Nobody asked me but...

Nobody asked me but...the St. Louis Cardinals get a new stadium which is filled to capacity every night and all they can do to reward the loyal Redbird fans is to acquire also-ran pitcher Jorge Sosa and infielder Ronnie Belliard.

Don't give me the line of "we're not going to mortgage the future" baloney. The Cardinal ownership is all about maximizing profits. They could care less that the average Missouri family has a hard time coming up with the money to attend a game.

The parking situation is outrageous with $25 lots and the ticket prices are third highest in all the major leagues. Want to buy your wife and your two kids some pop and food at the game? Hope your application for a small loan is accepted at the bank, because you're going to need some monetary backup.

There is still time for the Cardinals to make a deal that will excite the Redbird faithful. If it is not done, stop looking through those Cardinal-colored glasses and start demanding more from the ownership.

* I don't want the Cardinal fans to endure what Cub fans have been through for decades. The Cubs are owned by a major corporation in the Tribune Company. However, this giant of an industry refuses to put any money toward the club.

How is it that the owners of the Cubs do nothing meaningful to improve the club, but Wrigley Field is always sold out? This is the point where Cardinal fans should wake up. The Tribune Co. gets away with horrible leadership because they take advantage of their loyal fan base.

Going to a Cubs game is like going to a religious service for many Cub fans. The atmosphere at Wrigley is tough to match. The afternoon games, the bleachers and the ivy all make for an enjoyable experience. Cub fans are the greatest in terms of loyalty and support, yet they might be the dumbest fans around.

Cubs Nation keeps on filling the pockets of no-named fat cats and does not hold management accountable for anything. It is simple, both the Cubs and the Cards have a rich tradition and very loyal fans. However, these loyal fans need to be vigilant of ownership taking advantage of their passion for the team.

If you believe your team's management is not doing all it can to win, the only thing we fans can do to express displeasure is stop filling the seats. An empty stadium will be a very loud wakeup call for ownership of any team.

* The city of Charleston should be commended for a job well done at last week's Senior Babe Ruth state championships. The city had a worker spraying around the fans for mosquitoes. The worker was on foot and a welcomed sight for fans who were being swarmed by the flying vampires.

This way of pest control sure beats the "drive-by" approach that Sikeston uses. The rodeo is approaching quickly, will town leaders adopt the Charleston approach for the rodeo grounds?

And finally, nobody asked me but...does today's youth have any sport heroes? From the steroid scandal in baseball, the track and field once-a-week scandal and now we have the brewing let down of Tour de France feel-good story Floyd Landis. If a Mennonite is breaking the rules, what hope is there for professional athletes? Seriously, the Mennonites make the Amish look like Mardi Gras regulars.

Today's athletes cheat so much, that some condone the cheating by saying 'if everybody else is doing it, it is okay to cheat to stay competitive.' I don't know how many times I have heard that one to excuse Barry Bonds.

Once again folks, we are to blame for this downfall in sports morality.

We don't care that our favorite team has a cheat, we just want wins and championships. I know you have seen the standing ovations for Bonds by San Francisco Giants' fans. And Cardinal fans still excuse Mark McGwire.

If the cheat is no help to a team, i.e., Jason Grimsley, fans are dismissive and want a pound of flesh. Another good example is Jason Giambi.

When it was leaked that Giambi admitted to using steroids in grand jury testimony, Giambi was vilified. Giambi had a slow start to the season and the New York Yankee fans booed him unmercifully.

Yet, when Giambi starts to hit home runs and help the team win, the fans think he is the next coming of Roy Hobbs and today Giambi is a fan favorite in New York.

Today's athletics are full of cheaters and me-first players. We, the fans, need to take back our professional sports. As explained earlier in this space, make an economic expression of disgust.

In a unrelated note, I am enjoying my brand new Terrell Owens' Cowboy jersey. Good stuff.