Random Musings (Cubs, Strasburg, World Cup, Hawks)

I had one of those moments yesterday that I've been dreading since the beginning of the MLB season. It usually takes until at least July, sometimes late September if I'm lucky. The moment I'm of course referring to is when I realize that the Cubs just aren't very good and won't make the playoffs. I know, it's one of those it's-too-early-in-the-season-to-feel-this way type of feelings, but it hit me yesterday.
I was flipping between the Cubs-Brewers game and the NBA Finals. The game went to halftime sometime in the bottom of the 7th, and I was hoping the Cubs could pull it off before the start of the second half. Didn't happen, so I continued to flip, when all of a sudden, the video feed goes out on the Cubs game. This should have been my first warning: The baseball Gods did not want me to witness the end of this game.
Being stubborn, I continued to flip and made it back to the Cubs game, which was now just audio. Carlos Marmol came in with a 2-1 lead, and when I returned, men on second and third, 2 outs, Casey McGehee at the plate. Len Kasper says, "You get the feeling that with this pitch the Cubs are either going to win or lose this game." You can guess what happened.
My girlfriend was on my computer, and I walked into my room and threw my hat against the wall. This is the type of behavioral pattern consistent with a fan who has just eliminated his team from the playoffs in early June. Funny thing is, she didn't even flinch, and didn't have to ask, she knew by the trajectory of the hat what had just occurred.

Nationals fans are probably in a better mood today after Stephen Strasburg's debut. Strasburg's stat line: 7 IP, 4 H, 2 ER, 0 BB, 14 K. Oh, and the Nats won too, which looked to be in jeopardy for a while. My hat goes off to Strasburg, there's no doubt he has incredible stuff and is good for the sport because of the fans he puts in the seats. His Tuesday debut sold out, and he's already created a boom in ticket sales for his next start in Cleveland. I don't want to take anything away from him, but excuse me for being skeptical. Remember, I was there for Mark Prior's debut, which was pretty encouraging as well. Let's also put this in perspective and remind ourselves that the Pirates have a .236 team BA (30th), 183 RBI (30th), 455 H (29th), and average 3.2 runs per 9 innings, tied for worst in the NL. In other words, call me when he faces Philly.

The opening match in World Cup play kicks off Friday morning when South Africa faces Mexico. Here's my dilemma: Do I get up and watch this game, or do I get up and watch this game at a bar? I'm not sure that I should pass up the chance of being around a bunch of rowdy Mexican fans this early in the morning drinking Modelo and Corona. Here's the other thing, the bar I was thinking about going to has been promoting the hell out of the World Cup and has even started serving breakfast because of the early start times.

So let me ask you this: would you eat pancakes, or a breakfast burrito from a bar? I probably wouldn't, but add this thought to the equation. Would you eat pancakes or a breakfast burrito at a bar, while drinking your Mexican beer of choice at 8 in the morning, watching the opening game of the World Cup with people who take soccer a lot more seriously than you? That sounds like an ideal situation to me. I got next round!
The other great thing about this World Cup is that North Korea is in it? Really? North Korea has a soccer team? According to the US media, the only things in North Korea are Kim Jong-il, his collection of American movies, poverty, nuclear weapons, and a powerful army. Call me unpatriotic, but how amazing would it be if North Korea made it to the 2nd round? I know, not going to happen, but I would love to see how they'd be covered.

Last but not least, the only Chicago team worth talking about is set for Game 6 in Philly tonight. As I've stated before, I can't just jump on the bandwagon like that, but hopefully they can close out the series tonight. I would kind of feel obligated to buy a shirt commemorating the event, but surely would feel sleazy afterwards. The truth is, I've been treating the Blackhawks like that hot girl from high school (who wasn't hot at the time) that I chose not to date. I stuck with the Bulls instead, who've gotten fat, disinterested, and don't tell me they love me anymore. I could have had the Blackhawks, and now I feel jealous about all the attention they get, and how good they're looking nowadays. *Sends Facebook friend request* Hey Hawks! Remember me? Just wanted to congratulate you on all your success! Wanna grab a drink this weekend?