Last Thursday, the Chicago Rush lost to the Spokane Shock in the opening round of the Arena Football League playoffs. The loss ended their season, but I don’t plan on it being the end of my great experience with the Rush.

At the end of last season, the Rush invited me to their game in Milwaukee as part of a story on interesting short trips from Chicago. I enjoy Milwaukee and figured it would be a fun trip but a one-time deal. It was fun, but it has also gone on to become much more than a one-time experience.

I accepted the Rush’s invitation to follow them this season. Global Traveler taught me to jump on different opportunities such as this. Everyone knows I am a sports fan, but this went beyond simply watching arena football games.

This experience started at Media Day when, besides the team, I met many media people, including legendary broadcaster Les Grobstein. Early in the season I reconnected with high school acquaintance (and long-time NFL quarterback) Mike Tomczak, who is the offensive coordinator for the Pittsburgh Power. I also made new friends in many of the rival cities. I made several trips to Rockford, Ill., where I discovered a bunch of fun activities I plan to revisit in the future.

Interestingly, at practice, we often talked about things besides football, like Coach Bob McMillen and offensive lineman Steve Edwards talking about travel and dining. I learned a bit about Norway from defensive back Josh Pleasant. These are the things I will remember more than the football talk.

I watched the playoff game at Café Zalute in Rosemont with several members of the Rush organization and other fans. I have to mention the cannoli dip. I am a cannoli elitist, and while this wasn’t really a cannoli, it was ridiculously good. They load a martini glass with cannoli filling and add empty cannoli shells to dip into the thick, sweet ricotta-based mix.

I had a lot of fun this season, but more importantly, I expanded my horizons. I never expected this many benefits. Next season, I will expand the experience even further by visiting several cities for Rush away games. Of course I love the football, but I look forward to the many other possibilities I will discover.

— John Wroblewski, online contributor