Bgbird68

And to answer the orignal question of this topic: No.

MLB: Anaheim, Arizona, Boston, and Chicago WS won either the first WSeries title in franchise history, or for the first time in a LONG time. NBA: Spurs won their first championship in franchise in 1999. NHL: Lightning won their first NHL Championship in 2004 NFL: Bucs, and Patriots won their first Super Bowl championships in the last five yrs. NCAA Football: Texas, LSU, and Ohio State won their first NCAA title in a LONG (decades long) time. So...it isn't JUST the White Sox and the Red Sox (they are the direct conection to the Cubs) who broke their droughts. There have been a recent rash of first time winners and/or 1st ftime winners after a drought t win their sports "championship." But unfortunately, the Cubs are not the ONLY MLB team with a drought. The Astros/Nats/Rangers/Mariners/INDIANS, are some of the teams that have droughts. The definition of a "Cub drought" and the rest of those team's droughts are two entirely different things.

My love for stoney usually colors my bias in these types of discussions, but I fail to see how this is a snide comment. Do you really think these additions (particularly the almost universally criticized acquisition of jones) improve the Cubs enough to surpass the Cardinals? I sure don't. a comment need not be false to be snide, and Stone's comment was snide, as was the additional "pigs fly" comment about Prior/Wood starts. there's a way to convey these thoughts without the the sarcasm and without the taint of vindictiveness that have laced most of his comments since leaving the Cubs. as for whether the Cubs surpassed the Cards with the moves they made, I don't think they do in and of themselves. but with the downgrades the Cards will probably see ... right and left (worse players), center (he's getting old), shortstop (career year), second (worse players), the starting staff (Suppan's career year, Carpenters 2005 workload on surgically repaired arm, replace Morris with Ponson/rookie, Marquis back to mediocrity), and a completely revamped bullpen.... the difference isn't as great as Stone implies. maybe the Cards aren't shaking in their boots, but I guaranty they don't have the confidence they had going into last year. but Stone and his vindictiveness just isn't capable of making such analysis anymore when speaking about the Cubs. If I'm not mistaken, Stone is brought on a show to give his opinion. If his opinion is that the Cards won't be shaking in their boots or that pigs will fly along with a healthy Wood and Prior......so what? It's his opinion. I don't know why so many Cub fans take what he says as a personal affront.

I'm trying to think of another team other than the Cubs that has more fans "blinded by their love for the team". Wow....pot meet kettle.

so, since the Red Sox have won 1 world series in 87 years, they are a much better franchise and can justify raising ticket prices? What is felony assault on their fans? I would think EVERYONE would stop cheering for a team if they were assaulted by management. I think you are a bit hysterical in your interpretation. No, the cubs aren't run for their fans. No, the cubs management is not going out of their way to screw the fans. oh wait, you're not listening anyway. Yes, they are a better franchise. See the difference between the Cubs and Red Sox is that the Sox actually APPEARED in the World Series in 75 and 86 and won it all in 2004. . The Sox actually went out and spent what they thought necessary to win, while the Cubs have refused to sign a top-of-the-line free agent and teamed that up with the inability to produce one suceessful everyday player. Let's be honest, the Cubs are in a league of their own when it comes to failure.

=D>

And again, my point being the Cubs shouldn't use "competition" as the reason for bleacher expansion or raising ticket prices and then not signing a single top-of the-line free agent since oh, somebody help me with this one. Just don't pee on my leg and tell me it's raining. I could stomach all this if they had actually won something. And great, there are five people ready to take my spot at Wrigley.....it still a crappy thing to lie to the fanbase of the most inept baseball team in history. They're not getting my money and I don't care how many people are in line to take my seat. And guess what Vance, I don't miss them either.

Because MacPhail also used "competition" as another reason for the expansion. If we can just get these new bleachers, that will help us win. Charge 60 bucks for a bleacher seat, close off the knothole, keep on jacking ticket prices up, scalp your own tickets.....just don't lie about why you're doing it and don't cry poor when free agent time rolls around. If the Cubs would have actually won something in my life, I wouldn't care. It's crap like this that made me say "bon voyage" to Wrigley 4 years ago.

I heard a direct quote from MacPhail from 2003, I think, and he said the reason the new bleachers were needed is so "I don't have to jack up ticket prices every year.". That is a lie, plain and simple. If it wasn't, they wouldn't have raised ticket prices after the bleachers were approved. And also, don't compare the Cubs to the Red Sox or Yankees or Cardinals because those are teams that have WON A WORLD SERIES IN THE LAST 100 YEARS. This whole "the Yankees, Red Sox, etc. do it, so why can't the Cubs" logic is baffling to me.

This was mentioned on the Score during an update. Any truth to this?

Who cares? The last thing Cubs fans should be worrying about are the White Sox.

And the Cubs have won..............?

Agreed. Nice post, Bovine.

IMHO, I don't see how any Cub fan would not want new ownership. The Trib bought the Cubs in 81 and they have made the postseason four times with no titles. No titles in 24 years? Please, sell.

The sad thing to me now is how cool I thought the home run race was at the time, and now how I think the whole thing was chemically enhanced.

then he's totally not good at it. Hendry is like the 12-year old kid who spends all his waking hours reading about fighter jets. He knows a whole lot of info on them, but when he builds that model, no matter how much time and energy he put into it, the thing still doesn't compare to the real thing made by General Dynamics. yep, for one, the mouth decal is upside down, there's glue coming out of the nose propeller, the wing is crooked, the bottom turret is coming off and the kid seems more and more enamoured with the tube of glue than the actual plane. Good stuff, Sully.

And remember, if all else fails, just go down the street to your friendly Premium Ticket broker..........

I'm wondering why there's a thread about this......I heard this story, if I'm not mistaken, about 4 or five years ago.

\ So only true Cub "fans" wouldn't boo Sammy?

I'll have to disagree. I don't think I've ever heard or read any post with "fantasy baseball" being a reason people don't like Neifi. The main reason I don't like Neifi is Dusty, for two reasons: 1. Neifi is a bench player and would be used as such on any other club, barring major injuries. However, Dusty felt the need to start him when..... 2. The Cubs were out of the race. 3. Neifi continued to play poorly 4. Ronnie Cedeno sits on the bench when Neifi plays. Who knows what moves could have been made this offseason if only the Cubs organization had a true barometer on what kind of player Cedeno is. But sadly, due to Dusty, the Cubs don't have a lot to go on regarding Ronnie. Valuable big league experience was wasted because of Dusty. I also don't like Neifi when Macowiak was available. IMO, he's a MUCH better bench guy than Perez. And CubsWin, what's with the disclaimer?

I also would have liked Macowiak

Rob Macowiak

Do you know what all three have in common?

I heard the clip. The fan said (I'll try my best here) I was sick to my stomach when the White Sox won the Series. I could just see Williams and Reinsdorf with their feet up on the desk laughing at the Cubs. But I knew this was supposed to be a big offseason. The Sammy money was gone, there was the money from the new seats. So you signed two new relievers, you still have a questionable left fielder, a questionable shortstop and a questionable second baseman. You signed Jacque Jones for right, who I hate to say this Jim, but he's bad, he's not a good ballplayer. I just can't understand where all this money has gone. I'm not real happy with you right now, Jim. You could still be a hero with a few more moves. I'm just a very unhappy Cubs fan right now. There were many cheers throughout his statement. One guy yelled at him to "sit down" and after he commented on Jacque someone else yelled " how do you know he'll be bad?". That was the best I could remember. Hendry said "he appreciated the comments" and the team was "much improved over last year" and how the offer to Furcal wasn't too little, it was just the Dodgers offered so much more. I'm sure someone can give a little more accurate depiction.

Ouch.....sorry.