If sportstalk radio has replaced the printed word as the fan’s focal point, and it has, then it’s natural to ask the question: who speaks for Chicago today? Who has taken the place of Rick Talley and Bernie Lincicome as the guy with that uniquely Chicago perspective? The answer, in 2007, is clear: it’s Dan McNeil.

One must admit to a bit of bias here. Having grown up in Hegewisch, anyone who shares the southeast side/northwest Indiana experience gets a few points up front in this correspondent’s judgment. But there’s a good deal more involved in the evaluation than that. Danny Mac has balanced courage and prudence, perspective and bull-headed obstinance. He is, more than anyone, the kind of guy that Joe Everyfan identifies with in Chicago.

McNeil may not be the first to combine rooting with reporting, but he is certainly the first to do it so well. Those who proceeded him, like Chuck Swirsky and Chet Coppock, brought panache (or just plain weirdness, depending on your point of view) to the airwaves, but they still tried to remain above the fray. They declared themselves journalists, of a sort, and they declined to get down and dirty into the muck of partisanship.

Well hell, we’re fans. We don’t just want to know the story; we want somebody to tell the story who will be as pissed-off, or as thrilled, by the story as we are. We want one of our own kind. We want someone invested.

And that’s what Danny Mac brought to Chicago. He has always let the passion through, (yes - sometimes imperfectly) and balanced it against his obligation to dispassionately report the factual side at the same time. It’s no surprise that, when the Sox won the World Series, so many people were disappointed when they tuned in the next day and found Danny AWOL. He was – is – our number one Sox fan. Every Pale Hose rooter anted to share the moment with Dan, for he was one of us.

That is not to dump on Mac for being absent. But the reaction seemed to surprise him, which is revealing in a couple of ways. It tells you how much fans identify with the guy and it tells you that, underneath all of the bluster, he’s still an unassuming fellow at some level. He had no idea.

That characteristic separates him from his chief competition for the “Voice of Chicagoâ€

Do they have to pump your stomach with the amount of blowing that you just gave Mac?

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I'm bringin Sellars back..

Mac, I didn't know Coppock was your new publicist.

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My Maserati does 186.

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This is my signature...

Prof59, I look forward to your second post. Nice grammar and punctuation btw. Very underrated on message boards and emails nowadays.

However... if you ever met the Grid Iron Assinine in person, forget aloof or warm and personable - run like hell!

Grid may be an "astute media observer" but he doesn't know a lick of trivia.
Mac holds those two tards together, thats for sure.

creepy

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May 1, 2007 - CSFMB Civil War
“Those who don’t remember history are doomed to repeat it.”

Anyone else think TheProf59 is either Gridiron or Mac messing around. Some of the verbage was Danny Mac-ish and the tip of the hat to Grid with an open arms response from Grid's buddy Beef has got me thinking. I'm a diggin too deep here Beef?

Prof59, when will the Cliff's Notes of your first post be available at a Borders?

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Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy. ~ Benjamin Franklin

Yeesh! Hope the Prof wiped off the seat he was sitting on when he typed that. That stuff can leave a stain when it dries.

I had a similar post in another section. I limited it to two paragraphs.

I think it might be Burr Ridge Brian or his buddy Linda S.

I think you obsess with who's posting what and don't take things for face value and in doing so you've dissed this well thought out post by a new member to the message board.

I assure you that I am neither Mac nor Grid. (Haven't consumed nearly enough brats to be either). I do, however, write for a great metropolitan newspaper herebouts. A few of you would even recognize the real moniker. But - sadly - I am not allowed to write about sports for my publication. (Death to all editors). So I figured I'd post an anonymous column once in a while at this fine forum. It makes me happy. And yeah, they'll be long, but hopefully they'll amuse some.

And to answer your question Sleuth -- I'm still gargling. Takes a while to get the taste out...

The guy forgot to add that Mac walks on water and is about to cure cancer.

Hey Mac, Denny Green has a crown in his hand and is looking for you according to this guy .

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"NEED a friend...Buy a dog"..

Palmer's not writing non-sports stuff for a "great metropolitan newspaper" these days, is he?

[quote][quote="TheProf59"]I assure you that I am neither Mac nor Grid. (Haven't consumed nearly enough brats to be either). I do, however, write for a great metropolitan newspaper herebouts. A few of you would even recognize the real moniker. But - sadly - I am not allowed to write about sports for my publication. (Death to all editors). So I figured I'd post an anonymous column once in a while at this fine forum. It makes me happy. And yeah, they'll be long, but hopefully they'll amuse some

eeeeee ... eeeeeeeeeeeee. eee...

Are your pants on Terry Boers?

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"NEED a friend...Buy a dog"..

Maybe Palmer's covering the "teen scene" for somebody. It's always great to see the old-time guys get new gigs.

I'd love to see John Drummond covering the latest boy band -

"The crush of these kids makes me feel like I'm on the deck of a TRAMP STEAMER!"

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My Maserati does 186.

Good to have you on board Prof.

You don't have to post in a well thought out/worded manner. Many of us have no regulator between the brain and our fingers (on many levels).

Columnist Eric Zorn of the Tribune is sometimes referred to as "Professor Zorn" by his rival, Neil Steinberg of the Sun Times.

However, could the '59' be a reference to the 1959 White Sox? Zorn hates the Sox.

Don't bother trying to out him. If he wants to tell let him tell. If not let's all welcome him aboard with a run through the spanking machine.

Aw, come on, he teased us with some clues.

You guys are a bunch of trench coat wearin' Columbos....

Anybody who's anybody knows that Brad Palmer is a bitter old phuck and Mac has dissed him a few times on the public airwaves.

When I work 'The Professor's formula' it only indicates one thing: Brad Palmer's charm and personality are the square root of zero.

He's quoting a guy who got 0 Bears trivia questions correct ?? So I assume Grid knows whom the guy is .So to redeem yourself with the board trivia boy you should spill the beans

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"NEED a friend...Buy a dog"..

And in honor of Terry Boers, I'm pantsless under my trench coat.

haha, yeah...keep trying to out Dolphin...lol

And do you have breasts like Richard Speck? sigh...