I love witty T-Shirts. Ask my wife - she’ll tell you I own way too many of them.
I especially love shirts made by enterprising people (usually bloggers) who keep MLB’s copyright lawyers employed. During my nearly-month long sabbatical from blogging, I chanced upon this shirt … made by people full of hope for the Autumn months of 2008.
Hope for the Chicago Cubs in the 2008 MLB Postseason. Hope for Barack Obama in the 2008 Presidential Campaign.
Uh oh. One Down, One to Go?
The person who put that shirt together must be shivering in terror right now.
Because now that the Cubs blew it … Obama could be jinxed.
If these T-Shirt makers wanted Barack Obama to be President of the United States, they wouldn’t have put Obama’s likeness anywhere near anything even remotely related to the Cubs - because as we all know - anything related to the Cubs seems to wither and die come Autumn.
Then again, maybe that’s Cubs relief pitcher Carlos Marmol on that shirt. Marmol bears a striking resemblance to Obama.
Or maybe the Cubs’ jinxes don’t apply to White Sox fans.
The Cubs are on the cover of the latest Sports Illustrated.
Oh No.
There’s been a lot said about the SI Cover Jinx - it’s the kiss of death - athletes and teams who appear on it will inevitably fail. You might believe in it, you might not. But there’s definitely one team whose fortunes seem to crash after showing up on the cover.
You guessed it - THE CHICAGO CUBS. Since 1966, the Cubs have been featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated nearly twenty times. And if the Cubs have something at stake when they show up on the cover … bad things seem to happen.
Especially if that appearance happens late in the season or (gasp) during the playoffs.
Seeing as Aramis Ramirez and the Cubs are the pre-playoff SI Cover-boys again in 2008 … let’s take a look at the Cubs and the SI Jinx, starting in depth with the late-season appearances …
September 8, 1969
On September 8th, 1969, the Cubs were in the midst of a four-game losing streak and the Cubs and Mets were about to begin a two-game series at Shea Stadium - with the Cubs 84-56-1 and the Mets right on their well-clicked heels at 80-57, a mere 2.5 games back.
The SI Jinx took effect immediately. Ron Santo (who was on the cover back in June) met the Black Cat in the on-deck circle at Shea on September 9th … and the Mets completed the short sweep, pulling within a half-game of the Cubs, who simply withered up and died.
The Cubs finished eight stinking games behind the Mets.
The Chicago Cubs are in the playoffs.
The Chicago Cubs have clinched the National League Central.
The Chicago Cubs have clinched Home Field Advantage throughout the National League Playoffs.
The Chicago Cubs have what is their best chance to reach and conceivably win their first World Series in 100 years. Goats and Black Cats be damned.
This is tempting fate … but here goes.
This is what Chicago Cubs 2008 World Series Tickets look like …
………Considering that a World Series at Wrigley Field is probably a once in a lifetime event … $190 to sit in the lower deck is a bargain.
Is it jumping the gun to share these with the world? Some might say it is.
Last year, Deadspin’s Will Leitch said that the existence of Cubs World Series tickets “mocks the natural order of the universe.”
But Leitch is a Cardinals fan, so indoor plumbing also qualifies as something outside “the natural order of the universe.”
Looking at them does in fact make me, as a Cub fan, nervous.
I have been accused by my good friends at the Nationals Enquirer of being a “pathological Nats-hater” but I must say that the Nationals are my second favorite team. Well, at least for this weekend anyway. They get the honor of filling in the blank of my regular quip:
“My two favorite teams are the White Sox and whoever is playing the Cubs”
Of course, not expecting any chance of a win this weekend at Wrigley for the Worst Team in Baseball, I must say I was pleasantly surprised to see this team clobbering the Cubs 10-5 in the 9th.
No wait, 13-5!!! And to make it even better, ex-White Sox Willie Harris (you know the man who scored the final run of Game 4 in the 2005 World Series) jacked 2 Home Runs and knocked in 6 runs. Wooo Hoo!!! Go Nats.
Wait…Willie Harris has 12 Home Runs this year. Tied for the TEAM lead. OK, it is official. The Nats are not only the Worst Team in Baseball…They are the Worst. Team. EVER. Willie Harris leads the team in Home Runs. You got to be kidding me.
Let’s head to St. Louis for our next Jersey of the Week, where this Cardinal fan felt the need to (pre-emptively) tweak the nose of Chicago Cub fans everywhere with his choice of clothing …
… by reminding them of a long futility streak and a recent Cubbie scapegoat.
100 YEARS AND COUNTING
Ouch. Well played.
Mind you, there’s a couple things we have to nitpick about the jersey …
First, he’s a little ahead of himself here. The Cubs won their last World Series on October 14, 1908. So it’s not TECHNICALLY 100 Years yet - but I think he’s trying to make a statement by betting that the Cubs won’t win it this season … or next.
Last, my biggest gripe about this guy - he’s got the Jersey tucked in.
Don’t tuck in a baseball jersey unless you’re on the field, jackass! It’s a blatant violation of rule #8 of JSF’s Baseball Jersey Wearing 101 - something I thought they handed out to anyone purchasing a Cardinals jersey of any kind.
100 Years and Counting Jersey Rating
Cleverness: 7
Originality: 10
Understandability: 10
If you see a great baseball jersey that everyone else needs to see … let us know at the HRD JotW tip line !!
“I was shocked at first, but once I realized it was just water, it wasn’t that big of a deal,” said our reporter Molly Dapier. “I was going to dry off eventually. I really didn’t think this whole thing would be that big of a deal and I’m just glad everyone could get a good laugh from it all!”
Well, as you might recall, the MPS video guy kept rolling as Dapier got doused and even after the event.
Wouldn’t you like to see that angle?
Here’s the video taken by the Mouthpiece Sports camera.
Okay … I have no idea whether this is a set-up or publicity stunt …
On Wednesday, 8/6/08, some online sports video site called Mouthpiece Sports was doing some interviews outside Wrigley Field.
Some blue-painted idiot decided to dump a Gatorade tub full of water on the head of a lovely blonde reporter who was interviewing people.
That young lady’s reaction makes me think that it she was not expecting it - she looks flabbergasted and at a complete loss for words (except for the “WTF” she mouths). Her sound guy seems pretty stunned too. Nice how her camera guy just keeps recording. Part of me still wonders if it was a setup. Gatorade tubs full of water don’t just sit at Clark and Addison.
The young lady has been identified as Molly Dapier. She was doing dome freelance work for Mouthpiece Sports and it’s not a publicity stunt. Deadspin confirmed all this for us (as I have a day job).
But there’s always room for more Harry Caray memories … especially when they involve photos of Harry which are undoubtedly (in my mind, anyway) the last pictures taken of Harry Caray at Wrigley Field. Shannon Blosser-Salisbury sent us the pics and her recollections of the day.
September 21, 1997 was Harry’s last game at Wrigley and it was also Ryne Sandberg’s last game at the friendly confines. The Cubs whomped all over Curt Schilling and the Philadelphia Phillies, posting four Home Runs en route to a final score of 11-3. Sandberg was substituted in the fifth for a pinch runner, garnering a standing ovation from the 29,922 fans who attended the game to say goodbye to the future Hall of Famer. Little did they know they were saying goodbye to Harry Caray as well.
A few of those fans hung around the stadium for a while, and as they were leaving the ballpark, noticed that Harry Caray was leaving as well. Shannon and her friends took the following pictures of Harry getting ready to get in his car.
As always, Harry was jovial and gracious with his time and talked to some fans as he was getting ready to go …
Remember Sarah Spain? 
The Cubs are on the cover of the latest Sports Illustrated. 
September 8, 1969
Loading …
Well, as you might recall, the MPS video guy kept rolling as Dapier got doused and even after the event. 
It’s been over ten years since Harry Caray left us. Home Run Derby did our own little tribute back in February, with some great 
Entries (RSS)