Purdue Bloggers...Please STFU!

All the rah-rah the past few days was needless.

No moral victories like all of the true Cinderellas are enjoying. Purdue got rolled and we knew it was coming. Enjoy the off season and take a break for fucks sake. I loved this team like each of you did but get off the 'us against the world' wagon...it's empty.

Also, I know how each of you have a MASSIVE crush on him but sorry Chris Kramer sucked tonight...he gave us a run against A&M but didn't support the team AT ALL tonight. I think he did a great deal in his career but to put him up there with Drew Brees is foolish.

GO CUBS!
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Are You Ready For Cubs Baseball?

Hey Cubs fans, stop fretting over a new Toyota sign in the bleachers and enjoy the fact that it's spring and (real) Cubs baseball is just around the corner. Until then, enjoy a video of the 2009 Cubs highlights featuring a couple spectacular plays by COI favorite Andy White and an amazing triple by The Murderer, Ted Lilly.

Go Cubs!


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Kenney Pulls Out, Mother Claims His Dad Should Have Too

Doh!

Don't say I didn't warn you. It looks like the Cubs are backing down from the opposition put in place by a couple of teams that disagreed with the proposed eight percent increase in all Cactus League ticket sales. According to Phoenix Business Journal, the Cubs think they can get the funding elsewhere:

But Cubs President Crane Kenney said Thursday that the team does not need the tax to help finance the new stadium. Kenney said the team could finance the stadium through a $1 increase to Maricopa County’s rental car tax, bonding and spending increases to be voted on by Mesa voters.

So where exactly will that money come from?

Alternative funding plans for the Cubs stadium and other Cactus League ballparks include creating special tax districts to help finance stadiums or new taxes on restaurants and satellite television services. Mesa lobbyists Scott Butler and John MacDonald argue those funding mechanisms don’t have support at the Legislature or wouldn’t create enough revenue. Most of the other ideas, they say, have come from lobbyist John Kaites, who represents the White Sox and Seattle Mariners.

So instead of taxing people that actually go to see baseball games, most of whom are tourists, they think they are going to tax the citizens of Arizona?
Yeah, fucking right!

It's been said before, and it looks like it needs to be said again. The Cubs are the number one draw in the Cactus league. They pull in 20% of all the attendance, set league attendance records each year, and yes, bring fans to other ballparks. This past Sunday, the Idiots headed out to Tempe Diablo Stadium to see the Cubs play the Angels. The place was bursting at the seams. You can't tell me they didn't oversell that stadium and that if it was any other team it wouldn't have been half empty.

And then you got Bud Selig sticking his big ass ears in the ring.

"We need to find a solution," said Selig, who visited Scottsdale Stadium during the game between the Milwaukee Brewers and San Francisco Giants.

"We have people working on it. I think we've made some progress. It's a difficult situation. Certainly, everybody wants the Cubs to stay here, including the Cubs."

As Wrigleyville23 has pointed out, Selig's interest is more involved with the Brewers than it is with pleasing the other owners. The Brewers play in a run-down park as well, and their contract expires in 2012, just like the Cubs. If the Cubs do stay in Mesa, the probability of the Brewers moving to Florida is a good one, as Bud's former team will look to get the backlash of freebies that Naples or another Florida city had lined up for the Cubs.

What would Spring Training be without the Cubs, Angry's awesome cooking and craft beer?

At this point, it's a clusterfuck, and god forbid the Cubs actually use some leverage to get a decent stadium built in Mesa. The proposed Cactus League ticket tax was the best way to do this. Sure, some fans will get upset, they complain they already pay $26 to see a couple innings of actual major league talent and they don't want to pay $28. Look, if you're paying for premium seats, that's what you're paying for, not for the talent. We pay for lawn seats and they're just as good, if not more fun.

So instead of pissing off a couple of snow birds, you're going to piss off the entire state? The taxpayers of Arizona WILL NOT vote on any new taxes to pay for the Cubs new stadium.

So grow a pair, Kenney. And if you do hightail it to Florida, don't expect the fans in Arizona to welcome you back when you lose all your Spring Training revenue. Okay, we will welcome you back, but whatever.

Go Cubs, and Happy St. Patty's Day!



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The Wheels on the Bus Go 'Round and 'Round...Except When They Don't.

This special edition post is brought to you by Huggies, designed with you and your happy baby in mind.

As Angry reported it was another successful weekend of Spring Training with the Cubbies. One of highlights was the amount of networking COI was able to do, meeting up with the Heckler crew from Chicago including COI Cubs Cutie, Sarah Spain from No Spain, No Gain. After the game, Lazy and I traveled up to the press box to chat for a brief moments with Tim Sheridan, Hohokam P.A. Announcer and author of Boys of Spring.

In Cubs news, kids are being featured prominently.

The Lilly family welcomed Theodore Roosevelt Lilly IV on Sunday. Despite what is going to be many sleepless nights for the new father, Lilly is still ahead of schedule. I caught him and Rothschild going over his motion before the game Saturday at one of the Hohokam practice fields. I'm no scout, but he was pitching off the mound and didn't seem to have any discomfort. Reports are putting Lilly briefly into a Cactus League game, with a only a couple rehab starts in the minors before he is able to join the team in real, live action come April.

It looks like Lou is going to the kid a chance, as The Riot was named leadoff starting this spring. All jokes aside, Ryan has been hitting great this Spring Training, let's just hope it carries over to when the Cubs head into the regular season and he tries a little less on putting himself on second, as Theriot was only 70% in steals last season.

Finally, our headlining story is that the Cubs bus broke down on the way to Tucson on Sunday. Fortunately for Zambrano and Koyie, Z's cousin was following behind and gave the two a lift so Z could warm up. The team arrived an hour and half later.

Well, that's it for now kiddies, now who a wants an ice cold Capri Sun/Vodka jello shot?

Go Cubs!


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New and improved Soto and other items from this past weekend

So while at the game in Tempe this past Sunday I couldn't help but notice that Geo looks awfully svelte this spring. I knew he dropped weight but holy hell. I actually turned to my friend Jeff and commented, "Is that fucking Soto?" Occasionally I have a potty mouth at games. What of it? I mean am I the only one doubting it's him as he walks to the plate? Dude looks like he worked his ass off this past winter. It's just a shame it takes a mediocre season for these guys to get in that kind of shape for THEIR JOB. Then again, he might have just laid off the grass and subsequent munchies that went with it.

Soto's dramatic weight loss is just one highlight from what turned out be a solid baseball weekend in Arizona. The Idiots had the pleasure of meeting Sarah Spain, the man behind The Heckler, and the crew of countless other Chicagoans they were traveling with on Saturday. The Cubs were in Mesa facing the Reds and COI was rocking a nice tailgate from before 10am until we were kicked out at sunset. We played washers, bags, and drink the beer all day. From there we headed to Sun Devil Wine Cellar were Ginger Russ could barely keep himself propped up. I had a pint of Left Hand Milk Stout that was on point.

Sunday the scene moved to Tempe for Cubs @ Angels. Lazy Steve ditched the crew due to a last second visit by family. We enjoyed a few Deschutes beers while the Cubs battled the halos. Of course the Angels over sold the place to the point of bursting....and these assholes are freaking out about a $1 surcharge to help keep the Cubs. Fucking greedy morons. Post-game found us at Four Peaks Brewing where I was reminded (again) of why I like San Tan Brewing way more than Four Peaks.

All in all it was a great weekend. Next weekend sees my parents come to town to take in a few games with us. Ginger's parents will be in too so next Saturday's tailgate figures to be packed. Nothing like sun, beer, good people, and baseball on a March day near Phoenix. Anyone in Chicago who hasn't been to Spring Training yet is really missing out.

Next Idiotic game: Angry Mike visits Camelback Ranch for the Cubs @ Sox game this Friday
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COI Spring Training Weekend #2

Is there anything more perfect than this? Well, I guess I could be getting a
handy from Lazy at while watching the game.

It's another Cubs packed weekend for the Idiots. Tomorrow we head out to Hohokam for another round of tailgating, craft brews, pork-filled delights and rounds of cornhole (the washer toss game, not the bean bag one). The Cubs b-team will take on the Dusty Baker Communists while the a-team will be finishing the second round of the cross-town classic in Vegas. Unfortunately, the only Vegas experience the Idiots will be having this year happened during the annual post-game trip to Casino Arizona last Saturday. The hangovers will then be drunk away on Sunday as we head to Tempe to see the Angels and black latino player hating Torii Hunter (the extra "i" is for "idiot").

Speaking of Idiots, is it a good thing or a bad thing that the big spring training news this year is that the former Cubs outfielder who will remain nameless can't shut his trap about how bad a baseball town Chicago is? I won't go into any rants or raves about it on this forum, if you want that check one of the other many less popular blogs out there. Hope you have some time while you're there, cause they basically outline every goddamn mistake that said player made while in Chicago. I'm not supporting the guy or anything, but isn't this basically what he wants - people talking about him? I think One Minute Cubs said it the best that Chicago was a perfect fit, he just blew his load a little early.

Chicago has a lot of media and fans who will listen to the sh*t dribbling out of his mouth. Heck, even now that he's gone, he's still getting airwaves on Chicago's dime. The NY Post, or Times, or whatever (it's all F'ing New York), and now ESPN are giving Milton the opportunity to continue to spout his drivel, because in Seattle, no one pays attention long enough to care. What Milton didn't realize was, he blew his load too soon.

He had a full three years to spout, and could've gone on unabated if he'd just paced himself. Ya know? Year one could've been about how uncomfortable he was, then year two, he could've brought up how no one in the club house likes him. By year three, his walk year, he could've brought up the racist hype and honestly, even after he resigned somewhere else with someone who could "change" him, he would've so incensed the crowd here he could've ridden that train until 2020 - on 20/20 no less.

Too bad we missed all that...

If no news is good news this year, I hope it's not the type of news that your doctor keeps from you until it's terminal. "We're sorry Ginger, but that lump is cancer. We would have told you sooner, but you just seemed so optimistic." It's pretty obvious that this is going to be an experimental year for Lou and not just because his hand is forced by injuries. The amount of playing time the youngsters Castro, Vitters and Colvin are receiving during Spring Training is a sign that Lou is open to playing the hot hand this year, regardless of experience.

On a bad note, the Cubs have already had a handful of injuries this Spring Training and things don't seem to be getting any better. Guzman might have not only season-ending ligament surgery on his throwing shoulder, but could very easily be done for his career. COI and Ginger favorite Andy White is out with a mild knee sprain for a couple weeks. Nady was expected to be ready for the start of the regular season after coming off Tommy John surgery, but projections put him as late as June for a return. The only positive is that TRL is ahead of schedule and throwing off the mound.

Beer brats and grilled onions, just one of the tasty delights cooked up by resident chef, Angry.

Well, it looks like the weather will hold up this weekend, as last weekend was rain shortened on Sunday. It's been some wicked cool and wet weather this Spring (did I just turn into a Bostonian?). Maybe mother nature is trying to show fans what a trip to Florida would be like if the Cubs were to move to Naples for Spring Training (it's not locked up yet, folks, the team could still move). Either way, the Idiots and Cubs fans will enjoy a sun (and beer) soaked weekend.

BTW, if you are looking for the most in-depth coverage of the actual games (that really isn't our thing), head on over to Boys of Spring, written by Hohokam P.A. Announcer and overall great guy, Tim Sheridan. Don't worry, we won't feel bad if you leave.


Go Cubs!



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Ginger's iPod: Broken Bells

I don't purchase many new albums. In a rock music landscape full of self-loathing, skinny jeans and makeup wearing hipsters, it's hard to find anything new and good these days. The last album I bought that I thought was worth a damn was the Yeah Yeah Yeah's "It's Blitz". But I recently found something worthy enough to add into my regular rotation.

Broken Bells self-titled debut album came out this Tuesday and through the urging of many of the "music" guys at EOC I picked it up and haven't put it down. The duo consists of the Shins frontman, James Mercer, and hit-maker extraordinaire, Brian Baker aka DJ Danger Mouse, who has worked with a variety of artists from Beck to Gorillaz to the Black Keys. He is most notably known for another paired partnership with Cee-Lo Green in the group Gnarls Barkley.

So what does it sound like when a progressive producer and the lead singer/songwriter of a pop friendly get together? Surprisingly the result is a melodic, beat heavy, chorus driven style that is as catchy as it is fresh. But I'm really not that good at all this review stuff, so let's let Rolling Stone describe the album:

It turns out the two pop-science geeks are a perfect match. Danger Mouse pushes Mercer's gorgeous, existential tunecraft outward with Day-Glo dynamics. "'Cause they know, and so do I/The high road is hard to find," Mercer sings on the opening chorus of Bells. The lyrics are about the loneliness of decision-making — they may refer to life in the trenches of normalcy, or, perhaps, to Mercer's recent professional decisions (he more or less fired two members of the Shins). But what sweeps you up are the sweet, ascending verses, the rolling chorus and the Danger Mouse touches: analog-synth swirls, slo-mo kick drums, a melancholy bass line — hip-hop for turned-on shut-ins.

Cool variations on the Gnarls formula — Danger and a quirkily excellent singer making arty, transcultural pop — run throughout the album. "Vaporize" begins with Mercer's fey workaday voice and a strummed acoustic, then takes off with smeared snares, bouncy organ and a jaunty Bacharach-David-style horn break. It's punchier than the Shins, and livelier than you'd expect from a song whose title suggests innovative marijuana consumption — an anthem of solidarity for malcontents, teenage and otherwise, not unlike "Crazy." The catchy, midtempo "The Ghost Inside" even has Mercer singing in a T-Pained falsetto — it's not hard to imagine it on the hit parade, along with the soaring, U2-flavored "October."

Broken Bells isn't all crossover ambition. Tracks like "Your Head Is on Fire" — a drum-machine space waltz floating between Syd Barrett and something from Brian Eno's Another Green World — won't make the short list of Glee covers. But with a new Shins record reportedly brewing, Mercer seems to be following some of the instructions in his own songs: Life is short, brother — go for it. The introverted indie guy isn't gone, and he's still not afraid to tell you that we're ultimately alone on this journey. "If you want to follow me, you should know," he sings. "I was lost then/And I'm lost now/And I doubt I'll ever know which way to go." Maybe. But for the moment, in Danger Mouse, Mercer has found a promising fellow traveler.

If you like anything that Danger Mouse has produced, this is a definite purchase. It's not so much the Shins as it as genius record sung (and co-wrote) by the guy from the Shins. I picked up the MP3 CD off amazon.com for $4.99 (unfortunately it is now back to regular pricing), which made it even a better deal. If you're one of those "oldies" that want's something tangible, swing by your local record store, or pick it while getting picking up your coffee at Starbucks you fucking hipster.


And, Go Cubs!


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Not many douchebags? I beg to differ.

The guys pictured above were part of a group that acted like the typical toolbag Cub fans that you would expect to see stumbling around Wrigleyville all day on Saturday. Dude in the blue shirt even has a shirt that is pretty much ripping off a fellow bloggers site.

You might be asking yourself, Angry Mike, why are you being so hard on these guys? It's pretty simple. They only find their way out of the woodwork for weekend games against teams like the White Sox. This is no surprise considering 1 in 4 of the morons is a Sox fan. Went to the game on Thursday and groups like this were no where to be seen. Was a pretty good day. Anyway, I am not going to give much more attention to these jerks. Just felt like throwing a couple of them under the bus. Thanks for keeping things classy guys!

To recap, the Idiots made it to the games Thurs thru Sat. Lazy Steve and myself made it to the opening game on Thursday to enjoy some ribeye sandwiches and delicious brews at the tailgate while Ginger attended on Friday. We consolidated things on and all made it to the white wash that was Saturday's game where I was grilling some Fat Tire brats from the famous Pork Shop. Here are some of the pics...



Yeah, this last guy wasn't having a very good day on Thursday. We are just getting into the swing of things so I should compile some better picture and possibly some video this upcoming weekend. Again, the Idiots will be in attendance for both weekend games. Expect to see Ginger posting intermittently with some footage and thoughts as well.

Tomorrow we get back to some non-Spring Training related issues. Until then...

GO CUBS!
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Happy Opening Day Arizona Cubs Fans!

As I write this, 2/3 of COI (Angry and Lazy) are over at Hohokam Park tailgating for the Spring Training Opener against the Oakland A's. Right now I'm sure they're drinking a cold IPA and tossing washers while listening to some Wilco. Unfortunately, I am unable to attend the opening day tradition with the other Idiots, but luckily will be making it out to Mesa the next couple days for clear skies, 70 degree weather, cold beers and of course baseball.

Today, rookie phenom Randy WWWWWWWWWWWWells (that's a W for each win last year, we can reset it after the real beginning of the season) takes the mound for the first pitch, although Lou will showcase much of his bullpen including Marshall, Mathes, Parisi and Caridad to see how they can help the club this year. Lou will also feature what we can only assume will be his Opening Day lineup, sans Fonzie in left who is still working on getting 100% healthy. Tomorrow Big Z will get the nod, followed by Fatty Shamu, Carlos Silva, on Saturday.

Yep, folks, it's the greatest time of the year around these parts. No doubt COI will keep you updated from the front lines. The greatest part of Spring Training (besides the tailgating, great weather and scantily clad women) is that you get to see these guys really having fun. Sure, some of the players are fighting for their jobs, but this year Lou's lineup is pretty well set, with only a couple question marks on the bench and in the pen.

And the laid back atmosphere translates to the crowd as well. You will be hard pressed to find your "classic" douchebag Cubs fan, especially during the tailgating or if you choose to sit in the lawn section. One example is a couple years ago I forgot to bring the rolls for our pork tenderloin sandwiches during the tailgate. No problem, I went out searching. Within five minutes I returned, not only with buns in hand, but also an ice cold beer someone happily gave me.

So welcome back Spring and the Boys in Blue! Keep tuned for highlights (and low lights) from COI.

Go Cubs!


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Lagunitas and Brew Dog doing CRAYZAY good things!

So many of our readers are probably from the Chicago area. Assuming that's true, most of you are familiar with Wilco and might be big fans. I certainly am. After moving to Arizona in 2003 I started getting cozy with the local West Coast breweries. One of the best being Lagunitas. The two are joined for one of Lagunitas 2010 limited releases. Now I haven't tried this brew yet, but it's from the guys out of Petaluma, California so it has to be the money.



Found another gem the other day on Facebook. Have you ever wanted to buy your Mom personalized beer for Mother's Day but couldn't find a brewery to fill your need. Yeah, me too. Well wait no further. Those insane Scots that brought us Tactical Nuclear Penguin are filling the Mother's Day beer market as of now.

Oh, in unrelated news, tomorrow is the Cubs first Spring Training game. Angry Mike and Lazy Steve will be there documenting (50/50 chances at best) things. Check out our Twitter feed for in game updates.

GO CUBS!
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The State of COI - It's All Good

Yeah it's me again. Crazy right? Two days in a row has to be some sort of a damn record for me (not really). I told you all that the upcoming season has me inspired.

A lot of you probably heard that Ginger Russ has joined Exile on Clark. What does that mean for COI? Less posting by Russ most likely. It also means I will be piping up more. You can count on nothing but regression with regards to the site's graphics as I am not a graphics designer and I don't have the time to learn that shit. I'll try to be as engaging as possible but I make no promises any of you will like it. To be honest I could care less. My vision for this blog was to provide an outlet for 3 pent up Cubs fans. It was NOT started to write witty bullshit about topics that have nothing to do with...well...anything. Russ and I (sometimes Steve when he's hammered) are a good balance when we have things going well but I think I can stand on my own if needed.

So, in a nutshell, if you enjoy the following you should keep tuning into COI:

• Sports
• Beer
• Music

If you like none of those, how the hell did you find yourself on our site anyway?

PEACE!
GO CUBS!
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Cactus League Spring Training Guide - Hohokam Park

Finally got to Hohokam. Honestly I didn't feel like posting this tonight but the season is inspiring me. Lazy Steve and I will be attending the Cubs opening Spring Training game on Thursday (yes I will have pics) so lets review the good times there is to be had at Hohokam Park in sunny Mesa, Arizona.

Where to be pre-game...


There is only one place to be before a game at Hohokam, outside the stadium enjoying a tailgate party. Most of you are probably saying, "But Angry Mike, we don't live in Arizona and lack the required equipment to host a proper tailgate." Excuses. Who said you can't stop at a local store, pick up some good beer, and camp out for an hour before the game? Usually, friendly Cubs fans like myself will ask you to play washers (cornhole? whatever). If you are interested in stopping by a COI sanctioned tailgate send us an email.

Stadium experience...


Hohokam is the most entertaining park you will stop at in the Cactus League. A lot of this has to do with the morons you will find inside. A COI favorite has been this asshole that wears a jersey that says "cursed" on the back. Yeah, wear it like a badge of honor dick. Needless to say, we at COI enjoy the opportunity to ridicule self-loathing Cubs fans.

The beer selection is a bit limited but they have some decent bombers. Generally we load up on good beer on the tailgating fields so we throw back a couple $8 margaritas from the Dos Gringos stand. They aren't that great but they hit the spot when the sun is blazing.

Typically we buy general admission lawn seats and walk around the park as the game progresses. Some of the volunteers that work there like harassing us when we stand at the railings watching the game. They have nothing better to do.

All-in-all this is just a good game to see a game whether you are a kid looking for a good time, a family guy bringing the kids to the game, or a baseball aficionado.

Where to be post-game...



The hidden gem of this area has got to be the Sun Devil Wine Cellar. Most bone heads will tell you to head to Sluggo's after a Cubs ST game, but again, most Cubs fans are bone heads. SDWC has 3 rotating taps of premium beer and 3 wall coolers of bottles to compliment them. They also feature a huge selection of wine that they will cork for a nominal fee. On top of that they have about 18 selections by the glass.

If you think you are in the wrong place as you approach Sun Devil Liquors don't doubt yourself. It doesn't look like much from the outside. Just walk through the awesome beer/liquor store up top to the staircase downstairs.

Just beyond the bar is a lounge that is perfect for larger groups. The couches feel pretty good after a long day at the ballpark.

Restaurants? Check out Los Dos Molinos after the game (about 4 miles away). Have to be prepared for some hot New Mexican food but you will love it. Another option is Ra Sushi (about 8 miles away) if you don't mind heading down US-60 a bit.

I hope some of you guys make it down for what I call the best month of the year in Arizona. Give us a holler and we will see if we can't arrange some tailgate or bar time.

GO CUBS!

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