Viva Torino!

Hope y'all have been enjoying the 2006 Winter Olympics from the city formerly known as Turin, Italy. I have been glued to the television as usual rooting for the U.S.A. However, this year I have a vested interest in the Americans winning medals thanks to my caffeine addiction. You may have heard of the contest Drink.Watch.Cheer.Win sponsored by Coca-Cola. All you have to do is buy 12 packs of Coke products, register on the Olympics.Coke.com website, and enter the code inside the box. If the Americans earn a medal in the event you're registered for, you win 5 2 liters of your favorite Coke product. Considering I can't make it through a day without drinking several Diet Cokes or watching sports, this is a win-win situation for me. Tonight the U.S.A. will win a silver medal in Ice Dancing and thus I will be soon be reaping the benefits. My next event is the Men's Speedskating 1500 m final and considering we have 4 former gold medalists competing, I'm feeling pretty lucky. GO U.S.A.!!!

My only complaints about this year's Olympics are the ADD-like coverage and the Bode Miller/Michelle Kwan overkill. Now I realize that sometimes I lack concentration or focus, but I think even I can handle watching a sporting event in its entirety (I know this because I can stay tuned to a baseball game that lasts 17 innings). Therefore, I find it quite annoying that NBC feels it necessary to jump from event to event every 15 minutes. Just when you get all wrapped up in ski jumping, it's time to switch over to speedskating. How about we finish what we've started? It's all pre-recorded and edited anyway for the most part. As for Bode Miller and Michelle Kwan, enough already. Their stories have been told. Let's learn about some of the other athletes. I'm sure some other people have compelling anecdotes or personal traumas to share. Despite these minor annoyances, I will continue to tune in to the 2006 Winter Olympics and hope that we bring home the gold!

Happy 2006!

I figured it was about time I got something up here in the new year. Not much is going on with me. This is my least favorite time of the year-after the holidays and before baseball begins. The one bright spot is that American Idol started last week. I'm looking forward to another exciting season. Hopefully they will start showing more people with talent soon because I'm not a fan of the total disasters. The William Hungs of the world can stay home and practice in front of their mirrors instead of wasting America's time. Anyway, best wishes for a happy, healthy 2006!

The Lead-Off Man

Now it's not just the name of the Cubs' pre-game show on WGN, it's also someone who's actually part of their lineup! The Cubbies signed Juan Pierre yesterday and only had to part with Sergio Mitre and a couple of minor league pitchers. This should be a very good deal for the ballclub (as long as none of these guys ends up turning into the next Dontrelle Willis). Although Rafael Furcal was the more popular choice, he was a lot more expensive and a bigger risk. In my opinion, putting a guy with a drinking problem in a situation where he's playing mostly day games in a home ballpark surrounded by bars is an invitation to disaster. Besides, the Cubs already have a surplus of infielders and no proven outfielders since Corey Patterson came down with a case of baseball amnesia. Hopefully this deal is just the beginning of an extreme makeover for this team. We've got a lot of work to do to bring the pride back to the North side of Chicago. GO CUBS in '06!!!

Don't mess with Texas

Whew! By the grace of Oswalt, the Astros have made it to the World Series! I was beginning to think that my own personal hell-a White Sox/Cardinals Fall Classic-was about to become a reality after Albert "freakin'" Pujols' homerun on Monday night. However, I can now enjoy the World Series and pray for Houston to defeat the evil White Sox. I don't care what Ryno says; I don't have to root for them just because they're a Chicago team. As a former Cubbie, he should know better...

"You've got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em..."

Well, I guess I won't be getting a job working for Miss Cleo since I only got 1 out of 4 playoff picks correct. That's what happens when you use your heart instead of your head (this is another reason why I'm not a gambler). I'm not going to predict the outcome of the NLCS or ALCS because I don't want to jinx the series. However, I think we all know that I will be an Astros and Angels fan this week. I would hate to have to boycott the World Series or be forced to root for either the Cardinals or White Sox. That would be like choosing between getting smacked upside the head or punched in the stomach. Neither is good and you don't want either one to happen... Please, baseball gods- help a Cubs fan out and let at least Houston or Los Angeles win their series so I can enjoy another week of baseball.

The Elite Eight: My 2005 MLB Playoff Picks

The regular season is over and all of the postseason slots have been filled. Here are my picks for each series:

New York Yankees vs. Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim- As much as it pains me to say it, I think that the Yankees will win this series. They got hot in September and would like nothing more than a chance to redeem themselves after last year's monumental collapse vs. Boston in the ALCS. Sorry, Rally Monkey- you just can't beat Mystique and Aura.

Boston Red Sox vs. Chicago White Sox- Even though you will probably think I am just biased against the South Siders, I believe that Boston will be victorious in this battle of the socks. Nothing on the planet can stop Big Papi from his late game heroics and there's still plenty of magic left on this team. Plus there's the added bonus of possibly getting an opportunity to eliminate the Yankees from the playoffs two years in a row. And I'm all for anything that makes Ozzie Guillen shut the hell up, so GO RED SOX!

San Diego Padres vs. St. Louis Cardinals- There's not a team in all of professional sports that I despise more than the Cardinals. However, I have to admit that St. Louis is much better than the Padres and should easily take this series. Actually, this is my least favorite matchup in this year's playoffs because I hate both franchises with a passion. I will never get over the Cubbies' heartbreaking loss to the Padres in the 1984 NLCS. Thanks for shattering all of my childhood dreams, Steve Garvey...

Houston Astros vs. Atlanta Braves- How many times have we seen this matchup the last few years? ZZZZZZ... Actually, the one selling point of this series for me is that there are some good looking pitchers on each team (Roger Clemens on the Astros and former Cub Kyle Farnsworth on the Braves are YUMMY). Even though Houston has an awesome starting rotation and a solid bullpen, I just have a feeling that Atlanta is going to win this series. The Astros even had a hard time beating the Cubbies this weekend, so I think they're going to struggle.

I'd like to send my condolences to the Cleveland Indians and Philadelphia Phillies who had a good run but fell short. Poor Tribe- I haven't seen a collapse like that since...well, the 2004 Cubs. I have a feeling that these two teams will be in the running next postseason. Better luck next year, boys. Let the games begin!

Pennant Fever!

Alas, my favorite ballclub has been mathematically eliminated so I will not be able to root, root, root for the Cubbies anymore this season after Sunday's game. However, there are still plenty of teams alive in the playoff race during this final week of the regular season. My American League team, the Indians ("Cleveland? I didn't know they still had a team"), has a chance to win the AL Central if the White Sox continue their slide or at least win the AL Wild Card. The Yankees and Red Sox are also in a battle for the AL East title and/or AL Wild Card and it could go down to the wire. This finish is reminiscent of 1998 when my beloved Cubs had to play Game 163 against the Giants to determine who would win the NL Wild Card (those were the good old days). Nothing is decided in the NL Wild Card race this year either as the Astros or Phillies could earn a spot in the playoffs. This year's postseason should be very exciting. My worst fear would be a Cardinals-White Sox World Series, but I don't think that's going to happen. Once all of the races have been decided, I'll be back to discuss my picks for each playoff series. May the best team win!

Quote of the century for Cubs fans: "Wait 'til next year!"

The times they are a-changin'

I had a great time hanging out with my old friends from U of I last weekend in Chicagoland. However, I must admit that it's a little disconcerting to be one of the last of the singletons. Sometimes it's hard to relate when all of your friends are chatting about their marriages and kids, and all you have to talk about is work. I'm by no means complaining because I am very lucky in most respects. Yet, I guess I'm just getting a bit anxious wondering where the heck my knight in shining armor is (maybe he's caught in traffic). I've never been one of those people who lives to work-- I work to live. At least I've got another trip to look forward to next weekend. I'm probably one of the few people who isn't a St. Bonaventure alum that gets excited about going back to Olean, NY. There's nothing like being a lady in a room full of ex-ballplayers. :) Here's to a weekend full of fun and frivolity!

Come Fly With Me

Hello there, blog fans! Sorry it has been so long since my last post. I guess you could say that I've been a little busy... However, now I'm back and better than ever with plenty of stories to tell. Since the last time you heard from me, I have seen Michael Buble' in concert yet again. Believe it or not, his last stop on the American leg of his tour was in Memphis (I swear I'm not a stalker)! Michael put on a great show at the Botanical Gardens and I am counting the moments until he's back in the USA.

The title of this post not only refers to the wonderful song Mr. Buble' sings, but also to my travels last weekend. I flew to Chicago to attend my college friend Mary's wedding. After finishing a hectic work week (actually the entire month of August was absolute insanity), all I wanted to do was hop on the plane, close my eyes, and listen to some tunes on my CD player. Yet, my plans changed dramatically when a major hottie sat down in the seat next to me. His name was Tony and he was totally my type- tall, dark, and Latin! I had actually spotted him earlier in the terminal and thought he was dreamy. Anyway, Tony is a medic in the Army and he had the weekend off so he flew to Chicago to surprise his mom (isn't that adorable?). He talked to me the entire flight about his job, what kind of movies/books he likes, and his past relationships with women. Tony actually asked me what I do for a living and seemed genuinely interested, which is sure a refreshing change of pace from most of the young men I know. It's a shame that he lives in Louisiana because we really hit it off (you've gotta love a guy who thinks that Paris Hilton looks anorexic). I was this close to giving him my number so we could chat some more, but I figured if it is meant to be then we will fly the friendly skies together again someday. I have much more to share about my Labor Day weekend, but it will have to wait until next time. Hasta la vista, baby!

At least we beat the Cardinals 2 days in a row...

This sports writer nicely sums up the pain us Cubs fans feel right now in this excerpt from yesterday's USA Today:

Cubs are champions of futility, again
But most of all, we should mourn with the most pitiful victims of all. The huddled masses who are in the 22nd month of their Doomsday Scenario.

We speak, obviously, of Cubs fans.

First was the blown pennant in 2003. An infamous October calamity that began when the box seat ghost in headphones, Steve Bartman, reached out for a foul ball.

Then came 2004. A summer-long tease. A fade at the end. And then the indignity of watching the Red Sox, the only other franchise that could match the Cubs in woe, dancing at the World Series. Leaving the Cubs alone in their historical futility. As if fate had only room in its heart to heal one curse.

And now, 2005. The Cubs have collapsed, doomed by injuries and atrocious play. As of Friday, they have lost 12 of 16 and dropped 18 games behind first place. Starting play Thursday, they stood a wobbly seventh in the National League wild-card standings.

Meanwhile, just down the train rails a few stops, the White Sox are rolling and roaring. They have no ivy and they are not loved by so many. But at the moment, they hardly ever lose.

So to sum up, the two best records in baseball belong to the Cubs' hated brethren on the south side of Chicago, and their most bitter rivals in St. Louis.

The reigning champions are the Red Sox, their former brothers-in-misery.

Meanwhile, the Cubs still pack them in at 39,000 a game, and lose in mysterious ways. Their rookie starting pitcher coughed up three-bases loaded walks against Cincinnati Wednesday, including to the Reds pitcher, who is hitting .186.

So the losses mount, the despair deepens, and they can't even count on Red Sox and White Sox fans to feel lousy alongside them anymore.

All things considered, it must be a Cubs' fan worst nightmare.

And it's not over yet.

Mike Lopresti writes for Gannett News Service

White flag time at Wrigley

After losing 8 games in a row for the second time this season, it is high time for the Cubbies to fly the white flag at Wrigley Field again. In case you didn't know, whenever the Cubs win, a white flag with a big blue W flies high atop the ballpark. This lets all the L riders and rooftop denizens know that the home team was victorious. My mom actually sewed a replica flag for me which hangs proudly in my apartment above a bookshelf filled with baseball memorabilia. At 19 games back and 6 games under .500, it's now or never for the Cubbies to get back in the Wild Card race. It's probably not going to happen, but to paraphrase Yogi Berra, it ain't over 'til you're mathematically eliminated.

I also want to publically apologize to all the Cincinnati Reds fans I may have offended in a previous post.

Big Red wrote:
Hey! Take it easy on my Reds! Did you ever think they were being nice
by letting the Cubbies come up from the cellar for some fresh air?
After almost 100 years down there it's probably getting pretty ripe. =)

Your boys swept us in our own ballpark this week and I have to give them props. Sorry I disrespected the Big Red Machine.

RYNO RULES!!!

If you've known me for longer than 5 minutes, you are well aware that my favorite baseball player of all-time is former Chicago Cubs second baseman, Ryne Sandberg. Yesterday he was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame, the highest honor any ballplayer can receive. When I was growing up, I thought Ryno was AWESOME! I had his posters on my wall, collected his baseball cards, watched him play a million games on WGN, and stayed up late listening to Harry Caray talk about his sparking play on the radio when the Cubs played on the West Coast. Ryno is one of the main reasons why I fell in love with baseball and why I will always root for the Cubbies, win or lose. Sandberg was old school and played the game with a quiet determination. Always classy but never flashy, Ryno didn't have a lot to say to the media because he let his actions on the field speak for him. Well, imagine my surprise yesterday when Mr. Sandberg gave a 23-minute speech that wowed the Cooperstown crowd (oratory fireworks, my friends). If you didn't get the chance to hear it or want to know more about the man, the myth, the legend, Ryne Sandberg, please check out this link:

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=rs-speech080105&prov=yhoo&type=lgns

I promise you won't be disappointed. All I can say is amen, Ryno and GO CUBS!

"It's like summer is a natural aphrodisiac."

Oh Will Smith, if you only knew how right you were... This Monday I had to take the day off from work because my apartment flooded on July 15, the night before I left for a week's vacation. Needless to say, when I got back, the humble abode stunk to high heaven. So, on this fateful morning, I decided to stock up on cleaning supplies and air fresheners at the local Rite Aid. As I'm loading up my cart with goodies, this random guy comes up to me and starts telling me that we should go out because we both wear glasses (now the last time I checked, sharing a need for corrective lenses was not a basis for starting a romantic relationship). This particular gentleman was not my type, and since I don't like to be cruel, I decided to tell a little white lie that I already have a boyfriend. It just seems to me like letting 'em down easy is nicer than flat out saying you're not interested (plus you never know who might be packin' heat in Memphis). You would think that this would give the guy a big hint to run along, but instead he decides to write his home number and pager number on the back of my package of AirWick scented oil refills! I have to give him points for creativity because I have never gotten digits on the back of an air freshener before. Anyway, the dude keeps asking me questions about my imaginary lover and then proceeds to tell me that he would marry me right now. At this point, I felt the need to blurt out, "You don't even know me!" I was starting to get annoyed until I convinced him that my faux beau and I were quite serious but he's just a bit younger and not quite ready to settle down yet. Romeo finally got with the program and told me to give him a call if my "boyfriend" and I ever breakup. You've gotta love the male ego.

"Hey Hey, Holy Mackerel, no doubt about it. The Cubs are on their way!"

Break time is over, Cubbies, so now it's time to kick it into high gear in the 2nd half of the season. 43-44 is not too impressive, but things could be a lot worse with all the injuries the North Siders have suffered this year. Sweeping the Marlins after getting their butts handed to them by the Braves was a nice start to getting back on track. The Cubs need to take advantage of their home field and win at least 3 out of 4 vs. the Pirates at Wrigley starting this afternoon. After this series, the Cubbies visit cellar-dweller Cincinnati where they need to dominate. Supposedly, Nomar is going to be back by August 2 so maybe the boys in blue still have a realistic chance at the Wild Card. Even though we have a lot of games left vs. the Cardinals, I just don't think the Cubs can catch them at 12 1/2 games back unless St. Louis has a total collapse (which is highly unlikely). Let's play ball and see what happens.

CUBS WIN! CUBS WIN! CUBS WIN!

The Cubs have finally ended their 8 game losing streak and beat the Marlins tonight 9-6! Can I get an amen? The bullpen tried to blow it again as the Cubbies had an 8-3 lead in the 8th, but luckily the baseball gods decided to bring some blessed rain. This fortunate downpour lead to a 57 minute rain delay, and chased the pathetic Michael Wuertz (or as I like to call him, The Worst) off the mound. Thank God for small favors. Anyway, hopefully this game will turn the season around. The good news is that the All-Star break is just around the corner, so there are 3 days next week when the Cubs can't possibly lose because they don't play.

Hey now, you're an All-Star...

Congratulations to Derrek Lee and Aramis Ramirez on being selected to their first All-Star team! It will be nice to see some Cubbies in the infield again (how about a shout out to future Hall of Fame Cub, Ryno). Hopefully the National League will get out of their funk and finally win the All-Star Game again because as you know "this time it counts!" Home field advantage is crucial during the World Series (although it's beginning to look like the Cubs will be watching the playoffs on TV).

Speaking of the Cubs, they are in another tailspin. They have yet to earn a W in July and have lost 5 in a row. The Astros and Brewers are closing in and the Cardinals are so far ahead that it's not even funny. Sure, it's possible for the Cubbies to go on a big winning streak and get back in the Wild Card race, but they better quit lollygagging...

Sweet Home Chicago

A lot of people seem to think that Chicago is the only city in Illinois, so this is a tongue-in-cheek blog title. One of my best friends still believes that I am from the City of Big Shoulders, so now I just nod my head in agreement because if he hasn't gotten it by now, he's never going to figure it out... Anyway, this weekend was the final showdown of the year between the Cubs and the White Sox. Believe it or not, the Cubbies managed to win 2 out of 3 at The Cell (what an appropriate nickname for that concrete dump they call a ballpark). Mark Prior made his first start since he almost had his pitching arm knocked off at the game I attended on May 27. He was brilliant and only allowed 1 hit through 6 innings. Now these are the kinds of performances we need from our ballclub if we intend to fight for the Wild Card. However, I'm going to try to keep a level head this time and not be fooled by this rare display of sparkling play. It would be in character for me to get overly optimistic and think that the Cubbies are back in contention. But this time, I'm going to try to maintain an even keel and maybe I will be pleasantly surprised instead of devastated later. Only time will tell which Cubs are the real deal in 2005- the ones who won 7 in a row at the beginning of June or the guys who got swept by the Yankees last weekend.

By the way, I wanted to give a shoutout to my friend Maria's Florida Gators who made it to the College World Series Championship Series. There's nothing to hang your head about- your boys are considered the 2nd best team in the entire nation. They played their hearts out and hopefully today's loss is just the motivation they need to make it back to Omaha next year. GO GATORS in '06!

R-E-S-P-E-C-T find out what it means to me

As you all know, I'm a very easygoing gal for the most part but even I have a few pet peeves. One of those things that really annoys me is when people do not return my phone calls. Now I realize that we're all busy and I don't expect you to be at my beck and call. However, I do expect everyone to follow the rules of common courtesy. And by the way, dialing me up but not leaving a message on my voice mail counts as a non-call... Sorry to vent but I guess I just expect a little more out of those whom I consider to be a friend. Don't get on my bad side because you know what the astrologers say about Libras-- we have an iron fist under that satin glove. ;)

Maybe I'm just fired up today because the Cubbies got swept by the Yankees this weekend. Guess it was time for their annual June swoon... I'm expecting to hear some gloating from one of my NY pals. Let's hope they can get back on track tonight vs. the Brewers because the Cardinals can't seem to lose.

Batter up!

Today is a big day for baseball fans. This afternoon, the College World Series begins (or as I like to call it, the only reason anyone would ever want to go to Omaha). It should be very exciting because there are a lot of new faces this year. I'm rooting for Florida since my friend Maria used to work there and knows some of the guys on the team. GO GATORS!

As if that wasn't already enough excitement, we can watch the Cubs play the Yankees tonight in Yankee Stadium for the first time since 1938. I'm really looking forward to this series because I think the Cubbies are actually better than the Bronx Bombers right now. After living in New York for 3 years, I have grown to hate the Yankees and their cocky, obnoxious fans. GO CUBS GO!

Carolina on my mind

I'm off to Raleigh, North Carolina on Friday for my annual athletic academic advising conference. It's going to be a welcome break from the office and a chance to reconnect with old friends. The N4A Conference always energizes me because I get to meet new people and learn new things. Hopefully I will have a chance to check out the sights (and by sights I mean hot men because I hear there are lots of them in the area- BONUS!). Much love to my readers- hope you're having a great day! Mine will improve tremendously if the Cubbies can manage to beat the Blue Jays this afternoon. GO CUBS!