All-purpose, all-encompassing, "When are you done?" thread

I’m not the best fan. I love the Cubs, but football is my sport. The Cubs just keep me going during the lean summer months, and I have to confess, there is something about hearing Pat call a game that’s good for my soul.
With all of the college football expansion rumors flying around, particularly the Pac 10 yesterday and the Big 10 overall, I hit that point yesterday. It’s more fun to pay attention to that than paying attention to the Cubs.
I’ll still tune in, watch and listen, and be here. But my interest is elsewhere.

OT: RIP John Wooden

I am looking forward to seeing if the Cubs can somehow pull their heads out of their asses in the next two weeks and make a run at it. Beyond that I am looking forward to seeing the trades that Hendry will make to get something for Lilly and Lee and hopefully bring up some prospects and see how they develop.

But not with the Cubs. Now I am rooting for someone in team management (Ricketts?) to figure out this season doesn’t hold any real promise and start to do what needs to be done for the future.

I never imagined that Lee and Ramirez would gut the offense the way they have, but many, many rational fans saw this team as not capable of doing much.

If you mean following the season with interest, then when there’s no more season to follow. If you mean baseball in general, then it’s pretty much the same. It’s kind of my job. If you’re asking about expecting the Cubs to contend, tonight pretty much did it. Seriously. A guy with a .627 OPS hitting in the two-hole, while another with a .158 BA is yet again batting cleanup, while the manager continues to say “I don’t know what to do”. It’s Amateur Night, man.

You scored one run with that dreadful lineup. I’m shocked. Shocked, I tell you. Geez. I honestly know 10 year olds who could have put together a better lineup.

Believe I hear the faint sounds of a lady warming up to sing.

Long summer, I’ll probably still watch the games I can catch, but I think I’m done scheduling a day around them overall.

Cubs are on a pace to win 72 games in 2010. There’s no way I would’ve thought that coming out of spring training, and probably a lot of you didn’t either.

Barring a miracle, it’s going to be a very disappointing year. But one advantage to keep watching the Cubs is that I won’t be driving myself nuts with every K and GIDP with runners in scoring position. Since they won’t be fighting for a postseason spot anyway, there’s no point in me agonizing over every wasted opportunity in every game. I can relax a bit, and root for young guys like Castro and Colvin and Cashner to do well – assuming Lou actually gives Colvin playing time and doesn’t let Cashner rot in the bullpen.

Particularly the part where Rocky says to Clubber Lang…

You ain’t so bad, you ain’t so bad, you ain’t nothin’. C’mon, champ, hit me in the face! My mom hits harder than you!

for the last two years. Since the middle of last year’s season I’ve been calling for Lou to get fired. At the time those calls were seemingly outrageous, mainly because Lou had a good 2008 and 2007, and a lot of games with teams that had great talent who happened to also be playing very well at the time. With teams that struggle, Lou can’t do anything.

Jump to this season and Ramirez is in a Andruw Jones like tailspin, Lee is floundering, Soto is slumping, Castro hits 8th, Soriano can’t even hit cleanup, Colvin doesn’t get played, Lee/Ramirez are YOUR 3 and 4 hitters, at second base: Ryan Theriot!, etc., etc.

It’s painful to watch this team. Barring the firing of Lou and signing of a manager who will light a fire under this team’s ass, this season is over, and I have far too much stuff going on to continue to care for this miserable failure of a team.

but I’ll never be done with the Cubs, even in sucky years like this one. I can’t stand the months without baseball and I have to watch as much as I can, especially the teams I root for. Call me a masochist if you will, but that’s just how it is with me.

I’ll still watch them and pull for them, but it doesn’t really matter to me if they lose anymore.

Not yet.

I always do. Heck, I made the three hour trip with one of my boys to watch a game at Wrigley in 2006. I’m going up for two games this year. The passion is dampened a bit though. The losses aren’t bothering me as much now as they do when they are in contention, so I guess maybe I don’t care as much. But I still enjoy the victories, rare as they are. I would enjoy them even if they were 30 games out. The season has been really disappointing though.

On another note, I think Piniella should be fired. It just seems to me that he has given up and is just going through the motions. Send him on his way to retirement and put somebody in there with a little fire and passion.

does that mean we will be spared your insipid posts? One can only hope.

The love of the Cubs will continue. This year has frustrated the hell out of me. See I don’t see this team as horrible as some do.
 I just think at this time Lou is not the man for the job. He was for 07 and 08, and should of been gone after 08.
 The frustration lies with Theriot continues to hit leadoff or in the 2 hole, Castro hitting 8th, Soto continues to suck, Dome is a nice human being I am sure, however he is a average baseball player with a great glove. Dome experiment is over. Colvin getting 25 AB’s in the month of May, WTF!, “Z” well who knows with him.
 This team needs a new manager, however Hendry won’t fire him, doesn’t have the balls.
 If the Cubs get swept this weekend against the Astro’s, yeah I guess I will look forward to Penn State football and the Cleveland Browns.

maybe scale back on the watching and listening, lower the the expectations for this year and wait to see what happens next year. And yeah, probably skip Tuesday night’s game to listen to the Nationals radio broadcast of Strasburg’s major league debut. But give up on the Cubs, never. They’ll get turned around again at some point.

Not after the offensive explosion Saturday night! The Sunday loss against the Cardinals set the table for almost a week. I’d bet Colvin plays more, the bullpen seems to have settled some, maybe Ramirez is ready to start hitting? Five-hundred baseball is closer than it seems, but obviously the offense has to produce more.

I go through levels of optimism, and the Pittsburgh redux did do some damage for me, but I still think this team has the talent to bounce back.

I think teams can gel as late as August and still make the playoffs as long as they are near .500 by the end of July.

I listen to a game or watch on TV when I am available. I will NOT go out of my way (avoiding other plans or other things to do) to watch a lousy team. I got better things to do. If I’m home and they are on, I will watch. If I’m in the car and they are on, I will listen to Pat (while tuning out Ron).

In all honesty though, the last few radio broadcasts have been a joy with Dave Otto. Not having Ron there elevates Pat (who is already good despite Ron).

I no longer even believe a managerial team would help the team make the playoffs, but I still think Lou’s time is up.

It’s doubtful I’ll go to many games this year. My interest in football will shift quicker. But I’ve always been a baseball fan, not just a Cub fan. I’ll watch the contenders and probably catch most of the playoffs and WS regardless of who is in it.

I was done weeks ago after yet another masterful bullpen juggling act by Pinella. I haven’t watched a game since then and won’t until the 15th when I go to the Marlins’ game. I’ll be close to their dugout so I’m really looking forward to heckling the future former Cubs’ manager throughout the game.