Cubs-White Sox Series a Bit of a Lost Cause

Monday meanderings: There nothing quite Chicago’s interleague baseball series with the Cubs playing the White Sox. Especially with both teams on losing streaks. Of course, that allows each team’s fans to say the other team is worse than the other — rather than lay claim to which team actually is better.

Cristina of the Chicago Luvabulls ought to take your mind off LeBron James and the NBA Finals for at least a moment or two.

* With the White Sox in first place in the American League Central and the Cubs last in the National League Central, there’s no question which team is having a better season. All part of Cubs president of baseball operations Theo Espstein’s grand plan no doubt. The Cubs will be better than a sixth-place team in 2013 — although that will be more a byproduct of the Houston Astros moving to the American League.

* Speaking of the Cubs-White Sox series, Comcast SportsNet coverage of the series Monday-Wednesday (June 18-20) will begin at 5 p.m. each evening with “Chicago Tribune Live” broadcast from U.S. Cellular Field. Monday and Wednesday will be “Sox” telecasts with Ken Harrelson and Steve Stone in the booth to call those games; Cubs announcers Len Kasper and Bob Brenly will call Tuesday’s game. CSNChicago.com will stream all press conferences with Sox manager Robin Ventura and Cubs manager Dale Sveum live.

* Bo Jackson’s Give Me a Chance Foundation will hold its fourth annual Celebrity Charity Golf Classic on Friday (June 22) at the Bolingbrook (Ill.) Country Club. Among the celebrities scheduled to attend are former football and baseball star Jackson, Ken Griffey Jr., Ray Lewis, Eddie George, Stan Mikita, Tommie Harris, Otis Wilson, Richard Dent, Ruben Brown, Jody Davis, Cliff Levingston, Rich Nye, Bobby Howry, Jerry Porter, David Diaz and more. J. Silva, who won best new artist at the Chicago Music Awards, will perform the national anthem. The event includes golf, lunch on the course, dinner, awards and silent and live auctions. Registration is closed. Golfing is to begin with an 11:30 shotgun start. For donations and information, persons may go to givemeachancefoundation.org.

* Speaking of Comcast (which owns NBC), why don’t the powers-that-be let NBC Sports personality Bob Costas wear something a little less formal than coat and tie on the golf course. Granted Costas dresses nicely, but you’d think Comcast could work out a wardrobe deal with some company to provide something a little more casual that doesn’t look out of place. Granted Sunday was the U.S. Open’s final round, and this was the U.S. Open. But golf commentators should have to wear such formal attire only if golfers have to, too.

* If the NBA Finals — which the Miami Heat leads 2-1 vs. the Oklahoma City Thunder — doesn’t go at least six games, there are going to be some very unhappy LeBron James haters out there. All that negativity toward the Heat’s superstar is going to produce a positive result for the Thunder? Yours truly is fairly positive that’s not how things work — unless James is so sensitive to the words of others, which he apparently has managed to overcome if it ever was a problem.

* Speaking of the NBA, we might as well run some more video of another Chicago Luvabulls dancer. Today we have Cristina. To check out her video, you can click here.

* Speaking of pro sports team dancers and the like, the Chicago Going Pro Expo for females older than 18 interested in sports cheerleading and/or dance, fitness, dance, pageant, modeling and entertainment industries will be Sunday (June 24) from 9 a.m.-6 p.m. at HiFi Fitness, 820 N. Orleans, Suite 100. Vendors will be on site, and workshops and choreography sessions will be part of the program. Information is available by clicking here. Chicago Blackhawks Ice Crew director Wynne Lacey, Chicago Adrenaline Rush director Gloria Esposito, 2008 Miss Illinois USA Shanon Lersch — all of whom this site considers friends — will be among those providing presenations at the event. Definitely sounds like an event your humble correspondent should cover.

Here is some video from another Going Pro event:

As long as we’re going to run video, here is New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady performing (OK, not really performing) “Call Me Maybe” — yes, some people are quite creative and/or have a lot of time to do video editing:

If you survived viewing that, you likely will find the following a bit more enjoyable:

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