And the people said “no”
Ricketts Family, thank you for buying the Cubs. We think they have a better chance to succeed owned privately rather than under the control of Darth Vader, or whatever. But now, Ricketts Family, do your job. Your proposal to renovate the collapsing Wrigley Field by basically asking the state for hundreds of millions of dollars—and by state we mean, you know, us—was pretty much a mountainous insult, not to mention a disaster in timing seeing as Illinois has a $13 billion deficit and the country’s still in that whole economic downturn thing. Ricketts Family, you knew what you were getting yourself into—you bought the thing, you pay to fix it. If we bought a fix-it-up house we wouldn’t ask our new neighbors to fund the renovations. In a rare act of political awareness in Illinois, both Governor Quinn and Mayor Daley hands-down rejected the proposal. Side note: If you don’t plan on putting a competitive team on the field any time soon, don’t even bother with the renovations. Let it crumble and let’s forget about this whole “Cubs” thing once and for all. What’s that? Adam Dunn is…what? Don’t get up—let’s ride the Red Line a little further south.

Audience choice:
Nothing
Others that were mentioned a few times, amused us or seemed especially weird:
“There’s a big macaroni noodle in front of the park now”; “Undercover Boss”; “Reasonable ticket prices, winning baseball, respect paid to Ryno, resistance to garish new signs, top-notch general managing, the list goes on…”

Best of Chicago 2010

Old Style Stadium

If the Cubs brand-new owners decide that it’s time to whore out to a new product sponsor, why not embrace a local beer of choice while working the metaphorical essence of the name itself while the team plays in a ballpark that’s one shockwave away from crumbling to the ground.

Audience choice:
Wrigley Field

Best of Chicago 2009

Murphy’s Bleachers

The famed watering hole at the corner of Sheffield and Waveland—behind Wrigley Field, essentially—is a bit clichéd and overrated, but, let’s face it, so are the Cubs. What makes Murphy’s the Cub bar is not only location, however, it’s the legend of Jim Murphy, who bought the bar in 1980 and ran it like a baseball fan, not like a businessman. Plus, you take one look outside the window, and you got a shot of Wrigley’s bleachers. For being in a tavern, you can’t beat that.

3655 North Sheffield
(773)281-5356

Audience Choice (tie)
Murphy’s

Sluggers
3540 North Clark
(773)248-0055

Best of Chicago 2007

Soldier Field
Wrigley Field may induce a kind of sleepy don’t-care-if-they-win-I’m-soooo-buzzed euphoria, and some of the city’s hottest accountants strip down to their Dockers and braided belts in the bleachers, but if you want authentic Chicago sports flavor, Soldier Field is the venue. Before its $365 million renovation began, Soldier Field was one of those remarkably inconvenient, perpetually wet, cramped, stunningly beautiful old arenas, a connection to a golden age of American sports. Opened in 1924, Soldier Field has hosted Army-Navy football, heavyweight title fights and World Cup soccer. Jack Dempsey, Billy Graham, Mick Jagger and Walter Payton have headlined events, and the stadium once drew 115,000 fans for the Prep Bowl, a high-school football championship. At the moment, Soldier Field is only a skeletal project site, clogged with cranes and construction trailers, but any Chicagoan worth their VHS copy of the “Super Bowl Shuffle” knows that it’s hallowed ground. When the renovation is complete, it will be a sleek multi-use facility designed to print money for the Bears and the Chicago Park District. Fine, as long as the colonnade is standing and Urlacher is still on our side.

1410 South Museum Campus Drive, (312)235-7000

Best of Chicago 2002

El train
Lots of cities have public transportation, but Chicago’s El train serves as an artery for something travelers know can be frustrating: access to the airports. Residents who don’t travel much don’t likely think much of it, but the Blue Line (to O’Hare) and Orange Line (to Midway) are a godsend, a way to get to the airports without an expensive cab ride, hotel-sponsored mini-van rides or the help of a begrudging friend. And as helpful as that is, sports fans already appreciate the other El extra: direct access from Wrigley Field to Comiskey Park, on the same train. Unlike New York City, it offers baseball fans the true subway series experience, although the powers that be seem to make that occasion more rare every year.

Best of Chicago 2002