1 Nah, Darvish is obviously toast.  Here, let me trade you Edwin Jackson for him.

2 Know what sucks?  DFW-area sports writers would say "that sounds fair. "

3 I like them.  They're funny.

4 Do you get this with the Cubs?  With the Rangers, the writers specifically paid to cover the time are the most bizarre and hyper-critical.  You have to step back a bit to find writers who actually seem to like the team.  The new ESPN beat writer recently said that Darvish is useless and a drag on the team for not pitching through his elbow inflammation.  Where do opinions like that come from, especially in a year in which concern about elbow injuries is greater than ever?

5 Fortunately, no.  The good writers/sports broadcasters in Chicago have been covering the Cubs since a very long time ago.  They might be fans, but they aren't afraid to call the team out on something bad, and the good ones have the spine to stand behind what they write.

Someone like that writer you mentioned?  He'd be savaged in Chicago.  The team might be bad, but the fans are a lot better than to let that sort of crepe pass.

Except for the meatball fans.  They're a different story entirely.