Baseball Caps: Loyalty or Fashion?

Although I'm not nearly well known on this forum yet, I would like to tell fill you in about my last 3 1/2 months. I am studying abroad through Loyola in Rome, Italy. Through my adventures in Rome and traveling to random European and African countries, I have seen many historical, beautiful places and have been able to participate in many different cultural experiences. One thing that I particularly like to do while traveling abroad is people watching and particularly looking at what different people wear. Probably because I am American, I particularly like to see what different baseball caps or apparel Europeans men wear. Whenever I see a baseball hat, I make sure: whether its walking a little faster or dodging vespas in the street, to see what hat a guy is fashioning.

What I have noticed is that the top three hats that men wear are: NY Yankees, LA Dodgers, and yes the Chicago White Sux, I mean Sox. The reason? Italians are known for their love of the color black in their fashion. Although LA are known for their color blue, men sport an all black cap type of LA's hat. This black hat is known with NY and WS. NY and LA are obvious abbreviations for the 2 most populated cities in the USA, so that's probably why I see the MOST LA and NY hats. My reasoning for seeing a few, not many, WS hats is because it is an all black hat (yes, I may dare to say that I actually almost barfed when I saw a Sox hat all the way in Tunisia, Africa).

In conclusion, I believe men fashion these black caps for fashion rather than loyalty for a certain baseball team. I also think that this is similar to some men in the United States who wear soccer jerseys because it looks fashionable rather than knowing anything about/ watching the sport regularly.


L8R,
Sarajevo.

To Old Friends, fired but not forgotten..

As many of you now, Bonnix has not been a Chicagoan all his life. He spent 10 years away in the Bay Area. Upon return to our fair city, he spent many a days programming away trying to stay out of the cold that is Chicago. The only thing that got him through this return to Chicago was listening to Mac, Jurko and Harry on WMVP ESPN Radio 1000.

Sadly, last month this Heavy Fuel Crew was put to rest as Dan McNeil was fired. He had been skating on thin ice anway lately, with many suspensions and on air melt downs. Furthermore, the trio that got me through many cold Chicago afternoons had lost their luster and was no longer very good. Too much about Mac grilling or his autistic son. Who really cares about his son anyway.

So it is for the best that Dan McNeil, who mercilessly made fun on Mike North upon his departure from the Score, was unceremoniously let go. Still, as you often, incorrectly no doubt, feel that you intimately know radio personalities, it is with a heavy heart that I learned of Dan McNeil's demise.

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The loss of Wayne

Sometimes these things hit out of the blue. In the crazy style of the Chicago Public school system, Curie High School's basketball team lost its sophomore star Wayne Blackshear yesterday to another fine South Side school, Morgan Park. What, one mite say, this sort of thing happens all the time in sports. But the transfer of the pro style of players jumping from team to team always seems really crazy @ this sort of level.

There is no question that recruiting goes on in high school, and for sure someone was telling Wayne that Morgan Park would be better for his interests. Sometimes it's great for kids to change schools - but often it is not. I can tell you I was coaching @ a really......urban school more than a decade ago, and we got a great sewwper as a transfer. He left this really grewat school to play soccer @ my .....real dumpy school. It was bad move for him (I was new to the program and called NO shots)Wayne was one of three very highly touted sophomores in the area - and Morgan Park is trying to get another of the trio from De La Salle to join him next year. Whether that happens or not we shall see - but the reality is is that Curie has lost not just one of it's best players this year - their best player, excuse me - it will hurt even more next year, when their state hopes rested heavily on this young man.

Great player? Very good, but as a soph, he was but one of the options on the team. Don't get me wrong - he was option after option after option - he ran the floor, pull up for an 18 footer, post up if there was a mismatch, rebound, hits his free throws - and, when they needed a shot created - it was Wayne.

But he wasn't the only player on the team. Hodges, Dorsey, and Enoch provide height and inside toughness. Travis, Smiter and Ford run the floor and go hard @ the basket. They are a good all around team - but even w/ Wayne they would not be a favourite to challenge for state. Now, however, they probably won't challenge even next year - when they would certainly have been one of the favourites.

However Im still to sit in the stands. I know this basketball team far better than I know any since the SuperBulls. And just like the shocking loss to Farragut of Ronnie Fields in Feb. 1996 - I'm very interested inhow they respond. On Sunday they played ranked Morton and overcame a 15 pitn deficit in the 4th - and this w/ Wayne suddenly not oin the team. However, the next day the team lost in the last seconds to Roberson - a team I think, three days before, Curie would have handily beat.

Next game? To-morrow, a make up of a frozenday postponement. We'll see.

The White Sox House

This or this?

from nephew.2

Bulls game, 10 January, 2009

This was our Bulls game:

this was the game as reported by tv:

this from adamkillforme

dcs selection show 2008

Here Come the Hawks!

The Hawks are back!

I went to my first Hawks game in three years on Sunday. They were a winner, beating the Flames 5-2 after losing two games to the Detroit Redwings.

My impressions? Things have changed a lot since three years ago. John McDonough, the President of the BH, has done a fantastic job to market this club to once again get fans - in this hockey town- excited, especially in four major ways. 1) Blackhawks games are now on TV. 2) Blackhawk Alumni such as Bobby Hull, Stan Makita, etc. are in attendance regularly to get 'old' fans to come to see the 'new generation Blackhawks.' (Even I a mere 20 year old girl, who knows nothing about these alumni and their past, but they have become a household, recognizable name to me, because they are constantly in the media). 3) The Winter Classic has been a success since its initiation in early July. (BH players such as Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews have sang the 7th inning stretch at Wrigley and the Hawks have been advertised in Wrigley in pretty much every one of the ten games I've went to... such as handing out schedules before the games).4) The BH now have a Fan Fest (like the Cubs Convention, Sox Fest).

...and obviously having a now winning club doesn't hurt.

Chicagoans are once again excited about hockey, because there is a great club on the ice, and you know what... we deserve it. We've had horrible few years of hockey with terrible management. J McD needed to do a lot to get back some of those fans that the past BH management lost. And honestly, I can say I am one of those "fans" that McDonough "brought in" and became interested in hockey.

When I was younger, hockey games were hardly on TV, because of the William Wirtz saga- blacking out the BH home games. Only a few away games were the only games on in my house, and generally I would never sit down and watch them with Ma and Pa, because I was not interested nor understood the game. My uncle would take me to one or two games a year or ever other year, and that was my one-two year fix...didn't watch any more games or wasn't really "begging for more."

Now with the new management, my brother and parents always have on the game, so I sit down and watch it with them as much as I can. I now understand what icing, offsides, slashing, etc. actually means. And as a soccer player for more than 15 years, all I can say is WOW... the formation, play set up, etc. portrays the same game as soccer, especially indoor soccer, except for obviously the ice and sticks. As a soccer player, and watching more of the Blackhawk games on TV, I've come to appreciate hockey a lot more and actually enjoy it more than ever.

Also, seeing the game on Sunday, I've come to appreciate the "sounds of the game." In all of the sporting events I've attended, no sport has cooler sounds than hockey- a skater's quick stop with the skate and seeing all the ice fly in the air, a puck hitting the stick or the board, a check into the board, etc. Even way above in section 309, 14 rows up could you hear those ever cool sounds.


The Winter Classic: For those of you who've read my first post ever on this blog, you can tell I'm a Cubs fan. So for me, watching the Winter Classic was exceptional. Although I know Soldier Field would have been a viable option for hosting the WC, because it sits about double the fans of Wrigley, but I think there is nothing like Wrigley for an event such as this: the rooftops, the neighborhood, the bars, the scoreboard, the bricks, the ivy. The WHOLE neighborhood was transformed into hockey-ville. Maybe its my Cubs bias, but there's nothing like Wrigley Field and it was the absolute best decision to hold the WC and showcase historic Wrigley Field's beauty and majesty with a outdoor hockey game in an icy cold, snowy January. I know many Sox fans didn't agree with the selection of the game at WF for two experiences I've had recently:

1) At my friend's house, her mom heckled me because I'm a Cubs fan (and because I always let it be known) but she screamed "the cubs suck and always will if they play in that hole...look at the BH, they can't even win there either."
2) A man sitting in front of me at the Hawks game was an obvious Sox fan. Between periods when the big screen showed clips/ pictures from the Classic, he would scream, "THAT'S WHAT YOU GET PLAYING AT THE WORLD'S LARGEST GAY BAR!" or "WAIT TILL NEXT YEAR" or "NO ONE CAN WIN IN THAT PLACE," chuckling, then subsequently high fiving his other mid forty-year-old-neck-bearded-fat-beer-belly-busting-friends.

Why can't we be friends? When leaving the United Center, a Sox fan started screaming "LET'S GO WHITE SOX" then a Cubs fan needs to show his place by fighting "LET'S GO CUBBIES." A third man, thank God (because I didn't want to hear this non-sense at a Blackhawks game, screamed "LETS GO BLACKHAWKS."

Man #3 is right. Go Hawks. Its hockey season. Unite Chicagoans. We actually have a winning club, and I'll be the first one to tell you... I'm jumpin' on this bandwagon while I can.

Cubs Update

Mark DeRosa of the Chicago Cubs was traded to the Cleveland Indians on New Years Eve for 3 minor league pitchers. Then the Cubs added Aaron Miles for a 2 year contract. He formerly played on the dreaded Cardinals Personally, I don't agree with the trade for a number of reasons. DeRosa is an extremely versatile player, a level headed and club house guy, a lucky #7, and a fan favorite among the ladies, because of his good looks.

But...

Baseball is a numbers game whether you look at the numbers as a bating average or salary. Mark DeRosa was going to make about $5 mil next year and they signed Miles to a much cheaper 2 year $4 mil contract. Maybe our economy is also hurting the Cubs and their payroll. Also, Miles had a .315 average last year with the hated Cards. Like DeRosa, he's also a versatile player and can play a few positions. Hopefully we're trading for a guy who plays like him, but just has a smaller salary. Maybe it will also regularly give little Mikey Fontenot a chance to play.

Although I absolutely do not like this trade, I have complete faith in Jim Hendry and know he has something else up his sleeve. Maybe he made this trade to make salary room for another big trade? Is he using the 3 minor league players as trade bait for Peavy? Milton Bradley? Who knows.

Only time will tell. As for now, I'm just sulking as how this was a sad end to 2008. I wish Mark DeRosa luck in the upcoming season and realize he will be reunited in Cleveland with another Cub favorite (and a pitcher who I grew up as a young girl watching ), Kerry Wood.

The Milton Bradley rumors:

I honestly don't know anything about Milton Bradley other than that he has a cool name and that he is a hot head...not someone the Cubs need in their club house. The Cubs need cool and collected players who are ready to wash away 100 years+ of misery...not someone who isn't level headed. From what I do know, he is a switch hitter. Something the Cubs absolutely need: a left handed bat. With the woes of Fukudome, the Cubs need a lefty with some pop to his bat and can also go yard.



Jason Marquis:

I think he is decent pitcher and an above average #5 pitcher.I think if his contract was smaller, he would be an above par pitcher to have in the rotation. Yet again, our slumping economy and the troubles of the Tribune company does not allow for his $10 mil contract. I've heard him in trade rumors for the Rox and Mets. The Rox want to trade Luis Vizcaino, the former W Sox, for Marquis. Although LV doesn't have good numbers with the Rox last year (1-2 5.29 ERA), he does have an 8-2 4.30 ERA with '07 Yankees.

The cold months of winter sometimes bring good news, other times bad news (like the trade of DeRo and loss of the free-agent Woody). As a die-hard Cub fan, I'm use to the worst of news and always optimistic for the future. If this Aaron Miles comes out and puts about DeRosa-esque stats, this will be a great signing and Hendry will yet again look like a genius and Mark DeRosa will be forgotten about forever. 'Till Spring all we can do is speculate about Hendry's decisions and for 100+ years again hope for a WS title.

One of the most fun Section 8 times

two years ago

Open Cup Final

-v- L.A. Galaxy

Lou's consolation prize: Manager of the Year

Charlie Manuel got a World Series ring, and all Lou got was the this lousy NL Manager of the Year Award. This means nothing to me, you can take this award and shove it up Lou's ass for all I care. I want a ring.

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Lazerbaseball

written by Lazers

If the Jake Peavy deal doesn't go through for the Cubs, what do Cub fans think of this idea- Soriano for Barry Zito? Bad contract for bad contract. Cubs need to shake-up the lineup of postseason no-shows and would acquire a former Cy Young winner. Just how good a pitching coach is Larry Rothchild- can he turn Zito around. From SF perspective, they get a marquee name to replace Bonds.

Thoughts?

rumours

So says it here that not only is Joe Montana being considered for a spot on this years dcs Bowl Special, but musical group Bully Pulpit is also being considered. Stay tuned.

(the) Harlem (Stands) is (/are) burning.

Some serious thought was given by me to drive the eight hours to Ohio next week to catch the Fire’s next game - if it is to be against the Columbus Crew. If it’s not against/in Columbus, then the Fire will play K.C. here for the right to go to MLS Cup for the fourth time in the teams 11 season history. Either way, the important deal is that the fire advanced Thursday nite against the new England Revolution, winning the two game total goals series 3-0. The next opponent will be decided to-nite when K.C. plays the regular season best team Columbus*. The single game -OT and PK’s to decide it if it‘s tied in regulation- will be played Thusday nite (a rare non J & B Thursday nite game).

The fact that I gotta work the next day means I will not be driving to Ohio - for many reasons I’m pulling for the upset for KC over Columbus. The MLS playoffs are sorta like the Stanley Cup playoffs (or how MLB playoffs have become) , where anyone in a given series can win it. The first leg of the KC Columbus series was 0-0, so whoever wins the second leg advances to play the Fire.

This series showed the Fire to be the superior team to New England. The first leg, a 0-0 slugfest last Thursday in Boston, was thrilling. I missed the first half due to coaching my soccer team, but the second half was tingling. From what I saw, playing on the road to a team that had eliminated the Fire something like five out of the last six years (think NHL early 80’s when it seemed the Hawks played the North Stars every year in the playoffs), the Fire were the better team. Now wait - New England had two of their best players injured - Taylor Twellman and Steve Ralston- so the Fire had an easier goof it. Last year it was a a spectacular bycicle kick goal by Twellman to eliminate the Fire. But this year the Fire have outplayed the Revolution every time they met. The Fire won 3-0 and 4-0 this year @ home, and after the battle last week, I had every confidence in the team to advance.

So this weeks game was a really exciting thing to look forward to - and we were not disappointed. The game was great. Some soccer games suck, and I can lose interest quickly. Since this was a deciding game, there was a lot of interest in it- but it went far beyond that. Both teams are very good, in top fitness, and have been playing to-gether for seven months now. In other words, there were many beautiful passes, intricate passes, wonderful movement of the ball, on both sides - it was the beautiful game. But was obvious that one team was more beautiful - the Fire. Blanco was on his game, and the running, shouting, passing Blanco we all love was all apparent all over the field. Funny -a small back heel pass from him - even if it goes nowhere - sets the crowd alight. His lot loose @ the end of the firt half, and his parried shot was put in by Chris Rolphe. I felt @ that point that it mite be enough - but two more goals allowed Section 8 to start taunting.

And what a nite for Section 8. Fire playoff games - like playoff games in any sport - are a killer. From the first season of the fire in ‘98, the mood @ a playoff game is totally different that a regular season game. In the old days, when the fire would get maybe 5000 for a midweek playoff game, up to 20% of the crowd was crowded in Section 8, and they were always @ their loudest. Not only was Section 8 r evved up for those games, the sparse crowds w ere always dominated by Section 8. Last nites game drew 17,000 plus - a very nice crowd for an ESPN2 mandated Thurday nite game - and they were all loud. The knots in the stomachs mite have been lifted by Rolphes goal - but the shouting never stopped. And the surprise that Section 8 had promised for the game?? Turned out to be flares again - the endless battle betwixt Section 8 and security continues.

*The regular season winner is actually celebrated in MLS. They win something called The Supporters Shield - an acknowledgement of the many leagues in the world, like Englands Premiership, La Liga of Spain……… um, I guess every Euro league is set up like this - where there are no playoffs and the league is set up like a pennant race = the most points @ the end of the season wins the league. But the bigger deal w/ winning the Supporters Shield is that the team is qualified to the next season Champions League (along w/ the Open cup winner, and the two finlists in MLS Cup). The Fire may already have won a place in next years competition - since Columbus is already qualified, they do not have to win against the Fire to qualify for next years competiton. So even if the Fire lose this week, the tiebreakers for qualification could earn the Fire their first Champions league spot. I’d love that. Events will play out. But the exciting thought that next year the fire will actually be traveling to Belize to play Belize United (or whoever) is, embarrassingly, exciting to me.

Sox and Cubs

I'd forgotten that this years Chicago doublentries into the baseball playoffs are both performing a tribute to the playoff performance of the 1983 White Sox. Love those key HR's given up, those bases loaded situations where nobody gets home, and players screaming @ the other team.

Both teams - no doubt about it -are facing tough opponents. But these performances? The Cubs have been worse, and are in a lot of danger now. No Cub hating here, as the Sox have suxxed as well - just a realization that a Chicago Series is sadly slipping into the gutter and both teams have been deeply pathetic. The Cubs are too good a team to be swept - or even not advance from the first round.

The Sox, after a stirring few days this week, still have a bit of life. One loss, when they wanted only one of two in Florida, is ok. They have @ least one game @ Comiskey on Sunday. And, maybe most importantly, they got Vasquez out of the way. The next three starters are Burlhe, Danks, and Floyd - and, if a fifth game is needed, then I believe it should be - i'm changing my vote - Richard the Rookie. Vasquez is a nice #5 starter, but we need better for this series.

Both teams need better. yeesh.

Pathetic!

Horrible, Horrible!!! To continue last years futile playoff attempts, the Cub were lifeless again last night against L.A.D. Aside from Derosa's wind aided HR, they showed no life. Dempster had his worst outing of the year with 7 walks, Marshall looked ok, and Marquis continued his early outing fade.

There must be desperation on the field today. It is must win tonight. Let's hope Big Z can respond. The Dodgers did what they came here to do- steal a game. Pitching is vital, but the Cub can never seem to hit in the playoffs. What's also obvious is that Marquis cannot be middle relief- he takes forever to warm up.

Its do or die tonight, coming back from 0-2 is virtually impossible. Lets hope Zambrano has his head screwed on straight.

Black Sox Faction

One run on five hits was Enough

SOX WIN !! SOX WIN !!

And so the team continues. As near run as a near run thing can be, the Sox's 1-0 win allows us to watch playoff baseball on the Southside for the first time since 2005. It's been too long. One of the most famous of all Sox weekends in the teams 108 year history now leads into one of the most famous of all Sox postseasons (this being only the ninth postseason, so....)

And what a fucking game. I knew that the Sox had a good chance to win - even better than 50% because of the run they invented themselves up,because Minny wasn't the greatest of teams this year, and because game 163 was @ Comiskey. But it was also one of those churling games where every pitch had to be watched because one couldn't know where the pitch would finish.

The whole day yesterday was exciting. So exciting. The previous two days had Sox fans going nuts, and school was such an experience. Everyone instinctively got out their Sox gear, and both teachers and kids were Soxed up. Although there are cub fans @ the school of course (these teachers, mannnnn...), it's overwhelmingly a Sox school. People were shouting and smiling all day, acknowledging each other in the gear (I was best dressed, of course - I mean, I'd gotten my shirt in 1990, and to me historu is deeply important). And the call for the Sox fans to wear black @ Comiskey worked @ the game, and it also worked on me. I had that really really really old "Real Men Wear Black" - it should now be called "Real Men Wear Faded Black" - so I rocked that. I also had a black button up shirt whenever there was a chance I'd see the principal. And, I'd like to say, I was a little embarrassed. .
One of my favourite Bulls stories of all time was watching the terrible loss in Game 7 to the Knicks in '94. There was the usual 25-30 20-23 years olds crowded into my crib (The Lunt House, y'all) that Sunday, and I was the only one with Bulls shit on (Almost certainly it was my.....uh....."Real Men wear Red" shirt......). The Redhead, halfway through the game, turned to me, then looked all about the upstairs room where we were all hanging, and said "Oh Virgil, yr the only one here with spirit!" So, of course, I had to blackup my outfit and show my spirit. Lemming after Sox management, but.... It was great to rebreak out that shirt - for me, I felt it may be too provocative around cub fans so in the last few years I really de-emphesied the shirt. But it was perfect for this nite

Gallo had emailed me to come over so, I made the drive up to Evanston. The HD was on, grilled burgers (only salt and pepper -usually when I patty up beef myself @ home i throw in hundreds of spices -but I'll despice my recipe next time) delicious, a few calls to the bullpen for some matt Jenke relief, and both Yankee and White Sox fans in alighment. I was a bit late - I got there in the bottom of the first - and I was worried that POSSIBLY, knowing the history of these two teams the last 10 years or so -that it would be 0-5 after one. But this was to be a different nite*.

One run, five hits, but baseball hero's all around. Danks, of course. Luckily, it was a John Danks @ his very best - and every pitch of his seemed to land just on the corner of the plate. Every pitch. And when I say that he had his best game of the year - he had pitched no hitters into the seventh twice - it's saying a lot. he's had a real solid and promising year. There were the scares from last year when he was shut down near the end to save his arm. This year a few starts were delayed a few days, and he was pitching on only three days rest - a first for him in Chicago. But good as Buerlhe and Floyd have both been this weekend/season - Danks was there with them. His final record in the regular season was 12-8, but this is the type of game - a low scoring close game - he has lost several times this year. He deserved it. Nice regular season, but beautiful game 163. Six pitches one inning? Nine another ? Holy shit. Get ready for a start -v- Tampa.

The defense. Griffs catch and throw were rite on target, and A. G Pierzinski (sic)'s catch could have easily been hacked out of him. Images of Tori Hunter knocking the ball out of a Sox catchers mitt - nightmares for Sox fans - did not happen. But then again, that's one of the reasons A.G. is on the team. Griff got it right on. And yes - the runner should have gone. Although it was not very deep - i'm from the school of going for it, especially in a game 163 that was 0-0.


And the ninth had two nice plays. Supermaligned players Swisher and Anderson both made mighty plays in the final frame - Andersons wildly spectacular. Both players have had well, down Sox careers, and to have them come up big when they had to was great to experience. And then there were double plays and ordinary plays. To often the Sox would make some bonehead play to fuck their chances. No mistakes for the twins to take advantage of. And kinda funny as well - Anderson was brought in to run for Griff, and he usually takes over defensively for the older player-while Griff had already made the great outthrow home. I think that Griff might have made that catch - but glad Ozzie had taken him out. Same for Swisher - he has become a lateinning defensive replacement for Konerko, and although Konerko probably could have made the play, Swisher actually did get it done. Defensive replacements, in a one run game, can come to bite you back if the other team actually scores and your team now needs runs again - but it worked out. Both players have been starters for the Sox @ some point in their careers - it was good to see them fully play their part in winning the division.

And the batting. Yes, one run on five hits was enough. And Thomes homer - again, a maligned player ( from Hilts, no less) - was gratifying to see. And what a homer - it was Mickey Mantle / Dick Allen sized. Thome's been to the playoffs and World Series before, but hasn't won. One run on five hits was enough.

More than anything, the fact that @ the very least the teams season continues till next week carries its own reward. I love the fact that I will have three more games minimum to watch the team, listen to the radio, read the newspapers, wear black.... But that other feeling - the feeling of winning it all. I gotta say that that 2005 feeling is really really compulsive, and I got such a bad jones for it this year. I've said before that this year has been one of my absolute favourite Sox years, and the chance that they could brazen their way to another title has me fixed big time. Invested? Buffet of Omaha invested. Friday afternoon, in the Great state of Florida.

.......................................
*=and, news that Neice.1 had babysat the little Galla's over the weekend. She's really mature and has lots of experience - if you are reading and would like a babysitter on the northside - I'll hook you up. And, it was the first week -second day - of homework for guerra.1. It was nice to see the id get it done and then - work finished - go nicewilde w/ little sister. SO important to get that "get it done, then go pay" idea in to kids.

Let's Get It On!

Congrats to NW Indiana's team for making the playoffs tonight. What we now have is historic. Both city teams in the going for their respective pennants at the same time. Though the routes look different- all you have to do is get in and its a new ballgame. The Cub cakewalked in while the Sox fought and won a dogfight.

Will the dream of a Northside vs. Southside be realized? It all starts tomorrow and every pitch counts. Tonights Sox game was simply a preview of why playoff baseball is the greatest sport around-nothing can compare.

What would a Cubs vs Sox series offer? Finality!!!