The Chicago Cubs, 101 years and counting since a World Series title, have been rumored as being cursed. The goat curse; the Bartman baseball, were things “beyond” the norm that caused the Cubs’ century-long draught. But it is also stupidity. The team has done stupid things: the Cubs were among the last to integrate with […]

[Read more →]

When I first heard that French tennis player Mathieu Montcourt died, I thought that some gambler may have had him killed. That’s the first reaction I have when I hear about athletes who are banned for betting on matches die suddenly. The 24-year-old player was found dead by his girlfriend in the stairwell of his […]

[Read more →]

At the outset of the NHL free agency period, for the second consecutive year, the Chicago Blackhawks came away with the number one free agent on the market. Last year it was defenseman Brian Campbell; this year it is forward Martin Hossa. Yes, Martin Hossa, the scapegoat from this year’s Stanley Cup Finals. Hossa, you […]

[Read more →]

Former lightweight boxing champion Alexis Arguello was found dead in his home the other day with a gun shot in the chest. Arguello was one of the best fighters I’ve ever seen, and like another of my heroes, Bjorn Borg, he meticulously and systematically dismantled opponents. Everyone remembers Ray “Boom Boom” Mancini mostly for the […]

[Read more →]

As with anyone who has made a difference in one field or another, the final scorecard is a mix of wins and losses, and the announcement that Major League Baseball Players’ Union boss Donald Fehr’s quarter century in charge of the players’ association would be coming to an end was definitely a period of wins […]

[Read more →]

A couple of days ago, before news came to light that Sammy Sosa had tested positive for performance enhancing drugs in 2003, Chicago Tribune Editor Dan McGrath wrote a piece on June 14th, three days before the Sosa news saying that it was time to offer a blanket amnesty for all baseball players who took […]

[Read more →]

Making the last pitch to the International Olympic Committee in Switzerland yesterday, the Chicago 2016 contingent made a commitment that Mayor Richard Daley said would not be necessary – a full governmental guarantee to cover any losses incurred by the Games. Up to now, it was supposed to be a joint venture of local government […]

[Read more →]