Desipio Message Board

George Steinbrenner, 80.

Art Linkletter, 97 years young.

Andy MacPhail's Baltiore Orioles currently sport the worst record in baseball (12-27)

Where have we seen this before?  I recall one time during the 0-14 losing streak in '97 and he coincidentally had a prearranged public/press outing and had to extemporaneously answer for his PANKness which was, as a result, more bloodlustily satisfying.  Anyway, the Cubs suck,  I'll take comfort in this.  It's all I have right now.

Bruce J. Graham--the man who designed two of Chicago's most iconic skyscrapers in the early 70's--dead at 84.

Member of the 1979 Pittsburgh Pirates' "Family" (he started Game 7 of the World Series, in fact), dead at 65.

On Clark, near Balmoral (5400).  Fun atmosphere--50's like decor, good music, really good burger, good fries.

Interesting note, of which I was unaware prior to us eating there last Friday (not that it would have made a difference, this is Andersonville)--the place happens to be gayer than a Mike Piazza Surprise Birthday Party.  Our check even arrived in a ruby red slipper.    Awesome.

No, not the fictional Office Manager--although the Chicago School Board President did apparently have his own company...NOT called "the Michael Scott Paper Company, though it may earn scrutiny in the coming days

I just wanted to get this out there before BananaHands accuses me of throwing him off of the Merchandise Mart el trracks.  I was home all night, PAL.

Seriously, though.  WTF?  

The guy he replaced, of course, is Arne Duncan.  

Just sayin'.

(Does Mike C. read the Dead Pool?)

Anyone over 35 probably remembers Ben Wilson--at the time, the #1 high school basketball player in the country--being shot and killed.  For no other reason other than my Cubs' interest being an obsessive pathology, I also recall Cub prospect Reggie Patterson (who would go on to serve up Pete Rose's 4,191st hit--tying him with Ty Cobb) was also shot around the same timet--but survived, obviously--during a robbery attempt while playing winter ball in South America, but I digress.

Anyway, Tribune beat reporter KC Johnson apparently rode the bench for the Evanston team in 1984 that lost to Simeon in the IHSA championship game that previous Spring--what turned out to be Wilson's last game--and thus has some connections to people from that time who are able to tell a pretty good--and still sad--story.

After work last Saturday I stopped in with some co-workers for a beer at a downtown bar and I was surprised to see how many people were in there on a Saturday.  Turns out, they were having a drink before heading out to see U2 at Soldier.  It didn't occur to me, at thte time, how stupid it is to have 2 concerts on a field one week before the first football game of the season.  So now, they're going to plant some new sod.  Umm, great?

That field sucks.  I went to the last preseason game and couldn't believe how piss poor it looked.  Now they get new sod that'll hardly have a chance to settle.  The problem is that the McCaskeys and the CPD just pass the buck when it comes to maintenance--part of yet another weird, byzantine relationship that is prevalent in Chicago, but the solution would be for the McCaskeys to step up and throw down some cash and hire Roger Bossard to take care of that abortion of a football field.

I've always been more of a pro football guy, but I've never been inclined to give the amateurs short shrift.  So here it is.

I'll be in East Lansing Saturday watching some Big Sky patsy take their lumps against the Spartans, wondering how much schaudenrfeude the MSU fans will have at what's going on in Ann Arbor.


Will Tim Tebow walk on water this year?
Will the SEC still dominate?
Will the Big 10 be competitive?
Will Charlie Weis' frontbutt continue to get larger?
Will Illinois rebound this season?
Dows NIU have any chance against Wisconsin and Purdue?
Will JD now post more than once every 3 weeks?

Shit begins tonight.  Oregon and Boise State looks like good matchup late tonight to kick things off.

Have at it, boys.