A Hockey City

We've got spirit, yes we do! (And yes, we are in the bathroom mirror)

Taken from my phone as the Hawks headed downtown for the parade!

Even the lions at the Art Institute were decked out in hockey helmets for the Stanley Cup finals

Congrats to the Chicago Blackhawks, winners of the 2010 Stanley Cup! It's not too often that hockey takes over the city in the middle of June. But, last week, Chicago went hockey crazy. After waiting 49 years, the Stanley Cup finally came home to Chicago.

Now, I'm not going to pretend that I am a lifelong Hawks fan. As most of you know, I'm not much of a sports fan, period. But during these playoffs, I watched more hockey than I have in my entire life. And it was fun. The games were exciting and the players had plenty of personality both on and off the ice. Of course, it's pretty doubtful that I would have watched any of the games if Jody hadn't been so into the Hawks this year. He loved it all. So, thanks to Jody for getting me hooked too.

More than anything, I love how Chicagoans come together and celebrate during these kinds of sports victories. I even loved how the city celebrated when the White Sox won the World Series a few years back, even though I've never been a Sox fan. The city actually seemed even more alive this time around with the Hawks victory, and our neighborhood was especially rockin. On Friday, I got a close look at of the players and the Cup when I was coming home from the gym and watched the parade pass through our 'hood as it made its way to Michigan Ave. Very cool.

With news outlets reporting that there were more than 2 million people downtown for the parade and rally, I couldn't help but wonder what the city would be like if/when the Cubs win the World Series. Can you even imagine?