# Pitting the unpittable: Or, Cecil admit your mistake here. **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [September 22, 2003, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-the-unpittable-or-cecil-admit-your-mistake-here/203093 "2003-09-22T14:35:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Mullinator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c2a13f/32.png) [@Mullinator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mullinator)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2003, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-the-unpittable-or-cecil-admit-your-mistake-here/203093/1 "2003-09-22T14:35:07Z")
In [this thread and post](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?postid=3792415#post3792415), Cecil chose to end yet another of his long-term posting sabbaticals by taking a potshot at the Cubs by saying: > [@](#): > > However, right now he is enjoying a little veg time in the hammock and watching the Cubs tank. Well dear Cecil, with 1 week left the Cubs are 1/2 game out of first in the Central and 1 1/2 games out of the wildcard with favorable scheduling. Tanking? Hardly. This team that was so bad last year is now in contention for a playoff spot and has a pretty decent shot at making it. Yes, based on past history the Cubs could have been expected to tank, but they have shown a steely resolve and, other than still sending out Shawn Estes to pitch, have shown a remarkable ability to hang in the thick of the pennant race. ---
**Author:** ![Waverly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/57b2e6/32.png) [@Waverly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Waverly)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2003, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-the-unpittable-or-cecil-admit-your-mistake-here/203093/2 "2003-09-22T14:39:53Z")
…or: Cecil, please notice me and make me a board-celeb by posting in my thread! ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2003, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-the-unpittable-or-cecil-admit-your-mistake-here/203093/3 "2003-09-22T14:58:41Z")
If you shoot at the king, you’d better kill him. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2003, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-the-unpittable-or-cecil-admit-your-mistake-here/203093/4 "2003-09-22T15:02:57Z")
But the Cubs _were_ tanking in early August. Just because they rallied back to near-contention doesn’t negate the validity of his statement. ---
**Author:** ![dalovindj](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/65b543/32.png) [@dalovindj](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalovindj)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2003, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-the-unpittable-or-cecil-admit-your-mistake-here/203093/5 "2003-09-22T15:21:06Z")
A pitiful pitting of the unpittable. Aint it the pitts? ---
**Author:** ![unclviny](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/e274bd/32.png) [@unclviny](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/unclviny)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2003, 3:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-the-unpittable-or-cecil-admit-your-mistake-here/203093/6 "2003-09-22T15:22:56Z")
In defense of the master (not that he needs my help), the Cubs generally play like…the Cubs. unclviny ---
**Author:** ![Giraffe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giraffe/32/129_2.png) [@Giraffe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giraffe)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2003, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-the-unpittable-or-cecil-admit-your-mistake-here/203093/7 "2003-09-22T16:12:59Z")
Hmmm… Which side to take in this conflict? On the one hand we have Cecil Adams, perfect master. On the other hand, we have… the Cubs. Have they ever let us down in the past? No chance they’d choke at the last minute and blow it, is there? Yeah, definitely a tough choice. ---
**Author:** ![buttonjockey308](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bcef8e/32.png) [@buttonjockey308](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/buttonjockey308)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2003, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-the-unpittable-or-cecil-admit-your-mistake-here/203093/8 "2003-09-22T17:15:02Z")
But… Uh…I. Don’t. Think. That. Was. Cecil… ---
**Author:** ![metroshane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/aeb1de/32.png) [@metroshane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/metroshane)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2003, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-the-unpittable-or-cecil-admit-your-mistake-here/203093/9 "2003-09-22T17:36:36Z")
You get to be a board celebrity if Cecil posts here? Hmmm, what do I get for Cecil answering me in publication? Besides a kick in the butt that is? ---
**Author:** ![Casey1505](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dc4da7/32.png) [@Casey1505](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Casey1505)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2003, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-the-unpittable-or-cecil-admit-your-mistake-here/203093/10 "2003-09-22T17:39:49Z")
I’ve heard that the Official Motto of the Cub Fan is “98% Scar Tissue” ---
**Author:** ![Svt4Him](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/7feea3/32.png) [@Svt4Him](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Svt4Him)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2003, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-the-unpittable-or-cecil-admit-your-mistake-here/203093/11 "2003-09-22T19:05:51Z")
I don’t really see what the problem was. He said “right now” which to me doesn’t imply the future, and the cubs did “tank”. Personally, I think they’ll “tank” again, but that could just be me. ---
**Author:** ![Mama\_Tiger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6de8d8/32.png) [@Mama\_Tiger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mama_Tiger)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2003, 7:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-the-unpittable-or-cecil-admit-your-mistake-here/203093/12 "2003-09-22T19:09:26Z")
Generally speaking, it’s safer to accuse the Cubs of tanking than not. My mother is a lifetime Cubs fan. She’s seen them get to the playoffs and tank so fast it would make your head spin. Other than that, she lives for next year. Like every other Cubs fan. I figure it’s a new century so maybe they’re due for another win. But I’m still not going to call Cecil wrong for suggesting it won’t be this year! ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2003, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-the-unpittable-or-cecil-admit-your-mistake-here/203093/13 "2003-09-22T23:38:26Z")
Given the fact that the Red Sox are going to the playoffs this year, we all better hope that both they and the Cubbies tank at some point. (A pretty sure bet, I know.) If those two teams actually meet in the World Series, it would mean the destruction of life as we know it. Since we know that it is inconceivable that either team will ever win another Championship, it would be an utter certainty that an asteroid would hit the Earth to prevent this from happening. ---
**Author:** ![Master\_Wang-Ka](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/master_wang-ka/32/3325_2.png) [@Master\_Wang-Ka](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Master_Wang-Ka)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2003, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-the-unpittable-or-cecil-admit-your-mistake-here/203093/14 "2003-09-22T23:55:48Z")
Plowboys should NOT draw on number one guns, man. This can’t end well. ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2003, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-the-unpittable-or-cecil-admit-your-mistake-here/203093/15 "2003-09-23T00:35:16Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Colibri \* > \*\*Given the fact that the Red Sox are going to the playoffs this year, we all better hope that both they and the Cubbies tank at some point. (A pretty sure bet, I know.) > > If those two teams actually meet in the World Series, it would mean the destruction of life as we know it. Since we know that it is inconceivable that either team will ever win another Championship, it would be an utter certainty that an asteroid would hit the Earth to prevent this from happening. \*\* Perhaps they could achieve an equilibrium with a game seven that goes into infinite extra innings. ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2003, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-the-unpittable-or-cecil-admit-your-mistake-here/203093/16 "2003-09-23T00:44:35Z")
On Sunday I sat in my hammock and watched the Bengals tank. That doesn’t mean that in 4 months I won’t be watching them win the SuperBowl. It just means that at the time I wrote the statement, they were tanking. L- (We’re talking _in theory_ here, okay?) ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2003, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-the-unpittable-or-cecil-admit-your-mistake-here/203093/17 "2003-09-23T01:01:17Z")
Cecil has posted in my threads before without much notice. In fact, I think he killed one of them if I’m not terribly mistaken. I’ll try to find a link later when the boards aren’t so slow. ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2003, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-the-unpittable-or-cecil-admit-your-mistake-here/203093/18 "2003-09-23T02:43:17Z")
> [@](#): > > On Sunday I sat in my hammock and watched the Bengals tank. Surely, nothing or no one can “tank” unless they first start from a state higher than that which they now occupy… IN the case of the bungles, they _can’[t_ tank. :eek: ---
**Author:** ![pantom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/34f0e0/32.png) [@pantom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pantom)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2003, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-the-unpittable-or-cecil-admit-your-mistake-here/203093/19 "2003-09-23T03:16:43Z")
I can’t even _begin_ to wrap my mind around the idea of a World Series between the Cubs and the Red Sox. Not in this dimension of the universe, anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2003, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-the-unpittable-or-cecil-admit-your-mistake-here/203093/20 "2003-09-23T03:36:41Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Wang-Ka \* > \*\*Plowboys should NOT draw on number one guns, man. > > This can’t end well. \*\* Just out of curiosity, \*\* Mullinator\*\*, do you prefer “Asshat” or “2Stupid2Live” as a member status? I AM Cecil’s own Angel of Death, you know, and should he deign to notice you, I must be prepared. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pitting-the-unpittable-or-cecil-admit-your-mistake-here/203093.md?page=2)