For those of you interested in the latest installment.
Mac makes some good points in this one, especially
about MLB. Overall I thought it was an ok piece this
week.


All together now: Just chill
Booing Hinrich? Upset about Buehrle? List goes on, but let's lighten up


March 26, 2009
BY DAN MCNEIL


I'm blaming the widespread panic and displaced anger on cabin fever. The only remedy for this condition is fresh air, sunshine and adopting the attitude that the sky is not falling.

A shortage of endorphin production can be the only explanation for a handful of recent events, such as the craziness in the air at the United Center on Tuesday night. Bulls fans booed Kirk Hinrich after he missed a free throw with 17.9 seconds remaining.

The Bulls beat Detroit 99-91, but Hinrich's miscue cost the Bulls a 100-point night and the fans a free burger from a Bulls sponsor.

I get the frustration you've endured if you're a Bulls enthusiast, but booing Hinrich on Tuesday was pure lunacy. With Derrick Rose and Luol Deng shelved, Hinrich logged more than 45 minutes, scored a game-high 24 points, dished out eight assists and committed only two turnovers.

And we're not talking about a smattering of disapproval. The boos were so loud, Hinrich struggled to hear a reporter's postgame questions on the court. Here's hoping those who expressed their displeasure have extracted enough coins from the sofa cushions to hit the drive-through. They should eat their burgers outdoors, maybe in a wooded park.

Hey, Sox fans, it's still March
Meanwhile, it looks like a fair percentage of White Sox fans also could benefit from an invigorating long walk or a mood stabilizer. Is that panic I hear over Mark Buehrle's struggles and reduced workload in spring training?

It's not even April, but a bad outing against the Cubs on Sunday, coupled with discussion over where the left-hander will fall in Ozzie Guillen's rotation, has some in Sox Nation breathless.

Slow down, man. Buehrle will give the Sox his usual 200-plus innings and provide them a chance to win more often than not. Reserve your perspiration for a hot day in August when the Sockos' home-run-or-bust offense looks like it will cost them the division.

The insanity is pinning the meters in South Bend, Ind., where a firestorm has erupted because President Obama will deliver Notre Dame's commencement address.

Some Notre Dame alums and high-ranking Catholic officials are appalled because of Obama's recent decision to federally fund embryonic stem-cell research. Bishop John D'Arcy, whose diocese includes South Bend, opposes the president's ''long-stated unwillingness to hold human life sacred.''

I also read a letter addressed to fellow Domers, initiated by a Notre Dame alum who believes the university's most important function is to ''save souls.'' Some ND grads are burning up message boards, mulling over ''whether we want to continue to be a Catholic school.''

To those who oppose pro-choice, or the right to express an opinion, I recommend ''The Cider House Rules.'' And a calendar. Mine says 2009.

This backlash is not a sports story, per se, but it is a reminder of Notre Dame arrogance -- the same type of sanctimony that turned stomachs when the school conducted a New Year's Day 2002 news conference to present new coach Ty Willingham. Jan. 1 traditionally has been reserved for schools successful enough to break a sweat in a warm-weather city.

Fortunately, Notre Dame president Rev. John Jenkins said the university will not rescind its invitation to Obama, even though it does not support all of his positions.

Speaking of football, how far have the Bears slipped when we're bemoaning the departure of John St. Clair? The fleshy offensive tackle signed a three-year, $9 million contract with Cleveland, and suddenly the Bears are doomed.

This may be another unkind year for the Bears, but it won't be because St. Clair took the money and ran. It will be because current Bears just take the money.

Then there's baseball commissioner Bud Selig lowering the boom on Team USA for its effort in the forgotten-but-not-gone World Baseball Classic. The Americans were bounced Sunday by eventual champion Japan.

That left Selig's mouth stinging with a taste reminiscent of three-day-old sushi. He suggested the U.S. needs ''to really pick up the intensity and do everything the way the other teams are doing.''

What Selig and his wingmen should be fussing about is restoring credibility within their own house.

Syringes. HGH. Confidential blood tests that weren't so confidential. Indifferent superstars. These issues remain baseball's biggest blemishes.

It's still ''our'' game, and by the time the first meaningful pitch is thrown, nobody will remember who won the WBC. Nor will they care.

We're all just going crazy inside.

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Flew too close to the sun on wings of pastrami

I have a feeling he is going to take it on the chin regarding the pro choice comments and the calendar. It will definitely evoke emotional response, one way or the other, which is the goal of any columnist. Keep the meters moving...

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Does your cat make too much noise? Try KITTEN MITTENS!


Charlie: Oh shit. Look at that door dude. See that door right there? That door marked 'Pirate'? You think a pirate lives in there?
Dennis: I see a door marked 'Private.'

Seconded. You can argue the prochoice / prolife argument in any number of intelligent ways, but suggesting that being pro-life is passé is ignorant.

What Mac might not be considering, is that for as long as I can remember, sports is our outlet. It's where we indeed get emotional. We yell and scream, we get a bit crazy. That's NORMAL. In these especially trying economic times, where many people are quite stressed, there is an even greater need to let off some steam. Many may be quicker to anger or frustration than normal. But athletic venues give us a place to vent out some of that frustration and hopefully, feel some joy as well.

As far as the stem cell stuff....that kind of came from nowhere. It was like 2 different articles put together in that sense. But it's topical and will generate discussion, no doubt. I agree with Dan's position and believe the research is needed and should go forward. However, I disagree with the advice he gives fans to just chill out. Thats what they are doing when they let loose and yell, scream and boo. They are releasing stress and leaving the stadium/ballpark feeling better from the stress they released.

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Go Cubs!!!!

Anybody that wasn't a member of the Dodgers organization didn't feel better leaving your beloved shrine last October.

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I agree - and I can't believe I am actually criticizing Danny Mac - I may have my ALS card revoked - but the article felt a bit disjointed to me - it was almost as if it should have been offset by elipsis and restarted, like two independent thoughts.

The content was fine and I understood his points and agreed with most - but it just felt a little disjointed.

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Does your cat make too much noise? Try KITTEN MITTENS!


Charlie: Oh shit. Look at that door dude. See that door right there? That door marked 'Pirate'? You think a pirate lives in there?
Dennis: I see a door marked 'Private.'

I felt similarly. I am quite sure that Mac appreciates constructive criticism. When I offer some up, it's certainly not because I don't like Dan-it's because I'm being honest. I like the article. There were some good and interesting thoughts and opinions expressed in it. However, I found it to be a bit disjointed as well.

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Go Cubs!!!!

Add the brouhaha over the Tigers home opener being scheduled for 1 pm on Good Friday to the ambient nuttery.

I absolutely appreciate the criticisms and suggestions. When I have it ALL figured out, I'll go do something else. Always looking to improve.

My editor and good friend, Roman Modrowski, described today's column as "unwieldy." He's right. It meandered. Not to make excuses for myself... but let me make an excuse for myself. I only get one shot a week and it's been difficult to devote 600-700 words to just one topic. There were several recent events that provoked what I thought were unusual reactions so I tried to hit 'em all.

My wife says exactly what Elmhurst Steve wrote about escapism and people needing sports and entertainment to get their minds off of the economy and all the stresses that go with it. True dat.... but freaking out over Mark Buehrle's so-so spring training goes too far. Don't judge a baseball team in March... or even in April. Around the middle of May... we'll know what we have. Finger off the panic button for now.

Thanks for the feedback.

Two thoughts Mac....1) choose the topic you feel the most passionate about and go with that.

2) Your wife sounds like a brilliant woman...

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Go Cubs!!!!

I feel dirty for offering even the most remote of criticisms. I have failed as an ALS member and going forward I will be better. "Degenerate Dave you need to do your job a lot better".

Seriously though was it your best offering structure wise? No. But the content was fine, the message was clear and the response will be swift, especially with the swipe taken at pro-choicers. You have big brass ones or an unlisted address.

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Does your cat make too much noise? Try KITTEN MITTENS!


Charlie: Oh shit. Look at that door dude. See that door right there? That door marked 'Pirate'? You think a pirate lives in there?
Dennis: I see a door marked 'Private.'

Mac,

I pretty much agree with Steve and Dave.

Go with passion and listen to your wife. I do it all the time. Wives are great sounding boards.

I can see where you were going with the hypocrisy if ND. I have dealt with this with my alma mater since they wimped down their knickname. I think institutions of higher learning cease to wield religious beliefs since they accept as students those of different faiths, who may not share in the religious teachings of the school's religion. I think that applies to ND, MU, The Cuse, Baylor, and others.

I do not begrudge those schols whose wish is to be pure. Fine, but don't accept the infidel's tuition money/

Why do you revert to this excuse on an almost weekly basis?

You have the time and ability to write about bigger picture issues but you continue to settle for the mundane. Telander is frequently a non read in this portion of his career. Last week, he displayed the form that made him a fantastic columnist in his youth. I would recommend taking a look at his story about the basketball player from the alternative high school.

Think big Dan. This will probably be the only time in your life where you will be able to throw yourself into your writing. I think you will find the work much more rewarding.

just a few thoughts that might suck but may be good:

-a profile on a competitor in the special olympics. its relevant (although quickly becoming less so) because of the obama statements, its compelling and you can even get some quotes from a supreme court justice to highlight in the headline (anne burke is big into it)

-an in depth article about what the hell is actually occurring with the recruitment of Latin baseball players by MLB(there is now a possibility of two federal cases with Bowden and the guys from the Sox last year)

-as we approach the final 4, a review of what the life of a student athelete is like at a place like University of Chicago.

-in light of the UConn allegations, the prevelance of "agents" in college basketball recruiting

-as we approach the draft, highlight that WR from your own Ball State who would certainly have been drafted but who broke his neck

Think big. Leave reports about Mark Buehrle to the beat writers.

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O judgment! Thou art fled to brutish beasts,
And men have lost their reason.

Telander never has been a great columnist. He's a solid feature writer and that's essentially what the piece good dolphin referenced was. Columns should be a strong opinion. The Dante Love suggestion (he's the Ball St. receiver) is good... but again... that content might be served better in feature form, not a column. I'll mull it over. Thanks for the feedback.

I was one of the 20,000 fans at the 99 point game (you're happy for me). 300 level.

All I can say was... you had to be there. IMHO it was a joke that we all were booing. Sort of a prank.

The game was a relative blowout and with 3 mins to go, those that stayed around had nothing better to do than to wait for the 100. It was booing with smiles on our faces, if that makes any sense. Did we need a Big Mac? Heck no, I don't even like 'em. Compounding the booing was as the horn sounded, the PA said please stay tuned for a courtside interview with the playa' of the game... Kirk H... We had just finished booing, we didn't get our prize, and then the "villian" is being congratulated. Again, it was all just a farce of booing. In fact I was really enjoung the senior citizens around me joining in. It wasn't "you suck" it was just plain booing.

The same loudness occurs throughout NBA games as we cheer on the donut,coffee or bagel. When the bagel wins, there is some booing from the outraged . Same with the Hinkley water trucks. So why would this be any different? In this case there were 3 mins left to just get 2 points and it didn't happen.

To say that I'm shocked that ink or air-time has been wasted on this is an understatement. The next day I had forgotten about it and then saw a crawler on Around the Horn of "Did Kirk miss intentionally". I was in a bar and couln't catch the discussion, but I was floored by even the suggestion of that. Slow news indeed.

Lets move on. Can we talk about what a fraud team Duke put out on the court. No solid big man and horrible D. Coach K...you can retire now. Thanks for the career.

I'm not a big fan of inserting a political and/or religious issue in the middle of a sports column. In an instance where those issues collide with sports, it is unavoidable. But from what I see of it, the stem-cell thing really doesn't have anything to do with sports and I go to sports as an escape from those issues not as an extension of them. Sure it can create buzz, but it's not a sports-related buzz. It can polarize but not in the way I would think you would want to polarize people.

When I want to read about sports, I read about sports and when I want to read about politics, I read about politics.

But, hey, that's just me.

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You know me like that.

Agreed. That's why I can't ever get through an article about Steve Largent, Bill Bradley or Jack Kemp.

The good columnists have something to say.

The good columnists can write a full column on a good thought or idea.

The randon gibberish that you puke out is garbage.

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Would the Sports Illustrated work be considered a column? He was featured almost weekly and it wasn't a beat. On the other hand, it was not like Rick Reilly, who had the last page of each edition. I really am not all that familiar with the parlance.

Here is what I do know, it is not sufficient to be provacative. It is good to have an opinion that renders emotion. However, if the story does not make me think after I have finished reading, it is nothing more than tabloid journalism. That is what always gets lost in Jay Mariotti discussions. He created emotion. He may have even sold papers. There is not a single time (and I admit, I rarely read his work) he made me think. If I was a writer I would consider that a failure. Any dolt can play on the emotions of the masses.

I think that a great columnist takes the mundane and provides a connection to the eternal. That allows the reader to have real depth in their enjoyment of the article.

So go ahead and have a column on Mark Buehrle, but relate it to something more meaningfull. You have been self deprecating about sports being the candy store. On a micro level it is. On a macro level there must be something fundamental about sport to our nature, as they have been around since the time we stopped using our knuckles to stand.

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O judgment! Thou art fled to brutish beasts,
And men have lost their reason.

Normal people would have used the term "piece of shit", but Roman has had his nose up your ass for so long that he is too used to the smell.

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Try writing a column about something we can't find in a blog, sports forum, or sporting news website.

You have access to information and connections most of us can only dream about. Your article is a dime a dozen. Nothing unique about it. Neither a turd or a rose. More like a piece of bread.

Dude-what is your problem with Mac??? The hatred is obvious and comes through loud and clear from every post of yours. Where/why did it start?

I know..I kinda morphed into Chaz a bit there, with the Dude thing.....

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Go Cubs!!!!

Steve - I have been wondering that myself but I get no where with the inquisition. If I hate someone, I try to stay away - unless they make really stupid posts about Hoffpauir and giggling 12 year old girls - then it's ON!

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Does your cat make too much noise? Try KITTEN MITTENS!


Charlie: Oh shit. Look at that door dude. See that door right there? That door marked 'Pirate'? You think a pirate lives in there?
Dennis: I see a door marked 'Private.'

Just chill....

Thanks Mac - upon your advice (much like Wendy T.) we're going to get 3" Saturday night now.

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Disclaimer: Most of my posts are not suitable for work or home viewing.

The name's Rockmore. Beef Rockmore

Dudes..... Please don't tell me that you think this crap is good. It looks like it was written by rainman.

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As collumnists for the Sun Times go, I would say that Gordon Wittenmeyer is my favorite. Carol Slezak is the writer I like the least. Mac is between them, but far closer to Gordon than Carol. I think his content is entertaining and thought provoking. But at times the writing itself is a bit off. But I have noticed improvement and anticipate that will continue. As much as I have always enjoyed Dan on the radio, it should be no surprise that I would enjoy and be entertained by his written words as well.

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Go Cubs!!!!

I think someone is ready to go back to work!

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"That's what the internet is for. Slandering others anonymously." Banky
“Been that way since one monkey looked at the sun and told the other monkey ‘He said for you to give me your fuckin’ share.’”