Chicago Blackhawks Stanley Cup Parade
“I was working on Governor Quinn’s gubernatorial campaign during the summer of 2010 when the Blackhawks broke their nearly 50-year losing streak and won the Stanley Cup. Two days after the winning game, Quinn was invited to ride one of the trolleys in their victory parade and I tagged along to photograph the event. I knew the Blackhawks winning was a big deal, but somehow, I still expected it to be just another day on the campaign trail—maybe with more hockey jerseys.
“The crowd was larger than I—and apparently the police—had anticipated. About two million people turned out, filling the ill-barricaded streets, spilling onto the parade route from every direction. I’ve never been much of a hockey fan but as a lifelong Chicagoan, it was thrilling to see my hometown in such a state of jubilation. The non-stop cheering from the red sea of an exceedingly happy mob as the (drunk) team made its way from the United Center down Michigan Avenue is a sound I’ll never forget.
When they finally took the stage at Fort Dearborn, joined by legends such as Stan Mikita and Bobby Hall, and hoisted up the Stanley Cup, the collective excitement was so adrenaline-inducing it could give non-fans goosebumps. For a lot of people, this was the first time they had ever known the Blackhawks as champions; others, like Governor Quinn, were witnessing their childhood dreams come true, finally rewarded for years of unwavering fandom.”
