I attended my first Chicago Bulls game this weekend with a group of friends and colleagues from ICO. Though I’ve lived in Chicago and cheered on the Bulls for years, it wasn’t until Saturday that I actually saw them live at the United Center. The possibility of attending the game came as a perk of living in the ICO’s Residential Complex. Students frequently have the opportunity through the RC to attend fun events together like this Bulls game, Broadway in Chicago theater events like Les Misérables, and comedy shows at the Second City.
About fifty of us received tickets to the game and ventured to the United Center on the CTA Green Line. When we entered the stadium, we trekked all the way up to our seats in section 325. We took our seats and sat down to enjoy a gripping showdown against the Memphis Grizzlies.
The first two quarters of the game were slow, and the Grizzlies had the better of the play, leading 44-34 at half. During the halftime show, a group of young cheerleaders performed amazing feats of jumping rope and gymnastics that left us all in awe. When the game resumed in the third quarter, the Bulls were hustling to close the gap–and close it they did. We were on the edge of our seats for the third and fourth quarters, rising to a stand at crucial points. Our colleague Matt, a dedicated Bulls fan, stood for the entire second half, leading us in chants of “Let’s go Bulls” every now and then. By the end of regulation the Bulls had managed to erase the Grizzlies’ lead, thanks to 29-16 fourth quarter, and the game was tied. Unfortunately the Grizzlies edged out the Bulls in overtime, and the game ended 85-82, but it was still an enjoyable experience. Watching the game in the United Center is such a different experience from seeing it on TV.
