Uh oh

Thanks for passing along this one, RD. What are you trying to say?

Your Job is Literally Killing You

That's the headline of this article in the Washington Post this morning. Stanford and Harvard did a study of workplace stress and determined that you can lose three years of your life due to workplace stress.

No word on what will happen to you if you also eat salami and/or pickles while you work.

World Series Ratings

I guess with a New York team we shouldn't be surprised, but the television ratings for the World Series are the highest they've been in five years.

Variety has the details.

Cumulus is in Big Trouble

The stock has tanked, the debt is onerous, and there don't seem to be many options to fix it. From today's Tom Taylor column...

Cumulus stock slid another 12% yesterday, down 8 cents to 55 cents. Just eight months ago, “CMLS” was regularly trading over $4.00. Berner’s problem is that turning around some of the important large-market stations probably won’t happen immediately, and even so, revenue trails ratings. She’ll probably have news on the call about the $200 million worth of tower-site sales in L.A. and DC, but Wall Street’s already taking that for granted. Berner may have some news about how she’ll structure senior management, since she’s an outsider to radio (though a seasoned manager of media properties). Right now, she needs to build up confidence – in the company and the stock. Lew Dickey used to tag troubled stations as “Code Red.” Now the stock of the company where he’s still the Vice Chair is at Code Red.

In Chicago Cumulus owns WLS-FM, WLS-AM, The Loop, and WKQX.

Restored Beatles "Day in a Life" Video

Pretty cool...

Sky Daniels

Thanks to my old boss Dave Logan for posting this on Facebook today. It's a classic clip of Sky Daniels from the Loop's first big era, the late 70s/early 80s. I was a devoted listener because they were rebels, man. Kind of funny in retrospect, but still a classic...



By the way, my next Illinois Entertainer column is about Sky's partner in crime at the time...Mitch Michaels. Should be coming out early next week.

Abbey Road Action Shot

Lenny Dykstra

When he played, I always hated Lenny Dykstra. There was just something incredibly unlikable about him. Later, when it was alleged he was one of the juicers, I wasn't surprised. When he got into financial trouble after his playing career, I wasn't surprised. When he got into legal trouble, I wasn't surprised.

So, I must say, I'm not too surprised by this report either. Here's the headline...LENNY DYKSTRA: I SPIED ON UMPIRES, Used Secret Gay Sex Against Them

Just an all-around classy guy.

Justin Kaufmann

If you're a listener of WGN you may noticed that Justin Kaufmann has been off the air for a few weeks now. The station said he had to attend to a personal matter when he first went off the air, and Kaufmann finally released a statement yesterday. Robert Feder has the details. Here's a small excerpt from Kaufmann's open letter to friends and family...

So here’s what I will tell you. I made a mistake. As a husband, I let my wife and my family down. And I will also tell you that this issue is between me and my wife.

Also please know that my lapse in judgement was not the reason I have been off the air. The fact that an individual tried to take advantage of my private situation, and make it public, was.

I happen to like Justin's show. It's the perfect 'sit out on the deck and listen to the radio on a nice summer night' show. It appeals to my nerd sensibilities.

I hope it all works out, but I have a feeling it won't end with this statement. If someone is trying to make something public, even if you manage to contain it temporarily, there's a very good chance it will come out eventually. Especially in this era of social media.

This is so wrong

Classy Move

After the playoff series with the Mets ended, the Cubs gave David Wright third base used in the series in honor of his many years of service to the Mets organization.

Classy move.

Proud to be a fan of this organization these days.

Pickles Too?

Oh boy. This headline might have just sealed my fate: Hold the Pickles--Are Some Types Carcinogenic?

Stick a fork in me. I'm a goner.

What is Jon Stewart Doing Now?

Would you believe he's opening an animal sanctuary?

It's true. The Hollywood Reporter has the details.

I'd like to donate a goat.

John Cravens

From this morning's Radio Ink...

John Cravens has been Vice President and General Manager at ESPN Radio 1000 in Chicago since 2009 and picked up the additional title of VP of Local Revenue two years ago. Cravens is no longer with the company. He had been in a management position with the station for a decade. Cravens started out in radio as an intern at WLS-AM in Chicago. ESPN recently let go several hundred people. No word from the company on whether this was part of those layoffs.

Lifestyle Overhaul

Still reeling from the World Health Organization's report yesterday about processed meats causing cancer. I'm urging the scientific community to come up with a "bacon patch" while I work on putting together a twelve-step program. "Hi, I'm Rick and I'm a salami-aholic."

The local Jewel is going to wonder why in the world they have two and a half extra pounds of salami at the end of every week. My boys aren't speaking to me right now.

Chicago Radio Ratings

From Tom Taylor's NOW column...

Tie at the top between iHeart’s urban AC “V103” WVAZ (5.3-5.7-5.8) and CBS Radio’s all-news/Cubs baseball WBBM-AM (5.3-5.7-5.8). When they’re out of baseball season, WBBM simulcasts with WCFS/105.9, but they break apart when the Cubs are playing. WCFS holds 2.1-2.3-2.3. In third place is Hubbard’s hot AC “Mix” WTMX (5.6-5.4-5.3). Univision should be happy with fourth-ranked regional Mexican WOJO (3.1-3.2-3.7). Cumulus should be happy with seventh-ranked alternative WKQX (3.2-3.2-3.5). Former Cubs flagship WGN, the Tribune talker, sure would love to have ’em back (3.7-3.6-3.3). The classic hits matchup is CBS’ WJMK (3;6-3.3-3.4) versus Cumulus WLS-FM (3.0-2.9-3.3). The country combatants are CBS’ “US 99.5” WUSN (3.1-2.8-2.8) and iHeart’s newer “Big” WEBG (2.4-2.4-2.0). Weigel-run “Me Music” WRME-LP, a low power Channel 6 TV station presented as an FM and doing oldies, is a steady 1.8-1.6-1.7. Chicago’s cume lead is held by hot AC WTMX at 2,071,200.

Uh oh

My diet may be coming to end...in one way or another. This report is via AP...

The World Health Organization's cancer agency says that processed meats such as ham and sausage can lead to colon and other cancers, and red meat is probably cancer-causing as well.

Researchers from the WHO's International Agency for Research on Cancer in Lyon, France, released an evaluation of more than 800 studies from several continents about meat and cancer.

Based on that evaluation, they classified processed meat as "carcinogenic to humans" — in the same category as cigarettes — and red meat as "probably carcinogenic to humans."

On the bright side, skipping the deli counter will save me hours of time every weekend.

Pandora's Very Bad Day

If you were following the stock market on Friday you may have noticed one media stock in complete and total freefall...Pandora. They missed their projected earnings, were downgraded by experts, and as Tom Petty once said they were "Free Fallin". At the end of Friday, their stock had lost a third of its value.

But if you ask me (and nobody is), the reaction by Wall Street is nothing short of insane. Their projected earnings were $312 million. They came in at $311 million.

This is why I don't invest in the stock market.

The Force Awakens

112 million views in 24 hours...I'm in.

Jenniffer Weigel

My old friend Jen Weigel has a new show. From today's Robert Feder column...

More than 50 years after John Weigel put WCIU-Channel 26 on the air, another Weigel is about to turn up on Chicago’s first UHF station. Jenniffer Weigel, granddaughter of the late founder (and daughter of the late Chicago sportscaster Tim Weigel), has been tapped to host a holiday-themed shopping special. Titled “A Gift for U,” the half-hour special will air multiple times between Thanksgiving and Christmas on The U and The U Too.

I recently did a radio show with Jen--The Tony Lossano show...

Hillary's birthday

Today is Hillary Clinton's 68th birthday. I consider Hillary a big enough Cubs fan to make it into my "Every Cub Ever" listing at Just One Bad Century...

~Hillary Rodham Clinton 1947 (Cubs fan 1947-Present)
She grew up in Park Ridge, Illinois, an unabashed Cubs fan. Even though she later claimed to have been a Yankees fan, there is documentary evidence to prove her Cubs love. In 1993, when she was the First Lady, she accepted induction into the Emil Verban society, the Washington-based Cubs Fan Club. Bruce Ladd, who is the founder of the Emil Verban Society, recently revealed the content of her letter accepting induction. If this isn't a Cubs fan, there is no such thing. She wrote:

"I am pleased to accept your generous offer of membership into the Emil Verban Memorial Society. In accepting I must say that the Tribune Co.'s decision to let Messrs. Dawson and Maddux go does not increase my optimism for 1993. This could be a truly grievous example of false economy, unless, of course, the Tribune uses the savings to acquire better editorial writers. I have been following the Cubs for over 35 years and have developed a set of expectations that will probably be met. However, hope springs eternal."

The following year Mrs. Clinton was even more obvious about her loyalties; she appeared at Wrigley Field on opening day 1994 to throw out the first pitch. She later sat in the booth with Harry Caray and sang "Take Me Out To The Ballgame" with him. At one point, Harry grabbed her and gave her a big kiss. Only a Cubs fan could have survived that.

Dancin' with Trump

Internet is strong on Fridays. https://t.co/90AHVcVWDl

— PDS (@PatDStat) October 23, 2015

RIP Cory Wells

Three Dog Night Mourns the Loss of Cory Wells

“It is with deep sadness and disbelief that I must report the passing of Cory Wells, my beloved band mate for over 45 years,” announced Danny Hutton of Three Dog Night. .“Cory was an incredible singer – a great performer, he could sing anything.”

Wells, one of the three lead singers of iconic American pop band Three Dog Night, died unexpectedly yesterday in Dunkirk, NY. Wells had been with Three Dog Night from the beginning and continued performing with the band up until September of this year when he developed a problem with severe back pain.

He was the lead singer on the Randy Newman song "Mama Told Me Not To Come"...

Dan Haren Retires

Pretty good big league career...

Thank you baseball. I played this beautiful game for 30 years. I took my jersey off for the last time tonight. It was an honor. #ithrew88

— dan haren (@ithrow88) October 22, 2015

15 Jobs that are impossible to explain to your parents

Business Insider posted this list of 15 jobs mom has a hard time understanding. Among them...software designer, investment banker, and...would you believe radio producer?

Now that I mention it, I did have a hard time explaining that job to my mom.

Midwestern Nice

I love this piece in Thrillist, which attempts to explain Midwestern nice. It does a great job of doing it, too, using the movie "Fargo" to illustrate various points.

I also wholeheartedly agree with the thesis: To be from here is, quite simply, to read a room better than f***ing anyone. And also, yes, to be nice.

My wife always marvels at my ability to read a room. I've never really considered my midwestern roots as a potential source of that, but it makes sense. I grew up around people who didn't say much, and didn't speak ill of others. There are a lot of people in the midwest like this, and a lot of people in the German community too. It's not like we didn't think bad things--we just didn't feel the need to say them out loud. To grow up around this, is to grow up in a world where reading between the lines is an essential life skill.

I'm lucky. It has served me well as a producer and writer.

Equal Time

I posted Larry David's impersonation of Bernie Sanders. Only fair to post Bernie's impression of Larry...

Cubs Probably Moving to the Score

Robert Feder addresses this in his column this morning. It makes sense for CBS to move them there. The Score is losing the White Sox (to WLS), so they now have the airtime available. On an all-sports station the Cubs can get the full coverage they deserve, which I really felt was lacking on big game days at WBBM. (Not the station's fault--it wasn't their format).

On the other hand, the Score lineup is very Sox-fan-heavy. I've always thought it didn't represent the actual market in that regard, but figured they were the White Sox station, so no harm, no foul. If they become the Cubs station, they're gonna have to swallow that a bit. I think they've been pretty good about softening the temple-throbbing black-hearted hate this year (Sox fans in general), so maybe it won't be an issue.

The Layoff Memo

ESPN is cutting hundreds of staffers in a company wide layoff. I actually thought this memo from the man doing the firing was pretty well written. I don't know him, so I don't know how he really feels or if he wrote it himself, but this memo at least exhibits some compassion and empathy. That's a rare commodity in the broadcasting business.

More Love for "Truffle Hunt"

We have a new book coming out soon, but every now and then it's fun to check back on amazon and good reads to see what people are saying about the other Eckhartz Press books.

This one was on amazon for "Truffle Hunt"...

This is such a good book and I enjoyed it immensely and the author, Brent Peterson sets forth an epic of a tale in scope to Edna Ferber’s “Giant” but instead of oil wells, barbeque, longhorn cattle and a dry West Texas prairie, he gives us tartufo (truffles), vino and a little corner of the world called Istria, Croatia where Italians, Croatians and Serbs live peacefully, except for a couple of invasions from Nazis, Italian Fascists and Communists. Enter Frank, a hard working writer of restaurant reviews from New York to do a story on the world’s biggest truffle, found in Istria. Frank is thinking a free trip to France or maybe Italy, but no, he’s headed for recently war torn Croatia. The epic part of the story has to do with generations of an Italian family, the Mattiolis who live in Istria and then there’s a pretty wicked Serbian who has escaped being caught for War Crimes and is hiding out in the area. Everything comes together as the latest incarnation of the Mattiolis family meet Frank when he rents a room in their farmhouse and they go hunting with a trusty dog for truffles. Fun story with an intricate plot and characters some of which are lovable, some not so much.

Thank You Cubs

Fourth NLCS loss by Cubs in my life (84,89,03,15), but this one feels different to me. It doesn't feel like the end of something....it feels like the beginning. Congrats to the Cubs and thanks for this season.

The future looks bright for the young Cubs over the next few years.

Around the Publishing World (October 21)

We stay on top of happenings/trends in the publishing world to help out busy writers who are spending their time doing what they should be doing: writing.


1. The average length of a shared video
Most authors these days create videos to promote their books. This article will help you decide how long that video should be if your goal is to have it shared via social media. Hint: Less is more.

2. 11 Ways you may be spooking your readers on social media
Some great tips for authors using social media. We agree with all eleven. The writer of the piece, Frances Caballo, really knows what she's talking about.

3. Amazon fights back
You've probably heard about Amazon's response to the initial New York Times story about their horrible workplace environment. It's been all over the news the past few days. We think this is a very good analysis of what Amazon said and didn't say in their scathing response.

4. Six Trend-Savvy Book Publishing strategies
This story has been out there since April, but we just discovered it. We don't agree with everything in this article, but the portion about self pubishing does offer some good advice.

Chris Rock to Host Oscars Again

Entertainment Weekly has the details.

I thought he did a pretty good job last time he hosted, but I was surprised to see that was ten years ago. It's getting to the point where decades are whizzing by.

Probably not a good thing.

How Big Is This New Star Wars Going to Be?

During a really crappy Monday Night Football game (not even close--27-7), the ratings spike for the Star Wars trailer at halftime was enough to give the entire game huge ratings.

Details are here.

Mets Fan

There was a Mets fan in our row last night who was obnoxiously taunting the Cub fans around him all night. It was so over the top, even other Mets fans in the section were trying to get him to shut up. I thought someone was going to take a swing at him, so I calmly gave him some advice. I told him, "Cheer for your team, but don't be such a dick about it." To which he replied "Oh yeah? Well my team is good enough for me to be a dick. You'll never know what that feels like." Okey doke. I guess not.

Jan Jeffries leaves Cumulus

I got to know Jan while I was working on Records Truly Is My Middle Name. He was super helpful to me at that time, and later hired John Landecker to host the evening slot at WLS-FM.

But he was part of the Dickey-administration, so it's not a huge surprise to see that he has left the company.

Details at Radio Insight.

Bill Murray on the Cubs

Wish I had never seen this

I still think the Billy Goat curse is nonsense, but...

Hmm... pic.twitter.com/X0Nq8FGF6Z

— Jared Diamond (@jareddiamond) October 17, 2015

Donald Trump is Right!

That's a headline I didn't think I'd ever write. In this case, he was being interviewed about the outcry that NBC is getting for asking him to host SNL. The Donald says he will never be dropped because the ratings are going to be huge.

Donald Trump is right.

Amazon Fights Back

Remember the story in the New York Times about what a workplace cesspool Amazon is?

Well, Amazon is fighting back. They hired the most expensive PR person on the planet (former White House spokesperson Jay Carney) and he wrote a scathing attack on the journalistic practices of the NY Times.

I read it. He basically says that one person in the story had an axe to grind, and wasn't vetted properly. Okey doke. He also alleges that some of the people who were attacked during performance reviews also were told a positive thing or two or even promoted. So what? The point is that even during a positive review, they were attacked by the reviewer. Who does that? An incredibly unpleasant employer, that's who.

What about the person who was ordered to fly the day after her miscarriage? Crickets. The rest of his scathing attack is incredibly vague. He mentions three examples that can be taken in two ways, and then says "There were others".

Oh yeah? I don't believe you. If there were, you would have said so.

If this is the best you've got (and it literally is), I still believe the original story.

Nice try though.

Happy Birthday Tommy

As of today we no longer have three teenagers in the house. This little guy turns 20 years old today. Happy birthday Tommy!

Book Release Party

On November 1st from Noon-3pm author Pat Colander will be hosting a book release party for her great book "Hugh Hefner's Last Funeral and Other Tales of Love and Death in Chicago" at Bartlett's Gourmet Grill at 131 E Dunes Hwy, Beverly Shores, Indiana.

Bartlett's is a famous eatery in the NW Indiana area and they are really pulling out all the stops. They're calling it the Halloween Hangover Bash. Festivities begin at noon with spooky special brunch items: locally-sourced, DISMEMBERED and RECONSTRUCTED appetizers; BLOODY, BLOODY Marys; SUICIDE by chocolate; man-sized SLABs of meatloaf and other DEATH-defying delicacies. This is an ADDAMS FAMILY FRIENDLY party. ZOMBIES WELCOME.

And of course, Pat's great book will be there for sale, and Pat will be there to autograph copies of the book.

Come for the book and stay for the food, or come for the food and stay for the book. Both are well worth your while.

Bubba Toast

I've been reading about the Bubba the Love Sponge controversy, but really never delved into the details until this morning. I didn't care so much about Bubba because he isn't in this market (he's in Tampa), and because he's in trouble about one thing or another all the time. But this time seems a little worse once you get into the details. This is the kind of thing that could end a career. From today's RAMP Newsletter...

On Oct. 6, Bubba admitted he had tried to influence a local PPM holder into trying to boost his ratings, but the complaint illustrates the extreme measures Bubba reportedly took to have this panelist -- and maybe others -- try and deceptively accomplish this mission -- Bubba offered to pay the panelist $300 per month (plus a bonus) if his show's ratings improved, and also gave detailed instructions in how to manipulate the PPM technology in his favor. According to the complaint, Bubba even texted the panelist, "U have to PROMISE NOT TO SAY A WORD... This could ruin me. B." Bubba went as far as to purchase radios -- using his own Amazon account -- for the panelist, to "aid him in his manipulating of the PPM ratings," the complaint reads. Later, a panicked Clem texted the panelist, saying, "I need u more than ever. I had a guy who had just 1 of them (PPM device). And they took it from him Friday. Cause he wasn't smart about it... He got lazy. And he didn't switch it up. Now it's gone. So I need your 4 (meters) more than every buddy." Nielsen believes that other PPM panelists may have been part of Clem's "ratings distortion scheme," according to the complaint.

The Transistor Radio

Yesterday was the 61st birthday of the transistor radio.

CBS Sunday Morning did a nice retrospective explaining the importance of this little device, and how it helped make radio cool for youngsters.

I remember in the days before I got my first stereo, I would set up transistor radios in four corners of my room to give me the illusion "quadrophonic sound".

Eddie Murphy Returns to Stand Up

At least for one night.

Last night he received the Mark Twain award, and when he came up to accept it, he did something he hasn't done in more than twenty years. He did a little stand up.

The Washington Post was there.

Sing, Kyle, Sing!

Did you know that Kyle Schwarber was once part of the Purple Pizzazz?

The Democratic Debate

Via SNL...including a hilarious Larry David as Bernie Sanders...

Goin' to the Game!

I got tickets to Game 3 Mets vs. Cubs!

Thanks to my buddy (and business partner) David Stern!

Dave, I take back most of the horrible things I've said about you in the past, and your price of displaying a framed photo of Ron Santo in a White Sox uniform in my home is accepted.

Adult-Sized Little Tikes Car

According to this article in the New York Daily News, they are now selling an adult-sized Little Tikes car, and it goes for $33,000.

Of course, anyone who has Little Tikes toys knows that all Little Tykes toys are adult sized. I had to buy a second house just to store this crap when my boys were little.

Cubs-Mets

Who is ready for this?

Alcohol & Fats

Thanks for this encouraging note, "KR"...

Not What He Appears to Be

Brian Williams was forced out of his network anchor chair for exaggerating his own personal involvement in a story. A very bad thing, but nothing compared to this...

Wayne Simmons, a regular Fox News commentator who claimed to have worked for the Central Intelligence Agency for almost three decades, was arrested on Thursday for allegedly fabricating his agency experience.

CNN Money reports that Simmons appeared in court on Thursday, where he faced charges of major fraud against the United States for falsely claiming to be a former "outside paramilitary special operations officer"—a padded resume that federal officials say he used to successfully gain government security clearances.

The frequent Fox News guest was often credited as a "terrorism analyst" and former CIA operative, who would routinely issue outlandishly false claims on national security matters, including the assertion there are "19 paramilitary Muslim training facilities" in the country.

Has Hell Really Frozen Over?

David Stern, black-hearted Sox fan and life-long Cubs despiser, actually made this call. It reminds me of the scene in the Grinch. They say his heart grew three sizes that day.

Don't be a Dickey

Everyone I know who works in radio has their opinions about the Dickey brothers who controlled Cumulus broadcasting until being kicked downstairs in a recent shakeup. Those opinions are almost universally negative. I never met them personally, so I can't comment on that, but I certainly agree with Don Imus' take, which he aired publicly on a Cumulus station yesterday. From Tom Taylor's NOW column today...

Don Imus unloads on the Dickeys. They “went around the country and ruined radio stations,” says the Westwood-syndicated I-man on yesterday’s show. He says his flagship, WABC New York, is one of them. When he lashed out, Imus was coming out of a lengthy spot break in his third hour that was larded with promos for weekend infomercial shows. He says “Now [WABC] is being programmed by the sales department. It’s a disgrace…I know they have to make money, but that’s why they got rid of the Dickeys.” He went on – “They went around the country and ruined radio stations. This [WABC] is one of them.” He reminisces a bit – “When I first came to New York and went to work at WNBC [Don stressed the ‘N’], our big rival was WABC, with Cousin Bruce Morrow, the great Dan Ingram, Harry Harrison and all those people.” He says now, “they sell time to these idiot doctors who have programs on the weekend” – and who’re entitled to promos during the week, sometimes stacked up in morning drive.

Art Vuolo

I got to know Art during my time with Landecker. He and John have known each other since high school. Sad news about his dad, courtesy of the RAMP Newsletter...

We want to offer our most sincere condolences to "Radio's Best Friend," Art Vuolo, Jr., who lost his father, Art Vuolo, Sr. over the weekend. The elder Vuolo passed away in Bellingham, WA at the awesome age of 95. To say this has been a challenging month for Art would be putting it mildly -- right after he attended the recent Radio Show in Atlanta, he spent 10 days at Henry Ford Hospital in West Bloomfield, MI undergoing treatment for his ongoing issues with cellulitis in his leg. Art's many friends and fans are invited to send your condolences to him at P.O. Box 55, Walled Lake, MI 48390, email him at artvuolo@aol.com or find him on Facebook.

My new follower

I thought this was interesting. Yesterday afternoon just before he led the Blue Jays to a dramatic Game 5 victory against the Rangers, I got this notification at Twitter...

Jose Bautista
@JoeyBats19 IS NOW FOLLOWING YOU

I have no idea why, but welcome aboard Joey Bats.

The Rules of Swearing for Kids

I didn't write this post, but I did get a kick out of it, especially this piece of advice...

Don’t overdo it. A sundae is not delicious if you put too many sprinkles on it. Treat obscenities like sprinkles. They should enhance, not detract from, the message you are sending. Use the words for emphasis. And only occasionally.

I actually never swear around the boys. I'm just not a big swearer in the first place, but it's more of a compartmentalized thing for me. After years of working in studios with hot mics, I learned not to swear in certain situations. When the boys were little, I treated being around them the same way. Their brains were the hot mics, ready to pick up words and broadcast them elsewhere. I didn't care if they knew the words; I just didn't want them to casually flop out some spicy language at my mom's house. Or at school. Or at church. Or really anywhere I'd have to see the judgemental glances of the easily offended.

Bridget and I never really discussed this, but I'm pretty sure I know her opinion about this too. Those words should only be used in the car, while experiencing road rage, the way God intended.

Carl Sandburg Literary Awards

Eckhartz Press' very own Randy Richardson (Cheeseland, Lost in the Ivy) is one of 70 guest authors (alongside the likes of Steven Sondheim, Rick Bayless, Scott Simon, Bill Kurtis, Marv Levy, Sara Paretsky, Jim Peterik and Scott Turow) at the Carl Sandburg Literary Awards Dinner next Wednesday, Oct. 21, at the Forum at UIC, to benefit the Chicago Public Library Foundation. It's a big deal to be included in an event of this stature, and we're proud of Randy! Here's a link with a little more information about the event and the authors participating.

Cubs Win!

Unbelievable moment last night for this Cubs fan. I didn't experience it exactly the way I wanted...I was out at the soccer fields with my team, helping conduct soccer practice. But I snuck out to the car and heard the last out on the radio. Go Cubs!

My buddy (and JOBC attorney) Scott Redman was there though, and was part of the high five parade after the win...

Rick on the Rabbi Doug Show

Taped with Rabbi Doug asked me to come on the show to talk about "Father Knows Nothing"...

F The Goat

Tom Latourette has created a new Cubs song for this year's team. He included a few photos from Just One Bad Century...including a few of me and Sean.

This Week in 1908

The World Series begins in Detroit amid much fanfare, but not a great deal of excitement. The Tigers, led by Ty Cobb, are the prohibitive underdogs and the city of Detroit isn't optimistic that they can win it all.

Big Ed Reulbach, who has been on fire for the past month, is given the ball to start this game and he doesn't quite have it. The Cubs go to the bullpen in the seventh and eighth, calling on their big guns Orval Overall and Mordecai Brown to rescue the win. Neither man pitches that well, but the Cubs come back to score 5 runs in the top of the ninth to win the game 10-6. The bottom of their order, Solly Hofman and Johnny Kling (each with two RBI), are the heroes of this Game 1 victory.

The World Series comes to Chicago for Game 2, but Chicago also isn't nearly as excited as it had been the last few years. There are a couple of good reasons for that.

First of all, many Chicagoans are disappointed the White Sox faltered in the closing days of the season. Another series with the Detroit Tigers isn't nearly as compelling as a rematch of the 1906 crosstown series would have been. But secondly, and most importantly, Cubs owner Charles Murphy takes this opportunity to gouge his fans. He charges 4 times as much for the tickets and conspires with scalpers to charge even more. This blows up in his face. Already wildly unpopular in Chicago, Murphy becomes a pariah. Cubs fans try to organize a boycott to protest Murphy's actions.



Only 17,700 show up for first game in Chicago. This is a respectable crowd, but the Cubs have drawn more for their games against the Giants and Pirates. On the field, Orval Overall pitches a masterpiece. In the eighth inning he is working on a three hit shutout, when the Cubs explode for six runs. Joe Tinker hits a two run home run and Wildfire Schulte adds a triple. Ty Cobb (photo) knocks in the only Tigers run in the top of the ninth, but it's too little, too late, and the Cubs take a 2-0 lead in the series.

The protest continues before Game 3 at West Side Grounds. This time only 14,543 show up. Jack Pfiester, who doesn't have much left in the tank after an injury prone year, has another bad outing. This time he gives up 8 runs and the Cubs are never in the game. The crowd lets them have it, and after the needless drama caused by their despised owner, the Cubs are happy to return to Detroit for the rest of the series.

Bennett Park is not exactly a palace. It's built on a former haymarket and beneath the thin layer of grass is cobblestone. But the Cubs are in no mood to let this series linger long enough to return to Chicago. They finally pitch their ace, Mordecai Brown, and he throws a three-hit shutout. A third inning Harry Steinfeldt RBI single is all the Cubs need to take a commanding 3-1 lead in the series.

Even the Detroit fans lose interest in the series now. It's obvious that their team isn't in the same class as the Cubs. That fact, in addition to the fact that so few Cubs fans went to Detroit, plus the blustery October weather, conspire to bring out only 6210 fans to the clinching Game 5. It remains the smallest crowd in World Series history.

Those 6210 die-hards on October 14, 1908 witness another dominating pitching performance by Orval Overall. Like his teammate Three Finger Brown, Overall pitches a 3-hit shutout. He strikes out ten Tigers and rides the first inning Frank Chance RBI single to victory. (The Cubs added another run in the 5th to win 2-0).

There was no way anyone there could have known it then, but when Tigers catcher Boss Schmidt nubs one off the end of the bat and is thrown out by Cubs catcher Johnny Kling, it marks the final time the Cubs will celebrate a World Series championship.



Charles Murphy (photo above) begins dismantling the team (beginning with a contract dispute with Johnny Kling) soon thereafter. He will later get rid of Frank Chance (while he is in the hospital for brain surgery), Johnny Evers (who wins another World Series with the Braves), and Joe Tinker (who returns after Murphy is gone). Murphy will also run off Mordecai Brown and Orval Overall in contract disputes. But maybe his worst sin is that he lets West Side Grounds deteriorate so badly that fans fear for their lives in this wooden ballpark. The city threatens to condemn it, but Murphy stubbornly refuses to lay out the money to improve it or build a new stadium. Murphy will become so despised that his fellow National League owners will run him out of the game in 1916.

The new owner, Charles Weeghman, will move the Cubs from the west side to the north side, and begin playing at what is now known as Wrigley Field.

Alexander Butterfield

I was a kid when the Watergate story broke. I remember my teachers trying to explain it to us, and it was very difficult to understand. All we really knew about it was that our favorite cartoons and reruns were being pre-empted every day for those dry Watergate hearings.

In high school I read "All the President's Men" and later saw the movie. I became intrigued by the story and really immersed myself in it. Like many other kids from that era, it made me want to be a journalist. It also schooled me on the potential abuses of government. Real abuses. Spying on your political opponents. Using the Secret Service, the FBI, and the CIA...for political gain. No one has done anything like that since, despite the constant use of "gate" at the end of every political scandal.

Well, if you're a Watergate junkie like me, you'll love this piece in the Washington Post today about Alexander Butterfield. Great stuff. He's the former Nixon aide who revealed the existence of the taping system in the White House, and he hasn't really spoken out until now. Naturally, Bob Woodward is the one that got him talking. Highly recommended.

Fantasy Football Scandal

The fantasy football scandal (employees winning big money with insider information) reached a new level over the weekend when it was announced that a federal grand jury was looking into the whole business to see if it's illegal gambling.

You know who is really sweating this (other than the fantasy football sites themselves)?

Radio & Television stations/networks. At a time when it's harder and harder to sell ads, the fantasy football industry spent millions. Inside Radio has more information about that.

Best Day Ever

The youngster and I had a day at the ballpark that we will never ever forget...

Just Like Columbus Did

My annual posting of this gem...

Big Game Tonight

Over the years I've taken my youngest son Sean to many games. (The picture below was a game against the Nationals last summer--he caught a BP homer). But tonight's game is, without question, the biggest game the two of us have seen together. I'm shutting down the office at 1:30pm, and we're heading into town. Sean wants to be there when they open the gates.

Go Cubs!

Amy Schumer on SNL

Very funny opening monologue...