Studs & Duds in Chicago

[OldSchool101]

It’s weird. I was just telling my young 44 year old wife just a moment ago that When the holidays come around my favorite memories are that 1970’s- 1980’s timeframe. Miss my WI roots

 

[milani]

Thats a neat memory. I just know him good enough to remember him to Chicago was like Howard Cosell to Muhammad Ali

He was special. Had a lot of marriages. Actually used to hang out on Rush St. at a few particular bars. This was a man who enjoyed life in the moment to the utmost. But aside from having a very vocal presence he did know the game of baseball.

 

[OldSchool101]

Show me when the world didn't work that way.

Well. We’d take a trip back to Genesis. So somewhere in that ~7000-8000
BC give or take. You just reminded me.. we’re approaching the 10,000 year mark. Times have changed it’s like we’ve gone full Stupid circle. Lol

 

[Pokerbrat2000]

Yaaaaaaaaawwwwwnnnnn
Lmk when y'all find a new cause to get your underwear in a twist. Unreal. Y'all can take a conversation about how much we love hockey and what a great sport. It is into this BS. Y'all need wives or hobbies or to just get a effin life.

Typical response and not unexpected from someone like yourself.

You say stupid things, get called on it and then "everyone else is so sensitive."

No "Bro", some of us just don't let people like yourself get away with the BS you come in here flinging.

 

[OldSchool101]

He was special. Had a lot of marriages. Actually used to hang out on Rush St. at a few particular bars. This was a man who enjoyed life in the moment to the utmost. But aside from having a very vocal presence he did know the game of baseball.

I knew there was a reason I liked you. I can just tell you’re a cool dude.

 

[milani]

Well. We’d take a trip back to Genesis. So somewhere in that ~7000-8000
BC give or take. You just reminded me.. we’re approaching the 10,000 year mark. Times have changed it’s like we’ve gone full Stupid circle. Lol

Remember the song by Zager and Young!
In The Year 2525!

 

[OldSchool101]

Remember the song by Zager and Young!
In The Year 2525!

I didn’t remember it but Me being a guitarist since the 80’s and Songwriter for the last 20 years.., I thoroughly enjoyed that! I’ve written some non mainstream stuff not too far off that (like yesterday) maybe more biblical leanings but similarly thought provoking. Good stuff thanks

 

[Calebs Revenge]

I heard both David Whitehurst and Will Blackmon were asked to change their names because it was offensive. Crayola was going to Sue them because they didn’t promote color diversity.. and a whole rainbow of other reasons. This is true too as I heard it from Mr. Crayola himself. Then Mrs Crayola sued Mr Crayola for unfair wages. She also said she expected to be promoted and thought Secretary Treasurer was belittling. She doesn’t want to be anyone’s Secretary anymore. This is all true I swear on it in the name of the congressional meddling of honor.
This message is promoted and backed by the City of Chicago, Matt Charles Eberflustered, Barrack Obama and its affiliates.

Just read this and almost fell outta my chair laughing. You're alright my guy. lol.

 

[OldSchool101]

Just read this and almost fell outta my chair laughing. You're alright my guy. lol.

I’m so glad my comedy touched you inappropriately. lol
If you ever need to be roasted.. I’m your man!

(I learned nearly 0.5% of everything I know from Billy Crystal and Bill Murray)

 

[Calebs Revenge]

I will be rooting for both a Bears and a Cowboys victory today.... this just feels wrong, and man do I feel dirty, gonna need a shower after these early games are done.

The only silver lining is: We have seen loser seasons like this before many many many many many many many times and every single time our quarterback was first or second on the trash heap of reasons why we sucked. The thing that makes this season different....is we're not losing because of our quarterback, but in spite of his heroics and the future looks bright. He's had some pretty extraordinary comeback to win attempts that have just been ripped to shreds by incompetent coaching. I mean..back to back games with blocked FG...the punt where it hits our returner in the leg and Minn recovers, the comeback with 2min to go....with giving up a FG in between...and the onside kick recovery just to ultimately lose. The Fail Mary....the 50 yard TD run w2seconds left in 1st half vs Az....
That's all I can say about it.
Im more angry that they gave me hope for a few glimmering seconds......that maybe....just maybe we could turn the season around by being five and six if we beat Minnesota... then if we beat Detroit we're at .500 and 2-1 in division and anything is then possible, but ha ha ha ha ha joke is on us for believing even for the few fleeting moments we had....then finally.... the mercy kill to end the season and that is that folks.

 

[OldSchool101]

The only silver lining is: We have seen loser seasons like this before many many many many many many many times and every single time our quarterback was first or second on the trash heap of reasons why we sucked. The thing that makes this season different....is we're not losing because of our quarterback, but in spite of his heroics and the future looks bright. He's had some pretty extraordinary comeback to win attempts that have just been ripped to shreds by incompetent coaching. I mean..back to back games with blocked FG...the punt where it hits our returner in the leg and Minn recovers, the comeback with 2min to go....with giving up a FG in between...and the onside kick recovery just to ultimately lose. The Fail Mary....the 50 yard TD run w2seconds left in 1st half vs Az....
That's all I can say about it.
Im more angry that they gave me hope for a few glimmering seconds......that maybe....just maybe we could turn the season around by being five and six if we beat Minnesota... then if we beat Detroit we're at .500 and 2-1 in division and anything is then possible, but ha ha ha ha ha joke is on us for believing even for the few fleeting moments we had....then finally.... the mercy kill to end the season and that is that folks.

Actually you guys played both GB and MN tough. Nothing to be ashamed those are quite possibly 2 playoff caliber teams. As of now 5th/6th seeds.
The North in 2024 is not the ideal Division for a team like Chicago getting its bearings. That kinda goes for us also as it took Love about 5 weeks to lose the brace and not be fragile. Any other season Chicago might sneak into a 6-5 type start.

GB lost to MN 29-31
MN lost to Detroit 29-31
Bears lost to MN 27-30 in OT
GB lost to Detroit 14-24 (pretty sure Love was still Gimpy in that one)
Bears lost to GB 19-20

Other than our 10 point Detroit loss. Those are all pretty close games and really no blowouts. I think any NFC North team has talent to beat any other North team if they play clean and efficient ball and are relatively healthy.

 

[Voyageur]

The family is definitely a problem, but it's also just being stuck in a defensive mindset and not actually wanting a high-powered New Age offense but we have the most important piece a good quarterback so with that foundation hopefully next we can get a great head coach and then everything falls into place after that.
But yes. The McFailskays have been atrocious owners.

I have a special affection for George Halas. I remember him being there to loan money to the Packers to save the franchise. Years later, when the Bears were in trouble, it was Lombardi and the Packer organization that stepped up on their behalf. The franchises are tied at the hip, and have been since the beginning.

Above all, as fans, we need to remember that the same respect these two men, and the respect that was between Halas and Lambeau was an important part of NFL history. We need to carry that same respect.

It's sad that nobody in the family has measured up to the task of being the face of the franchise. But that doesn't mean they should sell. They just need to find the right person and leave them alone, to do the job. And to find that person, they should not do it themselves. They should hire a knowledgeable head hunting group that deals extensively with that type of search, and should abide by the decision they make for them.

 

[Calebs Revenge]

I have a special affection for George Halas. I remember him being there to loan money to the Packers to save the franchise. Years later, when the Bears were in trouble, it was Lombardi and the Packer organization that stepped up on their behalf. The franchises are tied at the hip, and have been since the beginning.

Above all, as fans, we need to remember that the same respect these two men, and the respect that was between Halas and Lambeau was an important part of NFL history. We need to carry that same respect.

It's sad that nobody in the family has measured up to the task of being the face of the franchise. But that doesn't mean they should sell. They just need to find the right person and leave them alone, to do the job. And to find that person, they should not do it themselves. They should hire a knowledgeable head hunting group that deals extensively with that type of search, and should abide by the decision they make for them.

I'd sell my soul to be Halas' long lost great grandson( maybe grandson ' ) and to return and bring the Franchise back to glory!!!!

 

[Voyageur]

I'd sell my soul to be Halas' long lost great grandson( maybe grandson ' ) and to return and bring the Franchise back to glory!!!!

Sometimes it's not being a fan of the team that works best. It takes someone who creates a culture within the framework of the team as it's supposed to exist, within it's own specific time frame. You can use traditions to fuel the fan base, and a few that will be part of your own era, but you need to be capable of actually becoming a cruel master of the art of team creation to head a program like this. Being a nice guy, or fan friendly, only works for a facade. Underneath, you need to be more results oriented than family oriented.

We've gone through this ourselves, in Green Bay. It was evident as we waffled on cutting ties with both Favre and Rodgers. It wasn't clean, because there was this inner need to act like "family."

In Chicago, it's always the coaching staff that's a problem, if you listen to the front office. It's never management's fault, because they've gone out and got the right players to do the job. If you look at the QBs who were under center for the Bears over the last 20 years, count the number of new head coaches and coordinators they played under, and how many different "systems" they had to adjust to learn, and execute. No continuity whatsoever, and to fix the problem, the front office fires the staff, and starts all over, and creates a different set of problems, which are still the same old problems, painted a different color.

Either the family sells, or they turn the whole thing over to an agency that can find the right person to run the entire program, and let that person stock the shelves from the top on down, and make the team in the image he sees necessary. We found that with Ron Wolf, but the Bears are still searching to get there. It took a major change in the board, to get Wolf on board. We'd gone through a dry spell that was caused by too much "family" in the system.

 

[rmontro]

The Cubs were me StepGrandmother Dodie’s favorite team. When I was a teenager in the 80’s me and my StepBro would go to her house regular as she lived 2 blocks away. She always had the Cubs on her console tv.

My mom liked the Cubs. Maybe that's why I don't like talking smack, because I didn't want to gloat over my mom when the Cubs lost. I hated the Cubs ever since I walked into first grade and most of the kids were wearing Cubs hats (I live in Indiana, remember). I always had to be different, so I picked as my favorite team the one that was beating them regularly at the time - Pittsburgh. They were good in the '70s with Clemente and Stargell, but they've stunk ever since. Outside of an unsuccessful run in the '90s.

Eventually I quit hating the Cubs, because I realized they were harmless. By the time they won the World Series I barely cared at all. I did like Harry Carey though, and the ivy. And I liked that they always played day games - it's a shame they stopped that tradition, but of course it's understandable.

 

[Calebs Revenge]

Sometimes it's not being a fan of the team that works best. It takes someone who creates a culture within the framework of the team as it's supposed to exist, within it's own specific time frame. You can use traditions to fuel the fan base, and a few that will be part of your own era, but you need to be capable of actually becoming a cruel master of the art of team creation to head a program like this. Being a nice guy, or fan friendly, only works for a facade. Underneath, you need to be more results oriented than family oriented.

We've gone through this ourselves, in Green Bay. It was evident as we waffled on cutting ties with both Favre and Rodgers. It wasn't clean, because there was this inner need to act like "family."

In Chicago, it's always the coaching staff that's a problem, if you listen to the front office. It's never management's fault, because they've gone out and got the right players to do the job. If you look at the QBs who were under center for the Bears over the last 20 years, count the number of new head coaches and coordinators they played under, and how many different "systems" they had to adjust to learn, and execute. No continuity whatsoever, and to fix the problem, the front office fires the staff, and starts all over, and creates a different set of problems, which are still the same old problems, painted a different color.

Either the family sells, or they turn the whole thing over to an agency that can find the right person to run the entire program, and let that person stock the shelves from the top on down, and make the team in the image he sees necessary. We found that with Ron Wolf, but the Bears are still searching to get there. It took a major change in the board, to get Wolf on board. We'd gone through a dry spell that was caused by too much "family" in the system.

When Virginia passes they'll sell the team. The stadium in Arlington heights will be a boon for the franchise as well.

 

[Calebs Revenge]

My mom liked the Cubs. Maybe that's why I don't like talking smack, because I didn't want to gloat over my mom when the Cubs lost. I hated the Cubs ever since I walked into first grade and most of the kids were wearing Cubs hats (I live in Indiana, remember). I always had to be different, so I picked as my favorite team the one that was beating them regularly at the time - Pittsburgh. They were good in the '70s with Clemente and Stargell, but they've stunk ever since. Outside of an unsuccessful run in the '90s.

Eventually I quit hating the Cubs, because I realized they were harmless. By the time they won the World Series I barely cared at all. I did like Harry Carey though, and the ivy. And I liked that they always played day games - it's a shame they stopped that tradition, but of course it's understandable.

Not ashamed to admit I cried like a baby when da Cubbies won.

 

[Voyageur]

When Virginia passes they'll sell the team. The stadium in Arlington heights will be a boon for the franchise as well.

I liked Arlington race track. When I was a cop, I sometimes went out there to play the horses. Not because I knew what I was doing, but because I had some pretty darned good tips on winners, and they were almost always right.

On my 3rd trip out there, after being there twice and winning with sure things, I went out to play a daily double of long shots on both ends. This Lieutenant who was in my police unit gave me the names of two horses in the first race, and one in the 2nd. One of the two would win the first race, and the 2nd race was a shoe-in.

So, since I'd won twice, I placed $20 on each of the two daily doubles, and hit a winner. Both horses were over 20 to 1 odds, and I won nearly $1,100 because one was actually the worst betting odds in the race. It made the $100 to $200 I'd usually win look like chicken feed from there on in.

Anyhow, loved the track, and got in free, as a cop. Also, got some nice parking, by showing the badge. There were perks to the job.

That said, I think it's a great location for a domed stadium. It won't be that difficult setting up direct feeders to the Tollway in all directions, since it's right there, on Willow Road.

 

[Voyageur]

Not ashamed to admit I cried like a baby when da Cubbies won.

I'm a Sox fan, always have been. It goes back to 1946, when I would be able to get the games on the radio out of Chicago, when there were clear channel stations, and they'd boost their wattage to reach out. It started because of my Uncle, who was a Sox fan, and would listen to their games while sitting in his living room, on a large floor model radio. In 1952, he went to Chicago, on a job, and was gone all summer. When he came back home, he told me he had gone to quite a few games, and brought me something. It was one of the gloves that Nellie Fox used during that season, complete with his autograph, and with a shout out to me directly. I was the envy of every kid in town.

I cherished that glove, and in 1978, our home was robbed, and the glove stolen. I have no idea what it was worth, but I would have never sold it.

Also a Blackhawks fans. Goes real well with being a Packers, Bucks, White Sox, and Blackhawk fan.

 

[rmontro]

Not ashamed to admit I cried like a baby when da Cubbies won.

I recall thinking at the time "Well, good for them". And their fans, especially. When a time goes 100 years without winning, it's hard to resent them some success. I'm glad they didn't become a dynasty though. As much as I loved it as a kid, MLB has lost its luster for me over the years.

I'm a Sox fan, always have been. It goes back to 1946, when I would be able to get the games on the radio out of Chicago, when there were clear channel stations, and they'd boost their wattage to reach out. It started because of my Uncle, who was a Sox fan, and would listen to their games while sitting in his living room, on a large floor model radio. In 1952, he went to Chicago, on a job, and was gone all summer. When he came back home, he told me he had gone to quite a few games, and brought me something. It was one of the gloves that Nellie Fox used during that season, complete with his autograph, and with a shout out to me directly. I was the envy of every kid in town.

I developed some empathy for the White Sox because they shared a farm team with the Pirates. I don't know if they still do or not. And for awhile there it seems like their records stayed pretty close to each other, they were sort of like a mirror. Their "underdog" status in Chicago also appealed to me. I swear, for awhile there, they had the ugliest uniforms in sports. They looked so shabby, just like Comiskey park.

 

[milani]

I'm a Sox fan, always have been. It goes back to 1946, when I would be able to get the games on the radio out of Chicago, when there were clear channel stations, and they'd boost their wattage to reach out. It started because of my Uncle, who was a Sox fan, and would listen to their games while sitting in his living room, on a large floor model radio. In 1952, he went to Chicago, on a job, and was gone all summer. When he came back home, he told me he had gone to quite a few games, and brought me something. It was one of the gloves that Nellie Fox used during that season, complete with his autograph, and with a shout out to me directly. I was the envy of every kid in town.

I cherished that glove, and in 1978, our home was robbed, and the glove stolen. I have no idea what it was worth, but I would have never sold it.

Also a Blackhawks fans. Goes real well with being a Packers, Bucks, White Sox, and Blackhawk fan.

So sorry about the glove . Little Nell was quite a player. Al Lopez was a terrific manager. Do you remember Bob Elson? And Minnie Minoso?

 

[Calebs Revenge]

I recall thinking at the time "Well, good for them". And their fans, especially. When a time goes 100 years without winning, it's hard to resent them some success. I'm glad they didn't become a dynasty though. As much as I loved it as a kid, MLB has lost its luster for me over the years.



I developed some empathy for the White Sox because they shared a farm team with the Pirates. I don't know if they still do or not. And for awhile there it seems like their records stayed pretty close to each other, they were sort of like a mirror. Their "underdog" status in Chicago also appealed to me. I swear, for awhile there, they had the ugliest uniforms in sports. They looked so shabby, just like Comiskey park.

I was at the Bartman game. Not inside but outside the stadium. Its crazy because we got down there and the 7-Eleven literally had 1000 people in line for it and we didn't have anything to drink and (like a beer angel from the ether)some guy in fishing waders had like a case of beer stuck down each leg and the cops were chasing him so we got three or four beers apiece from him because he was running and passing them out so they couldn't arrest him!!!!! Me and my buddy TJ who went with me took it as a sign from God that all was going to be ok.....it wasn't and all "that" went down so yeah until 2016 being a Cubs fan and a Bears fan had just been utterly horrific.

 

[Thirteen Below]

He was special. Had a lot of marriages. Actually used to hang out on Rush St. at a few particular bars. This was a man who enjoyed life in the moment to the utmost. But aside from having a very vocal presence he did know the game of baseball.

I wonder which Rush Street bars... I used to haunt Muldoon's, and a couple of others, until the day we barely escaped Muldoon's alive. I don't know if it's still operating, but if it is, I'm sure our photographs are still hanging behind the bar. Wonder if I ever shared a pitcher with Harry and didn't recognize him.

Edit: it involved the Blues Festival, quaaludes, and sloe gin. And helium balloons, of course.

 

[Thirteen Below]

I liked Arlington race track. When I was a cop, I sometimes went out there to play the horses. Not because I knew what I was doing, but because I had some pretty darned good tips on winners, and they were almost always right.

You were a Chicago cop? I wonder if we ever met.

Maybe it's best that I don't get into it.

 

[milani]

I wonder which Rush Street bars... I used to haunt Muldoon's, and a couple of others, until the day we barely escaped Muldoon's alive. I don't know if it's still operating, but if it is, I'm sure our photographs are still hanging behind the bar. Wonder if I ever shared a pitcher with Harry and didn't recognize him.

Edit: it involved the Blues Festival, quaaludes, and sloe gin. And helium balloons, of course.

I think the Back Room was his most frequented. And then there was Sully's and Peppy's. He lived close to them. Like maybe even walking distance.