Review by Chris Tokarski, Stadium Journey Correspondent
Since 1996, the Loyola University Ramblers have played home games at the 5,200-seat Joseph J. Gentile Center. Located at the border of Chicago’s Edgewater and Rogers Park neighborhoods, the arena is a good place to see inexpensive Division I Horizon League basketball on the city’s North Side.
FANFARE Score: 24
Food & Beverage: 3
Think of dining options at the local public pool. You’ll find roughly the same here: Polish sausage, hot dogs, popcorn, nachos, and candy. That being said, the dogs and Polish sausage are from Vienna Beef, so it’s good snack bar meat. A Polish and a bottled water cost $4, leaving plenty of cash for post-game brews.
Atmosphere: 4
The game’s opening had a distinct old Chicago Stadium flavor, with Wayne Messmer, the Chicago Cubs’ PA announcer, singing the National Anthem. Messmer used to sing the anthem at Blackhawks games in the Stadium, until he was ousted for taking the same job with the Chicago Wolves, Chicago’s AHL team. Tommy Edwards, the Bulls PA announcer, worked this game for Loyola – hearing both of these icons in a small environment took me back to my grade school days of going to the much-missed Stadium.
The pre-game video highlights Loyola’s 1963 NCAA championship. The arena feels like a big high school gym, bleachers are on both sides of the court, with the student section and the surprisingly good pep band at one end of the gym. Every seat is a good one, as long as you don’t mind sitting thigh to thigh with your neighbor in the bleachers. If that’s not your thing, shell out a few extra bucks for courtside seats or reserved bleachers with seatbacks.
Neighborhood: 3
Rogers Park and Edgewater are dense, diverse, and rough at the edges. That being said, as long as you are aware of your surroundings and don’t walk alone, you’ll be all right. The neighborhoods are a lot more interesting than say, Wrigleyville, and have some good places to unwind.
Uncommon Ground (1401 W Devon – ½ mile from arena)
Great selection of Chicago brews, with a focus on seasonal, local food. Nice ambiance, with a fireplace shared by the bar and the dining area. The pork belly, served with beans cooked in a red wine reduction, is happiness.
Moody’s Pub (5910 N Broadway – 1 mile from arena)
Solid burgers, go with a blue burger with bacon. The hand-cut fries are fantastic. The beer selection isn’t great, with only 5 beers on tap. If you wonder how a tavern was lit prior to the electric age, go here. Best part: free peanuts!
Hamilton’s (6341 N Broadway – 2 blocks from arena)
Skip it. Unless you like beer in plastic cups and being surrounded by meatheads. And apparently a lot of folks do, as there wasn’t a table to be found after the game.
Bruno and Tim’s (6562 N Sheridan – 1 block from arena)
A not-quite dive bar. Cheap beer, sports on 2 flat screens, and a nice mix of students and locals. My pick for a post game drink. There’s a liquor store attached should you need a warmer for the way home.
Fans: 3
Fans were loud and engaged for the game against Horizon League leader Butler. When your team is below.500 in league play, and has essentially no shot at meaningful postseason play, I am impressed that you care. Especially when you know next year it’s more of the same. There are Loyola die-hards, including a father viciously berating a referee while holding an infant. I’m all for passion, but that was a bit much. Here’s to discretion, at least while your child is forming neural pathways.
Access: 3
There’s not a whole lot Loyola can do about this, but being along the lake on the far north side puts you a ways off from any of Chicago’s major highways. If you’re in the city, it’s an easy El ride there, get off at the Loyola stop on the Red Line. If you drive, parking is $5, totally reasonable. Don’t waste your time trying to park on the street. Entering and exiting the stadium is easy, there are no lines at the bathrooms, and the wait at the concession stands was two minutes at halftime.
Return on Investment: 5
$30 courtside seats! Chair back bleachers are $20, and general admission is $13. If you get a group of ten or more together, bleachers seats are $8. The food is cheap, parking in the garage costs less than a meter. If you’ve got a sports jones and 20 bucks, Gentile will do you well.
Etc: 3
+ 1 for the resurrected Jesus hanging on the gym wall. Takes me right back to Catholic grade school.
+ 1 for the drill team’s baby doll nightie unis, which include strategically revealing holes. Wonderfully contrary to the resurrected Christ statue hovering over each routine.
+1 to the grade school floor sweeper. Great dance moves, acrobatics, and headband.
