Off to the game

Finally heading to my first FC Köln match this afternoon.  I'm pretty excited.  Not entirely sure what to expect.  The season is nearly over.  FC is safe from relagation, but today's opponents need to win in order to stay safe as well.  Hopefully FC doesn't roll over on this one.  But if the home team loses, well, I'm pretty used to that.  Here's today's matchup (scroll to the bottom) from the official league site.  And here's a better one - from an American site.  Oh the irony.  Hopefully I'll get a decent photo or two to post later.  Time to go paint my face.  (Just kidding.)

101 Damnations

For Cubs, it's 'Wait 'Til Next Year: 101st edition' -- chicagotribune.com

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One of the good things about leaving Chicago behind is to let things like the Cubs pass without much notice.  I've quietly watched their season slip by from thousands of miles away with a small MLB widget on the computer.  In true Cub fashion, they made a little surge mid-season only to fall flat on their face and, as usual, well out of contention.  

Sure, they've thrown a few curveballs the last few years, reaching the playoffs a couple of times.  But those last two seasons have left such a bad taste in my mouth that I've lost a lot of desire to follow the team on a daily basis.  My moving this year made things a whole lot easier. 

Somehow, seeing them fall apart this year was a little reassuring.  Life is back to normal.  Yes, I know, a real fan wants to see their team succeed each year.  And I do want to see them make it.  I hope it happens in my life time, I really do.

But the expectations that have been created since 2003 have just been too much.  It has brought out the worst in the fan base as well as the organization.  From the rabid, snarling fans booing ever minute mistake to the jacked-up ticket prices available at the team's own scalping re-sale facility, it just isn't what it used to be.  Let's not even think about all those terrible signings.  I know, baseball is a business.  I guess it just took longer to catch up with the Cubs.  Here's hoping that this year's slip-up will give everyone a moment to calm down a little bit while the organization once again tries to put it all together. 

This was a bit overplayed the last two seasons.  But always appropriate at this time of year. 



P.S. I did not cut the video - it is here more for the song by Eddie Vedder. 

Das Erste Tor

Back in Chicago the Cubs are fighting for first place. When I need a jolt of optimism I'll check out this blog. For the reality check I'll make sure to read the Tribune's Ask Paul. But it is getting harder and harder to follow their efforts from here. And being deprived of the distraction of sports has probably been a good thing.

Nevertheless, this weekend marks the opening of the 2009 Bundesliga Football season. I've been looking forward to this one. When I arrived I quickly found out there is really just two sports seasons here: Football, and not-football. Sure, Formula One races get mentioned in the news and shown on television. But the majority of the sports reports always seemed to be about the off-season developments of the football teams.

And Cologne seems to have plenty of reason to be excited about this season. For at least the last ten seasons or more, FC Köln has bounced back and forth between the first and second divisions. This offseason they re-aquired Lukas Podolski. Podolski began his professional career with FC Köln. He was brought up to the main squad at the age of 18 and scored more goals than any other 18 year old in the history of the league. Eventually he was moved to Bayern Munich, the New York Yankees of the Bundesliga. After three middling seasons, he returned to FC Köln this offseason. And the fans of FC Köln have big expectations for a return to form by Podolski. Although it seems like he's played for a long time, he is just 24. Here is probably more than you need to know about him.

Armed with this little bit of background knowledge, I was excited to head out into the city yesterday in search of a good pub to watch the game. With so much hype about Podolski's return I thought the city would be frothing at the mouth for the first game. As my train got closer to the city, more and more people got on wearing red shirts and jerseys. We grabbed a quick lunch and started to make the rounds in the Altstadt. There are plenty of bars around here and they seem to be the rowdiest on Saturday nights. Instead, aside from the tour groups everywhere, the pubs were deserted. Where was everyone?

We never really found out. Instead, 15 minutes into the game, we settled into a quiet bar in Heumarkt. They had the game on and about 5 people were there to watch it. Nowhere did it feel anything like opening day in Chicago to me. And all those people wearing red earlier? I have no idea where they went. If any local reading this has any idea where to go to catch the game please let me know. Let us all know with a comment below. Next weekend is the home opener. Maybe that'll bring out the crowds a bit more. I don't intend to go out every week to watch the game but surely there must be some places with a bit more atmosphere and excitement.

So, how did the game itself go? For reasons I have yet to find out, Podolski didn't play. But FC Köln did manage to score a goal. Unfortunately into the wrong net. Yes, das erste Tor (the first goal) of the season for FC Köln was an own goal. Ouch. Let's just hope that this first game isn't an indication of how the rest of the season will go. But even if it is, as a Cubs fan I know that these sort of things seem to come with high expectations and goat-related scenarios. Final score: Borussia Dortmund 1-0 FC Köln.




Technically, the team's name is "1. FC Köln." In English that's "the 1st Football Club Köln." The team's nickname is appropriately enough "die Geißböcke." In English: the Billy Goats. Yeah, go figure.

You Can't Beat Fun at the ol' Ballpark

Or so Harry Caray used to tell me on WGN. We're off to Wrigley Field in just a bit to see the Cubs battle the Minnesota Twins in the first interleague game of the year. This will most likely be the last game I attend in a long time. Weather looks perfect, if only a little on the cold side. Just checked the matchup and it appears we'll be seeing Randy Wells face off vs Kevin Slowey. Randy Wells has looked really good as a rookie call up. Although he's 0-2, he sports a 1.86 ERA. Not bad for someone who appeared to be brought up just to fill a spot for a few days. I haven't watched nearly as many games this year as I have in the past, but I do know that the Cubs appear to have cold bats whenever Wells pitches. Let's hope that changes today.

Here's an oldie but a goodie.



Postgame update, 11pm. Not a good one. Not by a long shot. Nevertheless, we got to witness history. After catching a fly ball for out number two, right fielder Milton Bradley turned around and threw the ball into the bleachers, thinking it was the third out. He also lost a fly ball in the sun and dropped another one. Not a good day at the office. Nor could the same be said for Randy Wells.

So to answer the above song's question: yes, they do still play the blues in Chicago. After today's ballgame we hopped on the L and rode downtown to see a bit of the Blues Fest. We enjoyed some ribs and a much needed bottle of water while listening to Charlie Musslewhite. It didn't completely erase the stink of that game, but it sure helped.

Will it ever sink in? Cardinals 4 - Cubs 3.

That was the very definition of procrastination. I told myself not to get too involved in this Cubs season - especially after the previous two. The last thing is for me to get wrapped up in this and then move thousands of miles away. Well, fortunately for me, last night's game occurred. I guess it was a blessing in disguise. One of those reminders that the Cubs are the Cubs and that more than likely, things aren't any different. New lineup, same results. Had it not been for some very Cub-like defense by St. Louis late in the game, there was no way the score would have been so close. And worst of all, a key injury exposed the team's lack of depth on the bench. Let's face it, until he's 100%, pinch hitting Milton Bradley will always cost you two players because someone will have to run for him. Yep, same as it ever was.

Where are those boxes? Let me at 'em.