If you didn’t know, Thom Brennaman used to be an announcer for the Chicago Cubs in the early 90s, yet he’s always loved the Cincinnati Reds.
His first MLB job out of college was being the Reds’ TV play-by-play man and he returned to Cincinnati after the 2006 season. Through the years he’s always taken any chance he could to jab Cubs fans, but Friday night was flat out embarrassing.
After Jake Arrieta no-hit the Reds and the Cubs won 16-0 on Thursday, Chicago was once again putting a beat down on Cincinnati. It was the ninth inning and the Cubs had a 4-1 lead. Javier Baez hit a rocket to left for his first home run of the season to make it 5-1. A few hits later and the lead expanded to 7-1.
Cubs fans in attendance cheered as the Cubs were securing another win, you know like what normal fans do at games. Anyway, Brennaman either doesn’t understand that when fans travel and their team does well they cheer, or he’s just one bitter man. Why?
Well, it turns out that the “Let’s go Cubbies” chants made him sad because he started to bitch about it on air. Seriously, how pathetic is this? Crying because the other team’s fans are cheering? Does Thom want Cubs fans to pat Reds fans on the back and console them, telling them it’s going to be OK as their team gets its ass kicked?
This is a new low even for Brennaman and I kind of feel sorry for him, but then again I don’t because he’s such a jackass.
COLUMBUS, OH - OCTOBER 10: Joey Bosa #97 of the Ohio State Buckeyes in action against the Maryland Terrapins during a game at Ohio Stadium on October 10, 2015 in Columbus, Ohio. The Buckeyes defeated the Terrapins 49-28. (Photo by Joe Robbins/Getty Images)
There is no doubt the Chicago Bears have their eyes on Ohio State defensive end Joey Bosa. He is one of the best pass rushers in the 2016 NFL draft class and would make for a quite an addition to their developing defense. The idea of pairing him with Pernell McPhee must sound appealing. Stories about Bosa have become somewhat of a fascinating odyssey from his partying ways off the field to his father being a former player himself for Miami.
What some might not know is that Bosa has deep ties to the city of Chicago, dating back to one of its most infamous periods. As it turns out, Bosa is the descendant of a notorious mob boss.
“But one thing many people don’t know about Bosa is that his great-grandfather, Tony Accardo, was a Chicago mob boss for more than 40 years.
Accardo wasn’t just some random low-level mafioso, either. Accardo, known to his mob associates as “Joey Batters, ” or just “Joe B.” for short, was a heavy hitter in Chicago, figuratively and literally. Al Capone gave him the nickname after Accardo allegedly killed two guys with a baseball bat.
Accardo, who died in 1992 at the age of 86, never spent a night in jail.”
This guy was such a cold and calculating killer that he once took revenge on a group of burglars who ransacked his house in 1978 in the most brutal way imaginable.
“Each was found with his throat cut; one was castrated and disemboweled, his face removed with a blow torch, a punishment imposed, presumably, because he was Italian and should have known better.”
To top it all off, some believe that Accardo, who was Capone’s right hand man and bodyguard, had a direct hand in the famous St. Valentine’s Day Massacre. He may have been one of the machine gunners who killed the seven men, according to a former FBI agent named William F. Roemer Jr.
At the same time, Roemer also said Accardo had a degree of integrity about him, keeping the dark side of his work away from his family. Bosa’s uncle Eric Kumerow, who also played in the NFL, had a lot of teams coming to him with concerns about the ties to his grandfather and his reputation.
“It’s so silly, ” Cheryl Bosa said. “When my brother was drafted, that was a big thing. The teams would interview Eric and they wanted to know if (Accardo) was going to have any impact on changing the game.”
According to Cheryl, former FBI agent William Roemer, who authored the 1996 book “Accardo: The Genuine Godfather, ” told teams Accardo would have no part in influencing the outcome of games.
“(Roemer) told them you will never have to worry about (Kumerow); his grandfather has more integrity than any human being I have ever met, and he would never put his grandson in a situation like that, ” she said.
Joey Bosa himself has admitted it would’ve been a treat to meet his great-grandfather, having heard nothing but “amazing” things about him. Just goes to show that reputations are far different inside the family than outside. Makes it a bit unnerving to know there’s a kid with that kind of history to him. At the same time, Chicago Bears fans would be lying if they didn’t admit it would be a little bit badass to know they had a guy with legit gangster blood running through his veins getting after quarterbacks on Sundays.
Southpaw is a nickname for a left-handed pitcher, but since I work on the South Side, people started calling me that - and it stuck!
You don’t even have to be a fan of the Chicago White Sox to recognize the bright-green-furry mascot by the name of Southpaw, who can often be seen patrolling U.S. Cellular Field before, during and after games.
According to a Q & A back in 2009, Southpaw is “just one of the guys”, which is why I was a bit shocked when I learned “he” was anything but.
The “green dude that just loves the Chicago White Sox, ” was in fact a woman.
Carrie Norwood, the woman behind the green fur, recently sat down with Sports Mockery to discuss her amazing experience as the one and only Southpaw.
Carrie was a mascot performer for over 18 years (Photo: White Sox/Ron Vesley).
SM: Are you originally from Chicago?
CN: I’m from a western suburb of Chicago.
SM: What school did you attend? Did you play any sports growing up??
CN: My parents introduced my three siblings and I to every activity possible. As a young kid there were days my Mom would carpool us from morning swim, to summer school, to piano lessons, to baseball and finally to gymnastics.
It was a great way to grow up – we were never just laying around doing nothing. In high school I swam, played basketball and did track & field. I was also involved in student government, the A/V club, band and choir.
I went to college at the University of Iowa and was a member of the crew (rowing) team my freshman year and a member of Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority.
Then……”it” happened.
SM: How did you become a mascot and better yet, how did you win the job of Southpaw? Were there tryouts? If so, how hard were they?
CN: I began my mascot career at the end of my freshman year at the University of Iowa, when the fraternity who had portrayed Herky the Hawk for the previous 40 years was kicked-off campus.
I remember thinking, “Oh no! Who will play Herky?”
A few weeks later, I saw a newspaper notice for tryouts for this beloved symbol of the university. A light bulb went off…I felt my calling…I knew it … I had to be Herky.
I went to the tryouts and got the part along with three other Iowa students. Myself, and another woman (she’s still one of my great friends), were the first women to portray Herky.
The local media made a big deal out of us two females — our names were even an answer on Jeopardy! It’s crazy to think that I was a mascot performer for 18 years.
Growing up I never even realized being a mascot performer was a thing. I’m so happy my parents instilled the idea of trying everything. I’ve performed as Herky the Hawk, Tommy Hawk, the AOL Running Man, a Beatles “Blue Meanie, ” and even a stick of Sargento String Cheese, but nothing comes close to my experience as the fuzzy green dude.
The guy who was Southpaw for just under the mascot’s first year of existence knew me because I was performing as Tommy Hawk from the Blackhawks. The NHL was in the middle of a lockout (2004-2005), and my other job was part-time (I was a radio DJ for 94.7 The Zone) so my schedule was fairly open.
Well, I got a call in May 2005 asking if I could substitute for him so he could attend a friends wedding. I went for it and then he told me he was going to be turning in his two weeks. I told him to give the Sox my name and number and if they were interested in talking with me to give me a call. I honestly had no idea anything was going to happen. I didn’t pay attention to baseball. I was just looking for a job and if it happened to be as a mascot performer – cool. Once hired, I got to know more about the White Sox and fell in love with the team and front office.
SM: How hot does it get in that suit?
CN: During the summer months I could wring out my hair and have a steady flow of sweat. I wouldn’t be surprised if I could get a few ounces of sweat just from my hair. Performing as a mascot is a great way to stay in shape.
Summer games and weddings were the most exhausting.
SM: Are you given free rein during the game or are there certain things you are told to do?
CN: Yes and no. I wasn’t able to run on the field when ever I wanted, but how I interacted with the fans was on me. I knew my boundaries, but when I crossed them I’d get a phone call.
SM: Did you ever have any confrontations with fans that didn’t go well?
CN: I got yanked off the dugout during one of Southpaw’s birthday games. A Yankees fan in the front row had an incredible straw hat that just screamed “take me!” So, I took his hat and put it on Southpaw’s birthday party hat.
Next thing I knew I felt a hard tug on my belt and I went flying off the dugout towards the fans and thankfully missed landing on people, but landed on the stairs. The Yankees fan then tumbled next to me. I quickly reached my hand out so he didn’t slam his noggin on the stair.
He dropped some f-bombs, I got up and security came down to get him.
SM: Do you travel with the team for road games?
CN: No, but…I did go to the MLB All-Star Game festivities each year, two social media tours (that happened to coincide with Sox games), President Obama’s Inaugural Parade in Washington DC, and the Cayman islands twice.
SM: Any idea on how the White Sox landed on the name Southpaw?
CN: It’s my understanding there was a vote between a few names. Front office employees got to vote. Before Southpaw came “alive” and was named Southpaw he was referred to as “Spinner”.
SM: How long were you involved with the White Sox organization?
CN: My first day with the White Sox was June 2, 2005. My last day was February 29, 2016.
I took a few months off of my performing duties when I became pregnant with my kids. I performed until I was five months pregnant with my daughter and four months pregnant with my son.
When I wasn’t performing I continued to run the program.
SM: So you were there when they won the World Series, what was that like?
CN: It was amazing. I had been with the team for only a few months so I was spoiled right away. I thought “does this happen every year!?”
Southpaw was behind home plate for Konerko’s Grand Slam, ran onto the field after Scotty Pods Game 2 home run, was in [Houston] Texas when we won the World Series, on the first double-decker bus for the ticker-tape parade, on the stage during the ceremony…….I’ve experienced some amazing things.
SM: Any funny stories you can share?
CN: Oh wow….I have a million. Can I save them for another day?! Some hints on a few stories: cup, falling brides, security guard, bachelor party. I could go on and on.
SM: Who was your favorite player to interact with? Who was the funniest?
CN: There have been some great guys who have played for the White Sox: Buehrle, Dye, Jenks, Crede, Pierzynski, Danks, Putz, Anderson, Garland, Baines, Alexei, Ozzie, Hermanson, Thomas….
The White Sox former players were also awesome to work with: Kittle (he was the officiant for my wedding), Moose, Minnie, Melton, Stone, Farmer. Jerry Reinsdorf is an incredible man.
Really, everyone is terrific.
SM: What will you miss the most about the job?
CN: I will miss the people within the White Sox organization and the performing aspect of my job. Oh, and not to mention I will miss seeing my fellow MLB and Chicago mascot performers on a regular basis — some of my dearest buds are performers from other teams.
There had been times during my nearly 11 years with the White Sox that I hit a wall — my mind and body drained and exhausted — but it wouldn’t take long to remember that my worst day had the potential to be someone else’s best. I want to share a visit that I’ll never forget.
Nine years ago, I received a call from a hospital. A sports-loving child wasn’t going to live much longer, and they wanted to give him one last smile.
Southpaw carefully walked into the dimly-lit room, its walls plastered with enough sports photos to indicate a lengthy stay. An assortment of machines clicked and beeped in the background, counting breaths and heartbeats. I made eye contact with the boy’s exhausted mother — holding vigil — and with a sad smile, she made room for me at the bedside. And there lay a child no older than 10, but made to look smaller by his illness and the maze of wires and tubes attached to his fragile form.
As his mother raised her camera to take our photo, his small hand raised from the bedding to form a feeble thumbs-up. That moment was captured forever by the camera’s click, and something clicked in me as well. It was this “thumbs-up” that put my life into perspective. Southpaw had the power to be an honored birthday guest, a lovable celebrity and a dying child’s last wish. Therefore, I had to treat every moment in costume as an honor and a privilege.
I always tried to look at our fans as more than a sold ticket. They love the White Sox — so what could I do to strengthen that bond with the team? Another high-five, one more photo, an extra-long hug, a twirl with a dance, a thank you note, a care package. I couldn’t promise them a grand slam, but I could promise a grand time.
I personally want to thank Carrie for sharing some truly incredible memories of her experience as Southpaw.
Her new role, serving as the Associate Director of Programs for the USO of Illinois, will grant her the opportunity to grow professionally, while still allowing her the time that’s necessary to spend with her family. She feels this new position will challenge her creativity, but also provide her a unique opportunity in which she can help support soldiers and their families.
Thank you so much for taking the time to speak with me and go White Sox.
Chicago Bulls fan-favorite, and WGN television host, Stacey King, had his hands full last night. During the Bulls 102-98 win, a female fan in the audience apparently gave King as much as he could take before he finally addressed the situation when the microphones continued to pick up the lady’s voice yelling in the background.
Check out the video.
“Ok, this lady behind me is a true fan but she is quite annoying.” Stacey King said.
“I mean she has been yelling in my mic the whole night. She is a true Bulls fan, we love you …” King says before he’s interrupted by another “Let’s go Bulls, let’s go.”
Some Bulls fan have indicated that it’s Lola Jefferson and she works at the United Center. Wonder if King knew that.
TORONTO, CANADA - MAY 25: Drake the son of Adam LaRoche #25 of the Chicago White Sox points to the roof as it opens during batting practice before the start of MLB game action against the Toronto Blue Jays on May 25, 2015 at Rogers Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Tom Szczerbowski/Getty Images)
Opening Day is upon us and it’s time to make your fantasy baseball team the most bad-ass one around.
Your spouse may be making fun of you for being a nerd, but remember that Dungeons and Dragons is for nerds, fantasy sports are for jocks! The difference and reasoning is just because.
You need a funny freaking team name though, one that you make you stand out and thrive as you crush the competition with imaginary points.
What should you call your team though? Yahoo always assigns me “Nate’s Dandy Team” whenever I register, but that crap will not do.
You are stuck, you just cannot think of anything awesome. Well look not further.
You need a fantasy baseball team name and we are here to help, so here are the best suggestions:
Hometown Flavor:
Chicago Black Sox
Chicago Rivers
Deep Dish
Wicker Park Hipsters
Chicago Taxes
Lakeview Yuppies
Sears Power
The Chicago Crimes
Chicago Corruptions
Chicago Untouchables
The Black and Blues Brothers
No Ketchup Allowed!
Chicago Dead Voters
Edens Traffic Jams
Ohio Street Exit
North Avenue Hookers
White Sox and Cubs Player Tributes:
Big Frank’s Homers
Son of LaRoche
MVP Rizzos
Haywire Heyward
Sale’s Tantrums
Schwarber Smash!
Dunn’s Strikeouts
Pierzynski’s Punchers
Bryant’s Smashers
Arrieta CY Repeat
Cubs WS 2016
Sox Playoffs 2016
2005 Forever
Old Comiskey Park
Wrigley Troughs
Disco Demolition
Zambrano’s Rage Issues
Son of a Dunn
LaRoche Entitlements
Neighborhood Shot Outs:
Naperville Yuppies
The Elgin Tuxedo
Glenview Posers
Northbrook Lawsuit Club
Englewood Better Runs!
Cicero Gangsters
Cabrini Green Mansions
Lake Forest Fortunate Sons
South Side Safe Spaces
Zion Nukes
Wrigleville Drunks
Round Lake Tractors
Harvey Red Tags
Old Style Vomits
Joliet Prisoners
Team Bashing (For the haters):
Sux Sux Sux!
Wrigley Field Rodents
US Cellular on Empty
Cubs 1908 and Counting
Empty Sox Seats
108 Years and Counting
No HOF For Sosa
No Cubs Parades
Shut Up Hawk
Chicago Chokes
The Risque Side (for the annoying fan):
Mother Trucker
Bar Skanks
Home Run Cost Ya 20
Huge Bat
Bleacher Bum Grab
Hot For Rizzo
3rd Base on First Date
Old Style Pregnancy
Lackey in the Bulge
Home Run Via Booze
10 Shots and Dunn
Fisk Me Up
My Big Frank
If you have a few suggestions of your own, go ahead and share!
Meet Mrs. Dexter Fowler. Arguably the hottest WAG on the entire Chicago Cubs roster, Darya Aliya Baghbani Fowler has all the right curves in all the right places. Featuring almost 12, 000 Instagram followers, it’s easy to see why people want to know what Mrs. Fowler is doing. A mommy, wife and a huge Cubs fan, Aliya has an Instagram account full of pictures showing off her assets.
Dexter is obviously married to Aliya – and has a daughter, Naya.
They met in Las Vegas in 2010, where she has a home and he was spending part of the off season, rehabbing an injured knee. Fowler’s assistant, an acquaintance of Aliya’s, made the introduction. “He said he wanted me to meet Dexter Fowler from the Colorado Rockies, ” Aliya recalls. “I didn’t know who the Rockies were; I thought they were a basketball team.”
Reluctant to go on a blind date, Aliya initially turned down the offer of a set-up. The friend was persistent, and eventually she gave in. And both are glad she did.
Aliya recently posted (you can see below): “Love Chicago. Love My Cubs. We’re Back!”
Let’s get to know her wife a little better.
Here’s some of the best pictures/videos of Darya Aliya Baghbani Fowler:
Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning addresses the media after his workout at Dove Valley. The Broncos started conditioning workouts and meetings Monday, April 16, 2012 at Dove Valley. John Leyba, The Denver Post
In honor of Peyton Manning’s “last rodeo, ” we rewind back to 1996 when he dropped his pants and put his naked nut sack in the face of a female trainer. It was eventually deemed sexual harassment after a suit against the University of Tennessee surfaced a few years later.
Here’s the story:
To wit, way back in 1996 when Manning was a junior at the University of Tennessee, he allegedly sexually harassed a female trainer. According to this excerpt from the university’s investigative report, Jamie Ann Naughright (then Whited) was treating Manning’s foot when he began “asking me several personal questions” including whether she “hang(s) out with people she works with.” When Naughright rebuffed Manning, he decided to drop trou. Naughright had her head down, but upon hearing the chuckles and guffaws, she looked up only to find herself face-to-face with Manning’s exposed ass and testicles. “It was the gluteus maximus, the rectum, the testicles and the area in between the testicles. And all that was on my face when I pushed him up, ” Naughright would later say in a court deposition in a suit against the University of Tennessee (more on this in a bit). “To get leverage, I took my head out to push him up and off.” (DailyBeast)
What seems like a stupid college kid prank, took a very serious turn. Naughright and the university ended up agreeing to a $300, 000 settlement. The terms remained confidential.
It was reported that the University disciplined Manning at the time by removing his access to the dining room and making him run at 6am for two straight weeks, so it didn’t go unnoticed.
Manning later said in a book that he thought his actions were “inappropriate” but never expected the legal reaction he got from Naughright. He expected her to just “play it off” especially since he was attempting to moon another athlete, not Naughright. According to him.
Malcolm Saxon, a track and field athlete who was in the room during the incident, wrote a letter to Manning to say that no, he was not the intended moon-ee (as Manning had written in his book), imploring him to “maintain some dignity and admit to what happened… Your celebrity doesn’t mean you can treat folks that way… Do the right thing here.”
After hearing this, Manning once again spoke out about the incident to defend himself. He was also taken to court again.
Two years later, Naughright again took Manning to court after he violated the terms of the agreement by babbling about the incident “on network television nationally in a documentary entitled ESPN Classic Sports Century: Peyton Manning.”
This poor woman’s life will be forever attached to Manning’s testicles, and he continues to use every available microphone to discredit her for an “inappropriate” action he took.
Fast forward to 2016 and Manning is currently getting investigated by the NFL for taking human growth hormones, an accusation originally made by Al Jazeera America. What did Manning do when he first heard the news? Ran to a microphone and told everyone the story was “complete garbage.”
Shortly after that he hired George Bush’s former press secretary, Ari Fleischer, to bash Al Jazeera until the website shutdown.
Makes you wonder if he really did take the human growth hormones or not.
The NFL is still actively investigating that, but there’s no debate about his inappropriate naked bean bag. That move resulted in paying $300k.
CHARLOTTE, NC - JANUARY 17: Cam Newton #1 of the Carolina Panthers shows his trademark "dab" against the Seattle Seahawks in the 2nd quarter during the NFC Divisional Playoff Game at Bank of America Stadium on January 17, 2016 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Grant Halverson/Getty Images)
As if the NFL didn’t have enough of a PR problem when it comes to justifying that their athletes can serve as role models for our children, they’re going to have a hell of a time explaining the truth behind the popularity of the new dance craze sweeping the league. It’s called “dabbing, ” a celebration move unveiled by Carolina Panthers star quarterback Cam Newton.
How many times will "dab" or "dabbing" be said by the announcers during the Broadcast? O 2 (EVEN) U 2 (-140)https://t.co/KdxnQaID6t#SB50
It must be just a harmless little gesture, right? Something similar to his classic Superman pose. Unfortunately no. (credit random 670theScore caller) As it turns out, the literal meaning of dabbing is as follows according to Urban Dictionary.
“To press a piece of cannabis extract known as Butane Hash Oil against a heated surface of an oil rig pipe and inhale the smoke. These extracts have up to 90% THC levels. It is the newest growing trend for cannabis connoisseurs and Colorado currently has the largest following to date.”
In other words “dabbing” is a celebration based on smoking marijuana. Seriously? Listen, I realize the drug is on the fast track to becoming legal in this country at some point but we have to remember that Newton has gone out of his way to give a football to children every time he scores a touchdown. This endears him to them and as a result they view him as a hero they wish to be someday.
It is insanely hypocritical of him to build the most successful season of his career, the one that people will remember for decades, around a dance celebration that glorifies a special way to take drugs. Defenders of him will say that every test conducted on weed says it’s even more harmless a substance than cigarettes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZH3HUp4OTbY
That may be so but it doesn’t automatically make it okay. Taking drugs is never a healthy thing for people, at least from a recreational sense. Nobody “dabs” for medical reasons. It’s just a more creative way to get extra high and it’s a terrible example to set. A commenter on the radio once said imagine if Peyton Manning, arguably the most revered quarterback of entire generation, suddenly brought out a celebration that turned out to be a creative way to sniff cocaine.
How disgusted and offended would people be then?
Cam Newton is a great football player and should be an example for what happens when you work hard enough and trust in your own ability. Good things will happen. However, he should also be a cautionary tale about understanding that once you’re put in front of the cameras, every choice you make has an effect on those who look up to you. “Dabbing” may be considered harmless fun, but it shouldn’t be. It sends a bad message about how low our standards have fallen in terms of who our role models are.
Jimmy Butler broke the Chicago Bulls’ franchise record for most points in a half set by Michael Jordan earlier in the season. The two have a striking resemblance, and one tipster tells us there’s a reason why. Butler may be MJ’s illegitimate child. This sounds crazy but they do look a lot alike. – T.O.
Despite the fact that Jordan is now 52-years-old and Butler is just 26, Jordan beat him in a number of different shooting contests, according to the CBS story.
At one point, CBS reports that Jordan said to Butler, “Son, you’ll never be like me, pass the ball to your teammates.”
Ironically, on Jan. 3, Butler broke Jordan’s record for most points scored in a half with 40 in a win against the Toronto Raptors.
Jordan’s record was 39 against the Milwaukee Bucks on Feb. 16, 1989.
After Butler broke the record and was asked about it by Dan Roan of WGN, he replied:
“Do not compare me to him. I don’t want to be compared to him. I just want to be me.”
Here’s the full rumor…
According to the rumor, Butler could very well be Jordan’s “secret” son.
The two have a striking resemblance, and one tipster tells us there’s a reason why. Butler may be MJ’s illegitimate child. This sounds crazy, but they do look a lot alike.
Michael Jordan claims the child born out of wedlock is possibly Jimmy Butler, the unwanted love child from 1988 that he covered up to save his marriage.
Jimmy took on his mother’s surname of Butler and is reported that she was paid off so Jordan’s public image and legacy would not be tarnished.
After 13 years, Jimmy’s mom kicked him out of the house because the payments stopped.
Jordan had a kid with a woman at or around the time Butler was conceived. It was well documented and is even reported that he tried to sneak into the hospital and that she received 23 roses while in the delivery room.
I highly doubt this rumor has an ounce of validity, but it was too damn funny not to share.
Welcome to the tenth and final installment of “The Best Chicago Bears Of All Time By Jersey Number”. After 89 players and one mascot, we’ve come to the final ten players on this interesting list as we look at the 90s.
I must say that this has been a fun experiment. This isn’t the sort of thing that we’ll be doing all the time, but it was nice to do something a little different. It was also nice to go back and look at some of the great players in Chicago Bears history. I’m not going to sit here and pretend that I knew every single stat or every single fact that ended up on these pages throughout the process, so it was fun to really just gain a little more knowledge on the storied history of this great franchise. Hopefully, those of you who joined me along the way enjoyed it, but if you are just running into this, please feel free to use the links below to get caught up before heading into the last ten on the list.
