Eric & Kathy

There's a great article in the Tribune today about Eric and Kathy written by Steve Johnson. I provided several quotes for the piece.

By the way, I've also interviewed all of the E&K principles over the past few years.

If you want additional Eric and Kathy reading material, here's Eric, Kathy, Melissa, Mark Suppelsa, John "Swany" Swanson, and former E&K newsman Barry Keefe.

Chicago Radio Spotlight returns next week.

My favorite Ditka Moment

We used to play the audio of this interview all the time on Steve & Garry's show (it took many hours to bleep it properly), but I had never seen the video before. Dave Kaplan posted it on his blog today. Notice that when Ditka gets up at the end of the interview, he's in his underwear.

This is classic Ditka.

Beware if you get squeamish about language. This version isn't bleeped at all...

Under the weather

Sorry there aren't quite as many posts today. I'm a little sick and so is my youngest son Sean. He's home with me today.

And now we're going to do what all the doctors recommend. We're going out to shovel another six inches of snow that accumulated overnight.

Elvis is 75!

If he were still alive, Elvis Presley would have turned 75 today.

We explored every conceivable Chicago connection to Elvis, including his concerts in Chicago (and fan reactions), and his favorite baseball announcer (Harry Caray) last year at Just One Bad Century.

There's more than you think.

Promised Land

35 years ago today, the King had one of his last hits. I still like this one. It's called "Promised Land"...

Ugh

A foot of snow in Chicago.

Me no likey.

Hall of Fame

On this day in 1985, two other Cubs were elected into the Hall of Fame too. I don't follow the sport closely, so I'm not sure if they played with other teams too, but they were definitely Cubs.

Alvin Dark

Alvin Dark had a great MLB career. He was a World Series champion, a Rookie of the Year, and a three time all-star.

Unfortunately, none of that happened during his Cubs years.

On the other hand, he was involved in this incredibly unusual play.

Al was born on this date in 1922.

Andre is in the Hall!

Just off the presses...

Andre Dawson is finally in the Hall of Fame!

Preliminary and sketchy details here.





More about Andre's Cubs career at Just One Bad Century...

The story of his signing

His nickname

His mustache

The 1989 Cubs season

The song about him: "He's a Hero" by the Cleaning Ladies

More Wheel of Fortune

This is the 35th anniversary of Wheel of Fortune. The best moments on that show aren't when people guess correctly, it's when they make stupid guesses. Like this one...

Carl Sandburg

I've been researching Chicago in 1918 for a book project. One of the people that lived in Chicago in 1918 was Carl Sandburg. At the time he was Chicago's very first film critic...writing for the Daily News.

Carl Sandburg was born on this day in 1878.

Can you believe he was once a guest on "What's My Line"?

Wheel of Fortune

The very first Wheel of Fortune aired on this date in 1975. Do you remember who that first host was?

It wasn't Pat Sajack.

Would you believe Chuck Woolery?

Vanna White wasn't on those first few years either. The letter turner was Susan Stafford.

Joke for a Wednesday morning

Contributed by "AH"...




Five rules for men to follow for a happy life:

1. It's important to have a woman, who helps at home, who cooks from time to time, cleans up and has a job.

2. It's important to have a woman, who can make you laugh.

3. It's important to have a woman, who you can trust and who doesn't lie to you.

4. It's important to have a woman, who is good in bed and who likes to be with you.

5. It's very, very important that these four women do not know each other

1910, 1935

One hundred years ago this week, the Cubs are preparing for yet another NL Pennant winning season (Photo: Big Ed Reulbach).

The Cubs are famous in Chicago, but the biggest stars in the world are the great Impressionist painters. Most of them are still alive; including Degas (dies 1917), Renoir (dies 1919), and Monet (dies 1926).



Seventy five years ago this week, the Cubs are preparing for yet another NL Pennant winning season. Meanwhile, Elvis Presley is born in Tupelo, Mississippi, and Amelia Earhart makes the first solo flight from California to Hawaii. (Amelia grew up in Chicago)

Terror, by Yemen

Good to have Jon Stewart back last night. It seems to help somehow...

Terror 2.0 by Yemen

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Health Care Crisis

Old Hoss and Old Horse

Old Hoss was Cubs great Riggs Stephenson, who was born on this date in 1898. (Read all about him here.)

Old Horse is Mr. Ed, who debuted as a television star on this date, 49 years ago. Remember when he tried out for Leo Durocher?

Both have, sadly, been dead for many years.

I'm with her...

This is Marie Claire editor in chief Joanna Coles. Her New Years resolution is as follows...

"I was rather abstemious in 2009 so I am planning on more fats, more alcohol and much more advertising.”

I'm with her, but I must admit I did have to look up abstemious.

(For my fellow dummies it means: "sparing or moderate in eating and drinking; temperate in diet", so I guess I wasn't abstemious in 2009. In fact, since Thanksgiving or so, I've been downright gluttonous.)

Marlon Byrd

I think Chicago Tribune columnist Phil Rogers and I are the only two people who think signing Marlon Byrd was a good idea for the Cubs.

It's not like I'm excited about it, but neither is Phil. We're just saying...it's not as bad as their moves last off-season.

At least this will put Kosuke back in right field (where he is a very good defender) and improve the outfield defense.

Look, I'm just trying to find the positives here. Isn't this Cubbie Kool-aid drinking season?

Father Knows Nothing

Happy New Year!

I'll be back to full-time blogging starting tomorrow, but for today I just posted my latest "Father Knows Nothing" column at NWI Parent. It's the Kaempfer family's annual parody of sappy Christmas letters.

You can read it here.