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Stadium #25 Soldier Field Chicago, IL |
Jacksonville
Jaguars vs. Chicago Bears Chicago Bears Stadium December 7, 2008 10 - 23 Win |
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Stadium Vitals Built: 1924 Capacity: 61,500 seats Playing Surface: Natural Grass Beer: $8.00 Hot Dog: $4.75 Stadium Parking: $25.00 |
 Soldier FieldStadium Address 425 East McFetridge Chicago, IL 60605 (312) 235-7000 Get Directions |
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Stadium Review - The
Deep Dish  The
city of Chicago is a great sports town steeped in a fine tradition
of superb local eats and unwavering fan support. Nestled in the
heart of this rust belt area of the midwest, lives this thriving metropolis
boasting five major league sports franchises supported by some of the
most passionate fans in the country; and it's for this reason, the
great fans of Chicago, that I was thrilled to finally arrive at
Stadium #25, the Chicago Bears Stadium at Soldier Field. We
arrived in Chicago at ten in the morning on Saturday and there's
nothing like Chicago decked out for the holiday season. The massive
skyscrapers, Magnificent Mile, and museum & theatre districts ensure
that there's something for everyone, no matter how long your visit
might be. As you know I'm a big proponent of local delicacies,
so our first stop had to be Giordano's for some
traditional deep dish, Chicago Style pizza. Giordano's typically has
an hour long wait, but the pizza is fantastic and a must-try for any
true Quester passing through the windy city. Later
that day, we stopped by Soldier Field to get the lay of the land.
Back in 2003, Soldier Field underwent a fairly aggressive renovation
project to modernize the aging stadium. Originally a fairly shallow
bowl with solid Greek Columns that towered over the stands along the
sidelines, the renovation project attempted to integrate the look of
the original, but modernize the facility with improved fan comforts.
These comforts include many of the modern era stadium must-haves
like additional bathroom facilities, larger concourses, and better
sightlines to the action down on the field. The renovation project
added massive structures along the sidelines, creating a steeper sided bowl
and also allowing for the inclusion of the
massive luxury boxes that make today's NFL venue grotesquely
profitable. In the resulting incarnation of the new Soldier
Field, it's trademark Greek columns look more like an afterthought.
Their once towering presence as the main design element is now
dwarfed by what looks like a Martian crash-landing gone awry. I
don't know about you, but as I approached the stadium, I wasn't sure if I was attending a
sporting event or getting ready to defend the planet from alien
invaders.On gameday, we arose at 5:00AM CST to get an early start on the day. Staying at the Hyatt Regency McCormick Place (thank you Priceline.com), we were actually positioned directly next to the pro tailgaters parking lot, located south of the McCormick Place Convention  Center. I had arranged to tailgate with some of Chicago's
finest throughout the morning, but we needed to get down to the lot
as soon as possible if we were going to be able to enjoy some local
flavor. It was a bitter cold Chicago day with a wind chill that
expected to dip below zero, so I had armed my family with the best
gear the Wal-mart hunting section had to offer. I was prewarned
that the winds in Chicago penetrate all layers, chilling the
unsuspecting non-native to the bone, so I wanted to make sure we
were prepared. We put on wool socks, thermal underwear, and glove
liners. We applied handwarmers, hand-made wool scarves, thermal boots,
and knit hats. By the time we had all of our gear on, the three of
us looked like we were wearing thermal fat suits, qualifying us for
a role in the next Eddie Murphy movie. Although somewhat ridiculous-looking,
the fats kids were very warm throughout the morning. Our
first tailgating host, was Dennis Lindley from Fork You Tailgating
Club -
www.forkyoutailgatingclub.com.
Dennis and the fellas setup an exceptional spread, including a
collection of beers, some great brats, and a secret family recipe
for spiked hot chocolate. But the local brew I took an immediate
liking to was the "312" that Dennis was serving up - exceptional
flavor, smooth taste, definitely hits the spot. The only issue
I had with the beer was a technical one, it was so damned cold out
there that I had a tough time keeping it from freezing once I opened
each bottle (my tangible experiment proving that pressure is
inversely proportional to freezing point). So I spent most of the
morning huddled around a fire drinking beer slurpies of 312 and
shooting the breeze with some die hard, cold weather fans that know
the game of football. For the latter part of the morning we hooked up with Timmy from Da Bus - www.da-bus.com. Timmy has recently moved to Austin, Texas, but as a die hard, integral part of Chicago Bears Fandom, with a storied history encompassing twenty-five years of  hometown
tailgating, he couldn't let a few hundred miles get in the way. (Who
would drive Da Bus if there was no Timmy?) So Timmy flies home
to his native Chicago for every home game. He sets up Da Bus in it's
traditional spot and initiates a most noble pursuit indeed - an
incredible meat
and beer fest appealing to man's most basic need, the need for beer.
When we arrived, Timmy had setup an array of barbecues that were
flame-broiling pork loin and marinated chicken. The beer was
plentiful and the food fantastic. Da Bus, was awesome!
Starting out as a 1970's era school bus, Da Bus was won in a game of
cards by some of Chicago's boys in blue.
It was
given to Timmy, who gutted Da vehicle, installing astro-turf
carpeting, bathroom facilities, and Chicago Bears decor transforming
this mighty tailgating cruiser into a Bears Fan Mobile headquarters.
Da Bus is also heated providing that very necessary reprieve from
the harsh winds of the typical Chicago winter.As gametime approached, we headed toward Soldier Field, anxious to watch "Da Bears", take on the Jacksonville Jaguars. Our tickets were being provided by the fine folks at  Sportservice,
the food and beverage concessions providers of the Soldier Field
facility. As I stepped up to the Will-call window, I was
shocked to find out the folks from Sportsservice had provided us
with tickets to their Suite (no thermal fat suit required). So
we raced up to the Suite Level to watch the game in style and I
spent much of the first quarter peeling back the layers so I might
watch the game more comfortably. The game itself was a
dominant performance by Da Bears who won 23 - 10. Brian
Urlacher and Company harassed David Garrard for much of the game as
the Jaguars offense managed only 10 points. Kyle Orton went
20-of-34 passing on the day with a pair of scores, while Matt Forte
maintained his solid play on the ground. The fans were
fantastic and provided an electric atmosphere that Da Bears seemed
to feed off of throughout the game. Special Thanks to
Sportservice for making Stadium #25, one to remember.
For more information on the city of Chicago, IL check out my other reviews by clicking on the links below: NFL: September 27, 2010 - Green Bay Packers vs. Chicago Bears NBA: January 22, 2011 - Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Chicago Bulls NBA : Chicago Bulls, United Center - General Information NHL: January 23, 2011 - Philadelphia Flyers vs. Chicago Blackhawks NHL: Chicago Blackhawks, United Center - General Information |
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| City of Chicago Local Information | |
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Top Tourist Attractions: Magnificent Mile, Navy Pier Hancock Observatory, Willis Tower (formerly Sears Tower) Museums, Adler Planetarium, Art Galleries Local Foods: Chicago Style Deep Dish Pizza, Hot Dogs, Steak, Italian Food Grilled Krispy Kremes What They're Drinkin': 312, Old Style, Goose Island Matilda, Two Brother Cane and Ebel Red Rye, Bud Light, Miller Light Tailgating Hotspots: 31st Street Lot - Parking $25, Tailgating Permitted Adler Planetarium Lot Fan Resources: Pocket Map of Chicago Stadium Policy Stadium Parking Map Local Sports Media: The Chicago Tribune Chicago Sun-Times The Score 670AM |
Popular
Bars: United Center (Billy Goat Tavern, Bar Bistro, The Westend, Crossroads) Wrigleyville (The Cubby Bear, John Barleycorn, Sluggers, Merkle's, Mullen's) Lincoln Park (HiTopp's, Clarke's, Lion's Head, Dillinger's, The Spread) Rush Street (Tavern on Rush, Whiskey Bar&Grill, Rosebud, Pippins) Historic (Green Door Tavern, Underground Wonder Bar, Green Mill) Hot Spots (English, Encore Liquid Lounge, Blue Chicago, The Back Room) Stone Lotus, House of Blues, Fulton Lounge, Jbar Map Room, Revolution Brewing Brew pub Best Restaurants: Deep Dish Pizza (Giordano's, Pizzeria Uno, Gino's East, Lou Malnati's) Alinea (Contem Amer) Charlie Trotter's (Contem Amer) Rosebud on Taylor Street (Italian Dining) Wildfire (Steak & Seafood) Blackbird (Contem Amer) Getting to the Stadium: Soldier Field is located on the waterfront on the south side of the downtown area. Parking is difficult at best. Many of the lots prohibit tailgating and require advance parking passes. You're best bet is to try to get a cab to the stadium from your hotel. Where To Stay: Find a hotel located in the downtown area. There's plenty to see and do and you can still situate yourself within striking distance of Soldier Field. I like the Hyatt Regency McCormick Place, it's right next to some prime tailgating and within walking distance of Soldier Field. Other options are The Wit or the Hilton Chicago which have all the amenities to properly pamper any Bears Fan. Fiscally conscious fans might check out the Best Western. It's clean, close to the stadium, and allows you to save enough money to afford more beer at the game. |
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Compare Prices for Chicago Bears Tickets Here: Click on the following links for Chicago Bears ticket availability at each of the top online ticket brokers on the web. Try each link to find the cheapest NFL ticket prices and compare these against the published "Face Value" ticket price below: TicketCity.com StubHub.com VividSeats.com TicketNetwork |
Yahoo! Maps  Directions to Soldier Field from your home |
Ask City 
Find a Restaurant near Soldier Field |
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2008 Chicago Bears "Face Value" Ticket
Prices |
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Soldier Field Stadium Tours - click here for more information Ticket Prices: $15 Adults, $10 Students, $7 Seniors, $4 per child (12 and under) Phone Number: (312) 235-7244 Areas Covered: South Courtyard, Doughboy Statue, Grand Concourse, Mezzanine Level, the Cadillac Club and Colonnades, Sky Suites, Visitor's Locker Room, and West Den.
Tours are approximately 45-minutes long and are available on select
dates (Monday-Friday, 9:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.) by phone reservation
only. Minimum group size for tours is 10 people and special
arrangements can be made for groups larger than 30. If you are
interested in booking the Soldier Field Tour be sure to call the
stadium to make a reservation. |
Check out
my YouTube Video from Soldier Field: |
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| Fork You, Santa! | ForkYouTailgatingClub.com | The Cold Weather Approaches | ||
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| Drinking that 312 with the Irishmen | Ron, Santa, Myself, and Dennis | Da Bus | ||
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| Barbecuin' with Timmy | The Bearman , Don Wachter HOF | Bearman and Lorenzo with the Fam | ||
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| PFUFA nominees Timmy and Lorenzo | Soldier Field Looms | Alien Attack or Chi-town venue? | ||
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| Daaaaa-serts! | Hanging at Suite Level | Extra Special Thanks to Sportservice... | ||
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| Got any Cristal in here? | How the other half lives | Stadium #25 - Soldier Field | ||
| COMMENT FORM: Please feel free to post any suggestions or comments you might have for my journey to Soldier Field, including the following: - Local Hotspots (Bar Districts, Restaurants, Clubs) - Local Foods (Traditional Cuisine, Micro Brews) - Tailgating Traditions - Your Experiences or Helpful Hints - If you saw me let me know! All commentary will be moderated. Your e-mail address will not be published. |
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From: Timmy from Da Bus Date: Monday, December 08, 2008 9:18 PM |
My man...I hope you and your family had a
good time and you had a safe ride home last night. You guys are great
people and you are always welcome at Da Bus. Can you send me all your
photos and all of video that you did. I will dedicate a page on my
website to your mission as well as your day on Da Bus. Please send me
all necessary links as well. See you soon, |
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