A Spectacular Opportunity With Pat Hughes

It's almost time for the Chicago Sports Spectacular. From Friday, June 8 through Sunday June 10, the Donald E. Stephens Convention Center will welcome over 100 athlete guests and thousands of fans. With more than half of the stars having a strong Chicago connection, this is indeed a Chicago Sports Spectacular.

Friday is Cubs Day, with 20+ (current and former) Cubs appearing. Anthony Rizzo, Kris Bryant, Javier Baez and Kyle Schwarber lead the list of current Cubs. Billy Williams, Andre Dawson and David Ross are some of the former Cubs. Two other very interesting celebrity guests are broadcaster Pat Hughes and National Anthem singer John Vincent.

Saturday features a mixture of greats from all sports. Allen Iverson, Jim Brown, Chris Chelios and Maury Wills lead the star-studded Saturday guest lineup. A few other interesting guests include Joe Charboneau, John Montefusco and Bob Hammelin.

Sunday is Bears Day, with more than 30 members of the 1985 Super Bowl champion Bears appearing. This list starts with Hall of Famers Mike Ditka, Mike Singletary and Richard Dent, continues with popular stars Jim McMahon, William Perry and Kevin Butler and also includes lesser known players Ken Taylor and Henry Waechter. This is an unbelievable opportunity to meet more than half of that legendary team!

That is a lot of star power at one weekend convention. I am excited about so many of those athletes, but Pat Hughes has a particular interest for me.

As a lifelong Cubs fan, I had waited 50 years for a World Series. When the Cubs won in 2016, Pat spoke the words that are burned in my mind. “The Chicago Cubs win the World Series. The Cubs come pouring out of the dugout, jumping up and down like a bunch of delirious 10 year olds. The Cubs have done it!”

At the Chicago Sports Spectacular, Pat will be signing and posing for pictures, but of most interest to me and many fans, he can also sign anything with his historic World Series championship call. This is a rare treat that you can't get catching him at Wrigley Field or other places. That famous quote added to his autograph on the right piece of memorabilia will commemorate that exact moment forever.

That might sound like hyperbole, but to fans who waited so long for that moment, those words bring chills and even tears. I am imagining a picture of the Cubs victory celebration on the field, with that quote inscribed. That is a piece that would proudly hang on my wall and will make me smile every time I see it.

On a related personal sidenote, I met Pat at an event earlier this year, but it wasn't the right opportunity to get that inscription. Pat did recite it for me and others and he gladly discussed that feeling. At the Chicago Sports Spectacular, I plan on finally getting that inscription and permanently capturing that feeling!

While getting that inscription on a picture is my main goal, it isn't my only goal. I'll be bouncing around from athlete to athlete, meeting many of my favorite sports heroes. I'll also be reminiscing about great sports moments with so many friends. This really will be spectacular!