It's simple: Critics might just be right

Carlos Zambrano apologized Tuesday for criticizing Cubs fans, which was the appropriate move.

Now, this is what Big Z should say to the faithful the next time he is booed in Wrigley Field:

"You might be right."

Zambrano, Rex Grossman and all other Chicago sports figures should read my mail.

For example, take this recent excerpt from Ross Winter: "That may be some of the worst journalism I have ever read from a hometown newspaper. Keep you're a$$ out of Wrigley."

No offense meant, I assume, and none taken.

Insults bothered me when I was in my mid-20s like Zambrano and Grossman are. Now I subscribe to the response the late, legendary Daily Herald columnist Jack Mabley had for critics of his criticism:

"You might be right."

Ross Winter might be right, just as Cubs fans who booed Zambrano's labors on Labor Day might be right.

If I don't want to hear it from Mr. Winter, I can go sell used cars. If Big Z doesn't want to hear it from Cubs fans, he can go play on the PGA Tour.

In a way it's ironic that somebody as passionate, emotional and perhaps irrational as Zambrano would lash out at the Wrigley Field faithful for being passionate, emotional and perhaps irrational.

Listen, Chicago sports fans boo because they care. If they didn't care, the Cubs couldn't afford to guarantee Zambrano $91.5 million over the next five seasons.

I get paid to participate in this conversation with readers four days a week, while they have to pay 50 cents daily for this newspaper.

For them it's a right to rip me; for me it's a privilege to say thank you, sir, may I have another?

Or more precisely to tell them, "You might be right."

The same applies to Zambrano, Grossman, Ozzie Guillen, Bill Wirtz, Cedric Benson, Ben Wallace and the rest.

Cubs fans endure considerable inconvenience to watch Big Z be a Big Bust. Like, bleacher fans pay Big Bucks to fight Wrigleyville traffic, sit on hard benches with no backs and be extorted out of 12-pack money for a single beer.

In return, when those people boo, the least an athlete can do is say, "You might be right."

Chicago isn't some last sports outpost where fans-come-lately are trying to figure out the etiquette of sports booing. You know, not any more than local newspaper readers are trying to figure out when to fire off a letter to the editor.

Folks here have witnessed the good, the bad, the ugly and the snugly. Now all they're trying to do is keep the likes of Big Z and me honest.

Not only might they be right, quite often they definitely are.

Zambrano, Grossman and all the others should understand that Chicago sports fans want their bad athletes to be good, their good athletes to be great and their great athletes to be champions.

At Wrigley Field, the sense is Zambrano is helping the Cubs squander an opportunity to get to the World Series. At Soldier Field, the sense is Grossman more than any other Bear can squander an opportunity to win a Super Bowl.

That displeasure doesn't come across through polite applause, or by being respectfully silent for that matter.

Zambrano, Grossman and the rest should understand that fans around here just might be right sometimes.

mimrem@dailyherald.com