>>>AS
SPORTS
COLUMNIST FOR
THE CHICAGO READER,
TED COOK
HAS COVERED EVERYTHING,
BULLS,
BLACKHAWKS AND BEARS,
ALSO
HIGH SCHOOL BASKETBALL, BOXING
AND EVEN CRICKET.
SOME OF HIS
FAVORITE COLUMNS
ARE IN THE NEW
BOOK.
TED COX
NOW COVERS CITY HALL
FOR THE NEWS WEBSITE.
AND HE
JOINS US NOW.
GOOD TO SEE YOU.
>>YOU AS WELL.
>>LET'S
TAKE YOU TO THE
BEGINNING.
ONE OF THE THINGS TALKED
ABOUT
IS HOW YOU WOUND UP LIVING
ACROSS THE STREET FROM WRIGLEY
FIELD.
>>
THAT
WAS TO TELL
THE TRUTH,
ROOMMATE AND, COLLEGE
BUDDIES,
WE HAD OUR FIRST
APARTMENT
AND
IN THE TIME BETWEEN WHEN WE
SIGNED THE LEASE AND
WE MOVED
IN, THEY CHANGED THE
OVENS
AND
A COUPLE OTHER THINGS
AND
DOWNGRADED
AND WE
COULDN'T
BELIEVE IT.
WE WENT
LOOKING FOR A
PLACE.
WE
MOVED
INTO A PLACE ACROSS
THE STREET FROM WRIGLEY
STREET.
A DREAM APARTMENT.
FOR A SPORTS
FAN
.
AND IT WAS EVERYTHING THAT
WOULD YOU IMAGINE AND
MORE
.
>>AND --
>>
ROACHES BEING THE MORE
PART.
>>YOU
WERE AT THE
1983 SOX
KAMINSKI
PARK WHEN THEY WON
THEIR DIVISION.
TELL ME ABOUT THAT.
IT MADE ME THINK ARE
YOU A SOX
OR CUBS FAN?
>>I'M
AN
UNABASHED LOVER OF
BOTH.
I KNOW SOME THINK IT IS
AN
ABERRATION BUT I'VE NEVER HAD
A PROBLEM ROOTING
FOR BOTH
TEAMS.
--
FANS WENT ON THE
FIELD NOT
ONLY THIS NIGHT WHEN THEY
CLINCHED BUT THE NIGHT BEFORE
AS WELL WHEN THEY
CLINCHED A
TIE AND THEN
THE ORIOLES
WERE
STILL PLAYING IN
KANSAS
CITY.
PEOPLE POURED ON TO THE FIELD
AND THEY CAME UP ON
THE
SCREEN.
>>YOU WROTE IN YOUR BOOK
,
YOU
WERE CARRIED AWAY BY THE
CROWD.
>>SURE.
FROM THE BEGINNING IT WAS LIKE
SUPPOSED TO BE A FAN'S EYE
VIEW OF THE GAME.
I THINK EVOLVED OVER
TIME.
IT
DID BECOME MORE
SPORTS
WRITERLY P IF THAT'S A WORD.
AT THE TIME,
IT WAS LIKE A
FAN'S EYE VIEW -- TRYING TO
GET THE DRAMA THAT WASN'T
BEING CAPTURED IN
THE
DAILIES.
THEY WOULD TELL WHEN SOMEBODY
HIT A HOMERUN.
MOMENTS I THOUGHT WERE
DRAMATIC AND DESERVED TO
BE
WRITTEN ABOUT THAT MIGHT BE A
DOUBLE PLAY OR MISSED DOUBLE
PLAY AND THOSE WERE KEY
ELEMENTS OF THE GAME.
IN THAT NIGHT, AND THE
NIGHT
BEFORE, PEOPLE POURED ON TO
THE FIELD.
THE NIGHT BEFORE WATCHED
THE
ROYALS GAME, ROYALS
COME BACK
AND WIN THE
GAME.
THEY HAVE TO
COME BACK THE
NEXT NIGHT TO CLINCH IT.
PEOPLE JUST LEFT.
THEY DIDN'T RIP UP
THE FIELD,
TEAR UP THE GROUND.
AND CAME BACK THE
NEXT
NIGHT
AND WENT BACK ON
FIELD
, TO
CELEBRATE.
AGAIN THEY WEREN'T RIPPING
UP
THE FIELD,
TEARING UP
THE --
>>THEY WERE BEHAVING.
>>YEAH.
SINCE THEN YOU SEE THE COPS
COMING IN WITH THE HORSES AND
STUFF.
IT IS A BYGONE
ERA
.
>>ANOTHER NIGHT WAS
IN
2003.
TELL ME THE STORY OF YOUR
OBSERVATIONS OF THE
GAME
INVOLVING
THE
FIASCO?
>>
BARTMAN IS INTERESTING.
I DON'T KNOW IF I WANT
TO
EITHER PRAISE HIM
OR PILL LORI
HIM.
IT IS
-- PILLORY HIM.
IT IS INTERESTING
,
DUSTY BAKER
LED THEM
SAYING
WE CAN'T
CHANGE THE PAST BUT WE ARE
GOING TO ACKNOWLEDGE IT AND WE
ARE A DIFFERENT
TEAM
.
ANOTHER COLUMNIST
TALKS ABOUT
YOU CAN TRUST US,
WE ARE A
DIFFERENT BREED.
THE PLAYERS THAT YOU WERE
CONSCIOUS OF BEING DIFFERENT
FROM THE CURSED CUBS OF
THE
PAST.
>>YET, YOU SAY
,
YOU EXPRESS A
DEFINITE OPINION REGARDING
THE
CONSEQUENCES OF THAT.
OH WELL
WHAT IF
THERE HADN'T
ABOUT AN ERROR LATER
AND A
GAME THE NEXT DAY.
>>WHAT HAPPENS IS THE FANS
KIND OF LEAD THE
TEAMS
SELF---
THE MOST LOYAL FANS.
NOBODY DOUBTS
THAT
BARTMAN IS
A LITTLE FAN MANY ACTING
THE
WAY THAT HE ACTS,
ACCORDING
TO
HIS NATURE, THE
FLY
BALL WOULD
HAVE CAUGHT IF HE CATCHES IT
THE CUBS ONE THE WORLD SERIES
THAT YEAR.
MARLINS BEAT A WEAK
YANKEE
TEAM IN THE SERIES.
>>YOU THAT I WAS THE PIVOTAL?
>>YEAH.
>>SOME SAY THAT WAS
CERTAINLY
NOT AN
INSIGNIFICANT EVENT.
>>THE PIVOTAL MOMENT, YES.
NO DOUBT,
GONZALEZ
,
DOUBLE
PLAY BALL AFTER THAT IS WHAT
REALLY SINKS THE CUBS.
THE CUBS PLAY UP TO THEIR
NATURE AS WELL.
THE FANS
, BEHAVING ACCORDING
TO THEIR NATURE THEY LEAD
THE
CUBS SELF-DEFENSE INSTRUCTION
THAT'S AN INTERESTING WAY TO
APPROACH IT.
>>BACK TO THE SOUTHSIDE.
WITH THE
2005 WHITE SOX
, YOU
MADE A COMMENT ABOUT
THE
IMPORTANCE OF CHEMISTRY AND
THE BONDING THAT
GOES
ON AMONG
THE PLAYERS.
EXPAND ON THAT.
>>YOU MEAN, YOU CAN
ONLY
EXPAND ON IT UP TO A
POINT.
ASIDE
FROM RARE
ACCOUNTS
LIKE
JIM'S BALL FOUR,
I THINK THERE
IS A
REAL
PLAYERS DO PRESERVE
A SANCTITY ABOUT THE
CLUBHOUSE.
WHAT YOU SEE, SAY HERE
WHEN
YOU LEAVE HERE
, LET IT STAY
HERE.
YOU DON'T KNOW
EVENTUALLY
HOW
-- WHAT IT IS
ABOUT TEAM
CHEMISTRY THAT
WORKS AND IT IS
MAGIC.
NO DOUBT, BASEBALL HAS
A WEIRD
CHEMISTRY WHERE GUYS COME
TOGETHER.
ON THIS TEAM,
YOU'VE GOT
THE
ONE NIGHT
WHERE THEY ARE
OUT
AND TELLING THE
DEEJAY TO PLAY
SOME JOURNEY.
THAT BECOMES
THE
TEAM'S
THEME
SONG AND THEY WIND UP
WINNING
A CHAMPIONSHIP.
THE BEST DESCRIPTION
IS
IN
A
FICTIONAL BOOK
FIRST MARK
HARRIS NOVEL
, THE
SOUTHPAW
,
ARTHUR WIGGINS SAYS,
WINNING
MAKES WINNING LIKE
MONEY MAKES
MONEY THAT
CAPTURES BASEBALL
CHEMISTRY.
WHEN A TEAM IS WINNING
THEY
FEEL THERE IS NO END.
>>YOU DON'T JUST
FOCUS
ON
PROFESSIONAL SPORTS.
YOU ALSO LOOK AT HIGH SCHOOL
SPORTS.
ONE HAS TO DO WITH
GARNETT AND
WHAT A REMARKABLE PLAYER
HE
WAS.
WHAT MADE HIM REMARKABLE TO
YOU?
>>THING THAT WAS REALLY
AMAZING ABOUT HIM.
HE WAS JUST
UNBRIDLED
POTENTIAL.
HE WAS
--
EVEN PLAYING FOR FAR
GUT,
--
FARRAKHAN
GUT, WOULD
RUN THE
COURT LIKE MAGIC
JOHNSON, DISHING, HE WAS
NOT
THE BIG BUILT UP CENTER
,
NBA
CENTER THAT HE IS NOW, HE WAS
JUST A GUY THAT COULD DO
ANYTHING HE WANTED ON THE
COURT.
ONE OF THE JOYS OF
WATCHING
HIM WAS THAT HE DIDN'T HAVE
ANY SENSE OF ANY LIMITS
TO
WHAT HE COULD DO.
HE WOULD RUN,
SLING THE BALL
BACK HAND, BEHIND THE BACK
, ON
A FAST BREAK
AND
IT
-- HIM
AND
FIELDS, TREMENDOUS TEAM.
I WAS LUCKY.
I GOT TO SEE
BOTH
GARNETT
AND
DERRICK ROSE AS HIGH SCHOOL
PLAYERS.
WHEN THIS
-- WHEN I STARTED
DOING THE COLUMN, OF
THE
FIRST
THE WHITE SOX
FINISHED FIRST
THE SECOND YEAR THE CUBS
FINISHED FIRST AND THE THIRD
YEAR THE BEARS WON THE
CHAMPIONSHIP.
BY THAT TIME MICHAEL
JORDAN IS
ON THE SCENE AND I GET
THE
BULLS THROUGH THE 90s,
LUCKY
TIME.
>>LET'S TALK ABOUT THE BULLS
AND JORDAN.
MANY THINK THAT WAS
LIGHTNING
IN A BOTTLE.
WHAT IS
YOUR MEMORY
OF MICHAEL
JORDAN?
>>IT IS NOT
LIGHTNING IN A
BOTTLE THAT IMPLIES A ONE
HIT
WONDER.
IT WAS SUSTAINED
LIGHTNING.
>>WHAT I MEANT BY THAT
,
JORDAN HIMSELF WAS A ONCE
IN A
GENERATION KIND OF A PLAYER IS
WAY MEAN.
>>ABSOLUTELY.
I FULLY EXPECT TO GO
TO MY
GRAVE THINKING THAT JORDAN WAS
THE BEST ATHLETE I EVER SAW.
KIND
OF
A
RUTHIA IN
FIGURE.
THE FIRST GAME OF THE
'92
FINALS HE MAKES --
HE MAKES
EVERY THREE POINTER,
AND
SHRUGS HIS Svp
!ERS.
A
GREAT ONE OF THE
CLASSIC
BASEBALL
STORIES
IS
HAYWARD
,
DESCRIPTION OF A
RUTH IN THE
WORLD SERIES, THE RUTH
IS
MIGHTY AND SHALL
PREVAIL.
LATER ON
I BORROW THAT
AND SAY
THE JORDAN IS
MIGHTY
AND SHALL
PREVAIL.
HE WAS THAT KIND OF PLAYER.
>>YOUR MEMORY OF THE BEARS
OVER THE 25 YEARS THAT
YOU
COVERED SPORTS?
>>BOY,
THAT'S
85 TEAM WAS
--
THAT'S
85 TEAM WAS MAGIC
IN A
BOLT.
-- IN
A .
THEY STILL OWN THE TOWN.
THEY NEVER WON
AGAIN FOR
VARIOUS REASONS.
A LOT HAVING TO
DO
WITH DITKA
,
PART OF HAVING TO
DO WITH THE
FOLLOWING YEAR, I BELIEVE
IT
IS McMAHON GETS
CRUSHED BY
MARTIN OF THE PACKERS AND
MESSES UP HIS SHOULDER AND YOU
WIND UP WITH FLUTIE
AS YOUR
STARTING QUARTERBACK IN THE
PLAYOFFS AND THE
FOLLOWING
YEAR YOU HAVE THE
PLAYER'S
STRIKE AND DITKA
SELLS HIS
TEAM OUT, EMBRACING THE
SCAB
REPLACEMENT PLAYERS AND
THEY
NEVER WON AGAIN.
>>WE ARE WRAPPING UP.
ONE OF THE
THINGS ONE OF THE
QUESTIONS THAT YOU ASK
YOURSELF IS, WHY
YOU SO MUCH
TIME FOLLOWING A
BOYS GAME,
SPECIFICALLY BASEBALL,
WHY SO
MUCH TIME IN SPORTS IN
GENERAL,
WHY DID YOU?
>>
I THINK I FOUND
THE SAME
KIND OF DRAMA IN SPORTS THAT
IS IN
OTHER KIND
OF ADULT
LEISURE PURSUIT, MOVIES,
PLAYS,
BALLET.
IT IS
BEAUTIFUL BODIES
AND
BEAUTIFUL MOTION FOR ONE
THING.
ALWAYS THERE'S THESE
DRAMATIC
STORYLINES, YOU
-- IF YOU PAY
ATTENTION AND WATCH IT IS AS
INVOLVING AS
ANY
SHAKESPEAREAN
TRAGEDY.
>>TED COX
,
APPRECIATE IT.
>>THANK YOU.
>>AGAIN, THE BOOK IS
1001
DAYS IN THE
BLEACHERS.
READ AN EXCERPT ON OUR
WEBSITE,