After a roller coaster ride of a 163 game season in which the White Sox ended the season of three division foes in three days (a feat never previously accomplished according to the Elias Sports Bureau) the White Sox now face the upstart Rays in the ALDS. In the same theme of Dubs’ Cubs/Dodgers preview I will go through the lineups and bullpen and see who has the advantage. However instead of going about this based on stats (a grizzled vet like Jeff Kent is WAY worse than Mark DeRosa? Wouldn’t go THAT far Dubs..) I’ll look into some other factors as well.

And since the Sox also just clinched at 9 PM, I don’t have the well crafted photos to accompany each position like Dubs because I wasn’t about to jinx the White Sox in the one-game playoff. Also, since the AL has the DH we are going to a very special Top Eleven Chicago Sports list.

By: Danny Sheridan
Whether it’s getting criticized by co-workers and friends, or looked down upon by the general public, I get it from all over for being both a “die-hard” Cubs and White Sox fan. Sorry if this post upsets anyone, and if you want to dismiss everything I say here, go right ahead. Meanwhile, I’ll be the one rooting hard for the Sox to force a one-game playoff this afternoon, and come Wednesday, rooting just as hard for the Cubs against the Dodgers. By the way, I’m probably one of a very few that owns both a Carlos Zambrano and Mark Buehrle jersey.
10. Good broadcasters
Len and Bob work great together, and say what you will about Hawk, but I love the fact that he openly roots for the Sox on the air and sounds like he’s about to cry when things aren’t going well. Even though Hawk will get carried away many times, like when he tried to say last week that the Sox would have taken two of three from the Twins if not for better umpiring, he is a loyal and entertaining announcer who makes you feel good listening to him. Some of his sayings like “You can put it on the board, yeeeeeees,” “Get on back there, stretch,” “Time to cinch it up and honker down,” “This ballgame is ova,” and “He gone,” are classic.
9. Enjoy both ballparks
Wrigley has the ambiance and tradition, while the Cell has convenience and comfort. Plus, if you go to both ballparks frequently enough, you can decide for yourself which team has the better fans, and not go by what Barack Obama thinks. Although there’s nothing like seeing the Cubs win a day game at Wrigley, I’d give the advantage overall to the Cell for three main reasons: you actually have room to move around, the food is a lot better, and parking is way easier.
8. Crosstown Classic
While there’s not much likelihood it will happen this year, or probably any year for that matter, what if it did? To die hard Sox fans, losing to the Cubs would seem like the end of the world. There’d be no getting over it. Same goes for Cubs fans if they lost to the Sox. For someone like me, I’m covered either way. In fact, the big party would be the day both teams clinch spots in the World Series, because then I can’t lose. If I had to pick a side, I’d root slightly for the Cubs, but only because the Sox won it all just three years ago.

7. Screw loyalty
Why should I keep cheering for a team if they continually suck? So I’m a bigger bandwagon jumper than Boston Celtics fans. You know how many Sox or Cubs players I’ve ever spoken a word to or have gotten within 200 feet of? Zero, which is probably the same answer for most of you reading this. I have no connections or affiliations with one particular team. I don’t owe it to one particular team to remain loyal through the down times. At the end of the day, a good percentage of these same players we root for care more about how much money they make than what name is on the front of their jersey anyway. 6. No jealousy
It had to be very painful for Cubs fans to see the Sox go on their magical 11-1 run through the playoffs in 2005, just like it would be for Sox fans this year if the Cubs finally broke their curse. At the moment, Sox fans are able to laugh at Cubs fans because they have something the Cubs don’t, that being a recent championship. Once the Sox get eliminated, whether it’s today, tomorrow, or in the first round against the Rays, the entire South Side will be on the edge of their seats praying that the Cubs choke. Aren’t there more important things to be worrying about than something you have absolutely no control over? Rooting for both teams totally eliminates the jealousy factor.

5. Managers
Having Ozzie Guillen and Lou Piniella manage in the same city is awesome. There hasn’t been a better combination in Chicago since Jordan and Pippen. If I could sit down and meet any two current sports figures in Chicago, players included, I might choose these two, Guillen for sure. The day the Cubs signed Piniella, they became serious contenders. The day the Sox signed Guillen, they became relevant and fun to watch again.4. Have something to watch in the summer
From the end of the NBA Finals the first week in June to the start of the NFL season in early September, there’s nothing going on in that three month window besides baseball. So if the Cubs were 10 games out already by the time school let’s out, it’s going to be a pretty boring and depressing summer sports wise for Cubs fans. It makes for a lot better summer overall when your baseball team is in contention, and in most years, that’s only been the case for one of the two Chicago teams, this year obviously being an exception. Just look at the last couple years before this season. The Cubs were all but eliminated from contention by summer in 2005 and 2006, the Sox in 2003 and 2007.

3. Root for good stories on both sides
Geovany Soto, Mark DeRosa, Ryan Theriot, and Ryan Dempster have all been major surprises for the Cubs. Alexei Ramirez, Carlos Quentin, Gavin Floyd, and John Danks have been the same for the Sox. Cheering equally for both teams allows me to root for great stories on each side of town. Most Cubs fans really can’t appreciate or would even recognize how great Quentin was before he got injured because they’re too caught up in their own team, and possibly jealous that Kenny Williams stole him from Arizona. Likewise, a lot of Sox fans might not cheer for Dempster because he came out of nowhere to give the Cubs one of the best rotations in baseball, while the Sox staff has been terrible the last two months. 2. Double your chances
Okay, this one is pretty simple, even though I suck at math. If you root for two teams instead of one, you have a better chance each day of seeing at least one of them win a ballgame. Let’s say the Sox lose a heartbreaker, like last Thursday’s loss to Minnesota for example. Sox fans are going to be pissed off the rest of that night, and probably still thinking about it until the next day’s game. But, if the Cubs were to win on that day, well, you may get over the Sox quicker, and therefore have second thoughts about emailing Guillen () to tell him how much his team sucks.

1. Lack of success in Chicago sports
Since the Bulls dynasty ended in 1998, other than the White Sox World Series title and Bears trip to the Super Bowl, there hasn’t been much to get excited about from any of the city’s five professional sports teams. That’s a shame too, because Chicago is a huge sports market with some of the greatest fans in the world. Recently we’ve seen so many bad teams here, that when there finally is a year in which both baseball teams have a shot to reach the postseason for the first time since 1906, I’m sure going to be pulling hard for each. May I remind you also that the Cubs haven’t won a World Series in 100 years, and up until 2005, the Sox had gone 88 years without one. Not that you probably needed the reminder.

Being Chicago sports fans, we've definitely gone through our fair share of ineptitude at the highest levels of our professional teams.

As a matter of fact, we're currently stuck with a general manager for the Bears that is absolutely clueless when it comes to drafting players.

However, our neighbors in Detroit have had it the worst.

You've heard the news, the Detroit Lions have finally rid themselves of the plague that is Matt Millen.

Below you'll find his Top Ten F-Up's throughout his years with the Lions.

The Bears have one of the best directional punters in NFL history in Brad Maynard. If he can pin teams deep, the defense should be able to give the offense great field position, which is necessary for their anemic offense to function. I don’t know if Orton and the offense can make 80-90 yard drives with any consistency.

9. A go to receiver needs to emerge

In the preseason, Rashied Davis appeared to be Orton’s go to guy, but he has been relatively quite thus far, even dropping a HUGE pass on Sunday. The whitest-named receiver ever Brandon Lloyd dominated Tiki Ronde Barber Sunday, but unless he can do it week in and week out, the Bears will struggle immensely to stretch defenses down field.

8. Kick/punt return

Not only does the Bears offense lean on the defense for points, but also on the return team. Hester is a one-man wrecking crew, but teams seem to have learned their lesson and are keeping it away from him. The replacement returners looked very solid this week. Vasher averaged 8.3 yards per return and Manning had a 27.0 yards per return average with a long of 46. If Hester is out for a while, these two will need to produce like they did on Sunday in order for the Bears to have a chance to score.

7. Offensive turnovers

Offensively the Bears will score about four times a game. This sounds like a lot, but one or two of those will be setup or scored by the special teams or defense and most likely three of them will be field goals. The Bears must limit their turnovers to hopefully increase their chances of getting another unexpected score. Furthermore, as the last two weeks have shown, the Bears must keep the defense off the field in order to keep them fresh deep into the fourth quarter.

6. The running game

Forte seems to be real. However, it would be nice to see the Bears give Jones a few more touches to limit some of the hits that Forte will accrue throughout the year. The majority of the Bears yards will be on the ground. If they keep the ball in their hands they can control the TOP and once again keep the defense fresh.

5. Robbie Gould

He must be as good as last year. The Bears best offensive weapon (very sad), must make anything within 55-yards. He cannot miss 49-yarders like he did on Sunday. Gould must be almost perfect for the Bears to succeed, for he will be the majority of the offense this year.

4. Defensive turnovers

Unlike most teams, the Bears rely on their defense to either score points or to put them in the red zone via takeaways. They NEED turnovers to succeed. If the four that the Bears had on Sunday is not enough for the Bears to win they are in for a LONG season.

3. Quarterback play

A Bears quarterback does not need to be awesome. A Bears quarterback does not need to be good. A Bears quarterback needs to be solid. He needs to limit turnovers. He needs to have a high completions percentage in the short pass game and hit a deep ball once or twice a game to stretch the defense and keep the running game viable. It’s simple and I believe Kyle Orton can be this kind of quarterback.

2. Offensive line

The line looked abysmal on Sunday. They allowed the Bucs DTs into the backfield and let the Bucs DEs get pressure from the corners in pass downs. If the Bears expect to win nine games, they need the line to play like they did in week one; opening lanes for Forte and giving a pocket for Orton to step in to.

1. Defense stays healthy

Last year proved that if the Bears D is hurt they are at best a six-win team. Healthy they can be dominant and control the game. Injured the Bears fall apart like a game of drunken Jenga. Simply put, they are the most important key for the Bears to succeed.

Alright, this is it. The Sox are potentially three wins away from their second division title in four years. While they do have six more games to wrap it up, and a magic number at five, it is important the Sox earn the division title as soon as possible. Below are ten reasons why.

10. No need to rush Quentin back
I am not entirely sure how bad this injury is, but the last rumor was he would be ready for the playoffs. While it would be great to have him, the possibility of rushing him back for the last series of the season doesn't sit well in my stomach.

9. Match the Cubs
This is probably the least of the Sox worries at the moment, but the idea of both teams making the playoffs is one of the coolest things that has happened to the city in decades. For the Sox to blow it would be devistating, not to mention all the jeering Sox fans would get. I couldn't put up with that.

8. Cliff Lee
Should the season be decided by Sunday's season finale at the Cell, I would not like my chances. This is because of one man; The unstoppable Cliff Lee, who would be scheduled to start. Cliff has dominated baseball all season long, and has not lost a game since July 6. Until last week, Lee had earned a win in every decision since that loss.

7. Don't want to give Twins a chance
The Twins do not deserve to be playing in October. Everybody understands that except Minnesota. If they are given even the smallest glimpse of hope, they always do whatever they can to take advantage.

6. Kansas City could hold Sox fate
Kansas City will take on Minnesota to finish out the year after the three-game set where the Twins host the ChiSox. While Detroit and Cleveland have disappointed, the Sox and Twins have overachieved, one thing still remained in the AL Central; the Royals still suck. This will not change next Friday-Sunday.

5. Cleveland is on fire
Winning six in a row, Cleveland is starting to look like the team they were supposted to be, too bad for them it came six months too late. Sizemore is hitting the ball and Victor Martinez has been clutch of late. I would not want Cleveland to play spoiler, something that could happen if the White Sox don't take care of business.

4. Try some new guys
While there wouldn't be anything on the line, it wouldn't be a bad move to give guys like Getz, Bourgeois and Fields more time. You never know how important a guy who doesn't get off the bench much could be in the postseason (i.e. Blum).

3. Rest Starters
This kind of goes along with #4, but now would be a great time to give the vets like Konerko, Griffey and Dye the next couple days off. It has been a pretty down year until late for Paulie and Grif looks tired. Giving the bullpen a rest would be a must, especially because they will go against either high-powered offenses of either East team.

2. Set the rotation
Winning early gives the Sox a chance to set the rotation the way they want going into either Tampa or Boston. While I disagree with this, the rotation will look something like Vasquez, Buehrle, Danks and Floyd. The way this is set has its strengths but also its weaknesses. Putting experience in the front end could prove worthy, but the back-to-back lefties in the heart of the rotation may haunt them. I wouldn't be surprised to see Danks throw Game 1, or Floyd Game 3 in order to fix the problem.

1. Confidence going into October
The Sox would not only be the last team into the AL postseason, they would also be the weakest (LAA, Boston and Tampa are far superior and more refined teams). While I think the other teams are better, I do feel all those teams have weaknesses. The Angels have not played a meaningful game all year, Tampa is very inexperienced and Boston has been injury-plagued. What better way to go into the postseason than by sweeping a playoff-caliber team?

It's no secret Chicago is a sports crazed city.

So much so that it lends itself beautifully to some great movie moments that involve the world of sports.

Here are the Top Ten Chicago Sports Movie Moments.



[Rick Vaughn is pitching to Jack Parkman during practice]

Jack Parkman: What do you call that garbage?

Rick Vaughn: It's my eliminator. I've got another pitch. You get a piece of it, I'll let you name it.

[Vaughn pitches and Parman hits the ball out of the park]

Jack Parkman: I'd, uh, call it the masturbator.

Good old Jack Parkman. Started the season with the Indians and eventually landed with the White Sox after Roger Doran decided to trade him.

There's a reason this guy ended up on the South Side. He'd fit right in with the current crew and I believe his character was loosely based on A.J. Pierzynski.




When Pete Bell heads to the South Side of Chicago to scout Butch McRae (Penny Hardaway), he finds himself surrounded by college coaches from across the country trying to get a piece of the high school phenom.

I have to imagine this is what it was like when Derrick Rose was playing at Simeon.




The middle half hour of this movie shows how it all went down. How the players on the 1919 'Black Sox' team were suckered into throwing the World Series despite being the best team in baseball.

Some say the team was cursed after they disgraced the game of baseball. Luckily it was broken in 2005 when the Sox won the World Series. (Did I need to say that? No, but it just always feels so nice to say)




The only reason why this scene is not higher up on this list is because it wasn't actually filmed in Chicago.

However, it's supposed to be Wrigley Field and to have it featured in one of the greatest scenes in one of the greatest baseball movies of all time is definitely worthy of making an appearance on this list.






Game on!

Game off!

This never gets old. I still try to reference this scene whenever the situation calls for it.




Yeah, Space Jam. TTCS contributor Ricky O'Donnell's favorite movie of all time and that's not even a joke. That's the truth.

Look, anything to do with M. Jeff is solid gold in Chicago and Space Jam and it's ridiculously good soundtrack (Seal, R. Kelly, Quad City DJs??!!) definitely qualify.

"Just float it Henry."

The only time the floater pitch has been used in sports history to such perfection occurred in Wrigley Field. Although I'm pretty sure that's what Brad Lidge's pitch looked like to Albert Pujols back in 2004 during game 5 of the NLCS.






One of the only movies about sports that allows a man to tear up.

Billy Dee Williams is the truth, that's all that you need to know.





This movie showed the world what hoopin in Chicago was all about.





Skipping school.

Heading to Wrigley Field.

Hot Summer day.

Sitting in the bleachers.

Welcome to Chicago.

(BTW....this might be funnier because it's in German)

BY DANNY SHERIDAN
Barring a Sox collapse in these last 11 games, it appears both