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Thursday thoughts (or as close as it gets to thinking around here): The Chicago Cubs reportedly are interested in Joe Girardi, the New York Yankees manager whose contract expires on Oct. 31. Part of the appeal is the presumptiom that he would increase fan interest. Because fans of Chicago baseball can tell you how well that is going with the White Sox and Robin Ventura as their manager. If the Sox’ idea was to ruin Ventura’s popularity (not to mention the team’s odds of success after the departure of Ozzie Guillen), then hiring their former third baseman who had no managerial experience is close to a complete success.
The St. Louis Cardinals never looked so good — thanks to Katie Miller. Credit: Bersano Photography
* If the Cubs are going to go after some represented by agent Steve Mandell, the overwhelming choice — well, in some circles — no doubt would be Mike Ditka. Hey, Da Coach used to be a pretty good baseball player once upon a time before he directed his talented solely to football.
* If we go on the assumption that managers actually do sell tickets, then the question is: door-to-door or by telephone?
* Hey, Ozzie Guillen is available, as others have noted. Of course, any contract between the Cubs and him would have to include a clause that grants him an opt-out if he spots any rats at Wrigley Field.
* Speaking of selling things … For Derrick Rose, absence apparently did make the heart grow fonder. Or the buying public, as the case may be. The Chicago Bulls star, who sat out last season as he recovered from anterior-cruciate ligament surgery, landed at No. 2 on the NBA’s list of global jersey sales. Miami Heat star LeBron James has the world’s best-selling NBA jersey (based on adidas’s numbers for last season. Kobe Bryant was third, followed by Kevin Durant, Dwyane Wade, Carmelo Anthony, Dwight Howard, Deron Williams, Blake Griffin and Rajon Rondo. In U.S. sales, James is No. 1, followed by Rose, Bryant, Durant, Anthony, Wade, Howard, Williams, Griffin and Rondo. Gee, maybe Rose should take another season off to see if he can surpass James. Maybe not. Something says if Rose can end up with the No. 1 team in the Eastern Conference, he would end up with the No. 1 spot on the sales charts.
* The Cincinnati Reds lose one day in the National League play-in game (or whatever they call it) and the Cleveland Indians lose the next. Meaning both teams are eliminated from the postseason. Meaning each team played precisely one more game than the Cubs and/or White Sox. Which raises the philosophical question: Who is more disappointed — a fan of a team that loses 90-plus games in a season or a fan of a team that loses in the one-game playoff to be a part of the regular postseason?
* Any guess who Cubs fans are rooting for (actually probably against is more likely) in the St. Louis Cardinals-Pittsburgh Pirates series?
* From our department of self-promotion (which has revved up in recent days), may we offer this: “Sports & Torts” — the interview program co-hosts by David Spada and Elliott Harris on Talkzone.com — is urging you and everyone else to voting at podcast.com for for the Peoples Choice, Best Produced, Best Video Podcast and Best Sports Podcast. Go to podcastawards.com and type in our show name and URL. Here is the URL: http://www.talkzone.com/shows/155/1660.html.
* Speaking of “Sports & Torts” — the highly acclaimed interview show (well, it is held in such high regard in the Spada and Harris households, as well as reportedly elsewhere — the guest on the Oct. 3 program is former Dallas Cowboys standout Rayfield Wright. The show airs at noon Central time on Talkzone.com. The Pro Football Hall of Fame offensive tackle — whom David and your humble correspondent had the pleasure of meeting at the 2013 Pro Football Hall of Fame induction weekend — is a delightful fellow. Tune in to see how true that is. If you are unable to tune in, the show will be available on podcast at Talkzone.com later Thursday.
Here is where to go for a daily dose of non-gratuitous video (thanks to the endless efforts of the editorial and video departments at elliottharris.com and their broad-minded definition of “gratuitous”):
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