Very funny Rick Telander article today...

[C.C.]

Enjoy!

 

 

 

 

http://www.suntimes.com/sports/telander/77176,CST-SPT-rick29.article

Edited September 29, 2006 by C.C.

[goonys evil twin]

He's a poor man's Ricky Reilly, and Rick Reilly is a hobo's writer.

 

I'm not a fan of the "it's the Cubs" reasoning behind bad things happening to this team. When reasonable people analyze the squad and find the flaws in advance, and those flaws are exposed, it's not luck that is holding back the team.

[C.C.]

He's a poor man's Ricky Reilly, and Rick Reilly is a hobo's writer.

 

I'm not a fan of the "it's the Cubs" reasoning behind bad things happening to this team. When reasonable people analyze the squad and find the flaws in advance, and those flaws are exposed, it's not luck that is holding back the team.

 

I know, but it was a entertaining read none the less. It's not a curse or bad luck just bad decisions.

[FergieJ31]

He's a poor man's Ricky Reilly, and Rick Reilly is a hobo's writer.

 

I'm not a fan of the "it's the Cubs" reasoning behind bad things happening to this team. When reasonable people analyze the squad and find the flaws in advance, and those flaws are exposed, it's not luck that is holding back the team.

 

I couldn't agree more, but I don't think Telander was slapping a brain-dead "bad luck" label on the Cubs. On the contrary:

 

"Do you really think stuff like that just happens again and again because of bad luck? No, [...] the Cubs have something systemically wrong with them."

 

Granted, he could've done a better job with the "systemically wrong" analysis that followed. Telander merely wrote a bullet-point litany of 2006 Cub angst instead of addressing underlying issues like OBP under-valuation, over-valuation of scouting and athleticism, mismanagement both on and off the field, etc.

[Chocolate Milk]

I'm not a fan of the "it's the Cubs" reasoning behind bad things happening to this team.

 

I agree. I do have to say that I did balk on this when I heard about Barrett's intra-scrotal hematoma.

[vance_the_cubs_fan]

Speaking of, has anyone heard anything new on Barrett? Did he find his bulletproof cup? Has his revcovery gone ok?

[goonys evil twin]

He's a poor man's Ricky Reilly, and Rick Reilly is a hobo's writer.

 

I'm not a fan of the "it's the Cubs" reasoning behind bad things happening to this team. When reasonable people analyze the squad and find the flaws in advance, and those flaws are exposed, it's not luck that is holding back the team.

 

I couldn't agree more, but I don't think Telander was slapping a brain-dead "bad luck" label on the Cubs. On the contrary:

 

"Do you really think stuff like that just happens again and again because of bad luck? No, [...] the Cubs have something systemically wrong with them."

 

Granted, he could've done a better job with the "systemically wrong" analysis that followed. Telander merely wrote a bullet-point litany of 2006 Cub angst instead of addressing underlying issues like OBP under-valuation, over-valuation of scouting and athleticism, mismanagement both on and off the field, etc.

 

I think this goes back to my original point that Telander isn't a good writer.

 

Managing the Cubs is the surest way to make sure you'll never manage again.

 

Lockman, Marshall, Franks, Amalfitano, Elia, Fox, Frey, Vukovich, Michael, Lucchesi, Zimmer, Altobelli, Essian, Lefebvre, Trebelhorn, Riggleman, Baylor, Lachemann, even the brief tenure of Bruce Kimm -- since 1972, when Leo Durocher barely escaped with his dignity -- they have formed a conga line of the damned and unemployed.

 

Go ahead, don't believe in curses.

 

Maybe they don't exist.

 

But badness does.

 

This year the Cubs had actual thoughts of contending for the pennant. Instead, they are 65-94, tied for the worst record in the National League.

 

Do you really think stuff like that just happens again and again because of bad luck?

 

So in other words, the Cubs are doomed, any manager who manages the Cubs are doomed, I dare you to not believe it curses even though they are probably cursed ("maybe they don't exist"?), the Cubs are bad and it's not because of bad luck.

 

What a terrible sequence of thoughts. I can't tell if he's just sitting on fence of completely jumping back and forth.

[C.C.]

He's a poor man's Ricky Reilly, and Rick Reilly is a hobo's writer.

 

I'm not a fan of the "it's the Cubs" reasoning behind bad things happening to this team. When reasonable people analyze the squad and find the flaws in advance, and those flaws are exposed, it's not luck that is holding back the team.

 

I couldn't agree more, but I don't think Telander was slapping a brain-dead "bad luck" label on the Cubs. On the contrary:

 

"Do you really think stuff like that just happens again and again because of bad luck? No, [...] the Cubs have something systemically wrong with them."

 

Granted, he could've done a better job with the "systemically wrong" analysis that followed. Telander merely wrote a bullet-point litany of 2006 Cub angst instead of addressing underlying issues like OBP under-valuation, over-valuation of scouting and athleticism, mismanagement both on and off the field, etc.

 

I don't think it was meant to be a analytical article.

[FergieJ31]

He's a poor man's Ricky Reilly, and Rick Reilly is a hobo's writer.

 

I'm not a fan of the "it's the Cubs" reasoning behind bad things happening to this team. When reasonable people analyze the squad and find the flaws in advance, and those flaws are exposed, it's not luck that is holding back the team.

 

I couldn't agree more, but I don't think Telander was slapping a brain-dead "bad luck" label on the Cubs. On the contrary:

 

"Do you really think stuff like that just happens again and again because of bad luck? No, [...] the Cubs have something systemically wrong with them."

 

Granted, he could've done a better job with the "systemically wrong" analysis that followed. Telander merely wrote a bullet-point litany of 2006 Cub angst instead of addressing underlying issues like OBP under-valuation, over-valuation of scouting and athleticism, mismanagement both on and off the field, etc.

 

I don't think it was meant to be a analytical article.

 

Of course not, but my point (and I think goony's too) is that he didn't write that very well. The bullet-point thing was just a fluff piece, especially following the compelling line about "it's not just bad luck" (which I agree 100% with). He didn't address anything substantial.

[C.C.]

He's a poor man's Ricky Reilly, and Rick Reilly is a hobo's writer.

 

I'm not a fan of the "it's the Cubs" reasoning behind bad things happening to this team. When reasonable people analyze the squad and find the flaws in advance, and those flaws are exposed, it's not luck that is holding back the team.

 

I couldn't agree more, but I don't think Telander was slapping a brain-dead "bad luck" label on the Cubs. On the contrary:

 

"Do you really think stuff like that just happens again and again because of bad luck? No, [...] the Cubs have something systemically wrong with them."

 

Granted, he could've done a better job with the "systemically wrong" analysis that followed. Telander merely wrote a bullet-point litany of 2006 Cub angst instead of addressing underlying issues like OBP under-valuation, over-valuation of scouting and athleticism, mismanagement both on and off the field, etc.

 

I don't think it was meant to be a analytical article.

 

Of course not, but my point (and I think goony's too) is that he didn't write that very well. The bullet-point thing was just a fluff piece, especially following the compelling line about "it's not just bad luck" (which I agree 100% with). He didn't address anything substantial.

 

Of course it was. How can you take a article seriously when it ends with

 

When the cops found a dead guy in a portable toilet just beyond Wey's left field on Sept. 6, because of an apparent drug overdose, I was happy it wasn't anybody from the Cubs' organization.

 

Phil Nevin probably doesn't even know there are toilets out there.

 

It's funny...A joke...HaHa....Oh nevermind. Carry on...

[goonys evil twin]

It's funny...A joke...HaHa....Oh nevermind. Carry on...

 

I don't see the humor. Haha, dead guy, toilet, cubs suck. Haha.

[C.C.]

It's funny...A joke...HaHa....Oh nevermind. Carry on...

 

I don't see the humor. Haha, dead guy, toilet, cubs suck. Haha.

 

Now that wasn't funny! See the difference?

[soccer10k]

It's funny...A joke...HaHa....Oh nevermind. Carry on...

 

I don't see the humor. Haha, dead guy, toilet, cubs suck. Haha.

 

You can always tell when somebody is trying too hard to be funny and it appears Telander was trying too hard.