Real baseball fans will tune in

BY Andrew Dreischarf
I overheard something that made me chuckle to myself the other night at the WHS football game at Dundee-Crown. Something that is all too common in the day and age of the “fickle sports fan.” They were talking about how they weren’t going to watch the World Series if it ended up being the Rockies and Indians. My question to them would have been, “What does it matter who’s playing?”
After all, the Rockies a month ago were in fourth place in their own division, and somehow found a way to win game after game and edge out the Padres for the National League Wild Card. They won 21 of their last 22 games.
Is it really bad for baseball to not have to teams in the World Series from major markets? I’m sure Major League Baseball would have loved the Yankees and Cubs to meet for money reasons, but this is why they actually play the games. I’m a Cubs fan, and yes, it stinks that they didn’t make it, but they got beat by a better team.
Just because a team doesn’t have a bunch of players everyone knows, or aren’t from a big city, does that make them less deserving of advancing in the playoffs? I say no way. They’ve earned their way this far by beating teams most people expected to destroy them. To me that’s excitement. I’m sick of the Red Sox being there every year. I’m sick of the love for the Yankees and Mets and then people being shocked and upset when they don’t make the World Series.
In 2004 there was a surprising amount of Red Sox “bandwagon” fans all of a sudden during the playoffs. Most were either Cubs fans that supported another club with a long championship drought, or “Yankee haters.” Some were both. I find it somewhat hypocritical that people hate the Yankees because they spend a lot of money, and then support the Red Sox, Cubs, and Mets for doing the exact same thing. People should be happy that teams are spending their money on players, and not pocketing the money themselves like many of the so-called “smaller market” teams do. People that supported the Red Sox that season (and many continue to do so) all gave me the same answer when I called them on it. They told me “I’m a Cubs fan and want to see the Red Sox end their drought.” Why on Earth would you want another franchise to end their drought before your favorite team does? That makes no sense to me. And if that’s the case, all these Cubs fans should be cheering for the Indians in 2007 since they’ve not won a title in 59 years. Yet all I hear is, “If the Red Sox don’t make it, I’m not watching.” Those same people are wearing a Red Sox cap they recently bought.
On national sports talk radio shows the big sticking point seems to be, “These teams don’t have a lot of viewers” and “Ratings are down.” People need to understand that of course the Rockies and Indians will draw fewer ratings. Denver and Cleveland are not New York, Los Angeles, Chicago or Boston. They have a lot less people than much larger cities. Unless you’re a television executive, what does it matter to you if a lot of people are watching? If you’re a baseball fan, or claim to be one, you should be watching no matter who makes it.
I know I’ll be watching the World Series between the Rockies and most likely Indians as of today. I’m a baseball fan, and I like watching good (lately great) playoff baseball. I think you should join me in watching, too. Who knows, you might see some really wonderful games with some really wonderful players.
Give the World Series a chance; you might just love what you see.

Dear Cubs: Please, don’t break our hearts this time

By ANDREW DREISCHARF
The Cubs are going to the playoffs for just the fifth time in my lifetime. The franchise hasn’t won a World Series title in 99 years, but hey, who’s counting? While I’m very happy and plan on watching every minute of their playoff games, I’m still not drinking the “Cubs Kool-Aid” but I’ve noticed many in Woodstock and the surrounding areas are.
Even at dinner last night at Finn McCool’s in Crystal Lake, someone had already gotten “Chicago Cubs 2007 National League Central Champions” painted onto the back of their truck. Both Sports Authority stores in Crystal Lake had sold out of Cubs division champion gear by 4 p.m. on Saturday. Let’s not plan that parade just yet.
Part of me still isn’t sold on the 2007 Chicago Cubs. It is a team that has done well this season, but how well? It’s not that I’m a jaded fan, but I am a realistic fan. I learned at a young age that the Cubs were a team that was loved by many, no matter how well or not they did. The traditional Cub fans’ mantra of “This is our year” usually would turn to “Wait until next year” by mid July. I’ve been waiting since 1982 for it to be our year.
In my time on this planet, I’ve seen every major Chicago sports franchise at least make it to the title game or series, except for my beloved Cubs. I’ve seen the Bears and White Sox each bring back one title to Chicago, and have been spoiled by seeing and loving the Bulls win six NBA championships. While those were all special, I don’t think anything could compare to the Cubs finally bringing home a World Series championship. As of now, the most meaningful championship in the last 25 years in Chicago is the Bears Super Bowl XX win over the New England Patriots, but I don’t really remember much of it. I was only about to turn 4-years-old three weeks later. I loved all six of the Bulls titles, but I think most of that was because I actually remember those vividly, and I adored Michael Jordan. At the time, what kid didn’t? The White Sox title of 2005 was cool, and while I hold nothing against the Sox and I’m not a Sox hater, it isn’t my team. That leaves the Blackhawks who I love, but they’re constantly doing nothing. They’ve not won a title since 1961, and last made the Stanley Cup finals in 1992, but that’s for another blog.
Now, back to the Cubbies.
Time after time, Cubs fans get a bad rap. People who aren’t Cubs fans will say, “You’ll root for anyone” and they call the Cubs and their fans the loveable losers. While some people who claim to be Cubs fans are like that, most of us are not. I hate losing. I hate being out of the playoff hunt in June. I don’t go to Wrigley just to drink, or talk on my cell phone and waive at the camera. I go to watch the Cubs and hopefully a good baseball game. If a player or the team having a bad game, I don’t say, “It’s OK, they’ll bounce back.” I get upset. Baseball’s not an inexpensive thing to go to. When I go, I demand a good product on the field.
My point is that no longer will Cubs fans accept a bad product just because the wrapper says Chicago Cubs. I guess I’m part of the fan base Chicago columnist/radio host Chet Copack has dubbed a new breed Cubs fan. I’ll gladly agree with him.
2006 was a disaster of a season for the Cubs. The team finished 66-96 and was eliminated by mid-summer. It was terrible. By that point I couldn’t wait for the Bears to start, just to take my mind off the Cubs. In the off-season, the Cubs shocked me and pleasantly surprised me by spending money on free agent outfield Alphonso Soriano, starting pitcher Ted Lilly and the signing a nice core of players that play team baseball. Guys like Mark DeRosa, Cliff Floyd and Daryle Ward were welcome additions to a Cubs club that in the past has had too many “me first guys.”
The capper was when the Cubs named Lou Piniella manager. He never would have taken two months to tell Sammy Sosa he wasn’t batting third anymore when he wasn’t hitting.
I was so happy to follow the Cubs all summer going to Wrigley Field, US Cellular Field and Miller Park in Milwaukee to see this Cubs team. It’s a team that cares and plays as a team was something that seems to have been lacking the last few seasons on the north side. It was quite the breath of fresh air. However, I won’t lie and say I knew this was going to happen. When I made my picks back in March, I had the Cubs winning the wild card and going 86-76. They finished 85-77, pretty good, huh? My reasoning was the Cubs had made enough good moves in a bad division to win the wild card spot. Had I know the Cardinals team that won it all in 2006 was going to be so hurt by injuries, I would have picked differently. The rise of the Brewers came about a year or two earlier than most had thought. The Cubs should have run away with the National League Central though, and that’s why I’m still skeptical.
The playoffs won’t be easy, they never are. The teams that made it this year, for the most part, played much tougher schedules than the Cubs did. If what happened in 2003 has taught us anything, it’s that anything can and will happen in the playoffs. I do have hope, though.
The NL Central winner the past two seasons has made it to the World Series. As my grandmother always told me when I was a little kid, “Don’t count your chickens before they hatch.” Don’t go printing those World Series tickets just yet. I really want to see the Cubs win a title. I just won’t be crushed if it’s not this season. Even if the Cubs bow out this week, we asked for a foot this season, and they gave us a yard.

Trusting is not as hard as we make it out to be

By KIM KUBIAK
I’m proud to be part of the Leadership Greater McHenry County Class of 2008. So far, we’ve enjoyed our first introductory reception and a weekend retreat at the beautiful Resurrection Center in Woodstock.

Like most everyone, I was dreading the weekend away from my husband and kids, but now that I’ve experienced it, I wouldn’t trade it for the world. Here are a few highlights:

• A learning type measurement exercise that confirmed my Myers-Briggs and True Colors personality testing. I’m definitely an orange-blue type that primarily likes to conceptualize, experience and do something, rather than watch. I’m a No. 3-type learner (for those LGMC alumni who knows what that means!)
• Team-building exercises in the woods included getting close to one another inside a hula-hoop laying on the ground, and then sharing what we learned. We also found a partner and performed a few trust-building exercises. One was being blindfolded while having our partner walk us through the woods over mulch, logs, leaves and the like. I had a great partner and one that I’ll call a dear friend for a very long time.
• Once the team-building exercises were completed, we were presented with a keychain with an important imprint; but before we could accept our gift, we had to tell the group what we had learned that day. I said that trusting is not as hard as we make it out to be. I had just met my partner hours before we were walking through the woods together blindfolded. I completely trusted her, so why do we often pretend that trusting others is so difficult? That was a revelation to me. The keychain reads, “There is a new adventure coming and I know it will be a good one.” By Sigurd F. Olson.
• The following day we were divided into four groups and sent on a road trip! One group traveled to Union; one traveled to Woodstock; one traveled to Harvard and my group traveled to Richmond. Each group took a few hours to get to know their assigned community, and then created a production about that community to present to the rest of the class. We were “Google-ing” Richmond on our Blackberries as we drove there, asked a few residents about their community, took several photos on our digital camera, bought a few items for the class from Anderson’s Candy Store, then put together a complete Power Point presentation together. What a blast!
• Over the weekend, we also were assigned teams. Now we’ll work to create an entire day’s presentation on the subject of our choice.

I can’t wait to get started.

You say goodbye and I say adios

By BOBBY LA GESSE
I hate goodbyes.
I’ve never been good at them. That’s probably because I associate goodbye with the last time I will ever interact with someone.
As some of you may know, this is my last story for The Independent. I am leaving to cover Iowa State football for The Ames Tribune. I wasn’t looking for the job. It just fell into my lap.
I’ve always loved college sports. As a kid, I always came down with a cold during the NCAA Tournament. As a college student, my favorite memories were following the Illinois basketball team. As a journalist, I always wanted to cover college sports again.
And now that I have that chance, I can’t bring myself to say goodbye.
If I say goodbye to someone, it’s the last time I intend to communicate with them.
That isn’t the case.
I will still follow the Marian Central and Woodstock athletic teams. Just like you, I want to know if Marian Central can win a state title in football.
And if the Blue Streaks can make the football playoffs.
And if the Woodstock girls cross country team will get to state.
And if Joe Conroy and Curtis Price can turn both schools into winners on the hardwood.
The thing I will miss most about Woodstock is the high school athletes. They are unlike any high schoolers I have covered in the past. After Marian Central’s final volleyball game of the 2006 season, I had a senior come up and thank me for covering the team. I never had an athlete do that before — let alone minutes after his or her high school career just ended.
I’ve had athletes from both schools thank me for covering them. They’ve thanked me for writing stories on them. They’ve even chatted with me while watching sporting events at their schools.
Marian and Woodstock should be proud of the student- athletes they produce.
I’d also like to thank everyone at both Marian and Woodstock — superintendents, principals, athletic directors, coaches, secretaries — and at The Independent who I have had the pleasure of working with for the last 13 months.
Now I have one plea for the town before I go. Please do not push the young athletes of this town too far.
While in Woodstock, I’ve covered youth sporting events where the coaches, parents and officials let the kids be kids and play the game. You should be commended.
I have also seen a few renegade coaches and parents who have gone too far. We all have to remember that the children are playing sports for fun. Let them have fun.
I’ve seen too many athletes stop playing a sport they love because they were burned out by the time they hit high school. They played too many games with too many ranting and raving coaches to want to do it anymore.
I think that might be the worst thing that happens in sports. Youth sporting events are held for the kids’ fun and enjoyment. We all need to always keep that in mind.
So I will say so long and adios. Who knows when we will run into each other again?