Wrigley Field/Paul Daugherty Suck

[GuyFawkes38]

This blog post by Paul Daugherty is so lame:

Click Here (http://news.cincinnati.com/apps/pbcs.dll/section?category=PluckPersona&U=c77145f462c74fa0ac03babe03d1a7e3&plckController=PersonaBlog&plckScript=personaScript&plckElementId=personaDest&plckPersonaPage=BlogViewPost&plckPostId=Blog%3ac77145f462c74fa0ac03babe03d1a7e3 Post%3ac0fb006b-7d49-459c-b476-71fa7869f182&plckCommentSortOrder=TimeStampAscending&sid=sitelife.cincinnati.com#)


As someone who grew up in Chicago, let me say this: Most Chicagoans can't stand going to games at Wrigley Field. They feel obligated to because it's wrigley field. But it sucks. Thank god for the ultra convenient and nice US Cellular Field. Hell is driving to game at Wrigley and finding parking. Yes, the park might be a nice stroll for the young kids who live in the neighborhood. But for everyone else, it sucks.

And the the neighborhood isn't even that nice or unique. Its a gentrified urban area. It's like a larger, more urban version of Hyde Park and Mount Lookout. It's nothing special.


As usual Paul Daugherty, who is of course more sophisticated than every else in town, romanticizes the proposed and failed stadium project, the Broadway Commons, as an authentic baseball setting like Wrigley Field.

What a bunch of BS. So in Daugherty's mind the crappier the stadium and the parking situation is, the better the project. Yeah, playing baseball in over the rhine sounds awesome.

[Fred Garvin]

This response made me laugh:

"There's something ironic about saying GABP is an example of how Cincinnati clings to the past while also discussing the 10-year reunion of the group whose ballpark plan didn't win."

[Kahns Krazy]

As someone who grew up in Chicago, let me say this...

I bet they miss you. You should head back.

[GuyFawkes38]

I bet they miss you. You should head back.

ouch. come on now. lets keep this civil.

[Kahns Krazy]

Oh no no... you clearly misunderstand. I just don't want to hog the national treasure that is GuyFawkes38.

[sylvester]

Fawkes, you sir are an idiot. Wrigley is a great place to see a game and the nightlife in wrigleyville is always a good time, the drink prices are obviously a little high but that comes with the territory. And how do you justify that US Cellular is convenient when you look at the neighborhood while complaining about playing games in a similar shit neighborhood like over the rhine. I can understand if you are a jealous Reds fan that has to sit through the season with no actual hopes to move on the playoffs or even try to contend. No more please.

[GuyFawkes38]

Fawkes, you sir are an idiot. Wrigley is a great place to see a game and the nightlife in wrigleyville is always a good time, the drink prices are obviously a little high but that comes with the territory. And how do you justify that US Cellular is convenient when you look at the neighborhood while complaining about playing games in a similar shit neighborhood like over the rhine. I can understand if you are a jealous Reds fan that has to sit through the season with no actual hopes to move on the playoffs or even try to contend. No more please.

Come on. Admit that Wrigley Field is an overrated venue.

When people go to a game at Wrigley, they feel obligated to be spiritually moved by the damn place because it's old. It's like your parents forcing you to go to Gettysburg when you would much rather go to Disney World.

Wrigley Field is an old, crappy stadium. period. There are 15 (or maybe more) better baseball experiences in the country.

[Tardy Turtle]

so Guy... I suppose Fenway sucks as well?

[sylvester]

Come on. Admit that Wrigley Field is an overrated venue.

When people go to a game at Wrigley, they feel obligated to be spiritually moved by the damn place because it's old. It's like your parents forcing you to go to Gettysburg when you would much rather go to Disney World.

Wrigley Field is an old, crappy stadium. period. There are 15 (or maybe more) better baseball experiences in the country.

Wrigley is one of my favorite places in the world. I was there last night and I remembered how much I loved it as the crowd rose with 2 outs in the top of the ninth. Everybody cheers and claps until the game ends and upon the third out the place erupts like a grade school finally getting to the playground during lunch hour. I have never felt obligated to be moved rather I have enjoyed nearly every minute I have spent at the park for the 22 years I have been going there. I have not been to many major league stadiums but I can tell you that I would not get the same satisfaction from any other ballpark. For me Wrigley separates itself from many parks but not all in keeping with a traditional and basic approach to the game. Many people complain about the lack of a video board or more promotional nuisances throughout the game, but that is one of the greatest points about Wrigley. This is not to say that I do not enjoy video boards and current technology in place at sporting venues (i.e. Cintas) but for me Wrigley has always been retro in a sense and I love that.

[blobfan]

ouch. come on now. lets keep this civil.

Now if we did that this site would be DEAD!! What the heck else are we supposed to do in the off-season?

[Juice]

Wrigley is one of my favorite places in the world. I was there last night and I remembered how much I loved it as the crowd rose with 2 outs in the top of the ninth. Everybody cheers and claps until the game ends and upon the third out the place erupts like a grade school finally getting to the playground during lunch hour. I have never felt obligated to be moved rather I have enjoyed nearly every minute I have spent at the park for the 22 years I have been going there. I have not been to many major league stadiums but I can tell you that I would not get the same satisfaction from any other ballpark. For me Wrigley separates itself from many parks but not all in keeping with a traditional and basic approach to the game. Many people complain about the lack of a video board or more promotional nuisances throughout the game, but that is one of the greatest points about Wrigley. This is not to say that I do not enjoy video boards and current technology in place at sporting venues (i.e. Cintas) but for me Wrigley has always been retro in a sense and I love that.

Retro in sense that concrete has fallen from the stadium and it is slowly but surely breaking apart?

[MADXSTER]

Originally Posted by GuyFawkes38
ouch. come on now. lets keep this civil.


Now if we did that this site would be DEAD!! What the heck else are we supposed to do in the off-season?

Blob, Are you trying to say that we're civil during the season?

[GoMuskies]

so Guy... I suppose Fenway sucks as well?

I go to Fenway five or six times a year, and I would be thrilled if they imploded that dump.

[sylvester]

Retro in sense that concrete has fallen from the stadium and it is slowly but surely breaking apart?

Obviously that is not what I meant by retro but that concrete is an issue that should have been taken care of in the past and has not. Unfortunately the stadium does have some problem areas that are swept under the rug, but nonetheless a great place for a ballgame.

[Fred Garvin]

Retro in sense that concrete has fallen from the stadium and it is slowly but surely breaking apart?

Sounds like the time I was nearly decapitated at the Atlanta ESPN Zone.

[GuyFawkes38]

What's with the song they play at Wrigley if the Cubs win. It's really embarrassing for anyone from the state of Illinois.

Yeah, the whole Wrigley/Fenway experience centers on going back in time to the "glory days" of baseball.

It's pathetic.

[Tardy Turtle]

Yeah, the whole Wrigley/Fenway experience centers on going back in time to the "glory days" of baseball.

And what's wrong with that? I find that taking in a ballgame is far more enjoyable when I'm not assaulted by snippets of crappy music or inane clapping requests from a 3000' scoreboard. This short-attention-span crap I have shoveled on me at the ballpark is borderline unbearable.

I understand that catering to the lowest common denominator is standard nowadays so as to make it a "family" experience, but to real fans it's insulting.

Oh, and $7 beers is criminal.

[XURunner85]

I grew up in Chicago and I always love going to Wrigley, it was my home away from home. I still love going home and going to a game at Wrigley... The Cell sucks, hmm the Cell, they sold out, it should still be called Comisky Park...sell outs, they suck.

[GuyFawkes38]

I was recently talking to a relative from Detroit who was complaining on how difficult it was to go to a game (with the improvements of the Tigers in the past 3 years, it's difficult to get a ticket).

Contrast that with going to Great American. After work, some friends and I often make the 15 minute drive to downtown. We park in a 1 dollar lot. And we purchase 5 dollar tickets from a scalper.

That's awesome.

Screw authenticity and crowds and all of that BS.

[GoMuskies]

Oh, and $7 beers is criminal.

I think they're $8 at Fenway (maybe $8.50) at Fenway.

I was at Yankee Stadium a few weeks back for the Reds series, and they wanted $10.50 for a 20 oz. Heineken.

[Tardy Turtle]

Guy - are you saying that you just enjoying going to games and are happy that one can do so easily and relatively cheaply in Cincinnati? I can dig that, thought I'm sure Reds fans would prefer large crowds and a competitive team.

[sylvester]

Yea Wrigley beers are just under or at $7 which is still ridiculous. Its always nice to go nail some slightly less expensive Old Style at Sluggers and take some batting practice before the game too. As for the song, "Go Cubs Go" that started recently because Steve Goodman decided to write a song about his beloved cubbies. The team adopted it and who cares what song they play after the cubbies win, as corny as it may be. I kinda wish they still played the song from previous years, KC and the Sunshine Band - Get Down Tonight. That was classic for me as a kid.

XURunner, what year did you graduate from LA? (I was class of 04) It is nice to see another Rambler here as well as another Wrigley faithful.

[GuyFawkes38]

Guy - are you saying that you just enjoying going to games and are happy that one can do so easily and relatively cheaply in Cincinnati? I can dig that, thought I'm sure Reds fans would prefer large crowds and a competitive team.

I think big crowds and "atmosphere" are overrated. If I lived in Boston, I'm sure I would see many less games than here in Cincy (and that's an understatement).

[GuyFawkes38]

wow, I just used wikipedia on Steve Goodman.

So the same person who wrote the great, great song, "City of New Orleans" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a5EDJBhER0M), also wrote the awful song (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DrlLmTh32KI)which is played when the Cubs win.

[Tardy Turtle]

I think big crowds and "atmosphere" are overrated. If I lived in Boston, I'm sure I would see many less games than here in Cincy (and that's an understatement).

For baseball, I agree. I'd much rather have a section all to myself. However, I find that at Xavier BB games and (especially) hockey games a loud crowd positively affects the experience.

[The Artist]

Wait, am I experiencing people on this thread who are from Chicago talking about being from Chicago?

Wow, that never happens...

[D-West & PO-Z]

Wait, am I experiencing people on this thread who are from Chicago talking about being from Chicago?

Wow, that never happens...

Love the comment artist. You get rep points from me! I have way too many friends from Chicago and it never ends.

[Juice]

I enjoy the fact that so many people from Chicago talk about how much they love the place but yet they all come to the universities in Cincinnati and Ohio. Miami is obviously populated first by Cincinnati kids, but the next highest city is Chicago. XU and UD are full of Chicago kids. What gives?

[D-West & PO-Z]

I enjoy the fact that so many people from Chicago talk about how much they love the place but yet they all come to the universities in Cincinnati and Ohio. Miami is obviously populated first by Cincinnati kids, but the next highest city is Chicago. XU and UD are full of Chicago kids. What gives?

SLU has tons of Chicago kids as well. Also tons of Cincinnati and Cleveland kids which makes sense because of the Jesuits ties in both areas and the fact that all 3 areas have a lot of all boy and all girl Catholic high schools.

[GuyFawkes38]

I enjoy the fact that so many people from Chicago talk about how much they love the place but yet they all come to the universities in Cincinnati and Ohio. Miami is obviously populated first by Cincinnati kids, but the next highest city is Chicago. XU and UD are full of Chicago kids. What gives?

Chicago is a nice city. Yet, there are less college opportunities when you consider how populous the city is. It's kind of similar to New York City. Most people who grow up in that region go to college in other areas.

Ohio happens to be filled with great universities (besides Xu, there's a multitude of fine 4 year liberal arts schools).

This Ohioan advantage over Illinois seems like a great tool for the state to move forward economically.

[Stonebreaker]

Not a big Dock fan, as he does ride a mighty high horse. (take that to mean anything and everything you'd like)

[XUglow]

wow, I just used wikipedia on Steve Goodman.

So the same person who wrote the great, great song, "City of New Orleans" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a5EDJBhER0M), also wrote the awful song (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DrlLmTh32KI)which is played when the Cubs win.

I wonder who else on this board ever had the opportunity to actually ride The City of New Orleans. I grew up in a town that was built by and for the Illinois Central railroad to house their engineers and other rail workers to keep them out of mischief. The City of New Orleans went back and forth from New Orleans to Chicago every day as did its more famous counterpart, The Panama Limited. My friends and I would hop The Panama into New Orleans in the evening and grab it again on its way back up to Chicago in the morning. An all-nighter in the French Quarter when you are 16 is a wonderful and terrible thing at the same time. The legal drinking age was 18 in Louisiana at the time, but the truth is that no one cared much how old you were.

When I first went to college, my girlfriend lived back home, and I would take The Panama home on Friday evening and take The City back to school on Sunday night. The rhythm of the cars was exactly the cadence in the song, and for me, it was impossible to ride the train without having that song playing in my head. In my sophomore year, I got a car, the g/f was at school with me, and I never rode one of those trains again.

[GuyFawkes38]

I wonder who else on this board ever had the opportunity to actually ride The City of New Orleans. I grew up in a town that was built by and for the Illinois Central railroad to house their engineers and other rail workers to keep them out of mischief. The City of New Orleans went back and forth from New Orleans to Chicago every day as did its more famous counterpart, The Panama Limited. My friends and I would hop The Panama into New Orleans in the evening and grab it again on its way back up to Chicago in the morning. An all-nighter in the French Quarter when you are 16 is a wonderful and terrible thing at the same time. The legal drinking age was 18 in Louisiana at the time, but the truth is that no one cared much how old you were.

When I first went to college, my girlfriend lived back home, and I would take The Panama home on Friday evening and take The City back to school on Sunday night. The rhythm of the cars was exactly the cadence in the song, and for me, it was impossible to ride the train without having that song playing in my head. In my sophomore year, I got a car, the g/f was at school with me, and I never rode one of those trains again.


I've never rode that rail line. But I have traveled many times from Chicago to downstate Illinois on a near identical path as the rail line. I remember when I first heard the "City of New Orleans" on the radio I almost pulled over on the road. The song perfectly captures traveling in this area of the country.

For some reason, I thought the "City of New Orleans" train ran in the late 19th century. It's very cool to read your recollections of the actual train.

[XUglow]

I've never rode that rail line. But I have traveled many times from Chicago to downstate Illinois on a near identical path as the rail line. I remember when I first heard the "City of New Orleans" on the radio I almost pulled over on the road. The song perfectly captures traveling in this area of the country.

For some reason, I thought the "City of New Orleans" train ran in the late 19th century. It's very cool to read your recollections of the actual train.

Despite the song, the Panama was the more famous train. When they retired The City, they actually retired the old Panama and and repainted The City to be new The Panama. Also, those are just the actual trains. The engines used to pull the trains had names and a life of their own as did the engineers. The fast run from NO to Chicago was done in 4 stages with a quick change of engines and drivers at 3 locations along the way. The trip was called The Cannonball Run because the trains had to run fast and run like clockwork to make everything work. Casey Jones was an engineer on one of those legs when he was killed.

I didn't go down to the retirement of either train, but I understand that people showed up in the thousands to witness the events with plenty of tears spread around in the masses. For many generations before me, trains were the stuff of dreams.

[XURunner85]

Sylvester, I was the class of 1981...if you see surfxu on here he was class of 87 I believe..

[xu95]

All along I just thought it was a song sung by Willie Nelson.

xu95

[Emp]

wow, I just used wikipedia on Steve Goodman.

So the same person who wrote the great, great song, "City of New Orleans" (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a5EDJBhER0M), also wrote the awful song (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DrlLmTh32KI)which is played when the Cubs win.

Goodman's best and most humorous song is Dying Cub Fan's Last Request. The guy died very young of leukemia. He was discovered with Kris Kristopherson and John Prine playing in little chicago clubs by....Paul Anka?? Check it out. There is a great Utube version of him playing the song acoustic from a rooftop on Waveland Ave.

[Billy]

Goodman's best and most humorous song is Dying Cub Fan's Last Request.

It was played at my wedding reception.

27 games over .500, bitches!

[Billy]

Yea Wrigley beers are just under or at $7 which is still ridiculous. Its always nice to go nail some slightly less expensive Old Style at Sluggers and take some batting practice before the game too. As for the song, "Go Cubs Go" that started recently because Steve Goodman decided to write a song about his beloved cubbies. The team adopted it and who cares what song they play after the cubbies win, as corny as it may be. I kinda wish they still played the song from previous years, KC and the Sunshine Band - Get Down Tonight. That was classic for me as a kid.

XURunner, what year did you graduate from LA? (I was class of 04) It is nice to see another Rambler here as well as another Wrigley faithful.

Wrigley Beer - $6.25
GABP - $7

[Fred Garvin]

[QUOTE=Billy;51735]It was played at my wedding reception.

27 games over .500, bitches![/QUOTE

It is gonna be interesting. I didn't think much of your long term chances with Wood as your closer. But then you hedged your bets with the mullet Golden Domer.

[nuts4xu]

It is gonna be interesting. I didn't think much of your long term chances with Wood as your closer. But then you hedged your bets with the mullet Golden Domer.

Business in the front, party in the back.

http://www.littlecubsfield.com/images/Samardzija_Jeff500.jpg

[Billy]

[QUOTE=Billy;51735]It was played at my wedding reception.

27 games over .500, bitches![/QUOTE

It is gonna be interesting. I didn't think much of your long term chances with Wood as your closer. But then you hedged your bets with the mullet Golden Domer.

The bullpen is still a bit of a mess. Wood isn't the big problem, it's mostly the set-up guys. Howry has been completely disgusting, and Marmol isn't real consistent. Samardzjia looks to be legit though. The only thing that pushed him into the second round last year was the fear that he might go play football.

Dempster, Harden, and Zambrano are going to be awfully tough. There are teams with better aces...but I'm not sure any of the playoff teams are better 1 through 3.

The only playoff team out there who can slug with this bunch is Boston.

On paper, they are clearly the best team in the N.L. right now.

But, they're the Cubs....and so they'll screw the pooch in October, somehow.

[nuts4xu]

Don't look know Billy, October is right around the corner.....

http://toddzilla.files.wordpress.com/2007/02/jesus_cubs.jpghttp://www.monkeyfuckingafootball.com/images/SPPlain.jpg