So I'm leaving a meeting in Chicago at the Merchandise Mart and there's a large gathering in front of the building. Turns out that Rex Grossman was there for a Starbucks promo event that launched their Christmas drink menu (welcome back, Peppermint Mocha). Rex was throwing snowballs at former Bears/BC token white WR Tom Waddle, who is seemingly the Scott Zolak of Chicago. Everyone was jolly.
Well, at least everyone but my cab driver. I jump in a cab and the guy asks me "Is that Grossman over there?" I confirmed that it was. His response: "He's the f'in (he didn't use the abbreviated version) weakest link on our football team. I'm saying something." He wasn't kidding. The guy rolls down the window as we pass Rexy signing footballs for agency girls and screams "Grossman, you are the weakest link!" and starts laughing like a hyena. We couldn't have been more than 7 feet from Grossman. A cop yelled at him "Grow up, dickhead!" and we pulled away over the bridge to The Loop....
Two things:
1. He really was reliant on that "Weakest Link" line, huh? That show was big in the States BEFORE 9/11. It's been over 5 years. That's right in Michael Scott's wheelhouse.
2. I've said it before and I'll say it again: Chicago belongs wedged somewhere in the middle of Boston, Philly and New York. It's a kindred spirit. They care about their city. They care about their sports teams. They care about their politics (I've been told that some of the local elections were about as ugly as it gets...one person was accused of "taking the books out of schools"...now that's comedy). They care about their history. You can Monsters of the Midway me all you want...this city belongs in the Northeast.
2 comments:
That's funny. I wonder what Rex thought of that comment.
Completely agree on Chicago being a kindred spirit. It's the only city I've ever been to outside of the Northeast that has a similar feel.
Being from Chicago I echo your sentiment. This city does not belong in the midwest at all. I travel regularly to St. Louis, Milwaukee and Detroit and I'm appalled to have to share the same time zone with those other cities. Well Detroit's in EST but you get what I'm saying.
BTW, I don't know what surprises me more: That your cabbie dropped a 5 year old reference on the best QB Chicago has seen in 20 years, or that he actually spoke English to begin with.
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