Cubby Bear, here we come!

Mike Sheets · Post by **Mike Sheets** » Wed Mar 24, 2010 9:02 am

Guys,

First off, I just want to say that we're all very excited about Week 2 of the NFBC festivities, including the Cubby Bear, our new Chicago venue. It'll be a great place and a great time.

Just have a few notes to pass along:

If you're wondering about parking, there will be complimentary parking in the back lot behind Cubby Bear, off Addison.

The drafts/auctions will take place in a private lobby on the second floor. If you choose, you can simply use the side door on Addison, under the green awning labeled Cubby Cafe. From there, you can follow the signs right upstairs.

Registration will begin one hour before each event begins, and food and drinks will be provided for each set of drafts/auctions.

That's all for now. If I think of anything else before Friday, I'll post it here. Until then, best of luck finalizing those cheat sheets and deciding where to place Jose Reyes, and we'll see you this weekend!

Mike

[ March 24, 2010, 03:03 PM: Message edited by: Mike Sheets ]

JamesH · Post by **JamesH** » Thu Mar 25, 2010 1:22 am

Hey Mike, we're really looking forward to meeting you and the rest of the Fanball team. I have one question. Will the food be served prior to or after Saturday's Main Event? I'm trying to decide whether I need to grab something to eat prior to arriving at the Cubbie Bear. Thanks.

Mike Sheets · Post by **Mike Sheets** » Thu Mar 25, 2010 3:54 am

Jules,

For the Main Event on Saturday, the food will be available 2:30-3:00pm.

For the auction on Friday - 6:30-7:00pm.

For the Double Plays on Saturday evening - 7:30-8:00pm.

rkulaski · Post by **rkulaski** » Thu Mar 25, 2010 6:49 am

Originally posted by Mike Sheets:

Jules,

For the Main Event on Saturday, the food will be available 2:30-3:00pm.

For the auction on Friday - 6:30-7:00pm.

For the Double Plays on Saturday evening - 7:30-8:00pm. Do we get a 30 min break during the draft to eat?

Mike Sheets · Post by **Mike Sheets** » Thu Mar 25, 2010 6:58 am

Won't be a full 30 minutes, but yes, there will be breaks in which you can eat.

Navel Lint · Post by **Navel Lint** » Thu Mar 25, 2010 7:52 am

Here is a cut and paste from Greg’s announcement introducing the Cubby Bear as Chicago’s host.

-------

We start the draft at noon. We'll have the bar open to wet your whistle with a soda or water or alcohol if you'd like. At the first break, I think we'll have a choice of four appetizers because we know you've worked so hard:

Buffalo Wings, Chicken Tenders, Quesadillas, and Crab Cakes

We'll have to open the bar for that time just in case the wings are too hot.

At the second break we'll have a buffet for you:

The Chicago Buffet

Italian Beef

Italian Sausage

French bread w/ peppers & hot giardiniera

Chicken Breast

Mostacolli with Marinara Sauce

Pasta Salad

You'll probably need a drink for that too, right? We'll open the bar for you, while keeping in mind NOT TO LET ANYONE GET OUT OF HAND!! That will be emphasized and enforced.

We'll then have the place open for about 30 minutes to an hour after the draft for folks to have a drink and look at the draft boards. Wow, and the whole time you'll have a clear look at Wrigley Field right outside the windows. Should be something special for the folks in Chicago.

----------

Should we expect this or have plans changed some?

tdtone · Post by **tdtone** » Thu Mar 25, 2010 11:05 am

Looking forward to Coming to Chicago and the Cubby Bear. See you all Saturday.

Geoffrey Stein · Post by **Geoffrey Stein** » Thu Mar 25, 2010 11:10 am

Originally posted by Navel Lint:

Here is a cut and paste from Greg’s announcement introducing the Cubby Bear as Chicago’s host.

-------

We start the draft at noon. We'll have the bar open to wet your whistle with a soda or water or alcohol if you'd like. At the first break, I think we'll have a choice of four appetizers because we know you've worked so hard:

Buffalo Wings, Chicken Tenders, Quesadillas, and Crab Cakes

We'll have to open the bar for that time just in case the wings are too hot.

At the second break we'll have a buffet for you:

The Chicago Buffet

Italian Beef

Italian Sausage

French bread w/ peppers & hot giardiniera

Chicken Breast

Mostacolli with Marinara Sauce

Pasta Salad

You'll probably need a drink for that too, right? We'll open the bar for you, while keeping in mind NOT TO LET ANYONE GET OUT OF HAND!! That will be emphasized and enforced.

We'll then have the place open for about 30 minutes to an hour after the draft for folks to have a drink and look at the draft boards. Wow, and the whole time you'll have a clear look at Wrigley Field right outside the windows. Should be something special for the folks in Chicago.

----------

Should we expect this or have plans changed some? I'm hoping that there's a spread like this at my house -- where I'll be watching the Online Main Events.

I'd settle for the open bar

Mike Sheets · Post by **Mike Sheets** » Sat Mar 27, 2010 4:55 pm

Just wanted to send a huge thanks to everyone who came out to the Cubby Bear this weekend. It was a great time with a lot of great people. The drafting, as always, was a lot of fun, but it was also great chatting and getting to know so many of you. And while the Friday auction went a little longer than expected, we did get some unexpected live entertainment!

Thanks again, everyone, for helping make this event a success. Best of luck this season!

Mike

JamesH · Post by **JamesH** » Sun Mar 28, 2010 3:33 am

Hey guys. We enjoyed drafting at the Cubbie Bear yesterday. The space was a little tight, but the food was good and everything went smoothly. Jobe well done by the Fanball staff. I loved being so close to Wrigley Field, but I'd definitely recommend a larger room next year.

[ March 28, 2010, 09:34 AM: Message edited by: Jules Winnfield ]

The Mighty Men · Post by **The Mighty Men** » Sun Mar 28, 2010 3:39 am

Cubby Bear - You probably didn't expect bands downstairs when you booked this venue. The music was WAY too loud on Friday night for the last 3 hours of the auction draft, as we had a hard time hearing in the auction. The same thing happened last night during the Double Play. Things were vibrating upstairs during our draft.

The space was really tight during the main for the 3 other leagues, too. And getting to Wrigley is not convenient.

I'm not complaining - I love doing drafts. I'm just saying the venue could probably be improved for Chicago. The Cubby Bear was a good idea, but I'd keep looking for next year.

rkulaski · Post by **rkulaski** » Sun Mar 28, 2010 4:03 am

Drafting Saturday at Cubby Bear:

Pros:

-Fanball staff was excellent. Great job staying on schedule.

-Food and open bar was great.

Cons:

-Noise during the double play. It wasn't a major distraction, but it was loud at times.

-Space felt a little tight but manageable.

-Difficult commute

headhunters · Post by **headhunters** » Sun Mar 28, 2010 4:11 am

i thought mike sheets and all the staff did a great job. thanks.

Navel Lint · Post by **Navel Lint** » Sun Mar 28, 2010 11:41 am

Originally posted by rkulaski:

Drafting Saturday at Cubby Bear:

Pros:

-Fanball staff was excellent. Great job staying on schedule.

-Food and open bar was great.

Cons:

-Noise during the double play. It wasn't a major distraction, but it was loud at times.

-Space felt a little tight but manageable.

-Difficult commute I agree with this post. I will also add that Mike did an excellent job with the draft on Friday night. Thanks Mike.

But with the draft room being directly above the stage where the live entertainment for the Cubby Bear is located, it was too loud and I would not recommend holding the auction event (or maybe any of the events) there next year.