Just some observations in the past few months I have seen on ESPN that they like to report rumors, then talk about them, then refute them a few days later as a way to have something to talk about on the slow news days. I think we can all agree that other then during major events like Super Bowl week, NCAA Tourney time, weekends with football and golf and baseball all going on, there are plenty of days when not much happens in sports other then regular games for whatever time of the year it is. Maybe they don't need 2 full time channels going all day every day to talk about the minutiae of sports, and no, some random free agent signing with some random team is not news. Show the scores and the highlights and then show some old games or something, we don't need well dressed ex basketball players sitting around a table breaking down the Football draft or the Hockey playoffs. Some of the recent headlines that caught my eye that ESPN reported on their ticker as "NEWS"
-ESPN reports that Ben Roethlisberger will not be traded by Pittsburgh as previously reported by ESPN affiliate in Pittsburgh.
ESPN reports that Duke's Coach K has no interest in coaching the Cavaliers refuting a rumor previously reported on ESPN that he might.
ESPN reports that an earlier report that someone from the Bulls has contacted Phil Jackson about possibly coaching in Chicago next year, was untrue according to sources close to Jackson.
-Rumors that the NCAA would expand the Basketball tournament to 96 teams and open up the contract bidding to include, (you guessed it) ESPN, turned out to be false, after 3 weeks of debate and argument about whether expanding to the tournament to 96 teams would be good or not, most of the time talking about was spent on ESPN.
-Big Ten Presidents and the Commissioner denied reports that the Big Ten is going to expand anytime soon, despite ESPN rumors for a week that Texas, Notre Dame, Austria-Hungary, the USSR, Florida, the Lakers, Missouri, Nebraska, and the Raiders were all going to join the Big Ten soon and then spent the requisite hours and days breaking down and discussing what it would mean and how it would effect every one's lives if any or all of them joined, and then it didn't happen and won't for a while.
Shocking. I guess it is easier to waste time opining and guessing then actually breaking down what happened in the real games. They should create a separate channel called Pre-ESPN to do nothing but predict and guess so they can totally avoid talking about what really happens. Maybe next year someone should track their predictions on games and trades and coaching changes and see what percent actually happen.....hmmmm, sounds like a job for a skilled journalist, we'll see if we have any around here in time for football season...
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Cold as hell
So the NFL announced today that the new stadium in NY/NJ is going to host the 2014 Super Bowl. HUGE SURPRISE! Wait, no it's not. The whole league got a collective erection just thinking of the prospect of holding the country's biggest TV spectacle in the country's biggest media market. But you know what pisses me off, what really chaps my rosy red ass? It bothers the ever-loving piss out of me to hear everyone talking about how this is the first Super Bowl outdoors in cold weather. Here's why the talk of this mess bugs me:
1) the media is acting as though the temperature at game time makes a difference. The 70,000 or so people at the game mean dick; it's the 100 million television viewers and advertising revenue generated by companies trying to reach those people who matter.
1a) aside from the few lucky fans of the teams in the game, most of the SB attendeesare either rich a-holes or corporate a-holes. Most of them are there for the event and not the game. They don't care about the result, so I am personally pleased that they will be uncomfortable in the freezing-ass cold.
1b) when you look through the list of great NFL games, most of them involve grueling conditions. The possibility of snow and/or other bad weather increases the chances of having a great game.
2) I'm sick and tired of idiots talking about how Detroit and Indy have hosted as cold-weather cities. THEY'RE INDOORS! The weather can only affect the droves of people walking around outside, not the game itself.
3) the game is almost 4 years away. By that time, our near-Communist government may well have bankrupted the country and it'll probably have decided that the elitism involved in professional sports is not fair to the rest of us who aren't superior athletes.
4) I'm pretty much just bothered by any news that involves speculation. The NFL offseason is a quagmire of what-ifs, when, maybe, perhaps, and Brett Favre. Speaking of, eff Brett Favre.
1) the media is acting as though the temperature at game time makes a difference. The 70,000 or so people at the game mean dick; it's the 100 million television viewers and advertising revenue generated by companies trying to reach those people who matter.
1a) aside from the few lucky fans of the teams in the game, most of the SB attendeesare either rich a-holes or corporate a-holes. Most of them are there for the event and not the game. They don't care about the result, so I am personally pleased that they will be uncomfortable in the freezing-ass cold.
1b) when you look through the list of great NFL games, most of them involve grueling conditions. The possibility of snow and/or other bad weather increases the chances of having a great game.
2) I'm sick and tired of idiots talking about how Detroit and Indy have hosted as cold-weather cities. THEY'RE INDOORS! The weather can only affect the droves of people walking around outside, not the game itself.
3) the game is almost 4 years away. By that time, our near-Communist government may well have bankrupted the country and it'll probably have decided that the elitism involved in professional sports is not fair to the rest of us who aren't superior athletes.
4) I'm pretty much just bothered by any news that involves speculation. The NFL offseason is a quagmire of what-ifs, when, maybe, perhaps, and Brett Favre. Speaking of, eff Brett Favre.
Sunday, May 23, 2010
All signs point to...douchebag
I was driving around 465 today and noticed a pickup in the lane to my left. It was a Dodge Ram, pretty decent-looking truck, with a big Harley Davidson decal in the rear window. I also noticed that it was equipped with those extended rearview mirrors, the kind that allow you to keep a clear line of sight when you're hauling a trailer. As I continued to check out the truck, I saw that it also had a Scream mask in the back window. Furthermore, it had a vanity plate, the text of which I couldn't make out at first. After a couple of miles, we both took the same exit and the decreased speed allowed me to get close enough to make out additional details. My initial instinct was that the owner of the truck was very possibly pretty BA; I mean, he's got a Harley and is used to hauling around a big trailer, has a vanity plate. But the details our proximity revealed in rapid succession quickly turned my opinion of the owner. First, I saw that the plate read "UNDRTKR," which I took to mean that the cat was either a death-head, a fan of the WWE, or was maybe actually versed in the funerial arts. I think I can say with some degree of certainty that he's neither the former nor the latter. I next saw a rubber hand and a foot protruding from either lower side of the tailgate. And upon getting a brief look at the driver as I pulled alongside, I got a strong visual whiff of hilljack. Jerk alert! Seriously, bro, you have rubber appendages protruding from your effing tailgate. Clay Aiken and Ricky Martin have just tweeted that they think that is gay.
Under normal circumstances, I might fear that a man who cares so little about his vehicular adornments would also care little about throwing the beatdown my way. But since only one other person will probably ever read this, and because ol' boy might not even be able to read (it's also unlikely that he's got access to modern technology like the internet), I'm not rull scurred.
Under normal circumstances, I might fear that a man who cares so little about his vehicular adornments would also care little about throwing the beatdown my way. But since only one other person will probably ever read this, and because ol' boy might not even be able to read (it's also unlikely that he's got access to modern technology like the internet), I'm not rull scurred.
Friday, May 21, 2010
Addison's REAL first game at Wrigley
Okay, so I wrote a story a couple years ago or so about a fictional excursion to Wrigley Field with my daughter. And since I'm trying to brainwash her into being a Cubs fan, and I'm also a glutton for punishment, I decided that this was the year to make that fiction a reality. When Cubs tickets went on sale this year, I took the day off work as I have each of the past several years. After carefully selecting the games I wanted and opening up in excess of 30 browser windows, I was randomly selected from among the thousands of annually-disappointed fans to purchase. The high volume of traffic meant that my transaction for two bleacher box tickets at $55 a pop didn't process the first few times I tried. I told myself that if it didn't go after one more attempt, I would opt instead for the bullpen box seats. Yeah, those seats, the $160 seats. And so, after about 10 more minutes, I had dropped well over 3 bills on 2 tickets to watch a group of underachievers play baseball. But there was some good news: 1) I would be there with my little girl, and 2) the fact that the game was against the Pirates meant it was just a Silver-level game, so the tickets were actually $90 less than they would have been against, say, the Cards.
In any case, the day of the game eventually rolled around and I got out of bed feeling supremely anxious after getting very little sleep the night before. My semi-insomnia came from a mixture of excitement and also little feet kicking me at random intervals (Addison shared the bed with me at my parents' house). Oh yeah, reality differed from fiction in that we didn't depart from our own house. We left early, around 8am Eastern, and got into the city with relative ease. The pertually-under-construction snarl of I-94 slowed us down right before that distinctive bridge right by the landfill around, what is it, 130th St? Anyway, we eventually made it through that and I neglected to re-route on the return trip (more on that later). We parked in an alley for $25, but the easy-out capability was a must with a not-quite 4-year-old in tow. My bag was packed with our gloves, a couple of baseballs, and a giant sign declaring that this was Addison's first game. We arrived about 3 hours before game time, so we headed to Wrigleyvilled Sports in order to do our part to aid the local economy. As we walked out, Addison was sporting a new pink Cubs hat, a Cubs purse, and a Cubs #1 Sister keychain; the bag I carried also had an incredibly dope-ass throwback T for me and a tank for my wife. The disappointment of the trip was the fact that Addison did not get the Wrigley snowglobe she had coveted so desperately.
Before long, we were in line to head in. We had our tickets scanned, then Addison grabbed her free giveaway: a Cubs Build-A-Bear, who held several names through the course of the day. After being dubbed Sally, Marlon Byrd, Alfonso Soriano, and Starlin Marlon, she finally settled on Ernie. She then got a small silver bat and we grabbed a t-shirt and socks for Ryne. Cheeseburger, pizza, pretzel, Diet Pepsi, cotton candy, maybe more food in there somewhere. The seats were amazing, her attitude was decent, and we actually made it through the whole game. Of course, she did sit or stand on me for a great deal of it. And she eventually squirmed into a fetal position and fell asleep during the 8th and 9th. Of course, that was after we rose to sing "Take Me Out to the Ballgame," which was her favorite part of the day.
True to the story, the Cubs were losing and mounted a comeback in the 9th that fell sadly short. The difference came when Addison slept through most of it and was awakened by the explosion of 41,000 fans rising to celebrate a Fukudome triple into the corner. I held my screaming daughter for the next several minutes, standing in anguish as my team squandered oppotunities to score. I then carried Addison and our impressive collection of merchandise through the throngs of fans in various stages of inebriation. I wanted to head back to WS to pick up a polo shirt I that had caught my eye earlier and was finally able to placate the blubbering blob in my arms with the promise of the aforementioned snow globe. Of course, a Mardi Gras necklace also managed to find its way onto the ticket.
We were able to navigate back to the car with relative ease and Addison actually used her own feet for a good deal of the trip, now sufficiently recoverd from her tantrum. Narrow one-way streets and nefarious traffic directors conspired to keep us in the neighborhood for a few extra minutes, but I eventually ended up back on Lakeshore. Getting out of the city was a breeze until I encountered the south-bound lanes of the earlier stretch of under-construction freeway. Of course it was at this time that my daughter decided to announce her need to potty. My growing fear of a urine-soaked backseat was finally quelled when I was able to exit at Sibley for a quick trip to White Castle. We then hit the road again and stopped in Merrilville for a meal at Red Robin. Addison didn't sleep a wink in the car and watched 10 episodes of He-Man. Yeah, that's right: He-Man, the orginial iteration. She was psyched to show mommy her haul for the day and talked about singing, lamenting the fact that we were not able to sing "Go Cubs Go."
All in all, I must say it was one of more rewarding experiences I've had at a baseball game. The Cubs lost, I spent a buttload of money, had to deal with countless a-holes on the Illinois roads, and had to make a couple of trips to the Wrigley men's bathrooms, but I wouldn't change any of it. I got to share Wrigley and the Cubs with my daughter and was so proud of her for lasting (sort of) through the whole game. Now I can't wait to take her back again and again and to take my son in a couple years. And then I'll be able to take both of them, maybe even with my dad in order to really complete the circle. Good times.
In any case, the day of the game eventually rolled around and I got out of bed feeling supremely anxious after getting very little sleep the night before. My semi-insomnia came from a mixture of excitement and also little feet kicking me at random intervals (Addison shared the bed with me at my parents' house). Oh yeah, reality differed from fiction in that we didn't depart from our own house. We left early, around 8am Eastern, and got into the city with relative ease. The pertually-under-construction snarl of I-94 slowed us down right before that distinctive bridge right by the landfill around, what is it, 130th St? Anyway, we eventually made it through that and I neglected to re-route on the return trip (more on that later). We parked in an alley for $25, but the easy-out capability was a must with a not-quite 4-year-old in tow. My bag was packed with our gloves, a couple of baseballs, and a giant sign declaring that this was Addison's first game. We arrived about 3 hours before game time, so we headed to Wrigleyvilled Sports in order to do our part to aid the local economy. As we walked out, Addison was sporting a new pink Cubs hat, a Cubs purse, and a Cubs #1 Sister keychain; the bag I carried also had an incredibly dope-ass throwback T for me and a tank for my wife. The disappointment of the trip was the fact that Addison did not get the Wrigley snowglobe she had coveted so desperately.
Before long, we were in line to head in. We had our tickets scanned, then Addison grabbed her free giveaway: a Cubs Build-A-Bear, who held several names through the course of the day. After being dubbed Sally, Marlon Byrd, Alfonso Soriano, and Starlin Marlon, she finally settled on Ernie. She then got a small silver bat and we grabbed a t-shirt and socks for Ryne. Cheeseburger, pizza, pretzel, Diet Pepsi, cotton candy, maybe more food in there somewhere. The seats were amazing, her attitude was decent, and we actually made it through the whole game. Of course, she did sit or stand on me for a great deal of it. And she eventually squirmed into a fetal position and fell asleep during the 8th and 9th. Of course, that was after we rose to sing "Take Me Out to the Ballgame," which was her favorite part of the day.
True to the story, the Cubs were losing and mounted a comeback in the 9th that fell sadly short. The difference came when Addison slept through most of it and was awakened by the explosion of 41,000 fans rising to celebrate a Fukudome triple into the corner. I held my screaming daughter for the next several minutes, standing in anguish as my team squandered oppotunities to score. I then carried Addison and our impressive collection of merchandise through the throngs of fans in various stages of inebriation. I wanted to head back to WS to pick up a polo shirt I that had caught my eye earlier and was finally able to placate the blubbering blob in my arms with the promise of the aforementioned snow globe. Of course, a Mardi Gras necklace also managed to find its way onto the ticket.
We were able to navigate back to the car with relative ease and Addison actually used her own feet for a good deal of the trip, now sufficiently recoverd from her tantrum. Narrow one-way streets and nefarious traffic directors conspired to keep us in the neighborhood for a few extra minutes, but I eventually ended up back on Lakeshore. Getting out of the city was a breeze until I encountered the south-bound lanes of the earlier stretch of under-construction freeway. Of course it was at this time that my daughter decided to announce her need to potty. My growing fear of a urine-soaked backseat was finally quelled when I was able to exit at Sibley for a quick trip to White Castle. We then hit the road again and stopped in Merrilville for a meal at Red Robin. Addison didn't sleep a wink in the car and watched 10 episodes of He-Man. Yeah, that's right: He-Man, the orginial iteration. She was psyched to show mommy her haul for the day and talked about singing, lamenting the fact that we were not able to sing "Go Cubs Go."
All in all, I must say it was one of more rewarding experiences I've had at a baseball game. The Cubs lost, I spent a buttload of money, had to deal with countless a-holes on the Illinois roads, and had to make a couple of trips to the Wrigley men's bathrooms, but I wouldn't change any of it. I got to share Wrigley and the Cubs with my daughter and was so proud of her for lasting (sort of) through the whole game. Now I can't wait to take her back again and again and to take my son in a couple years. And then I'll be able to take both of them, maybe even with my dad in order to really complete the circle. Good times.
Monday, May 17, 2010
BronObsession
Now that ESPN (every sports pros nightmare) has laid down the news gauntlet by reporting this weekend on their ticker (I'm not kidding) "former player Charles Oakley, who lives near LeBron James says he thinks James will sign with the Heat or the Bulls," as news to the world, we here at ScrubSports feel it is our duty to inform the world of where James might end up in free agency knowing what we know that the public does not. Since the NBA games are over, oh wait they have 2 more rounds to go I thought it ended when his team lost? We will now inform you of everything we have heard and where it seems to point that gives us clues as to where James will be playing next year, the question that is keeping the world awake at night...... Follow the clues and form your own conclusions about what city he MIGHT end up in....
-James was once seen eating a cheese steak sandwich-PHILADELPHIA
-James likes to drive his car at a fast "pace"-INDIANA
-He usually gets his hair cut-LA CLIPPERS
-He has been known to wear gold chains and jewelry-DENVER NUGGETS
-He likes to listen to music-UTAH JAZZ
-He enjoys warm weather-MIAMI HEAT
-He's friends with NETS owner JAY-Z
-He once jumped in a lake as a kid-LAKERS
-He is often referred to as KING JAMES-Sacramento KINGS
-He wears number 23 like Michael Jordan who owns the BOBCATS but used to play for the BULLS....
-He likes the Yankees who are in the same city as the KNICKS.
After deciphering all those clues Bob feels that LeBron will probably end up in New York, not because of the fame or the fortune, or the fact that he watched Seinfeld as a kid, but for 2 reasons.
One, he can star in Spike Lee's movie "LeBron and The Losers" that will come out after the team goes 30-52 despite James playing like an MVP. Secondly, and more importantly, Isiah Thomas signed Jerome JAMES to a 5 year/$25 million contract with the Knicks and Jerome never averaged more than 3 points and 2 rebounds per game while making all that money. LeBron will want to go back to NY and restore glory to his last name.
Or he might stay in Cleveland, where he is the most popular athlete since Rik Vaughn led the Indians to a pennant in the late 80s before being run out of town, and having to change his name to Charlie Harper and write jingles for a living in Malibu. Or maybe LeBron will go play minor league baseball. I guess we could wait until July 1 when the signing period begins and see where he actually goes and then analyze it, but what would ESPN do until then cover real games and actual events? No Way.
-
-James was once seen eating a cheese steak sandwich-PHILADELPHIA
-James likes to drive his car at a fast "pace"-INDIANA
-He usually gets his hair cut-LA CLIPPERS
-He has been known to wear gold chains and jewelry-DENVER NUGGETS
-He likes to listen to music-UTAH JAZZ
-He enjoys warm weather-MIAMI HEAT
-He's friends with NETS owner JAY-Z
-He once jumped in a lake as a kid-LAKERS
-He is often referred to as KING JAMES-Sacramento KINGS
-He wears number 23 like Michael Jordan who owns the BOBCATS but used to play for the BULLS....
-He likes the Yankees who are in the same city as the KNICKS.
After deciphering all those clues Bob feels that LeBron will probably end up in New York, not because of the fame or the fortune, or the fact that he watched Seinfeld as a kid, but for 2 reasons.
One, he can star in Spike Lee's movie "LeBron and The Losers" that will come out after the team goes 30-52 despite James playing like an MVP. Secondly, and more importantly, Isiah Thomas signed Jerome JAMES to a 5 year/$25 million contract with the Knicks and Jerome never averaged more than 3 points and 2 rebounds per game while making all that money. LeBron will want to go back to NY and restore glory to his last name.
Or he might stay in Cleveland, where he is the most popular athlete since Rik Vaughn led the Indians to a pennant in the late 80s before being run out of town, and having to change his name to Charlie Harper and write jingles for a living in Malibu. Or maybe LeBron will go play minor league baseball. I guess we could wait until July 1 when the signing period begins and see where he actually goes and then analyze it, but what would ESPN do until then cover real games and actual events? No Way.
-
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Legend of the Fall
It's not even the middle of May and the Cubs are already pretty much out of it. If they continue to imitate a dumpster fire, I can't imagine why in the blue hell Sweet Lou would be back next year. Whether he just gets fed up with it or whether Tom Ricketts decides it's time for a change, chances are good that we'll see someone new patrolling the dugout at Wrigley. Do they go after another big-name manager with a good deal of major league experience, as they have the past couple go-rounds with Dusty and Lou? Or do they go with a totally random choice? The most popular choice at this point is Ryne Sandberg, the HOF-er who's been cutting his managerial teeth in the Cubs farm system for the past several years.
Most guys with Ryno's pedigree would never even consider heading back to A ball to babysit prospects and shuttle between small midwest towns on a bus. They'd sit back in the Arizona sun or take a job calling games for the 4-letter network and wait for some team to come calling. Or, in the case of Alan Trammell, they'd be welcomed back to their old team as a savior before promptly leading said team to pretty much the worst record ever. And where is ye old Tiger hero now? That's right, he's the bench coach for the Cubs. Ironic in a way, ain't it?
So Sandberg spent a year in A ball managing the Peoria Chiefs, then 2 years in Tennessee and now he's running the show for the AAA I-Cubs. Now I'm all for paying your dues and I'm also all for repaying a man's commitment to his team. Ryno is a Cub, through and through, and I'm of the opinion that the Cubs job should be his for the taking when Lou is done. Sure, you've got to conduct interviews with due diligence, but who are you gonna find out there better suited to the job? Unlike the Tigers, the Cubs don't need to lean on a legend to try to sell tickets or to revive some long-lost sense of pride. But they also don't need to make s hire based simply on the merits of a guy's name.
Sandberg has proven that he can manage at the minor league level and he's also shown sides of himself that were never really on display during his playing days. As a Cub, Ryno was reserved and workmanlike, he just went out and did his job and kept his mouth shut. As a manager, he's shown fire and passion unlike anything we saw from him in the past. He's been more open with the media too. And who could be better at teaching young ballplayers about the fundamentals of the game? The guy was incredibly consistent, a trait that has been noticeably missing from the Cubs team in recent seasons. At this point, the question is not whether he should be the Cubs manager, but when. I say the sooner the better.
Now, am I biased? I sure as hell am. Ryne Sandberg was my idol as a kid growing up in Northwest IN, so much so that I named my son Ryne. So I'd say I qualify as a truly biased judge. But even so, I can't see any way that the man doesn't become the next skipper on the North Side. I'd welcome other opinions on the subject, though I'm reasonably sure only 1 or 2 people will read this.
Most guys with Ryno's pedigree would never even consider heading back to A ball to babysit prospects and shuttle between small midwest towns on a bus. They'd sit back in the Arizona sun or take a job calling games for the 4-letter network and wait for some team to come calling. Or, in the case of Alan Trammell, they'd be welcomed back to their old team as a savior before promptly leading said team to pretty much the worst record ever. And where is ye old Tiger hero now? That's right, he's the bench coach for the Cubs. Ironic in a way, ain't it?
So Sandberg spent a year in A ball managing the Peoria Chiefs, then 2 years in Tennessee and now he's running the show for the AAA I-Cubs. Now I'm all for paying your dues and I'm also all for repaying a man's commitment to his team. Ryno is a Cub, through and through, and I'm of the opinion that the Cubs job should be his for the taking when Lou is done. Sure, you've got to conduct interviews with due diligence, but who are you gonna find out there better suited to the job? Unlike the Tigers, the Cubs don't need to lean on a legend to try to sell tickets or to revive some long-lost sense of pride. But they also don't need to make s hire based simply on the merits of a guy's name.
Sandberg has proven that he can manage at the minor league level and he's also shown sides of himself that were never really on display during his playing days. As a Cub, Ryno was reserved and workmanlike, he just went out and did his job and kept his mouth shut. As a manager, he's shown fire and passion unlike anything we saw from him in the past. He's been more open with the media too. And who could be better at teaching young ballplayers about the fundamentals of the game? The guy was incredibly consistent, a trait that has been noticeably missing from the Cubs team in recent seasons. At this point, the question is not whether he should be the Cubs manager, but when. I say the sooner the better.
Now, am I biased? I sure as hell am. Ryne Sandberg was my idol as a kid growing up in Northwest IN, so much so that I named my son Ryne. So I'd say I qualify as a truly biased judge. But even so, I can't see any way that the man doesn't become the next skipper on the North Side. I'd welcome other opinions on the subject, though I'm reasonably sure only 1 or 2 people will read this.
Wednesday, May 5, 2010
Back At It!
Well for all of you who have been wondering where Bob has been, he's back! After accurately predicting the 2008 College Football National Championship game 5 months before it happened, I have been on a hiatus of sports viewing as the top of the proverbial mountain really does not go any higher. Now that the NBA playoffs are in full swing and America is locked into viewing these doubleheaders games EVERY NIGHT I guess it is time to get back to commenting on the sports that we all love so dearly. Some quick thoughts before I have to go and see if ESPN might show Tiger hit a practice shot today:
-Why is the guy who got tasered at the baseball game the "victim?" You did something you weren't supposed to do and the police did their job. The other 30,000 fans that stayed in their seats didn't pay to watch you run around. But nowadays you should be able to do whatever you want and not get punished for it. The "tasee" will probably have a reality show soon on VH1 or Fox, which won't surprise anyone, what will be surprising is how many people watch it.
-We are down to the best 8 teams in the NBA, not sure how the Hawks figure in the title chase after losing to the Magic by 43 last night. How come there aren't NBA Playoff brackets all over our offices? The real question is how much more is being bet on what teams the big free agents will jump to, then the outcomes of the games?
-Someone needs to change the dirt in the Wrigley Field bullpen as it is apparently cursed. It seems that you could put Gossage, Fingers, Rivera, or Eck in there and they would blow every other game, been happening for years to whomever they trot out in the 8th and 9th inning. Maybe they should have the closer warm up by playing catch with some fans over on Waveland Avenue, then run in and the announcer can say "some guy from off the street coming in to pitch for the Cubs" can't get any worse.
-If Reggie Bush settled with the agent who loaned him all the money while he was in school, is that not enough for the NCAA to punish USC? If he didn't do anything why would he have settled the case? It seems to be taking a loooonnnngggg time for them to get this "investigation" finished. The only thing that will make it look worse is if they take 6 years and come back and don't find anything, or could it all be a "trojan horse?"
-I'll let everyone know as soon as I figure out who is going to win the National Title in College Football, gotta hunch it won't be Florida State or Notre Dame...
-Why is the guy who got tasered at the baseball game the "victim?" You did something you weren't supposed to do and the police did their job. The other 30,000 fans that stayed in their seats didn't pay to watch you run around. But nowadays you should be able to do whatever you want and not get punished for it. The "tasee" will probably have a reality show soon on VH1 or Fox, which won't surprise anyone, what will be surprising is how many people watch it.
-We are down to the best 8 teams in the NBA, not sure how the Hawks figure in the title chase after losing to the Magic by 43 last night. How come there aren't NBA Playoff brackets all over our offices? The real question is how much more is being bet on what teams the big free agents will jump to, then the outcomes of the games?
-Someone needs to change the dirt in the Wrigley Field bullpen as it is apparently cursed. It seems that you could put Gossage, Fingers, Rivera, or Eck in there and they would blow every other game, been happening for years to whomever they trot out in the 8th and 9th inning. Maybe they should have the closer warm up by playing catch with some fans over on Waveland Avenue, then run in and the announcer can say "some guy from off the street coming in to pitch for the Cubs" can't get any worse.
-If Reggie Bush settled with the agent who loaned him all the money while he was in school, is that not enough for the NCAA to punish USC? If he didn't do anything why would he have settled the case? It seems to be taking a loooonnnngggg time for them to get this "investigation" finished. The only thing that will make it look worse is if they take 6 years and come back and don't find anything, or could it all be a "trojan horse?"
-I'll let everyone know as soon as I figure out who is going to win the National Title in College Football, gotta hunch it won't be Florida State or Notre Dame...
Monday, May 3, 2010
My daughter's first Cubs game
I've waited for May 15th for far longer than just a few months. My decision back in February to buy 2 tickets to a Cubs game for myself and my daughter was really the culmination of the last 30 years of my futile fan-dom. I'll be posting more about the game once it's happened, but I first wanted to throw in the story I wrote a couple years back titled "Addison's Day at Wrigley," my would-be children's book. Still looking for an author, hint hint. In any case, here it is:
(1)
The little girl’s daddy came tucked her into bed and kissed her on the forehead, saying “Good night, Addison Grace. I love you.”
“I love you too, Daddy,”
“Now you get some sleep, because tomorrow is a big day.”
“Okay,” said Addi.
(2)
Her daddy left the room and Addi snuggled into her sheet with her blankie in her hands, but she couldn’t fall asleep. She and her daddy were making a trip tomorrow, just the two of them, and Addi was very excited. Addison had wanted to take the trip for a long time, but her mommy had said that she was too young. Now that she was 5, she was old enough. Tomorrow was the last day of the baseball season and she was going to Wrigley Field to see her first Cubs game.
(3)
Ever since she could remember, which was not very far back, Addison’s daddy had told her about the Chicago Cubs. He had told her about players and games he remembered from when he was a little boy. He even told her about players from when her Grandpops was a little boy, which was a long, long time ago.
(4)
During baseball season, Addison would sit in her daddy’s lap and they would watch the Cubbies on WGN. She even had a picture from the day after she was born: her daddy was holding her in the hospital and they were watching the game. Well, her daddy was watching the game anyway. Addison was asleep in the picture, but her daddy told her that she was still cheering.
(5)
After what Addison thought must have been a very long time (it was really only a few minutes), she fell asleep. When she woke up, the sun was just beginning to peek into her bedroom window. She smelled her daddy’s coffee and heard him singing as he came up the stairs.
(6)
“You ready to go, Addison Grace?” her daddy asked.
“No, Daddy, I just got up!”
“Well, let’s get you changed and get some breakfast in you, alright All-Star?”
“Okay!”
Addison had already laid out her favorite blue jeans, along with her pink Cubs jersey and her pink Cubs Princess hat. She liked the hat because it had a hole in the back for her to put her ponytail through. Also, it had pink ribbons that danced and twirled behind her when she ran.
(7)
After Addi was in her booster seat and all buckled in, they left for the game. It took a while to get to Chicago, but Addison and her dad had plenty to talk about. Almost before she knew it, she saw the road get very busy and then saw big buildings outside the car windows. As they came around a bend, Addison saw a big glass bubble of a building and said: “What’s that, daddy?”
“That’s Soldier Field, Kiddo. That’s where the Bears play. And look, up ahead is Lake Michigan.”
(8)
Addison was sure that she had never seen anything so big in all her life. The lake looked like it went on forever, and it kept going right along with them as they drove. She saw people at the beach and people riding bikes and walking dogs. They looked like they were having a good time, but she knew she was going to have a better time.
(9)
“We’re getting close now, kiddo” said her daddy from the front seat.
Addison saw that the buildings were a little smaller, and very close together. She saw train tracks above the street and also a cemetery as they drove down narrow streets. Soon, they turned into a lot and a man waved them into a parking spot. Addison’s daddy gave the man a lot of money and then took her hand and began to walk. She could see now that other people were all walking in the same direction and that all of them were wearing Cubs shirts.
(10)
“How many people other people are going to the game, Daddy?” Addison asked.
“Right around forty thousand”
“Wow!”
Forty thousand was a very big number to such a little girl. She didn’t think she could count to it even if she tried. How could so many people all fit into one place? Addison didn’t even realize there were that many other people who like the Cubs.
(11)
After walking for a short time, they came to a street corner and then they could see it:
“Is that it, Daddy? Is that Wrigley?”
“Yes, baby girl, it is. Wrigley Field.”
They crossed the street at the crosswalk and Addison could see the green street sign that read “Waveland.”
“This is where they hit the home runs, right?”
“That’s right. And pretty soon, we’re going to see an even better sign.”
(12)
Addison and her dad walked to the front of the stadium, where a giant red sign said: “Welcome to Wrigley Field, Home of Chicago Cubs.” That was not the sign her dad was talking about though; he was talking about the sign with her name on it. Addison had heard about it before, she had even seen it in a couple of pictures, but she saw it in person for the first time when her daddy picked her up and said:
“Look up there, just to the right.”
The sign read: “ADDISON.”
(13)
Addison the girl looked up at ADDISON the sign for a few moments and a great big smile brightened her face. When her daddy lowered her back down to the sidewalk, she saw that he was smiling too.
“Hey, kiddo, what do you say we take a look at Wrigleyville Sports and grab a few t-shirts? You know your mom’s going to want one.”
“Okay, then I want to eat ‘cause I’m getting hungry.”
“Sure thing, munchkin.”
(14)
They sat down in their seats along the third base line just in time to catch the end of batting practice. Addison got to see a couple Cubs players hit and she loved the sound it made when the bat hit the ball just the right way. She also loved the grass; it was so green and bright, just like the ivy on the outfield wall.
“I like it here, Daddy.”
“So do I, Addison, so do I.”
(15)
The game went by pretty slowly, but the Cubs had a couple of hits and even scored a run in the second inning. Addison got to eat peanuts, cotton candy, and even a chocolate malt cup (her dad warned her not to tell her mother that she had eaten so many sweets). They walked around the park and visited the gift shops. Addison used some of her own money to buy a small pink Cubs bat. Her daddy talked about buying himself a jersey but then said that her mom would probably not appreciate that very much.
(16)
As the game went along, Addison began to get tired and she laid her head on her dad’s shoulder to take a nap in the fifth inning. When Addison woke up, she saw that the Cubs were losing 5-1 in the sixth inning. She was sad because she wanted her team to win and because the other team had scored while she was asleep. She told herself that she would stay awake for the rest of the game, since the Cubs had been ahead when she was awake. Her plan almost worked in the seventh, when the Cubs put two men on base with only one out. After a strikeout and a pop fly though, they ended the inning still behind.
(17)
The Cubs did not give up any hits in the top of the eighth inning and then came up in the bottom of the eighth with all of their best hitters coming to the plate. The first batter stepped to the plate and hit a single into right field and then the next batter walked. The third hitter of the inning walked to the batter’s box, took a swing, and he hit a ball up so high that the centerfielder couldn’t see it. The sun was in his eyes and he dropped the ball. After that, the Cubs’ fourth hitter was up with the bases loaded. He hit the ball very hard, but the third baseman dove and made a great catch. With the bases still loaded, the next hitter struck out. Two outs.
(18)
Now Addison was worried; she remembered seeing her daddy sitting on the couch and rocking back and forth when he saw things like this happen to the Cubs on TV. Addison had her hands on her knees and she was rocking back and forth and saying:
“Come on, Cubs. Come on, Cubs. Get a hit here. Just a little hit.”
She looked over at her daddy and he was doing the same thing. He was just staring out at the field and rocking in his seat.
(19)
Walking up to take his swings was the sixth batter in the inning. Addison liked the way he held the bat. She looked from the batter to her dad and then turned back to the game and that’s when it happened: the batter swung and Addison heard that same “crrrack” that she had heard during batting practice.
(22)
The ball sailed out, out, out and smashed against the wall in left-center field, sending leaves of ivy floating to the ground. She thought the ball was lost, but then she saw it fall from the ivy. The centerfielder picked it up, but the Cubs players were already rounding the bases. All around the park, the crowd was standing and starting to cheer and yell. Addison had to struggle to see between the people in front of her, but she somehow managed to get a good view of the field.
(21)
“Yessssss! Go, go, go!” Addison screamed.
By the time the fielder threw the ball back in, the batter was on second base and three runs had scored! Addison turned to her daddy and saw that he was looking over at her with little tears in the corners of his eyes.
“What’s wrong, Daddy?”
“Nothing at all, kiddo. I don’t think it could get much more right.”
(22)
The big hit had made the score closer but the Cubs were still down 5-4 with a man on second base. Another base hit would have tied the game, but the next batter struck out swinging and the Cubs had to take the field again. Sadly, the Cubs were not able to score in the ninth inning. Addison cried when the game ended.
“What’s wrong, Addison?”
“The Cubs lost, Daddy,” Addison managed to say between sniffles.
“Welcome to the club, kiddo,” said her daddy with a little smile.
(23)
After the game had ended, Addison and her dad left the ballpark and headed back to the car. Addison had to be carried most of the way back and she was asleep almost before she was buckled into her booster seat. She only woke up when they stopped for gas and again when they got home. When her mom asked her how her day went, all she could say was:
“The Cubs lost and we got you a shirt.”
“Oh, it’s too bad they lost,” said Addison’s mom.
“It’s okay, momma, there’s always next year.”
(24)
And then Addison Grace got into bed and she fell asleep and dreamed about the next time she could visit the Cubs at Wrigley Field.
Addison’s Day at Wrigley
(1)
The little girl’s daddy came tucked her into bed and kissed her on the forehead, saying “Good night, Addison Grace. I love you.”
“I love you too, Daddy,”
“Now you get some sleep, because tomorrow is a big day.”
“Okay,” said Addi.
(2)
Her daddy left the room and Addi snuggled into her sheet with her blankie in her hands, but she couldn’t fall asleep. She and her daddy were making a trip tomorrow, just the two of them, and Addi was very excited. Addison had wanted to take the trip for a long time, but her mommy had said that she was too young. Now that she was 5, she was old enough. Tomorrow was the last day of the baseball season and she was going to Wrigley Field to see her first Cubs game.
(3)
Ever since she could remember, which was not very far back, Addison’s daddy had told her about the Chicago Cubs. He had told her about players and games he remembered from when he was a little boy. He even told her about players from when her Grandpops was a little boy, which was a long, long time ago.
(4)
During baseball season, Addison would sit in her daddy’s lap and they would watch the Cubbies on WGN. She even had a picture from the day after she was born: her daddy was holding her in the hospital and they were watching the game. Well, her daddy was watching the game anyway. Addison was asleep in the picture, but her daddy told her that she was still cheering.
(5)
After what Addison thought must have been a very long time (it was really only a few minutes), she fell asleep. When she woke up, the sun was just beginning to peek into her bedroom window. She smelled her daddy’s coffee and heard him singing as he came up the stairs.
(6)
“You ready to go, Addison Grace?” her daddy asked.
“No, Daddy, I just got up!”
“Well, let’s get you changed and get some breakfast in you, alright All-Star?”
“Okay!”
Addison had already laid out her favorite blue jeans, along with her pink Cubs jersey and her pink Cubs Princess hat. She liked the hat because it had a hole in the back for her to put her ponytail through. Also, it had pink ribbons that danced and twirled behind her when she ran.
(7)
After Addi was in her booster seat and all buckled in, they left for the game. It took a while to get to Chicago, but Addison and her dad had plenty to talk about. Almost before she knew it, she saw the road get very busy and then saw big buildings outside the car windows. As they came around a bend, Addison saw a big glass bubble of a building and said: “What’s that, daddy?”
“That’s Soldier Field, Kiddo. That’s where the Bears play. And look, up ahead is Lake Michigan.”
(8)
Addison was sure that she had never seen anything so big in all her life. The lake looked like it went on forever, and it kept going right along with them as they drove. She saw people at the beach and people riding bikes and walking dogs. They looked like they were having a good time, but she knew she was going to have a better time.
(9)
“We’re getting close now, kiddo” said her daddy from the front seat.
Addison saw that the buildings were a little smaller, and very close together. She saw train tracks above the street and also a cemetery as they drove down narrow streets. Soon, they turned into a lot and a man waved them into a parking spot. Addison’s daddy gave the man a lot of money and then took her hand and began to walk. She could see now that other people were all walking in the same direction and that all of them were wearing Cubs shirts.
(10)
“How many people other people are going to the game, Daddy?” Addison asked.
“Right around forty thousand”
“Wow!”
Forty thousand was a very big number to such a little girl. She didn’t think she could count to it even if she tried. How could so many people all fit into one place? Addison didn’t even realize there were that many other people who like the Cubs.
(11)
After walking for a short time, they came to a street corner and then they could see it:
“Is that it, Daddy? Is that Wrigley?”
“Yes, baby girl, it is. Wrigley Field.”
They crossed the street at the crosswalk and Addison could see the green street sign that read “Waveland.”
“This is where they hit the home runs, right?”
“That’s right. And pretty soon, we’re going to see an even better sign.”
(12)
Addison and her dad walked to the front of the stadium, where a giant red sign said: “Welcome to Wrigley Field, Home of Chicago Cubs.” That was not the sign her dad was talking about though; he was talking about the sign with her name on it. Addison had heard about it before, she had even seen it in a couple of pictures, but she saw it in person for the first time when her daddy picked her up and said:
“Look up there, just to the right.”
The sign read: “ADDISON.”
(13)
Addison the girl looked up at ADDISON the sign for a few moments and a great big smile brightened her face. When her daddy lowered her back down to the sidewalk, she saw that he was smiling too.
“Hey, kiddo, what do you say we take a look at Wrigleyville Sports and grab a few t-shirts? You know your mom’s going to want one.”
“Okay, then I want to eat ‘cause I’m getting hungry.”
“Sure thing, munchkin.”
(14)
They sat down in their seats along the third base line just in time to catch the end of batting practice. Addison got to see a couple Cubs players hit and she loved the sound it made when the bat hit the ball just the right way. She also loved the grass; it was so green and bright, just like the ivy on the outfield wall.
“I like it here, Daddy.”
“So do I, Addison, so do I.”
(15)
The game went by pretty slowly, but the Cubs had a couple of hits and even scored a run in the second inning. Addison got to eat peanuts, cotton candy, and even a chocolate malt cup (her dad warned her not to tell her mother that she had eaten so many sweets). They walked around the park and visited the gift shops. Addison used some of her own money to buy a small pink Cubs bat. Her daddy talked about buying himself a jersey but then said that her mom would probably not appreciate that very much.
(16)
As the game went along, Addison began to get tired and she laid her head on her dad’s shoulder to take a nap in the fifth inning. When Addison woke up, she saw that the Cubs were losing 5-1 in the sixth inning. She was sad because she wanted her team to win and because the other team had scored while she was asleep. She told herself that she would stay awake for the rest of the game, since the Cubs had been ahead when she was awake. Her plan almost worked in the seventh, when the Cubs put two men on base with only one out. After a strikeout and a pop fly though, they ended the inning still behind.
(17)
The Cubs did not give up any hits in the top of the eighth inning and then came up in the bottom of the eighth with all of their best hitters coming to the plate. The first batter stepped to the plate and hit a single into right field and then the next batter walked. The third hitter of the inning walked to the batter’s box, took a swing, and he hit a ball up so high that the centerfielder couldn’t see it. The sun was in his eyes and he dropped the ball. After that, the Cubs’ fourth hitter was up with the bases loaded. He hit the ball very hard, but the third baseman dove and made a great catch. With the bases still loaded, the next hitter struck out. Two outs.
(18)
Now Addison was worried; she remembered seeing her daddy sitting on the couch and rocking back and forth when he saw things like this happen to the Cubs on TV. Addison had her hands on her knees and she was rocking back and forth and saying:
“Come on, Cubs. Come on, Cubs. Get a hit here. Just a little hit.”
She looked over at her daddy and he was doing the same thing. He was just staring out at the field and rocking in his seat.
(19)
Walking up to take his swings was the sixth batter in the inning. Addison liked the way he held the bat. She looked from the batter to her dad and then turned back to the game and that’s when it happened: the batter swung and Addison heard that same “crrrack” that she had heard during batting practice.
(22)
The ball sailed out, out, out and smashed against the wall in left-center field, sending leaves of ivy floating to the ground. She thought the ball was lost, but then she saw it fall from the ivy. The centerfielder picked it up, but the Cubs players were already rounding the bases. All around the park, the crowd was standing and starting to cheer and yell. Addison had to struggle to see between the people in front of her, but she somehow managed to get a good view of the field.
(21)
“Yessssss! Go, go, go!” Addison screamed.
By the time the fielder threw the ball back in, the batter was on second base and three runs had scored! Addison turned to her daddy and saw that he was looking over at her with little tears in the corners of his eyes.
“What’s wrong, Daddy?”
“Nothing at all, kiddo. I don’t think it could get much more right.”
(22)
The big hit had made the score closer but the Cubs were still down 5-4 with a man on second base. Another base hit would have tied the game, but the next batter struck out swinging and the Cubs had to take the field again. Sadly, the Cubs were not able to score in the ninth inning. Addison cried when the game ended.
“What’s wrong, Addison?”
“The Cubs lost, Daddy,” Addison managed to say between sniffles.
“Welcome to the club, kiddo,” said her daddy with a little smile.
(23)
After the game had ended, Addison and her dad left the ballpark and headed back to the car. Addison had to be carried most of the way back and she was asleep almost before she was buckled into her booster seat. She only woke up when they stopped for gas and again when they got home. When her mom asked her how her day went, all she could say was:
“The Cubs lost and we got you a shirt.”
“Oh, it’s too bad they lost,” said Addison’s mom.
“It’s okay, momma, there’s always next year.”
(24)
And then Addison Grace got into bed and she fell asleep and dreamed about the next time she could visit the Cubs at Wrigley Field.
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