Images: Behind the Scenes at the Sears Centre
The Sears Centre has 20 cleaning employees and 15 laborers that work overnight preparing for the next nightÂ’s event.
George LeClaire/gleclaire@dailyherald.com
Employees with Kage Concepts remove sections of the cage that circled the ring during mixed martial arts match at the Sears Centre.
George LeClaire/gleclaire@dailyherald.com
A mixed martial arts cage match keeps a Sears Centre crowd entertained. In a matter of hours, the crowds will be gone and the floor of the arena will be transformed to host a Chicago Slaughter football game the next day.
George LeClaire/gleclaire@dailyherald.com
Jim Kernan of Lake in the Hills disconnects cables on the main floor at midnight Friday.
George LeClaire/gleclaire@dailyherald.com
Michael Carosielli, director of operations, oversees the beginning of the conversion from a fighting arena to an indoor football arena over night on Saturday, May 14.
George LeClaire/gleclaire@dailyherald.com
At 3 a.m. workers begin to roll out the last sections of the 85 x 202 feet of indoor turf.
George LeClaire/gleclaire@dailyherald.com
Tom Russeli of Mt. Prospect straddles a beam 70 feet above the main floor as he lowers cables used for a large curtain during the cage match while workers below clean the first level seating area at the Sears Centre.
George LeClaire/gleclaire@dailyherald.com
Russeli is attached to a safety harness as he walks across beams 70 feet above the main floor.
George LeClaire/gleclaire@dailyherald.com
Russeli walks across a beam 70 feet above the main floor of the Sears Centre at midnight.
George LeClaire/gleclaire@dailyherald.com
Just before 1 a.m. employees with Kage Concepts have the traveling cage ring torn down and employees of the Sears Centre have main floor clean.
George LeClaire/gleclaire@dailyherald.com
Kage Concepts employees pack the complete ring and cage into a trailer.
George LeClaire/gleclaire@dailyherald.com
At 3 a.m. thre quarters of the 85 x 202 foot indoor turf is down for Slaughter football as the cleaning crew is cleaning the low seating area.
George LeClaire/gleclaire@dailyherald.com
Fifteen laborers begin stretching out the first sections of the indoor turf.
George LeClaire/gleclaire@dailyherald.com
Supervisor Erin Sullivan, left, looks up as Tom Russeli lowers cables for a large curtain at the Sears Centre.
George LeClaire/gleclaire@dailyherald.com
Twenty five workers are employed to clean the Sears Centre after 130 shows last year.
George LeClaire/gleclaire@dailyherald.com
Jim Kernan carries ropes along the catwalk 70 feet above the main floor at the Sears Centre.
George LeClaire/gleclaire@dailyherald.com
Employees with Kage Concepts pack the complete ring and cage into one trailer at midnight. Their next stop is Racine, Wisconsin.
George LeClaire/gleclaire@dailyherald.com
Employees with Kage Concepts leave the Sears Centre after packing the complete ring and cage into one trailer at 1 a.m. on saturday.
George LeClaire/gleclaire@dailyherald.com
Employees have rolls of indoor turf on the main floor ready to roll out. The Sears Centre stores two 85 x 202 foot indoor turf sections stored under the lower seating sections.
George LeClaire/gleclaire@dailyherald.com
Employees with Kage Concepts disassemble and pack the caged ring in less than two hours.
George LeClaire/gleclaire@dailyherald.com