
So, most people who meet me are not surprised to find out that I have very little interest in sports. I love the idea of sports and sports fanaticism, of a civil religion of sorts that draws communities together around a common goal, but actually sitting down and watching a game is sort of beyond me.
Except, apparently, for the fact that Chicago is totally changing me. I went to a Cubs game a few weeks ago (I know, I know, the Cubs suck and their fans are usually really unpleasant, but Wrigley Field is historic! And it's a classic baseball experience!) and I really enjoyed myself. Even more game-changing (see? I make sports puns!), though, is my Chicago Blackhawks experience.
I've always had a fond spot in my heart for hockey - any sport that involves ice skates, extreme speed, violence and toothlessness is okay in my book. But I've just watched a six-game play-off series for the first time, and I am astonished by how fun it was. And twenty minutes ago, the Chicago Blackhawks won the Stanley Cup series against the Philadelphia Flyers, and I found myself jumping and screaming at the TV in my hipster friend's apartment while the city below us went absolutely NUTS.
All of which is to say: Chicago has turned me into a bona fide hockey fan. And with a change like that, who knows what comes next? Maybe I'll even decide to watch Shakespeare in Love!* Crazy changes are afoot!
*Don't hold your breath. This will never happen.