31st Edition - 10/18/06

• My new manager: Is Piniella an idiot?

The following item is going to get very little press in the Chicago area. But it shouldn't. In multiple interviews yesterday the Cubs new manager Lou Piniella claimed to not know about the curse of the goat. Piniella said he just found out about it on Monday. I read this, and I hear it when he gave an interivew on ESPN Radio 1000.

When Piniella spoke of the curse, there was no joke in his voice, there was no obvious benefit of lying about this, it seemed he was serious, he didn't now about the goat. If indeed he was serious, this is a problem.

First things first, I don't believe in the curse. I never have. But I KNOW about it.

Piniella is a baseball lifer. He has been in the game for over 40 years and played for the Yankees.

*How did the curse of the goat NEVER come up socially when someone talked about the Curse of the Bambino?
*There are only two curses in baseball. It's not a broad subject that requires a lot of research.
*Did Piniella never watch a Cubs playoff game? In 2003 FOX showed images of the goat about 2,000 times.
*Piniella was an analyst for FOX, did he never have to do research on the teams?
*In the Cubs interview process, do they not ever bring up the fan base or history of the club?.. as in, "Lou, how do you think you'll handle questions about Cubs fans or the curse with the media?" - after all, he is now the face of the ball club.

All of the above applies, IF Piniella didn't know about the goat. If he did, then the answer to my very first question is yes, Lou Piniella is an idiot. If he lied about his knowledge to somehow prove the curse doesn't matter, then he isn't very good at interviews. Or perhaps it is simply a matter of a 63-year-old man starting to lose his grip. If so, managing the Cubs isn't going to help him. So annoyed right now, moving on...

• My Mets: On life support

Mets 2, Cardinals 4 (Cards lead the series 3-2)
Hmmmm, looks like trouble. The Mets had a 2-0 lead but Glavine couldn't hold it, in fact he only lasted four innings. A Game 7 is the only thing that could give this series some excitement.

Tonight's game
Game 6, 7:19 on FOX
Carpenter vs. Maine

• Stuff

I just watched "Dazed & Confused" again last night. I don't understand how two of the most popular seniors WANT to hang out with two freshmen, so they both (seperately, mind you) invite them to the party and make sure to hang out with them the whole night. It's not a tradition at this school, because NO ONE else does it. I'm interviewing Linklater tomorrow, we'll see if I bring this up.

Anything else I should ask him?