His name was Fredo....

  I'm not calling Tom Ricketts by his given name anymore.  No, he is now known, in my eyes, as Fredo Ricketts.  Why am I being so hard on the owner of the Cubs?  Well, I'll tell you.  Apparently, Tom Ricketts er.... Fredo Ricketts, forged an alliance with Rahm Emanuel and then forgot to tell Emmanuel that his father was trying to destroy Barack Obama.  The very same Barack Obama who happens to be the political ally of the man, Rahm Emmanuel, who Tom Ricketts, er... Fredo.... wants to borrow money from to renovate Wrigley Field.  In case you haven't heard, Tom's father wrote a political manifesto detailing how to defeat Obama that surfaced publicly a few days ago.  Now only was it a political manifesto, it was basically an attack on Obama's status as a black man and his qualifications as a leader of the free world because of the color of his skin.  What's galling is that Tom Ricketts father is so shallow minded as to resort to racing bating to try and disparage Obama as both a leader and as a man.  What's even more galling is that Rahm Emmanuel read the manifesto before Tom.. er... Fredo..... could get on top of the situation to do damage control.  Not only did the manifesto come out, Ricketts was also called on the carpet for his political spending.  Remember, Tom... er Fredo Ricketts has painted himself as a man hampered by an aging ballpark that has left poorer in terms of the capital needed to renovate Wrigley Field.  So Tom... er... Fredo Ricketts achieved two goals this week.  He showed Rahm Emmanuel that he's a  liar when he cried poverty and two..... he blindsided, via his ineptitude, the one man in Chicago politics that was willing to hand him a check to renovate Wrigley Field going forward.  My question is, how was Tom... er.... Fredo Ricketts not on top of his father's activities?  Again, Rahm Emanuel had to read the document, known as the Ricketts plan, for himself.  To me, it's symbolic of Tom... er Fredo Ricketts political ineptitude.  First it was the mishandling of the initial Wrigley renovation proposal.  Then it was the wasting of any politcal leverage he had when he said he had no intention of leaving Wrigley Field.  It makes you wonder why Bud Selig didn't think long and hard before handing a charter franchise to a man with seemingly limited financial resources and by in large, limited political skills.  Don't believe me?  Just ask Rahm Emanuel.

Cub Nation.... You're breaking my heart

  Let's face it, the Cubs-Sox series, as of now, is basically the equivalent of the Monty Python skit celebrating the biggest idiot.  White Sox fans chirped as I exited Wrigley in my Cub gear and you know what, I had nothing.  How do you give it back to the rival baseball gang when YOUR baseball gang sucks.  In youth, there is naive baseball bravado.  In adulthood, there is the cold reality of who your team really is and where they're going and it stings when your eyes keep reminding that said teams given arrow is trending downward.  But that's neither here nor there.  I'm angry about the Cubs losing today, naturally, but I'm really mad at you, Cub nation.  I'm mad at you rising up as one and giving Kerry Wood a standing ovation after he struck out Dayan Viciedo.  What the heck were you people thinking?  We're better than this Cub nation.  For years, we've bemoaned the elder members of Cub nation for celebrating the 1969 team that won nothing.  You remember Santo and Williams and Banks.  They were on the 1969 team that coughed up a ten game division lead in September in extraordinary Cub like fashion.  And now, my generation has had its 1969 moment on May 12, 2012.  Our elders saluted a team that broke their hearts and established the painful culture of losing that Theo Epstein is now tasked with changing.  And now the younger generation of Cubdom stands up and pays tribute to Kerry Wood; the very symbol of pain and suffering and Cub like disappointment.  Way to go Cub nation, you're officially members of the low IQ baseball club.  Way to go Cub nation, you're officially the meatballs that everyone says you are.  For those of you who were standing today I want to ask you something.  Do you remember Kerry Wood's failed start in game 7 of the 2003 NLCS?  Do you remember the injuries and the unfulfilled potential?  You stood and clapped for a guy who shouldn't have been on the roster in the first place.  You stood and clapped Cub nation and I stayed seated.  You know why?  Because I don't want to celebrate the past anymore.  If any of you meatballs would put your beers down and actually pay attention to the on field product, you'd know that Cub history is a horror show.  So I ask again; why the hell were you standing today Cub nation?  You know what... stand, clap, be meatballs.. knock yourselves out.  Perpetuate the stereotypes about Cub fans all you want.  I'm moving forward.  I don't want to celebrate failure anymore.  What's next Cub nation?  Do we start celebrating the 1984 team that choked away a trip to the World Series.  I know, why don't we have Mark Prior night?  Yes Cub nation, you can stand and cheer like the sheep you are and you can celebrate another Cub career that teased greatness and gave you nothing in return.

A Day In The Life....

  I am full of angst on this beautiful summer day in May so I just want to sort of rant a bit.  Trust me, you'll like my lack of structure.

  1.  Can someone tell me what exactly the Illinois Lottery was trying to accomplish with their latest commercial.  Not for nothing, but when I gamble away the rent money I'm not wondering if I'm going to meet Miss Right in the 7 Eleven.  Nor... Nor... do I want to be reminded, in any subtext, of the classic novel, Lolita.  Have you seen the commercial?  A chick, who looks like she's twelve, eyes her so called soulmate in a record store.  I guess she stole cash from her mom's wallet, played the quick pick, then went down to the old record store and decided to shop for that rarest of creatures.. a Vinyl 45.  Not only does that chick look like she's twelve, the dude she connects with looks like a forty something with a mullet.  Was the ad agency team reading Joyce Carol Oates when they created this spot?  Yes Illinois Lottery... I believe, in a city of seven million people, Humbert Humbert can find his next underage ingenue after he plays the pick four or the little lotto.  Thank you for that image Illinois Lottery, really.

  2.  You know, I'm all for the surviving members of Queen making a buck... god knows they were only multi-millionaires before they decided to prostitute the band's musical legacy but that's beside the point.  I was peeved when I heard Queen songs popping up in burger commercials and furniture spots.  But now.... the surviving members of Queen have trotted out a Freddie Mercury hologram.  You know what this means?  Some dumb cluck is going to think that Freddie Mercury really came back from beyond and then they'll probably sue the band for false advertising.  It's not even the hologram stunt that honks me off.  It's the fact that the surviving members of Queen continue to trot out sub par singers with limited range to sing the part of the late great Freddie Mercury.  I mean, really... if they're going to prostitute Queen's musical legacy, at least do it right.  A good bet might be, um, I don't know, someone who carry actually carry a tune.

  3.  And finally... as I expected.... President Obama's declaration in favor of gay rights has opened the floodgates to every celeb who thinks that their opinion actually matters.  You know, I really felt 2012 was a toss up until Jay Z came out and said that Obama did the right thing.  Thank you Sean Carter (Jay Z'S real name by the way) thank you thank you.  Now give Barack your check that's made out to the designated Democratic PAC and scoot.  You know what this means, don't you?  The airwaves will be filled with Liberals sounding the Obama trumpet and eventually, one of the liberal tribe will say something incredibly stupid and Barack will have to clunk their heads together ala Moe in the Three Stooges.  Hollywoodites.... Liberals..... please.... zip it.  Barack has this situation under control and he's kind of  busy choosing his political side and cultivating his case for a second term.  I know you guys mean well, but please.... run along.  Go to Clooney's house and stick pins in a Dubya doll.  Why.... you guys could sit in a circle and plan out the next box office flop that deals with the evil puppet master.. blah blah blah and his wag the dog type antics in a foreign land that kind of is but really isn't Iraq (wink wink.)  Just, please,.... stay out of Barack's way while he tries to earn a  second term.  Cause if you don't..... old Snidely Whiplash Romney will swoop in with his cartoon mustache and his elitist views and start declaring war on the non one percenters.  It'll be horrible..... the middle class will be rounded up by team Romney and weeded out via some GOP sponsored event reminiscent of The Hunger Games.  Damn all of you Hollywoodites... SHUT THE (BLEEP) UP!!!  For god sake, we can't have a self made, independently wealthy Mormon with good hair in the White House.  Think before you speak!!!  OH THE HUMANITY!!!  Sorry... I've been watching CNN again.  Good day all.  Resist Tyranny.  Toot!!  Toot!!

Barack and the political football

  You know, I was actually viewing President Obama's announcement that he had finally come off of the fence in support of Gay Marriage with a non cynical eye.  And then I read that Obama had been walking around for quite a few years telling the world that he would never support gay marriage.  Shame on me for letting myself believe that there was anything symbolic and or virtuous behind Obama's declaration.  This is the last time I process something without keeping my cynicism at an optimum level.  Let's be clear, President Obama didn't change the world.  Rather, he chose a political avenue.  Better yet, he finally decided to close his eyes and kick the old political football.  So let's just say this.  Obama didn't move mountains in terms of gay rights, he just elected not to punt on downs.  And why not?  Whatever his motives were and they were no doubt, political; at least Obama hasn't made himself look as politically clueless as John Kerry did way back when in 2004.  You remember?  Don't you?  Kerry, in all of his infinite political wisdom, decided, during a rally in the bible belt, to throw his support behind gay marriage.  Kerry went on to compound said gaffe by trying to backtrack on the aforementioned declaration of support but really, the stampede was already on once he opened his mouth.  The problem wasn't getting his foot out of said area, but rather, avoiding the crush of Christian Right voters who would eventually help to tip the 2004 election towards GW Bush. Only this time around, it's Obama's number one challenger, Mitt Romney, who seems to be suffering from Kerryitis.  Romney, according to a recent article, admitted to inadvertent homophobia when he was a wee lad of sixteen.  Not only that, Romney, according to a recent interview, seems to have thrown in with Obama in terms of supporting gay marriage.  Curious developments for a man who, from afar, seems to lack for conviction.  Can Romney afford to be a waffler or a political follower when no one quite trusts him to begin with?  Perhaps it's all a part of Romney's plan to lull Obama to sleep with a show of low IQ political moves.  Perhaps it's all a part of the drama that will unfold very very soon as Obama and Romney slug it out for the right to lead our great nation.  And now the questions begins?  Does Obama's decision to cater to the rather formidable gay voting bloc pay off at the old electoral window on D Day?  Better yet, does Obama's chosen political horse have enough legs to withstand the inevitable defection of the Christian Right and their rather formidable political base?  Obama's motives for backing gay marriage may be extremely transparent but at least he's fired the first salvo in what may become a very very interesting race for the presidency.  Ah politics.... and the fickle and the disingenuous shall lead us.

Tom Tunney Just Doesn't Get It...

  So I'm watching the news and I hear Alderman Tom Tunney going on about how he needs to study the proposed "Fenway Plan" that the Cubs have on the table to try and renovate Wrigley Field going forward.  Judging by Tunney's choice of words, he's in full CHA mode and once again, the Cubs are being made to kiss the political ring of a power broker who enjoys making his most lucrative tenant jump through hoops.  Hearing the soundbites on one of the local broadcasts from business owners around Wrigley, it seems like they've been drinking from the same cup of self delusion that Mister Tunney has been drinking from lo these many years.  One owner said that the so called Fenway Plan, which calls for shutting down certain drags around the park on game days, would cripple the small businesses surrounding the park itself.  Do said business owners realize that Wrigley Field is the lifeline OF their small businesses.  I believe that one of the pieces on the evening news estimated that the Cubs, for an 82 game season, bring in around 600 million in overall revenue.  I'm not saying Wrigleyville would crumble into economic oblivion if the Cubs packed up and left but I guarantee you, the small businesses who feel kept out of the loop by the so called Fenway Plan, would be on the same news broadcast bemoaning the Cubs for taking their goblet of revenue and going to less politically tinged pastures.  And if the Cubs DID leave Wrigley Field, how could you blame them?  It's obvious that Alderman Tunney just doesn't get it.  For that matter, it doesn't seem like his constituents get it either.  It simply hasn't registered with Alderman Tunney and his constituents that Wrigley Field has increased the property values around Wrigleyville at least ten fold over the past decade or so.  Yet, year after year we hear Tunney and his constituents react to every Wrigley based renovation plan or every proposed addition as though the park is an eyesore.  I must say, that's one valuable eyesore that's sitting at the corner of Clark and Addison if it's pulling in anywhere close to 600 million in annual revenues.  So if Alderman Tunney continues to be obtuse and Tunney's constituents continue to function under the assumption that their area will still be profitable sans Wrigley Field, then Tom Ricketts should go all It's A Wonderful Life on them.  Tom Ricketts should show them what life would be like if Wrigleyville didn't have its most visible tenant anymore.  If Tom Ricketts were smart, he would find a parcel of land and build a new Wrigley Field somewhere else.  I know it's a sacrilege to even think about the Cubs moving away from Clark and Addison but the more Tom Tunney stonewalls the Cubs from making Wrigley Field economically viable,  the more it becomes obvious what Tom Ricketts has to do and MUST do.  As Tim Robbins sang in his political mock-u-mentary, Bob Roberts...... and they complain and complain and complain.  Keep complaining Mister Tunney.  Keep complaining Mister and Misses Wrigleyville constituent.  One day, the lightbulb will pop on inside Tom Rickett's and he will do what needs to be done.  And then... cue the band... Tunney and the rest of Wrigleyvilleits will complain and complain and complain.  And you know what, I wouldn't shed a tear for them.  Not a one.  As Joni Mitchell said.... "you don't know what you have until it's gone."  Let's just hope that Alderman Tunney and his constituents are listening.

The NFL And The Cycle Of Life

  I want everyone, in the wake of Junior Seau's apparent suicide, to stop vilifying the NFL.  Seau, as you know, was a former pro bowl standout with the Chargers before making two more career stops in Miami and finally New England.  Here's my take.  Nobody made Junior Seau or Dave Duerson play such a violent game.  Nobody made Seau or Duerson or any of the other deceased football players play a game that could ultimately shorten their life span.  NFL football is the ultimate deal with the devil; a shortened life span for the opportunity to play a game that you love.  A game that will more than likely cripple you but make you financially comfortable if you steer clear of its many trappings and excesses.  If there is a magic bullet to stop the brutality of the sport of football from turning brains to mush, I'd like to hear it.  And that's the point.... there is no panacea in terms of player safety in the NFL.   The only way for the NFL to ensure that CTE related tragedies like Dave Duerson don't occur is to limit the years that their employees give to the game.  Now we all know that isn't going to happen, don't we?  You can restrict violent hits and you can reconfigure helmets but football is and always be a violent game.  It was violent in its early days and it's violent now.   The only difference between say, the era of Butkus and Buffone is the fact that the evolution of social media and television has made the league more image conscious.

  Before ESPN and before the advent of cable, and before the advent of social media, teams could play dirty with their hired guns without the fear of some news outlet exposing the logistics of a game that is still as cut throat as it ever was.  The only difference is that the NFL has better spin control and better spin control means not allowing you and I to witness the murkier side of the business. For every Seau and every Duerson and every Mike Webster there's a kid out there with the talent to make it to the NFL.  And that young star will sacrifice himself and his body and his overall lifespan to play a game he loves and to get handsomely rewarded for doing it. And sadly, that young man will probably wake up in his fifties, far from the brights light of the gridiron, and his body will remind him of all that he gave up for the game of football.  There will be more Seau's and and more Duerson's and more Websters.  And there will be men lining up to take their place and after those young men are bashed into crippled hulks... the cycle will repeat itself.  This is the reality of the NFL.  No image conscious commissioner can stop the inevitable cycle of football life.  No overpaid lab geek can stop the vicious cycle of life in the NFL by creating new helmets and what not.  The death of Junior Seau isn't a cause to burn the NFL in effigy.  If you want to castigate the NFL, castigate it for being inflexible to the needs of those former employees who want nothing more than decent health care and a fair slice of a financial pie that is more than big enough to spread around.  You know what Junior Seau's death is?  It's a sobering reminder about the the game we all love, the game of football.  It's a moment to pause and remember just how much those guys we cheer for on Sunday sacrifice for sixteen weeks a year every year.  The game of football is poetic, it is Americana personified.  But it's also cruel.  While one of its most accomplished members lies in a morgue, the cycle goes on and the wheels keep on turning and the money keeps on flowing and someone younger and talented steps in to fill the void.  It's just the way it is.... it's the NFL.

The American Circus

  Would it be crass to say that the Trayvon Martin case is starting to take on the flavor of Tom Wolfe's "Bonfire Of The Vanities?"  Here me out here.  Like Wolfe's famed novel, we have a tragedy that once again illustrates the fractured racial lines in our great country.  Like Wolfe's novel, we have the parasites and the opportunist milling about in search of a camera in which to stir up the emotions of a grieving family that is demanding accountability.  Yes, I'm talking about you Al Sharpton.  If there was any chance of getting to the truth of what happened to Trayvon Martin and if there was any chance of cooler heads prevailing while the case un-tangled itself, the presence of America's favorite opportunist virtually doomed that hopeful possibility.  Now before you accuse me of lighting up a famed African American Activist, let me say  this.  I am color blind to the media parasites of this world.  I am color blind when it comes to the rabble rousers who use tragedy to fatten their wallets or capture headlines.  For every Al Sharpton and for every Jessie Jackson, there is Gloria Allred.  Allred, like Sharpton, essentially creates anarchy in the name of publicity.  I guess what I'm saying is, I am choosing to tune out the static that Sharpton has created during the time of an absolutely unimaginable tragedy.  I am choosing to process the facts of the case in small bites before I denounce George Zimmerman as a racist buffoon who acted in cold blood.  I choose not to be manipulated by the media this time, I choose to stay above the fray.  Perhaps it's my lingering disenchantment with the media at large that has brought me to this cautious point.  I am convinced, more than ever, that balance is no longer apart of the journalistic equation.  And if you think I'm overstating, watch CNN and Fox during the height of political season.  I have no doubt that the Trayvon Martin case, if it already hasn't, will turn into a political football of some sort.  Actually I'm surprised that the anti gun and pro gun debates haven't broken out.  Al Sharpton has already shown up, so it's to be expected that some quasi celebrity who fancies themselves a political sage, will seek out a photo op and eventually say something maddeningly self serving.  Hell, I think I can hear the footsteps of the self serving Hollywood liberals now.  Look, I'm not advocating that George Zimmerman had a right to play the role of Charles Bronson.  If he shot Trayvon Martin in cold blood because of the color of his skin, he deserves the maximum punishment possible.  I just want the facts, sans circus and sans politicizing

The Great GarPax.. Exposed.....

  Well, this is the last time I let my heart over rule what my eyes see on the court.  The regular NBA season trading deadline passed and both Gar Forman and John Paxson unequivocally started, time and again, that the Bulls, as constructed, were good enough to win a championship.  I guess GarPax forget the fact that their construction of gritty try hard second teamers and one basketball dynamo would derail if anything happened to said dynamo; AKA D Rose.  Well, with one torn ACL in D Rose's knee, they are being reminded of this rather painful fact.  And if Bulls fans wanted to believe in all of the Churchill like dogma being tossed around about the Bulls surviving the loss of their superstar and somehow advancing towards a rematch with the Heat...... they need only let Game 2 slap them back into reality.  There's a difference between where the Bulls were and where they are now without Derrick Rose.  Did you see what I saw last night Bulls fans or are you still as delusional as Tibs and the Bulls brain trust are?  The grand illusion was exposed, no question about it.  Only this time. it didn't take the star power of LeBron and the Heat to do it.  No, all it took was one torn ACL to expose the flawed basketball creation of Gar Pax.  There they were, the survivors of the try hard movement.  They came out in Bulls colors and they tried hard and they pleaded for support and then..... they struggled to create their own shots or find an offensive rhythm and subsequently blew a gasket in the second half.  Actually, witnessing the 35 point second half wasn't that surprising to me.  What was surprising is how the Bulls simply weren't quick enough defensively to combat the dribble penetration of the 76ers.  Without their superstar, the little engine that could suddenly went boom.  More to the point, the Bulls playoff express imploded like the Blues mobile did after reaching Daley Plaza.  So am I angry?  No.  Disappointed is more of the word.  I WILL be angry if the Bulls lose the series to the Sixers and nothing is done to make sure that this team can adequately survive another injury to D Rose.  I WILL be angry if Gar Pax and Tibs and the rest of the Bulls brain trust continue to say they they're good enough to contend once they get Rose back.  Ask yourself..... What will D Rose look like when he does return?  Who knows if he'll be the same.  This is Chicago, major injuries to star players rarely have a happy ending.  And if Gar Pax expects Rose to ride back in after major knee surgery and carry them back to this point again, they are as delusional as they appear.  GarPax's creation has been exposed.  In fact, the short sidedness of the Bulls organization has been exposed.  You can't help but ask yourself why the Bulls organization would build their dream house without a fail safe behind it or without the hindsight to insulate themselves from the catastrophe that occurred when Derrick Rose crumpled to the court in agony.  So... there's nothing to do now but wait and hope that somehow the playoff basketball joy doesn't end in a week or two.  And if does, I want Gar Pax to Rose proof their baby.  No more hemming and hawing when a move needs to be made, no more celebrating the lunch pail mentality of a team that will continously win the regular season and probably nothing else.  It's time for action Gar Pax.  It's time to step up.  Your move guys.