Ya know I want to say before all else, Congratulations to The Chicago Cubs on winning the World Series in 7 and being the 2016 MLB World Series Champions.
SO if you know me you know that I don't post much about sports online, I don't spend much money on organized professional sports (that's a-whole-nother story), mostly because there is so many things that are much more important than just a game, right?
But the reality is, I am a Chicago Sports fan. I am a true fan of Chicago sports, there is no North Side South Side Rivalry in my soul; there is only being a fan of the sports teams in Chicago.
Some more than others for sure, but when you live your whole life with a Father, Family (we have a pretty huge extended family) and Family that is watching from another plain of existence who always cheered on, not only the team, but the player who played the game, and the game itself, it's who you are, it's part of your being, it's being part of something bigger than being just a fan... it's being part of a Chicago culture that is only known by a true Chicagoan ... it is something that may not ever be truly understood outside of Chicago.
For as long as I can remember when people have asked me are you a "x" fan my response is always I am a fan of Chicago and Chicago Sports teams in totality. (Thank you Dad)... and that's also been for as long as I can remember too. In my life time, and you might want to let this sink in a little bit, because the generations prior to ours cannot say this, and who knows if future generations are going to be able to say this ... In my lifetime I have seen/lived through Championship seasons with the Chicago Bears, Chicago Wolves, Chicago Bulls, Chicago Fire, Chicago Blackhawks, Chicago White Sox and now THE Chicago Cubs. (Still waiting for the Chicago Sky to bring one home for the great city of Chicago). Read that line again... not too many others, outside of Chicago, will ever be able to say that for their teams because quite frankly, what other city has that many professional sports teams and then those that do have that many teams, how many have won that many championships in a given life time, its mind boggling to say the least.
We posted the photos from the Rally for the Champion Chicago Cubs on our FB page at JPM Photography - Your Dreams Captured. Please take a moment and check them out if you haven't already and Thank You if you have. And further, sorry not sorry for posting so many ... come on its been 108 years!!
How did I get as luck as I did to get some pretty cool shots of the rally? Well I have to thank a friend of mine here. I've told this story a few times, but thank you to a friend I met twice at band shows over this past year, two times and this is how I was able to take photos at the rally. So I get up at 2:30am to head to downtown Chicago, yep I know, but it's never too early for a Cubs rally. I get there and it's still dark, but a beautiful morning for a party in the park. Check out this cell phone pic I took at 5am at the gate on Congress Parkway.
There were so many people there, it was so amazing. So I'm at the gate and waiting with a few thousand of the best fans in the world and like everyone else I'm checking social media. I see a post from this friend who wrote that he is headed to the rally soon. I quickly send him a message to ask him if he was covering or just going. You see I met J.R. Straus just a couple of times and the last time was at a band gig he was videoing at The Broken Oar for (((Friction))) and a few other bands. And by the way, that's how I knew him; as the owner of The Straus Project. Well he messages me back with a photo showing he
has a media pass for the rally and asks if he could use my camera? I replied sure I have a spare, as most photographers should. I called him a lucky ... and ask if he has a spare pass? He tells me to hold on, he is going to talk to his boss. I'm thinking wait what?? I thought he was his boss, Straus Project and all. Well he comes back a while later and says his boss said yes he can and is going to work on a pass for me. I'm giddy (yep I said it) and then he replies that he has a media pass for me ... and then asks where I'm at and that i should meet him at the media gate. I'm stoked, but here I am, already in Hutchinson Park, elbow to elbow with a few million people, standing in mucky wet soft muddy grass, center stage 50 yards out waiting for J.R. to tell me this... and thinking who the heck is J.R.'s boss? I pack up and left the park to go meet him, he hands be a Media Pass from his boss at ESPN and the rest is written on the walls (in the album we posted there of the photos we took) on our JPM Photography FB page. How lucky for sure, but as I've said before, give me an opportunity and I will create my own luck
Here is the thing, I will always reach out my hand to a production person holding a camera, I will always greet people with a smile and I will always hope that some day it opens a door and creates an opportunity as it did at the rally. To capture photos of an amazing team celebration for this life long fan, it was awesome. And all because I met the coolest of the cool J.R.Straus of the Straus Project... Thanks again J.R. without you I wouldn't have gotten any of these shots and the others posted on JPM Photography - Your Dreams Captured.
All photos taken and copyrighted by JPM Photography - Your Dreams Captured - Photographer Jim Obos with special thanks to J.R. Straus and his boss at ESPN Chicago.
The Chicago Cubs made this life long Obos Family of Fans stoked forever ... forever we will be able to say, the World Champion Chicago Cubs!
