GONNA CHOKE again, and I think it's great. All that money spent, just to bow out in 1st round again??? HORRIBLE. Proves they really are WANNABEES. Want to be just like the CARDINALS!!! LOL
I'm still holding out for the Cubs to be the first NL team to lose the first two post season games and still win the series. Go Cubs! Go Sox! Keep the dream alive!!!
go cubs. dont matter if cubs win, they still usually have a better season than the cardinals. cause the cardinals suck and get lucky. the cubs arent wannabees they are human and we all make mistakes, kind of like cardinal fans for liking a crappy team. LOL
I have tickets for Monday's game at Wrigley and have 2 chances of going; slim and none. Biggest chokers in the history of sports, period. Why do they play Fukudome when he can't even come close to making contact with a ptich ? He doesn't even belong in AA. At least the Sox were in it yesterday right up to the final inning despite having their worst guy on the mound and playing in that lame dome stadium. Cubs are done in sweep; Sox will make a comeback and advance, as they have 3 solid starters left to pitch and are not a bunch of crybabies that can't handle pressure..
The year has been a fantastic year. It does suck to end on such a bad showing. Of all the teams I did not want to face the Dodgers. They were the hottest team in the 2nd half. I think the decision to not pitch Z game 1 was brutal and 1 ground ball not turned into a taylor made dp changes everything last night. This has been 2 brutal games to watch. I do hope that if the Dodgers advance they win it all. Torre is a great manager and the Yanks phooked that one up.
The excuses like playing in a Dome are why I hate the Sox fans. You want to talk about crybabies turn the clock back a week and talk about some massive crying over calls. I hope the best to Ozzie and all his clowns, NOT!
And to the Cardinal fans out there. It has to hurt sitting at home the past 2 years. You guys have some serious work to do. Pujols & who? Go spend some $.
Quote from: CEValkyrie on October 03, 2008, 10:54:18 AM
The year has been a fantastic year. It does suck to end on such a bad showing. Of all the teams I did not want to face the Dodgers. They were the hottest team in the 2nd half. I think the decision to not pitch Z game 1 was brutal and 1 ground ball not turned into a taylor made dp changes everything last night. This has been 2 brutal games to watch. I do hope that if the Dodgers advance they win it all. Torre is a great manager and the Yanks phooked that one up.
The excuses like playing in a Dome are why I hate the Sox fans. You want to talk about crybabies turn the clock back a week and talk about some massive crying over calls. I hope the best to Ozzie and all his clowns, NOT!
Don't count the Cubs out yet, Brett. The Sox had to win three games in a row against three different teams to get into the playoffs...first time that's happened EVER in baseball!
Domes are one thing but have you seen the rules that they have in that dome for ground rule doubles and home runs? It's like "If it hits off of cat walk A and then bounces off cat walk 4 then it is a ground rule double but if it hits catwalk 2 and then rolls off cat walk b then its a home run but if it hits cat walk b on a fly then its a foul ball"...come on! That's not baseball, that's miniature golf. Put a windmill up there while you're at it. And then the part about don't be confused by other balls being dislodged by a ball hitting one of the cat walks. It's so ridiculous it's funny!
Quote from: CEValkyrie on October 03, 2008, 10:54:18 AM
The year has been a fantastic year. It does suck to end on such a bad showing. Of all the teams I did not want to face the Dodgers. They were the hottest team in the 2nd half. I think the decision to not pitch Z game 1 was brutal and 1 ground ball not turned into a taylor made dp changes everything last night. This has been 2 brutal games to watch. I do hope that if the Dodgers advance they win it all. Torre is a great manager and the Yanks phooked that one up.
The excuses like playing in a Dome are why I hate the Sox fans. You want to talk about crybabies turn the clock back a week and talk about some massive crying over calls. I hope the best to Ozzie and all his clowns, NOT!
And to the Cardinal fans out there. It has to hurt sitting at home the past 2 years. You guys have some serious work to do. Pujols & who? Go spend some $.
Don't blame you for being bitter. Two very bad games from what appeaed to be a very good club. it was brutal and has put the Cubs in a hole that might be too deep.
No questioon the Yankees blew it by letting go of Torre. However, everybody in Boston was happy to be rid of Manny and he has just been...Manny. Right now he is the most dangeorus player in baseball. The Dodgers had a very hard time scoring before he arrived. If I was Pinella I would say, "Ramirez will not beat us. Somebody else may, but not Ramierez" I would walk him every single time unless he comes up with bases empty and the Cubs have more than a one run lead. I would force the other guys try to get a clutch hit.
Other than the Twinkie dome I don't think any Sox fan will make any excuse for any place. There is no question that the Twinkie dome has become a house of horrors for the Sox. Much of the horror is their own fault. The Sox almost failed to make the playoffs because they nearly choked. It had nothing to do with a goat, a grabby fan or anything other than the team playing like [inert your expletive here]. There is no excuse. They sucked. Yesterday's loss in Tampa was not because of a dome. It was because the starting pitcher could not hold a lead and their bright young rookie shined in the spotlight. The Sox's most reliable pitcher is going today and if all goes well the Sox come home 1-1. I still think the Sox are a very loose bunch after their near death experience. Of course, we will see what song I am singing later today...
I don't think the Sox loss had anything to do with the dome either. But that doesn't make me hate domes any less. Domes suck and shouldn't be in baseball.
Sox players and coach never voiced any excuse about bad calls in the MN dome, just carried on, won 3 critical games under pressure (something the Cubs always fail at) and are now in the playoffs. They know their team is old and slow; not a good match for playing on concrete with carpet like younger teams, but they make no excuses for it. They win games by the long ball and that's about it.
The Sox have never choked like what I have seen the Cubs do, not only in game 1 and 2, but in their last 8 in a row post season. The clearest example of them being big crybaby's still reamins; blaming Bartman for their loss on a foul ball, when it was the following error on a routine grounder (choke) that lost the game.
It was Hawk and DJ that cried about the bad calls last week in the Hump-Dome, that Hefty bag lined excuse for a ballfield. There were bad calls, but that's the human element of baseball.
As I was driving around today for work and listening to sports radio, everyone agreed that the Sox are too old, slow and lack the defense to play well in domes. Astroturf and concrete speed up ground balls and the Sox are homerun hitters that don't hit many ground balls. Also, the ball that got lost in the brightness of the dome, backlit with sunlight is a fact, not some made up excuse for the dome.
Brett, any time you would like to stop backing the North Side team, you are welcome to join the fun on the South Side. After all, "Loser" is in the Cubs' nickname, "Loveable Losers". That's just not a good nickname.
We battle... Cubs fans vs. Sox fans all day here at my job. I will tell you that the Cubs fans here are the whiniest bunch I have ever seen. but after a century of crying about your team - season after season, I get it. I don't even blame you guys for it. You just have to stop believing the hype. They will never win a World Series in your lifetime. Get over it. Move on. Come on to the South Side.
As for the Sox, they were never supposed to make it in the top 3 in their division according to all the experts. Anything they acheive in this post season is bonus. Go Go Sox!
I just hope all of Brett's Sox bashing won't chase away our Sox loving IOS players! ;D I'm probably the only one who thinks that's funny but sometimes you gotta post just for your own amusement.
(Brett, when you chuck me in the shoulder at IOS 6 for this post, please don't hit me in my sore shoulder!)
Jon,
Sox fans can take it. We know we are outnumbered in this town by a 3-2 margin. We have been hearing the same brand of garbage our entire lives. Our loyalty has been rewarded handsomely with a World Series title. I have won so much money from Cubs fans in my life that it is embarrassing. I take no offense at what Brett (or Michler) says. I honestly feel sorry for Cubs fans. Everyone is entitled to an opinion. But hey, some people actually think Sarah Palin won the debate.
I wonder if there was the same banter back in the day when the Bears and the Cardinals both played football in Chicago. I had an acquaintance who played with the championship winning Cardinals when they played in Chicago. On "Old Guy" NFL day at Soldier Field the Bears always invited the old Cardinals players who were still alive and living in Chicago. Pretty classy...especially for the Halas' and the McCaskey's. Anyway, I never thought to ask him about cross town rivalry of the day.
Win or lose, I'll have some sweet looking Cubs discs done for IOS 6. Bears too. Maybe even some Green Bay.
I finally did something with my Michigan mask I made earlier in the year. The yellow with blue trim turned out fantastic. The blue with yellow trim turned out ok.
Quote from: CEValkyrie on October 03, 2008, 10:54:18 AM
The year has been a fantastic year. It does suck to end on such a bad showing. Of all the teams I did not want to face the Dodgers. They were the hottest team in the 2nd half. I think the decision to not pitch Z game 1 was brutal and 1 ground ball not turned into a taylor made dp changes everything last night. This has been 2 brutal games to watch. I do hope that if the Dodgers advance they win it all. Torre is a great manager and the Yanks phooked that one up.
The excuses like playing in a Dome are why I hate the Sox fans. You want to talk about crybabies turn the clock back a week and talk about some massive crying over calls. I hope the best to Ozzie and all his clowns, NOT!
And to the Cardinal fans out there. It has to hurt sitting at home the past 2 years. You guys have some serious work to do. Pujols & who? Go spend some $.
they will spend some money. Pujols is the best in MLB hands down, just look at his 1st 8 seasons, NO ONE matched that ever, not even The Babe!! If they completed half of their 40 blown saves, they finish ahead of the CUBS by like 6 games. Injuries killed us this year, but how many TITLES do the Cards have???> OH YEA 10. The cubs haven't even played in 10 WORLD SERIES!!! LMAO fIELD THE BALL, AND BIG Z wins Game #2, and they actually have a chance still, but down 0-2, put a fork in them, they are DONE!!!!!
IT'S NOT GONNA HAPPEN!!! Not in this LIFETIME, I mean cmon, it's the CUBS. BIGGEST CHOKERS in all of sports. GO DODGERS
Cubs season tickets - FREE
Steve Bartman crying :'( towel - $5.00
KNOWING the Cubs will NEVER win the World Series - PRICELESS
manny is scary, dodgers nothing to lose vs "destiny team"
any thing can happen in a 5 game series
The L flag has been raised.
Better luck next year !
go white sox !
I hate to bring this up at this time but just cannot resist.
I was watching the Sox game with a friend who lives not too far from Wrigley. We were discussing the previous night's game. Like me he will root for the Cubs but considers himself a Sox fan. He relayed a story of a freind of his who wanted to by a specific T shirt. The friend had gone to the park on Thursday evening to see if he could find the shirt he wanted from one of the many venders on the streets. The friend mentioned that the fans filing into the ball park, before the error riddled game, were silent. There was no vibe, no energy, nothing.
I told him that after the previous evening's game that I was starting to beleive that there must be something to the various curse theories. We both agreed that the 2008 edition of the Cubs was a fundamentally sound club with a good manager and good players.
He then offererd this theory. "David, I think its the fans. They have been going for a century without a title. They are downtrodden. They walk into the park with negative energy and that bad kharma infects the players. I can think of no team in pro sports where the relationship between the fans and the team works like it does with the Cubs" At first this sounded silly. However, the idea has grown on me. We have all been in situations where a positive outlook or negative outlook has helped reach a positive or negative result. He went on to explain that the park looked dead when he watched the game on television. Even before the first error the fans looked like deer in headlights. I contrast this with a descripton of US Cellular last night. A co worker was there and described the place as, "rockin'." It is almost as if the fans expect the worst to happen. I have notice this all year. I kept reassuring my Cub fan friends that this year's team is for real. They still foresaw, or perhaps, foretold, the doom of last week. Compare this to Sox fans. A week and a half ago we were not gloomy as much as pXXXed off. We were angry about the way our team was playing.
My friend suggested that after the season (which was still technically alive at the time we spoke on Friday) that fans be invited back to the ball park and that a group session be held. I imagine a charismatic guy like Tom Cruise's character in Magnolia. You guys need to work through the negativity so you can help yourselves and your ball club. A few years ago the Blackhawks used a slogan about bringing back the roar. I think the Cubs need this. A little more roaring and a little less negative projection. The players lost the games but I am starting to believe that the fans have a hand in this as well.
Anybody who has a problem will always have a difficult time admitting so things can move forward. I am sure this will be the same for you. Now is the time. The club is still good and should have plenty of talent in 2009. You, the Cubs fan, can help your club. You need to reexamine your relationship with the team and how you are impacting them.
You would be in as bad mood too if you couldn't tailgate, all you had to eat was cold rubber hot dogs and then waited in line 15 minutes to get splashed while peeing in a horse trough. Cubs and fans = all hot dog and no mustard.
It's the ballpark. The curse said CUBS will not play another World Series at Wrigley Field!!! Build a new ballpark, just to see what happens.
But about the fans, I don't agree with that. Although I think Cubs fans are the worst in all of sports. That thing of throwing opposing teams Homeruns back onto the field is so CHILDISH!!! Give it to a 6 yr old boy at the game with his father. If he wants to throw it back, FINE, but do you throw the CUB homers back??? NO? WHY NOT?
and the bottom line is they CHOKED BIGTIME. Franchise has spent $500,000.00 over 2 years.... for what??? 0-6 in the playoffs. 2 SWEEPS??? WOW Money well spent!!!
CUBS cant win when it matters. A Division Champion is something, but means SQUAT if you can't win a playoff series, HECK 1 GAME FOR THAT MATTER.
WAIT TILL NEXT YEAR, is that coming??? :D
For being one of the most lucrative franchises in baseball it's not that they are doing that poorly business wise. They just haven't performed well in the postseason. You think Manny Ramirez was only a good signing because they made the postseason and won the first round? Take a look at ticket numbers before and after. Sure it's a lot of money, but it was a good BUSINESS decision, just like the Cubs and their ticket sales. The only difference is that the Cubs already had sold out games and weren't getting to the postseason. Now they are spending more and at least making the first round. All this banter is rife with dumb.
the "bringing back the roar " message reflects that the team once had some success in the past
that they wanted to bring back
not so appropriate for cubs ( as they have never had the roar )
Quote from: airspuds on October 07, 2008, 06:09:42 AM
the "bringing back the roar " message reflects that the team once had some success in the past
that they wanted to bring back
not so appropriate for cubs ( as they have never had the roar )
the cubs actually have more success than most teams out there, just not in the post season. they have a roar most of the regular season and they have more of a meow in the post season. one of these seasons they wont ease up on their game in the playoffs and play ball like they do all year long.
Quote from: duain on October 07, 2008, 06:30:09 AM
the cubs actually have more success than most teams out there, just not in the post season. they have a roar most of the regular season and they have more of a meow in the post season. one of these seasons they wont ease up on their game in the playoffs and play ball like they do all year long.
I'll believe it when I see it. They have laid an egg in the post season every year that I can remember. I think it has something to do with the players and the team buying into the whole "curse" thing.
Those regular season trophies probably look really good next to those attendance trophies.
From the owners point of view, why spend big bucks to get hign end experienced players when the Cubs will sell out games whatever their record is ? The lack of true dedication on the fans, however, shows when the stands empty well before the game ends when they are behind, something you don't see on the Southside. IT's more important to get a seat at the bar or the L train than to cheer them on to a late game comeback. Nobody left the Cell early last night until Griffey made his (probable) final MLB swing to end the game.
Quote from: deucemeister on October 07, 2008, 10:25:37 AM
From the owners point of view, why spend big bucks to get hign end experienced players when the Cubs will sell out games whatever their record is ? The lack of true dedication on the fans, however, shows when the stands empty well before the game ends when they are behind, something you don't see on the Southside. IT's more important to get a seat at the bar or the L train than to cheer them on to a late game comeback. Nobody left the Cell early last night until Griffey made his (probable) final MLB swing to end the game.
They have spent money, just poorly. They did bring in Soriano, who was a glorified DH when they signed him, and now he lost his speed too. They paid a lot of money to Ramirez, while he's good, he's done squat in the playoffs, they spent a ton of money on Fukudome, not that other people weren't trying to sign him, but he was a bust this year. They are still waiting for Pie to develop. They put a lot of money into the rotation and bullpen, but Marquis was a bust, just like Howry and the lefty who's name escapes me at the moment.
About the fans, you're right, they do leave early, but they also throw trash on the field when there is a call that doesn't go their way, they have thrown baseballs at their own players, Jaque Jones, and just in game 1 were throwing baseballs at Manny Ramirez. Is this all the fans? No, but they were probably piss drunk at the time. I've actually seen blame be put on the Cubs fans for being the reason they lost. Because they didn't come out and cheer enough, and they booed their players in game 1 when they were losing. But it's always been said that Cubs fans or Wrigley fans, only go to the game to drink beer and check out girls. There are those fans on both sides, but it seems like there's more of that on the North Side than the South Side.
Quote from: pearso66 on October 07, 2008, 11:41:24 AM
Quote from: deucemeister on October 07, 2008, 10:25:37 AM
From the owners point of view, why spend big bucks to get hign end experienced players when the Cubs will sell out games whatever their record is ? The lack of true dedication on the fans, however, shows when the stands empty well before the game ends when they are behind, something you don't see on the Southside. IT's more important to get a seat at the bar or the L train than to cheer them on to a late game comeback. Nobody left the Cell early last night until Griffey made his (probable) final MLB swing to end the game.
They have spent money, just poorly. They did bring in Soriano, who was a glorified DH when they signed him, and now he lost his speed too. They paid a lot of money to Ramirez, while he's good, he's done squat in the playoffs, they spent a ton of money on Fukudome, not that other people weren't trying to sign him, but he was a bust this year. They are still waiting for Pie to develop. They put a lot of money into the rotation and bullpen, but Marquis was a bust, just like Howry and the lefty who's name escapes me at the moment.
About the fans, you're right, they do leave early, but they also throw trash on the field when there is a call that doesn't go their way, they have thrown baseballs at their own players, Jaque Jones, and just in game 1 were throwing baseballs at Manny Ramirez. Is this all the fans? No, but they were probably piss drunk at the time. I've actually seen blame be put on the Cubs fans for being the reason they lost. Because they didn't come out and cheer enough, and they booed their players in game 1 when they were losing. But it's always been said that Cubs fans or Wrigley fans, only go to the game to drink beer and check out girls. There are those fans on both sides, but it seems like there's more of that on the North Side than the South Side.
I'm not going to go any further on the fans. However, I agree regarding management. In the past one could say that management knew the fans would come anyway so they never bothered trying to put a good product on the field. That is no longer the case and has not been the case for a few years. The Cubs spend enough money. This is true even though it is clear that the current ownership is tyring to sell the team. Its also hard to blame the general manager. Hindsight is 20/20 and no player is worth Soriano's money. However, the Cubs have spent money and have put a very good team on the field. Lets look at the scorecard: They have spent enough money. Check for ownership. . They have put good players on the field. Check for the general manager. They have put a tough no-nonsense manager on the field. Check for the field manager (other than letting Soriano lead off). The players are generally good, hard working players. Even a Sox fan has to admire guys like Lee, Da Rosa or Wood. Of course, it was the players who tanked the playoffs. I will say 1/2 check for the players. (Uh, oh. This is starting to sound like the Do Rei Me song from the Sound of Music...)which will bring us back to D' OH... THE FANS. Oh well. I went there. :o
I have put this latest post season blunder under a microscope for a few days now. Yeah, we made some bad decisions regarding personnel (Fukudome batting 2nd/even playing at all...), but despite any blame that falls outside of the players it was just that. No one showed up to play. Not in the first game, especially not in the 2nd game. I feel like halfway through the second game (much like the majority of fans) the players had already given up. Basically it just boils down to a colossal choke job (how many times have I said this about my Cubbies in the past? :-[ ) and we have to move on to the post season and hopefully find a way to avoid this kind of disaster next year. In the mean time, I'll be cheering on the Bulls, hoping they can maybe scrape the 8th seed in the East this year, as well as the Bears who I never would have imagined having a shot at the division title this year.