Bleacher Seats
Living near two big cities provides ample opportunity to attend major sporting events throughout the year. I usually make it to at least one or two, but for some reason this year was different…..nothing was on the calendar. As luck would have it, I was invited to a baseball game; the Cubs vs the Cardinals. The group of people going were split on who they were rooting for. One thing I knew for certain, half the people driving home would be elated, and the other half would be irritated…..HA!
Since traffic is always a concern, it was decided to head downtown early to locate parking and grab a pre-game beverage. One of the gentleman’s, neighbor’s uncle…(did you get that)… has a business near the ball field, that offered us parking in his lot, which was only a couple blocks from the stadium……SOLD! What a find! If you’re familiar with Chicago parking, you know it’s at a premium.
Once parked, we started towards the stadium, block after block after block……ummm…..we passed “a couple” blocks, eight blocks ago….ha. I think it took about 30 minutes to arrive at our destination……a bar right across the street from the game. I had never seen this side of the stadium before and with good reason, it was near the entrance of the bleacher seats. I’ve never had tickets for the bleachers, so this was a first. I’ve heard stories, but now I get to experience it first-hand.
As soon as the gates open people started piling in. Most had been standing in the lines for a long time, to get the best seats. We, however, weren’t them. The bleachers were probably two-thirds full but the time we got in, and finding seats for a larger group was sparse. By the start of the game people were still jockeying for seats, a definite disadvantage in the bleacher section.
Anytime people would go for food, beverages, and such, there were plenty of people ready to take their seats, unless someone stopped them. It was comical, because if you weren’t paying attention, your friend’s seat could be occupied with another person by the time your friend returned. That almost happened twice to the two gentlemen next to me. By the third inning we all knew who our neighbors were, and basically helped each other out from the unlucky scavengers looking for a seat.
The game was exciting and went from one team being ahead to the other. People in the stands were all kinds of crazy, and I quickly realized ANYTHING goes in the bleacher seats. People were either the worst of enemies, or the best of friends. At one point an opposing team fan was shirtless and waving his Cardinal jersey over his head, in the other hand was a life-size plastic baseball cap full of nachos, dripping with cheese and peppers. A Cubs fan shouted from several rows above “I’ll give you fifty bucks to put that hat on!” For a few seconds I thought the Cardinal fan would take the bet, since he had more than his share of beer. His wife quickly told him to sit down. By the end of the game he announced to the crowd, “The Cubs and Cardinals should join forces and beat the sh** out of the Giants!”…..LOL.
What a fun day it turned out to be; enjoying a night game in the middle of summer, with good friends in the bleacher seats. I can’t say I’d ever pick bleacher seats over the numbered seats, but I would definitely go again. Until then…..PLAY BALL!
xoxox…..Sheryl