Headlines for December, 2006

Bears Bask in Victors Anxiety

Photos by Warren Wimmer There's something peculiar about these Chicago Bears. Call it a winning anxiety, two words that aren't supposed to go together in this league, where wins are supposed to be celebrated and rarely taken for granted. Or maybe it's defensive brilliance. Not because the defense looks good, or because the team is brilliant, but look at the postgame scene [read more...]

Cubonomics 102: Ticket Prices

My last column looked at the relation between Wrigley attendance and the Cubs' record. There is a link, though it's mainly in one direction. Occasional winning seasons -- the Cubs have reached the playoffs four times under the Tribune's ownership -- causes attendance to spike upward. The 1984 division winner was the first Cub team to draw two million and [read more...]

Rex Throws Himself a Rope

Rex Grossman was in a hole. Last week we sat in the press room in the bowels of Soldier Field, and Grossman was forced to walk into that realm of gloom with a Championship hat perched on his head that probably felt more like a vice. If we believed Rex was a master of irony, perhaps we could have bought [read more...]

Ousting The Belush

Whenever the Bears play a nationally televised game, three things are guaranteed to happen: The '85 Bears will be referenced, at least 30 fat men -- 15 of them with mustard in their mustaches -- will be filmed wearing Urlacher jerseys, and Jim Belushi will make a cameo in the broadcast booth. I don't have a problem with the first [read more...]

Fit to Win, Or Sell?

People often make two assumptions about the financial management of the Cubs. The first is that the Tribune is only interested in money. The second is that Cub fans will show up regardless of how well the team does. Both of these statements cannot be true. If they were, the Tribune would do a Florida Marlins salary-dump and save millions of dollars. [read more...]

Dread and Circus

When the circus comes to Chicago, it's anything but fun for the Bulls. Forced to go on an extra-long road trip early in the season, they suffered a painful 0-6 stretch before reeling off five in a row. The up and down nature of their start has mirrored the peculiar feelings and generally unsettled nature that still hover around this [read more...]

Bearly Rejoicing

This was fine political theatre. Appointed official Lovie Smith was trying to convince a partisan group of us reporting delegates about the strength of Bears nation, the solid economy, the 10-2 record after a 23-13 victory over the hapless Minnesota Vikings on Sunday. This was one that leaves them alone at the top of the NFC, tied for best record worldwide, [read more...]

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