Illinois

As the St. Louis Cardinals clinched their first World Series title in 24 years, most Cubs fans spun deeper into the state of depression that has gripped them for decades. Some don't think they can take it any longer.

After batting just .243 this season and regularly drawing the ire of fans while a member of the Cubs, one would think shortstop Neifi Perez—now with the World Series-losing Detroit Tigers—would be accustomed to being a scapegoat. Not so, says Perez, who is already receiving the blame for his team's collapse in the Series.

The Chicago Blackhawks fell to the Anaheim Ducks 3-0 on Saturday night, failing to score for the second straight game. The Hawks, who started out the season as one of the top scoring teams, look lost without their injured stars Martin Havlat and Michal Handzus.

In a cheap marketing ploy, the Bears have announced they will wear the visually nauseating alternate orange uniforms instead of their traditional blues Sunday versus the San Francisco 49ers. The change comes as a slap in the face to traditionalists who have grown used to seeing the Monsters of the Midway in the uniforms they've been wearing since the 1950s.

Major League Baseball announced it reached a deal with the players' union Tuesday, ensuring there would be no work stoppage through 2011. While most of baseball greeted this as good news, Cubs fans were unhappy with the agreement.

Bears President and CEO Ted Phillips was on the phone earlier this week calling local auto rental outlets in search of a larger bandwagon. The wheels of the old one broke off after the most recent 3,500 fans piled on during the bye week.

The Blackhawks lost again Wednesday night as the Vancouver Canucks blanked the home team 5-0.