SPORTS OF ALL SORTS

 Hello again everybody and we have a lot to talk about so let's start with baseball and pay a quick visit to the south side because that's all they deserve. They started the purge a few weeks ago by dumping some dead weight and with the exclusion of LUCAS GIOLITO, there were no tears shed in this corner. 

Then we start hearing about a lack of rules and people sleeping in the bullpen and no leadership so that means it's adios time for first year manager PEDRO GRIFOL. Pete, all of this falls under your umbrella and how could you not have rules? It's been said for years that great assistants don't always make good leaders. (see BUDDY RYAN).

So I'm thinking we're on the right track until I see a picture of hair dye-less TONY FREAKING LARUSSA on the sports page. Advisor? Consultant? The man doesn't even know the rules of the game or how to handle a bullpen so what is he going to advise?  Or is Jerry just looking for a gin rummy partner? We all saw first hand that the game has passed him by. Apparently Jerry wasn't looking.

 The betting window is now open. When does Tony get his first DUI in Chicago?

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And now on to the north side where the CUBS have apparently righted the ship from their early season doldrums and are full steam ahead to play in the wild card round but I don't think they have enough pitching to catch Milwaukee. CODY BELLINGER has been spectacular and if he's not getting a big hit, he's making a nice catch in the outfielder. BUT WILL THE CUBS MATCH THE HIGHEST FREE AGENT OFFERS?

The Cubs have a team that's easy to like and that hasn't always be the case in the past. (see Sosa, Baez, Contreras, Arrieta, Zambrano,  et al) They give polite and inciteful interviews and other than CHRISTOPHER MOREL, there doesn't seem to be any hot dogs on the team but what do you expect when WILLSON CONTRERAS was your mentor. I understand getting excited but tearing off your own jersey while running around the bases? no no no.

The bullpen is exciting and they seem to have three guys who can hold the lead and a bona fide closer in ADBERT ALZOLAY. In a couple of days they start a 3 game series against the front running Brewers which should be worth watching.

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Losers of the second half?? THE CALIFORNIS ANGELS, who chose to NOT trade SHOHEI OHTANI at the trade deadline and then added some beef to the lineup by trading 3 high prospects so they could make a move for the post season but two things went wrong: 1) the team immediately went into a tailspin and lost 12 of 16 to basically end any hopes of the wild card and 2) Ohtani tears the same elbow ligament that he had repaired with Tommy John surgery in 2018. The Angels could have gotten the mother lode of players for Ohtani and now he hits the free agent market, albeit as damaged goods. But don't hold any tag days for him because he is going to sign for 400-500 million, broken wing or not.

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Thanks to a heads up from Nephew Frank, I want to introduce you to a first year major leaguer on the Cleveland Guardians, 24 year old right hander TANNER BIBEE, who has a 9-3 record with an era of 3.01 era and a 3-1 strike out/walk ratio and is currently listed as the 4th choice for rookie of the year and if you're so moved, a $10 bet would return $200.00 but we all know that gambling is evil. Continued good luck to Tanner!

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My predictions for MLB post season awards: National League MVP RONALD ACUNA JR.

American MVP  SHOHEI    NL CY YOUNG ZAC GALLEN     AL GERRIT COLE

ROOKIE OF THE YEAR NL  CORBIN CARROLL    AL  GUNNAR HENDERSON

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Gambling is available just about everywhere from casinos to home computers to cell phones and even an old fashioned call to your neighborhood bookie will get your bet down BUT college athletes are not allowed to bet on ANY sport sanctioned by the NCAA or any professional sport.  Professional football players can bet on other sports but never the NFL and those bets can never be made from team properties and cannot be made with a bookie. Baseball players cannot bet on baseball. PETE ROSE go caught gambling on baseball and was banned for life from the sport. Got all that?

But down in I-O-WAY, they are apparently slow learners because they got caught gambling, making as many as 1,300 bets during the last school year. Booted from school, two of these guys had pro potential but they can kiss that future goodbye.

But our NFL players are not exempt from the evils of gambling either. At least 13 players have been suspended for a minimum of 6 games but most were suspended for the entire season. You can bet using your phone but not from the team's property and you can NEVER bet on an NFL game. 4 players were immediately released by their teams. Enjoy bagging groceries, you dumb asses. Zero sympathy.

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Speaking of the NFL, it's almost SHOWTIME!!! Two weeks from this Sunday, the CHICAGO BEARS open their season at home against the GREEN BAY PACKERS with the arrow pointing up for the Bears but down for the Packers. Now remember this team won just 3 games last year so if they can get to 7, they won't be in the playoffs but 7-10 will be a major improvement, especially if they beat the Packers twice. I still pick to Bears to finish last in the division but all 4 teams should be scrunched together, Vikings, Lions, Packers, Bears.  It's all up to the offensive line to keep JUSTIN FIELDS out of a body bag.

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The CHICAGO SKY is..........sorry, back to ignoring them and when their #1 player leaves for free agency in October, they can rename this team the CHICAGO TITANIC.

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Ok, that's it for now. Stay safe and stay out of Chicago. Adios!

THE DOG DAYS OF SUMMER

First, my heart and I'm sure yours, go out to the people of Lahaina in Maui after that terrible fire totally wiped out that town and left people clinging to rocks after jumping in the ocean to escape the fire. How on earth do you rebuild from that? People lost everything except the clothes on their back. 850 people are still missing.

 But I do have one question because I've never heard of this. HOW DOES A HYDRANT RUN OUT OF WATER? Those firefighters put their asses on the line to help and were turned away by dry hydrants. Someone has to be accountable for not maintaining them, And how about the Public Safety guy who repeatedly try to defend not activating the emergency sirens? More investigation please.

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The dog days of summer have the people in Florida up in arms over PUBLIX' decision to allow ONLY SERVICE DOGS in their stores, no exceptions. Emotional support dogs and personal pets have received the boot...........and I totally agree with Publix. 

Walk next to a service dog or have a conversation with the owner and the dog sits or lays at the owners feet, just chillin' until his master is ready to go. No growling. No barking. Now come close to a support dog and the yapping or growling starts and god forbid if you have to reach past the owner to grab an item off the shelf, the dog goes psycho.

I love dogs but they need to be in the back yard or in the house. I think "emotional support"  dogs are a scam and people have jimmied the system to bring their pet dogs with them everywhere. Friend of mine has one of those creatures (and this man runs a big business and meets a lot of people every day) and pulled up while I was working in the yard so I walk up to the driver's side open window and Cujo decides that he needs to defend from the passenger seat and leaps across my friend to try and bite me. 

And then we go thru the dance where the owner talks to the dog like he understands English!! "Now calm down, Dan's my friend" and then he looks at me and says "He's just being protective. I know you understand." NO I DON'T!!  But I cut right to the chase and tell my buddy I hope that doesn't happen again and I no sooner get the words out of my mouth when Cujo attacks again but this time i was ready. I reached right to his collar and yanked that mutt thru the open window and pinned him to the ground. Suddenly, the 25 pound hairball wasn't so tough with my shoe on his shoulder and just laid there and whimpered. 

You feel the need to take your dog everywhere, that's fine with me but keep him under control and stay out of my store. If you need emotional support to buy a loaf of bread, use Amazon Shopping. And while we're at it, keep him off my planes, trains and buses. Emotional support dog, my patootie.  

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Another sad day in the courtroom as MACKENZIE SHIRILLA, 19,  was sentenced to a very just 15 YEARS TO LIFE after intentionally driving her car at 100 mph into a brick wall, killing her boyfriend and his buddy. The psycho was "shocked" first by being found guilty of two counts of murder and then SHOCKED by her sentence. Shocked, I tell you! What did she expect?? She could be eligible for parole in 15 years but the judge warned her that "the actual sentence is 15 years to life and every time you screw up, they add time and I have a very strong feeling that with your attitude, we won't be seeing you in this court in 15 years." good riddance.

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I have a question about all of the migrants being shipped to Chicago. They currently sleep in the lobby of police departments, tents or just on the sidewalks or in the parks. WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THE WEATHER TURNS? Just curious.

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Still think I'm over reacting to the dangers of Chicago? Well, feast your eyeballs on these numbers thru July31, 2023.

1722 people shot in 180 days.....363 homicides, .........707 car jackings. In other words, your death lottery chances are as follows...there are 9.5 people shot EVERY DAY....2 people will die everyday from those shootings.....and 4 people will get car jacked EVERY DAY inside the city limits and that doesn't count those victims who are beaten and robbed while losing their car. This past weekend, 38 people were shot and 7 killed......So go ahead and plan a wonderful day in Chicago.  And don't forget your body armor. 

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They won't reveal the exact number but the CHICAGO PUBLIC SCHOOLS are rumored to be short a thousand teachers and 200 bus drivers. This problem is the same as the one that haunts the police department. Too dangerous for $75,000 and no backing from the front office.

When I was in school (is this my father talking?) you smarted off to your teacher once and got suspended for 3 days. The second time it happened, you were history. Nowadays, not so much. A teacher friend of mine said one kid has been sent to the front office 6 times including two times for calling her a mother f-er. Suspended ONCE and always sent back to her. 

She requested transferring the little bastard to another classroom and was turned down flat. "take care of your own problems" is what she was told. And they wonder why the rest of the class is a nightmare when they realize they won't get in trouble. Sad.

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Man, more natural disasters. This time in California with tropical storm Hilary wreaking havoc from L.A. to Las Vegas and incredibly. the storm zig-zagged and basically missed  San Diego. Downfalls of 5, 6, 7 and even 8 inches of rain and it didn't come down softly. Residents of Vegas came out of their air conditioning and stared at the sky. "What is this wet stuff?" Wild fires, earth quakes, 100 degree temps, icebergs melting.....to quote DUSTY SPRINGFIELD.....🎵 "Somethings happening here and what it is ain't exactly clear"🎵

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Tough guy Proud Boy Christopher Worrell disappeared one day before his sentencing hearing when he was going to receive 14 years in federal lockup. Worrell was on home arrest awaiting his day in court but decided that his statement of "I will be proud to do prison time for January 6th."  Not so tough now. COWARD.

Speaking of guys in trouble, Donald Trump will surrender on Thursday and be required to post $200,000 CASH  to go home the same day. But this surrender will be different than the federal surrenders because the Georgia sheriff says "He will be treated no different than any other prisoner and WE WILL fingerprint him and take his photo." I'm praying they still use that heavy black ink for printing rather than the new electronic machines. A condition of the bond is that trump will have no contact with witness on social media, including having someone do it for him. Interesting proactive condition by the judge.

Now this is a NO-NO whether you like the former president or not. A woman from Plainfield, TRACY FIORENZA, threatened to kill both trump and Baron, his youngest son. She is in custody and I hope for a long time.

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That's enough for now. Be careful of the heat this week and hydrate. I will be going into lockdown until the weekend when 70's return.

A BUNCH OF STUFF

  I was wondering in my last post where all the lightning bugs were and someone wrote to mention JUNE BUGS were a no show and he's absolutely correct. Haven't seen one all summer. Add to that my old buddies, the CICADAS, who won't be here until spring of next year but that emergence is supposed to be huge.

 I also have an apple tree and the fallen apples ALWAYS ATTRACT bees and wasps but i picked up apples yesterday and zip. nada. nothing. (not that I minded) WHERE THE HELL IS EVERYONE??   Shhhhhh....I also don't miss the drought affected mosquitos but with all the rain in July........ August and September could be interesting.

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Speaking of  'where is everyone?' the federally job report issued over the weekend states there are 3 jobs available for every 2 unemployed people. So why are there still "help wanted' signs everywhere? When I went to the Jewel today, their sign asked for help in the deli, bakery, stock boys, cashiers, maintenance, meat department, pharmacy and produce. I guess the liquor department is doing ok. So if anyone tells you they can't find a job, point them to our local food store.

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LATE BREAKING NEWS!!!!! His royal highness just got federally indicted AGAIN and still claims that he's done nothing wrong. Still lurking is a 4th indictment from the state of Georgia. $40 million in legal fees and still counting. 😳

An interesting factoid which has drifted under the bridge without notice. Former trump attorney RUDY GIULIANI entered into a proffer agreement with the FBI and sat in for a lengthy interview. The agreement means that Rudy provided the feds with information that cannot be used against him in future court proceedings. I find that very interesting.

                                                    

  Will trump go to prison? I truly believe that he'll be found guilty BUT former presidents are provided Secret Service protection for life and I doubt that those agents want to spend the next ten years babysitting in a federal prison. I can see construction of a small facility where those agents would protect that building like they do the white house. Dogs, video, barbed wire, machine guns, etc. to keep intruders away and trump will sit inside and watch tv just like he does now. Same benefits as any convict in a minimum security federal prison.

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A fond farewell to TONY BENNETT who died last month at the age of 96. Even if you weren't a fan, you had to like "I left my heart in San Francisco" because it's one of the best slow dance songs ever. For you young 'uns, u-tube it. rest well Paisano.

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A fun time with your kids can be had on August 12-13 when the annual meteor shower (shooting stars) occurs. Check your media sources for best times.

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Hey, my friend Larry is in for a visit and I'll have his remarks next time. Stay safe and stay out of Chicago. As Larry says "you don't have to be a bad guy to get dead in Chicago."

ADIOS FOR NOW.