Poll: Should Bartman return

n/t

I think that the only appropriate situation for Bartman to throw out a first pitch is AFTER we win the World Series. Hopefully that will be opening day 2011

Jeez…

I don’t think the Cubs should wait until a playoff game. I think they should do it well before any playoff games so it doesn’t become another three ring circus type distraction. I don’t want to see Bartman in the dugout before a playoff game with a Greek Priest and a goat.

even be a factor. Much less considered until we reach that ultimate goal. Doing anything for Bartman before that point is just more for the media and beat-writers to feed on. The last thing this team needs is more “superstitious” BS. But one day where Bartman could throw out a first pitch AFTER we win it all, would be amazing.

I just think there’s more Cub fans than not that will never forgive him and him throwing out the first pitch wouldn’t be accepted as a chance to “forgive and forget and move on” as it would be a chance for him to be booed out of the stadium. Which would make the Cub organization and our fans look foolish.

a misconception with the national media and non/true Cub fans. To much blame on Bartman and enough on Alex Gonzalez, Farnsworth, Dusty and not winning game 7.
 Have him throw the first pitch when the Marlins come in town, and get this out of the way for the rest of our lives.

Then it really should be Alex Gonzalez – AKA, the guy who booted the double play ball that really prolonged the rally. That way, it will give us one more chance to boo the guy who deserves the criticism.

…. here is the ESPN 30 for 30 documentary schedule. Based on that the ESPN documentary on Bartman will not air until at least July.

I know if he walked by me in a crowd I wouldn’t pick him out and I doubt most cubs fans would either. Let him come to a game, have 1 plain clothes security guy with him just in case someone does I-D him. Then mildly release to media after the game he came to a game. No fanfare, nothing. Just invite him to come back if he wants and watch a game and say you’re welcome any time, this one was on us, now you’re on your own. The Cubs should say let’s move on to both Bartman and everyone one else. I think that’s what most of us wish. I DO NOT want to see a Bartman day, Bartman bobble head, Bartman Sony Ear Phone Day or anything ridiculous. 40,000+ fans come to games, let him be one quietly.

nothing else to say here. this is a topic beaten to death and a topic that should not even exist IMHO

I voted “Who cares”, but if it made the story go away, I’m all for it. As far as making things right, anyone who profited from the event (non-MLB personnel) would have to give Bartman the proceeds plus 6 years of interest, and everyone who did anything would have to write a hand-written apology, and the Sun-Times would have to apologize in a full front-page ad for revealing his personal information. And you know what? That still wouldn’t make it right.

As far as actually doing this, better make it a regular season game. I like the direction that the organization is headed in, but the playoffs aren’t our birthright, and you don’t know for certain when the Cubs will get there again.

He may have got in the way, yes.

But this is easily overcome by other factors. I will not insult all of you by naming them off, you know what I am talking about.

There were MANY other things during that series that could have gone differently, but so much attention is paid to a foul ball that if it was hit a foot further to the left would have been a complete non-issue. The grounder to Gonzalez was always the bigger play and the Bartman play seems to have overshadowed this except for the real Cub fans who know better.

So my vote is to get off the poor guys ass! We all go for foul balls when they are hit in our direction. Alou acted like an idiot on the field and drew attention to it. Leave him alone….

Not because I don’t think he should be welcomed back, but because I think the hoopla surrounding the whole thing would just give it more attention again. I want people to forget about the nonsense of curses, etc. Bringing these thing up again and again just reinforces them.

I also kinda doubt he’d want any part of it.

Why does Bartman’s name keep getting brought up? Seriously, move the @&%# on.

Not only should Steve return to Wrigley he has.

It’s the media and braindead Sox and Cardinals fans that keep bringing it up not Cubs fans.

It’s the media who won’t leave this die.

One of the national morons kept calling Cub fans Bartman obsessed. I sent him links to here and several other Cub fan talk sites and asked me where was all this obsession.

I’ve always blamed MAtt Clement for the NLCS loss.

If he wins game 4 of the NLDS Wood starts game 1 of the NLCS.

Note this is all tongue in cheek. I blame Rex Grossman (by the way he was at game 6),

But that video is sickening…People are idiots. :(

I think I’ll move on to happier thoughts of sunshine and green grass in Arizona…

the sequel was amazing, they should come back with a third

We are NOT the Red Sox.

without fear of harassment, but any open display of forgiveness should be unofficial and off-premises. Sure, he wasn’t the only fan going for the ball, but the fact remains he’s the dilletante who interfered with a sure out, probably because of his foolish need to hear Ronnie on ‘GN. Unquestionably, Bartman’s action rattled Prior, Gonzales, and above all Dusty, in the same way someone firing a starter’s pistol on the 18th hole at Augusta might affect Phil Mickelson lining up a 10-foot putt.

As a Cubs’ fan, tell me you didn’t want to throw any nearby object at your TV the moment you saw fans going for that ball, even in the split second before Alou slammed his glove. Mark Redman’s immortal words to his teammates in the Marlin’s dugout said it best: "Let’s make that kid famous." At that instant, Redman and anyone else watching that game could sense the momentum shift.

Like it or not, it’s an incredible story that may always be top-10 in baseball lore, no matter how many championships the Cubs win, or how public a display of forgiveness anyone offers Bartman. The whole scene is reminiscent of the low comedy and ultimate tragedy of the ‘86 AL playoffs, with Reggie Jackson hugging Gene Mauch in the Angels’ dugout right before Dave Henderson’s fateful at-bat against Donnie Moore. Even today, we still hear about and remember that ‘86 collape while the Angels’ 2002 World Series win is all but forgotten outside of LA.

I voted for “don’t care.” I think Bartman honestly understands that most levelheaded Cub fans don’t blame him. It is the whackjobs who everynow and then will make a stupid statement in regards to him.

If Bartman were to “return” as this post suggested, that would put him in the news in a big way, and I’m willing to bet he doesn’t want that. Knowing that most Cub fans are cool with him or indifferent towards him is probably enough for him to carry on with his life (I am not speaking for him, I’m only guessing).

This is what a witch hunt looks like only it involved Cub fans at their worst, mob instincts and pure out and out irrationality .. and the media lapped it up, like dogs at the side of a kill. When someone calls your work place and threatens your life, it’s no longer low comedy.

It was aired like maybe once only, but I saw WGN’s next day coverage of the story and they were just as guilty as the Sun Times in stirring up the flames. They sent cameras down to follow Steve as the ushers got him out of there after the jerks in the stands starting howling for his head. They sent a crew out to film the guy who actually got the ball whose face was conveniently hidden during the taping (if next day sports coverage was supposed to be about the Cubs’ failure to win the game, why did they chase this man down and send cameras out to watch those jerks who actually tried to attack Steve?). They aired this on Chicago TV. I know. I watched it and had to ask WHY ..

Then Blagojejerk made his completely irresponsible remark. I think between Fox and ESPN’s paranoiac obsession with anointing anything as part of The Story, along with the mob instincts of those idiots in the stands that night, the “lore” morphed into an insane moment that showed how pathetic fans can be in ANY sport.

Take Bartman to find out where Alex Gonzalez lives and beat him with a board, because to me, he’s the goat. How do you bobble that, being Alex Gonzalez and everything??

I doubt it. I do suspect that he has returned to Wrigley, but not in that sweatshirt, no headphones, and no glasses. I think he just wants to be left alone, and we should honor that simple request. He has suffered enough already.

Having glossed over the comments, I’ve come to a conclusion (some of which will echo others’ thoughts).

Many are saying that the national media is the only entity that thinks that cub fans blame bartman. Yes the media makes all of this worse, but at the same time, do not underestimate how stupid people can be. There are alot of stupid people in this world and there are alot of cub fans in this world and there can be significant overlap in these qualities. There is no need to defend our fanbase on this issue, stupid people are stupid, you can’t do anything about it. (word ‘stupid’ clearly overused in this comment)

Just because 99/100 BCB members say “no, I don’t blame bartman” doesn’t mean that you can predict what will happen if and when Bartman steps onto the mound for a ceremonial first pitch.

Let’s quickly run over the scenarios…

Bartman comes out, and he gets a smattering of boos. The media hears even a little booing and then the the majority of the sporting world continues to generalize us as supersitious and excuse-making morons. This scenario, bad.

Bartman comes out, nobody claps or boos (this is my position, he doesn’t deserve either response). We go on with our world series drought, and the media keeps bringing it up. Even if Bartman is wildly applauded (which won’t happen), highlights will still be shown of the Bartman play into perpetuity. This scenario, same position we are in now.

The cubs win a world series and then we have bartman do this. Now we are just jagoffs who have subdued our irrational behavior because we won a world series. Like buying a kid a toy because he won’t settle down. Sure the kid is cool now, but he is still a brat when it is all said and done.

The only thing that heals this situation is a championship, plain and simple. There will always be Buckner highlights, there will always be bartman highlights, they are a part of baseball history, but championship(s) not only reduce how often these are shown, they reduce the impact of the highlight.

In summary: (before a world series) NO
(after a world series) Still NO

I tell whoever offers me a spot to go fuck themselves, take some Viagra and then fuck themselves again.

But if it were me, I’d sign anything that didn’t run from me for $10 a pop. I’d go to every dirtbag community theater in this country and re-enact the play, so long as they paid me $50 and a ham sandwich. I’d do every ad that came my way. I’d do WWE events and rip off my shirt to reveal a Cardinals jersey.

Bartman has been honorable and dignified in his silence. It is an honor and dignity that Cubs fans, Chicago media and the Cubs organization do not deserve.

throw out the 1st pitch to open the home season…and let Moises catch it.

Geez, we need some baseball. Badly. This thread proves it.

This is a reason why.

Regardless of how anyone feels about this, it just won’t go away.