, Alvarez, and the promoter all hyped the fight Mayweather sat there like a 7thgrader in algebra doodling away.

Little things like that are why I can appreciate the dedication he puts into being the “bad” guy.  It’s easy to get worked up about him betting hundreds of thousands of dollars on basketball games or lightning money on fire, but to go to the detail of acting like this promotional tour was nothing but a two-week after school detention is pure villainous genius.

Meanwhile, Alvarez sat there like the humble, leading man, vanquisher of evil that he’s being set up as.  He spoke briefly in Spanish (which I really have to learn at some point) about how he is ready to win for the people ending with the bold declaration, “I am your rooster!”  Ummm. Good for you?

De La Hoya had a few words for the crowd as well.  Thanking the crowd for coming out, announcing that boxing is alive and well, “especially in Chicago” and then dropping a little tease about some plans Golden Boy has for boxing in Chicago.  Hmmm…perhaps a big fight down the road, a pay-per-view in our fair city?  That would be awesome.  Not only for me, but also for some of the local fighters.  Getting on the under card could provide the next step for Mike Jimenez, Andrzej Fonfara or even Dimar Ortuz.

After Golden Boy was done, it was time for Mayweather to give his oral presentation.  He sidled up to the podium and stared out at the crowd and proceeded to shout out, “HARD WORK!” His Money Team was delighted to scream back “DEDICATION!” That went on for about 20 seconds before the sing-songy “CA-NEL-OO!” chants drowned them out. Mayweather stood there and smirked while the boos and derision rained down upon him (another classic heel move, he learned well during his brief dalliance with the WWE).

After some more toying with the crowd he got down to basics and thanked the sponsors (as if he gives a shit about O’Reilly Auto Parts). He pointed out that he’s been in the situation before and that while his opponent might be relying on youth, he had experience on his side. Then the pound-for-pound best fighter in the world closed with, “Chicago is a great city, Mexico is a great country, but September 14th is all about the red, white and blue!”.

They closed with another stare down for the cameras and then the crowd was dismissed while the print and video media was invited to the stage for interviews.  I was a little disappointed as I had hoped that we would be treated to that portion of the spectacle as well. I guess I should have inquired about a press pass after all.

In the end, I learned a few things:

Chicago is pro-Canelo
Mayweather plays the villain better than anyone in sports
Corona makes 10-foot tall light up display bottles.
Something is in the works for boxing in Chicago

A Lazy, Rainy Quick Hit Post

Some quick hits for this rainy Tuesday afternoon:

* If you have a question on if you should start a quarterback who has broken ribs, a punctured lung and no receivers to throw to -- don’t do it. That’s how you lose your match up by 4 points.



* Mayweather vs. Ortiz - Protect yourself at all times. Ortiz wasn’t going to win that fight, but by losing the way he did, there is a good chance he gets a re-match and Mayweather gets to dodge the Pac Man for a few more months. Oh, and why isn't more being made of one of the most blatent headbutts in the history of boxing? There is no excuse for what Ortiz did in that round, and amount of hugging or kissing is going to change that.

* Red Sox collapse - Couldn’t happen to a better fan base Of course, now we get to hear about how tortured they are for the entire off-season.

* Hockey season is right around the corner. It’s AWESOME! There will be previews coming up some time in the next week or so.

* I just saw the preview for 2012 Heritage. I think I might be collecting that set instead of the base set this year. Even with the short prints and the higher sticker price it’ll be more fun to collect. So, I’m starting to save my pennies for a box come next winter.

* The Ravens are 2-1 after three games (just like I thought they’d be if not in the way I thought they would be). However, I’m still not sold on their secondary. Great game for Torrey Smith, but he’s still a rookie. There will be weeks where he disappears.

*Ozzie Guillen talked his way out of Chicago. I would be surprised if he makes it all the way through his new four-year contract down there. The Cubs need a GM and the White Sox need a coach, at least the hot stove will be steaming in The Windy City this winter.

* Bloggers out there - are there any posts that you wrote and didn’t post after thinking about it?

* Survivor - Russell’s nephew - annoying or most annoying? Hey, kid why not focus on being your own person?

And a bonus photo from the greater Chicago-land area



The view from Starved Rock.

Chicago Photo 12

Taking a break from The National loot to wander around downtown today.




Hey, look it's a 26-foot tall Marilyn Monroe statue holding her skirt down a la "The Seven Year Itch".

It's the newest oversized public art project downtown. Located in the heart of tourist town on the southern end of the Magnificent Mile, Forever Marilyn went up in July to mixed reviews. Chicago critic Richard Roeper called it "beyond-kitschy" and "hideous". He's also miffed that it recreates a movie scene filmed in New York instead Chicago.

Sculpted by Seward Johnson, it has attracted more than it's share of gawkers and tourists snapping photos. As I was clicking away a business woman stalked by complaining to here friend about the "5000 tourists that get in her way everyday" because of it. Hey lady, if you don't like tourists move to North Dakota.

Johnson is no stranger to public art in Chicago. A few years ago he erected an American Gothic inspired sculpture called "God Bless America". The artist, a spy 80 years old had this to say about Marilyn in an article on EON:

I am trying to discover what makes an image stick with us; become something more than its one moment in time. Marilyn has come to represent beauty, and the white dress blowing up around her is a type of teasing sensuality... There is something about her pose; the exuberance for life without inhibition, which is quintessentially American. It expresses an uninhibited sense of our own vibrancy.

As far as I'm concerned it's got a nice whimsical look to it. It's crass in an old-fashioned kind of way. "OMG YOU CAN SEE HER UNDERWEAR!" Well guess what, keep wandering down Michigan Ave and you'll see a lot more risque photos in the shop windows. No one seems to have a problem with Abercrombie & Fitch having shirtless or pantless models hocking their goods.

If it really bothers you, just don't go downtown for a few months. It's only going to be on display until some time next year.



Another view to show the scale. In case you were wondering, the smaller sculpture in the foreground is of legendary broadcaster Jack Brickhouse.

Chicago Photo 11

 

What a difference a few months make. The photo on the left was during the Blizzard of '11 in February. On the right, a photo taken almost in the same place during the heat wave of July.

Chicago Photo 10 - Rainy Days Downtown

 

Ahh the Chicago skyline in all its reflected glory. The Duchess and I decided to spend a Saturday at the aquarium. Mainly because they have a jelly fish exhibit that looked pretty cool. Apparently half the city of Chicago thought it would be a good idea as well. The line stretched out the doors, down the steps and wrapped back around itself two or three times. There was no way it was less than a 3 hour line.

Sooooo with that plan scrapped we took a hot dog break. Well, she had a hot dog, I had a bag of chips. We watched the Segway tours zip by, the bike tours ride by and the tours of grumpy kids and exhausted parents stagger by. What to do with the rest of our day? Food, eh wasn't totally hungry, but I know I was feeling a bit parched.

To the Billy Goat! Underneath Upper Wacker Drive lies the dive bar/ hamburger stand made famous to locals by the writings of Mike Royko and to the nation by Jim Belushi on Saturday Night Live. That's right, "Cheezebooger, cheezebooger, cheezebooger. Chips. No Pepsi, Coke!"

As we wandered up Michigan Ave, dodging tourists and street performers the skies clouded over. They've been clouded over since February it seems. Or if it hasn't been cloudy it's been super cold. It's been the winter that never ended. Not exactly the weather you want when you're trying to convince a Florida born and bred girl that the weather here is wonderful in the spring.

Any who, we stopped at Millennium Park for a quick rest room break (it's a rather lengthy stroll from the museum campus to Miracle Mile) and I snapped a photo or three. The one above is the skyline reflected by Anish Kapoor's iconic sculpture Cloud Gate. More commonly known as "The Bean" it's kidney shaped, all reflective surface can yield unique perspectives on the city.

We did make it to the Billy Goat, had some food, washed it down with some beer and watched Barcelona eviscerate Man U in the Champions League final. A dreary day, but a good one.

Chicago Photo 8

 

Has it really been two months since I posted a Chicago Photo? Wow, time flies when you're broke and sitting at home. Well not broke (don't worry Mom I'm not eating Ramen noodles just yet) but cash flow impaired. Yeah that sounds about right.

I dragged my but out of bed last Saturday and headed down to Grant Park for the satellite broadcast of the Stewart/Colbert Rally to Restore Sanity. It wasn't too bad at first, funny signs, relaxed easy going crowd. They played the first 10 minutes or so of Stewart's monologue before switching over to local speakers.

First the Progressive Party, then some Mitch Hedburg wannabe comedian who closed his act comparing abortion to making a sandwich (which the crowd booed, which brought a security guard to the mike who cursed out the crowd), then someone dressed as FDR and I finally left when the immigration guy started speaking.

I didn't go to hear a bunch of local politicians spout their agenda, I kind of went for the exact opposite. So I wandered around the rest of the park, snapping some photo of Buckingham Fountain before heading back to the train.

That's where this photo came from. He is one of the two indians that guard the Congress Drive entrance to the park. I believe this one is called The Bowman. An almost identical statue is across the street and is the Spearman.

Erected in 1928, and standing 17 feet above the street, these twin bronze statues present a rather dramatic scene set against the blue sky and park behind them. Walking from the park back to downtown they get a little lost in the buildings behind them, but up close it's nice to admire the details crafted by Ivan Mestrovic.

If you notice, the proud Indian is posed as if drawing the string back on his bow, yet there is no bow. At first I thought that over time the bow had broken and never been replaced, but my in depth research (upwards of 6 minutes!) indicates that Mestrovic intentionally left the weapon out of the sculpture.

Grant Park is full of statues and memorials, and makes for a nice place to wander around on a mild fall day. Oh and it's free!

Chicago Photo 3

Sand and skyscrapers.

I like the beach. Part of the reason I bought the condo I had in Florida was because it was minutes from the beach. It was actually within biking distance, although due to my extreme laziness I never tried. In my defense the only way to the beach involved a really high bridge. My girlfriend biked it a few times and said it wasn't too bad. I don't trust her when it comes to excercise. She once made me hike 13 miles.

What was I saying? Oh yeah, I like beaches. I've been to beaches in Florida (from Pensecola to Key West), Hawaii (there are none better), Oregon (cold, but there were horses), Maryland (goin' down ne' ocean, hon!), North Carolina (I don't wanna wait, till this life is over! Yes it was the Dawson's Creek beach), and Mexico (hey it's not in the U.S.) and on Saturday I added Chicago.

All I can say is - Wow was it crowded. So that's what happens in this town when it's 80 degrees and the sun is burning bright. It was an interesting experience, looking out into Lake Michigan and then turning around and seeing the skyscrapers of the city. Folks were kicking soccer balls and throwing frisbees. There is even an in-line roller hockey rink. Meatheads roamed the beach and even the hipsters took their time off from being too cool for school to catch the rays.

My roommate keeps telling me to enjoy this weather while we have it, because it's not going to last that long. At least in the dead of winter I'll have this picture and remember the long, warm days of summer.

Chicago Photo Two

 

Today's photo is from the Old Water Tower on Michigan Ave. Located at the north end of the "Miracle Mile" the building is one of the few that survived the Chicago Fire of 1871. The building usually hosts a free photographic exhibit that changes every few months. Since it was free it was right up our alley.

To get inside we had to dodge 8-10 protesters who had gathered to complain about the treatment of the animals used for the carriages that gather around the block. While I was walking around the building looking for a way in I watched a hipster protester chase a carriage screaming "Shame on You! Shame on You!" before dropping a homosexual slur on the driver. Crazy hippies.

Once inside Hamel and I weren't too impressed with the current exhibit, but I did notice a couple of old water fountains that were adorned with lion heads. I snapped a couple of photos before I heard the rent-a-guard warn a couple about the "no photography" policy. Whoops, must of missed that on the way in.

The Chicago Water Tower is located on Michigan Ave between Chicago and Pearson Street. It's about two blocks south of the John Hancock Building. Admission is free, exhibits rotate every few months.

Oh well!