By: Chad Ruter
Ten years ago today ranked as one of the saddest days of my childhood. I was only 11 at the time, and we had only had cable television for about two years, but in that time frame I had watched enough Cubs games on WGN to realize that Harry Caray was the coolest guy on the face of the earth. And on February 18th, 1998 the man who belted out the seventh-inning stretch at thousands of Cubs games in his career finally succombed to the harsh life he put his body through. But man, what a life it was.
He drank more beer than Norm in Cheers, smoked more cigars than Micheal Jordan, and had more fun than anyone could have at a ballpark. Hell, while the Cubs were awful for the majority of the ’90’s, people tuned in just to listen to him talk. He loved baseball, loved announcing, and loved the Cubs.
The timing of his death was the toughest part for everyone to swallow. Not only was he getting ready for a season in which the Cubs had a pretty good shot at making the playoffs, he was also scheduled to slide over a chair to make room for his grandson, Chip Caray, to take over the play-by-play duties. Imagine a broadcast team comprised of Chip Caray, a marginal to good broadcaster who would’ve blossomed with with grandfather Harry, along with the best baseball analyst in the past two decades in Steve Stone. I wouldn’t have missed a game that season!
Imagine Harry broadcasting the plentiful amount of memorable moments the 1998 season contained. Sammy Sosa and Mark McGwire pushed each other in the chase for 61. Kerry Wood K’d 20 Astros on a day where Eric Gregg had a strikezone that Harry would have described as gargantuan in size. Brant Brown dropped a fly ball with four days left in the season that seemingly demolished any momentum Chicago had. And the Cubs reached the playoffs via a one-game playoff started by Steve Trachsel, and won by Gary Gaetti hitting a 3-run bomb against the Giants. So what if the Braves swept them out of the playoffs, 1998 was the year I watched baseball on a full-time basis again. And it’s sad to think we had to watch it without Harry.
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3 years ago, the signing of Muhsin Muhammed at 12:01 a.m. on the first day of free agency stunned not only Bears fans, but the entire football world. Chicago announced that they wouldn’t be pushed around anymore when it came to big name free agents avoiding the Windy City. Muhammed consistenly beat double teams in Carolina the year before to become one of the elite NFL receivers – yet expendable because Steve Smith was on his way back from injury. I loved the signing at the time, but was afraid the length of the deal (5 years) would never be fulfilled. Today, the Bears ended their three-year relationship with the man Bears fans lovingly called “Moose,” because his age had caught up to him in a hurry. He was a great buy during his first year in Chicago, but became the second, and sometimes the third option in Chicago during the past two campaigns. He had clearly lost a step from his dominating 2004 season, and also had lost his reputation for being a sure-handed target.
His release is a sign that the Bears are going to begin purging the age that quickly caught up with them less than a year after they reached the Super Bowl, and the decision couldn’t come soon enough. The Bears need to focus on signing their young talent (Bernard Berrian and Lance Briggs) to long-term deals, but I have a feeling they are going keep the wallets closed on the big names available in an effort to get even younger and quicker. Ya know…talking about the Bears is really making me sad. I’m actually starting to get a little irritated. SUBJECT CHANGE!
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If you didn’t watch the NBA Dunk Contest, then watch those YouTube clips that Justin embedded, because they’re a masterpiece. I also have it on tape for the 16 people in America outside of my family that still owns a VHS machine. For the first time since Vince Carter stuck his arm through the hoop, we saw imagination, creativity, and charisma from the contestant. A year ago, Dwight Howard got overlooked because people didn’t appreciate how high he could reach on the backboard. So to combat that, he performed four dunks that only a man with his combination of height and leaping ability could do. I’m convinced that the behind the backboard dunk was one of the best dunks of all time. To go along with that, his Superman “dunk” is even more amazing because he wasn’t even close to the hoop. Do you know how high you have to be to do that with a basketball? Incredible!
Programming Note: Coming later this week, my 2008 Chicago Cubs preview. I just can’t hold out anymore. Also, we are now in desparation mode to fill our Fantasy Baseball League. If you are willing to put forth the effort all year long, and pony up 20 bones for a head-to-head baseball league, then get in contact with either Justin or myself – or leave a comment on this post with information to contact you at. Thanks!
