Jim O'Donnell: Sox, Cubs, Lightfoot, Bears - a guide to 'ins' and 'outs' of the transiting sports terrain
ON A SPORTS WEEKEND brimming with action from tee to shining "C," a fleeting step back to categorize what's what and who's snoozy.
An Incomplete Insouciant's Guide to current Ins and Outs on the rambling sportscape:
In - Rooting for a White Sox-Brewers World Series - A vision of highway grog that would warm even the worst of the November gales on Lake Michigan. ... Wake up new echoes of Harvey's Wallbangers vs. the '05 dream sweep of Jermaine Dye, Joe Crede, Paul Konerko and all.
Out - Attending any April Cubs game at Wrigley Field - Are they frigidly kidding? ... This isn't baseball; this is elitist disdain for the yahoo 15%. ... Tickets for games like this are why God made Keokuk and East Moline.
In - Chortling at anything Lori Lightfoot says about the Bears and Arlington Park - Chicago's Most Improbable Mayor ("The MIM") should be playing The Mike Bilandic Snowflake Room down in Bridgeport. ... Until Her Honor can find a choice, accessible parcel of land to hand to the Bears, dummy up.
Out - Wondering aloud if the residents of Arlington Heights are going to pay "billions" to get the McCaskey Munchkins to Arlington Park - Mayor Lightfoot sure knows how to leave 'em laughing. ... Arlington Heights Mayor Tom Hayes and his administrative and elective cohorts are a lot of things, but they are not complete fiscal nutmegs.
In - Skating away from any thought of being a fan of the current Blackhawks - The revival was a dream, the three Stanley Cup seasons an iced quencher that will apparently have to stand for decades. ... Is Danny Wirtz already outlining his 2038 vanity book on how his father's stewardship of the franchise jumped the Plexiglass?
Out - Saying anything disparaging about the 2021-22 season of the Bulls - The most important thing is, Arturas Karnisovas and Marc Eversley have flipped the atmospheric direction of the team. ... Anything Billy Donovan, DeMar DeRozan and battered maties can get done in the postseason is merely more tempting tiramisu.
In - Avoiding excess aggravation trying to find which TV or streaming outlet is airing a particular Sox or Cubs game - The Ricketts family and Jerry Reinsdorf have pricey regional sports networks to showcase most of their games. ... The Marquee Network and NBC Sports Chicago should be aggressively keeping fans aware of any switches. ... In the interim, what-me-worry?
Out - Listening to any Chicago-based sports talk radio - The province of low-cost, braying pack mules. ... Phil Jackson once called it "mental masturbation" and it's only gotten worse.
In - Following the Chicago Fire FC - So "out" that it's "in." ... Joe Mansueto has spent money like a Powerball winner headed to the electric chair. ... Are they sure Lee Stern, Rudy Glenn and Der Sting did it this way?
Out - Waiting for delivery of those Candace Parker/Kahleah Copper Chicago Sky WNBA championship bobbleheads - *** Title won Oct. 17, 2021. ... The New Jersey-based manufacturer of the commemorative bobbers - at $60 each - is now promising May deliveries.
In - Hedging all of the "free bet" offers from legal sports gaming books in Illinois into thousands of dollars of no-risk profit - Bloomberg recently ran an informed article on how "Coupon-clipping types are playing them against each other to make risk-free bets." ... Free cash fever ... catch it.
Out - Following any aspect of the prep routes to the 2022 Kentucky Derby - The Run for the Roses remains a declining production of the casino bandits of Churchill Downs Inc. ... Are the bait shop minnows supposed to root for the fishermen?
• Jim O'Donnell's Sports and Media column appears three times weekly, including Thursday and Sunday. Reach him at jimodonnelldh@yahoo.com.