This Budweiser Lawsuit Is For You, Cubs Fans

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The Cubs Have Clubhouse Envy

When the Cubs were forced to play two "road" games against the Houston Astros this week at Miller Park, they saw a side of the place they haven't seen before when in town to play against the Milwaukee Brewers. Instead of using the visitor's clubhouse, the Cubs were given access to the Brewers clubhouse, and they loved what they saw.

The loved it so much, in fact, that they're getting downright blasphemous...

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Wrigley Fields To Throw Out 1st Pitch At Wrigley Field

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Beware The Body Painted Cubs Fan

Part of me feels sorry for Molly Dapier, after all, all she was trying to do was shoot her piece for Mouthpiece Sports when some dumbass Cubs fan in blue body paint decided to dump a cooler of water over her for no reason. On the other hand, though, she was at a Cubs game. Idiotic behavior from the drunken fans in attendance is an inherent trait of the ballpark.

It's a tradition as old as the ivy on the outfield walls.

That being said, the kid who did this is a total idiot. Why did he dump the water on Dapier? To look cool? Somebody should let him know that it's really hard to look cool when you have no shirt on, a concave chest (had the water been poured on him, a puddle would have formed), and you're covered in body paint...

See the video at FanHouse

Elvis Fears No Tornado

In case you hadn't heard, last night at Wrigley Field the Cubs game against the Astros had to be delayed twice thanks to some pretty nasty weather in the area. I mean, tornado sirens going off in the city nasty. Still, while the gusting winds, horizontal sheets of rain, and the sirens sent most of the people at Wrigley (including your humble blogger) running for cover, they weren't enough to keep Elvis (oh, and it was 70's night too) from living the dream one last time.

See the video at FanHouse

Cubs Fans Find Their Final Resting Place

Yes, this picture will probably accompany any post I do about Wrigley Field from now until the end of time

I tell you, the Cubs are just hot right now. They've got the best record in the National League, and they've just added Rich Harden to what is already a pretty good starting rotation. Things are going so well this season that some folks have dared utter their thoughts that the team's 100-year championship drought just might come to an end this season.

This optimism isn't just relegated to us mortal folk, either, as even the Big Man Upstairs is apparently getting pretty psyched up for the Cubbies. Wouldn't it be awesome to watch a Cubs game with God and listen to him complain about Alfonso Soriano in the lead-off spot? Well, in order for you to do something like that, you would have to die first.

And boy do I have the place for you Cubs fans...

Continue reading at FanHouse

The Blackhawks Will Be Playing At Wrigley Field

It's been a few months since the talk started that the Blackhawks were possibly going to be playing a game outdoors next season, whether it was at Wrigley or Soldier Field, and today there's news that it's just about official.

The Blackhawks will be facing off against the Detroit Red Wings at Wrigley Field next season.

The Blackhawks are expected to play the Detroit Red Wings at Wrigley Field in January in the NHL's Winter Classic, Comcast SportsNet reported Wednesday night, with an official announcement perhaps coming this week.

Hawks president John McDonough has been pushing for an outdoor game after the success of this season's Winter Classic on New Year's Day at Buffalo's Ralph Wilson Stadium. A league-record 71,217 fans saw the Pittsburgh Penguins beat the Sabres 2-1 in a shootout.

Though I preferred that the game be played at Soldier Field, as more tickets would be available for the game, increasing my chances of actually attending it, this is still awesome news.

The announcement comes at a good time for the Hawks as well, because after spending the winter slowly starting to wrestle attention away from the Bulls, they've been thrown on the back burner again since the Bulls landed the #1 pick in the draft and continued their coaching search that finally ended at Doug Collins.

It's still too early to make concrete plans, as the game hasn't even been officially announced yet, but I think this game would be a good place to hold some kind of Foul Balls gathering. Details possibly to come!

Wrigley and the Cubs Are a Package Deal

While Sam Zell has "threatened" to do a lot of things with the Cubs that Cubs fans aren't too fond of, like sell the naming rights to Wrigley Field, he's yet to actually do anything. Zell was hoping that he'd be able to sell Wrigley Field and the Cubs as seperate entities in hopes of maximizing his profits, but that doesn't look like it's going to happen anymore...

Continue reading at FanHouse

Wrigley Changing Its Name Is Not The End Of The World

There are a whole lot of people talking in this city about the news yesterday that Sam Zell could care less about tradition, and will sell the naming rights to Wrigley Field to the highest bidder. That's the funny thing about rich people, they didn't get rich by not thinking up ways to make money.

Obviously, for most Cubs fans, this makes Sam Zell Satan. He's evil! He doesn't care about the team! He only cares about money!

I understand what you guys are going through. After all, US Cellular Field hasn't been US Cellular Field forever, and I was against that name change when it happened. A few years have passed though, and much to my surprise, the world hasn't ended. I've even taken to calling the place US Cellular Field.

Of course, I know you're probably not going to change your feelings about the whole situation just because of something I said, so instead I'll give you the word of somebody else. You see, if Wrigley Field changes its name, it won't be the first time in the park's history.

When the Cubs played their first game there in 1916, the place was called Weeghman Park. Then in 1919, the name became Cubs Park. Finally, in 1926, the park was named Wrigley Field after the team's owner, William Wrigley.

So I got a hold of a couple of psychics yesterday, and with their help, I was able to have an interview with a Cubs fan named Charlie who lived through all those name changes.


Fornelli: Charlie? Are you here? Knock twice if you're here.

Charlie: Knock, knock.

Fornelli: Oh hey, cool, you can actually talk.

Charlie: Yes.

Fornelli: So how's the afterlife?

Charlie: Pretty boring. What do you want?

Fornelli: Charlie, you were alive when Cubs Park changed to Wrigley Field right? In 1926?

Charlie: Sure was. Those were swingin' times in Chicago! We were still a few years away from the stock market crash, and I had a good job at a railroad company that helped feed my family.

Fornelli: That's great. So you were a Cubs fan? Did you go to a lot of games?

Charlie: You're darn tootin' I was a Cubs fan, and I went to a game any chance I could get! I'd watch Hack Wilson crush the ball all over the field. Did you know he had 21 homers and 109 RBI in 26? He did. Though the team only finished in fourth place that year under Joe McCarthy, seven games behind the eventual World Series champion St. Louis Cardinals! Those were the days!!

Fornelli: Wow, that sounds like it must have been a great time.

Charlie: Sure was, though that was my last season going to Cubs games. I died shortly after.

Fornelli: That's too bad. I'm sorry.

Charlie: It's okay. It's been a long time. How long has it been?

Fornelli: Well, it's 2008 now, so 82 years.

Charlie: 2008!? Holy smokes! You guys must be in your flying cars zoomin all around in space from place to place!

Fornelli: Sure are. I just got back from Neptune on Monday.

Charlie: Outta sight! So, how many World Series have the Cubs won in the last 82 years anyway? 10? 15? 20!?

Fornelli:Um. Uh. Well....none, Charlie.

Charlie: None?

Fornelli: None.

Charlie: So they still haven't won since 1908? That's 100 years!

Fornelli: Yeah, I heard something about that. Anyway, Charlie, we're not here to talk about how bad the Cubs suck. We're here to ask how you adjusted to the name change from Cubs Park to Wrigley Field. I'm trying to help Cubs fans understand that if Wrigley does change its name, it won't be the end of the world.

Charlie: That's an awfully nice thing to do for people.

Fornelli: Thanks. So, how did you react when the Cubs changed the name of the park?

Charlie: I killed myself.

Okay, so maybe Charlie wasn't the best dead Cubs fan to interview, but you get what you pay for, and I paid those psychics in Girl Scout cookies.

Don't kill yourselves, Cubs fans. Trust me, everything is going to be all right.

The Blackhawks At Wrigley Field?

The Blackhawks beat the Minnesota Wild 3-0 last night at the United Center, giving the team their first shutout of the season, and Nikolai Khabibulin the 37th shutout of his career. They've now won five of their last seven games, but their improved play over the last few weeks isn't the big story with the Blackhawks right now.

No, that would be the team's current plans to play a game outdoors within the next year or two. As for where they'd play the game, team president John McDonough was on 670 The Score this morning, and he says he'd like the game to be played at the site of his last job: Wrigley Field.

Blackhawks president John McDonough is considering hosting an outdoor game at Wrigley Field.

‘‘We had a meeting with the commissioner four weeks ago, and that was one topic we wanted to discuss,'' McDonough said on WSCR-AM (670). ‘‘It would be a huge event for the city of Chicago and for the NHL.

‘‘In the event we should be so fortunate to get the game, all venues would be in play. We've heard from most of them already, so we'll see where we would go. There's been a lot of talk about Wrigley, and I think Wrigley would be a terrific place for it.''

If the game were to happen, and I'm hoping it does, other options would be at Soldier Field and US Cellular Field. Personally, I think Soldier Field would make more sense.

Soldier Field can not only hold more people, and I'm guessing demand for tickets will be high, but it also provides better sight lines than Wrigley Field can. The problem is I'm not sure that's going to matter to anybody making the decision.

If NBC is going to broadcast the game, they're going to want some say in where it should be played, and they may be looking for something new after having Buffalo and Pittsburgh play earlier this season in Ralph Wilson Stadium in Buffalo.

Wrigley Field would provide an entirely different atmosphere, as NBC could use the novelty of people in the stadium's bleachers, or across the street on the rooftops watching a hockey game.

So in the end, I think this game will end up getting played at Wrigley Field whether it makes sense for the actual game and fans or not. Of course, it's not like if the game is played at Wrigley, I'm going to boycott it or anything. I'm just excited by the fact that this whole thing could possibly happen.

It's just we'll all have a better chance of seeing it for ourselves if they play the game at Soldier Field.

Foul Balls

Bears Continue To Rebuild Offensive Line - Unlike last offseason, every move the Bears have made so far this offseason has pleased me. Most especially, the decision to cut Fred Miller on Monday.

Well, I'm happy to report that the Bears are aware that Fred wasn't the only problem on the offensive line, as they've also cut guard Ruben Brown.

The Bears will cut ties with veteran offensive guard Ruben Brown, coach Lovie Smith said Thursday at the NFL combine in Indianapolis.

The team is clearly rebuilding the offensive line after also releasing veteran tackle Fred Miller earlier this week.

Brown didn't finish the season after undergoing shoulder surgery. He had expressed optimism that he would be back with the Bears.

Brown was no where near as useless as Fred Miller last season, but after getting another year older, and having to undergo the shoulder surgery, it's best that both parties go their seperate ways.

As for who Brown's replacement will be, and keeping with my "think big" logic that led to wanting Randy Moss, I'm hoping the Bears will look at Steelers guard Alan Faneca who's a free agent this season.

Brian Carlwell Leaves Illinois - When the Illini first recruited Brian Carlwell out of my high school's arch-rival Proviso East, they did so hoping that he'd grow to become one of the more dominant big men in the Big Ten.

Unfortunately for Brian and the Illini, the only thing Carlwell became known for in Champaign was for being the guy teammate Jamar Smith left for dead after getting into a car accident last season.

Now, after hardly getting any playing time this season thanks to the severe concussion he suffered in that accident, and a knee injury he suffered during one of the few games he did play in, Carlwell has decided it's time to move on.

"Anybody who has injuries like that is set back," Carlwell, wearing a Shaun Pruitt jersey, said before watching his former teammates play Wisconsin. "It might have even set the program back, I'm not sure. I really felt like this year would be my year to contribute, then I had a knee injury and that set me back.

"It was time for a fresh start for me and for the program," Carlwell said. "I hate to have to do it, but … I'm not doing anybody any good with all the injuries.

"I'm going to have to work 20 times harder to get back."

Well, good luck, Brian. Just don't let Jamar give you a ride back home to Maywood.

Wrigley Field's New Field - Getting back to the topic of Wrigley Field, let's not forget that the Cubs tore up the old field and put a new one down this offseason. How would playing a hockey game affect the new sod? I mean, if a Jimmy Buffet concert can tear center field to shit, who knows what a Zamboni could do.

Anyway, the guys over at Home Run Derby dug up (Get it? Dug up. I'm hilarious.) a video that shows the entire process of tearing up the old field and laying down the new one. It's kind of cool to watch, but don't take my word for it, judge for yourself.



Tiger Woods Is Still Awesome - Rare is the occasion in which I talk about golf here at Foul Balls, but after seeing what Tiger Woods did yesterday, I'll make an exception.

Tiger is currently at the Accenture Match Play Championships, and in his first round matchup he found himself going against the legendary J.B. Holmes (Who? Exactly.) Somehow Tiger found himself down three holes after only playing five, and then he was still down 3 holes after the duo completed the 13th hole.

So Tiger had five holes left to make up a 3-hole deficit. What do you think he did?

Meet Wrigley Fields

Do you want to know the only way to make the pain from last night's Bears loss feel any worse? Having to turn to the Cubs for the only good news in this city right now. It's not official yet or anything, but I'm pretty sure the Cubs are going to win the NL Central.

In fact, things are going so well right now that parents are naming their kids after the dump the team plays in.

His parents say he can go by his middle name when he’s old enough to decide.

For now, the newborn will be known by his first name: Wrigley.

And his last name: Fields.

His parents are Paul and Teri Fields of Michigan City, Ind. They are — no surprise — Cubs fans. They planned the name for years before their son’s birth.

Wrigley Alexander Fields was born Sept. 12 at an Indiana hospital.

Young Wrigley Fields is believed to be the first child to be given the name, and honestly, I'm quite surprised by that. It seems pretty obvious to me. All I know is I can't wait until the kid turns 13 and rebels against his parents by becoming a Sox fan.

Embargo on Cuban at Wrigley

In case you didn't check out the High Five yesterday, Mark Cuban was hanging out in the bleachers of that dump Wrigley Field on Monday night.

Of course, if you weren't actually at the game you probably had no idea. After all, Comcast Sports Net refused to show him on the air, or even talk about him being in attendance. Now why would they do that?

Mark Cuban's wild night in the right-field bleachers Monday wasn't mentioned during the Comcast SportsNet broadcast of the game, and there was a reason for that.

According to sources, the Cubs told CSN not to show Cuban or even to talk about his presence at the park during the telecast.

So just in case there are any Cubs fans out there still holding out hope that Cuban will buy the team, I hope this finally drives the point home for you. There's no way in hell Bud Selig and the rest of the owners would let Cuban into the fraternity because he'd be the coolest guy there by default.

All the drunk girls would want to talk to him while all the other owners hang out around the keg and talk about stocks, or whatever it is rich frat guys talk about.

(Photo courtesy of the sexiest mailmen I've ever seen)

Adam Dunn Thinks Wrigley Is a Dump

One of the biggest criticisms about Wrigley Field from a White Sox fan's perspective is that the place is a dump. I'm not one of those people. I've enjoyed many games from the bleachers of Wrigley drinking beer with friends and checking out the women.

Don't get me wrong, I prefer Comiskey. Wrigley is kind of cramped, the food isn't as good, and all they have is Old Style.

Adam Dunn has never been in the seats at Wrigley, as far as I know anyway, but he's been on the field a lot and he's not the biggest fan of the place.

''That outfield is dangerous,'' Dunn said. ''I'm surprised more people don't get injured out there. It's worse than playing in a parking lot. It looks like they had a monster truck rally. It's terrible. There are potholes. It's bad. It's unsafe.''

Dunn was responding to questions about Ken Griffey Jr. who hurt himself fielding a single by Derrek Lee in the 8th inning that eventually wound up winning the game for the Cubs. I never thought it was a good idea for the Cubs to hold concerts at Wrigley, and anyone who went to the park after The Police concert this summer knows exactly what Dunn's talking about.

That outfield was torn up. Whether you're a Cubs fan or not, there's no denying it, and there's no denying that what Dunn says is true. It's dangerous for players. Here's hoping whoever ends up buying the team realizes this and puts an end to the concerts.

Running Onto Wrigley Field Will Cost You $75,000

I hope Brent Kowalkowski really enjoyed his time on the infield of Wrigley before getting tackled by security. Seriously, those types of memories are priceless.

Well, at least they were priceless.

The judge slapped Kowalkoski, who sprinted across Wrigley Field during a Cubs game Monday, with a $75,000 bond Saturday. Kowalkoski had been charged with a misdemeanor and released with no bond when he was originally arrested, before prosecutors upped the charge to a felony later in the week.

The judge said Kowalkoski's act was "particularly disturbing," considering he disrupted a game being watched by tens of thousands of people. He called Kowalkoski a "thug."

"What is really outrageous is to attack the pitcher's mound," the judge said, in reference to the fact that Kowalkoski got within a few feet of pitcher Bob Howry before he was tackled by a security guard.

I'm pretty sure it's the first time in the history of the world a barefoot white guy in a polo shirt, and shorts has ever been called a thug, and I'm okay with it.

Getting past the fact that more dangerous criminals receive lower bail amounts, what's probably the toughest thing for Kowalkowski to take is that he's banned from Wrigley Field for life.

At the very least, I guess it's a plus that he enjoyed his anal probe.