Disco/Sex tonight at the Funky Buddha Lounge!

Shreyas Shah, NBC Chicago Street Team

If you’re looking for some nightlife tonight that’s a little more dirty, ill-mannered, and risque than the usual fare, then check out Good for Party’s Disco/Sex Launch Party tonight at The Funky Buddha Lounge (728 W. Grand Ave.). DJs Sol Son, Josh Deep of Deeper Soul Recordings, and Larry Miller are going to play the most salacious underground disco sounds from the ’70s and early ’80s, and the girls of Chicago’s hush-hush erotic consortium Secret Skin will be there to showcase their titillating dance moves. It’s free to get in before midnight, so RSVP asap if you want to check it out.

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Finally! Market Has Food and Booze!

D.C. “Fete Select TV” Crenshaw, NBC Chicago Street Team

Three weeks a go the buzz was humming about Market, the new West Loop sports bar that was opening on Randolph Street.  Chicago White Sox GM Kenny Williams is supposedly part owner of the new venue along with two other Chicago restaurateurs.  Unfortunately, on opening night the restaurant was serving food, but not beer, wine or cocktails, due to the lack of a liquor license.   However, last week Market received the green light from the city and is making up for time lost by serving great cocktails to complement their terrific food.

Market is a multi-faceted restaurant and sports bar that offers guests traditional American classics with an aesthetic flair by Chef Joe Rosetti.  The menu boasts a variety of appetizers, salads, specialty sandwiches, pizza, burgers and main dishes.  Chef Rosetti’s cuisine is definitely above average  compared to other recently opened luxury sports bar in the city.  The “Mac and Cheese Muffins” and “Popcorn Shrimp” are must have starters.  Their braised beef and BBQ pulled pork “Sliders” are not only very tasty, but plentiful.  Sanwedges to try are “The Body Builder”, piled high with oven roasted turkey  and “The Strip Club”, consisting of Chile rubbed chicken and peppered bacon.  If you like turkey burgers, then try “The Herky”, served with avocado and thick cut turkey bacon and truffled fries.  Folks are raving about the “Mustard and Maple Glazed Salmon” main dish and the giant chocolate chip dessert served warm a la mode style.  There really isn’t a dish that is not worth trying at Market and you will forget that it’s supposed to be bar food.

Market’s main dining room is sports bar chic and has a casual vibe.  The first floor features 20 42′ inch flat screen televisions and one 92′ inch projection screen.  They have three outdoor places to eat and drink, including the Beer Garden, Rooftop Lounge and Sidewalk Cafe.  The summer months should make this a great place to hang and enjoy great weather and food.

Market is located at 1113 W. Randolph in the West Loop.  The restaurant opens for lunch at 11 am.  Log onto www.marketbarchicago.com for more information.  Watch Fete Select TV on www.efete.net for an inside look into the newest and hottest restaurants in Chicago.

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The Gaslight Anthem Lights Up Chicago

Maureen Vana, NBC5 Street Team

Friday night marked The Gaslight Anthem’s first Chicago headlining show.  The band has been steadily winning over fans with constant touring and growing radio play.  The group has rolled through Chicago opening for such successful acts as Rise Against, The Bouncing Souls, and The Loved Ones.

Click here to read the rest of this post on nbcchicago.com.

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Whose Drought Ends First- Cubs, Hawks, or Northwestern?

Paul M. Banks a.k.a. The Sports Bank, NBC Chicago Street Team

Being a fan of Chicago sports can sometimes be as character building as walking outside for long distances in January.

With Northwestern’s tournament bubble officially bursting last weekend, baseball getting ready to kick off, and the NHL playoffs commencing the week after, it’s a fine time to revisit the long-suffering dry spells that are Chicago’s very own.

Before reading on, please do remember this George Michael lyric from his Wham! days: “There’s no comfort in the truth, pain is all you’ll find.”

Click here to read the rest of this post on nbcchicago.com.

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Entertainment News for March 10, 2009

LaShonda Matlock, NBC Chicago Street Team

It’s been a productive and lucrative year so far for OctoMom Nadya Suleman. Not only did she accept some much-needed help from Angels in Waiting but she’s also scored herself a half million-dollar home in La Habra, CA. The 2583-foot four-bedroom, three-bathroom house boasts a huge yard and is conducive to building add-on rooms. Just perfect for a mother of 14! The official buyer is Nadya’s father, Ed Doud.

Michelle Obama covers The New Yorker’s biannual Style Issue, which hits newsstands this week. To no surprise, much of the article focuses on the First Lady’s arms. This is just days after an Op-Ed piece in the New York Times, in which the author proclaimed: “The only bracing symbol of American strength right now is the image of Michelle Obama’s sculpted biceps. Her husband urges bold action, but it is Michelle who looks as though she could easily wind up and punch out Rush Limbaugh, Bernie Madoff and all the corporate creeps who ripped off America.” Well said!

Comedic political commentator Bill Maher and political host and commentator Ann Coulter will speak at the Chicago Theatre on Wednesday, March 11th. Start time is 7:30 p.m sharp!

And…the word from Twitter to 312Diningdiva is that super group U2 is officially in Chicago right now and the secret location for their highly anticipated appearance tonight is The Metro!  Good luck getting in!

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Luxury and Sports Come Together in a New River North Bar

D.C. “Fete Select TV” Crenshaw, NBC5 Street Team

Upscale tends to be the trend in sports bars these days.  Or at least the hope is to attract a more sophisticated and trendy crowd that would typically choose a hipper environment to spend their Thursday, Friday or Saturday nights.    The new River North sports bar, Bull and Bear, not only lures the hipsters, but attracts businessmen and women during the lunch hour.

The name Bull and Bear obviously recognizes two of Chicago’s major sports teams, but also refers to the financial world and appeals to the CBOT crowd.  The restaurant has a nice layout and designs, but can get a little too close for comfort when crowded.  After talking with a few friends about the menu, I wanted to see if their food matched the upscale vibe.  Well, let’s just say that it didn’t measure up.

The Bull and Bear menu has a ton of starters, salads, main courses, sides and short order options.  There are a plethera of burgers and sandwiches to choose from as well as a few non bar food entrees.  The “Onion Tower” and “Sweet Potato Fries” were typical.  Nothing great, but nothing bad about either dish.  The “Lobster Bisque” was deemed to be a signature item and would have been if it wasn’t served luke warm.    The “Double Cut Grilled Pork Chop” was a little dry and didn’t live up to the waitresses billing,  but my dining guest really enjoyed his “Pulled Hammy” pork sliders.  We were graciously served with a sampling of all of their desserts, which consisted of a chocolate chip cookie draped in vanilla ice cream, cinnamon doughnut holes with three different dipping sauces, peanut butter bread pudding, and a “Thrilla in Vanilla” shake with Filandia Vodka and Godiva Dark Vanilla Royale.  They were all savory, but I wouldn’t necessarily have paired peanut butter and bread pudding together.  The service started off sketchy, due to a mishap with my reservation, but the owner and waitress attempted to make up for it.  Don’t expect upscale service during crowded nights though, because it is still, however, a sports bar.

A unique feature to Bull and Bear are their 5 premiere booths with Personal Table Taps.  Each booth has two taps (1 domestic, 1 import) that dispenses beer, which is recorded on a meter at the table.  The goal is to allow guests to pay-as-they-pour and enjoy a no-wait standard of service.  This feature should be a big hit for beer lovers.

Bull and Bear has only been open for about 3 weeks, so they may still be working out the kinks.  Although they didn’t meet my dining experience expectations for what they deem as an “exclusive luxury sports bar”, I may give them another shot once the madd rush dies down.

Bull and Bear is located 431 N. Wells St.  For more information log onto www.bullbearbar.com.  Also watch Fete Select TV on www.efete.net to check out the newest and hottest restaurants in Chicago.

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Wrigleyville Nights – Game 3: They still play the blues in Chicago…

Justin Allen, NBC5 Street Team

“You’ve got to be f’ing kidding me.”

My friend Todd looked up from his beer and stared at the TV. The Dodger bench had emptied and the entire team was celebrating on the field. Joyous fans celebrated in the stands, while shots of dejected Cubs fans and players peppered the broadcast.

“Why would anyone want to be a fan of this team?” he asked. Even the faith of the most obsessive fans can be shaken after a 100 year drought.

Here come the man-tears.

“Seriously, why do we subject ourselves to this crap?” he continued. “It doesn’t matter what team they put on the field next year or the year after or ten years from now; it’s never going to happen. Never.”

My God.  What a thought.  There we sat, a table of the most strident fans the Cubs could have and we’re questioning why we do it.  And as we sat there debating the logistics of swearing off the Cubs forever, it dawned on me: we’re not going to give up the Cubs. Ever. Why? Because we’re fans. Not just any fans…CUBS fans.  More than any other fan in any other sport, we hold on to the notion that, regardless of how bleak the chances might be, there’s always still a chance the Cubs can do it.  There’s always next year.  And the year after that and the year after that and…

So for all my fellow Cubs fans out there, this song’s for you. It’s by the late Steve Goodman, a great American singer/songwriter and, just like you and me, a true, Cubbie blue, Cubs fan. I’m sure you’ll agree this pretty much sums up what being a Cubs fan is all about. Click here to check it out.

Until next year…or the year after that…

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Wrigleyville Nights – Game 2: Hot dogs of expectation

Justin Allen, NBC5 Street Team

I’ve never seen a bar crowd lose hope faster than they did last night at Murphy’s Bleachers during Game 2 of the Cubs/Dodgers NLDS series. Watching the game with a few friends (all of whom are die-hard and weathered Cubs fans), we were amazed at lack of faith in the Boys in Blue displayed by even the most ardent and naive of bandwagoners. I’m sorry, but isn’t that the bandwagoner’s sole job? To cling to the idea of a miraculous 9th inning, come-from-behind victory despite all odds and evidence to the contrary?

So what? So let's dance!

Anyway, this got me to thinking…when it comes to watching the Cubs (or any other Chicago sports team, for that matter), your sanity depends on one thing: expectations. For example: you order a hot dog and demand that it tastes like a steak.  You silly goose.  That’s like asking any white male with a pulse not to dance to a Huey Lewis and the News song…it’s just not going to happen.

The same can be said for watching the Cubs in the postseason.  When they’re down 5-0 in the second inning with their ace on the mound, it’s a little unrealistic to scream at the TV when they can’t mount a comeback, then swear off the Cubs until next season.  But what’s a Cubs fan to do?  It a tough and depressing world out there for us, right?  Hell, this video (written and produced by yours truly after last year’s postseason sweep) is a testament to that fact:

Well here’s a tip I picked up from my father-in-law (a lifelong southsider and, get this, a White Sox fan) on how to deal with the heartache and stress that comes with being a Chicago sports fan: lower your expectations and lesson your anguish. Don’t demand that hot dog you’re mealing down on start tasting like a filet, and don’t think for one second that goofy white dude’s going to stop cutting a mean rug to “The Heart of Rock n’ Roll”, and for the love of all that is holy in this world, don’t think the Cubs are going to win it all this year.

Instead, base your expectations on a pitch-by-pitch, hit-by-hit and inning-by-inning basis, and you might make it through this postseason with some sanity…and you just might see a hell of a comeback while you’re at it!

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Mr. Chicago Baseball Part II: Steve Stone talks Cubs

Paul M. Banks a.k.a. The Sports Bank
As the only person to work for both Chicago baseball teams as both a player and as a broadcaster, current White Sox radio color analyst Steve Stone is the foremost authority on Chicago baseball. Stone or “Stony” as he is nicknamed, has also done television broadcasts for ESPN and TBS and will become the Sox television analyst in 2009. Stony, also 670 The Score’s lead Baseball Analyst, is well known and loved for his baseball predictions, the high rate at which these predictions comes true, and the multitude of products that he has endorsed over the years. From 1983-97, Stone was the WGN color commentator for Chicago Cubs telecasts, working with Hall of Fame announcer Harry Caray for 15 years.

As a player, Stony won a Cy Young and The Sporting News Pitcher of the Year award in 1980.

I had an exclusive with Stony on Saturday night before the Sox-Indians game. Here’s what he had to say about the Cubs and their postseason prospects:

“They’re certainly capable of beating anybody, but I think they scored 17 runs, total against the Dodgers for the season. So the Dodgers are a team that can shut them down, not saying that they will, but I do think the Dodgers can create a more difficult match-up. And then probably the other team is Philadelphia. The first round is when you’re more likely to be knocked out by a team you’re actually better than. In 3 of 5 a lot more so than in 4 of 7. Although in 4 of 7 the best team doesn’t always win either.

On his bold predictions, and how often they come true…

This year when I said the Cubs would win their division by 8-10 games and most people in this city thought I was crazy, I stuck by that. They were actually up 11 before they took their foot off the gas pedal, but they could have pretty much won the division by whatever margin they wanted to because they were far and away better than anyone else in the division. I remember on June 11th when I did {ESPN’s} “Pardon the Interruption,” I said to Cub guy Mike Wilbon, I want to have it on record that I told you the Cubs would win the division by 8 and 10 games, because they are a far superior team to Milwaukee.

To read more from this interview Click Here.

To check out my blog, “Chicago Blue State” on the Washington Times website, go here.

For more Chicago sports analysis and discussion go here.

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Cubbies of College Football

Paul M. Banks a.k.a. The Sports Bank

The media has certainly beaten a dead horse concerning the Cubs and 1908. But have you heard much about 1949? It’s the last time the Northwestern Wildcats won a postseason game. With college football bowl bids as plentiful as Amy Winehouse legal infractions these days, it’s quite a streak! Like the “Lovable Losers” in Wrigley Field, they’re another Chicago team that went through an embarrassingly LONG losing spell in the 60s, 70s and part of the 80s. However, in the last 25 years, both the ‘Cats (’05, ’03, ’00, ’96, ’95) and Cubbies (’07, ’03, ’98, ’89, ‘84) have been to the postseason a previously uncharacteristic 5 times!

Is this, the sixth trip, the breakthrough year for both? Many college football experts forecasted Northwestern to be 8-4 this season and their schedule certainly seems to be conducive to obtaining this mark. They looked impressive in week one, as their defense -a unit provoking much skepticism- held Syracuse to just 225 total yards. The Cats gained almost 500 yards of their own on the way to a 30-10 victory. Remember, Illinois went to the Rose Bowl at 9-3 last season, so an NU upset somewhere along the line could actually mean a BCS bid. No, Seriously! The Wildcats are coached by Pat Fitzgerald, a native of suburban Orland Park, and All-American Linebacker/National Defensive player of the year during his playing days at Northwestern. His teams won back-to-back Big Ten titles in 1995 and 1996.

Current star tailback Tyrell Sutton, a Doak Walker Award (best national collegiate running back) candidate, is on pace to become the school’s all-time leading rusher. That feat is quite impressive considering the school’s tailback tradition includes recent or current NFL backs Jason Wright, Damien Anderson, Noah Herron and Darnell Autry.

The final similarity they share with the Cubs is seeing their home field star on the silver screen. Universal Pictures shot the football scenes from the soon-to-be-released movie, “The Express” at Ryan Field. The movie profiles former Syracuse Heisman Trophy winner Ernie Davis, the first African American to win the prestigious award. Numerous films have featured the Friendly Confines.

You can hear my audio exclusives with Fitzgerald and Sutton, by following the hyper-linked text. They both address the program’s bowl game victory drought. For more Chicago sports analysis and talk go here.

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The Peoria Chiefs Come to Wrigley

Paul M. Banks a.k.a. The Sports Bank

You’ve likely seen it by now on SportsCenter, your local news or on your favorite sports blogs: the infamous minor league fight between the Cubs single A affiliate, the Peoria Chiefs and the Cincinnati Reds’ affiliate, the Dayton Dragons. The video is being forwarded to millions of inboxes every day. These same Chiefs take on the Kane County Cougars at Wrigley Field on Tuesday night at 7:05 PM. Tickets to the Cougars-Chiefs contest at the Friendly Confines start at just $5; so here’s a chance to see the baseball cathedral on the cheap. The Chiefs are currently managed by Ryne Sandberg, an iconic figure for a whole generation of Chicago Cubs fans. The 2005 Major League Baseball Hall of Fame inductee is considered to be one of the greatest second baseman in history. Sandberg had no part in this infamous brawl though because he was away in Cooperstown for the annual Hall of Fame weekend ceremonies. Sandberg’s fill-in, as well as the Dragons’ manager, were both ejected.

I caught up to Sandberg right before his Chiefs visited the Chicago area to start a three game set with the Cougars earlier this month. I asked him about all the fans that swoon around him at every minor league game. “I sign autos for about 20-30 minutes every single day whether we’re at home or on the road. Since its Opening Day last year the routine hasn’t stopped. I hear all the stories about grandparents and great-grandparents. Everyone’s a fan of mine and the Cubs; so I see all the pictures of me posing with these kids when they were three or four years old and now they’re in the 20s and 30s standing there in line for autographs. It takes me back, looking at the old stuff, seeing what these people collected and bring out of the closet. Some days I’m amazed; other days it’s the same stories repeated, it’s all good stuff,” Sandberg said.

I’ll be at Wrigley on Tuesday night attending Sandberg’s pre and post-game press conferences. Before I find my place in the press box, I’m going to be a guest on the MILB Radio podcast, which will be broadcasting live from the Cubby Bear. If you’re going to the game or going to be in Wrigleyville, please come by and check out all the baseball-related fun!

For part two of my Ryne Sandberg interview click here. For more Chicago Sports analysis and discussion click here.

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Ryno Returns to Chicago

The Sports Bank, NBC5 Street Team

Ryne Sandberg is an iconic figure for a whole generation of Chicago Cubs fans. The 2005 Major League Baseball Hall of Fame inductee is considered to be one of the greatest second baseman in history. His #23 is just the fourth number ever retired by the Cubs organization. He retired in 1997, after spending nearly his entire career as a Cub. He is currently the manager of the Cubs single A affiliate, the Peoria Chiefs. Large crowds of individuals that “bleed Cubbie blue” follow him wherever he manages. Goose Island even brewed a special beer in honor of Sandberg, “the Ryno 23” during the year he was enshrined in Cooperstown. I caught up to him right before his Chiefs visited the Chicago area to start a three game set with the Kane County Cougars. The two teams will meet again on July 29th at Wrigley Field (7:05pm) for the first minor league game in the park’s storied history.

Ryno’s thoughts on the Cubs recent trade with the Oakland Athletics for pitcher Rich Harden: “I really like what’s going on there and the way they continue to make moves to really give themselves a good chance. I like the way all the pieces are in place right now and they seem to keep adding pieces and want to get better. Hopefully, this will help for making a good second half and lot of good postseasons.”

Sandberg also discussed some of the interesting things he’s doing next week: “I’m going to the All-Star game, the Hall-of-Famers are being presented before the game. I’ve never been to Yankee Stadium so that will be a treat. They’re doing a parade down 5th Avenue with all the Hall-of-Famers before the game, and then some of us are invited to the White House on the Wednesday after the All-Star game…then the following week I’m going to the Hall of Fame inductions for four days.”

You can see his Peoria Chiefs take on the Kane County Cougars on Thursday July 10th and Friday July 11th (both games start at 6:30pm) at Elfstrom Stadium in Geneva, IL. Also, if you’re looking for a chance to see a game at Wrigley Field on the cheap, tickets to the Cougars-Chiefs contest at the Friendly Confines start at just $5. 

For part one of the Full Interview click here.

For more Chicago Sports analysis and discussion click here.

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Ron Santo Gets Candid

The Sports Bank, NBC5 Street Team

As we are in the midst of another All-Chi City, All-First Place series weekend, emotions are running high on both sides of town. Passion for both the Cubs and White Sox is rising faster than the humidity. One man with figuratively Cubbie blue blood is WGN radio broadcaster Ron Santo, a legendary figure within the organization. His #10 was the third number retired by the Cubs, honoring a stellar Cubs career that included nine All-Star appearances and five Gold Gloves. The current Cubs color analyst is known for many things outside of his playing career, including his unabashed on-air cheerleading and the success he has had in his personal struggle with diabetes during his life. He was named the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation “Person of the Year” in 2002. Two years ago, Santo, the subject of “This Old Cub,” a theatre released documentary film created by his son Jeff, came within five votes of the Baseball Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee. He is eligible again in 2009. When given the chance to speak with Santo, I got straight to the point and asked him who poses the biggest threat to the Cubs in the National League Central division.

RS: I think it’s going to be the Cardinals. I didn’t think so heading into the season, but you look at what we’ve done being 19 games over .500 and they are just three and half games behind. They’re playing real good baseball, so normally we’d be running away with it if it weren’t for the Cardinals.

I followed up by inquiring why so many teams (not just the Cubs) are dominating at home, but at the same time struggling on the road. Especially considering that the Cubs are a national team with a national following…

RS: Every where we go, there are Cub fans and it’s amazing. One thing I’ve learned being in Chicago since I was eight years old is that Cub fans never lose their allegiance, no matter where they move. But you’re always thinking that if you can play .500 on the road and do real well at home, that’s a winning year. You don’t expect to do better than .500 on the road. You just don’t.

For the full interview click here.

For more in-depth Chicago Sports Talk click here

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Word On the Street: June 28, 2008

Marcus Riley, NBC5 Street Team (video)

Watch the weekly “Word On The Street” segment on 24/7 Chicago: Secrets of the City,” at 12:05 a.m., immediately following Saturday Night Live on NBC5.

Hanging Out Downtown

This week we used the beautiful backdrop of Millenium Park to shoot our segment. We were initially going to use Grant Park, but unfortunately there wasn’t much happeing that Tuesday nights (at least until the Outdoor Film Festival starts in a couple of weeks. But I’m getting ahead of myself.)

Anyway, there’s plenty of options for live music, dance lessons and much more from Wednesday on into the weekends, and most of it is sponsored by the City of Chicago, which does a fabulous job of providing free and interesting entertainment in what’s often referred to as Chicago’s front yard. Here’s a few Web sites if you’re looking for some ideas.

Mayor’s Office Of Special Events
Chicago Park District
Millenium Park Web Site
The Local Tourist Festival Guide

Wii Wars at Harry Caray’s Tavern

I hesited before including this item this week. After all, the Crosstown Classic is on the South Side. And I’m not sure about this new Harry Caray’s in Wrigleyville. I’ve been once, and quite frankly, it felt a little sterile and lacked personality. The joint they had in there before was always jumping after Cubs games, and you were always guaranteed some good entertainment when the tipsy crowd whipped itself into a frenzy — especially after a Cubs win.

But I digress. It takes time for bars to develop a personality. And every Tuesday should be fun when Harry Caray’s allows you to match your skills against a celebrity at Wii Wars. It kicked off on June 17th when visitors had a chance to play Home Run Derby with none other than Mr. Cub himself, Ernie Banks. Brian Urlacher and former Cub Ryne Sandberg will also participate this summer.

Festival Of Life

I don’t get a lot of opportunities to really experience my Caribbean roots in this city — although the odd trek to Uncle Joe’s on the south side for some jerk chicken hits the spot — so that’s why I always look forward to the yearly African Caribbean celebration in Washington Park, which kicks off on Thursday.

Not only is it a fun time during the day, with a huge amount of food and merchandise vendors, but the music is off the hook as well. This year, Beenie Man is back on Friday (check out our 2006 interview). A name that true roots reggae heads will recognize is Gregory Isaacs, who will perform Saturday. And fellas, make sure you take your lady to this one, because no one sings a love song like Gregory Isaacs (sample). And on Saturday night, another reggae legend, Junior Reid, headlines. Check the Web site for more info.

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The Crosstown ‘Classic?’

Ben Soldinger, NBC5 Street Team (video)

I am a big baseball fan. I am an even bigger Chicago fan. I am thrilled to have two baseball teams to root for in my town. This is why I dread and cannot stand this annual series. One of my teams always has to lose! Not only that, but past history has shown that the loser of these two series usually goes into a slump afterwards. I can only imagine the mental drain it must be to cope with losing to your crosstown rivals when you are trying to gain the attention of your city. I can only hope that the first place White Sox can mentally recover from this weekend’s running into The Buzzsaw which is The Chicago Cubs.

This game is not a ‘Classic’ since it is played every year twice a year. It was a novelty when it first came about when ‘Interleague’ was introduced in 1997. I was at the inaugural game at Comiskey Park. ‘Interleague’ play means National League teams play against teams from the American League during the course of the regular season. The only time in the history of baseball (before 1997) teams from either league would ever play each other was when the champions from each league would meet in The World Series. It was a cool marketing idea to have interleague teams randomly play each other during the regular season. However, due to the huge success of attendance, Major League Baseball now has the Cubs play The White Sox twice a year. This is strictly for greed of the All Mighty Dollar and I do not think it’s good for Chicago. If this is truly to be called a ‘Classic’, the teams should take a few years off before playing each other again.

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This is not good

Rikki Greenberg, NBC5 Street Team
 
What’s going on here?!

A Chicago Cubs sweep in the Crosstown Classic against the Chicago White Sox? This is not how I imagined the interleague series going.

The first game was a matter of taking out a pitcher who might not have been ready to be taken out. White Sox pitcher John Danks had a steady performance until the bottom of the sixth, going one for five over six innings and enough steam to last another inning. The White Sox put up runs and held an impressive 3-1 lead over the Cubs until the top of the seventh. Thanks to a walk off home run by Cubs third baseman Aramis Ramierez straightaway to center field, the Cubs sealed a 4-3 victory over the rivaled White Sox. That’s ok. The White Sox will win the next one. It’s only one game.

Maybe not. The second game was worse than the first, with the Sox blowing another lead in the fourth inning. White Sox pitcher Jose Contreras allowed eight runs, three of them being homers. The Sox showed some life leading up to the fourth inning and scored one run at the top of the eighth due to a wild pitch by Cubs pitcher Jason Marquis, resulting in a 6-11 score. White Sox right fielder Jermaine Dye hit a single to center field, bringing in shortstop Orlando Caberara for the final score of 7-11at the top of the ninth. Now I’m getting worried.

Do I have to mention the third game? It hurts. It really does, but I’ll say this: Three double plays by the Chicago Cubs during the course of the game. Three double plays. The White Sox lost to the Cubs for the third straight time, 7-1 and currently hold a nine game losing streak on the road.

Let’s just say I am far from disappointed. I am disgusted. How could the White Sox be a first-place team and play like this? The pitching is awful, the offense is mediocre at best and the defense (Caberara flubbing the relay throw from right fielder Dewayne Wise) is..well…not good.

All I have to say is the White Sox better get it together or I will have to physically get in the locker room and give them a pep talk consisting of words Ozzie would never dream of saying.

Go Sox!

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The “Other” First Place Team in Town

The Sports Bank, NBC5 Street Team

With both teams currently in first place, this weekend’s intra-city series is shaping up to be the most exciting set in the series’ history. With the Cubs having the best record in all of baseball and in the midst of their centennial celebration of championship-less existence, the city’s focus is on them in 2008. When the White Sox finally won the city’s first World Series in 88 years in 2005, (also winning the most recent one before that in 1917), they finally became the first team in the second city for the first time in history. I know this due to the fact that Cub fans FINALLY started to hate Sox fans for once. In ’06, the Sox won 90 games and the television ratings (another notable new achievement) over the last place Cubbies. Then in 2007, the Sox tanked, the Cubs won their division; and things went right back to normal in “The Chi.” So what have Chicago baseball fans missed out on as the Cubs’ attention massively overshadows that of the Sox?

The White Sox currently are…

-Holders of the biggest division lead in all of MLB

-Leading all of MLB in team ERA at 3.34

-Leading all of MLB in team WHIP at 1.23

-Third in MLB in team homeruns at 94.

-Sporting a top ten scoring offense that (with 37 runs in a three game sweep over Pittsburgh) is currently more explosive than a conversation between Michael Moore and Rush Limbaugh.

On the other hand, the Sox certainly DO have their weaknesses. However, this is not the time to discuss that. Now I must say that although I am wearing a Cubs hat in my picture, and half my posts have been Cubs related…take another look at my profile photo. There is one symbol for every Chicago team in it, except for the Sox who have two…Coincidence? Look for the team that I’ve loved since I was age five to take two of three at Wrigley this weekend and then win two of three again back home at the Cell the following weekend. I’ll enjoy the 4-2 season series victory in my brand new “Field of Dreams/Eight Men Out” era Black Sox windbreaker I just got. “Shoeless” Joe Jackson’s ghost will be proud.

For more Chicago sports analysis and discussion click on “The Sports Bank” in the “Blogroll” on the right hand side of the page or simply go here.

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Cubs to Officially Christen Wrigley Field Replica

The Sports Bank, NBC5 Street Team When Denny Garkey built his little league park to replicate Wrigley Field, he paid attention to every detail. In Freeport, IL (a town nicknmamed “Pretzel City” about 30 miles west of Rockford) he brought to life a little league park that recreated every aspect of his own field of dreams.

I was there when the officially Cubs endorsed “Little Cubs Field,” opened in April. Harry Caray’s widow, Dutchie and Peoria Chiefs owner Pete Vonachen cut the ceremonial ribbon. With Caray, I discussed her impressions of the park. With Voncahen, how Cub legend Ryne Sandberg’s minor league managerial career is progressing. On Saturday June 14th, I look to talk with another Cubs legend, Ron Santo as he will be on hand for the Cubs’ official opening gala and reception. The field features bricks and ivy from the actual Wrigley Field. The Ron Santo flag on the left field foul pole once flew in the big park on Chicago’s North side. In center field stands a scoreboard with a working clock that looks exactly like the one at 1060 W. Addison. The scoreboard shows the Cubs defeating the New York Mets 21-0 in the ninth inning. The White Sox are also beating a New York team, the Yankees, but by a more modest score of 8-3 in the 7th. “It’s going to be a great tourist attraction,” said Chicago Cubs head usher Darrell Windle.

Garkey built a park that would cost over $600,000 for a final cost of just $140,000 due to all the volunteers who donated their time, materials and labor to the cause of youth baseball. Garkey told me on the phone that his all-time favorite movie is in fact Field of Dreams, but that he didn’t hear voices like Kevin Costner’s character Ray Kinsella. “I want to make that clear, I’m not nuts, I’m sure there are people in the town who thought I was nuts, but overall almost everybody has been overwhelmingly supportive. I had to do this with donated labor. Every single contractor from the roofers to the electricians said they would labor for free and all of them delivered,” Garkey said.

For more Chicago sports analysis and discussion click on “The Sports Bank” in the “Blogroll” on the right hand side of the page or simply go here.

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Alfonso Soriano: Just Like 2006 Rex Grossman

The Sports Bank, NBC5 Street Team

From sports talk radio to internet comment threads to discussions held at sports bars, the Cubs’ Alfonso Soriano is a hot topic. Whether it’s positive or negative, depends on the week, or sometimes the day. Last Wednesday night, the Cubs leadoff hitter was a hero and local deity after driving in the winning run with a walk-off single. A week from this past Sunday he was a goat and pariah after he dropped a routine fly ball during the final inning of a loss at Pittsburgh. Oh the polarity! Does this experience seem familiar? It should, because of the season Bears quarterback Rex Grossman had in 2006. When Grossman was good, he was phenomenal, setting Bears franchise passing records and leading the NFL with seven 100+ passer rating games. “Bringing Rexyback” was even the September NFC Player of the Month. However, when he was bad, he was an abysmal “Train Rex,” producing five games with a sub-50 passer rating. This included a 0.0 in the season finale. If you’re unfamiliar with this statistic, let’s just say that you could take a random QB out of a Chicago Social Club flag football league, put him in the NFL and he would really have to try to screw up to get a 0.0 passer rating. Rex was like Forrest Gump’s description of life and a box of chocolates: you never now what you’re gonna get. 

2008 Soriano is currently the Cubs version. During his injury-plagued April, he hit .192 with just 2 HR and 5 RBI. He just finished a May (.339, 10 HR, 29 RBI) that might earn him an MLB player of the month award. And I thought the girls I dated in graduate school were unstable. So is the real Alfonso Soriano…an oft-injured $136 million dollar mistake who insists on hitting leadoff despite his subpar on-base percentage and perhaps the worst defensive left-fielder in the game today? Or is he the most exciting bat in the Cubs lineup, a powerful slugger capable of carrying a team for a whole month like he did during September of last year’s division title season? The correct answer is d.) all of the above. Grossman and Soriano are described by many different adjectives, just not “predictable.”

For more Chicago sports analysis and discussion click on “The Sports Bank” in the “Blogroll” on the right hand side of the page or simply go here.

 

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Welcome to Ernie Banks Plaza!

The Sports Bank, NBC5 Street Team

The Chicago Cubs franchise began play in 1876, but they didn’t erect a statue of “Mr. Cub,” Ernie Banks until opening day of the 2008 season. The magnificent sculpture by Lou Cella resides on the Corner of Clark and Addison near the world famous marquee of Wrigley Field. The inscription quotes the most famous “Banksism of all, “Let’s Play Two!” a statement Banks made in response to the gorgeous weather one day during his playing career. (“What a beautiful day for a ballgame, let’s play two.”) I picked a night with similarly mild weather to really observe the statue. I figured my first NBC5.com Street Team posting should feature the most famous person in Chicago history to share my last name. What truly separates this monument from the Harry Caray statue on the other side of the park is the placement of benches nearby. I sat down with my notebook and some reading material but then engaged in a little people watching. Many people, drunk, sober and every state in between, stopped by to view the statue. About half of them paused long enough to be in a picture alongside the Cubs’ all time leader in hits, games played, at-bats, and total bases. The most memorable was a group of four young women who felt the need to grab Ernie’s legs and position their face in between his ankles for their photo opportunity. Two of these women were rather….let’s just say the base of that statue got a stress test, and it is truly a very strong supportive structure.

This little place is quite popular and I think we should officially name it “Ernie Banks Plaza” or “Banks Square.” If this were in Lincoln Square, we could call it Banksplatz, in Little Italy “Piazza del Banks.” If you visit the National-Italian American Sports Hall of Fame in that Southside Chicago neighborhood, you can see the very picturesque Piazza DiMaggio complete with statue of the “Yankee Clipper.” Ultimately, I could see Banks Plaza becoming a very sacred place for me: a landmark close to my home for meeting up with people, yet also a place for me to relax, read, and write alone.

By the way, since this is my first post, I should probably introduce myself: my name is Paul M. Banks a.k.a. The Sports Bank.   

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