Welcome to ‘Northside Manner’: District 88 graduates create Cubs YouTube show

Willowbrook alumnus Michael Allen (class of 2014) and Addison Trail alumna Gabriella Garcia (class of 2009) have more in common than graduating from the same high school district. They also are both diehard Cubs fans – “born and raised.”

And they’ve taken their passion to the next level – in July 2015, they launched a YouTube show called “Northside Manner.” Allen and Garcia described the show as upbeat and interactive and said they constantly strive to come up with new and fresh ideas for segments – as long as the topics are focused on all things Cubs, of course.

“Just being around baseball and seeing the players – from little kids all the way to the professional teams – you see that all levels have one thing in common – everyone is smiling and having fun with the sport,” Allen said. “That’s what I love.”

Allen grew up playing on little league and youth baseball teams and later served as an umpire. Garcia played softball and has fond memories of watching baseball on TV with her dad.

“My dad taught me everything I know about sports,” Garcia said. “Baseball was the first sport I learned about and watched, and I just fell in love.”

The duo met at Illinois Media School in Lombard, where they produce “Northside Manner.” They coordinate all aspects of the show, including writing the content and script, filming, editing, prep and maintaining their website and social media outlets. Allen said they researched social media platforms for the Cubs and realized there was an opportunity for growth. They began filming “Northside Manner” every Friday and developed a Twitter and Facebook presence, as well as a website. Their posts have even received feedback from several Cubs players and their wives.

Allen and Garcia said the ultimate goal of hosting the show is to save up enough money from sponsorships to buy their own studio and work for the Cubs. But their focus remains on entertaining and educating their viewers.

“We hope our fans gain a better understanding of who the Cubs are through our show and social media outlets,” Allen said. “A lot of them don’t live in Illinois, so we are sometimes the only source they have for Cubs news.”

Connect with “Northside Manner”
YouTube: http://tinyurl.com/jyl75zc

Twitter/Instagram: @NorthsideManner

Facebook: facebook.com/NorthsideManner

Website: https://northsidemanner.wordpress.com

E-mail: Northsidemanner@gmail.com