The Critic

I think Boston and Philly are still better hockey towns than Chicago, unfortunately. People seem to care more about the teams in those cities, unlike here, where the overwhelming majority of people seem to just ignore the Hawks, even during the stretches where they DESERVE to be seen. ...wonder what the free TV situation is in Boston and Philly??? :fyou Wirtz for never understanding how to BUILD a fanbase...

If they lose BOTH Guardado and Hawkins, then I think the division is back up for grabs. If they keep either one to close, I think they're still better than the Sox or Royals as they stand right now.

The Boneyard The Tailgate Area The Back Room Take It Outside Critic's Corner

I have found the most effective response to be indifference. Just saying "I suppose" when they try to brag throws my Cubbie friends into utter confusion. I tell them that the next game I care about happens on March 4th, and I might as well be watching the WNBA until then - that's how much I care about the playoffs. It's easy for me to say, because it's true...since the Sox are done, I won't watch. Don't have any interest in it. If it's on at the bar or Best Buy or someplace when I'm out, I'll take a look, but I have ZERO interest in who wins or loses. I kinda like Boston and Oakland, but not enough to follow them, and the only NL team I like even a little is Florida. Watching the sCrUBS and Braves is like watching your two worst enemies fight - you don't really care who wins as long as BOTH have to go to the hospital. Twinkies and Spankees fall into the same category....

The only thing that will stop this from being a "sCrUB town" is if they move out of Chewing Gum Park. That place is the ENTIRE reason for the Lovable Losers' appeal. Yahoos from Iowa will NOT make the journey to Tribune Field in Arlington Heights, or even if they built "Harry Caray Memorial Stadium at Tribco Yards" at the same exact location. The overwhelming majority of Cub followers aren't all that interested in the actual team - it's about their childhood memories of running home to see afternoon games on WGN, or it's about the ballpark, or it's about how LONG they've suffered...anything but the actual business of winning baseball games. If the sCrUBS do happen to win, it's a happy accident ( and a chance to get on TV whooping it up at Smiling J.P. McBullfrog's Irish Pub and Sports Bar and Grill ( or some other such trendy trap ). Seems that the fascination with new ballparks is over, given the miserable attendance at places such as Miller Park and PNC ( although they actually care if their team wins or loses there, so that may not be an accurate comparison to the Cubbie Cultists ), so if the Trib ever did get sick of that neighborhood's residents, they'd have to re-create Chewing Gum Park exactly ( which they couldn't do AND stuff it with corporate suites ) to placate the Cultists.

Give it a week or so, that song should either fade away or become funny.... ...with any luck, that is...

I just saw a report that shows the offer as 3 years for 10-12 million per. The elevators in my building show wire reports, but I didn't catch the source. They usually use cnnsi.com, so maybe that's where it was from... If true, that's not a bad deal for either side, IMO.

For me, sexual ( or romantic, non-sexual ) exclusivity is a matter of trust. In my mind, intimacy is the most personal thing you can give to someone, and if I vow to share that only with my wife, and she vows the same, it becomes a key component of our relationship. If either of us could break that vow, that throws the entire matter of trust into doubt, and I couldn't live that way. As things are, I have complete and unwavering trust in my wife, and she in me. We each know that we would never hurt each other in any way. If one of us were to betray that, the relationship could NEVER be the same. You can forgive ( or TRY to ) but you can NEVER forget. You'd wonder just a little every time one of you went out without the other. If it happened once, it can happen at any time. The emotional part is as important as the physical, at least in my mind.

I am honest though. How many people on her probably said 'oh no I'd never cheat,' even though they have done it. Being single and 18 is an ENTIRELY different situation, and not one I really was addressing. In my opinion, NO 18-year-old should be in an exclusive relationship. I don't think you've experienced enough in life to limit your possibilities. But once you're committed ( even if the other person is committed and BELIEVES that you are ), then you have to think before you act. If you don't, then you are a selfish pig. I hate to sound holier-than-thou, but I really feel strongly about that. I was cheated on once, and I remember that feeling too well.

TRUTH. Fact of the matter is, if you were in your relationship for any length of time, there would probably have been a situation where you could have cheated or gotten out BEFORE it got too serious. If you didn't then, there is NO excuse for cheating later. The "number of opportunities" theory is a LAME excuse - "OH, they WORE ME DOWN!!! SO MANY WOMEN HEAPING THEMSELVES ON ME.... I could refuse until the 243rd woman, but a man can only take SO MUCH...." Please.

ABSOLUTELY! That has been a VERY disturbing trend against the Sox for a few years now. Some scouts need to be hired, or fired, or whatever the case may be. It's an embarrassment to be run over by unknowns only to see them get shelled by other teams.

Never cheated on anyone. Looking at people is natural. Being tempted is even natural. Acting on it is weak and deceitful.

Did you pay for the signatures? If they were free, I can see JR giving the players pens full of disappearing ink!

Think it was coincidence that I got a free trial issue of the Cubune today? I didn't even take the f***er out of the plastic sleeve. Threw it right in the garbage. I'm actually surprised that I don't miss the newspaper at all. I go to CNN.com for news and check the Sox stories and entertainment stories from the SunTimes website. Works for me. Plus, I can walk a different route to the bus stop, since I don't have to go to the gas station for the paper, and I can leave the house 10 minutes later. It's a "Win-Win" situation - THANKS, Lovable Losers!!!

It just didn't happen. I'm disappointed, but not because the sCrUBS won the Comedy Central. The Twins proved that they are the better team, and I have to accept that. But really, the disappointment is fading quickly. No point in wondering what might have happened. March 4th is on my radar now, and it doesn't really matter to me what goes on in the playoffs. Sox aren't in, so neither am I. Let the season go, Killa - life's too short - besides, there's plenty of anger to direct at the SlackHawks!!!

I went all alphabetical on yo ass!!! Sorry about that....but I guess I gave some subliminal props to TOCT for winning TWO more games than the Sox did.... It will NEVER happen again!!!!

Just to add to the frustration of this season: The sCrubs wound up only TWO GAMES better than the Sox this year. The Sox go home, the sCrubs go to Atlanta. That's what happens when (1) your division is a LITTLE worse than the AL Central and (2) you actually take care of business against a divisional rival. That early September 4-of-5 from St. Louis made the difference for them, I think. That said.........I can now let this season go. March 4th can't come fast enough.

I agree with CWSOX45 - I would also add the shortstop situation as another major question mark for 2004. Will the Sox make a serious push for either Matsui or Tejada? SHOULD they make a run at Tejada, or would he just be a better hitting Jose Valentin? The SS position needs a serious upgrade, and the system doesn't seem to have a solid guy to plug in right now.

9 seasons as the primary shortstop 10 seasons at first base. Don't know if that counts as "barely". At one point he had the single season record for HR by a SS - 47, I believe... He was a pretty good SS in his day, and bear in mind that he played plenty of SS in the Negro Leagues too. Banks + arrogance + cheating - good attitude = Sosa

and when they drive, KH will say "GET UP! STRETCH!!" and when the ball is headed toward the sand or water...."STAY FAIR....it won't" Have fun.

...and as soon as they change the award to "strikeouts per inning pitched", this minor quibble of yours might have some relevance...until then... ESTEBAN LOAIZA, 2003 AL STRIKEOUT KING.

Well, that's it. Baseball has come to an end for me. Bring on the LackHawks, I guess. Thanks to the Sox for a lot of fun days and nights, and I refuse to dwell on the negative. NEXT YEAR.....next year....

This "magical Cubbie season" has saved me a LOT of newspaper money. I just look at the Sox stories on the Internet and forget about buying the paper at all. Except for the annoying split-screen last night and the invasive coverage that pre-empted the LackHawks broadcast, I managed to completely avoid any mention of the Comedy Central Division champions. Spent a LOT more time playing with my kid, so THAT felt good.

And while I'm at it, CLASS MOVE by Mark Buerhle to give up his start to let Loaiza chase the personal stuff that meant a lot to Esteban. Mark Buerhle

CONGRATULATIONS to Esteban Loaiza for leading the AL in strikeouts!!!