Originality, Cubs’ titles still lacking
The Chicago Cubs found a severed goat’s head at Wrigley Field on Wednesday.
Chicago police were called in to investigate after a man stopped the white van he was driving, walked a box to a security entrance on Waveland Avenue and wordlessly put it down, Cubs spokesman Julian Green said.
Security workers opened the box, addressed to team owner Tom Ricketts, and discovered the severed head.
Green said Thursday that police were given surveillance video, and that he doesn’t know why someone would deliver a goat’s head.
Cubs Manager Dale Sveum had a theory, of sorts.
“Obviously, it’s just an unfortunate fan doing something pretty stupid,” he said.
The significance of the goat, however, isn’t lost on many. In 1945, a tavern owner named William “Billy Goat” Sianis tried to bring a goat to a World Series game, but was told his goat - which had a ticket - smelled too much to be admitted. Sianis angrily put a curse on the team and since then, the Cubs haven’t been back to the World Series.
Fans have had little to cheer on the field in recent years, as the Cubs lost more than 100 games last year and are off to a rocky start this season.
Cubs players, however, weren’t intimidated by the gesture.
“That’s probably just an upset fan or a fan of another team,” first baseman Anthony Rizzo said before the Cubs played the San Francisco Giants on Thursday.
“My opinion it’s just dumb, but it is what it is.”
Pitcher Jeff Samardzija was disappointed with the lack of creativity.
“Very original since it’s only been around for 60, 70 years,” pitcher Jeff Samardzija said.
“You’d think they’d come up with something different.”
As for Green, he doesn’t want anything to do with another goat.
“We’ve got one too many goat legends,” he said. “We don’t need another one.”
Girlfriend power
Think of it as power couples instead of Fred Couples.
Some of the talk Thursday at the Masters wasn’t just about what was happening on the tees and greens in Augusta, Ga., but who was outside the ropes looking in.
The No. 1 and No. 2-ranked players in the world, Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy, had entourages that included girlfriends with some pedigree of their own.
For Woods it was Lindsey Vonn, the Olympic ski champion and now his very public companion. She watched from the clubhouse lawn as Woods teed off on No. 1, and lingered around to see him after he came off the 18th green.
In between, she drew a crowd of photographers who gathered around her while Woods played the ninth hole.
Caroline Wozniacki, once the No. 1 tennis player in the world, has been linked to McIlroy for nearly two years. She’s now No. 10 in world standings.
Wozniacki put on a caddie’s bib Wednesday for the Par 3 contest, and McIlroy even had her hit a shot, which she topped in the water. On Thursday, she was in the crowd following the Irish player during the first round.
McIlroy and Wozniacki were prominently featured on television coverage of the Par 3 contest, an informal outing for players and their families.
As far as lingering camera shots on celebrities during the tournament, ESPN spokesman Josh Krulewitz said:
“The focus of our coverage remains on the competition.”
Of course, he didn’t say which competition.
Quote of the day
“If you just look at the numbers, 32-2, I mean, that’s fun. If you’re 32-2, you go to the ballpark knowing that you’re going to win.” Arkansas Coach Dave Van Horn on facing top ranked LSU, which is off to the best 34-game start in program history
Sports, Pages 18 on 04/12/2013