Serious Sports in Chicago

Bulls bow out, the Hawks are still in it, but what about baseball? (Sox fan like moi) John Kass takes up the subject of the Crosstown Cup. In part:

Years ago, in his vast wisdom, Sox chairman Jerry Reinsdorf — the greatest owner in Chicago sports — let me borrow the 2005 World Series trophy for a day. The idea was that I could show it off at Tribune Tower, then the heart of Cubs Nation.

We paraded it around the newsroom. As the throngs grew, somebody came up with a great idea: Storm a Tribune Co. executive meeting. So we did.

"Let's show these Cubs executives what a World Series championship really looks like!" I cried, holding the trophy over my head, waiting for the board room door to open, all the guys right behind me.

The door opened.

"Ready, guys?"

Silence.

I turned around. The throngs had disappeared.

"Touch it!" I challenged the executives. "Go ahead, touch it!" But they refused, lest they touch it and burn.

Kass has some interesting ideas on representative adult beverages as well. (What would our President Barack Obama do?)I live in Cubs territory too, and still have this up in my kitchen. As a reminder:) Pre-Sox World Series win. One team is pathetic no more. There is no turning of the other cheek in this sport in Chicago. And that's as it should be.