BSC 2019 Top 20 Countdown - #13 Becoming Best Friends With Jeremy Roenick
A Note From Carl - This is the 8th entry in the Barstool Chicago Top 20 Moments of 2019 blog series. The list is coming from our perspective as 4 dudes who got the job of a lifetime exactly one year ago.
We covered this list in person at the December 20th live show. We're following it up on our podcasts to close out the year under following schedule:
#10-6: Red Line Radio 12/30
#5-1: Dog Walk 12/30
#18 Keeping The Watch Party At Declan's Alive
#17 St. Patrick's Day Got Rowdy
#15 Dee Brown Comes On Red Line Radio
#14 The Coldest Day In History
#13 Becoming Best Friends With Jeremy Roenick
Let me first lay some groundwork that I went to JR's hockey camp in 2018 and it was nothing short of an epic disaster. I can't skate to save my fucking life much less know the first thing about hockey much less have any desire to go to some adult fantasy camp and play slapdick for a few hours so Chief could ultimately have the opportunity to miss a few open shots on net. Regardless we did it and it was great
From there we bonded with JR. Not in some deep metaphysical sense but more from like a You Guys Like To Drink Beer And Hang Out Too sense. And in that case, we got along just great. So imagine our surprise when we find out at that our first official sanctioned event as Barstool Chicago is to go to Notre Dame for the Winter Classic.
In hindsight, we couldn't have covered the event any worse. I got hammered and this is probably the first time you're hearing about it, but trust me it was awesome. Specifically, the MillerCoors bus ride home saw us crammed in the back over a case of beer. It was me, Eddie, WSD and Chief with 2+ hours in traffic back home, each of us dying to get a nap in like the couple of cupcakes we are when Jeremy Roenick starts making his way to the back of the bus.
I don't know they let you losers on here. Move over.
JR is talking to me. I move over.
You guys want to hear some stories?
I could still be on that bus and would have no complaint. Almost 365 days later I swear on my fucking life I could be sitting there with JR listening to Chicago sports in the 90's. Going out in the Viagra triangle and ripping it up. Trips to Calgary and just ridiculous circumstances that could only predate the internet and social media. And there we are for hours with the big guy, throwing them back and shooting the breeze.
Admittedly this is kind of a shitty entry for everyone else because you weren't there, but this is my countdown so just bear with me as I get through this one.
The overarching point is that Jeremy Roenick is a relic from countless Chicago childhoods and we're basically giving each other shoulder massages and shotgunning cold ones together. Then fast forward 3 months later and we're playing NHL 94 together, watching March Madness and crushing some above-average nachos while the greatest American goal scorer of his generation plays as himself, the great video game athlete of all time. Somewhere Vince Vaughn's dick moves slightly:
What makes it #13 though is that JR texts us now. We're officially in the inner circle. Just the other day he said "Happy Holidays to my Chicago Barstool guys!" or something like that. It was so bad ass. We're obviously really cool as evidenced by his proactive willingness to recognize our collective existence at such a special time of the year. In other words, we're laying groundwork. Don't be confused if he's working alongside WSD in 2020.*
Up Next - #12 The Joffrey Ballet