So the Cubs continue on the path of ridiculousness and now enter their 100th year since their last World Series crown, and I happily renew my season tickets yet again. I know I'm part of the problem, and I've actually admitted that, but the odds are getting better as time goes on.
Bad news done. So nothing takes the bitter taste of failure out of your mouth other than a Bears victory over the Green Bay Packers. As has been said for 86 years, our season could be in the crapper, but if you beat Green Bay, it was all worth it. Just when Chicago is getting ready to ignore sports again, those darn Bears show up at Lambeau and restore faith that they truly are the same team with only a few changes from last year's Superbowl attendee.
I imagine that most of Chicago turned off the game by halftime. Although the score wasn't ugly, the play on the field surely was but I didn't. Green Bay was extremely dominant and but for some timely fumbles lost by them, they could have been up 31 to 7 likely. Instead it's only 17-7 and the Bears are weirdly still "in it" but needing a hell of a turnaround in the 2nd half. And a hell of a turnaround it was. For once the Bears offense looked like it had a purpose and knew what it was doing. The final scoring drive by the Bears was almost an homage to Brett Favre as Brian Griese fooled all with the play action to hit a wide open Desmond Clark for a 34-yard touchdown down the left hand hash marks.
After weathering the drive by Green Bay which frankly looked lackluster and not "typical" of a Favre charge to the end zone of old, a last-second interception of a Favre floater killed off the perfect season for the Bay, and kept hope alive for awhile that the Bears can still make something of this season.
Next week brings the Viqueens to Soldier Field and a hungry fan base, so lets see how this victory turns itself into momentum.
Good news done, so back to the last bit of bad news for the weekend. It's reported late tonight that the Tribune Corp may NOT have the Cubs totally sold off by Opening Day 2008. The debate is whether to sell the Cubs lock, stock and two stinking barrels, or to parcel it off as the team, the merchandise, Wrigley Field, the scalping business they have, the cash cow of the revenue from the rooftops, etc., etc. Nothing like these bastards who are so in debt to now dick around with the franchise thinking they can get more for it in pieces than as a whole. I don't know, if your business is in the crapper, don't you cut bait and run? Then again, I'm forgetting that this Corporation doesn't have any good business sense at all, so why would the get this last piece of it right for the fans?
08 October 2007
07 October 2007
"Baby Lo" Update
So, enough of this baseball disappointment, I haven't done a baby update for awhile.
About three weeks ago, Mary Kay found out she had Gestational Diabetes. This means she needs to test her blood sugars four times a day, change her diet to include MORE carbohydrates spread out across the day, and report her levels to the doctors at least once a week.
After the three weeks, the doctors actually have her on medication now to help control the blood sugars as her "fasting level" (first one taken in the morning) stayed higher than 100, which isn't good. The upshot is that she's only taking pills and doesn't have to do insulin shots.
We had another ultrasound this past week and everything is looking great. He's still a little bigger than he should be for this time of his incubation, but that's understood as part of the Gestational Diabetes having an impact. If the GD doesn't get under control, what happens is that the baby grows too fast and then comes early, however his lungs and other internal organs might not be ready and that'll mean some hospital time. Additionally, if he gets too big, that means we need to go C-Section. So we need to watch this and make sure everything works out just fine.
Baby's room is basically done. I need to go through it with a fine tooth comb and make sure everything is ready to go, but the Glider/Rocker is now in and to be delivered soon, which means we're done.
Everyone was very generous at the shower last weekend. Just amazing stuff from amazing people. We're very blessed to have such good friends and family.
We're down to NINE weeks left now, (due date is still around 12/10/07), so the countdown is on. Still lots to do and not much time to do it in, but it'll work out.
Mary Kay is a trooper as her body is going through so many changes that she never knows if it's supposed to feel like that or not. She's been having a lot of pelvic pains as it starts to widen to allow a decent birth canal for the baby to come through.
OH at the last ultrasound he was 3 lbs., 11 oz. so he's going to sprout a bunch over the next nine weeks and Mary Kay will probably feel even WORSE.
Thanks again for all well wishes.
About three weeks ago, Mary Kay found out she had Gestational Diabetes. This means she needs to test her blood sugars four times a day, change her diet to include MORE carbohydrates spread out across the day, and report her levels to the doctors at least once a week.
After the three weeks, the doctors actually have her on medication now to help control the blood sugars as her "fasting level" (first one taken in the morning) stayed higher than 100, which isn't good. The upshot is that she's only taking pills and doesn't have to do insulin shots.
We had another ultrasound this past week and everything is looking great. He's still a little bigger than he should be for this time of his incubation, but that's understood as part of the Gestational Diabetes having an impact. If the GD doesn't get under control, what happens is that the baby grows too fast and then comes early, however his lungs and other internal organs might not be ready and that'll mean some hospital time. Additionally, if he gets too big, that means we need to go C-Section. So we need to watch this and make sure everything works out just fine.
Baby's room is basically done. I need to go through it with a fine tooth comb and make sure everything is ready to go, but the Glider/Rocker is now in and to be delivered soon, which means we're done.
Everyone was very generous at the shower last weekend. Just amazing stuff from amazing people. We're very blessed to have such good friends and family.
We're down to NINE weeks left now, (due date is still around 12/10/07), so the countdown is on. Still lots to do and not much time to do it in, but it'll work out.
Mary Kay is a trooper as her body is going through so many changes that she never knows if it's supposed to feel like that or not. She's been having a lot of pelvic pains as it starts to widen to allow a decent birth canal for the baby to come through.
OH at the last ultrasound he was 3 lbs., 11 oz. so he's going to sprout a bunch over the next nine weeks and Mary Kay will probably feel even WORSE.
Thanks again for all well wishes.
05 October 2007
99 Years of Futility on the Wall, 99 Years on the Wall
I think most people thought I'd post after each Cub game. Well, given the times of night that they ended and the fact that my brain just aches so much after watching the decisions and plays that unfold before me, it's just been impossible.
So here we are on travel day with the Cubs coming home down two games to the D-bags. I have the tickets for the Game 4 (if necessary) game on Sunday when, as Lou already told us after Game 1, Zambrano will go on 3 days rest and be ready for Game 4. Of course that was Lou who thought that they'd come back to win Game 2 to ensure that. I doubt he thought we'd be down two.
Where to start? Well Game 1 is pretty easy to sum up. Zambrano was fantastic and the first 5 batters in our order were futile. Now, to the decision of Lou to pull Z after the 6th inning. Anyone who knows me knows that I watch Z as closely as anyone. For the money we're paying, we should be hoping he's the next coming of god. But I've said it 100 times, after the 6th inning and/or after his 100th pitch, he turns to crap. So although he's rocking along, Lou got defensive and made the decision he PROBABLY should have made during regular season play several times. We might have had a few more wins and maybe home field advantage for the first round. Last point on Game 1, Soriano. All year he swings wildly at the first pitch with it paying off many many times. But now he watches the first pitch (almost every time it was a fastball down the middle), and then ends up swinging at all the breaking sliders and curveballs. Go figure! Surely he figured out what he was doing wrong and has fixed it (irony)
Game 2 was a disaster. Ted Lilly couldn't find his rhythm, pitches or attitude. 50 pitches by the end of the 2nd inning and the Danica Patrick footstomp/slam glove into the mound after giving up the 3-run shot. Good thing he was keeping his cool last night. The first 5, now with only Theriot in it as a change continues to not bother show up leaving all the heavy lifting to the back end of the order. Geovany Soto has pretty much solidified his opening day 2008 starting position behind the plate. Hart also looked good out of the pen, although he was getting hit hard, he's the future and frankly, at this point, that's where we're ending up (again) talking about "next year".
Game 3 tomorrow brings us Livan Hernandez v Rich Hill. At this point the Cubs have nothing to lose so they can literally throw the book at the D-bags. If they win, I get to go to the (if necessary) game to see Z pitch again, this time to just tie up the series. But why get that far ahead of myself?
DK if I'll write much if they lose tomorrow win or lose, but then again, we're Chicago Cubs fans and we'll overanalyze the crap out of this to the point of blood dripping from our eyes.
So here we are on travel day with the Cubs coming home down two games to the D-bags. I have the tickets for the Game 4 (if necessary) game on Sunday when, as Lou already told us after Game 1, Zambrano will go on 3 days rest and be ready for Game 4. Of course that was Lou who thought that they'd come back to win Game 2 to ensure that. I doubt he thought we'd be down two.
Where to start? Well Game 1 is pretty easy to sum up. Zambrano was fantastic and the first 5 batters in our order were futile. Now, to the decision of Lou to pull Z after the 6th inning. Anyone who knows me knows that I watch Z as closely as anyone. For the money we're paying, we should be hoping he's the next coming of god. But I've said it 100 times, after the 6th inning and/or after his 100th pitch, he turns to crap. So although he's rocking along, Lou got defensive and made the decision he PROBABLY should have made during regular season play several times. We might have had a few more wins and maybe home field advantage for the first round. Last point on Game 1, Soriano. All year he swings wildly at the first pitch with it paying off many many times. But now he watches the first pitch (almost every time it was a fastball down the middle), and then ends up swinging at all the breaking sliders and curveballs. Go figure! Surely he figured out what he was doing wrong and has fixed it (irony)
Game 2 was a disaster. Ted Lilly couldn't find his rhythm, pitches or attitude. 50 pitches by the end of the 2nd inning and the Danica Patrick footstomp/slam glove into the mound after giving up the 3-run shot. Good thing he was keeping his cool last night. The first 5, now with only Theriot in it as a change continues to not bother show up leaving all the heavy lifting to the back end of the order. Geovany Soto has pretty much solidified his opening day 2008 starting position behind the plate. Hart also looked good out of the pen, although he was getting hit hard, he's the future and frankly, at this point, that's where we're ending up (again) talking about "next year".
Game 3 tomorrow brings us Livan Hernandez v Rich Hill. At this point the Cubs have nothing to lose so they can literally throw the book at the D-bags. If they win, I get to go to the (if necessary) game to see Z pitch again, this time to just tie up the series. But why get that far ahead of myself?
DK if I'll write much if they lose tomorrow win or lose, but then again, we're Chicago Cubs fans and we'll overanalyze the crap out of this to the point of blood dripping from our eyes.
01 October 2007
AC006198
Well, the Cubs have won the N.L. Central and now face the Arizona Diamondbacks for the N.L.D.S. in a best of five shoot-out.
But first, can every Chicago Cub fan please take a moment to breathe and then laugh your collective asses off at the total, catastrophic collapse of the New York Mets? I mean, we haven't seen a collapse of a playoff bound team like that since maybe, what.....1969?!!! Thanks Mets for replacing the painful memories of us giving it up to you in '69, for blowing a 7-game lead with 17 games to go in 2007.
So Game 1 starts on Wednesday in Arizona with ace Carlos Zambrano taking the mound. I think Carlos learned some valuable lessons this year (well I HOPE he has) in keeping his cool in the big games and how much the fans can get behind you when you just do your job. He needs to come out of the gate firing heat on Wednesday, so I hope the pressure doesn't get to him. Looking back at the 2003 Cubs, there's only 3 of them left on this year's team in Aramis Ramirez, Kerry Wood and Carlos Zambrano. I'm sure the pain is still there for those three guys and they can share it with those who have joined the team.
Looking at our squad, we've might just have the most previous World Series winners on our team and so the experience has to be just natural. No one believes the Cubs can do this, which makes them the PERFECT team TO do it. In 2003, we scratched our heads at the Marlins and I still wonder how the hell they pulled it off, but I think the Cubs are at the point that everyone thought they'd be back in April and May, dominant!!
Probably a lot of posts this week and next and hopefully the next as my emotional rollercoaster will be fun to handle.
For those who don't understand the title of this post, it refers to a sign over the Right Field wall and it's debated a lot except by true Cub fans. It WAS 036198 until this week, so the 00 is now the number of years since the Cubs won a Division Championship. Cub fans know what 61 and 98 mean.
But first, can every Chicago Cub fan please take a moment to breathe and then laugh your collective asses off at the total, catastrophic collapse of the New York Mets? I mean, we haven't seen a collapse of a playoff bound team like that since maybe, what.....1969?!!! Thanks Mets for replacing the painful memories of us giving it up to you in '69, for blowing a 7-game lead with 17 games to go in 2007.
So Game 1 starts on Wednesday in Arizona with ace Carlos Zambrano taking the mound. I think Carlos learned some valuable lessons this year (well I HOPE he has) in keeping his cool in the big games and how much the fans can get behind you when you just do your job. He needs to come out of the gate firing heat on Wednesday, so I hope the pressure doesn't get to him. Looking back at the 2003 Cubs, there's only 3 of them left on this year's team in Aramis Ramirez, Kerry Wood and Carlos Zambrano. I'm sure the pain is still there for those three guys and they can share it with those who have joined the team.
Looking at our squad, we've might just have the most previous World Series winners on our team and so the experience has to be just natural. No one believes the Cubs can do this, which makes them the PERFECT team TO do it. In 2003, we scratched our heads at the Marlins and I still wonder how the hell they pulled it off, but I think the Cubs are at the point that everyone thought they'd be back in April and May, dominant!!
Probably a lot of posts this week and next and hopefully the next as my emotional rollercoaster will be fun to handle.
For those who don't understand the title of this post, it refers to a sign over the Right Field wall and it's debated a lot except by true Cub fans. It WAS 036198 until this week, so the 00 is now the number of years since the Cubs won a Division Championship. Cub fans know what 61 and 98 mean.
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