"Thanks a lot Ozzie...."

Here we are just three weeks away from the annual mid-season classic a.k.a. the All-Star game, it's mid-June, and the Cubs, Cards, and White Sox are all very much in contention. Currently, the Cubs sit in first place in the National League Central division, 4.5 games ahead of the second place Cardinals. The North-Sider's have the best record in baseball, are 32-8 at Wrigley Field, and have won 14 straight at the Friendly Confines. And all of this without leading home run hitter Alfonso Soriano and ace pitcher Carlos Zambrano. So yeah, life is good if you're a Cubbie fan.
So why oh why are so many Cubs fans like myself a little upset right now? The bane of our existence looks a lot like a former shortstop who played about ten miles to the south of Wrigleyville....and his name? It's Ozzie Guillen. What. A. Classless. Piece. Of. Trash. There, I said it. What a classless organization for that matter. From GM Ken Williams, to young lefty hurler John Danks. They clearly showed that the "little brother syndrome" they've been diagnosed with year after year has obviously flared up.
Look, we all know Wrigley Field is old....really old. It was built in 1914. So there are some uncomfortable amenities that one has to endure in order to enjoy a day out at the old ballpark, we've all known this for a long time. It's nothing new. There aren't enough bathrooms, the seats are small, the food really isn't anything superb, there's no where to park, and the underbelly looks like something out of "I Am Legend." But it's also a baseball mecca, a fabulous place to watch hardball. From the ivy, to the rooftops, the bleachers, neighborhood watering holes, and day baseball, there's no park more picturesque or as fun to watch a game in. So why did "The Blizzard of Oz, as one Chicago newspaper columnist so aptly named him, feel the need to open his big trap up? Why did John Danks feel the need to say the place "smells like urine?" Monkey see, monkey do I say.
When outspoken GM Ken Williams told a Sun-Times reporter a week ago that he'd have to be very hard up to take a job with the Cubs, and felt compelled to say "happy anniversary" to Cubs fans regarding a certain drought at Clark and Addision...he basically set the tone for the weekend.
Guillen and Danks took it and ran with it from there. Again, NO class from the south-side. Seriously, what's the deal with the Napoleon complex the White Sox suffer from? After 100 years in Chicago, they still haven't come to grips with the fact that no matter how many World Series titles they win, no matter how new their stadium is, no matter how big a loud-mouth their field general is, the will never, never, never be the number one team in the Windy City. Is it fair? Maybe not. Is it reality? You betcha.
And what's the best way to shut the opposition up? You can try and retort with your wittiest comment. You can get in a battle of words through the media. Or you can go out and sweep their sorry butts on the field of play. Uncle Lou didn't respond. Jim Hendry didn't respond, and young Eric Patterson only responded with five hits in two games. Aramis Ramirez let his bat do the talking, clubbing four homer's and knocking in eight runs. Does bulletin board material exist in baseball? Not sure if it works like it does in basketball and on the gridiron. It might. Ask the White Sox.

And they, like Rodney Dangerfield, wonder why they "can't get no respect."

Ahhh, the Memories...

Hey everyone! My apologies for a lack of updates to "Notes From The Pressbox." Really no excuses, just had a tough time thinking of something relevant to ramble on about as far as sports are concerned. So I thought I'd ask for your thoughts or favorite recollections of sports. Whether it be baseball, football, racing, basketball, tennis, golf, etc....what memory brings a smile to your face whenever you think about it?

It could be a game you attended, played in, watched on TV, whatever. Just write a little diddy and let us know about it in the comment section provided below. As for mine, it's a tie between watching my beloved Bulls and MJ in the 90's win year after year after year. As a fan of Chicago sports, all the success on the court by the Bulls wasn't really something I was too accustomed to. Right up there, it's got to be the 2003 Major League playoffs with my Cubbies. Now I know what you're thinking, only a Cubs fan would have a fond memory of LOSING, but despite the end result, that was a fun, fun time to be a Cubs fan. Hey, it was uncharted territory, again, something I'm not too accustomed to as a Cubs backer.

Again, a comment section is provided below, let us know about your favorite sports memory. Thanks again for reading.

Hope Springs Eternal?

I know it's been a while since I posted a new entry into "Notes From The Pressbox," and I apologize. Now that the high school winter sports seasons has concluded, my focus basically boils down to one thing and one thing only.....MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL!!!! The Chicago Cubs to be exact. But believe you me, I do my fair share of homework and reading on those "other two teams." I think we all know whom I'm talking about.

Pretty simple this month, here's what I want from you. Your honest to goodness, straight up, no b.s., OBJECTIVE opinion on how the White Sox, Cardinals, and Cubs will fare in 2008. Here's how I see it.

2008 Chicago White Sox - I honestly see the red-headed stepchild of Chicago baseball having a solid, if not spectacular season. I know, I know, they play in the AL Central which houses two pretty darn good teams in Detroit and Cleveland. At the end of the day, Detroit is just too stacked with talent to not win the division. Think about their lineup for a moment, Miguel Cabrera, Gary Sheffield, Magglio Ordonez, Curtis Granderson, Edgar Renteria, Ivan Rodriguez, Carlos Guillen, and former AL Batting Champ Placido Polanco. Yeah, it's that good. However, I can definitely see the Sox possibly competing with Cleveland for the second spot in the division, and maybe, just maybe the AL Wild Card. The lineup will have to score runs, and I mean a LOT of runs to compete with the big boppers in Detroit and Cleveland, but a lineup with a rejuvenated Paul Konerko, Jermaine Dye, Jim Thome, Nick Swisher, and Orlando Cabrera can and should put up a few crooked numbers. The big question is the back end of the rotation with newbies like Gavin Floyd and John Danks. If those two are serviceable at best with the trio of Beuhrle, Contreras, and Vazquez....then look out. The South-Side bullpen is a giant question mark at best right now. Closer Bobby Jenks is one of the best in the business, and GM Kenny Williams threw decent money at veteran relievers Octavio Dotel and Scott Linebrink this offseason. Both have the "stuff" to get consistent outs, but they've been shaky at best this spring. The 2008 Sox have "sleeper" written all over them.

2008 St. Louis Cardinals - As a life-long Cubs fan, nothing would please me more than to see the Cardinals lose about 95 games and finish behind perennial NL Central doormat Pittsburgh in the standings. But I don't see it happening. Now I sure don't have a "feeling" about the Cards the way I do about the White Sox. But I don't believe they'll be nearly as bad as some of the national hardball experts expect them to be. Granted, they're depending a lot on the young guys and some beat up pitchers to keep them in contention, but any squad managed by Tony LaRussa and featuring Albert Pujols will always be dangerous. At the end of the day though, I don't see St. Louis finishing any higher than fourth in the division. They just lost way too much talent and didn't do much to replace it. Troy Glaus could be a nice addition, but like the exiting Scott Rolen, he's hurt....and I do mean hurt a lot. Cesar Izturis is an absolute turd at SS who couldn't hit his way out of McMillan Field in Gibson City. Adam Kennedy or Aaron Miles at second? Yuck. Why they don't put the youngster Ludwick there is beyond me. To me, Rick Ankiel is still a bit of a mystery. He hit a ton when recalled late last year, then tailed off once Major League pitchers figured him out in the early fall. He'll either be a monster, or a duplicate of St. Louis' other outfielder Chris Duncan. A home run or a strikeout. Pitching-wise, any staff with Todd Wellemeyer and Matt Clement in it isn't one to write home about. Reyes lost 100 games last season, and Chris Carpenter won't be back anytime soon from Tommy John surgery. Mark Mulder almost seems like a forgotten man by now. On a much more positive note, newly minted staff-ace Adam Wainwright has the goods to be one of the top pitchers in the Senior Circuit...and he'll get nothing but better. But still, this is the St. Louis Cardinals, and I think that at the end of the day, they will still show up and play competitive baseball, at least until super prospect Colby Rasmus is called up at mid-season.

2008 Chicago Cubs - Now you know as well as I do that could write a thesis on the Cubs, but I'll spare you the extra reading time. Honestly, objectively, here's what I see transpiring on the North Side in 2008. A division title, perhaps a divisional round playoff victory, and a butt-whooping in the NLCS. I like the lineup a lot, there's a lot of potential there. But is it a World Series caliber lineup? Nope...not even close. Brian Roberts would have been a step in the right direction, but it doesn't look like it's going to happen. The "Big Three" of Derrek Lee, Aramis Ramirez, and Alfonso Soriano is a potential murderer's row in the heart of the lineup, but unfortunately, it's surrounded by question marks on either side. They're identified by the names Fukudome, Theriot, Pie, Soto, and to a lesser degree, DeRosa. A table setter like Roberts would have enabled Lou Piniella to put Fukudome at the second spot (where he belongs) and Soriano down in the lineup where his power could be put to better use. Soto and Pie have all the potential in the world, but then again so did Corey Patterson. The staff is solid at best. I see Carlos Zambrano having a Cy Young type of campaign, but after that, it's a crap-shoot. The one bright spot should be the bullpen. It appears Lou Piniella is attempting to put together a modern day version of the "Nasty Boys" with Kerry Wood, Carlos Marmol, and Bob Howry. I gotta leave it right there. If Hendry is able to pull off a move before Opening Day, or at mid-season, then yeah, maybe they finally get to the Fall Classic. Unless that happens, I see a very good, but far from great season in Wrigleyville.

So that's it. That's the way I see it in 2008 for the area favorites. Remember, be OBJECTIVE, and let me know how you see the 2008 MLB campaign shaking out. No matter how you look at it, it's wonderful to have America's Pastime back and rearin' to go!!!! Leave your comments below, and maybe we'll read them on the 7:30 AM report of sports Monday thru Friday. Thanks for participating!!

The Best of the Worst...

Here we are, it's early February and the sports world is about as dull as possibly can be....at least if you're a fan of Illinois, the Bulls, or are not a fan of NASCAR. The NFL season is officially over, which despite the Bears being incredibly average, is still fun to watch even when your team is playing golf instead of football. So what is there to do except stare out the window at the snow and wish it was spring? Reflect, nap, followed by more reflecting. So here is what crossed my mind recently when Mr. Sunshine himself Bob Knight quit coaching at Texas Tech. Besides Knight, who else has become incredibly easy to despise, dare I say loathe in the world of sports? Here is my top 5, in no particular order.

1. Bobby Knight - Yeah Knight lovers, I know, Bob has won more games than any coach in Division 1 Men's College Basketball history. Knight collected three National Titles while at Indiana. His 1976 team is the last to go undefeated for an entire season. Finally, his players graduate...and at a pretty impressive rate. All admiral feats/accomplishments. There's no denying it. It doesn't change the fact that the man is an insufferable ass, bully, intimidator, etc. who has spent the majority of his tenure at Army/Indiana/Texas Tech treating the "rest of us" like gum on the bottom of his shoe. The media deserves it sometimes, brash 18 year old kids deserve it sometimes, officials deserve it sometimes, heck...even his own son felt the wrath of Knight on a few occassions on the Indiana bench. We all blow up. But to constantly berate and bully his players, not to mention the occassional choke job(Neil Reed anyone?) is NOT an admirable trait. Dean Smith won his share of games, as did John Wooden at UCLA, and it was done with won trait Bobby never had or never will have....class. I for one hope "The General" goes away and stays there.

2. Barry Bonds - He is a tremendous baseball player, maybe the greatest ever. He is the all-time home run king. He's won 7 MVP awards. We all know his bio. We also know he is a cheater and not a very good dude. Barry Lamar Bonds has been his own worst enemy both in Pittsburgh and in San Francisco. There's no great mystery as to why a guy who still managed to hit 28 homeruns in only 340 at-bats in 2007 can't find a job. No one wants the baggage or attitude/surliness that comes packaged with #25.

3. The Detroit Pistons - No, of course I'm not talking about the current club. I speak of the late 80's early 90's band of a-holes who played basketball like they should have had a helmet and shoulder pads on. Fine, they won back-to-back titles in 89 and 90. They had a Hall of Fame coach and point guard. But what they did at the end of the 1991 Eastern Conference Finals when the Jordan-led Bulls finally beat them after years of struggles was and still is one of the more classless displays of bad sportsmanship I've ever seen. If you recall, Isiah, Laimbeer, Rodman, and Dumars decided that they'd rather walk off the floor BEFORE the game ended and avoid shaking hands with their arch-rivals. Nice example Bad Boys.

4. The 1972 Miami Dolphins - Is it fun to hate this group of aging buttheads or what? Led by the always delightful Mercury Morris and Larry Zsonka, they get together and toast the first loss of the season by the last undefeated team in the NFL every season. Fine guys, we get it, you were 17-0 in 72. You won the Super Bowl. Great accomplishment, there's no denying it. But delighting in the misfortune of another team/fan base? Nice...real nice. Morris went as far to say that they were "still the greatest" after New England's upset loss to New York in the Super Bowl. Sorry pal, on top of being an upstanding guy who was once indicted for cocaine trafficing, you're also delusional. I know it's not 100% fair to compare contrasting era's in sports. It really isn't. But if you don't believe New England, or the 1985 Bears would have kicked your rear-end up and down the field...well, you've been drinking too much of the bubbly.

5. Ty Cobb - Is any explanation needed? Watch Ron Shelton's very underrated bio-flick "Cobb" sometime and the evidence is more than circumstantial. It's very likely that Cobb murdered a man, was known as womanizer who was, on more than one occasion accused of rape, and the creme de la creme, slid spikes up into the bag. Oh yeah, he was nuts too. Watch the movie, read his bio on the web, whatever, you'll be amazed at what the "Georgia Peach" got away with. What a guy.

Honorable Mention

Terrell Owens
Randy Moss
OJ Simpson
Charles Barkley
Bob Huggins
Woody Hayes
Rae Carruth

So that's all I got. I could go on, but frankly, it puts me in a bad mood just to think about these fella's. Give me your list. Do you disagree with some of my selections? Would you care any other fun adjectives to describe Knight, Bonds, Miami Dolphins, Detroit Pistons, or Ty Cobb? Feel free to add on.

The Winter Sports Blahs.....

I'm back. Contrary to popular belief, I did not take an extended winter vacation abroad and forget about "Notes from the Pressbox." I think my lack of enthusiasm for posting a new entry definitely reflects my general attitude towards sports and the season we're mired in currently. My beloved Bears tanked this year coming off of a Super Bowl season, the Bulls seem to have forgotten that they were supposed to be in the NBA Finals this year and probably won't make the playoffs. And the Illini basketball season seems a lost cause in early January, which is never a good sign.

So what gets me excited right now? Baseball. I know what you're thinking, baseball is another two months away. You're right, Spring Training games won't get underway until early March, with the regular season still a distant light at the end of the long, cold, winter sports tunnel in April. But hey!! Pitchers and catchers report in about 5 weeks!! Man, I am desperate aren't I?

For someone that was raised and has lived their entire life in Illinois, you'd think I wouldn't be so cantankerous towards winter weather. But I am. I hate to use the word "hate", but I really do feel nothing but general disgust for cold weather, wind chill factors, and snow. Add that into an equation with bad winter sports, and the end result is nothing but a bad, sullen attitude. I can see why many of the senior members of society head south to the warmer climates come November/December. Can't say that I blame them. I mean honestly, what is exciting about January, February, and March in Illinois? I'm going to go on a mini-rant now. It's cold, there's nothing to do, nothing to look forward to...other than warmer temperatures which seem an ocean away. After Christmas, I'd prefer to just dig a hole somewhere and go into cryogenic sleep for three months and pop my head out with the rest of nature when the tulips start to spring up. I know, I sound soft. Maybe I am. But the best part of winter being done, is that baseball is back.

Now you'd think that being a Cub fan, I would almost dread another season of lackluster play on the North Side, but you'd be wrong. As far as I'm concerned, there's nothing better than coming home after work, opening the window by my recliner, popping a top or two on a social sparkler, and turning on Chicago Cubs baseball. It can't get here soon enough. It was a little different last year this time with the Bears heading to Miami, the Bulls competing in the NBA, and the thought of Lou Piniella and Alfonso Soriano coming to the Windy City. But man oh man, this winter is a tough one. I need a hug. What's that you say? There's only 50 days, or 72,000 minutes, or if you really want to break it down, 4,320,000 seconds until the first Spring Training game? Come knock on my hole and let me know when it's here.

"All I want for Christmas...."

It's that time of year again, you know, time to max out those credit cards, hang the lights....hang the lights again after three sets inexplicably quit working, keep the cat out of the tree, etc. Of course, it's Christmas time, a time when little kids' wishes come true. A time when "I got it, I got it!" can be heard for miles on Christmas morning. It's tough to get older and still enjoy the holiday season nearly as much as we did when our biggest concern this time of year was whether or not we would make it to December 25 th without spontaneously combusting from anticipation and excitement.
It usually wasn't too difficult a task to sit down and write down a "wish list" for mom, dad, relatives, and of course the big guy...Santa Claus!! I mean, a kid could sit down with the Toys R Us flier or J.C. Penney Wish Book and jot down say, 30-40 different items of desire. Didn't always mean we got em' all, but darn it, we tried. Now, as I find myself approaching the big 3-0 sooner rather than later, it gets tough to give out good ideas for prospective gift giver's. I still play video games like a 12 year-old jacked up on Mountain Dew, and I love official jerseys, whether they be Cubs, Bears, throwback, etc. But man, that stuff is expensive, and at 28 years old and married, not exactly the Webster's definition of "practical." So I thought I'd write up a fantasy sports wish list this year. You know, a dreamer's fantasy tucked neatly within the world of sports. Here goes....

1. A Chicago Cubs World Series title. Yeah, I know, I might as well ask for a dinner date with Pamela Anderson.
2. Brett Favre retirement. It's insanely tough to dislike this guy. He has absolutely murdered my beloved Bears for the past 15 seasons, and he plays for the communist regime that is the Green Bay Packers, but you've got to admire the dude's talent, desire, work ethic, and toughness. He's one of the all-time best. I just wish he'd hang it up and head back down to Mississippi to film additional Wrangler Jeans commercials.
3. Michael Jordan's return to the Chicago Bulls organization. No, I don't want #23 to put his Air Jordan's back on and try and rescue the floundering Baby Bulls. Everyone gets too old....but he never should have been let go by the evil Jerry's. It should have been a major priority for Mr. Reinsdorf to get the savior of the city involved with the Bulls in one capacity or another when he quit for the final time in 2003. Minority owner, GM, whatever...Michael Jordan should never be seen in another NBA arena rooting for anybody other than Da Bulls, let alone the Charlotte Bobcats.
4. Wil Ohman for Albert Pujols. Think the Redbirds would fall for that one?
5. Midwest blue chip recruits gobbled up by Bruce Weber. Anybody else having as hard a time as I am watching Derek Rose and Eric Gordon put up 25 a night in another state? They would have looked really nice playing in January at Assembly Hall.
6. A Chicago Cubs World Series title...wait, I already said that.

That's all I got, pretty straight forward and to the point I think. I don't think any of those requests are unreasonable...Santa, if you want to pack along a right fielder and a starting pitcher with that World Series trophy in your sleigh, I won't be mad.

Leave your sports fantasy wish list demands below in the comment section. Have a good time with this. I'd love to see what you're pining for this Christmas. Have a good holiday everyone!!

Should We Do This?

Should another poor, unfortunate, young soul be exposed to a debilitating, painful, heart-wrenching disease without his consent? A life of disappointment, sadness, and frustration awaits young Jack Willoby. Jack is my new nephew. Born to my sister Ashley and her husband Jimmy the first week of October, the little guy wasn't fully cooked when he first saw the light of day. You see, Jack wasn't due until darn near Christmas. So yeah, he's kind of starting out life behind the eight ball already. Don't worry, he's progressing nicely. Gaining weight by the day, gradually growing bigger and stronger. He'll soon leave his little incubator, be brought home, and fawned over endlessly. He'll be loved, raised right, and be given every advantage a lot of children around the world aren't privy too. But he's already behind in the count you see, 0-1. He took a called strike low and away the day he was born, because, unbeknownst to him, he'll be a fan of the Chicago Cubs.
Now I already know what you're going to say..."Why expose such an innocent, pure, being to this illness?" Honestly, I really don't have that good of an answer for you. Many are the day when I asked my dad why he didn't pick the Cardinals or Yankees, or Red Sox, or...."anybody but the Cubs!!!" I was born into it, my dad was born into it, and I imagine my grandfather was also born into it. Some families pass on a genetic predisposition to heart disease, diabetes, or male-pattern baldness....the McCullough's pass on Cubdom.
Now realistically, being a Cub fan never ended any one's life prematurely like a serious illness has countless times, although a few North-Sider's would argue that their lives we're shorted about 5 years every June. I just wonder if this is the right thing to do? Should a young boy have the right to choose? Let me think a minute.........naw. If we have to endure a seven month hardship every spring, summer, and fall, then buddy, so do you.
So yeah, I can imagine a day 10 years from now when little Jack is wearing his first Cubs hat, sitting next to his dad, uncle, grandpa, great-grandpa, and others watching a rare Cubs post-season appearance where the good guys drop another one in dramatic fashion, looks up at us all, and asks, "Why did you guys pick the Cubs?" We'll look back at him with a smile, maybe a tear included, and say, "Kid, the same reason you picked em."