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By: Frank Addington, Jr
Frank Sinatra once sang that “Chicago is my kind of town…” Now that I have attended the 2012 Chicago Outdoor Sportsman Show I can also say that after 27 years on stage, Chicago is finally my kind of town too! I’d wanted to work this market for a long time and it never worked out. I’d heard Fred Bear, Ann Clark, Dick Mauch and others talk about the famous Chicago shows but I had never been booked to perform there. I came close in 2011 but it didn’t work out.
It looked like I wouldn’t have a chance to do the show when I heard that there would not be a 2012 Chicago show. However, an east coast based company called MET group stepped up and started to organize a show in three months time! I was booked to perform along with my friend Jeff Watson and his huge bruin, Brody the Bear. There were many other features there of interest to sportsmen including seminars and demos, 3-D archery and other activities.
Frank with his sidekick and thrower Jimmy.
My sidekick for the weekend would be one of the show’s employees Jimmy. He’d never thrown for me or even seen the show. I told him what we’d be doing and it was showtime…. he did a super job that first night and I hit the baby aspirin shot second try! I told him he was hired and that I wanted him to throw the rest of the weekend. Saturday morning the audience and Jimmy was amazed when I hit the three baby aspirin/three arrow shot first try! Then we followed that up with three mustard seeds and three arrows–and hit that first try too! Never underestimate the help a good assistant is. There is an art to tossing targets and some people have it and some don’t.
They captured one performance and we have that on video you can see here:
I really enjoyed doing this show. Folks asked lots of questions and I remember doing some outdoor radio shows to promote this event. We had good crowds and this show did very well to have been organized in such a short period of time. If you want more information, you can visit the MET Group’s website for this event at :
Special thanks to MET Group, Jimmy, the audiences, show staff and everyone that came to the show. I had a great time and look forward to coming back! The Rosemont Convention Center is a short distance from O’Hare airport which was also handy. Ole’ Blue eyes was right, “Chicago is my kind of town.” Great to be in a town where so many of my archery heroes have performed!
That’s the latest. Coming up: Shows in Indianapolis at the Indiana Deer, Turkey, and Waterfowl Expo and then on to Ohio for the first annual “Eastern Ohio Sportsman Expo.” The 2012 HAVE BOW WILL TRAVEL tour rolls on. Soon Rich Walton and I will have yet another great celebrity interview posted on www.bowhunting.net
Thanks for reading. Until next time, Adios & God Bless.
Shoot Straight,
Frank
