It’s that time of year again for the Chicago Blackhawks.

If you are a Hawks fan you know exactly what I mean. This is the time of the year when the Circus comes into Chicago, forcing both the Bulls and Blackhawks to go on a 2-week road trip.

The Hawks go into their 2-week road trip confident after winning four straight games. They sit at the 3rd spot in their conference and 1st in their division.

For the most part the Hawks have avoided losing their top players for very long. Kris Versteeg didn’t play Sunday, but he is expected to practice Tuesday. Marian Hossa is practicing with the team, but isn’t due back til late November. Dave Bolland has recently undergone surgery and will miss 12-16 weeks. Finally, Adam Burish  is still expected to miss 6 months.

The Hawks have really nothing to worry about heading into this long road trip. They are playing their best hockey, scoring like maniacs, and their goaltender is making unbelievable saves. All those factors make this a road trip were I can see the Hawks winning 4, maybe 5, games out of the 6.

During the road trip the Hawks will play the Calgary Flames, Edmonton Oilers, Vancouver Canucks, San Jose Sharks, Anaheim Ducks, and the L.A. Kings in that order.

As the schedule shows the Hawks have some tough games, but they also have some easy match ups. Calgary, San Jose, and L.A. all post tough a tough challenge to the Hawks. Edmonton, Vancouver, and Anaheim are all struggling this year, and could be easy opponents for the much more balanced Hawks.

The Hawks play Thursday night in Calgary at 8:30pm cst. Get ready for some Hawks hockey!!

I was very fortunate to see the hockey team I love play at the United Center last Monday.  It’s always a great time at the UC (which is short for United Center). When the Hawks play the place is packed with red and white jerseys, and the occasional road team jersey.

Ten first thing you will get from going to a Hawks game is that the fans are crazy loud. The best part of any Hawks game is the National Anthem. During the Anthem the crowd cheers and claps and cheers and claps more. The last line is answered by a deafening scream.

It surely will make any first time goer feel the love and just pure adrenaline that a Hawks game gives to its fans.

While you might not like hockey, I suggest you at least see one at the UC. It could change your mind.

The Hawks are a franchise moving in the right direction, and one of the only sports teams in Chicago that can say that besides the Chicago Fire. This year the Hawks are already putting up huge numbers. They are first in their division and 3rd in the conference.

What you will find is a franchise that loves its fans. The management knew they needed to do something to make fans believe in them again, and with the signings of Kane, Toews, and other young guns, they have successfully done that. The Hawks have great leaders, something that is overlooked in sports.

The Hawks will continue to grow, and that’s why i suggest you check out Chicago’s best franchise. See you at the Hawks game!

Let me preface this entire article by saying that I have always been a fan of Lou Piniella, and when the Chicago Cubs hired him as their manager in 2006, I was extremely excited.

That being said the most recent collapse and downfall of the goat franchise of Major League Baseball begs the question: is it time to let Lou go and move on?

With the exception of the 2009 season, Piniella has led the Cubs to Central Division Titles in both 2007 and 2008.

Piniella’s first year as the Cubs skipper brought the team 85 wins with 77 loses, which is not extremely impressive, but was enough to give the Cubs the Central Division title. The Cubs seemed to have a lot of young talent, and pitching pitching to be a strength as Carlos Zambrano continued to emerge as what seemed to be a superstar in the making.

Fortune would, however, not smile upon the Cubs as they would be swept out of the 2007 playoffs by the Arizona Diamondbacks.

The season of 2008 was a very exciting year for the Cubs and their fans as it was the 100^th year anniversary of the Cubs last World Series Championship.

The Cubs would achieve the best record in the National League with a record of 97-64, second best in the MLB to only the Angels. This was “their year.”

Once again, through poor hitting and inconsistent pitching, the Cubs were swept out of the first round, this time against Manny Ramirez and the Los Angeles Dodgers.

In 2009, the Cubs came out to a fast start, taking as much as a 4-game lead in the NL Central just after the All-Star break.

But once again, bad pitching and poor at-bats would become the demise of the Cubbies, this time in the regular season.

The only exciting news to come out of Cubs’ camp in September was the suspension of “Terrel Owens wannabe” Milton Bradley for his remarks against the Cubs and their fans.

As I write this article, I see on ESPN that the St. Louis Cardinals have just secured the NL Central Title with their win tonight, and the Cubs are 8.5 games behind them.

They aren’t even mentioned in the NL Wild Card race.

So what we must ask ourselves is: how successful have the Cubs really been under the direction of Sweet Lou?

Yes, we have two division titles, but not even one appearance in so much as an NLCS, let alone a World Series.

With his original three-year contract coming to a close in just a couple of weeks, but with the Cubs already having picked up his option for 2010, what should the Cubs do? Should they keep or extend Lou, even though the results we have seen over the last three years have fallen short of the goal?

Or, should the Cubs let him go and move on to greener pastures?

Personally, I feel that his time has passed. The fire isn’t in his eyes the way it used to be. The emotion is no longer there.

Yes, the occasional “Lou Rant” shows itself. But seemingly, the days of kicking dirt and spitting and stealing second base are over.

This team needs a face lift. They need pitching, badly. Zambrano is a great #2 or #3 guy, but his inconsistency and poor attitude leads me to believe he is not an Ace.

The good news is, there is a lot of young talent on this Cubs team.  Jake Fox, Tyler Colvin (who has replaced Bradley and done quite well), Jeff Baker, the list goes on.

It’s time for a new look, and a new era.

Lou, I love ya man, but its time for you pack your bags…and while you’re at it, why don’t you take Fukudome, Zambrano, and Bradley with you?

You can follow BigMB on twitter at www.twitter.com/mylesb3269

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* – Lou Piniella sipping champagne photo credit: The Cubs Brickyard

* – Lou Piniella staring photo credit: AP via SI.com

Out of all these great games, there is one that you can’t miss: the matchup between the Chicago Bears and the Green Bay Packers on Sunday night.

The Bears-Packers rivalry is the longest in NFL history, and it’s also one of the greatest. These two teams have played in 177 regular and post-season match-ups with the Bears currently holding the all-time series lead with a 91-80-6 record.

Before looking at the strengths and weaknesses of the Chicago Bears that will have the most bearing on Sunday night’s game, here is all of the info you need to be ready for kickoff:

Chicago Bears (0-0) at Green Bay Packers (0-0)

• Bears-Packers Date: Sunday, September 13th
• Bears-Packers TV & Kickoff Time: 8:30 ET on NBC
• Bears-Packers Location: Lambeau Field in Green Bay
• Bears-Packers Announcers: Al Michaels and Cris Collinsworth
• Bears-Packers Point Spread: GB -3.5
• Bears-Packers Over-Under: 46.5
• Ronald Clements, MSF: Bears-Packers Preview and Analysis
• StubHub: Bears @ Packers Tickets | Packers @ Bears tickets 12/13/09 as low as $79
• StubHub: 2009 Green Bay Packers tickets
• StubHub: 2009 Chicago Bears tickets
• StubHub: great deals on all NFL tickets

And now let’s take a lot at the strengths and weakness of the 2009 Chicago Bears, and how they will impact Sunday night’s game against Packers, as well as the rest of the season.

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Chicago Bears’ Weaknesses That Could Lead to a Packer Beatdown

Sunday’s matchup will be a test for how well these teams’ defenses will play in 2009. The Packers, with no doubt, were the best team this preseason. Their new 3-4 defense worked flawlessly and Aaron Rodgers looked sharp, just as he always does. That tandem — an improving defense and an emerging star at QB — could be a nightmare for the Bears.

The Bears had a modest preseason, with neither the defense nor offense really blowing any team away. What worries me the most is the Bears defense. It is a toss-up as to how well they will perform Sunday night because it’s really up to the defense to stop the pass. If they can’t do that, Rodgers and top WR Greg Jennings may make the Bears defense look like an intramural football team.

The receiving positon also makes me worry.

While I believe the Bears have a good enough receiving corps to make the offense work, I still, in the back of my mind, feel like the Bears need a proven go-to receiver. Devin Hester hasn’t shown enough talent as a route runner to show me that he deserves the #1 spot. In fact, no receiver has shown me that, and it worries me the most.

The Bears are going to need every receiver to chip in a little for this team to be successful.

Now that we’ve discussed the Bears’ weaknesses, let’s take a look at this team’s strengths.

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Bears’ Strengths That Could Lead to a Victory Over the Packers

Every team has their weaknesses and strengths. It’s just a question of which category will shine through on game day.

As a team, the Bears have a lot of reasons to be optimistic about their chances of winning Sunday night’s game against rival Green Bay.

First of all, there is Matt Forte.

Forte was just breathtaking last season. A steal in the 2nd round, Forte has the talent to be a Pro Bowler for many years to come. A strong, yet agile running back, Forte can run, block, and catch. Is there anything else you could ask for from a back?

I think not.

If the Bears have any chance of having a good game Sunday night and a good year in 2009, Forte has to at least repeat his success from his rookie year.

Jay Cutler also has to perform like a Pro Bowler.

All eyes will be watching this guy after the Bears gave up a lot to get him. He could be the answer the Bears need at the QB position after failed attempts with the likes of Jim Miller, Chris Chandler, Rex Grossman, Kordell Stewart, Chad Hutchinson, Kyle Orton, and many more.

Most Chicagoans are optimistic about the 2009 season and the future with Cutler taking the snaps, but the truth is that it could be a hit or a miss for the Bears. If Cutler doesn’t perform it could be really bad. When you give away that many draft picks for one player, you better 100% believe he can drive your team victory. If not, there are going to be lots and lots of formerly optimistic Chicagoans who become angry and frustrated.

Probably the most underrated part of any football team is the O-line. In the Bears’ case, the O-line has to play well or, like with any other team, the whole season will be lost. If there is no protection, neither Forte’s nor Cutler’s talents will be worth anything.

The Bears’ O-line is significantly younger this year, and that’s actually a positive thing. It seemed that every year in the recent past the old O-line would be bullied around by the defensive tackles. It wasn’t a pretty sight to see the Bears suffer so much on offense. With the offense not killing time so the defense can rest, both parts of the team suffered.

This aspect of the Bears’ attack should be improved this season.

All strengths don’t have to be 100% percent perfect this Sunday, but they darn well better be close, or I sense a beat down by the Packers.

In reality, this game could be a spectacular coming-out party for the Bears, or it could be a nightmare. It can really go either way. That’s something you don’t want to think about as a fan.

No matter what the turnout of the game is, it’s still football season and that’s all I need to make me happy.

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* – Jay Cutler / Matt Forte photo credit: Chris Sweda, Chicago Tribune via ChicagoTribune.com

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We are just over one week away from NFL kickoff 2009, less that a week from College Football, and coming down the stretch in Major League Baseball. Here are my top 5 stories for this week.

1 – LA Dodgers Make Deals to Solidify Playoff Roster

As the waiver deadline approaches the most active team seems to be the L.A. Dodgers, picking up White Sox slugger Jim Thome and Diamondbacks’ hurler Jon Garland. As of today the Dodgers hold a 5.5 game lead on Colorado, who also made a move trading for White Sox pitcher Jose Contreras.

I’ll tell you this: the Dodgers are putting together a team that will compete with the Yankees in the World Series. There is no doubt in my mind that the Dodgers are the team to beat in the National League, save for maybe (and this is painful for a Cub’s fan to admit) the Cardinals.

2 – A Tale of Two Cities: Minnesota and Philadelphia

Brett Favre and Michael Vick have made their comebacks and the inevitable debates have followed.

In Minnesota, talk of team mutiny was rumored, some sources saying that the locker room was split. These rumors were put to bed quickly, but Viking Nation may see it differently. One Vikings fan was found to have a live goat in her trunk painted purple and gold.

Vick has also been met with equivalent praise and disapproval, with Donovan McNabb going on record saying that Vick’s presence and the style of play-calling involving Vick was “a gimmick” and a distraction from their game plan.

I’ll tell you this: Like it or not, the Vikings became a contender when they signed Favre. However, Vick brings quite the distraction both on and off of the field. It will be interesting to see, but if McNabb is already skeptical about Vick’s role, then that can’t be a good sign for the Eagles.

3 – Trouble in Ann Arbor

In what has been a tumultuous summer of violations in College Football, one last situation has raised its ugly head right before the season’s start.

This week some former and current players accused Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez and his staff of exceeding the NCAA’s practice guidelines and complained that the staff was over-working student athletes beyond the maximum weekly and daily hours limitations. Rodriguez responded with an emotional press conference, completely denying the allegations by saying that they were “miscommunications” and “just not true.”

I’ll Tell You This: The Wolverines went 3-9 last year in Rodriguez’s first year at the helm. While it would not surprise me that these players were over-worked, I think the bigger issue is that, to save his job, Rodriguez has to find a way to bring Michigan back to being one of the premier teams in the NCAA.

4 – Injuries in the NFL Preseason

With the NFL preseason coming to an end, injuries have already begun to raise their ugly heads at big-time positions for teams.

Patriots QB Tom Brady injured his shoulder when Redskins $100 million dollar man Albert Haynesworth crushed him in the second quarter of their game last week. The master of masking issues, Bill Belichick, down-played the injury saying that Brady would be ready for the regular season.

Brett Favre has said that he has a cracked rib, but played in the Vikings’ preseason game against Houston without any protection. Could it be that Favre is preparing an excuse for what might become a disappointing season?

Finally, all of Kansas City stopped breathing for about 24 hours when off-season acquisition QB Matt Cassel went down hard with a knee injury. At first the prognosis was 4-6 weeks, seemingly a finishing blow to KC before the season even started; however, now reports are saying that the MCL strain that Cassel suffered was minor and he would return to the lineup possibly sooner rather that later, maybe even for the season opener.

I’ll Tell You This: Nothing can kill a team’s season faster than an unexpected and unnecessary preseason injury. Hopefully all of the above stay healthy so we can watch as many teams battle it out for the playoffs at full strength as possible. A healthy NFL is a more fan-friendly NFL.

5 – The Return of Pacman

Adam “Pacman” Jones has returned to football. But this time it’s not in the NFL. It’s not even with the upstart AFL, which launches next month. 

No, Pacman Jones is headed to the Canadian Football League. He has signed “in principal” a one year deal with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers.

I’ll tell you this: Who cares?

Apparently no-one in the NFL is ok with giving Jones yet another chance to prove that he can’t control his personal life, and honestly, I can’t blame them. Jones is just one of those players with all the talent in the world but no self-control. And playing professional sports is a luxury. He can’t control his life, he is a thug, and he is not a role model like we want our athletes of today to be.

Good riddance Pacman. Canada, you can have him.

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You can follow BigMB on twitter by going to www.twitter.com/mylesb3269

* – Jose Contreras and Jim Thome photo credit: by Charles Rex Arbogast – AP via South Side Sox

Here’s a quick teaser. The analysis of and story behind the White Sox trade for Jake Peavy involves the following elements:

• Chicago
• “The biggest balls in the game.”
• The number 23
• Ken Rosenthal
• Potentially the best pitching rotation in the AL over the next three years, and one that makes my favorite team a darkhorse candidate to make some real noise in October should they find a way to squeeze into the playoffs.

Okay, time to tie all of these parts together.

First off, kudos to MLB Trade Rumors for absolutely hitting another grand slam the past few weeks with their coverage of the trade deadline. No one, and I mean no one, brings together all of the lightning-fast stories from every corner of the country like Tim and the good folks at MLBTR. If you are a baseball fan and don’t have them bookmarked, shame on you.

When I logged on today and decided to check out what the reaction was to the White Sox dealing four solid pitching prospects for a former Cy Young Award winner who is currently on the DL and has been criticized (even by me) for having pitcher-friendly-home-park-inflated numbers, MLBTR is the first place I went. And sure enough, they had found two great articles that told the remarkable story about how Kenny Williams made the Peavy trade happen at the 11:59th hour.

Before we go any further, here are links to those stories, along with compelling excerpts from each:

ChiSox pull off last-second gamble with Peavy deal — (Ken Rosenthal, FoxSports)

If it’s not my all-time favorite trade, it’s close.

It might not be a good trade, though I suspect it is. But for sheer audacity and shock value, how can anyone not like what White Sox general manager Ken Williams pulled off Friday?

“Unreal,” one general manager said of the Jake Peavy trade. “No question, it’s a very high-risk move. You’ve got to have great intestinal fortitude to do it.”

Another exec was even more blunt in describing his admiration for Williams.

“Biggest balls in the game,” he said.

…

“Literally with two minutes left, I’m on the phone with Axelrod and I’m on the phone with Kevin Towers and Rick Hahn is on the phone with Major League Baseball because it had to be in,” Williams said.

“I really didn’t think it was going to all come together in the end. I was prepared for it to not meet the deadline. It all came together with 23 seconds on the clock.”

How times change: Peavy trade comes out of nowhere — (Scott Miller, CBSSports.com)

Instead, there was ultra-aggressive, ultra-stealth White Sox GM Kenny Williams ringing Towers late Friday morning San Diego time asking about the chances of reprising that deal the two men put in place back in May before Peavy used his no-trade clause to scotch it.

That phone call led to, by far the wildest, craziest, most interesting trade of the summer.

…

Peavy was sound asleep napping with his middle son, Wyatt, 5, when he said he was awakened with a phone call just 40 minutes before the trade deadline, proposing the same thing he shot down in May.

I know that I excerpted a decent chunk out of each story, but don’t be fooled that the excerpts alone capture the whirlwind fury of the story behind the most surprising trade of the 2009 trade deadline. Go read both stories. Each provides an insightful, behind-the-scenes look at the how these trades came to fruition. 

Yes, that’s right…despite our past differences, I am strongly recommending that you go read Ken Rosenthal. He may consider me ridiculous and unprofessional, and I may have had some choice words for him privately to friends and co-workers (though I think I’ve kept it pretty clean and respectful publicly), but Rosenthal is unquestionably one of the best baseball writers out there. His account of the Peavy trade, in my opinion, is a quintessential example of why.

And now, let’s deconstruct the details.

Ken Williams, who has emerged over the past few years as one of the most proactive, respected, and forward-thinking GMs in the game, targeted Peavy long ago as a guy he wanted in Chicago. To Williams’ credit, he kept persevering until it got done. He also reportedly made a deal happen in 90 minutes when everyone, including me, had finally been lulled into thinking that the White Sox would not be major players this year at the deadline.

I think I speak for all White Sox fans and baseball observers when I say that I’ll never fall asleep on Kenny again until 4:00 has officially struck on deadline day.

Amazingly, there were four significant hurdles that had to be overcome in the 90 minutes left from when Kenny first contacted the Padres yesterday or the trade never could have come to fruition:

1. Kenny had to get Jerry Riensdorf’s approval to take on the rest of Peavy’s $8 million salary this season, and the $52 million that is owed to him to through 2012. Despite the statements we’ve heard about attendance at U.S. Cellular Field being down and the team potentially needing to hold steady or even cut payroll, Reinsdorf signed off on the deal. (Not sure what this means for a potential Jermaine Dye extension, the John Danks contract talks, and even a potential renegotiation for Mark Buehrle, but that is all to be dealt with later.)
2. Jake Peavy had to waive his no-trade clause, which he had refused to do when the trade was originally consummated between the two teams back in May. Peavy waived it, in large part I would assume, because the White Sox are contenders and built to remain contenders for the foreseeable future, while the Padres are not.
3. Just to talk to Peavy about waiving his no-trade clause, they had to get ahold of him. And as you read above in the excerpt from the Miller article, Peavy was napping with his son when they called him 40 minutes before the deadline. What if his ringer had been off? If Peavy doesn’t return the phone call, the trade does not get done and Clayton Richard starts against the Yankees last night. Crazy.
4. Not only did the White Sox, the Padres, and Peavy have to get all of the details ironed out between them, the two teams had to officially call in the trade to the MLB office. According to Ken Rosenthal’s story, they got the call in with 23 seconds to spare. Again…crazy. Can you imagine if the line was busy or Ken Williams’ cell phone was momentarily out of service? (And, on a side note, how ironic that would have been considering the name of the White Sox ballpark!?)

All of these details and many more combined to make the White Sox acquisition of Jake Peavy one of the more unlikely and exciting trades in the history of the MLB trade deadline. From the details, it appears as if karma and fate was on the side of the White Sox in getting this done. Not since Michael Jordan was roaming the Windy City have Chicago, a city icon (and that is what Ken Williams is becoming) being described as having “the biggest balls in the game”, the number 23, and last-second heroics come together in such exciting fashion. 

Now for some analysis. 

Part of the reason I wanted 24 hours to digest the trade before posting anything about it is that my opinions have been all over the map since talk of the trade originated in May. Initially, I was pumped and went so far as to create a petition for White Sox fans to sign in an effort to show Jake Peavy some South Side love. But after the trade didn’t happen, Peavy got hurt and I took a more thorough look as his career stats and splits. In so doing, I became convinced that the trade not happening was a blessing in disguise for the White Sox. So when word of the trade broke yesterday, my reservations won out and I was not as excited as a lot of other Sox fans seemed to be.

With 24 hours of perspective, reflection, and more information, I still have some reservations…but overall I am very happy with the trade and think the positives outweigh the risks and potential negatives. Furthermore, I love the fact that Ken Williams didn’t just make a deal simply to make one. He has a very specific plan for how Jake Peavy fits into the team’s plans for success this year and over the next three seasons.

Unlike many GMs, Ken Williams always thinks big and thinks in terms of championships. With the Tigers bolstering their pitching staff by adding Washburn, and the Red Sox, Yankees, and Angels also having excellent front-end starters and solid depth, Williams knew the Sox needed one more really good arm to add to the trio of Mark Buehrle-Gavin Floyd-John Danks. If the White Sox can hang in the race, Peavy is saying that he will be back by the end of August; and because his injury is an ankle problem, not anything to do with his arm, there is no reason to think he won’t be his usual nasty self pretty quickly upon returning. He’ll also be fresh, which could be a huge boost not only to help the White Sox get into the playoffs, but to be better positioned to make some legit noise once there.

Additionally, if the White Sox can get something done with John Danks, they could very well have a four-man rotation of Mark Buehrle, Jake Peavy, Gavin Floyd, and John Danks signed through 2011. In an era in which starting pitching depth is usually one of the most important factors for success, you would be hard-pressed to find another organization that would not trade their rotation straight up for the rotation that the White Sox could have locked in together through 2011 (when Buehrle’s current contract ends).

Considering the young offensive talent we have in Carlos Quentin, Gordon Beckham, Chris Getz, and Alexei Ramirez, plus hopefully another couple of productive seasons from JD and Paulie, the White Sox appear poised to compete for AL Central crowns and AL pennants for at least the next 2-3 years, while also giving themselves a more realistic chance at doing serious October damage this year…if they can make it.

So, while I’m concerned that Jake Peavy’s overall numbers will drop by coming to the tougher league and pitching in a tougher park, and while I wonder what the ripple effect will be of his hefty contract, and while I think that we dealt at least two guys — Poreda and Richard — who are going to be at least solid big league starters…I throw my full support and endorsement behind this deal.

When you have a GM that you absolutely would not trade for any other GM in the game, it would be foolish not to trust him. 

Well done Kenny. Time will tell if your vision of the future effect of the Peavy deal ultimately comes to fruition, but you have certainly earned the benefit of the doubt and the benefit of fan confidence in your moves. A lot of fans would kill to have a GM who swings for a double every now and then; White Sox fans should feel pretty lucky and excited that our guy never hesitates to swing for the fences.

As my KVB so aptly put in his text message after the deal was announced yesterday: “You can put it on the board…PEAVY!”

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Here are some other reactions from out friends in the South Side blogosphere:

• Peavy (question mark, exclamation point) — (Tremendous Upside Potential)
• White Sox acquire Peavy — (Sox Machine)
• Peavy deal makes White Sox contenders in 2009 and beyond — (South Side Sox)
• Not a joke: Peavy to the White Sox — (White Sox Mix)

Enjoy your weekend everyone.

* – Ken Williams photo credit: Upper Deck Blog

The Hawks said that they were aware of the shoulder injury before they signed him.

“Marian’s injury did not respond sufficiently to our non-operative treatment over the last three weeks so we have collectively decided today to go ahead with the surgery,” Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman said in a statement. “Marian is a franchise player, and we want what is best for him and the Blackhawks long-term. This was a mutual decision and one we feel very confident is the right one.”

Hossa is expected to miss 4 months, which will shelve him for 2 months of the regular season. I can’t help to feel a little mad. We sign this guy to a huge contract, and give up our #1 leader in points, and the guy we get to replace him can’t even play the first 2 months.

Hawks trainer says that after the surgery Hossa will be 100 percent, and that this surgery will be better for Hossa long-term. I hope that is true. I want Hossa to be around and give the Hawks some really good years, but most importantly, aide them to wining a Stanley Cup.

I am sure that the young players on the Hawks will do fine without Hossa, but I can’t be totally sure. The Hawks did lose their best goalie, and our MVP this off-season. Two big losses that could hurt the Hawks even more now that Hossa will be gone for the first 2 months. Hawk’s fans will have to hope that the Hawks really don’t struggle so much early on.

Still I am still optimistic about this year for the Hawks. I really want to believe that Huet will have a more consistent year in the net. Speaking of goalies, the Hawks have not announced who the back-up goalie will be. They have signed Crawford and Niemi, but have not announced who will be behind Huet. I would like to see Crawford get the spot. He was supposed to be the next thing, and I really liked what I saw when they did play him. Niemi wasn’t bad, but he seemed slow form post to post, the same problem Huet has.

As big of a hit this is for the Hawks, I am confident we have the skill to tough it out, and to get back into the playoffs this year.

Remember when Milton Bradley said “You can mark it down, I’m gonna be hitting for the rest of the year,” just over a week ago? Well, that has not happened. Since the All Start break Bradley has batted a miserable 2-12 with four strikeouts. But don’t worry Cub’s fans! Lou Pinella said he will personally help Bradley.

You could give this guy all the help in the world, and somehow he will not hit.

At some point you have to admit that a player is having a bad, no, a terrible year. Players don’t always have a great year, but Bradley having a terrible year isn’t the worst part. It’s the money he is getting for putting up bad numbers.

While Cub fans are still not happy about Bradley’s performance so far, they have now something else to be mad about.

The Cubs visited Philadelphia and boy did they get murdered by the hottest team in baseball. The Phillies won the game last night 10-1. The game was a one-sided game the whole way. Raul Ibanez started the mayhem in the first inning with a 2-out, 3-run home run off of Ted Lily (who would go 4 innings giving up 7 earned runs on 8 hits), and the beating never stopped.

This series is a chance for the Cubs to prove they can beat good teams, but most importantly, win games and get back on track towards winning the division for the 3rd straight year. So far the Cubs look like fools, but they have two more games to bounce back form such a beating.

It’s pretty funny and sad that a team that is playing mediocre still has a chance to win the division. As of Monday the Cubs are only 2 games behind the 2006 World Series champion St. Louis Cardinals. The Cubs need a lot of refining, but it doesn’t seem like they are making any moves before the trade deadline comes and goes. Their overspending on players that are not producing may have forced the Cubs into a corner where they can’t make any big move.

Despite their up and down play the season isn’t over, and no team in the Central Division has run away with the division, so the Cubs still have a good chance of defending their title. It may sound easy and right at their fingertips, but it will still be a long second half of the season for the Cubs, their fans, and their staff.

* – Milton Bradley photo credit: Straight Pinkie

At first, not many people knew. A lot were thinking that it had something to do with the Hawks not sending out the letters to the unrestricted agents in time, a move that could have lost all players but that didn’t end up bad as the Hawks signed all of them. Tallon took all the responsibility for the mistake, which probably wasn’t even his fault.

Just a couple days later the Hawks and Tallon split ways. It sent a shock wave all around the NHL. Hawks players were surprised, fans were surprised, and even sports writers were surprised.

The firing left one question: Why?

A lot of people first said that he was fired because of the letters getting there late, but after further investigation that is not the case. Turns out John Mcdonough never did like Dale Tallon. Tallon was not signed by Mcdonough, who wanted to bring in his own guys, and once he could he pounced on it. He fired Tallon and assigned Stan Bowman as the new GM. Stan Bowman is the son of Scotty Bowman, the Hall of Famer and a senior adviser for the Hawks.

The players loved Tallon. Havlat said that many players saw him as a father figure. While I think the Hawks will be fine with Bowman as GM, I still can’t help but think that the players are a little mad. It should not affect their playing, but the players have the right to be a little upset.

“McDonough couldn’t stand that Dale was so successful and getting the credit for building the Hawks from a last place team to making the Conference Final in three short years. Remember, we were also the youngest team in the NHL last year. I was too closely identified with Dale. McDonough knew long ago he was going to fire Dale. He wanted someone he could claim as his own He wanted to stand up at the convention and claim credit for signing this guy or that guy,” said Havlat on the Tallon firing.

Fans don’t seem to be happy either. They booed Mcdonough at the second annual Hawks convention. Mcdonough knew there was going to be some trouble after the firing, but his face showed he didn’t expect to be booed.

Bowman has pretty much the same plans for the Hawks, and is very aware of the salary cap problem they will have face, but he still stayed positive that the Hawks will deal with them the right way. Hawks fans can only hope so. They don’t want to see what could be a great franchise years down the road have to give away most of their key players that could make them a Cup contender.

On other news the 2009-2010 schedule has been released. you can see it here.

At the age of three i could name all the baseball teams by just looking at their logo. My dad would turn the ball game on, and he and I would sit at the sofa together and watch some baseball. It was a great bonding ritual that we had that I will never forget.

My dad was a Cubs fan so naturally I was one too. The only pride a Cubs fan has is Wrigley Field. Dubbed the ‘Friendly Confines” by Ernie Banks, Wrigley Field has attracted many baseball fans and tourists alike. But this article isn’t about the Cubs or their park. This article is about Comisky Park (now U.S. Cellular Field). More specifically, it’s about the team that plays in that field.

I was raised to dislike the Sox because I was a Cubs fan. (And, for the record, I never really got that you should hate a team “just because”, but it’s just the way it goes.)  I just love watching sports, and any team or person that plays with integrity, heart, and soul I like. Well, I was able to go to some Sox games this year and to tell you the truth, I never had anything against the White Sox. I was happy for them when they won the World Series in 2005. I didn’t know much about Ozzie Guillen, but I already liked him. His interviews are the best, he never says anything he wouldn’t tell his players first, and his knowledge of the game, though it might be different than others, is brilliant. He is a very underrated manager that gets his players to play their best. Nowadays that is a great achievement.

I also enjoy watching the Sox more than the Cubs.

There is something you get form the Cubs..Oh yeah! Overpriced busts. The Sox, on the other hand, just look they are having fun playing the sport they love, while the Cubs look like they know they are playing bad. The Cubs players never look like they are having fun. Maybe because this year has been one bad thing after another, but they do have a job that millions would kill to have. It looks like they don’t respect that honor.

I think the upbeat attitude of the Sox players comes from the way they are managed. I will say that Ozzie is a way better manager than Lou. Lou looks like he wants out, and has finally realized that the Cubs are just a bunch of loonies. Sox players have one thing Cubs players don’t have: respect for their manager. Sox players love Ozzie, and it shows in the way they play the game.

I am a fan of teams that play well, respect their manager and the game, have upbeat attitudes, and that give the love back to the fans. Any team that does all that, I am a fan of…and the Sox fit every category

In the end, not only did the aforementioned Bears fan get to go to the Super Bowl, but she actually received four tickets from Axe: three for her and her girlfriends, and one that she was able to choose as a contest winner to be their date for the game. Pretty damn cool I have to say, even if the fan in question describes the event herself as a “PR stunt.”

I’m sure that Alan Shantaji, the medical student who won the contest, couldn’t care less.

The intrepid Bears fan from that story was none other Sarah Spain, and the multi-faceted sports writer and reporter is our latest guest in the MSF Behind the Keyboard series.

In addition to covering the Chicago Cubs and other important Windy City sports news for MouthpieceSports.com, Sarah also has had many other pretty interesting gigs and experiences that most of us bloggers would give our right arm to have. Just click over to Sarah’s resume and you’ll see what I’m talking about.

As Chicago prepares for the first of six intense games between the White Sox and Cubs, with the first pitch of Game 1 scheduled for tonight at 7:05 PM CT at Wrigley Field, Sarah was kind enough to parse some time from her busy schedule to talk White Sox-Cubs with us.

But first, a little background about Sarah Spain (and a picture), with her answers denoted by being in italics:

1. Name: Sarah Spain
2. Current job/website: Reporter/writer for MouthpieceSports.com
3. Hometown: Lake Forest, IL
4. College/Education: English Major at Cornell University
5. Favorite Teams: Bears, Cubs, Blackhawks, Bulls, Phillies, Sharks, Celtics
6. Favorite Chicago sports memory: Anything and everything involving MJ. Literally.
7. Where were you when Bobby Jenks closed out the 2005 World Series? Can’t remember exactly where–but it was in the general Los Angeles area, where I was living at the time. While I didn’t watch the Sox win it all, I admit at the time I preferred to see a Chicago team win over any other city. I have since changed my mind, mainly because all of my Sux fan friends are mind-numbingly obnoxious about the win.*
8. Where were you when the Cubs won the…wait, never mind this question. I’ll be front-row center, baby. : )

[* - Editor's note: for the record, Sarah clearly expressed to me that she did not consider me among the "mind-numbingly obnoxious 'Sux' fans" that she mentioned. Okay fine, no she didn't, and she probably lumped me in with that group after reading two lines of my first email, but all I have to say is that sticks and stone may break my bones, but the WHITE SOX WON THE WORLD SERIES!]

Okay, so now that you know a little bit more about Sarah, let’s delve into some White Sox-Cubs talk.

MSF: Both the White Sox and Cubs are playing below expectations so far in 2009. To what do you attribute their subpar performance and which team has a better chance of turning things around and making the playoffs?

Sarah Spain: The Cubs’ struggles mostly come down to injuries, lack of infield depth (sigh…Derosa) and a crap bullpen. The hitting struggles aren’t helping but there have been plenty of games where two runs would have won it for the North Siders had the bullpen not fallen apart. While I don’t have the overflowing excitement I’ve had in year’s past about the Cubs, I do think they’ll turn things around and at least win their division.

I have to be honest and say last year took a lot out of me. My only hope (here comes that typical Cubs silver lining attitude) is that the problems now will make the team stronger later. They seemed invincible last year and that obviously didn’t work out, so maybe the year they win it all will be more fitting for the Cubs organization–long, tough and a total surprise.

As for the Sox, I have to admit I don’t follow them as closely as I should. Never been a fan and never been one to follow them just so I can talk smack to my Sox fan friends. From what I’ve heard and seen since the beginning of the season, though, I just don’t think they’ve got the personnel this year to make a run. It’s pretty bad when your manager says the season will be over if you have to bring up Gordon Beckham and then a few weeks later…you bring up Gordon Beckham.

MSF: For those of us who are White Sox/Cubs fans but do not live in Chicago, what is the city like during the two Windy City Series’ each year?

Sarah Spain: You know what, I just moved back to the Chi in October after six years in LA. I made it home for one Crosstown Rivalry game a few years back and it was as expected: more expensive tickets and a lot more drunken trash talk. The game I went to ended in ridiculous score like 14-11 and the Cubs won, so my memories of the series are good. I’m headed to Vegas tomorrow to cover the NHL Awards so I’ll be out of town for this series, but back for the next one. Looking forward to it!

MSF: My observation has always been that White Sox fans (like myself) have a chip on their shoulder and hate the Cubs much more strongly than Cubs fans hate the White Sox. Do you agree with this? If so, to what do you attribute it?

Sarah Spain: Absolutely. Here’s a perfect example: I’m the Cubs point person for MouthpieceSports.com. Someone else covers the Sox all season. I post my Cubs stories and interviews on my Facebook and Sox fans take the time out to watch them, rip on them, and claim I’m missing out for not covering the “better team.” No matter how many times I tell them that’s not my “beat” I still get Sox fans coming onto my FB wall to “argue” with the Cubs fans who post comments. I also get emails and texts from my Sox fan friends all the time pointing out a Cubs loss or a poor performance by a particular guy.

Meanwhile, my Cubs fan friends and I genuinely, honestly, don’t really care about the Sox unless we’re playing them. We’ll catch the scores and have a general idea of how they’re doing because we’re baseball fans, but we don’t seek out information about the Sox solely for the purpose of ribbing our crosstown friends. I think there are a number of reasons why this is, not the least of which is the national obsession with the Cubs and Wrigley Field. Ozzie even brings it up, saying that even when his team wins it all people still don’t care as much about them as the Cubs.

Sadly for Sox fans, that’s the truth.

The national TV coverage of the Cubs on WGN and the tradition and history of Wrigley Field have turned the Cubs into a cultural phenomenon; the Sox are just a baseball team. I’m sure if I grew up on the Southside I might have been raised a Sox fan, but I wasn’t and I’m not. My only perspective is that of a Cubs fan, and I think Sox fans waste far too much time following a team they claim not to like.

MSF: Which obvious error in judgment was worse: Milton Bradley’s infamous brain cramp in which he forgot how many outs there were or White Sox fan favorite Steve Perry’s decision to wear sleeveless shirts without ever picking up a dumbbell?

Sarah Spain: Oh man, that’s a tough one. Most would say Milt because that was just such a boneheaded play, but I’ve got a particularly strong hatred for men in sleeveless shirts. The only time for a man to wear a sleeveless shirt is when working out or participating in a sport. (And if you know your team has sleeveless shirts, tan it and tone it and try to turn your jungle of pit hair into a manageable shrubbery).

MSF: Ozzie Guillen recently said that Wrigley Field makes him want to puke. What does U.S. Cellular Field make you want to do?

Sarah Spain: Go back to Wrigley. And then write a manifesto on the phenomenon that is men still getting frosted tips in 2009.

MSF: From Billy Goats to Bartman, we always hear about these abstract reasons why the Cubs have not yet won a World Series. Do you believe in curses or is there another explanation?

Sarah Spain: I don’t believe in curses, but I do think the idea of a curse and the sheer length of the drought has affected the team.

It’s impossible for anyone involved with the Cubs organization not to put the hopes of over a century’s worth of fans on their backs. Last year the team just straight up choked. Epic fail. I think the pressure of the one hundred year anniversary and the idea that they could finally win it took the guys right out of the game.

It’s kinda like a guy who hasn’t gotten laid in months…the excitement of just being in a position (no pun intended) to seal the deal after so long might be too much for him.

So I guess the explanation is that the Cubs are in the longest dry spell of all time and they couldn’t wake up their bats when it was time to step up the plate.

MSF: Who would you rather have pitching Game 7 for your team: Carlos Zambrano or Mark Buehrle?

Sarah Spain: Ooh…would it be no-hitter Z or Gatorade-hitter Z?

Either way, I gotta take Carlos. He gets crazy hyped up, sometimes to the point of uncontrollable rage, but I feel as though in that situation he would be just the guy to bring it on home.

MSF: Who would you rather have coming up to the plate in the bottom of the 9th down two with a couple of ducks on the pond and two outs: Derrek Lee and Aramis Ramirez or Carlos Quentin and Jermaine Dye?

Sarah Spain: Do you really think I’m gonna pick the Sox guys here? Come on now. Haha. A-Ram is one of the sickest late-inning hitters in baseball. As for D. Lee, I believe in the guy, even though he’s had his struggles in high-pressure situations. Plus, I’m not gonna lie, unless the choice is lopsided (Dye v. Freel?), I’m gonna go with the Cubs guy! I’m a straight-up homer.

MSF: And finally, what is your prediction for the season series?

Sarah Spain: cubbieeeessssssssss! (but you knew that)

MSF: I know, but how many games? 4-2? 5-1?

Sarah Spain: Oh…hmm…4-2.

**********

My thanks to Sarah for participating in the interview…even though I disagree with absolutely everything she has to say and stands for as a Chicago baseball fan.

One thing is for sure: either Cubs fans or Sox fans will have initial bragging rights after tonight when John Danks battles Carlos Zambrano. And if Sarah’s Cubs-centric propaganda is to be believed, Sox fans everywhere will be reveling in the victory like we just won ANOTHER World Series, while Cubs fans will simply chalk it up as just another game. I, for one, promise to talk no smack either way.

Now, where was that URL to the Facebook page again?…

With the Cubs winning a league leading 97 games during the regular season, and the White Sox season being extended by one game and into the playoffs, fans throughout the Windy City were given something to talk about all season long (a rarity in itself) at the watercooler or over lunch during the 182 or 183 game schedule.

Normally a Cubs season theoretically only lasts until the dog days of summer. This year has been a thrill in it’s own right, with the team basically going wire to wire before taking a seat to the Los Angeles Dodgers in yet another first round meltdown.

The White Sox bettered their cross town rivals by extending the regular season after defeating the Tigers in a makeup game and extending the season to play the Minnesota Twins again (for what seemed like the 10th time in a week). The Sox did manage to once again outplay the Cubs by winning at least one game against the upstart Tampa Bay Rays.

Both teams unfortunately have an early start in assessing their squads’ needs for another playoff run next season. The White Sox obviously have less pressure to repeat because after winning it all in 2005, the team is exempt and like every team that has won it all has a free pass for at least two more seasons (although White Sox fans still want to win NOW!!!!!).

Even though the Cubs futility has well surpassed any White Sox exploits the north siders look to have a team that can repeat year after year without any major improvements to the lineup. The only real concern for the Cubs is the Fukodome experiment (that seemed to fail miserably), and the erratic play of Ace (or Joker) Carlos Zambrano who has been on a roller coaster ride since the first day on the mound.

The Key focus should be on resigning Ryan Dempster to an infinite contract in the off season, and making sure that everyone else stands pat for the Cubs for the next several years.

The White Sox are another issue, they need to set their sights on an extension for pitcher John Danks, for as long as he wants to pitch for the South Siders. The next viable contract that the White Sox have to corral is to keep Jermaine Dye happy during the off season. Alexei Ramirez also has to remain in the infield for Ozzie Guillen who did another remarkable job this year.

Ozzie seems to be (and justifiably so) exempt from any firing squad that White Sox management has considered throughout the year because the Sox need him on the bench just as bad as reporters need him in the lockerroom for his one of a kind sound bites that he so willfully offers up during the course of a season.

[tags]chicago white sox, chicago, chicago cubs, baseball, mlb, mlb playoffs[/tags]

The modern day “Shot heard round the world came off the bat of 27-year old Chicago White Sox rookie Alexei Ramirez in the form of a 388-foot blast over the right field fence for his rookie record fourth grand slam of the year. The blast catapulted the Sox to a come from behind 8-2 win over the Tigers, forcing a one game shootout with the Minnesota Twins for the right to advance to the playoffs.

“Win or lose tomorrow, we will hold our heads high,” Konerko said, as reported by chisox.com. “It’s really a good story either way. Minnesota or Chicago is not supposed to be here. Everyone is proud no matter what happens. But we aren’t satisfied. We want to win and get in the playoffs.”

Ramirez jumped on an off speed pitch that caught the heart of the plate by former White Sox pitcher Gary Glover for his 21st round tripper of the year, and the rest as they say is history as the Sox plated an insurance run for a five run sixth inning.

“I’ve had 10 or 11 at-bats where I haven’t hit the ball really well,” added Ramirez, after his home run broke a 0-for-13 stretch on the home stand. “But I told Ozzie [Guillen], ‘Have confidence in me. I’m going to go out there and get those runners home somehow.’”

Sox ace Gavin Floyd (17-8) gave yet another masterful performance coming off of three days rest for the second time in nine days gave up just one earned run in six full innings of work while shutting down the Tigers bats with eight strikeouts in just 118 pitches.

The Tigers took the lead in the home half of the sixth when Miguel Cabrera lined a sharp double to left and came around to score on a throwing error by Floyd. The Sox hurler tried to field a comebacker to the mound by left fielder Ryan Raburn but slipped on the wet grass throwing over the head of first baseman Paul Konerko for the error.

The last couple of weeks have been an uphill battle all the way for the Sox who not only survived a five game loosing streak which included a three game sweep at the hands of the Minnesota Twins, nut a three and a half hour rain delay at US Cellular Field before downing the Tigers to force the one game playoff before the playoff.

The Sox face off against a team that seems to have their number when they square off against the Minnesota Twins Tuesday for the right to go to the playoffs. This time the Twins have to face the Sox on their home turf. “”I don’t think you ever expect a one-game playoff,” said Konerko, “It’s an oddity. We are just scrapping, fighting and trying to get to where we want to go.”

“You get passed feeling tired and forget about all those aches and pains,” added White Sox reliever Scott Linebrink, who struck out the side during an impressive eighth inning. “Adrenaline gets you going. Our situation is great — we fought for this and earned it. One hundred and sixty-two [games weren't] enough so we need one extra, and we wouldn’t have it any other way.”

The Tigers faced the Sox as part of a make-up earlier in the month, have been mired in last place throughout the year were hoping against hope that they could play the role of spoilers, but the Sox will to win seemed to play a more important role tonight.

“Maybe this is justice, who knows?” Detroit manager Jim Leyland added. “Maybe this is the way it’s supposed to be. The two best teams in the division all year have to play one game to see who goes.”

[tags]chicago white sox, detroit tigers, alexei ramirez, baseball, mlb, mlb playoffs[/tags]

I’m a Cubs fan. I’m also a Bulls fan, a Bears fan, and a Chicago fan. That is to say, if you represent the great city of Chicago, I support you. That expands the list to include the Blackhawks, Notre Dame, DePaul, and the White Sox.

I loved the “Real Men Wear Black” Sox of Jack McDowell, Alex Fernandez, Robin Ventura, Frank Thomas and friends. I was at Baltimore’s Memorial Stadium for Wilson Alvarez’s no-hitter. Regardless of his politics, I’d support Obama for President and I’d love to see the Olympics in 2016.

But, more than any of those things, I’d love this year’s World Series to become the “L” Series. And that can’t happen if the Sox don’t win today.

Weather permitting, around 6:30 local time tonight, the entire sports world will be focused on U.S. Cellular Field for a one-game playoff between the Minnesota Twins and the Chicago White Sox. It’s been an interesting path for the Sox to get here, not only blowing a 2.5 game lead in the final week, to getting swept by those Mini-Twins, to losing two of three in their final series to (help them?) force today’s game. A game they should win, if only because of a coin flip. The White Sox could not win this game in the Baggie-Dome, and I don’t think the Twins can win it at the Cell.

All season, Ozzie has complained of the White Sox being second-class citizens. He has made claims of being disrespected, overlooked, and outright ignored. Here’s your chance, Oz, I hope you seize it. Today, the White Sox aren’t just the focus of Chicago baseball, but of the entire baseball world.

Chicago has been the talk of much of baseball all summer. For one summer, one in which both New York teams celebrated the closing of old stadiums and the history within, a summer where the All-Star Game was in Yankee Stadium with a parade of Hall-of-Famers down the Avenue of the Americas, Chicago has been the baseball town to talk about. As far back as June, columnists, both local and national, have hypothesized about an All-Chicago World Series, and now we stand just a few steps away.

There are no New York teams in the Major League Baseball playoffs this year. There are two Los Angeles teams, but this is Chicago’s autumn. Who wants to watch a Hollywood World Series? Not even people in Hollywood. Who wants to watch a team whose fans only watch innings 3-8? A team whose greatest highlight (Kirk Gibson) is co-starred by the sea of taillights of fans who missed it. And the other team relies on a monkey to fire up their crowd in late innings? We have a chance to have two old-school teams, with old-school fan bases, representing the same great city, meet for a trophy that has only made one appearance in this town in the past 90 years. There are a lot of negative things happening right now for Chicagoans to focus on. We need this to celebrate. So, on behalf of Cubs fans, may I say, GO SOX!!!

[tags]chicago, chicago white sox, chicago cubs, ozzie guillen, mlb, baseball, mlb playoffs[/tags]

As I was writing my playoff scenario post this morning, and thinking about how poorly the White Sox have played in September, it got me thinking: is Jay Mariotti the reason?

You have to understand, I hate Jay Mariotti. He is the definition of a douche bag and I was ecstatic when he left the Sun-Times, so much so that I thought the city of Chicago should have thrown a parade in celebration of such a momentous occasion of civic good fortune. But did Jay Mariotti leave one last flaming bag of dog shit on the doorstep of U.S. Cellular Field before leaving the Windy City?

What the hell am I talking about? Well, look at the numbers:

The announcement of Jay Mariotti’s departure from the Sun-Times hit the Internet on August 27th. On that day, the White Sox went into their game against the Baltimore Orioles with a record of 76-56. We were in first place, feeling good, playing well, and looking like a team that could play deep into October. Later that evening, the White Sox were shellacked by the Baltimore Orioles 11-3. Carlos Quentin had been given a day off, but had not yet been lost for the season. Since August 27th, the White Sox are 10-18, have seen certain AL MVP Carlos Quentin be lost for the year as a result of a freak accident, have lost five in a row at the end of September to fall 1/2 game behind Minnesota, and have seen a once harmonious locker room turn into a high-anxiety, low chemistry place where belief, confidence, and cameraderie seem to dwindle by the day.

I wrote a post about this week being the determining factor as to whether or not I retire the Jim Thome Curse that I feel has plagued the White Sox since Thome’s arrival and the jettisoning of Aaron Rowand after the 2005 World Series title. But now that I delve deeper into the reasons for our September collapse, it is becoming more clear that The Curse of the Douche Bag may be the more nefarious culprit for our swoon. Jay Mariotti cursed Chicago sports on a daily basis for years as a Sun-Time columnist. Now that he is gone, it seems that he has continued to curse his most hated rival – Ozzie Guillen – with some sort of evil witchcraft that has left our South Siders reeling.

Well damnit White Sox, we cannot give King Douche Bag the satisfaction of being able to watch our season spiral down toilet in a depressing September flush. Mark Buehrle has the opportunity to step up today and provide a huge boost in the quest to end The Curse of the Douche Bag and the Jim Thome Curse. Somehow, despite our poor play in September, we still control our own destiny. We can win today, beat Detroit, and then get one more game against Minnesota at home to make the playoffs. It’s getting harder by the day, but I still believe.

The question is, do the White Sox? I think they do…and there is no way The Curse of the Douche Bag will keep us from playing October baseball.