Windy City Bulls rebrand in honor of Woodstock’s Groundhog Days

The Windy City Willies, usually known as the Windy City Bulls, went winless during their debut rebrand night Saturday at NOW Arena in Hoffman Estates.

The Windy City Willies game, the team temporarily renamed in honor of the Woodstock groundhog, marks the official kickoff to this year’s Groundhog Days Festival. The most noteworthy aspect of the festivities will come the morning of Feb. 2, when WGN meteorologist Tom Skilling will translate from “Groundhogese” and announce whether we’ll get six more weeks of winter.

The Windy City Willies went all in on the name change on Alternate Identity Night, going so far as to change the team’s URL during the game to reflect it.

Woodstock Willie emerged from hibernation for the night about a half hour before tipoff, making an appearance in the high-five line alongside the Creekside Middle School Best Buddies, as Willies players went onto the court for pregame warm-ups.

The Woodstock High School orchestra and choir performed the national anthem, after which Woodstock Willie presented the game ball alongside Gus T. Bull, the Windy City Bulls’ regular mascot.

During the game, the players paid tribute to the furry prognosticator of seasons by wearing Wille-themed jerseys, which will be auctioned off to benefit the Woodstock Community Unit School District 200 Education Foundation. Fans could bid on the jerseys from their seats using a QR code displayed during a timeout early in the first quarter.

Groundhogs were abundant at the game, including a plush keeping the DJ company and the Jumbotron displaying “fast facts” about groundhogs, such as Woodstock Willie is right about half the time.

“He’s still the No. 1 weather reporter in our hearts,” the screen read alongside that fun fact.

The fan experience celebrated the city and the “Groundhog Day” movie, with booths on the arena concourse featuring local businesses such as Real Woodstock and the Cherry Tree Inn, where Bill Murray’s character stayed in the 1993 film.

Cherry Tree Inn owners George and Lori Miarecki had some new merchandise for the inn at their booth, as well as a raffle featuring a groundhog toy, T-shirts and the Groundhog Day game, among other things.

“Everybody loves a free raffle,” George Miarecki said.

Maddy Neubauer, Woodstock’s marketing coordinator, was there with Real Woodstock stickers and brochures.

“We’re always excited about it,” Neubauer said of Groundhog Days.

Even the souvenirs celebrated Woodstock, with the Willies offering a Windy City Willies-themed hat and ticket deal. But the early birds weren’t left out; the first 1,500 fans received a bobblehead with Woodstock Willie and Benny the Bull, Gus T. Bull’s cousin, as lore has it.

Fans who missed both still had a chance to try to get some swag, as a Woodstock Willie swag was handed out during a timeout late in the first quarter.

The Willies game against the Long Island Nets was competitive at first, but Long Island had a two-point lead at the end of the first quarter.

Early in the second quarter, the Willies pulled away to a 10-point lead at 39-29, while Woodstock Willie memes asked fans for lettuce among other groundhog-themed puns, graced the jumbotron.

The Willies maintained the double-digit lead into halftime, where the Woodstock and Woodstock North cheer teams performed. Woodstock won a coin toss and went first.

In the third quarter, the Willies’ lead evaporated, the teams tied heading into the fourth. More Groundhog memes were on-screen, including a closed caption that read “groundhog chattering” alongside text that said “Boo him” when a Nets player was at the free-throw line.

In the final quarter, Long Island climbed to a 10-point lead with less than 1 1/2 minutes to go, eventually topping the Willies 123-112.

Although the polka was not played during the game, there happens to be a Pennsylvania Groundhog Day connection, as Lori Miarecki said she is from Pennsylvania.

“I grew up having to do the Pennsylvania Polka in gym class every year,” Miarecki said.