Category > Centrally Located
2008 was an unpredictable year for the American League Central. Cleveland was the defending champion and Detroit made a bunch of big off-season moves, but they both underachieved for a variety of reasons and finished third and fifth, respectively. Chicago and Minnesota jumped into the void, finishing tied for first at 88-74 (the Sox won in a one-game playoff), while Kansas City emerged from the division cellar for the first time since 2003. My pre-season predictions last year were as …
Craig Breslow had a fantastic year out of the Minnesota Twins bullpen, but he’s not taking any time off this winter to rest on his laurels. Breslow, who had a 1.63 ERA in 42 appearances for Minnesota, is spending a good chunk of his offseason building support for the Strike 3 Foundation. “The Strike 3 Foundation is a charitable agency that heightens awareness, mobilizes support and raises funding for pediatric cancer research,” Breslow said. “It was started with a close …
Well, the Sox couldn’t quite dig themselves out of the 2-0 hole that they dug for themselves in Tampa, so one week after their dramatic victory over the Twins in a one-game tiebreaker, it’s already the offseason for the last team standing in the AL Central. It was an interesting season, if not a dominant one for any squad. Detroit and Cleveland were expected to dominate, but they underachieved and finished last and third, respectively. Minnesota and Chicago were tabbed …
Thanks to everyone who came out to the Smile Politely party at Mike ‘N Molly’s last night. It was a lot of fun, despite the baseball game, which was won by the White Sox, 1–0. Chicago wins the AL Central and advances to the playoffs to face Tampa Bay, starting tomorrow night. Surprisingly, there were a couple of groups of Twins fans that filed in right around 6:30 p.m., and we outnumbered the Sox fans (at least those in caps …
Last night was the biggest game up to this point of the season for both the Chicago White Sox and the Minnesota Twins. I excitedly set my DVR to record the game on Extra Innings channel 740 and left to attend the Smile Politely editors meeting; I planned to write a running diary about the game for this column when I returned home. I was a little nervous when none of the Esquire TV’s were tuned to the game, and …
Before we get to the gripping coverage of the Minnesota Twins’ utter collapse, a plug: Smile Politely is calling all baseball fans to join your favorite SP baseball columnists Sunday, September 22 21, at the Tumble Inn (302 S. Neil St., Champaign) to watch the final Cubs-Cardinals tilt of 2008 (barring a miraculous wild-card run by the Redbirds). It’s a 1 p.m. game, so come on out and join the fun. The White Sox will also be simultaneously engaging in …
Since the AL Central has been a two-team race for the majority of the season, most of the space in this column has been occupied by coverage of the White Sox and Twins. However, despite their teams’ lack of success, there is at least one player each for Cleveland, Detroit and Kansas City who has had an unexpected breakout season. In this election season, it’s important to respect the concept of equal time, so this week’s Centrally Located will be …
What would be a better end to this most unpredictable of seasons than to look around when the dust settles and find no Yankees or Red Sox in the vicinity? It could happen, as we enter September with the Yankees all but out of the race and the Red Sox clinging to the wild card by a slim margin. As of last night, the White Sox and Twins are deadlocked at the top of the AL Central, and they both …
The American League Central continues to be a tight two-team race heading into the last month of the season, as the Chicago White Sox lead the Minnesota Twins by two games heading into tonight’s play. That got me thinking, how many times over the years have the Twins and White Sox finished first and second at season’s end? Surprisingly (or maybe not if you consider each franchise’s spotty record of success over the years), it’s only happened five times, and …
August is a month that can make or break a baseball team’s season. It’s officially too late for a team that’s hanging around .500 to legitimately have a shot at the postseason, unless said team plays in the NL West. There’s also the possibility for even more distance to be put between the haves and have-nots, as teams who shipped out their veterans at the trading deadline tank, and the contenders who benefited from those fire sales beat up on …
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Oh, by the way, the “Champaign County YMCA” no longer exists. The official name is now the “Stephens Family YMCA” (the website has not been updated, but check out the latest program guide). And no, it’s not just the name of the building. It’s the name of the organization.
Very inspired Photochops as well….
Props on the new YMCA dig. I think it’s a terrible spot for it, but then again, I’m not well-to-do and I’m not willing to drive 15 minutes at $4/gallon to exercise for an hour.
http://motorcycle-intelligence.com/do-loud-pipes-save-lives/1119/ Are you a smoker, too? I feel like I’m just getting recycled arguments.
http://www.motorcyclecruiser.com/streetsurvival/dangerous_motorcycle_safety_myths/index.html “Myth 2: Loud Pipes Save Lives”
Yes, I also love the idea of the downtown! However, the “turds” that ride Harley’s or any other motorcycle have the right to ride their motorcycles regardless of the “loudness” anywhere they want. They are buying gas, hence they are contributing to the motor fuel tax that…
Yup, this was the year I realized there’s no way this is my last CU marathon, even though I’m gradumacating next week.Where else am I gonna get cheered on by 70+ year old heart-of-gold volunteers who smile at me so genuinely I could believe I’m their granddaughter?…
I always have a good, but disappointed, laugh when marathon time creeps up and I start seeing posts on the WCIA Facebook page lamenting race day and how difficult it is to get around town that day. One this year said, “can’t they just go run in…
Reminds me of Total Football (soccer) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Total_Football
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As a liberal conservative, and a person who favors taxes & services ... and also a sense of proportion; I savor the comic potential that still exists in this comments section. I’m pretty sure we can goad more anti-government rhetoric from confirmed progressives and government employees. If…
Did the Crave Truck get a permit to park in city metered spots and city right of way? Or did they just get a permit? The city clerk’s office seems to be a suspect here, but it’s not clear they did anything wrong. Did the Crave Truck…
High-profile whining. AKA Lobbying.
it’s quite choice. looking forward to seeing how it and its patronage grow and develop over the course of the year. could be a neat little ecosystem.
“It was at this point, before he started his business, that working with city employees should’ve raised red flags…” But they didn’t because: 1) The City Clerk’s office originally mis-interpreted the rules, or are indeed re-interpreting them. 2) Champaign’s brick-n-mortar merchants hadn’t yet started whining about The Crave Truck.
Super cool! Excellent track, Excellent band.
Looking forward to trying this place!
I’m in the middle (or the beginning or end, depending on how you look at it) of re-reading Slaughterhouse Five. What a great companion column.
Get yours early. The Rave’s CD will be available at Exile and at The C-U Flea on Saturday. C-U Flea details here: http://www.smilepolitely.com/news/sp_radio_podcast_c-u_flea_arrives/
I don’t know about Gerard and a random police sargeant. My (mild) outrage is based on this: “...he worked closely with Champaign City Clerk Marilyn Banks to make sure he was licensed properly as a transient food peddler, filling out the necessary paperwork and paying a $225…
Local Yocal pretty much nails it here. I suspect there will be merchants who oppose food trucks because they arguably don’t pay their fair share to locate their trucks in high traffic (high rent) areas. The food trucks take away business from rent payers, park in city…
Oh nice! I’d totally vote for Matt Campbell!
“Smile Politely sports writer announces candidacy for city government.”
I also got to visit Big Grove Tavern during the soft open and definitely enjoyed the pork belly the most of all the dishes I sampled. The cheesy grits and the vinegary pickled vegetables were a perfect compliment to the rich pork belly.
The Alan Partridge lookalike on the right in the first small photo has nothing to condescend to anyone about. AH HA!
Snell and the little Hitlers of the neighborhood association need to chill out. Legitimate businesses should have the freedom to exist without having to endure the slings and arrows of ignorant and misguided opposition.
represent, Matt.
Yeah, I’d agree that Transporter Room 3 is the worst house venue I’ve ever seen.
Food trucks are the start-up, small businesses of the future for those unable to afford real estate. No surprise, that merchants who pay rent, utilities, and maintenance on a property would despise the traveling competition. Or developers who build more empty retail spaces would want to close…
Not so much far-right Tea Party as a balanced, moderate viewpoint between letting businesses succeed and protecting society with reasonable regulations. In spite of what the city reps are saying, the interpretation of policy on this issue certainly has changed. Letting a business start up under one…
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@Dan - Wow. Unfortunately, I have to refrain from further comment due to a previous employment relationship. But with that brief context you might be able to imagine possible comments or responses I could have.