Anyone listening to WGN Radio last night?

[TheCommander]

Originally Posted by Lefty34

He offers no real commentary during the game other than to occasionally ask Pat Hughes what happened on the last play because he was too busy dosing off to thoughts of heel-clicking that will never again be possible for him.
Ron Santo, you legless bag of crap, take your Chevy truck and your burning, second-rate toupee and get off the air.

Originally Posted by Lefty34

I mean, I'm not against rooting for your team or something like that when you are the teams announcer (not Joe Buck style where he just hates EVERYTHING that isn't from St. Louis) but there has to be a point where the fans wake up and tell Ronnie put his foot...err prostheses in his mouth.

I agree 100% that Ron Santo is an ******* and a horrible,horrible announcer. But for you to ridicule the man for losing his legs to diabetes is quite classless and has absolutely NOTHING to do with his character or lack thereof.

[Lip Man 1]

Commander:

I agree although my 'sympathy' was tempered greatly by the news that Santo was told to stop drinking years ago. That it would only increase the effects of his illness. He continued to do it...his situation got worse in part because of it.

My sympathies are limited when an individual continues to act in a stupid, reckless fashion after they have been warned.

Lip

[eriqjaffe]

Originally Posted by Lip Man 1

Commander:

I agree although my 'sympathy' was tempered greatly by the news that Santo was told to stop drinking years ago. That it would only increase the effects of his illness. He continued to do it...his situation got worse in part because of it.

My sympathies are limited when an individual continues to act in a stupid, reckless fashion after they have been warned.

Lip

Some people have trouble stopping addictive behavior, regardless of how bad they know it can be for them. How many people out there still smoke with full knowledge of the risks?

I'm not saying that Santo is wise to continue with the boozin', far from it. But it may not be something he can entirely control. Besides, he's the biggest Cub fan ever, and if that doesn't drive someone to drink in a damn-the-torpedos style, I don't know what would. ;)

[TDog]

Originally Posted by Lip Man 1

...
My sympathies are limited when an individual continues to act in a stupid, reckless fashion after they have been warned.

Lip

I concur. Most people are surprised when I don't feel sympathy for Mickey "You Usin' That Liver?" Mantle. And I won't feel sympathy for Barry Bonds when he he suffers post-career health problems. Really, I'm not sure anyone will.

[white sox bill]

I too feel sorry for Rooie Woo Santo. he's fought a courageous battle thus far and I would personally walk for his charity.

Being a flub fan AND having both your legs amputated is...well like showing up in Hell wearing a winter parka. Gotta be a beaach

[skobabe8]

This thread rules.

[TheCommander]

Originally Posted by Lip Man 1

Commander:

I agree although my 'sympathy' was tempered greatly by the news that Santo was told to stop drinking years ago. That it would only increase the effects of his illness. He continued to do it...his situation got worse in part because of it.

My sympathies are limited when an individual continues to act in a stupid, reckless fashion after they have been warned.

Lip

I am not necessarily saying Santo deserves any sympathy due to his diabetes. I just think it kind of cheapened the poster's argument and seriously strayed away from the main issue which was Santo's announcing abilities. On the other hand,if he had made one disparaging comment it might not be quite as offensive. But to continue to make jokes concerning someone's disability-partially brought on by their own actions or not-is still pretty classless IMO.

[ws05champs]

Santo belongs in the hall of fame for worst broadcasters. If I were a Cubs fan it would be excruciatingly painful to have to listen to him. Not being a Cubs fan I just have to laugh at his moaning and whining.

Commander:
I apologize if what I wrote seemed aimed at making light of people with the debilitating disease known as diabetes. That was not my point. It is terrible that the condition exists and some people are indeed forced to have limbs amputated to continue living. I indeed hold much sympathy for all people afflicted with the disease and wish for nothing but their recovery.

However, when we come to Mr. Santo, my sympathy ends and, in fact, it retracts somewhat. When Santo uses his battle with diabetes as a stepping stool or springboard to try and get into the Hall of Fame, I immediately feel used by his words and have no problem throwing said words back at him. Classless, as you want to use it, was when Santo condemned the use of pink bats and the like on Mother's Day (used to signify breast cancer awareness), then, on the same broadcast, mentioned and hyped up his own diabetes fund. Those two things alone (and believe me, there are many more out there) warrant no pity and infact call for distaste of Santo at the least.

[jfinsocal]

Belittling anyone with an illness or infirmaty is classless regardless of the cause. Even though Santo is six-sigma annoying this crosses the line.

Speaking of Santo who remembers that lousy pizza he used to market? That alone should keep him out of the HOF.

[WSox597]

We used to call him Mr. Clutch, sarcastically when he was a player.

Half of my family follow the Cubs, and so growing up I got exposed to both teams. Thank Goodness I picked the right side, south.

The Mr. Clutch part comes from the perception that he couldn't get the clutch hits. If the Cubs were winning 8-0, he'd hit a three-run homer. If in the bottom of the ninth, they were trailing by one run, bases loaded, he'd pop out or strike out to end the game.

The Cub fans called him Mr. Clutch, he's not quite as beloved as you might think.

It is too bad about his disease, but diabetes isn't grounds for admission into the HOF.

So, by your reasoning, someone should consider themselves "lucky" to have an illness or disease because it shields them from all forms of verbal and psychological onslaught regardless of what they do? Is Santo now considered free to trounce on whoever he wants (women with breast cancer, let's say, like he did this summer), or USE his disability as an avenue to get special treatment for something he really doesn't deserve? And is anyone who blows the whistle on him and uses his own tactics against him classless? What if I am offended by Santo and his endless rants about his diabetes getting him into the Hall? Are we not all in agreement that he himself is the classless one? When Santo started talking his diabetes OUTSIDE the realm of it being a debilitating and potentially lethal disease, he opened the door to any type of criticism concerning his diabetes because he set the precedence. Like I said earlier I do not go down to the pharmacy and belittle people buying their insulin. No, I am defending myself from the stupidity and immorality of Ron Santo. There is no lack of class in that.

And no I do not remember the crappy pizza he marketed but I think I know what you're talking about

[TDog]

Originally Posted by WSox597

...

The Cub fans called him Mr. Clutch, he's not quite as beloved as you might think.
...

People forget that Ron Santo was booed quite a bit at Wrigley Field in the early 1970s. One Chicago columnist, in Santo's defense, wrote, "Anyone who booed Ron Santo never watched him play." The few Sox fans in my neighborhood mocked the statement, turning it into "... never tasted his pizza." Not that we ate his pizza.

[MarySwiss]

Originally Posted by TDog

People forget that Ron Santo was booed quite a bit at Wrigley Field in the early 1970s. One Chicago columnist, in Santo's defense, wrote, "Anyone who booed Ron Santo never watched him play." The few Sox fans in my neighborhood mocked the statement, turning it into "... never tasted his pizza." Not that we ate his pizza.

Modestly named, "The Pro's Pizza." Although I actually thought it was okay, as ballpark pizza went in those days.

[TheCommander]

One last time,Lefty because you don't seem to get it. I think you will be hard-pressed to find anyone on these boards who doesn't think Santo is a pathetic,pandering fool,etc,etc,whatever. But even stooping as low as he does,including using his disability to try to garner HOF votes as you stated, doesn't justify making fun of his crippleness. It just speaks,once again,of his lack of character and doesn't warrant cheap shots. The guy gives you enough fodder to make valid arguments without sinking to his level.