Hilarious list from chicago tribune- 50 worst restaurants in america

By: T.R. Slyder, TRSlyder@yahoo.com, @AndyDisco on Twitter

Posted by The Stew blog at Chicago Tribune.

San Pellegrino recently announced their list of the World's 50 Best Restaurants. Noma out of Denmark received the top spot, while Chicago's Alinea came in at number seven.

Not to be outdone, Mountain Dew announced their list of the World's 50 Worst Restaurants. The Stew is the only food blog to receive this list.
50. Hacker Barrel
49. Taco Belch
48. Just Tongue
47. Ed Hedgewards’ Possums ‘n Such
46. Long John Slivers
45. International House of Broth
44. Larry David’s Kvetch of the Day
43. Peter Loogie
42. Kenny Loggins Roasters
41. St. Bernardin

40. Mrs. Field's Dookie
39. Momof***
38. K-Paul’s Louisiana Panic Room
37. Detlef Shrimp
36. Brown Chicken
35. Chicken N Waffles N Bulgur
34. Five-Second Rule Taco
33. Signature Room at the 97th
32. Joe’s Crabs Shack
31. WD~40

30. Bobby DeNiro’s “You Talkin’ to Me?” Drive-Thru
29. KF?
28. Montezuma’s
27. Dunkin Diuretics
26. Senor Bayless’ House O’ Chalupas
25. In-N-Out-N-Out-Again Burger
24. Haggis Hut
23. The Dump Room
22. Pizzeria Uni
21. Actual Panda Express

20. Fraulein Sauerkraut’s Thwap and Serve
19. Bollocks
18. Bennigan’s
17. Trattoria No. 3.1416
16. El Bully
15. Sal y Carvao’s Brazilian Steak and Wax
14. Robinson’s #6
13. Barf Louie
12. Le Groin Poule
11. Grant Achatz Presents: Flavored Sound

10. Café Activia
9. Le Jirque
8. Bob’s Chin
7. The French Don’t Do Laundry
6. Cinnabone
5. Graham Elliot Bowels
4. Tru-ish
3. Friday's based on the novel Push by Sapphire
2. Heaven on Sven
1. Topolobimbo








That's how I roll.

Lookalikes 34.0: Chicago's AT&T Center and a Stun Gun

By: T.R. Slyder, TRSlyder@yahoo.com, @AndyDisco on Twitter

Don't tase/Toews me, AT&T Center!





























Special thanks to Emily Roth for her architectural assistance in this edition of lookalikes.







That's how I roll.

Better Protest. You Decide.

By: T.R. Slyder, TRSlyder@yahoo.com, @AndyDisco on Twitter


After being fed up with Chicago's new parking meters, a Chicago man smeared human excrement on his parking ticket before paying it.


Meanwhile, in Arizona, an equally dignified person(s) decided to voice their dissent of illegal aliens by smearing refried beans in the shape of a swastika on a window of the Arizona State Capitol building.

How bad must your skills for vocabulary, discretion, decency, empathy, eluding detection (at least for the Chicago man for now) and dignity be before you think, "How can I finally get taken seriously around here? I know, I'll smear plop/refried beans on the parking ticket/State Capitol. THAT oughta earn me some respect!"?









That's how I roll.

A Brief Profile of Racial Profiling: Arizona's Immigrant Law is a lot Like Cincinnati law That Cause Race Riots in 2001

By: T.R. Slyder, TRSlyder@yahoo.com, AndyDisco on Twitter

Is Arizona the new Cincinnati? I think so.

I don't consider myself a political writer but after reading about Arizona's new immigrant legislation it reminded me of the legislation that caused Cincinnati's race riots. Hoping to find an article equating the two, I was disappointed to see that none existed (to my knowledge). So I wrote my own.

You may recall the Cincinnati race riots of 2001 where the city had a curfew for a few nights around Easter and was damn near under martial law. Most of the coverage about the riots cite the cause of the riot as frequent white cops killing black youth, but really, that was just the straw that broke the camel's b(l)ack. It would be like saying that the American Revolution started because Crispus Attucks got murdered.

A few years before the riots, legislation was passed in Cincinnati that gave cops free reign to racially profile people by, effectively, checking their papers, much like the AZ legislation proposes.

In 1996 the City Council passed a law making Over-the-Rhine a Drug Exclusion Zone (further reading can be had here and here). While misguided, the law attempted to ban anyone with a drug conviction from entering the low-income, mostly-black neighborhood called Over-the-Rhine. Theoretically, the law had a basis of logic- if you want to decrease the amount of drugs in that neighborhood, forbid anyone with a history of drug use to set foot there. Sadly, and predictably, practice was different than theory in the case.

So what happened if you lived in Over-the-Rhine and got caught with drugs? You had to move. Even if you were married with children and they were all in schools in Over-the-Rhine? Yes. So if you got arrested with a joint, then moved away from your family and you came back to visit them, you could be re-arrested for trespassing basically? Yes. And what if you were in Over-the-Rhine and a rogue, a-hole cop wanted to harass you? He'd just say, "Didn't I bust you with a bag of pot one time? You look familiar, and that's probable cause. I'm going to run your drivers license and search you." Take one part of that, mix it with 8 parts white cops shooting innocent black kids, and you have a recipe for race problems.

That sounds a lot like Arizona's new legislation. I am all for securing our national borders, but if this legislation results in racial unrest, it will be another example of the past serving as a prologue and being damned to repeat unpleasant history. Keep in mind that black Cincinnati youth and white Cincinnati cops both spoke English yet and several fatal misunderstandings occurred still. Let's hope all legals and illegals in Arizona know what the English phrases "freeze", and "Get your hands in the air. NOW!" mean.








That's how I roll.

Giving Credit Where Credit is due: Carlos Zambrano Edition

By: T.R. Slyder, TRSlyder@yahoo.com, AndyDisco on Twitter


Zambrano got sent to the bullpen and by all accounts went willingly and wanted to help the team whichever way the coach thought he could. Nice to see the playground coming out of a player in a good way.

Since Zambrano looks like a bigger version of Webster now, maybe he should get a mini version of Ma'am for good luck. It could be his good luck person like Pedro's little homey in Boston. It couldn't hurt.






That's how I roll.

Update: I didnt see this coming: Chan Ho Park Edition

By: T.R. Slyder, TRSlyder@yahoo.com, AndyDisco on Twitter


Some Yankee reporters asked Chan Ho Park why his performance lacked luster. His answer may not be what you are expecting. Unless you are one of my friends, then you would probably expect this.

Out of respect for you, I won't spoil the ending. Just trust me that it IS HILARIOUS and you will be glad you clicked on it. I just think you'll find it 55X funnier if you don't know what to expect.

Note: Mariano Rivera's face lighting up like a kid's on Christmas at the :42 second mark. Coincidentally, his jersey number is 42. That divine coincidence is kinda like finding an image of Jesus in your grilled cheese.



It's Korean custom borrowed from the Japanese Bushido which espouses a "death before dishonor" code, one should admit 'rhea after dishonor.

update: at the :29 second mark he reminds me of Piston Honda sorta.




I know Park is Korean and Piston Honda is Japanese, but he still reminded me of him.







That's how I roll.

Big Love for my 420 Crew

By: T.R. Slyder, TRSlyder@yahoo.com, AndyDisco on Twitter

You may not be onto this cat yet, but you will be. Some of the best smoking music in a long time. It reminds me a bit of Outkast's slow songs from Aquemini and Stanokia. But don't make my word for it. Download it here for free.

His name is Wiz Khalifa. Here are some youtube audio versions of songs from Kush and Orange Juice.









The below skit is good and gets awesome at the 3:00 mark.
















That's how I roll.

Gene Keady, How Could You?

By: T.R. Slyder, TRSlyder@yahoo.com, AndyDisco on Twitter

Growing up in Indiana in the 80's and 90's, I became a fan of (then) Purdue basketball coach Gene Keady.

But then I read this headline and it REALLY pissed me off: Gene makes People fat, Raises Alzheimer's Risk(!!!!!!).

What a dick. So does he hide in people's houses and slip bacon and aluminum and mercury in people's diets? He really could use some gene therapy. total a-hole. But I will say this; the man does good work, especially in Chicago. My hat is off to him for his job making Chicagoans obese. All I have heard about you is true, Gene: you're one hell of a competitor.






That's how I roll.

Lookalikes v. 33.0: Trace Adkins and Kerry Wood

By: T.R. Slyder, TRSlyder@yahoo.com, AndyDisco on Twitter




































That's how I roll.

I Love/Hate When This Happens

By: T.R. Slyder, TRSlyder@yahoo.com, AndyDisco on Twitter

Do you ever listen to a song from a few years ago and think about how you haven't heard this song in a while but you used to love it and it still sounds great, etc. Then toward the end of the song you randomly think, "oh man, I really want to hear XXX right now!" and it's a totally unrelated song, and maybe one you haven't heard in a while then you realize the reason you randomly want to hear that old song. On a mixed tape you had in high school, you had both of the songs on it in succession and you realize that you've been operantly conditioned to expect one song after the other?

The cool thing of it is that you don't even know it. For instance, it happened to me today with Please by U2 followed by 33 by the Smashing Pumpkins. If you would have asked, "do you remember what song came after this one on your high school tape?" I wouldn't have had a clue. But toward the end of Please, I was totally getting randy to hear 33. It's weird.

Long December by Counting Crows was also on that tape, I think.








Lastly, I would like to go on record saying that Pop is my favorite U2 album by a mile. Lyrically underrated and I think it's their best album sonically. If you didn't understand English, would you rather listen to the Joshua Tree or Pop? Oh, and while I am saying the first good things I have said about U2 in about 8 years, here's their most underrated song by far and their best song to sing in the shower by 85 miles. Another Bonus is that in the video, Bono looks like Ursula from Little Mermaid.



































That's how I roll.

Great Sun-Times Article by Mark Potash

By: T.R. Slyder, TRSlyder@yahoo.com, AndyDisco on Twitter


I hear what you're barkin, dog.

Soriano is talented and isn't a has-been just yet, but he needs to realize that at this point any arrogance is unjustified arrogance. Results, not excuses, 'phonsie.







That's how I roll.

Something You DEFINITELY Did Not KNow About Mastodons

By: T.R. Slyder, TRSlyder@yahoo.com, AndyDisco on Twitter


While reading the new copy of Smitsonian Magazine I was checking out their article on Mastodons.

The article talks about how Mastodons first came to be known because in 1705 an upstate NY man found a Mastodon's tooth. Eventually the tooth found its way to Europe where speculation about what kind of titanic beast could possibly have teeth that large ran unbridled. This theoretical oversized creature was given the name Incognitum, because surely no one could fathom its enormity (I thought enormity meant 'evil' and not 'huge' before reading this. So I went with 'enormity'). Did they actually italicize the name back then? Probably.

But that isn't the part you definitely didn't know about Mastodons.

Anyway, keep in mind that dinosaurs were not yet discovered and wouldn't be for another 100 years, so this tooth represented something completely otherworldly and no one had a clue what it could possibly go to. A bit later on, similar teeth turned up in South Carolina where slaves noticed that it resembled the teeth of African Elephants. Scientists then began to assume that the teeth were that of a "mammoth" like the ones recently found in siberia. Eventually the teeth of elephants, mammoths and the incognitum were all studied side by side and found to be different. As the magazine puts it....

"European anatomists started to figure out the distinction by making side-by-side comparisons. The teeth of mammoths and modern elephants both have relatively flat running-shoe corrugations on the biting surface. But the teeth of the incognitum are studded with fierce-looking rows of large conical cusps. That difference not only indicated that Siberian mammoths and the incognitum were separate species, it also led some anatomists to regard the latter as a flesh-eating monster."

That is awesome, but it still isn't the part you definitely did not know. This is....

"Those teeth also eventually gave the incognitum a name. To the young French anatomist Georges Cuvier, the conical cusps looked like breasts. So in 1806, he named the incognitum “mastodon,” from the Greek mastos (for “breast”) and odont (for “tooth”). But laymen went on applying the name “mammoth” to either species—and to just about anything else really big."

That's how I roll.

My $.11 on the Cubs

By: T.R. Slyder, TRSlyder@yahoo.com, AndyDisco on Twitter

I am still trying to wrap my head around the 2010 Cubs. How did someone in the front office think Cubs fans would accept this current team? How could they honestly expect us to care about them when their on the field talent is anything but reflective of the highest average price per ticket in MLB?

I wrote the other day about the lack of excitement on the Cubs roster, and I would like to revisit that in more depth. No one on the Cubs is A) young, and B) awesome. There are no players who you are POSITIVE have their best years ahead of them, there are no "The sky is the limit with this guy" type of players, nor are they any of baseball's most underrated players on the Cubs. While I am big fans of Derrek Lee and Aramis Ramirez, but at 34 and 31 years old (respectively) they are known entities for Cubs fans- good guys, and if they stay healthy have the chance to hit 40 home runs, drive in 120 runs play gold glove caliber defense and make an all-star team. But MVP candidates they are not. The 'staying healthy' part is a big "if", and frankly I have seen them before.

They aren't drawing me to Wrigley Field and I feel as though their best days may be behind them. So now that we have established who the stalwarts in the middle of the line up are, who else do they have? What kind of players would I like to see if I am going to pay $52.56, the cost of an average ticket at Wrigley (which is up 10% from 2009), or a Family Cost Index of $329.74- the price for taking a family of 4 to a game. I would like to see exciting players that might have a breakout 2010 year and cement their standing as a top tier player in the league, and for the team to collectively have success. So lets see what kind of entertainment our $329.74 can buy us.

Roster:

pitchers of note: Carlos Zambrano, Ryan Dempster, Randy Wells, Ted Lilly, Carlos Marmol
Starting infield: Lee, Ramirez, Ryan Theriot, Mike Fontenot, Geovanny Soto
Outfield: Kosuke Fukudome, Marlon Byrd, Alphonso Soriano

This is a team made up of "just beginning the downside of their career" guys. That is certainly true for every pitcher but Randy Wells, and frankly, true for all the infielders and outfielders, with the only possible exception of Soto (who could go on to be solid, or could be a rookie flash in the pan). Here is another way I could group those 12 guys with the exception of Wells.

Likely to have already peaked as a player: Soriano, Zambrano, Lee, Ramirez, Marmol, Lilly, Soto

Still too solid to knock, but I'm expecting a decline in performance: Lee, Ramirez

So I guess if you were gonna be awesome, you would have been awesome by now: Theriot, Fontenot, Fukudome


So that's what the most expensive ticket prices in the game get you.

Here is another way to look at it. Lets say a family lives in Fort Wayne, IN. (a three hour drive from Wrigley) and is deciding which team to see play this summer. Living in Fort Wayne, the Tigers, Reds, White Sox and Cubs are all about a 3 hour drive from home, so all options are on the table. The family would probably want good economic value for their outing and also a chance of seeing something historic. You want to see a future Hall of Famer early in his career before he was a megastar, or you want to see a starting pitcher take a no hitter into the 7th, or see him pitch the year he won the Cy Young, or the year the team won the pennant, a team needs that "wow" factor in order to put buns in the seats.

With that in mind lets look at the players around the league you would pay to watch. By that I mean someone you think, "Cool, we have tickets for the game tonight and it will be nice to see XXXX play in person." I will go team by team alphabetically.

Angels- Bobby Abreu, Torri Hunter, Hideki Matsui, Kendry Morales
Astros: Roy Oswalt, Carlos Lee, Lance Berkman
A's: None
Blue Jays: Ricky Romero, Vernon Wells
Braves: Jair Jurrjens, Derek Lowe, Martin Prado, Jason Heyward
Brewers: Prince Fielder, Ryan Braun
Cardinals: Chris Carpenter, Adam Wainwright, Yadier Molina, Albert Pujols, Matt Holiday, Mr. Hat
Cubs: Lee, Ramirez (though Ted Lilly was the only 2009 Cub All Star)
Diamondbacks: Brandon Webb, Justin Upton
Dodgers: Clayton Kershaw, Jonathon Broxton, Manny Ramirez, Blake/Eithier/Loney/Furcal
Giants: Matt Cain, Tim Lincecum, Bengie Molina, Pablo Sandoval
Indians: Fausto Carmona, Matt LaPorta, Grady Sizemore
Marlins: Josh Johnson, Jorge Cantu, Hanley Ramirez, Dan Uggla
Mariners: Ichiro, Felix Hernandez, Franklin Gutieriez
Mets: Frankie Rodriguez, Johan Santana, Jose Reyes, David Wright, Carlos Beltran, Jason Bay, Jeff Francoeur
Nationals: Stephen Strasburg (coming soon), Ryan Zimmerman, Adam Dunn
Orioles: Matt Wieters, Adam Jones
Padres: Adrien Gonzalez
Phillies: Roy Halladay, Cole Hamels, Brad Lidge, Jimmy Rollins, Ryan Howard, Chase Utley, Jayson Werth
Pirates: none
Rangers: Michael Young, Josh Hamilton, Vladimir Guerrero
Rays: Grant Balfour, David Price, Evan Longoria, Ben Zobrist, Carl Crawford, Carlos Pena, BJ Upton
Red Sox: Josh Beckett, Clay Buchholz, John Lackey, Jon Lester, Jonathan Papelbon, Victor Martinez, Dustin Pedroia, Jacoby Ellsbury, David Ortiz
Reds: Aroldis Chapman, Johnny Cueto, Aaron Harang, Edinson Volquez, Brandon Phillips, Joey Votto, Jay Bruce
Rockies: Ubaldo Jimenez, Todd Helton, Troy Tulowitzki, Dexter Fowler
Royals: Zach Greinke.
Tigers: Justin Verlander, Joel Zumaya, Miguel Cabrera, Brandon Inge, Johnny Damon, Magglio Ordonez
Twins: Francisco Liriano, Joe Nathan (currently out for the year), Justin Morneau, Joe Mauer, Denard Span, Delmon Young, Jim Thome
White Sox: Mark Buerhle, Bobby Jenks, Jake Peavy, Gordon Beckham, Paul Konerko, Alexei Ramirez, Omar Vizquel, Carlos Quentin
Yankees: CC Sabathia, Andy Petitte, Mariano Rivera, Robinson Cano, Derek Jeter, Alex Rodriguez, Mark Teixeira, Curtis Granderson

To recap: I listed 125 players and 30 teams. Math tells us that that is an average of a little over 4 players per team. The Cubs, the most expensive team to watch, have half of the expected # of fun players to watch. That is a problem.

Why can't the Cubs be like the Rays, White Sox, Twins, Tigers, Cardinals, Phillies, Mets. Hell or even the Reds? At least they have an exciting young team with some talented pitching.

If the Cubs didn't have Wrigley Field why would anyone go to their games?

In a free market economy, the consumer votes with their dollars. You don't have write a letter to Cubs to complain like you might do with a politician, you simply stop giving them your money. Eventually they will get the hint and enact change. With the White Sox about 12 El stops south of Wrigley on the Red Line, I don't understand why someone would watch the Cubs instead of the White Sox, and I am a Cubs fan.

That's how I roll.

Ben Roethlisberger's Hairdon't

By: T.R. Slyder, TRSlyder@yahoo.com, AndyDisco on Twitter


Ben's haircut today at his press release is called, "The Guilty". I looked it up earlier.

Maybe its time to put a 'C.l.' with your 'a.s.s.'


update: NEVERMIND! It reminds me of The Tyler Benchfield mully. Undoubtedly you will remember him as the hunk with a heart of gold and a soft side for special needers in Life Goes On, or as you call it, "That show with Corky".




How bad of a guy can Ben be with that haircut? Look how happy Corky is in that picture!!





That's how I roll.

My Thoughts on Santonio Holmes

By: T.R. Slyder, TRSlyder@yahoo.com, AndyDisco on Twitter



















I wonder if someone with a hispanic accent ever said, "When I lived in Santonio, Holmes, I got raped by Priest, Holmes."







P.S. Ben Roethlisberger's hair style for his press conference on Monday is called, "The Guilty". I looked it up.




That's how I roll.

I Didn't Know This Song Existed

By: T.R. Slyder, TRSlyder@yahoo.com, AndyDisco on Twitter

I sorta did. I heard this remix in Booty Call during a club scene, but didn't know what the lyrics were. The important thing is that I now have a new excuse for every mistake I make:




Blame it on the Boogie!





That's how I roll.

Another Real Estate Shoutout

By: T.R. Slyder, TRSlyder@yahoo.com, AndyDisco on Twitter




photo courtesy of Cliff E. Muff. #3 on the Enola Gay Soccer Club, '94-'98. Founding member.

Snitches got stitches in this domicile.

Don't believe me? Ask Dickie $mall$ as pictured below. You will never believe it, but it was actually his idea to take this photograph. Who'da thunk it?













That's how I roll.

TR Slyder Stand-up: Tiger Woods Edition

By: T.R. Slyder, TRSlyder@yahoo.com, AndyDisco on Twitter


When a call-girl shows up at Tiger's hotel room, she arrives to see Tiger Woods. But when he leaves, he's more like Ickey Woods.

Don't forget to tip your waitress, thanks for coming and please drive safely.







I'm T.R. Slyder, and that's how you Tangueray.










That's how I roll.

Your 2010 Cubs (not mine)

By: T.R. Slyder, TRSlyder@yahoo.com, AndyDisco on Twitter

Question: Can you name the 0 teams who have more expensive ticket prices than the Cubs?

That is correct. The Cubs have the most expensive ticket prices in all of baseball. So what is General Manger Jim Hendry doing with all of that money? Let us take a look at the Cubs 2010 Roster.

The bottom line is that the Cubs roster is not a well-constructed one. When a teams' defense up the middle is catcher Koyie Hill, Ryan Theriot and Mike Fontenot at SS and 2B respectively, and Marlon Byrd in CF, someone screwed up. Do I blame Hill, Theriot, Fontenot and Byrd for not being awesome, or do I blame the GM who assembled this there-I-fixed-it team? I blame the GM.

After a cursory glance at the roster a few things jump out- the Cubs hallmark of a nauseous bullpen is still very much alive, a dearth of young talent, and a dearth of old talent, and somehow the names "Zambrano" and "Soriano" made their way onto the opening day lineup card.

We'll start with the paucity of young talent. The following are all of the Cubs players born after 1981:


Pitchers: Justin Berg, Esmailin Caridad, Tom Gorzelanny, Carlos Marmol, Sean Marshall, James Russell, Randy Wells.
Thrower: Jeff Samardzija
Catcher: Geovanny Soto
Infielders: none
Outfielders: Tyler Colvin


That is the exhaustive list of Cubs aged 28 or younger on the current Active Roster. Of that list, Randy Wells was the only player to have a respectable 2009 MLB season. *sigh* ok, because I am nice I will add Gorzelanny to that list too. Marmol's season was laughably terrible, same goes for Marshall. I could not in good conscience designate Jeff Samardzija as a "pitcher" on the list above, he is a thrower and will never be anything but. That being said, he totally sucked last year and has a 2010 ERA of 108.00. Moving on to infielders we find Geovanny Soto, who had such a horrendous sophomore slump that most people just assume he was taking performance enhancing drugs as a rookie (he was rookie of the year and legitimately outstanding) and obviously stopped before his second year. Did I mention he tested positive for marijuana before his sophomore season? He did.

So that is the Cubs "young talent".

As for their nauseous bullpen, I don't know what to tell you. Here is the exhaustive list of what can safely be called "reliable arms" in the bullpen. The list is as follows:_______. That was the list. Again, there is only so much bashing of the players I can do for not being great- the GM should have known that he was working with insufficient personnel and assembled a better pen. For Jim Hendry to think this bullpen is non-god-awful is a fire-able offense. It just is. When I think about the job he did in assembling the bullpen, all I can think of is the website I linked to above. It's like he just said, "Perfect. I have signed more than enough pitchers to field a roster of 12. I guess I am done with that now. Man, all that signing of no-talent pitchers sure makes me hungry for trans fatty acids."

As for the aforementioned "old talent", the Cubs have Carlos Zambrano, Alphonso Soriano, Derek Lee and Aramis Ramirez. I will lay off Lee and Ramirez, but Zambrano and Soriano might be the two most overpaid players in the NL Central. They were/are wildly talented and at times electrifying, but those times grow further and further apart, and when they are not electrifying us, they are playing miserably. Oh, and Soriano is just incapable of hitting good pitching. He unloads on mistake pitches (especially in his first at bat before a pitcher gets settled in, or against 4 and 5 starters). Guess how many crappy pitchers Soriano faces in the playoffs? 0. Guess how Soriano has done in the playoffs in a Cubs uniform? Anus-y.

Those two lazy headcases remind me of the axiom, "An error doesn't become a mistake until you refuse to correct it.". Sure their contracts are bad, and that was an error to sign them to those sums, but Piniella continuing to start Soriano and naming Z as the opening day starter, makes this error a mistake. With them getting playing time, Cubs fans are getting it from both ends.

So half of our most talented players, somehow manage to hurt the team. The other half are solid, but not great, perennial barely-missed-the-All Star-Game guys, but are getting older and have had difficulty staying healthy. The bottom line is that they need some support from the guys around them. Additionally, they are solid players but Superstars they are not. No one would ever say that the sky is the limit with them, or there is no telling how great of a year they could have if they stay healthy.

It isn't Lee or Ramirez's fault that they are no longer young or have the upside of Justin Upton, Ben Zobrist or Carl Crawford, but the Cubs have 0 exciting players. Across town, the White Sox have Alexei Ramirez, Gordon Beckham and Carlos Quentin which are all young, outstanding, exciting and no-ceiling talents. Even the lowly divisional foe, the Cincinnati Reds, who I am watching the Cubs play now, have Jay Bruce, Joey Votto and the always solid Brandon Phillips. Those guys are fun to watch and all have All Star potential. The only young Cub that could possibly elicit excitement from anyone is Tyler Colvin, and he has 26 career at bats.

So here is what the Cubs do NOT have: young talent, old talent, relief pitching, All Star shoe-ins, rational ticket prices, and a respectable GM, a chance of making the playoffs with anything resembling their current roster.

I'm already starting to get un-excited for 2011.







That's how I roll.

Yup I'll Do it

By: T.R. Slyder, TRSlyder@yahoo.com, AndyDisco on Twitter

After seeing Jeff Garlin do more PR crap for something or other the other day, it dawned on me that he will do anything to stay in the news. There are also some political versions of him. I decided to list the ones I could think of, please add more to the list in the comments section. I tend to watch more MSNBC than other news stations, so that explains why those on my political list are all left-leaning.

Yes I'll do it-
political- Ed Rendell, Debbie Wasserman-Schultz, Alan Grayson, Ezra Klein, Richard Wolffe,

Entertainers- Steve Schiarippa, Paulie Walnuts, American Idol contestants (jennifer hudson included), Tom Arnold, Octomom, Jon and Kate, Black Eyed Peas, Aubrey O'Day, tila tequila, Jeff Garlin









That's how I roll.