Sox have another fan in high place(s)

You couldn't help but know that the 44th president of the United States is a White Sox fan.

And, of course, the same is true for the mayor of Chicago, whose allegiance is legendary.

What you may not know is that the Illinois governor-in-waiting is a bigger White Sox fan than either of them, and he has the ticket stubs and emotional scars to prove it.

He doesn't advertise it quite like the others do, but Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn is crazy for the Sox and has been for many, many decades.

"It's true. I have four season tickets in the upper deck,'' Quinn said late Wednesday afternoon, shortly after getting off a plane from Washington. "As a matter of fact, we just sent in the money to renew.''

With Quinn destined to be governor in the near future, the Sox may want to consider upgrading his seat location.

After all, you can't have the president and the mayor sitting down by the dugout for a playoff game and have the governor sitting high enough in the clouds to shake hands with the media.

"My father was a White Sox fan, my grandfather was a White Sox fan, my sons are Sox fans, and it's pretty much been handed down from one generation to the next,'' Quinn said. "I don't hate the Cubs, and there's room in my heart for them.''

But not a lot.

"No, I could definitely see them losing to us in the bottom of the ninth in the seventh game of the World Series on the South Side,'' Quinn said. "(Carlos) Zambrano would get the loss and maybe we'll even trade for Kerry Wood and have him get the win for us in relief.''

The next governor of Illinois then assured us he was kidding.

"Honestly, if we can't win, I would want them to,'' Quinn said. "It would be good for the state if they both went far.

"I have a lot of great Cubs memories, like listening to Jack Brickhouse and going to a game at Wrigley Field with my day camp in 1956. I'm a Sox fan, but I'd like to see both teams invited there as World Series champs while President Obama is in the White House.''

For the inauguration, Quinn was reminded that his days of residing in the cheap seats aren't quite over yet.

"I had two standing-room tickets in the orange section, and a security guard made me kneel down because there were people in the orange section with seats and I was blocking their view,'' Quinn laughed. "I was kneeling next to a tree. It was great. It was an honor to be there, a memory of a lifetime.

"I took the Metro (subway) there, and it was something to see three and four generations of families together, hoping to get near the (National) Mall.

"People just as far as the eye could see in every direction.

"Hopefully we'll be back there with our sports teams from Chicago and celebrate a championship with the president soon.''

The good cause

Pat Quinn broadcasts at least one inning with Ed Farmer every season and spends time at Wrigley as well as he promotes the Illinois Military Family Relief Act, his project that provides financial assistance to families of Illinois National Guard members and Reservists called to active duty.

"A lot of them take a big financial hit, and that's where we try to help,'' Quinn said. "Both the Cubs and Sox have been helpful with the effort.

"I was in Iraq in 2003 and 2004, and in the mornings I'd wear a Sox hat and in the afternoons a Cubs hat. It gave me a chance to connect with the guys there.

"It really brings them closer to home to be able to talk about baseball.''

For more info, visit operationhomefront.org.

Ivan Boldirev-ing

You look at the way the rest of the NHL season is shaping up and it's pretty obvious that Detroit is going to go out and get a goaltender.

So, again, if you're the Blackhawks, you have to decide what you're going to do about Nikolai Khabibulin.

If you understand you're not going to win the Stanley Cup, and you're not going to re-sign him, why not trade with the Red Wings and steal a handful of good, young players?

Yes, it would take some serious acorns because the fanatics will go insane if you trade a goalie to a hated rival, but if you believe in your own talent evaluation and scouting, then you fear nothing and you rob them blind.

The only reason not to do it is if you're more interested in selling playoff tickets - and next year's season tickets - than you are in correctly managing your assets.

In that case you can sit back and watch a team like Minnesota make the deal and have Khabibulin walk for nothing as a free agent after the season.

Bearing down

From e-mailer the Last Bear Fan: "Ron Turner said, 'We just have to continue to get better,' after the Bear offense finished 26th in 2008. They were ranked 27th in 2007. At this pace, the Bears will have the best offense in the league about two years after Devin Hester gets his AARP application.''

Just asking

How's Sammy Sosa coming with that job search?

Best headline

Sportspickle.com: "Jon Gruden up most of the night planning his daughter's lunch.''

And finally -

Comedian Alex Kaseberg: "What's the difference between the Detroit Lions and the Los Angeles Dodgers? The Dodgers have an outside shot of making it to a Super Bowl.''

brozner@dailyherald.com