The News

Here’s the Friday News from the booth:

Dateline Racine, Wisconsin. My dear mother, Milly Vagnoni, hits it big playing bingo at the Roma Lodge last night. She won one game by herself and split another for a grand total of $112.50. Armed guards escorted Vagnoni and her associates, Maryann Behling and Debbie Snowtala to their car with her loot. It was the first time Vagnoni had won anything since sometime in 2013. She only smiled when asked on what she planned to spend her winnings.

Dateline Highland Park, Illinois. A new “Flash” craze was born Thursday afternoon. Seemingly out of nowhere, Patty 4-Names organized an impromptu “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” viewing party on Facebook. The response was unprecedented. The total number of viewers is still being tallied. No word from 4-Names on what cinematic treasure will be next.

Dateline Hoddson Hants, England: Christine Tulley is organizing the famous Taylor Sisters and their families in a Race For Life event. They would be participating to honor their sister Sue Symes who lost her battle with cancer September 30, 2013. The tentative date is May 18 in Harlow. Details to follow as they become available.

Local Weather: Today – Clouds breaking, brisk and chilly. High 44°/Low 24°. Saturday – Partly sunny and chilly. High 40°/Low 24°. Sunday – Sunny, breezy and warmer. High 55°/Low 38°. Monday – Mostly cloudy, rain possible; breezy. High 56°/Low 29°.

Celebrity Birthdays: Conchata Ferrell – 71, Ken Howard – 70, Dianne West – 66, Reba McEntire – 59, Bart Conner – 56, Salt – 48, Tracey Needham – 47, Rodney Atkins – 45, Vince Vaughn – 44, Julia Stiles – 33 and Lady Gaga – 28.

Sports: The Brewers, Cubs and White Sox all open their seasons on Monday. A bit of prognostication from the booth:

NL Central

1. St. Louis Cardinals

2. Milwaukee Brewers*

3. Pittsburgh Pirates

4. Cincinnati Reds

5. Chicago Cubs

*Wild Card

AL Central

1. Detroit Tigers

2. Cleveland Indians

3. Kansas City Royals

4. Chicago White Sox

5. Minnesota Twins

Friday’s Funny:

At the end of Mass, Father O’Hara told his congregation, “Next week I plan to preach about the sin of lying. To better help you understand my sermon, I want you all to read Mark 17.”

The following Sunday, as he prepared to deliver his sermon, Father O’Hara asked for a show of hands. He wanted to know how many had ready Mark 17. Every hand shot up in the air.

Father O’Hara smiled and said, “Mark has only sixteen chapters. I will now proceed with my sermon on the sin of lying.”

BREAKING NEWS! Reliable sources are reporting that “More Kenosha Softball” will now be available at RK News on 75^th Street in Kenosha. This is in addition to the Kenosha History Center. You can still arrange a personal book signing by calling (262) 671-4251.

Until next time…from the booth.

Random Rambling…

When I write a blog I typically have a specific topic or theme. That’s not the case here. Nope, today I am just going to spout off about things in general. This is just stuff that has been going through my oversized melon the past few days. My last two blogs have been originals; not reposts. I have been working my way up to getting back to working on my book. We shall see. Before that, I simply feel like reflecting on some fairly innocuous subjects. Merely some random rambling…

I am a creature of habit. Big time. I appreciate things happening in a certain order. Not being a fan of change, I like to know what to expect next. No surprises for me, give me what I am comfortable with. If I enjoy something, I want it to be there for me to continue enjoying.

This is why I think WGN radio stinks.

Thursday night when I plopped into bed, I hit preset number 3 on my Bose radio. Number three is WGN 720 and at 10:30 pm Turi Ryder should be yakking about something. Turi is on Monday thru Thursday from 10:00 pm-1:00 am. Her show is what I have been going to sleep to since she took over for Milt Rosenberg six months ago. It had become part of my routine.

That suddenly came to a screeching halt when Turi announced that this was her final show.

Seems that WGN, in their infinite wisdom, was changing their schedule yet again. This got me to digging around the Internet to find what or who was replacing Turi.

Boy was surprised when I found the new schedule. Please remember, I don’t like surprises.

Not only are they axing Turi’s show, they are eliminating the WGN Sports Night show that was on weeknights from 7:00-10:00. Although the show was mainly Chicago sports and featured the pompous David Kaplan as one of it’s hosts, I listened to it on occasion. Along with Kaplan, Brian Noonan and Andrea Darlas also hosted. This served to counter Kaplan’s arrogance and self-importance and made the show fairly entertaining.

But WGN Sports Night is also gone.

In it’s place? The David Kaplan Show from 7:00 to midnight, Monday thru Friday. Nice, huh? Not only have two decent shows been eradicated, they are being replaced by five hours of the pretentious Kaplan’s special brand of patronizing blather. The icing on the cake is that it pushes the über-popular Nick Digilio show on Friday nights from 10:00 pm-2:00 am to midnight-5:00 am Saturday morning. That is the final straw.

Like I said, WGN radio stinks.

While I am rambling about Chicago related things, let’s discuss which of Chicago’s sports team “owns” the city of big shoulders. The reason I bring this up is because Chicago Tribune sports writer David Haugh wrote that the Hawks were at the top of the Chicago sports heap. He even went so far as to declare that the “Transcendent Cup champs have eclipsed, at least for the moment, even Bears in unifying city."

Sorry, Mr. Haugh, I don’t agree. Chicago is, and will always be, a Bears town. In fact, I would take it a step further and say that the Cubs rank higher popularity-wise in the windy city. Here is how I rank ‘em:

1. Bears
2. Cubs
3. Bulls (tie)
3. Hawks (tie)
5. White Sox (and fading)

I was going to randomly ramble some more, but the Brewer/Pirate game just came on. I am delighted to announce that Craig Coshun is handling the play-by-play while Brian Anderson pursues his national gig on TBS. I hope the Diamondback and Brave fans enjoy him. The can have him.

Hey! The Pirates are wearing their black and mustard uniforms from the ‘70s! They are too sweet. I guess I will watch for a while. Hope it’s a good game, because Monk isn’t on today.

Until next time…from the booth.

Why All The Hate?

Interleague play began this weekend with American League and National League teams that don’t normally play each other during the regular season are doing battle. Typically, geographical matchups like the Yankees vs. the Mets, the Dodgers vs. the Angels and the Cubs vs. the White Sox are featured. 

Because of proximity, these are natural rivalries and the competition can be intense at times as illustrated in the photo to the left. That is A.J. Pierzynski of the White Sox and Michael Barrett of the Cubs squaring off back in 2006.

As heated as the competition has been between the players on the two Chicago teams over the years, it might be even more passionate among the fans of their teams. Plainly put, these people don’t like each other. At all.

Listening to the folks calling in on the WSCR last night and today made this point abundantly clear to me. The vitriol and venom reminded me of what a Packer fan hears when venturing into a Bear bar. It ain’t pretty.

On facebook, I asked longtime WSCR producer Herb Lawrence for his take on the animosity between the two factions. He replied:

“In my experience I believe that Sox fans concern themselves with the Cubs and Cubs fans. Inferiority complex is why I believe they do it. I haven't had many conversations with Cubs fans about this, but they seem to be concerned only with their team when they are not playing the Sox.”

This is coming from a Sox fan that is levelheaded and it makes sense. However, his sensibility is the exception rather than the rule. Most Cub fans intensely despise Sox fans and visa versa.

While this is a meatball mentality, I can understand it with people who live, or have lived, in Chicago or one of it’s many suburbs. What I don’t understand is why Cub fans from Kenosha, Racine or Milwaukee would automatically hate the White Sox.

That doesn’t make sense. That mindset is even more meatball.

Based on that way of thinking, is it mandatory for a person from Akron, Ohio, who happens to be a Yankees fan, to hate the Mets? It makes as much sense.

Because this truly perplexes me, I posted this question on facebook:

“A question for my friends that are Cub fans AND those that are White Sox fans. With the two teams squaring off in interleague playoff this weekend, I am reminded that many of you, that not don't live in Chicago, HATE the opposing team. Why? I can understand it if you are from Chicago, that I get? But those of you who don't, what gives? It has befuddled me for a long time. Discuss…”

The response was meager and did little to solve my conundrum.

Jimmy “Mr. Clean” Wilson, a life long Sox fan, echoed Herb’s inferiority complex theory.  He said,

“Paulie, back in the day the Sox, like now, didn’t have the cash flow the Cubs had. We would pick up a lot of leftover players and be happy with beat-up Comiskey. The Cubs always with a big pick, spending like drunken sailors.”

Randy Lain, one of the most impassioned Cub fans that I know, had this to say:

“I don't hate the Sox but I do have a good-natured "ribbing" fest with my son-in-law. He’s a Sox fan and he gives me "the business" pretty well. I tell him he's gonna get a call from world renowned divorce attorneys… Dewey, Cheatem, and Howe. LOL”

He continued with:

“I think a lotta people sort of take their cue from what they see on TV. If someone says they gotta hate the Sox, they hate the Sox. When I was growing up the Sox were really like a minor league team, as far as fan interest. Even now, with the Cubs in rebuild mode, there are far more Cub fans in the Midwest than Sox fans, and in K-Town it's not even close. So to me they're not much of a factor…”

Randy’s comment reinforces the thought that Cub fans feel their team is superior to the Sox. But it still doesn’t tell me why people from Wisconsin should care so much about the OTHER team from Chicago.

Maybe, like so many things with sports, there is no good reason for this phenomenon. Like the “unwritten rules of baseball”, it’s just another meatball institution. It is what it is.

That being said, unless someone can give me a better explanation, I’m going to go with Patty 4-Names’ hypothesis. In her own unique style she commented:

“I deduced from years at the Board of Trade that it all goes back to the old North Side/South Side Irish feud. As for those who don't and never did live in Chicago, I have no idea. They oughtta get their OWN team!”

Makes sense to me!

Before you leave the site, please jump on my poll and vote for your favorite football movies. There are two polls so you can vote twice! Sort of like being in Chicago. Until next time…from the booth.

10 Reasons To Go D’oh!

According to Wikipedia, “D’oh” is a catchphrase used by the fictional character Homer Simpson, from the long-running animated sitcom, The Simpsons. It is typically used when Homer injures himself, realizes that he has done something stupid, or when something bad has happened or is about to happen to him. I usually use something a tad bit stronger when I injure myself or if something bad happens to me. D’oh! is what I utter when reading or hearing something that I consider unbelievably idiotic.

Here are 10 reasons for me go D’oh!

1. The hoity-toity aristocrats looking down on those of us that put ketchup on a hot dog.

-  These same folks most likely enjoy ham and pineapple on a pizza. Lighten up Francis and put some ketchup on your wiener.

2. The contingent of basketball fans who think the NBA began when Michael Jordan became a Chicago Bull.

- Because the NBA is currently irrelevant, this hardly matters. What does matter is whether this group is aware that Ronald Reagan wasn’t the first President of the United States. I’m scared to know the answer.

3. People forgetting what Leonard Little did while continuing to vilify Michael Vick.

- Although I would never invite either of them to dinner, what Vick did to animals was deplorable and hideous. What Little did took the life of another HUMAN BEING. There is a difference.

4. Michele Bachmann, State Fair Corn Dogs and Elvis’ Birthday. Not individually, but together.

- Well, I suppose you could make a case for Bachmann all by herself.

5. Individuals refusing to understand that not everything in life is black and white.

- The time has come for people to realize most issues in life come in various shades of gray. The sooner people realize this, the better.

6. Millionaire TV personality Kelly Ripa worrying on air how much it’s going to cost to send their kids to college.

- The insipid studio audience audibly showing their concern for Ripa’s dilemma magnified the absurdity of this scenario exponentially. After a loud D’oh!, I vomited in my mouth.

7. Some White Sox fans still pining for Aaron Rowand to return to the pale hose.

 - C’mon folks, there’s a reason why he just got released by the San Francisco Giants. He’s not any good any more, face it.

8. Cub fans sincerely believing that Prince Fielder will be a Chicago Cub next season.

- Is it proper to use delusional and ignorant in the same sentence? I am serious about this. Very serious. Anyone who truly believes this knows very little about Prince Fielder.

9. Voice of the People letters in the Kenosha News signed, “Name Withheld”.

- If someone is too cowardly to sign their name to a letter, they should be required to sign it - Gutless, scumbag worm meat.

 10. People hating what they don’t understand.

- This news flash just in. There are a multitude of religions, political views, cultures and ideologies in the world! Everybody doesn’t think or live the same way as you do. To hate because you don’t understand something isn’t ignorant, it’s unconscionable.

Obviously some of these are much more significant than others, but for me they are 10 reasons to go D’oh! As always, your comments and opinions are welcome.

Until next time…from the booth.