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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U.S. Cellular Field Stadium Club Experience

The Sports Bank, NBC5 Street Team

Whoever believes America is truly a classless society has never bought tickets to a baseball game. The press box and suites are located next to each other for literal and metaphorical reasons. The best views of the game are on the stadium’s middle level, so it’s also where the people deemed “most important” reside. Also, most journalists are born with upper middle/lower upper class backgrounds and usually spend their adult lives within that tier. Press row isn’t inside the sky suites, but right next door.

Knowing these truths to be self-evident, I was stunned by my recent U.S. Cellular Field Stadium Club experience. Luckily, the game itself was glorious and thrilling, as early season American League MVP candidate Carlos Quentin drove in all three runs in a victory over the Los Angeles Angels. Quentin hit a walk-off home run in a nationally televised ESPN game, showing America why so many Southside males have a Carlos Quentin man-crush.

I attended the game on Bill’s (a business school chum) corporate tickets, including a Stadium Club pass. At the club door they forbid any outside food or beverage, because God forbid you bring food and drink into a bar/restaurant. The first level offers a $35 buffet. When paying more for ballpark food than most people pay for the ticket…“you are not living the High Life,” like the popular commercial says. Upstairs, a server told me that our chosen open table remained closed until 7:30. My cell phone said 7:28. I made a joke about this and she was NOT amused.

Then we tried to sit down in a different section with another worker telling us, “There is a $5 charge for any table with glass.” Naturally I said, “You’re joking with me! right?” The waitress said, “It goes to charity.” My real life “Curb Your Enthusiasm” episode continued with: drink prices north of $7, entrees starting at $14, a check featuring an already added service charge and a blank space to leave your tip. I asked a couple workers to clarify this and they told me the tip was already figured in….and they feel the consumer should tip them again for some reason. (Remember the “Curb” episode where Larry gets a bill with the “Captain’s tip?” “Who was this mysterious captain? I never met any captain?”)

Considering I attended the game with someone who had juice, (Bill is a director at a Fortune 500 accounting firm) I reasonably expected much more hospitality than this. The fact that the Club retains its popularity is 1.) Absolutely absurd. 2.) Speaks volumes about how inaccurate the class stereotypes surrounding White Sox fans are.

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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