CapitolFax.com - Latest Comments in Question of the day

Re: Question of the day

Truthful James — Wed, 10 Oct 2007 11:58:38 -0000

Happy Toaster --

For a long time the Cubs drew great in the summer with ladies days and the influx of kids getting off at the Addison El -- north shore baby sitting. After labor day the crowds dwindled.

Then they changed their marketing and sold season tickets to the corporate suits, trippled the beer sales and although many didn't watch the game it was like going to a tavern without instant replay. Then with a few good years, the Cubs started to sell more and more -- still marketing the personalities and not the team.

After the drowsy days of Toothpick Dusty Baker, Lou Pinella has been an eye opener. He will play anyone who gives him a chance to win -- and he knows that it is the players who deserve the spotlight.

This year they were good enough to win in a bad division, but in the post season, quality told. They are going to have to get a couple more arms and some better position players, but they are on the way.

The big threat in the Disvision next year will be the still young and improving Brewers who are going to be the Oakland A's, or perhaps the Twins of the national league -- smaller market, limited payroll, have to do it on farm team development.

But what is it about Chicago that there can't be any more -- across all sports -- than one Championship team at a time?

Re: Question of the day

baseball watcher — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 23:43:23 -0000

Is Carlos pitching today?

Re: Question of the day

HappyToaster — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 23:39:03 -0000

The Cubs didn't draw at Wrigley until they started making an every fifth (or so) year playoff appearance after the Tribune purchase. The allure of Wrigley is greatly over-rated. Market size and winning are the major factors in sports attendance.

Re: Question of the day

Ron Burgundy — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 20:00:45 -0000

If the Cubs move out of Wrigleyville, they will not sell out their stadium, unless they put out a good team. You mean to tell me people would go out to some suburb to watch a 70 win team? Get real! At least Bridgeport has some character.

I'm a Sox fan and none of my Cubbie friends were happy that my team won first. It's the same way. I am happy when the Cubs do bad, it made the terrible Sox season a little easier to digest.

Go Bears!

Re: Question of the day

Way Northsider — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 19:22:54 -0000

Go Cubs!

Re: Question of the day

Anon — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 18:31:55 -0000

This is a team that was 18 games better than last year. The Cub roster at the end of the season was considerably better than the one they started with, particularly at catcher.

The Cubs are indeed one player, at most two, away. I enjoyed the season, just not the ending.

Re: Question of the day

Concerned Voter — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 17:40:17 -0000

Link to a scan of the actual bulletin cover

http://img240.imageshack.us...

Re: Question of the day

Concerned Voter — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 17:13:08 -0000

We kidded with our pastor on church Sunday, many members are Cubs fans, the day after the Cubs final "performance", that it was a cruel thing they did on the cover of the church bulletin for that day (It is preprinted early in the week, but the Lord works in mysterious ways).

This is the honest to God truth, the cover of the bulletin was a picture of a person, holding a broom, and the title was, "We are unworthy servants." I didn't even think about it at first, when my wife reminded me that the Cubs were swept.

Go White Sox in 2008!

Re: Question of the day

Team Sleep — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 16:59:53 -0000

Rich, I would have to respectfully disagree. Even though I agree with you that the stadium is more of a draw than the team, the Cubs have a hugh fan base and play in a city of 3 million and a county of 5.5 million. You don't think the Cubs would sell every seat and luxury box for each game with an area that large and an expansive fan base?

The Cubs, Red Sox and Yankees are the three MLB teams who have the largest national fanbases. With TV revenue, a new stadium, never-ending merchandise sales and a good product on the field, the Cubs would be a beast.

When you combine Daley's love for projects with the added benefit a new stadium adds to a city, a new Wrigley Field would be a boon to Chicago.

Re: Question of the day

A Citizen — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 16:50:24 -0000

Maybe the Cubs could change their name to the Oberweiss' - might eliminate the old curse. Of course it might bring on a new one.

Re: Question of the day

Dan, a Voter — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 16:49:03 -0000

We should have booed Bloago louder at the last home game of the regular season. How do we make the curse of the the goat and Blago go away like the ball that Bartman tried to catch did? A 2 for 1 deal? GO CUBS GO in 2008!!

Re: Question of the day

Truthful James — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 16:41:47 -0000

The difference between the Cubs and the DBacks was clearly the difference in the competition lvel between the two Divisions. Some gent point that out and it is correct.

Meanwhile we had a league champion in the Chicago Area, which you would only know if you read the smallest type at the bottom of the agate in the Tribune. Not one story, not one photo although all the reporters from every Chicago Arae paper were sending munltiple reporters to right hundreds of lines -- more than necessary.

Down at the 3800 seat Adamson Field in the Class A Frontier League, the young lads of Crestwood's Windy City Thunderbolts took three out of five. They won the regular league and the playoffs. Five players signed with Major League teams. They are independent (no Major league affiliation)

Kane County in another A League used to get tons of coverage, but I guess the sportswriters in Chicago are too busy covering the South bend Weisswursts with beaucoup lines about a bad team.

Sorry you missed it.

Re: Question of the day

n9ds — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 16:36:34 -0000

Hey, I have an idea, how about putting renovation and/or replacing Wrigley Field into a capital expenditures bill?

Re: Question of the day

Say WHAT? — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 16:02:01 -0000

Rich,

You kick us when were down? I'm not one to kick Sox fans when they are down. That just not cool. My mate is 100% White Sox - GO SOUTH SIDE!!!! I however am a Cubs fan at heart. I guess I'm for the underdog. My neighbor teases me for my loyalty to the Cubs. We've been known to pick up the phone and raz each other while watching the games. Its all in fun. Theres always next year, right? Rich, would you have been pleased if the Cubs won?

Re: Question of the day

Rich Miller — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 15:41:55 -0000

===tearing it down would not tear down their fan base which has been nationwide for many years===

I'm talking local. You know, the people who go to games. Although, lots of tourists come to Chicago to "experience" Wrigley, not necessarily to see a Cub game.

Re: Question of the day

Anonymous — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 15:38:28 -0000

===And since the Cubs would still sell out every game===

===I highly doubt that. The stadium is the real â€œstarâ€ of the Cubs. Bulldoze that decrepit relic into the lake and nobody will show up for the games. The Cubs will be just another losing team and would probably have to move out of the Chicago area within a decade after building a new stadium.===

Rich...stick to covering state government topics. You are quite possibly the best I've ever seen at doing your job there. However, you are starting to show your lack of knowledge for the history and semantics of the game of baseball...especially the Chicago Cubs. While you make a good point regarding Wrigley, tearing it down would not tear down their fan base which has been nationwide for many years due to many reasons (i.e. the Superstation which used to broadcast all games as just one of those reasons).

Re: Question of the day

REJ Jr. — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 15:36:23 -0000

Sox fans are despicable.

Re: Question of the day

dis-connected — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 15:33:11 -0000

The one thing better than the Cubs being swept is this offseason ticket prices will increase and by the convention, these goofs (fans) will have paid to much and forgot the'07 season...must be the water!

Re: Question of the day

Ivote — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 15:31:21 -0000

Well, the Cardinals and Cubs DO have at least ONE thing in common this year. . . they both won the same number of post-season games! Go figure! ;-)

Re: Question of the day

HappyToaster — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 15:26:21 -0000

If they're serious about blackballing Cuban then a new stadium is going to have to happen to get like money out of reality based investors.

Re: Question of the day

wallace — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 15:19:11 -0000

The Cub rally at the Daley center was one of the silliest non-events that I ever witnissed. I don't know what was worse, the Cub brass all complimenting each other, or goofy Blago ranting on, or, Daley not quite knowing what to say or do. The rally set the tone for the three game sweep. Hey Chicago what do you say, the Cubs were made to crawl away.

Re: Question of the day

Fan of the Game — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 15:16:25 -0000

As a Cardinal fan, I root for the Cubs when they make it. Hate to see them lose so early, but that happens. The Cubs were much better this year than last. Lou Piniella did an adminrable job as coach, and ownership put out some money. Maybe they were simply trying to lure potential buyers with some success, but that's OK.

Re: Question of the day

Bill — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 15:04:49 -0000

No way the flubs are ever playing their season at the cell!!!

Re: Question of the day

Legaleagle — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 14:56:11 -0000

The solution is to keep what is so great about Wrigley Field: the urban, neighborhood location, and the outfield (vines, scoreboard, bleachers, etc.). The rest of the park is a reeking, crumbling dump, with too many terrible sight-lines and bad seats. Tear it down, and rebuild from first-to-third with wide, clean aisles, modern bathrooms, sky boxes, and no-pillar seats with steeped views of the field (like every other park except Wrigley). Cubs would have to play in Sox Park for a season (or Milwaukee), but would be worth it long-term. I hope the new owners will do this!

Re: Question of the day

jerry 101 — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 14:40:12 -0000

100 years. Ahhh...such a wonderful thing.

Quit looking for excuses cub fans. It's not the day games. It's not the ballpark. It's not having too few seats.

Its the team. The team stinks. You won a weak division, sneaking in when the Brewers collapsed. The Phillies snuck in, too. Where did they end up?

Your team just stinks. No way around it. 100 years of futility.