Most of you won't care about this, but maybe I can connect with a couple of Cubs nuts. This year I came pretty close to being done with the Cubs. Just a disgusting year with injury after injury, young players not getting a fair chance, constant lineup changes, constant whining and complaining. This follows up a forgettable 2005 when I started the year thinking this was our year; a 2004 where I watched way too much baseball and prayed for things like "please keep Mark Prior healthy"; and 2003 where we came just a few outs from going to the world series in a heartbreaking pair of losses to end what seemed to be a magical season.

Anyway, this year I watched maybe a few innings here or there. I didn't go to any games. I didn't try to get tickets. I just barely cared (and mostly just for the purpose of winning my fantasy league - which I did, for the second time in three years - go me.) Granted, a lot of that was due to being engaged and getting married. But some of it was just... I don't know, I was out of energy.

So yesterday the President of the Cubs resigned/got fired and a new guy named John McDonough, the former vice-President of Marketing, was named interim President of the Chicago Cubs.

Here are some quotes from the press conference (pulled from the Cub Reporter):

"The greatest fan experience is winning. It's not about marketing. It's not about being creative it's not about bringing people into the ball park or the seventh inning stretch or any of these other things. It's all about winning. Winning is the greatest marketing idea of all time."

"Well, Realistically, you want to go into every season thinking you are going to win the World Series. Our goal is to win the World Series next year and the year after that. I think you have to be careful and realistic, but with the resources we're given and with the decisions that need to be made. I think that the Cubs will win the World Series, and I think the Cubs will win the World Series soon."

"We need to reward these people. These are the greatest fans in the history of sports. We have not won the World Series in 98 years. We have a terriffic General Manager in Jim Hendry. Jim will get all the resources that he needs. It's time to win."

I think I speak for all of Cubdom when I say: Boo-Yah! Bring on 2007!

Today, Dusty Baker was fired. Tomorrow, Subtle, Beck, the Hold Steady & DFA Remixes Chapter 2 hit the music store racks. It's a good week for the superficial part of life that I get a kick out of.

Oh, and not to kill the mood, but there should be a new post on hope tonight. And I'm gonna take it deeper than before. Gear up, it may get bumpy.

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