Suburban Man With Fancy, Cubs-Inspired Man Cave Ready for Big Win Tonight

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It could be a late night for those partying at a local man’s Cubs-inspired man cave if Stewart McVicar’s favorite baseball team wins.

“I told everyone, if you are planning to go to work tomorrow, you might not want to come,” McVicar said with a laugh.

McVicar has become known for his fancy, 2,500-square-foot man cave in the basement of his McHenry County home. The man cave boasts 12 video displays and seven different audio zones, according to mashable.com. One of the bar walls has a 46-inch TV with a pair of 40-inch TVs on each side and an area with theater seating has a 65-inch TV with 55-inch units on each side. There is also a 92-inch projection screen that can be pulled down.

The long-time fan started collecting Cubs memorabilia when he was 10. He first started daydreaming about his own, Cubs-inspired man cave when he was 15. That dream became a reality in August 2013 when the finishing touches were completed on his cave.

Recently, the man cave, which is in a walk-out basement, got an outdoor bar addition. A friend of a friend who McVicar said could “stop by for a beer whenever he wants” in turn offered to build him the bar. The bar has a TV behind it for watching the games.

“Now we can utilize the back yard as well,” he said.

Tonight’s Game

McVicar has invited friends and family to stop by to watch the wild card game tonight between the Cubs and Pirates. At first, the party started off small but it just keeps getting “bigger and bigger,” McVicar said.

Now, CBS 2 in Chicago will be providing live updates from McVicar’s basement during its broadcasts tonight.

“Tonight, I am going to be the worst host ever because I want to watch the game. We are in the wild card...” McVicar said. “I feel confident they are going to win. I was telling a Packers fan, ‘I feel like how a Packers fan must have felt when the Packers played the Bears ... the Cubs are going to win.”

Sharing the Man Cave

When it comes to his man cave, McVicar loves to share the joy it has given him with others. He said he still gets a kick out of the reaction people have when they see it for the first time.

“What is the point of having a great man cave if it just sits there and no one gets to see it,” he said.” So I want to share it with people.”

With that thought in mind, McVicar in the past year has begun to host huge fund-raising events in his man cave with the proceeds going to a friend in need or a charitable organization he supports. In 2014, he hosted a fundraiser for a longtime friend, Nick Sheridan, who was in need of prosthetic limbs after bacterial meningitis lead to him losing parts of both his legs and arms, according to the Daily Herald. Cubs chairman Tom Rickerts came to the event and more than $30,000 was raised for Sheridan.

This past August, former Cubs player Kerry Wood was the honored guest and more then $35,000 was raised for the Kerry Wood Family Foundation, which supports children’s programs and charities. Sheridan was there and threw out a ceremonial first pitch with his new, prosthetic arm, the Daily Herald reports.

McVicar is now starting to think and plan for his next big fund-raiser.

“I am looking to do one big event a year -- something where we are raising between $30,000 and $40,000,” he said.

How Much?

McVicar is not quick to name off the price tag on his man cave. For one, he has lost track over the years, he said. And another major reason: “If my wife found out, she would probably divorce me,” McVicar said with a laugh.

But, the man cave is also used for family time. McVicar, his wife and 3-year-old girl will have family movie nights in the theater area. There is a popcorn and soda machine to help add to that experience. The amazing stereo system also helps provide awesome dance sessions for his daughter.

For McVicar, his man cave has been a long-time coming but worth the wait.

“Some people have a boat, some people have a winter home in Arizona, this is what I wanted. This was my thing. This was my dream,” he said. “I have been thinking about this man cave since I was 15 years old and was hoping to get it some day.”

And the fact that he got it, still amazes him.

“I still go down there at night to get a Coke from the pop machine and look around and say to myself, ‘holy shit, this is mine,’” McVicar said. “This is not something I take for granted.”

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