Chasing that feeling

It has been 8 years since I have felt the worse pain I, and possibly all, Cubs fans could have felt. For some of us, that pain ran deeper than others, and I think this is why I've let the documentary on that day sit on my DVR until tonight. I'm not going to stand atop a soap box and say my experience was worse than someone else's, but I will tell my story.

Earlier in 2003 we lost two friends from our group. These weren't just two friends, they were really the life of our party. A strange thing happened after that tragic night, we all seemed to grow closer, if only for a year. Everything one of us did, we all did. We had our long painful nights, and we had those nights where our family became closer than ever, sharing things, and thoughts, and feelings. This would be an experience which at the time we didn't really know it, but looking back caused us to grow as individuals as well as within each other.

Soon after the tragic night, started the 2003 baseball season. The Chicago Cubs had just hired Dusty Baker, and within our group we had a feeling there would be something special with this team. With Sosa belting home runs and Alou playing so well. The additions of Eric Karros, and later on Aramis Ramirez and Kenny Loften. Finally, the best pitching staff in the league. Anchored by Kerry Wood and the phenom Mark Prior, they also had the electric Carlos Zambrano and the goatee'd Matt Clement. This was certainly the year, and our angels from above would make sure of it.

Game 6 of the NLCS. We ha decided to go out to Wrigley for the celebration, and if all went well we would repeat this for the World Series. That night there were what seemed like thousands of buses running the same lines, expecting much more people in Wrigleyville than normal.

As we approached Wrigley all of a sudden squad cars are rushing all over, surely for the thousands of Cubs fans in the streets drinking. As we get to the ballpark it's the 7th inning and the Cubs are up 3-0, oddly we had a Sox fan bus driver who gave us some not so nice words of encouragement as we left.

Walking down the street I am watching street vendors opening boxes of brand new shirts, Chicago Cubs National League Champion shirts. I will not name names, but some of them weren't hiding the fact that they had them already, and were promising that these will be the locker room shirts. I'm convinced that if I wasn't in a rush, I could have bought one.

As we are standing outside, enjoying what will soon become the greatest party of our lives, a hush came across the crowd. One of our friends that had a portable TV said, there was some fan that interfered with a ball, but wasn't sure of all the events. Then soon everything started getting out, as well as the air all around. The electricity was leaving, and excitement was turning into anger.

We all know what happened that night, the details on Bartman, and the blown lead and game. What some don't know is the pain that was felt. This was a kick in our gut, and was the night that some of our group began to fade away.

That night was a horrible night. We, seemingly walking aimlessly, went off in strange directions and ended up nowhere near a train station. We walked for hours and hours on end, stopping for misleading directions here and there while going off further and further into the abyss in the night.

Tensions, tiredness, hunger, thirst, disappointment, and everything else started to reach the surface that night. It was, needless to say, a very bad night. Arguments and tensions grew, an finally we hitched a ride from a paddy wagon from one train station to another and eventually made our way home when another friend can and grabbed us.

We all watched game 7 at one of our adopted parents homes. I think part of all of us knew our friends will make this one happen for us, and if you knew our friends you would have agreed they could get God to change an outcome of anything. Watching the game we just knew something wasn't there. The electricity just seemed to be missing, and 3 hours later the Florida Marlins were going on to face the Yankees in the World Series.

The turn of events made me despise Steve Bartman. He after all started the chain of events that caused the wheels to come off the whole thing. I couldn't stand his turtle neck or his Renegades sweater. I wanted to break his glasses and step on his headphones. After all, these were the only things I knew about Steve, and I hated them all.

Time went on and my anger towards Steve had calmed a little, and I looked at things more from the baseball perspective. Why did Alou act that way? Why haven't we yelled at nauseum about the error on Alex Gonzalez? Why did Dusty Baker leave Prior in for 120+ pitches?

You can't change what happened, and here I how I came upon this.

Years later I was working in Deerfield at a cellular store where I managed. It was a Sunday afternoon, and getting late when a couple had just walked in. They were older, but seemed very approachable (something odd for this area) so we began talking. Right away I noticed their shirts, they were both wearing shirts that had Baseball Tours printed on them. I really wanted to inquire more about these shirts, so eventually I asked.

They went on to tell me some of the greatest baseball stories from a fans perspective I have ever heard. Our conversation lasted about 2 hours after we talked baseball and I had long let the rest of the staff go home as we ha been closed for an hour or so. They had talked about the tour that they went on, and encouraged me to do the same, they talked about growing up here going to Cubs games, and talked about how much their son loved the sport a well. We had talked for hours about stories of old and what the chances were for the most current Cubs team. Which is where I began to get confused.

See they still watched baseball, and the Cubs, but they watched for another reason it seemed. This was 2008, and this Cubs team looked very good on paper, but it didn't seem like they were as excited about this as I, or other Cubs fans were. This was puzzling, and I soon found out why.

I was sitting here talking to Mr. and Mrs. Bartman. They had brought this up like follows...

Speaking about the Cubs, I'm surprised you haven't kicked us out of here by now.

As I asked why, it dawned on me, I haven't even asked their names yet. We had been talking for hours and I beer asked their names. This also happens to be the exact time they told me their names.

I went on to joke and said get out, but was still interested in them, their story, and of course Steve. It turns out I had talked to Steve just minutes earlier without knowing it. He was golfing in Northbrook, and his parents wanted to try out a Bluetooth device they had purchased online. He was nice and polite, and wanted to get back to his golf game. I had no idea who he was, and he of course had no idea who I was.

His parents went on to tell me more about his story. The story that always had the game of baseball front an center. He grew up playing the game, as well as going to Wrigley. It seemed his parents were blessed with a comfortable income, so I assumed he made it to more games through his childhood than I had gone to. They talked about his love for baseball, how we had actually played in a similar men's baseball league around the same time, and how that one moment changed all of it.

I don't know how to explain the pain I heard in their voices on their disappointment in how fans reacted, and how long it took for the Cubs to react. I especially do not know how to explain that pain to Cubs fans who went through that day, but I assure you it has brought more pain on him than it has the rest of us.

In one moment, a moment we all say we would have done differently, but I can guarantee most would have done the exact same thing. That one moment stole his first love away from him. The saying, it's better to of love and lost than to never of loved at all, was not the case with Steve Bartman. His life had change forever. The love of his life was lost.

That day I learned that Steve's life before that moment revolved around baseball, an the Chicago Cubs. Since that moment he has watched minimal moments here and there and has never gone to a game since.

I got the feeling coming away from my conversation that his parents went on the baseball tour which started our conversation to allow that love to continue on somehow. Like they had to continue his love for the game through themselves for some reason. Maybe it's a parental thing, or something that lives on through the Bartman family, but their stories hit home.

I felt a need that day to apologize for the acts Cubs fans had that day, and since. I know what some of you would say, he doesn't deserve an apology, if I was there I would have told them to you know what in you know where, etc. the thing is, none of you were there, an none of you were in his position that day in 2003. I let them know how disappointed I was in sane down to earth people acting the way they did, and saying the things they did. There was no reason for the reaction that Cubs fans had that day, honestly giving death threats and wishing some of the worse things you could wish upon a person.

They took the apology, but did mention that the blame was placed on the wrong person, then quickly mentioned Alou an Gonzalez.

So I finally turned Chasing Hell on today, not sure what to expect. It felt like a lot of the documentary was skewed towards a continued blame of Bartman, but also pointing out that others were doing the same. I however didn't find a new found distaste for Steve, but remembered the pain felt when the Cubs lost, as well as that summer that was. I remembered Steve's parents, an their stories. I remembered how much grief was put on Steve's shoulders, but nothing was given to the players who were playing.

Mostly I remember that as many 2003 Cubs players or organizational apologies that are forwarded to the Bartman family, it will not change the fact that Steve lost the love of his life that day, and will never be the same again.

Have you Hurd?

Well by now you have heard that Sam Hurd, WR and Special Teams contributor for the Chicago Bears has been arrested on suspicion of felony drug charges. Reports are saying that he was purchasing up to 10 kilos of cocaine and around 1,000lbs of marijuana a week.

There are also reports that Hurd had roughly $1,000,000 worth of drugs. We are also seeing that by the amount of drugs that are being reported Hurd would rank in the top 3 drug cartels in the city of Chicago. We also have learned that Hurd has given authorities a double digit list of NFL players that were his customers.

Fans are going to scream out to the Bears, "You should have known better!" or "Just another example of Jerry Angelo not being able to recognize good players!"

That is wrong and unfair. It's true, I have never skipped an opportunity to criticize Jerry and his ability to build teams. Face the facts, we have no backup quarterback, and our offensive line stinks. That said, Angelo and the Bears are not responsible for this mess. Sam is the only person responsible for his mess, and should be the only person the fans, and the court of public opinion should blame for this.

This is something that the NFL should be fearing however. If it is true, and I can't imagine it's not, that Hurd has a list of NFL players that purchased from him, the league is in for a nightmare of backlashes. I would imagine that there will be a number of teammates, old and new, as well as others throughout he league that will be named. This will not look good for the NFL player.

Heck, this will not look good for the African American athlete. I myself, personally do not breakdown between races, however there are hundreds upon thousands that do. I fear this becoming something that becomes political, racial, and becomes something which continues to divide the fan from the athlete.

Will 2011 be the year known for destroying sport? I sure as hell hope not.

Bears break.... down?

So you want Caleb Hanie as your quarterback? I get it, sports fans always love the backup thinking, "hey he did so good in preseason/end of that one game/that one time in college." Let's face the facts here, Caleb just isn't capable of winning in the NFL.

"Well the offensive line isn't helping him!"

And it helped Jay Cutler?

Compare the two and it's painfully obvious these two are completely two worlds apart. Jay had the ability to escape the pressure, keep the play alive, still look down field and make something happen. Hanie on the other hand has zero pocket presence, gets those happy feet, stumbles around and throws it 4 feet offline to a check down receiver 3 yards away from him.

"Those are just isolated incidents and unfair to bring up."

Really? A 48.6 QB rating with a completion percentage just over 50% is isolated?

The guy was a great story in the NFC Championship game, and hey produces well in the preseason when facing players that aren't on NFL rosters once the regular season starts. I'm sorry to say, Hanie-Mania is over in Chicago.

So where do we go from here?

Well, we do need to continue to put him out there every Sunday Jay cannot go. Unfortunately he is the best option left, and that is a glaring statement which reflects how well, er, how bad of a job Jerry Angelo has done. There were multiple QBs which were starters in 2010 who had become available and Jerry didn't take a look at any of them. Jerry also said he did his best to fill the teams biggest glaring hole in their offensive line, and well we have Chris Spencer. Oh by the way, Chris Spencer doesn't even play the position we signed him to play...

The other hole on this team is still the lack of a big time receiver. For as bad as Hanie has been, a big receiver with the ability to get open on any and every play would have helped this team through this stretch. The beats have great complimentary receivers in Bennett and Knox, but if we had a clear number 1 receiver this offense might not have faltered as much these last three games.

Well the defense hasn't helped them much!

Yeah, your right... The defense who has allowed an average of 16 points over the last 3 weeks (down from their season average of 20.7 per game over the first 10 games) is not the reason they have lost. It is the clear ineptitude of the offense that has sunk this team.

The offense has come off of 3 straight weeks of scoring 30 or more points, 5 weeks of 24 or more. The only difference through the first two games was Jay Cutler, and in the last one was Jay and Matt Forte. I'm not even going to count Matt in the decision of the Denver game since Marion Barber rushed for over 100 yards with a touchdown. I will say though, Forte would have stayed inbounds, and wouldn't have fumbled though.

This is a very disappointing team now, and with Jay at quarterback it would have been something to see a rematch of the Bears vs the Packers in Lambeau Field in the NFC Championship game. Now unfortunately this team will miss out on the playoffs.

Bears down

I hate being pessimistic about sports, as it's suppose to be a distraction from the stresses of everyday life. Sports give you a chance to forget the troubling economy, distract you from overwhelming bills, build deeper bonds with your children. Sports, even though physically grueling by nature, are suppose to be a calm and relaxing time.

That being said, it is painfully obvious that the Chicago Bears season is just about over. In fact, it is so over I suggest they go out and sign Donavan McNabb just so his mother can sing, this ending the pain fans will have to endure watching Caleb Hanie fail and falter on the field Sunday afternoons.

It is clear to me, and it should be to anyone that knows football, that Hanie is pretty horrible. I'm not going to say he will never become a good player in this league, but I'm tired of watching him play pretend time out on the field while the playoffs slip through his hands. Again, maybe he turns into a serviceable guy over the years, he just isn't there yet. Hanie makes too many mistakes, too many times he misses a throw, and too many times he has cost the team games.



Let me get this straight, I do NOT want to see McNabb quarterbacking this team. There is too much to learn, too much at stake, and too little time to make it work. The Bears need another offensive ah ha moment. A realization that, although Hanie can play in practice, our system and the speed of the game is too much for him right now.

What I am calling for is, a vanilla offense. Run the basics of a West Coast offense. Crossing routes, slants down field. Take advantage of the fact you have an above average backup running back. Most importantly put Caleb in a position to succeed. Hanie doesn't have the ability to see how a defense really works against the Martz offense, and doesn't have the experience of delivering a ball in a time dependent offense with the defense baring down on him, and the receivers.



I do not want to see a "Tebow" offense, but I do want to see a standard I-formation, single back with 3 receivers, 2 tightend sets with the TEs running routes, medium and deep slant routes, crossing routes, swing passes, and lots and lost of handoffs.

Face the music, we will see a lot of 8 man fronts for the rest of the season, and honestly Marion Barber is the better suited back to run against that 8 man front. He can carry a load for remaining 4 games. Then we just ask Hanie to not put the ball in the other teams hands.

It can be a recipe for success, but I just wouldn't count on it.

Instant replay

So instant replay has been around for years in the NFL, was adopted in hockey, as well as help with last second shots in basketball, it even ha come into play in baseball on questionable home runs. Now, there is the very real possibility that instant replay will be included on close fair or foul calls and traps.

Call me a purist, go ahead I'm ok with it, but this will ruin part of this game. I understand the thought of wanting to get the call right, and we now have the technology to do so. What I don't understand is how will baseball make up the difference in which base a runner should be on? On the trap call would the man on third have tagged to score? These are game changes just as much as them using technology to get the play right.

Picture this. Your team is down by a run in the top of the 9th inning. You have a man on 1st and 3rd with 1 out. The batter hits a screaming grounder down the third base line that is called foul. The man on third scored easily, and the man who was 1st was easily on 3rd base with a chance to score. After review of the play it is determined that the ball was fair so the award the runner at third home scoring the tying run, then allow the runner on 1st base to take 2nd since they cannot award 2 bases. The hitter gets 1st even though the ball would have been a sure double. The next batter hits a ground ball to short for an easy double play. Eventually the other team wins the game in extras.

Because baseball attempted to get the call right, they actually took a win away from the team. These calls do not fairly put the game back to what would have happened in the first place. In this scenario, there is a possibility that the team losing team should have won if it was able to be played out correctly. I do not think instant replay is the major answer to the games so-called problems (for the record I do not think there is a problem), they just have to ensure they are training the umps, who are sportings best trained officials already, to do their jobs just that much better.

Nostrajamie

From my typing fingertips to Ken Rosenthal's reports, the Chicago Cubs are showing interest in Albert Pujols and Prince Fielder.


I know, I know, the Cubs have far more holes than just first base. What will they do at third base? Will they try to upgrade at second base? Will they upgrade their corner outfielders? What upgrades will be made to the pitching staff? There are all those questions, but if you can fix one with regular glue or super glue, you choose super, every time!

Let's not fool ourselves either, the Cubs have enough money to hand out a big contract to one of these big time stars, and they will be heavily compensated in return for that acquisition. Either of those two would help the rest of the lineup in, seeing better pitches, having better hitting scenarios, and having more opportunities to be successful. The Cubs will also have enough money to make another high profile signing, or multiple mid level type of signings.

In a complete dream scenario, the Cubs will hit the proverbial home run if they can bring in Prince Fielder, Yoenis Cespedes, and Mark Buehrle. This will give the Cubs a much needed power boost which should be around for some years, and another dependable starter to fill out the rotation that has some questions. These additions should cost around $40-50 million, which they currently have around $80 million committed to players. Adding $50 million in salaries puts them around the same neighborhood as the 2011 season. Then after 2012 they have another $40 million coming off the books.

Projected Cubs 2012 Lineup

1. Starlin Castro SS
2. Darwin Barney 2B
3. Prince Fielder 1B
4. Marlon Byrd RF
5. Yoenis Cespedes CF
6. Alfonso Soriano LF
7. Geovony Soto C
8. Eric Chavez/Casey Blake/Mark Derosa 3B

Projected Cubs 2012 Rotation

1. Ryan Dempster
2. Matt Garza
3. Mark Buehrle
4. Carlos Zambrano
5. Randy Wells/Andrew Cashner

Basically the Cubs have the equivalent of the Milwaukee Brewers entire payroll coming off their books in the next 2 years, and if we can get creative with Alfonso Soriano's contract this team will have a lot of splashing to do, and they have the brain trust to now spend that money wisely.

Should we be planning a parade in Chicago soon? Let's not get ahead of yourselves just yet. Should we have a lot of good baseball ahead of us? Hell yes.

November Baseball

November is typically a slow time for Chicago baseball. We don't have parades to schedule, or trophy tours to arrange, and about the only thing worth paying attention to is the Hot Stove league. This year feels strangely different, and although the excitement of the Theo hiring, Dale Sveum and Robin Ventura hirings have worn off a bit, there seems to be an emptiness that fans feel.

The emptiness might be attributed to the fact that the Bears Quarter Back Jay Cutler will be out for what looks like the rest of the regular season, or it could be there is no basketball just yet. It might even be that even though the Blackhawks, Chicago's most successful sports franchise, just haven't captured the hearts of the casual fan just yet.


It could be any number of things, but I am pointing to the lack of free agent activity. An offseason which was rumored to have Albert Pujols or Prince Fielder coming to the North Side, or Kenny Williams finding a cunning way to trade Carlos Quentin while bolstering the farm system with valuable talent. None of this has really raised much more than a small tick on some hot stove rumor sites, and to this point hasn't really gained any real merit.


I hear that the Cubs want to improve their teams game play philosophy, really shake things up at its core. They want to get players to start playing the game hard, and the right way, yet will they play innocent bystander to Pujols signing elsewhere? If there were ever a player that does everything right on the field he is the guy. He hustles on offense and defense, runs out ground balls, plays smart, and will demand other players to follow suit. Why do we only hear that they are the 3rd or 4th team privately interested? The same holds true about Prince Fielder. Here is a guy, who I believe is better suited for the Cubs, a left handed bat, that is young and could carry this team for the next 8 years. He is a hustle guy, might not carry the leadership of a Pujols, but will give your team a chance to win everyday at a discount of what you will pay Albert.


On the South side of town the biggest news you hear is, the Sox underestimated the interest one of the leagues most reliable starters would have this offseason and Kenny Williams house was broken into. Just how will this team improve on its disappointing 2010 finish? What insurance policies are they taking to ensure Adam Dunn doesn't sink their team again? What about Quentin? I am sure there is a market for a 30 hr 100 RBI guy, in fact I could name probably 15 teams that would like to have him in their outfield come Opening Day. What about Mark Buehrle? Here is arguably your best pitcher in the last 40 years (or longer) and he was allowed to hit the open market. Then when he draws intereest from half the league it appears the team will back off of him and allow him to sign elsewhere. Even if the Sox do plan on bringing him back, they better do it before CJ Wilson signs, otherwise his already expensive price tag will multiply out some more making him very hard to bring back.


I know that both teams in town have smarter people in charge than I am, but is it too much to ask for some activity? The landscape of Chicago baseball may have been changed forever, but the fans want to see how the new leaders will mold the future and what tools they will have to make those changes with. I guess until there are more answers, I'll keep watching Twitter and MLB Trade Rumors, hoping, wishin, wanting...

What the F happened?

I'm sorry, I still haven't written about the new idol Matt Forte yet. I will I will...

This also is my second straight "non-Chicago" post. I must apologi.

This is another call out post, this time the fingers pointed at you Tony LaRussa. If the Cardinals lose the World series, it will be solely on your shoulders. As much as you have taken the credit for being some master minded baseball god, you really screwed the pooch on tonights game 5.

I didn't see much of the game, but I did see that every Texas pitcher was trembling at the very thought of pitching to Albert Pujols. Finally, it's late in the game, a runner on first base and King Albert was stepping to the plate. Texas will have to pitch to him, and if Alberts history in the World Series was any indication of what he would do, St Louis would probably take the lead.

Well then the mad scientist on the Cardinals bench decided to have the runner on first STEAL!? Needless to say the runner was thrown out and Texas proceeded to walk Pujols. Crisis averted.

Later in the game, Texas had just taken a 4-2 lead and were threatening with a runner on second and third. In a game which runs we're hard to come by, and every player on your bench should be used with extreme caution and wisdom... Our honorable mad scientist LaRussa bring a pitcher in to pitch to 1 batter, intentionally walking that batter, then brings in another pitcher to finish off the inning!?

As it happened I turned to my brother, who immediately questioned why you even bring a new guy in to walk someone, and said "don't question it until LaRussa is proved wrong." We'll I immediately ate my words. Tony pulled the guy in favor of another guy and we were left cracking up.

So Mr. TLR, I suggest you stop believing what is said about you in the press if you plan on navigating your team to a championship. Although I don't think this team is in this position without him, they will lose the Series with him.

NFL 101

So all, I know I am promising to do a Matt Forte story, and that might still come out, but right now I'm a bit fired up about something.

Tim Tebow. The guy is not a NFL quarterback. Whew! Finally somebody said it. Isn't everyone relieved!

This guy ran around in a NFL football game, without purpose or a single idea what was suppose to happen for 50 game minutes on Sunday. He was getting shut out by the Miami Dolphins, one of the sorriest teams in the league. The and only then does he happen to get lucky enough to have a receiver break free on a broken play, throw a screen pass (which his throw was horrible), and all of a sudden he's not only the NCAA's poster boy, he's now the NFL poster boy.

What has me most fired up is, I opened my NFL app on my iPad (awesome app by the way), and I see a story headline, "First and 10: Tebow the Hero"

WWWHHAAATTTT!?!?

Really!? Didn't anyone who watched the game see how horrible he was? The guy can't read a defense so he runs. The guy can't throw so he has a completion percentage under 50%. The guy can't play QB in the NFL so the Broncos had him on the bench to start the year. Oh! And not only was he on the bench he was the 3RD STRING QUARTERBACK!

So now, cause the Broncos fell on a game the Dolphins didn't want to win as it would have ruined their Luck (get what I did there?), we all get to hear how, "this kid just knows how to win football games..." Blah blah blah...

This is suppose to be a new golden age of quarterback play. When the AFL merger finally makes an impact (sure after 30+ years). The year when not only one QB breaks Dan Marino's passing record, but multiple QBs break that record. The year Tom Brady plays like no other QB could, Drew Brees throws for more yards than anyone has, and Aaron Rodger out plays both of them.

But no, the NFL, ESPN, FOX, and CBS will cram Tebow down our throats so much Tim will question his virginity.

May this be the voice of reason, at least for a little bit. I'm glad the world is caught in Tebow-mania, I'll stay right here in reality.

TWICS

So this was a busy week in Chicago sports. The Bears in jolly ole England, the Cubs and Boston finally agree, and an assistant on the South side might be leaving.

The lead story of the week was the Bears in England, not because it was a huge game, or playing against a division rival, it's because the continued marketing of the NFL. The NFL has done Fantastic job of marketing the game inside the US, and most consider football the most popular sport in the states. While the popularity of football is unmatched stateside, it hasn't exactly caught on as much worldwide. Sure the game has an international following, and if you watched today's game there was no problem filling historic Wembly Stadium, but as any large corporation you must find ways to grow your brand and Europe is a way for the NFL.

The NFL I the only major sport (baseball, basketball, and hockey) played professionally here that does not have many other professional leagues across the globe. In fact the ability for baseball to become a worldwide sport has created a situation in which America's national pastime is possibly played better in multiple other countries. The NFL wants to mirror that popularity. It is a goal of the NFL to have international teams fairly soon.

Time will tell if the NFL can reproduce the popularity it has in the states overseas, but it sure does seem to be in the NFL plans.

The Cubs and Boston finally agreed to agree on Theo Epstein coming to Chicago, although the continue to agree to disagree on proper compensation. I'm glad that the two teams agree they would continue to work the compensation part out so Theo and the Cubs can upgrade the way things are done on Addison and Clark before the start of free agency.

Theo is a huge believer in the "Moneyball" way of building a team. This is a scheme that has been famously written about in Michael Lewis' boom Moneyball. This requires that a team build itself on the numbers inside the numbers. Instead of always going after that .300 avg 30 HR guy, opt for the one with a large on-base percentage. Find those guys that have the intangibles that don't show up on the scorecard.

Part of doing this will be transforming the Cubs front office. Get rid of the type- writers and haul in the big super computers. Theo had "Carmine" in Boston, a computer which Theo never made a move without consulting. The Cubs scouts, and staff still do things of of how a guy looked, and why he's done in the past. This might be a culture shock for the Cubs, but a welcome addition which should produce guys similar to Johnny Damon, or Jacoby Elsbury.

We also learned last week that Theo will take a position of President of Baseball Operations (or something with similar impressiveness). Once Theo is in place Jud Hoyer will leave San Diego and become the team's General Manager. This would be another great move since it will bring along another "Moneyball" guy, who is also someone who has worked with Theo. It also helps bring in more guys familiar with the way things will be run going forward. Great move, and if we can bring another guy or two from either San Diego or Boston the shift in organizational thought should be an easier one.

The White Sox Assistant GM, Rick Hahn, was given permission to interview with the LA Angels. It appears that the team did like him, however it sounds like they may hire baseball's first female GM. Kim Ng, who has had a very good reputation around baseball circles, has gotten a sign of approval from Joe Torre. Joe, a MLB executive now, gave his thumbs up for her while saying she is ready for the job. Joe worked with her in both New York and LA as well as in the commissioner's office said "it would be a terrible loss for us. But I think she is ready to take that step."

I would say the Sox shouldn't want Hahn to leave just yet. The Sox current GM should be under fire this year, and if the Robin Ventura experiment goes wrong, Hahn should be the first guy to interview for their job. I personally don't know much about him, but I do know his name is tossed around every opening in the league over the last 2 seasons. Someone that highly regarded should be a great insurance policy once Kenny is let go.

Hopefully there are more stories this week, I know I'm last on the Pay Forte bandwagon. It's not because I don't think he should be paid, it's just because I had other things to write about. I think I will tackle that subject this week.

The new OC

It appears the Bears are starting to learn how to treat a franchise Quarterback 3 and a half years after trading for him. You sit Mike Martz in a corner with a headset that doesn't work, let Mike Tice call some plays, and protect your QB's backside.

All week long we heard Jay Cutler script out the Bears gameplan to the point that that you realized the man that is known for dating a girl from the OC is now the Bears new OC. Mike Martz may have official coordinator title, but this franchise took a huge step by employing the gameplan they did against the Vikings.

What was more impressive is it seemed like Martz wasn't very involved in the offensive gameplan on Sunday night. All week you heard Jay talk about working with Tice on protection packages, then after the game Cutler went on to thank everyone, including the first 10 rows in the stands, but no mention of Mike Martz. During the game we supposedly heard Jay yell to his QB coach to tell Martz to go F himself.

Sure the beats offense wasn't flashy, and I'll even include the 40 some odd pass to Devin Heater in this statement, it wasn't what anyone thought we would have with Martz here, but this I the offense that will work in Chicago. This is the kind of offense that will keep our franchise quarterback alive, and showcase the talents of our teams best player, Matt Forte.

Look I would love to have that high flying, high scoring, Greatest Show on Turf offense, but face it, we don't have the offensive line, wide receivers, or quarterback designed for that system. Till we do, let's line up double tight end, let's hammer the ball down throats and get big plays off the play action pass. It's a no-brainier to me.

Wishy washy

I get it, I do, ESPN has to have a story, an angle. If they don't they come off bland and boring, and that other national sports superstation will replace them if they don't.

All I ask is, don't play the general public off as stupid. Don't tell us one week that Tim Tebow is the next best thing, then when he is promoted to starter tell us how he will fail. Don't tell us Jay Cutler is a horrible Quarter Back, then after a prime time game say he is really good just running for his life.

Like I said, I understand needing to have an opinion, and able to tell stories. I just don't like how they keep bouncing back and forth. Tell it like it is, all the time. ESPN was created as a news outlet for sports, you don't see your 10 o'clock news anchor bouncing back and forth on the headlines, so you shouldn't either Chris Berman.

I like most of what ESPN tosses out to its viewers, but I don't like their position to make everyone think the way they do. Hopefully someone over there at the mothership will figure out their viewers are a bit smarter than they have thought they were, before someone else gives their viewers another look.

NBA players, there are other options

Monday David Stern and the NBA announced that they will be officially canceling the first two weeks of the NBA's regular season. This comes as no surprise ad they have already canceled the preseason and it appears that the league and players union are light years apart.

With this announcement we have seen a lot more players look more seriously at playing overseas. Kobe Bryant was offered a $2 million contract for 2 games, and other players have been noted as saying more and more they are thinking about playing overseas. Lebron James even sent a tweet to John Clayton inquiring about playing football.

With this I decided to list other jobs NBA players could look into while they are locked out.

Balloon grabber - have you ever gone into a grocery store, or any store that sells balloons for that matter, and seen balloons scattered across the ceiling? These are done pretty talk ceilings aren't they? Well fear a lost balloon no more! Call the most ballooned out NBA star Zach Randolph to easily pull it down.

Kite getter - so it's early spring, you got that new kite for Easter and you want to take it out for the first time. It early in the morning, and although your dad told you he'd take you to the park later, you think what harm would it be to take it out before your dad even wake up? So you go out, put the kite together, and boom! It's stuck in the telephone wire. Have no fear, you can call electric point guard for the Dallas Mavericks, J.J. Barea.

Matador - Bull fighting should certainly gain in popularity with the loss of NBA games. Good thing Jose Calderon, Rudy Fernandez, and Sergio Rodriguez applied for their NBA cards. Oh, that's National Bullfighters Association.

Clown - It's your son's first friend birthday party and you couldn't get slappy the magic clown. Good thing there is a lockout cause Sam Cassell will gladly fill in for him! For a couple extra bucks you can get a clown on stilts, former NBA player Manute Bol.

Monsters - The film industry is always looking for ways to make sci-fi monsters look more realistic. Knowing this, Chris Bosh has already signed on to play the Predator, an other worldly alien, and Medusa.

You see, the NBA lockout just might be a blessing in disguise, just ask the US' new diplomat of foreign affairs Joakim Noah.

What a difference a week makes

So I jumped on the "the sky is falling" bandwagon. So what, wouldn't you? Chicago's baseball teams have been horrible for 60 some odd years. Sure the Cubs haven't won a World Series in 103 years, sure the Sox have one championship since 1917. So what if both teams were in complete disarray just days ago. So what!

See each team have made considerable upgrades in recent days. These changes will soon put these teams in the position to be really good really soon. Here is how...

The White Sox. The Sox hired a complete surprise in Robin Ventura. Here is a guy that had no management experience, no coaching experience, and was only involved in the corporate side of baseball the past season or so in a hands off type of role. Kenny Williams said that back in like 1997 or something crazy like that he actually interviewed Robin without Robin really knowing it. That's kind of like me saying I slept with that one really hot girl in high school, she just didn't know it.

Either way, as much of a surprise his hire was, it was good too. Robin has knowledge of this franchise, and this city. Most of all he knows how to play baseball, and what it takes to prepare himself everyday to play baseball in Chicago. Robin also has always been known to have a very high baseball IQ. He never was the strongest fastest or most feared, but he was always a threat at every aspect of the game. This is the perfect guy to teach the younger Sox players the game and how to prepare, he also can lend some mental help to recent free agent busts on how to succeed in big markets. This wasn't the popular choice for manager, but I have come around and this is the best choice for the Sox manager.

The Chicago Cubs. The Cubs have always had the reputation of holding some of the worlds worse completely wrong secrets. From free agent signings to personnel changes to anything else, this team shares more inaccurate information than Fox News.

This is the team after-all that had Jake Peavy signing "Go Cubs Go" in a karaoke bar with his good friend Roy Oswalt. That is why at the beginning of the week when I started to hear that Theo Epstein is expected to stay in Boston I wasn't surprised. I thought, the prom queen never goes to the dance with the math and science whiz, so why would possibly the best active General Manager come to the Cubs?

Well he did, and the Cubs will welcome him in with around $45 million to spend on free agency, while Theo works his magic on the Cubs 27th ranked minor league system.

Will the money, Theo's reputation, and the draw of playing in front of some of the most loyal baseball fans draw big names to the Northsiders? Will Theo be able to dump contracts such as Alfonso Soriano? Will Theo be able to get lightening to strike for a third time in another so-called "cursed" franchise?

Time will tell, but I will tell you one thing for sure, change is happening in Chicago baseball, and it's change for the better.

The Messiah has been landed

It appears, from most reports anyways, the Chicago Cubsthane obtained their savior, their killer of goats, black cats, Bartmans, and all other curses. From all reports Theo Epstein, according to WEEI has signed a 5 years deal with the Cubs for around $15 million to join the club in a high level executive position. It is also being reported that the Cubs will be on the hook for some bonuses as well as send Boston compensation for Epstein.

This move changes the baseball landscape in Wrigleyville. A longtime lovable loser, and a team riddled with bad luck, while fan expectations grew higher and higher, this move is the first real move of note for the Ricketts family. The Ricketts took over the team in a highly publicized sale and fans grew tired of their, "we're fans too" approach.

The fan base, which has remained extremely loyal over decades of losing baseball, stopped showing up to games in late 2010, and the ballclub had a hard time drawing in 2011. The lack of fans in the stands forced the Ricketts to do the unthinkable, create marketing around getting people in the stands. With the Cubs bleacher specials and specially priced seats the Cubs still managed over 3,000,000 fans.

So with Theo at the helm there will be a lot of change to come, and speculation to boot. Will the Cubs keep Mike Quade? Will we see the return of Ryne Sandberg? Will Theo bring former Red Sox manager Terry Francona?

All of these questions will be answered soon enough, let's just relish in the fact that the first offseason move of the 2011 season for the Cubs was a home run.

2011 year in review

It's just October and I'm doing a year in review? Well that happens when the first couple of weeks of the NBA season were cancelled, the Cubs were horrible, the Sox faded quickly and Ozzie pretty much sabotaged the final 3 months. Then last night in the Monday Night Football game we saw 2 teams searching for buttons, the Beats were searching frantically for the panic button, while Megatron, Matt Stafford, and Jahvid Best were pressing the Staples Easy Button.

I could go on about the other team and sports, but I really want to take some time to bid ado to the Bears and Chicago's football season. In a year in which there were pieces available to improve this team, the bears failed to deliver. In a season in which offenses are excelling, the Bears are going backwards. In a season in which you had to build off of the success from the year before, saw you biggest rival win the Super Bowl, and saw the team that finished last in your division for the last 15 years make huge strides, we stayed pat.

The only answer, and this would cash in the 2011 season, but the only answer right now is to fire Jerry Angelo and Mike Martz. Jerry needs to be held accountable for not doing his job. We have had the need for improvement along the offensive line, and they said goodbye to the lines best player. We sign a center to replace him, and that guy ends up playing guard, while we have a guard playing center. We have a Left tackle, who should be sitting on the bench learning how to play, not attempting to block the NFL's top pass rushers.

In the passing game, we get rid of our best red zone threat, and replace him with a blocking tight end. We allow Devin Aromashadu walk off, as well as Rasheed Davis, add an egomaniac, and a special teams role player.

If Chicago can run off a manager who won this cities first World Series in some sixty years, we need to run off a general manager who has had 3 tasks over the last 3 years. Get more protection for Jay Cutler, get an offensive target for Jay Cutler, and get a difference making pass rusher. He got us Julius Peppers, but we have failed on the other 2 objectives. In baseball a .333 success rate is great, in football it is not.

In leadership, as well as in sports, coaches and managers need to set their players up for success, and that means that sometimes you need to alter your scheme or approach. The Bears do not have the talent at offensive line, or at the receiver position to run Mike Martz' system, yet Martz cannot get past his own ego to create game plans which do showcase the Bears talents.

Over the past 3 years Jay Cutler has been the subject of a lot of negative press. He has been pointed to as not having the football IQ to be elite, he isn't good enough to be a franchise QB, he doesn't have the right attitude to lead a team, etc. I turn this around and say the Chicago Bears franchise does not have the proper football IQ to have an elite QB, they cannot put pieces around a guy to have a franchise QB, and they are too stuck on themselves to lead a fully competitive team on the field.

This puts 100% of the blame on the man who has failed time and time again. This puts 100% of the blame on the man who has not built an offensive line, this puts 100% of the blame on the guy who has not signed a playmaker, this puts 100% of the blame on the man who has not come through on a 1st round pick in his career, this puts 100% of the blame on Jerry Angelo.

The bears need to make these franchise changing decisions and changes now. You cannot wait till next week, you cannot wait till next month, you cannot wait till next year. There is a lot of season left, and I have more faith in this turning around under another GM and another Offensive Coordinator, than I do in them turning it around under the current guys. Either way, this team is not going to catch the Packers, and most likely will not catch the Lions, so if 3rd place is your destiny why not hand the reigns over to someone else?

Please listen to the fans pleas, get rid of these guys now. Do it before these two ruin next season a well.

Chicago Sports, last 24 hours

In the whirlwind that is Chicago, there has been much news over the last day or so. First off, I am extremely excited to welcome in the new NHL season. Finally I get to see the newest editions to this Hawks roster, and see if that grit we added will pay off in the end. Personally I think it might take. Month or two for the new Hawks to gel with the older Hawks, and although some say they tried too hard to get tougher, I think the muscle added will help free their skilled players get free and score a lot more often.

The Chicago Bulls....

Next, the hugely surprising White Sox hire of Robin Ventura. I am a Cubs fans (please no condolences) but I have always admired Robin from afar. His approach to the game, his ability to come out of college as a prospect with huge expectations, and ability to deliver under pressure made him one of the best Chicago athletes to watch, in my opinion. I see Robin as a teacher as a manager, one who can show the players the right way to play, can develop the younger guys, and should be a huge asset to Dayan Viciedo and Gordon Beckham. I especially think he can help Beckham as these two were similar in their expectations coming out of college. Only down side I see to Ventura is, managers get fired, and Robin is a very likable guy, once this team is ready to compete, they will most likely fire the teaching manager and hire a manager that can win. No one wins by firing fan favorites, and that has always been my fear in hiring Ryne Sandberg on the North-side.

And now the Bulls....

Speaking of the Cubbies... There really hasn't been much talk on their new GM... WHAT!? Yeah there has! In case you missed it, the Cubs sought permission to speak to the Red Sox general Manager Theo Epstein. There was an initial report that Theo was going to be involved in the teams search for a new manager (Red Sox manager), the top brass of Boston then came out basically saying he is there for the Cubs to take. I would imagine this would require the Cubs to send over a top prospect or two, and with the Cubs current minor league system, this could be a huge loss for a team with no great veterans, no MLB ready star prospects, and looks to be financially handcuffed by ownership. So I am sure the Cubs will make the wrong choice, since we have 100+ years experience doing the wrong thing anyways. Hell even if it's right, it will be wrong.

The NBA's Chicago Bulls....

The Bears are going to play Monday night vs. the Lions, and even though some are suggesting this is a find something out about the Lions game, I think it's more a learn what we have in this Beats team game. Sure the Lions haven't played on Monday night in like 10 years, but they get a highlighted game every year on Thanksgiving. What will really happen is we will find out about this Bears team. Will they commit to running against a team thy will score points? Will the secondary hold down Megatron and the Lions passing game? Will the Bears pass rush create pressure and force Matt Stafford into bad decisions? Will Johnson hold the ball after he catches a touchdown?

Finally the Bulls......

It should be a fun weekend and week ahead in Chicago sports, let's hope for the best cause we usually get the worst!

Is this hell? No, it's Chicago baseball

We were dubbed, "Baseball city America" just 3 short years ago. The Cubs and the Sox combined for 186 wins, 97 from the Northsiders and 89 from the South. Both teams won their respective divisions, and although the Sox were a little bit of a surprise, the Cubs had World Series expectations. 1 shared playoff win between the two, early exits for each, and we were sent into a tailspin which would last years and cost many people their jobs.

Baseball seemed to be on a rise he in Chicago, with the Cubs having put together their most successful decade back-to-back in a long long time (not that hard of a task), and the Sox having very strong teams in the mid to late 90's, then winning a World Series title in 2005, with multiple playoff appearances in between.  With increased media attention, fan expectations, and what seemed bottomless pits of money, this truly was baseball city America. Then came the 2009 season. With popular players departing, overspending on older talent, long term contracts which handcuffed teams, trading away promising younger players, and managers losing ball clubs; we had lost the title, and were sent into a tailspin which seemed to be inflexible in the near future.

As bleak as each team's outlook may seem, the ever optimistic fan that I am will detail how and why this will change in 2012.

Chicago Cubs

The Cubs are littered with bad, lengthy contracts. They also have older players which are either past their primes or haven't ever been difference makers, or overrated. The Cubs were able to shed the contract of Kosuke Fukudome, Aramis Ramirez is leaving this offseason, Carlos Zambrano will not be on the team, and Carlos Pena will surely test free agency. The Cubs will also drop the contracts of Reed Johnson, John Grabow and they have an option for Ryan Dempster. Even if they can trade him, the Cubs will be on the hook for a good chunk of Zambrano's contract. The Cubs also fired their longtime General Manager Jim Hendry, and when they hire their new guy all signs will point to the Cubs firing their manager Mike Quade and hiring their new GM's guy, whoever that may be.

How will they get better in 2012? Well it's not going to be easy, and the first order of business will be hiring a new GM. It appears that the Cubs are looking hard at Theo Epstein as they just requested permission to speak with him. They may also take a long look at Andrew Friedman, if he considers jumping out of the AL East and the Rays job, and into the Chicago Cubs position. There are also Assistant GM's in their scopes. Either candidate will prove to be exceptional in the position, and as it looks like Cubs Chairman Tom Ricketts wants to rebuild the Cubs minor leagues either guy has shown that they can do that. Theo is showing the ability to run a successful minor league system while running high payroll teams as well which might give him a little bit of an upper hand in the Ricketts eyes, however I would personally choose Andrew.

Once the GM is in his role, the next order of business is replacing the manager. Don't get me wrong, Mike Quade is a swell guy, and I liked how he was accountable to mistakes, and now it's time for him to be accountable for not being a very good Major League manager. I know that everyone wants Ryne Sandberg as the next Cubs manager, and unlike in the past, I am for it. I think under a great GM, Ryno will be able to drive the 2012 roster (which could be younger), and build a lot of credibility as a professional manager. I would also like Terry Francona, Joe Girardi, or Bob Brenly on a short list.

Next is players. Let's face it, we are stuck with Alfonso Soriano and his $20 million. He has the worse contract in baseball, and it would take someone as smart as Jim Hendry to accept a trade for him. So the next best option to shed some salary would be through Ryan Dempster. The Cubs have a $14 mill and some change option for 2012, and although he is just the kind of guy you want in the clubhouse even Ryan himself would say he has not lived up to his deal. We could waive that option, and resign him for 2-3 years at $8-10 million a year, saving the Cubs some additional money. With the subtractions the Cubs are actually well below $100 million, somewhere in the neighborhood of $85 million. Say they wanted to get back to their 2011 payroll they would have anywhere from $40 to $50 million in cash to spend.

The biggest gorilla in the room? A first baseman. It's no secret, the Cubs will be the biggest franchise available for any of the high profile 1B out there. Although I think everyone will agree Albert Pujols and St Louis will find a way to figure things out, Prince Fielder stands to have a huge payday with possibly 2-3 teams courting his services. By the end of it all I think we will hear him say he is taking his services to the Chicago Cubs for around $18 million a season over 6 years.

With one of the most feared lefty bats in the lineup, the Cubs can now focus on rounding out a pitching staff that was low on talent in 2011. There will be 1 ace who should be available, but expect CC Sabathia to resign with the Yankees for a new pitchers contract record. I do expect the Cubs to add a couple of pitchers (2 or 3 including resigning Kerry Wood) costing them around $12-15 million.

This leaves a hole at 3B and about $10 million to fix that problem. Aramis will not be back, if he was he would have just picked up his option for $14 some million and as it is I am sure he will be looking for more than the $10 million we could use on the position. I would imagine they bring in someone like Wilson Betemit or Adrian Beltre, or bring in a new 2B and move Starlin Castro to 3B, Darwin Barney to SS, and plug either the new guy in at 2B or platoon that position with Jeff Baker and Blake DeWitt. I do not see the Cubs standing pat with the guys they have now either. We will probably see a veteran or two moved for prospects, paving way for Tyler Colvin, Bryan LaHair, or even a Brett Jackson. We could easily see an opening day line-up as such:

1. Starlin Castro 3B
2. Darwin Barney SS
3. Prince Fielder 1B
4. Bryan LaHair RF
5. Marlon Byrd CF
6. Alfonso Soriano LF
7. Giovanni Soto C
8. Jeff Baker/Blake DeWitt 2B

We would assume that Tyler Colvin would get starts at all 3 outfield positions and if Tony Campana will continue to get starts in LF and CF. If Brett Jackson makes appearances it means Byrd is gone or the Cubs are long out of competition.

Again now, how can this team win? If the Cubs fix their 3B opening internally they will have around $10 million to upgrade other positions, as well as any trades they might be able to pull off. There is already rumors of Zambrano joining Ozzie Guillen in Florida (which could create a very strong rotation, and possibly the most insane team in the majors), which I would assume could open around $5 million more. This additional money allows the Cubs to add a couple of more players in at 2B (Orlando Cabrera anyone?) or any of the OF positions (Miguel Cabrera, Johnny Damon, Nate McLouth, or a Rick Ankiel?).

So if you add that extra pitcher or extra hitter we have a team capable of going out everyday and competing, and in a NL Central which will be a little weaker but anyone not named Houston Astros can compete for the Central title. It will not be easy, and I wouldn't lead anyone on to believe the Cubs will win in 2012, but just don't be surprised if the Cubs catch lightening in a bottle.

Chicago White Sox

Again, this team has front office turmoil. Ozzie Guillen fled the team after crying about a new contract all season. Kenny Williams has not been able to put together a team since the World Series team, and the team is now facing the idea of losing one of their best pitchers of all time, and possibly one of the faces of the franchise. The team turned a perennial 40 HR slugger into a .160 AVG and 11 HRs. This team signed Alex Rios, a classic underachiever, to a 7 yr contract and will be under team control until 2015. The Sox also has some questions at 3B, and will have major questions if Gordon Beckham has another sub par year.

First order of business, in my opinion, fire Kenny Williams. There are too many other options that could be available to stay with someone who has put together teams that "almost" compete. Most of his big moves fail, and they have relied on their veterans, or unexpected contributions to gain the success they have achieved. The Sox have a highly sought after Assistant GM in Rick Hahn, who if they promote could be an inexpensive replacement, and who has the ability to step in and run the team.

This team will now need to find a replacement manager. From the past it seems like Jerry Reinsdorf likes to hire past assistant managers, or bench coaches to fill the position. With some of the possibilities that are out there, I would imagine the Sox hire Terry Francona or go hard after a bench coach or minor league manager. I think someone with the demeanor of Francona would be best for this team after the high strung leadership of Guillen.

Next, really it is getting the most out of the guys that are on this roster. From all accounts it sounds like youngsters Dayan Viciedo and Brent Morel will get a lot of playing time, which also points to Carlos Quentin being traded. With the possibility of Mark Buehrle leaving, this is also the time for Chris Sale to earn a rotation spot.

Paul Konerko is a professionals professional, you can pencil him in for 30 HRs and around 100 RBIs. What this team will need is another guy that you can do this with, and I think Adam Dunn has a huge bounce back year. Expect 35-40 HRs from him in a season in which he promised to dedicate his offseason to getting better. I wouldn't expect a .280 AVG from the guy, but .225 with 35 HRs and 90+ RBIs should be within reach. If Beckham plays the game the way I believe he can, you are looking at a .280 AVG guy, with 20 HRs, then you add Alexei Ramirez to the mix for another .275 AVG and 20 HRs this team will not be short on power.

Now its on the young guys, offensively that is... Viciedo has been highly publicized and by all accounts should be able to produce at the major league level. Brent Morel should have a better season after getting a long look at Major League pitching, and the young pitchers only need to put quality starts up there as the Sox should have a very nice bullpen in 2012.

With the right manager, and proper moves prior to the season, and during, this team can compete in 2012. Again the AL Central, just like the NL Central will be highly contested with just about every team getting better. To win in this division you will need 90-95 wins, and this team should have enough offense and just enough pitching to deliver on this.

Class dismissed

Fans have the tendency to stand up for their favorite athletes, especially when one of those athletes' integrity is called into question. When you hear that one of "your guys" have been arrested at this bar or called into question for their involvement in this or that, or hear about them getting DUI's or busted with drugs, or even fathering love children outside of their marriages, we jump up and scream from every mountain top saying "he would never do that!" just because he was league MVP in 2004.

Well, what do we really know about that athlete? How many times have we had intimate conversations with that person? How many times did we go to their child's birthday party? Exactly, we do not know, we have not spent that time with them. We may appreciate what those athletes do for your favorite team, and although they are not heroes, we place them on the pedestal. Thing is we have no clue who they are, I am somewhat surprised they know they are after they have been through their public speaking classes and what to say and what not to say. If it wasn't for sports maybe they are stealing your car or creating a cure for cancer, we will never know.

One thing I do know is these athletes have a platform to tell us if the infractions brought against them are true or not. These athletes have the ability to apologize to fans, teams, and cities. These athletes can go home and deal with the ramifications of their actions with family and friends. Unfortunately one man cannot do this, and that is why the book on Walter Payton is so outrageously misguided, selfish, and complete irresponsible. I have not, nor will I read any part of this book as for one, it tarnishes the memory I have of one of the greatest athletes to walk this Earth, as well as tarnishes the image of a man who, from all accounts was a very great, honest, and trustworthy man.

This book is irresponsible, and the writer, as well as the publishing company who is backing this book should be held accountable for their gross misuse of judgement as the person they are talking about no longer has the opportunity to defend his name, his legacy, or his life. I do pray that a more sensible idea crosses these people's mind, decide to can this book idea, and move forward.

Huh, to think, this author has the ability to walk onto any TV or radio show or newspaper and defend his thoughts behind this book, however the subject of his material is not, doesn't sound too fair in my opinion.

Smith v Smith

I am typically a proponent of keeping sports made to be violent, violent. I do not like the NFL hitting rules, I do not like some of these charging and boarding rules in hockey. I understand why they are there, but I am in the belief that 95+% of these professionals respect each other enough, their careers enough, and what it means if you try to hurt someone enough to know not to resort to violent behavior when playing. What about the heat of the moment you might say, well if they are smart enough to hold up if they get penalized for it, they are smart enough to not do it because they respect each other too.

I am however hoping Brendan Smith gets the harshest penalty possible when Brendan Shanahan rules on the vicious hit he had on Ben Smith. It is not because the hit was that bad, I have seen so many more (see Niklas Hjalmarsson's hit on Jason Pominville), it is because of the unnecessary elbow he threw at the end of the hit while he was projecting his shoulder into Ben Smith's head. 





These are reckless, and there is no place for this in professional sports. I hope a message gets delivered with this hit, and athletes of all sports open their eyes and make sure they are looking out for each other cause who knows, maybe one day you will be teammates.

Chicago Sports

Are you insightful? Do you like sports? Do you like Chicago sports? If so, you might be overqualified, but I'd love to have you on my team helping out! Drop me a message as I look to add someone for all things Chicago sports! Cubs, White Sox, Bears, Blackhawks, Bulls, Sky, Fire, college, general insight! Send me a message jmbaker23@hotmail.com

Day 162

I know I know, this is labeled a Chicago sports site but I need to write about this night of baseball. Coming into tonight I wasn't that excited about tonight as I came home from work. Maybe I wasn't excited because my Cubbies were so disappointing, maybe because I had no real vested interest in any of the teams alive, maybe it is because I figure it didn't matter who made it in today because the Phillies and Yankees will end up going to the World Series anyway.

That was about 6 hours and 3 amazing games ago.

The first game, and it was a no doubted all night was the St Louis game. They came out and led right away and didn't look back. They take down the hopeless Houston Astros by a score of 8-0.

That means the NL comes down to the Braves Phillies game. The Braves lead this game going into the 9th with their young rookie sensation closer Craig Kimbrel. Now he has had some shaky periods throughout the year, but you had to figure this game, this one right here he would close this one out and there would be a playoff tomorrow. Well he blows the save and 4 innings later the Phillies pass the winning run across the plate (hit by possibly my favorite active player Hunter Pence) the game is over and the Braves are packing their bags to go home and watch the postseason.

Next up, the Red Sox are playing Baltimore, and winning 3-2 when there is a rain delay. I always think rain delays are bad cause crazy stuff usually occurs afterwards. Then just a little ways down the coast in Tampa, the Rays are losing 7-0 in the bottom of the 8th inning. Looks like Boston and Red Sox nation will be planning another playoff trip, even after their insane implosion.

While I was watching the Braves game, and Chipper almost won the game for the Braves which would have been fitting, I notice the Rays loaded up the bases. Good for them I thought, give a fight for your team, your fans, and your city before you close the season. Well I look up about 5 minutes later and notice the squeaked a run across, then another, and before you know it the Rays trail by one after the Evan Longoria 3 run blast. WOW! I thought, this will be a game!

So a I watch the bottom of the 9th in Tampa, I could just feel something was going to happen, I didn't know what, but I could just feel it. After the 1st 2 batters go down, and go down pretty quick that feeling started to go away, and was almost gone when Dan Johnson recreated his heroics just a few seasons ago by hitting a screaming line drive home run to tie the game with 2 strikes on him. I was excited, the fans were excited, and the players were excited.

That's it! I'm hooked on baseball tonight!

I keep watching, with the help of the MLB Network (sponsorship???) and flipping to ESPN 2, I am watching 3 teams fighting, scratching and clawing to get to the postseason. The first game to come down was the Braves. After getting people on a couple of times they could not get a runner home. The Phillies found a way to get some people on base, moved them over, and with a small flare score what would be the game winner. Then it's Boston. A 3-2 lead, Jonathan Papelbon On the mound. Chris Davis, who most people would ask, whose that? Hits a double to the right center gap. Then Nolan Reidman nails another double to the gap scoring the pinch runner for Baltimore. And then Robert Andino smacks a 0-1 fastball down the Left Field line, it drops and the Orioles win the game forcing the Sox to watch what their fate may end up.

Then just minutes later, the Rays hero and one of the best young players in all of baseball, Evan Longoria ends the best night baseball may have ever had with a screaming line-drive home run to win the game for the Rays. They beat the Yankees and add a very tough team to an American League Playoffs which will prove to be very competitive in all series'.

My favorite memory of the night was easily MLB Network's on field in game camera where they showed the fan reaction to Boston losing. Everyone erupts, but even more fantastic was every player on the Rays started jumping, clapping, screaming. Just a phenomenal camera capture. A funny side note was the eruption might have cost BJ Upton an at bat, but for the finish it was well worth it.

Wow baseball, tonight proved to me the Wild Card was one of the best additions over the last 50 years. You've created memories that will live on with so many baseball fans new and old alike. God bless baseball, one heck of a ride.

Oz goes back to Kansas... Er... Miami

Last night we all quickly learned about the second craziest Chicago sports personality will be leaving town. Although I'm a Cubs fan by heart, and possibly by fault, Ozzie Guillen has raised expectations of all Chicago sports franchises since he led the Sox the 2005 World Series and won. Before then we were a big city whose sports landscape consisted of lovable losers, consistent flops, gimmicks, and constant disappointment. I mean if you took the 85 Bears and the 90's Bulls out of the equation, Chicago wouldn't of had a championship sports franchise in 40 some odd years. Some would say Chicago is the weatherman of sports franchises, we don't win much but when we do we talk about it for years.

Since the Sox won the World Series look at the pressure all Chicago franchises had to win, and see how most stepped up to the plate. The Cubs won back-to-back NL Central titles, and had 3 consecutive winning years, something that hasn't been done in like 60 years. The Bears, although a lot of people would call it luck, won 2 NFC North titles and competed to go to the Super Bowl last season. The Bulls found a franchise player in Derrick Rose and made it to the Eastern Conference Finals, and were at least in talks to add players like Lebron James, Dwayne Wade, Chris Bosh, among others. The Blackhawks rose from the ashes and won the Stanley Cup, as well as the cities heart once again. And the Sox made the playoffs twice more since then. I believe this is because Ozzie led the team he wanted to lead and won the World Series.

Fast forward now to 2011, and this baseball season. Or is it still rewind cause it's basically happened already? Either way... The entire year Ozzie sounded like Lance Briggs and demanded a new contract. All of this while trying to hold onto a marriage with Kenny Williams, that just wasn't going to work out. In my opinion the Sox would have kept Ozzie, Jerry Reinsdorff's favorite little toy, and parted ways with Kenny. However, Ozzie had to push the buttons, ask for the contract, threaten to not be there next year, and then storms into Jerry's office to ask for his deal. When he walked out, tail between his legs, and a huge smile on his face he was off to the sunset, in beautiful Miami.

Baseball kept steroids more of a secret than Ozzie going to Florida. Everyone knew he would go there, everyone knew he was the next manager there, I think somehow Barbra Walters even spoke about it on The View, not that I have seen it... I digress... Ozzie ended up getting his way, and Kenny ended up getting his way, but I think sports fans of Chicago will now suffer. The Cubs are going to search for a new GM and probably a manager, the Sox will need a new manager and possibly GM, the Beats will need a new Offensive Coordinator and GM, the Bulls wont even play this year, and the Blackhawks are a year or two from their talented prospects possibly competing.

See where the fans hurt is instead of sports franchises moving forward, we are now moving backwards. We are rebuilding all but one sports franchise, and rebuilding is not something Chicago sports franchises do very well. Just ask us Cub fans, we have been rebuilding for 103 years.

So while Guillen is allowed to move on down to Florida, along with him goes a lot of Chicagoans hopes for winning teams. So Ozzie, grab your cabana hat, light a Cuban cigar and enjoy Miami. Chicago will somewhat miss you.

Bears v. Packers 2011 ver. 1

In the seasonal series that is always overbilled, yet hardly ever holds up to expectations, the Green Bay Packers once again showed the world the Bears have a very long way to go to be considered an elite franchise. The Packers, with the perfect amount of veteran and youth. Front office leadership who understands the need to prepare for today and in the future. Finally players on field that have extremely high skill levels, understand their roles, and deliver perfectly flawless performances on field.

Then we have the Chicago Bears. The pure definition of idiorocity (not sure I know the definition of that but I hope you get the picture). The Chicago Bears have littered the field with old and older players. If they have a younger player on the field, he is underskilled or undisciplined. The Bears have seemed to take the Chicago Cubs approach to fielding a team, toss a couple of higher paid stars (or semi-stars) throw some hot garbage around them, ensure you don't run out of beer and count your millions. When you ask Bears front office personell what their long term plans are they reply, "we look at things one week at a time." When asked what are your seasons goals they reply, "to beat the Green Bay Packers." Most premier franchises will have plans, most premier franchises want to win the Super Bowl, most premier franchises have won the Super Bowl in the last 10 years. Sure the Bears made it to the Super Bowl, have won divisions, and even contended the eventual Super Bowl Champs last season, but the sky sure does seem to be falling on this franchise.

We have a mid-30's linebacker who is the heart and soul of the team. We have another Pro-Bowl linebacker who demands to be out by next season. We have a possibly treat QB with a classic gunslinger mentality with no weapons and no one to block for him. We have a potential Pro Bowl running back, with an Offensive Coordinator that gives up on running as soon as the other team scores. We have 4 head coaches that don't know how to teach and motivate a team. And our special teams is second to none, but the NFL has changed rules to make it ineffective.

So while we watch Aaron Rodgers hoist Lombardi trophies, watch Tom Brady break passing records, and watch the Steelers do what we're suppose to do, only a lot better, we still hope for a ball bouncing our way, refs giving us a call, or a receiver that after he makes q game winning catch let's go of the ball just a bit too soon. All our franchises have legitimate football plans, we'll just keep holding our rabbits foot.

Jay Cutler to Michael Vick "Stop crying!"

Jay Cutler was sacked for his league leading, twelfth, thirteenth, and fourteenth times on Sunday he has been by far the most hit quarterback in the NFL over the past 3 years. Jay's mother has bruises on her ass, as well as the bruises to Jay's ego. Cutler was hit so much and so hard he almost married media starlet Kristen Cavallari in the offseason. Jay in fact was the only NFL player who continued to get hit while there was a lockout, unfortunately those hits were to his ego.

Michael Vick was the NFL's darling of 2010, and that extended into the early 2011 season. Although he was the Black Sheep of the NFL just 5 years ago, he has somehow risen above this and is now on the Mount Rushmore of ESPN's NFL coverage. Vick has done so much to restore his image including attending and speaking at animal cruelty events, donating to Humane Societies, and promising to not say dwag when when talking to friends. He rode his new found popularity to a plus $100 million contract, title of most loved Philadelphian, and Sports man of the year.

This is why hearing the public outcry against Michael Vick is so surprising! All he basically said is, ref's I am getting beat up back there while Tom Brady gets the benefit of getting calls when defenders are anywhere within 5 yards of him. It is entirely true Michael Vick gets hit, but not as much as Jay Cutler.

So in a test of true quarterbacking ability, I challenege Michael Vick to stand behind teh Chicago Bears offensive line. I want to see him last a couple of weeks watching blown blocking schemes, guys falling at the line of scrimmage, and offensive linemen turning away from the man they are suppose to block. In fact, if there were a sports god, I would imagine that he would have placed Vick behind the Bears very offensive line. Karma's a bitch, and I don't mean female dog.

Jerry Angelo, playing for another team?

After a Chicago Bears frustrating loss on Sunday to division rival, the Green Bay Packers, many of the Bears faithful are left screaming, "why haven't added offensive help!"

It seems the crack group here at Chicago Sports has found out why the Bears have not added any significant offensive line help, or any real weapons at Wide Receiver. For weeks now CS has followed Chicago Bears GM, Jerry Angelo and noticed he seems to receive some mail from the Offices of the Green Bay Packers weekly. Through our tough investigation techniques we came to realize these were checks paid from Green Bay made out to, Jerry Angelo.

We have learned that Jerry uses these checks for a good cause, his enrollment in an online college, University of Football Management and Services Online. When reaching out to the University's Head Chancellor, Dr. Jonathan Madden, he stated "Although we do not speak publically on any current student, BOOM, tough acting Tinactin!"

Calls to the Chicago Bears or the Green Bay Packers were not immediately returned.