The Hot Dog Guy

What's Cutler got to do with the Cubs?

2010-04-02T17:07:00.010-05:00

Some lessons are learned the easy way: you hear advice, you acknowledge it, lesson learned. Others aren't so simple. It's the old hand-in-the-fire cliche, that you have to experience the negative to learn the lesson.

A year ago today, the Bears traded Kyle Orton and a pair of first round picks to Denver for Jay Cutler and a third. The entire city of Chicago celebrated, thinking that the Bears had finally landed a top-flight quarterback that could lead them to the Super Bowl. In my 22 years living in this city, here is how I rank the excitement for athletes arrivals: 3) Mark Prior as a rookie, 2001 2) Jay Culer via trade, 2009 1) Michael Jordan's first comeback, 1995. That's high company.

As we found out, Cutler wasn't everything we'd hoped. The QB led the NFL in interceptions, especially in the bone-headed variety. Fans were wishing that Rex Grossman was still under center...midway through the first game of the season. It was not what fans had expected on April 2, 2009.

Hopes went up, actual results came crashing down. Thankfully, I've learned my lesson, and won't be repeating that mistake. So with that, here's my Cubs preview for 2010:

(Note: Not doing a full baseball preview, because honestly I didn't follow much of the offseason for the other 29 MLB teams.)

When I saw the Cubs this spring in Arizona, a few things jumped out at me. One, that a bunch of guys (Soriano, Big Z, Soto) seemed to be in better shape than they were in 2009. Two, that the team seemed to be having more fun than they did last year. And three, they seem to be a faster all-around team than I've seen since 2003.

A slimmed-down Geovany Soto (photo by me)

Obviously all three of those things are positives. So too is that they will depart Arizona fairly healthy. Dumping offseason mistake from last winter, namely Meltdown Bradley and Kevin Gregg, helps a lot. And maybe another few months under the belt of youngsters like Randy Wells, Jeff Samardzija and Sean Marshall will help out.

Then again, this is the Cubs we're talking about. Nothing ever goes as planned, from injuries to performance to overall buzz around the team. Last year was supposed to be the year, but then Aramis Ramirez tore his shoulder, Soriano couldn't walk (both in the sense of taking four balls and in just moving one foot in front of the other) and the team falls apart. This season expectations are lowered (most people have them projected around 80 wins), but the pressure from fans is still present. The Rickets family is in year one, Lou is in his final year, and there's still that other year still hanging over the team like a kippah: 1908.

If the Cubs are going to be a factor this year, they have to start strong. They don't play any of the 2009 NL playoff teams until May 17 (when they begin a stretch of playing 11 games versus all the postseason teams, the Rockies, Phillies, Dodgers AND Cardinals, in a 14-day span) and have a good dose of the league's bottom-feeders over those first seven weeks. Of course staying healthy will be key, and it still remains to be seen if Soto's new shape will help him turn back to his '08 version, if new CF Marlon Byrd is the real deal, if Kouske can start well and keep it up the entire year, if Zambrano can live up to his $15 million/year contract, if the bullpen can hold leads, if Marmol can close consistently, plus a few speed bumps still unknown.

Zambrano warming up (photo by me)

I hate making predictions about any baseball team, because the season is so long and there are countless numbers of things that can change between April 5 and October 30. I hate making predictions about the Cubs, because it's impossible for me to not think with my heart instead of my head. So I won't give any projected win-loss numbers or place in the standings or playoff projections. Just know this: If Soriano, Ramriez and Lee combine for a total of (at least) 415 games played; and if Zambrano, Lilly, Dempster and Wells combine for (at least) 55 wins; and if the bullpen has a cumulative ERA of under 4, things will be good on the North Side.

If not, well at least Jay Cutler will be back under center for the Bears in September.

Four years, four teams

2010-03-30T19:00:00.000-05:00

In the past 365 days I've worked about seven different jobs, graduated from college and (in my opinion) improved as a writer more than ever before. Why is this noteworthy? Because today is the fourth anniversary of the Hot Dog Guy and I couldn't be prouder of the blog, though I wish I had more time to actually write. It is here where I am able to vent about sports, complain about my favorite teams, practice my writing and not have to limit myself to a word count, structure the writing to a specific style or be at the mercy of a copy editor.

The point of the blog at first was to not only to be a place to give sports opinions, but also to document my time as a Wrigley Field vendor. That stopped quickly when I realized it was too difficult to fairly describe all the craziness that goes on at the corner of Clark & Addison. But in its place, I hope that the blog has been a place to read entertaining and enlighting thoughts on the Bears, Cubs, Bulls and the rest of sports. I've tried to make it personal, giving my thoughts and opinions on matters, even though I realize most people don't care.

My first ever post (outside of a brief into) broke down the Final 4 in Indy. That 2006 group featured a pair of players - Joakim Noah of Florida and Tyrus Thomas of LSU - who would go on to be discussed at length here on the blog.

Now, four years later, it's time to do it again. Four college basketball teams head to Naptown (Called that by locals because of the third of the city's five syllables, Indi-a-NAP-o-lis. Called that by out-of-towners because the most interesting thing to do there is take a nap) with dreams of cutting down the net. At the bottom of the post I'll offer my preview, but before that, I'd like to review the first two weekend of the tournament while honoring a Chicago institution leaving the airways soon, At the Movies.

Thumbs Up: The dramatics - Determining the best game of this tournament is like determining the most attractive Bond girl; there are tons of choices to make an argument for. Xavier-Kansas State, No. Iowa-Kansas, Michigan St.-Maryland, Tennessee-Ohio St., Murray St.-Vanderbilt, Villanova-Robert Morris, plus all four of the Elite 8 games and some others I can't think of off the top of my head. It's not a surprise, based on the regular season we had, that the tourney was so exciting. Without a dominant team everybody was closer in the pack of 65, making for competition all over the bracket.

Thumbs Down: The favorites - This isn't a bad thing by any means, but it's always a bit disappointing to realize the team's atop the rankings all year where frauds in a way. No doubt teams like Kansas, Kentucky, Syracuse and Ohio State where all very good and deserving of their seed, but they all had major weaknesses that were exposed in the tournament. The Jayhawks couldn't score when Sherron Collins had a poor game. The Wildcats were too young and couldn't hit shots (both from 3 and free). The Orange didn't have a scorer to give the ball to at crunch time. And the Buckeyes had no depth. All of these things were reasons these teams went home early.

Thumbs Up: Gus Johnson & Bill Raftery - This is both an up and a down. Up because Gus and Raft are the two best in the business when it comes to college hoops, the two guys who understand the energy and excitement that is March. Down because CBS has neither of them calling the Final Four. Gus increases his intensity along with the games, reaching a crescendo as the minutes start falling towards zero. Just watch this highlight package from KSU-Xavier. The entire clip is classic Gus, but pay close attention at 1:25 when Jordan Crawford hits his game-tying three from the cancer ribbon, about 35 feet from the basket. "Crawford at 8, Crawford's got to hurry, up, OHHHHHHH, HE TIED IT!!" Raftery amps up the excitement as the game goes along as well, but he describes the game as a fan would, only using much more classic and elegant language, such as "Onions" and "A little kiss off the window." More announcers should follow the lead of these two and add some kick to their commentary.

Thumbs Down: The commercials - OK, so this is a natural complaint when you watch nearly 80 hours (approximation) of basketball over a two-week span. But if I see Luke Wilson talking about maps, some airport guys yelling about bag fees or have to watch another couple talk about how Lowe's saved their garden, I might throw a brick through my television.

Thumbs Up: My picks - I'm in first place in both my pools. I have two of my Final 4 remaining. And nobody has their National Champ left. So it looks good. From the start I loved Duke's road to Indy, especially because I was confident that the two seed in that region (Vilanova) would get bounced early. A lot of people took Baylor, thinking their athleticism would cause the Blue Devils some problems, but I liked the edge in the backcourt for Duke. And out East I got lucky with West Virginia, who I picked at the start because I liked their D, then got worried because of how well Kentucky was playing, then was bailed out because the Wildcats played their worst game of the season.

Thumbs Down: My picks - Having two Final 4 picks correct means I also had two wrong. That's not the failure part. It's the fact that I should have known better than picking Kansas and Syracuse to win their regions. A few years ago, I said I'd never take a Bill Self-coached team. Then they win the title in '08, come back this year with (on paper) the strongest team and I get suckered in again. But that's not it. I also say every year I won't pick the favorite, because they are unlikely to win and it puts me in competition with too many people who don't follow college hoops at all. Yet I ignore all of that and go with the Jayhawks and Orange, the Bill Self coached team and the two favorites to cut down the nets. There's no way I would have chosen Michigan State and Butler, but I should have known better than what I did.

Now it's prediction time, and these two games are (obviously) hard to figure out. There's no fluke in this group, no happy to be there squad. The first game matches the two 5-seeds, Butler and Michigan State. A lot of people are hopping on the Tom Izzo bandwagon, and for good reason. The Spartans play great team basketball, and six Final 4's in 12 years is nothing to slouch about. But I like the Bulldogs, who play equally good defense and have more scorers. It will be a close one, but I'll say Butler 74, Sparty 70. The nightcap is even more intriguing, with the physical Mountaineers taking on the tough but athletic Dukies. Duke's big guys - Thomas, Zubek and the Plumlees - were the difference in the Elite 8 win against Baylor, while it was the outside shooting of WVU that carried them over Kentucky. Each will need repeat performances, but I like Coach K's group, barely. Kyle Syngler won't be held without a field goal again, and the Duke guards are too good when their bigs are playing well. Duke 79, West Virginia 77.

Rock, Chalk Picks

2010-03-17T17:50:00.002-05:00

It may not be considered 'the holiday season' to most, but to sports fans like myself, this is truly the most wonderful time of the year. March Madness is the definition of perfection, a splendid combination of competition, drama, action, and gambling. I say the two best days of the year are the two first days of the NCAA Tournament, when 16 games span 12-or-so hours each day. Each year, I reserve the days to do absolutely nothing other than watching basketball. And each year, I thank myself for being so smart.

This year's tournament offers much of the normal confusion that every other year provides. Nobody knows who will be the sleeper teams that sneak into the second weekend or which high seed (high seed means low number means better team, which I find confusing every year) will loose focus and get bounced in round one. But this year has the added wrinkle of the selection committee giving the toughest regions to the nation's two best teams. Makes it tough when four of the countries five best teams (Kansas, Kentucky, Ohio St. and West Virginia) are split into two regions (Midwest and East).

Regardless of the confusion, America has persevered and filled out their brackets. And of course I am among them. So here are my picks for the 2010 NCAA Tournament, which I would recommend you not copy if you'd like to win money come early-April. (You can see my 2009, 2008 and 2007 picks here, though I have no clue why that would interest you.)

MIDWEST

1-Kansas over 16- Lehigh
9- No. Iowa over 8- UNLV
5- Michigan St. over 12- New Mexico St.
4- Maryland over 13- Houston
11- San Diego St. over 6- Tennessee
3- Georgetown over 14- Ohio
7- Oklahoma St. over 10- Georgia Tech
2- Ohio St. over 15- UC Santa Barbra

1- Kansas over 9- No. Iowa
4- Maryland over 5- Michigan St.
3- Georgetown over 11- San Diego St.
2- Ohio St. over 7- Oklahoma St.

1- Kansas over 4- Maryland
3- Georgetown over 2- Ohio St.

1- Kansas over 3- Georgetown

Analysis: This is as tough of a region that a No. 1 overall seed has received in a long, long time. I think the Jayhawks are clearly the best team, but I wouldn't be shocked if they are knocked off by the 2, 3, 4 or 5 seeds. And as recently as two years ago, Bill Self-coached teams couldn't be trusted to win when it really counts. But they cut down the nets in 2008 and this years team, with Collins, Aldrich, Henrey, the Morris twins and a deep bench, won't be halted by a road scattered with land mines.

WEST

1- Syracuse over 16- Vermont
8- Gonzaga over 9- Florida St.
12- UTEP over 5- Butler
4- Vanderbilt over 13- Murray St.
5- Xavier over 11- Minnesota
3- Pittsburgh over 14- Oakland
7- BYU over 10- Florida
2- Kansas St. over 15- North Texas

1- Syracuse over 8- Gonzaga
12- UTEP over 4- Vanderbilt
5- Xavier over 3- Pittsburgh
7- BYU over 2- Kansas St.

1- Syracuse over 12- UTEP
7- BYU over 5- Xavier

1- Syracuse over 7- BYU

Analysis: A lot of upsets in the wild, wild west, though in the end I still like the top seeded Orange. BYU is an exciting team to watch and will have the home-court advantage in Salt Lake City if they make it to the second weekend. UTEP has some great skill, and Xavier always playes well in March. But when it's all decided, Syracuse and their famed 2-3 zone will be too much for the challengers.

EAST

1- Kentucky over 16- East Tennessee St.
9- Wake Forest over 8- Texas
12- Cornell over 5- Temple
4- Wisconsin over 13- Wofford
6- Marquette over 11- Washington
3- New Mexico over 14- Montana
10- Missouri over 7- Clemson
2- West Virginia over 15- Morgan St.

1- Kentucky over 9- Wake Forest
4- Wisconsin over 12- Cornell
6- Marquette over 3- New Mexico
2- West Virginia over 10- Missouri

1- Kentucky over 4- Wisconsin
2- West Virginia over 6- Marquette

2- West Virginia over 1- Kentucky

Analysis: No doubt that Kentucky has the talent. The 'Cats may have four future Lottery picks on their roster and a coach who had made multiple (vacated) Final Four trips. But I don't think they match up well with the Mountaineers, who have comprable talent and are much tougher than UK is. I also think the bracket sets up well for WVU, who could face a team (Marquette) they are familiar with from conference play in the Sweet 16.

SOUTH

1-Duke over 16- Arkansas Pine-Bluff
9- Louisville over 8- California
5- Texas A&M over 12- Utah St.
13- Siena over 4- Purdue
6- Notre Dame over 11- Old Dominion
3- Baylor over 14- Sam Houston St.
7- Richmond over 10- St. Mary's
2- Villanova over 15- Robert Morris

1- Duke over 9- Louisville
5- Texas A&M over 13- Siena
3- Baylor over 6- Notre Dame
2- Villanova over 7- Richmond

1- Duke over 5- Texas A&M
3- Baylor over 2- Villanova

1- Duke over 3- Baylor

Analysis: No, you didn't mistakenly click on Dickie V's bracket; I am picking Duke. Why? They have the second-best efficiency rating on KenPom, which in the past has done a great job of projecting NCAA Tournament winners. And they have talented guards and good size, two things I look for in March. They don't match up well with Villanova, who (I correctly predicted) bounced them from the Dance in 2009. But I see Baylor knocking off the 'Cats, giving Coach K the chance to return to the Final Four.

FINAL FOUR

1- Kansas over 1- Syracuse
1- Duke over 2- West Virginia

1- Kansas over 1- Duke

Analysis: Every year I write 'Don't take the favorite'. And every year, I seem to come up short. So this year, I'm going with the best team. I don't have 100% confidence in the Jayhawks and could easily see at least five other teams (the three other F4 teams, Kentucky and Ohio St.) cutting the nets down in early-April. But Kansas seems to have everything a champion needs, and they are my title pick for 2010.

Sunshine and baseball

2010-03-03T22:36:00.003-06:00

I am really bad at this whole blogging thing, and for that I apologize. It's not like I'm especially busy, there really is no excuse for my lack of posts.

Anyways, tomorrow I head out on a vacation. This is noteworthy for multiple reasons. One, it will mark the first time in a year since I'll be leaving the state of Illinois (except for 3 hours in Missouri two weeks ago, which deserves its own post). Two, because I'm going somewhere that's 75 and sunny, two descriptions that can't accompany Evanston, Ill. in February. And three, because for the first time in my life, I am going to see the Cubs in spring training as they prepare for the 2010 season.

Tomorrow morning, my dad and I will board a plane to Phoenix. Tomorrow afternoon, I'll be in the stands of Hohokam Stadium in Mesa, AZ, watching the North Siders take on the Oakland A's in the first game of the year. We'll be there each of the next two days as well, soaking in the sun, watching the team and looking forward to (hopefully) an enjoyable year at the Friendly Confines.

It won't be all fun and games though. There's always a lot of questions surrounding the Cubs, and this year is no different. Here are 10 that I'm hoping to find answers to over the next three days:

The number one priority for the Cubs, like with every MLB team, is health. We know Ted Lilly is out for a while, but can guys like Alfonso Soriano, Aramis Ramirez, Geovany Soto, Ryan Dempster stay in one piece for the next seven months?
How does new center fielder Marlon Byrd look? If the answer is rhymes with Shilton Cradley or Beed Rohnson, the team is in trouble.
There's been a bunch of buzz about my man Carlos Zambrano, who apparently has lost a lot of weight since the end of 2009. Can he still bring the heat, and more importantly, will the new shape he's in slow down his home run swing? (Seriously, the most important thing for Z is consistency. Always has been, always will be.)
Is Carlos Marmol ready to be a full-time closer? And if so, who will step up to be the 8th inning guy? (Did anybody ever check to see if Jim Hendry suffered some sort of brain damage in the hours before he made the trade in the winter of 2008 for Kevin Gregg?)
Derrek Lee had a great year last season. Is it too much to expect that he can duplicate it when he's going to be 35 in September (and is entering the final year of his contract)?
Speaking of final years, will Lou Piniella change anything knowing this is likely his last chance as skipper to win a championship?
I've heard great things about top prospects Josh Vitters and Starlin Castro, but can the two live up to the hype and make the big league roster? And do the Cubs have any young arms that can give a jolt to the pitching staff?
Two third-year players have big pressure on them in 2010. No player frustrates me more than Kouske Fukudome. Has the right fielder figured out a way to propel his awesome April's into a full-year of solid play? And did Geo Soto finally realize he can't play catcher at 275 pounds?
Who is going to play second base? Jeff Baker is solid, but shouldn't play every day. Same goes for Mike Fontenot. Somebody needs to step up or the cries for Mark DeRosa will keep getting louder.
Finally, do they sell Old Style in Mesa? Is there ivy on the outfield walls? Can I take the Red Line to the stadium? Will they fly a W flag following a victory? Can it be April 12 yet?

Scenes from the beat

2010-02-13T23:32:00.003-06:00

So for the past few weeks - since early-January - I've been covering high school basketball games for the Chicago Sun-Times and their prep sports website, YourSeason.com. You can see some of my stories here, here and here. (E-mail me if you want more.)

In my time on the beat I've seen players headed to Illinois, Wisconsin, Iowa, Cal and Notre Dame, as well as some of the top uncommitted players in the area. I've covered some really close and intense games, and was even able to write about Evanston-New Trier without my allegiances pouring into my story. The experience has been very educational, and I think I've improved my writing a lot, especially filing stories on tight deadlines.

The experience has also been quite hilarious at times. This isn't much of a surprise. These are 16, 17 and 18 year-old kids who have a lot of pressure on them and take the game of basketball very seriously, but at the same time, want to enjoy themselves. So here, for your enjoyment, are just some of the things I've seen on the high school basketball beat:

It's a custom at basketball games for the cheerleaders to have a little competition of their own. One team's cheerleaders will do a routine, then their opponents will try to match or top that. The act is great for the fans of the respective schools to support their team, getting the entire crowd into a frenzy. At the Evanston-Waukegan game I covered, the custom almost resulted in a fight. Halfway through the fourth quarter, with the Bulldogs holding a three point lead, the sold-out gym was going nuts. One team took a timeout, and one of the ETHS cheerleaders began to do backflips. Flip after flip after flip, and by the time the TO was over, she had gone the entire length of the floor, all 94 feet. When she wound up on the other baseline, directly in front of the Waukegan cheerleaders (and the media table, where I was sitting), the Evanston girl spread her arms out and yelled "What now!" The orange-and-blue clad crowd was going nuts, the PA system was banging some type of hip-hop, and the Waukegan cheerleaders wanted to respond. But the game was about to resume. That didn't stop one girl. She had to be restrained by one of her teammates from either fighting the Evanston cheerer or attempting to do the backflip feat of her own.

I covered the quarterfinals - all four games - of the Chicago Public League girls tournament. None of the contests were very competitive, but this assignment was noteworthy for two reasons: 1- It was held at Attack Athletics, which is the gym that Pres. Obama balled at on election day last November. It's owned and run by Tim Grover, who I got to meet and talk with a little bit. (Google the name if you don't know why that's really exciting.) 2- This was the song that they used for player introductions for all four games. You couldn't measure how wide my smile was every time this was played.

At Maine South, I sat in the bleachers because they didn't have a press table. No big deal, that's fairly common in high school gyms. When halftime came, I stood to stretch my legs and must have caught the attention of the two 11-year olds sitting an aisle next to me. They asked if I was writing about the game, and if so, for what newspaper. I told them the Sun-Times and wrote down my name, and they each said they would check the next days paper for it. That's cool. Then they asked me which team I was rooting for. I tried explaining that I didn't care who won, only that it was an interesting game that ended fairly quickly. This didn't satisfy them. I repeated that I didn't have a preference between the schools, especially because I'd attended Evanston, a conference rivals to both squads. Finally one of the kids informed me his older brother was the shooting guard for Maine South. My response was that I hope your bro has a great game and that I can write about him for the paper. This put a smile on their faces and stopped the Q&A. (The guard wound up not playing very well and not earning a mention in the article.)

Other tight songs that I hadn't heard for a good 10 years before I began covering high school hoops: Hit Em High (heard at Lake Forest), Gettin Jiggy With It (heard at Glenbrook North) and Breathe, Stretch, Shake (OK, that's only been like five years, but still funny. Heard at New Trier).

My #1 best story: It was the boys Public League playoffs, with the No. 3 team in the area, Foreman, versus the high school that produced Kevin Garrnett and Ronnie Fields, Farragut. The fourth quarter had just started, and the game was physical. Whistles about once-a-minute physical. (For those of you who don't know, winning the Public League Title is equally, if not more important, to city schools than winning the state title is. Schools would rather be the best in Chicago than best in all of Illinois.) So a Formean player grabs a rebound, is bumped by a Farragut player, and the Foreman player responds with a shove. Whistle blows, but the kids are still in each other's faces. Benches storm the court, refs and coaches try to break it up, even plenty of fans ran out into the middle of the action. I seriously thought there was going to be a European hooligan-esque brawl right in the middle of this gym on Chicago's Northwest side. Chicago Public School reps are on the microphone, telling people to get off the court or there could be a forfeit. Then out of nowhere, the only kid wearing a basketball uniform that wasn't in the middle of the fight walks right by me. His right arm is in a cast and obviously isn't able to play. This kid is walking at a normal pace, unlike everybody else who sprinted onto the court. And also unlike everybody else, this kid is holding with his left hand a folding chair, likely the very chair he'd been sitting on for the past hour on the bench. I had no clue if he was going to pull a Young Buck on somebody or if he just wanted to sit closer to the action. All I know is this kid looked as calm as can be, walking into the middle of a brawl with one arm in a cast and the other holding a chair. I couldn't help but crack up after seeing that. (Nobody got hurt, nobody got ejected and the game resumed after like three minutes. I never got to find out what the chair kid was going to do, because the fight was broken up by the time he made it to the scene.)

Super pick

2010-02-05T15:37:00.002-06:00

Since 2001, there have only been two Super Bowls that I would consider 'boring'. The Bucs-Raiders game was a snoozer from the start, mainly because Tampa knew what Oakland was doing on offense and there was nothing competitive for the entire 60 minutes. And the Steelers-Seahawks game was a downer, mainly because the refs took too much control of the action. Other than that, the season's final game have ranged from good (Bears-Colts) to great (Patriots-Panthers) to all-time classic (Steelers-Cardinals).

That has me encouraged. I wrote two weeks ago that conference championship games are not as close as they should be. Super Bowls are the opposite. At one point, football was the afterthought to the commercials and hype. Now everybody knows that the game will be still close in the fourth quarter. Add in two explosive offenses, and this Sunday is everything a championship game is supposed to be.

Now there's no doubt the American public sides with the Saints. People love the underdog, and it's hard to find a better underdog than one that was practically drowned by its own government five years ago. To think about what took place during Hurricane Katrina and what the people of New Orleans had to endure, it truly was the lowest of the lows. So it's only fair to see them reach the highest of the highs. Drew Brees, Reggie Bush, Marques Colston, Jeremy Shockey, Pierre Thomas and the rest of the Saints offense can light up a scoreboard like few other groups in NFL history, and the N.O. defense has shown it's talented enough to force turnovers and make stops when needed.

That being said, I'm taking the Colts and not thinking twice about it. I made the mistake of picking Indy to lose both against the Ravens and Jets...how'd that turn out for me? Even if Dwight Freeney doesn't play, it's going to impossible for the Saints to contain Peyton Manning and Co. And while it's guaranteed that #18 will do something that will make jaws drop lower than the Bears' defensive coordinator standards, I see this game playing out a lot like Super Bowl XLI, when the Colts topped the Bears. The Saints defense, especially Darren Sharper, is going to try to limit the big plays. So watch for a lot of quick passes and draws, with Donald Brown taking the Domminic Rhodes role. It's too bad, because it would be cool to see New Orleans win one. But at least it should be a good game.

Colts 33, Saints 28

Be lucky I didn't try 44 questions

2010-01-29T14:11:00.003-06:00

Ten Super Bowl-related questions that I'd like responses to before next Sunday's big game.

Is there anybody out there that doesn't bleed purple and gold who was disappointed with how the NFC Championship game ended?
Do the Jets win that game if they stop Peyton and the Colts from scoring at the end of the second quarter? And in a related note, has anybody made sure Peyton is human and not some sort of robot?
What will the crowd be like in Miami? I'd expect most fans without rooting interests will side with the Saints. But I don't know how many people from New Orleans or Indy will be making the trip to South Florida.
Back to the NFC game - How can Favre make that throw? I never played quarterback in any type of organized setting, but even I know that you're never supposed to throw across your body when rolling out. As my friend Brian - a die-hard Saints fan - put it earlier this week, we waited all season, but we knew the old Brett Favre was bound to show up.
Has Adrian Peterson ever heard of wrapping up the ball with both hands?
Who makes the decisions on the halftime performer for the Super Bowl and why doesn't anybody with some media standing question this person? The Who. Seriously, that was the best you could think of? A British band who was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1990. Why not go with somebody who is popular now, an artist who can resonate with NFL fans of multiple generations?
If they ever listened to my last suggestion, wouldn't a set list of these four songs be awesome for next year's big game? 1) You could have been anywhere in the world but you're hear with m e - 2) Who you know fresher than Hov, riddle me that - 3) Fresh out the frying pan into the fryer I be the music biz #1 supplier - 4) You feelin like you runnin huh, now you know how we feel
Where will Peyton Manning rank amongst the all-time greats if he dominates another big game?
When showing highlights of the last Colts Super Bowl - and the last SB in Miami - can CBS just limit it to Devin Hester's brilliant beginning?
If the Saints win, would the city of New Orleans be able to handle a Super Bowl parade for the beloved team and Mardi Gras in the span of a week-and-a-half? (Mardi Gras is on Feb. 16)

Winning out west

2010-01-26T09:12:00.003-06:00

When the Bulls began their annual Disney on Ice road trip with losses to the Warriors and Clippers, nobody blinked an eye. Ever since the Dynasty ended in 1998, the West Coast has been to the Bulls' personal land of the loss. The team went years without winning a game west of Minneapolis, always struggling on the circus trip at the start of the season and this trip right before the All-Star break. (Proof - From 1999-00 through 2008-09, the Bulls went 9-56 on the circus trip) Even in playoff seasons - take last year for example - it was always a United Center-friendly second half push that elevated the Bulls into the East's top eight.

Well it looks like the push is starting early in 2010. The Bulls have rattled off three consecutive road victories following the two California losses, defeating the Suns in Phoenix, the Rockets in Houston and most recently, the Spurs in San Antonio. That's three good wins in four days, a streak that has the team thinking playoffs once again. (They are currently seventh in the East) Derrick Rose is playing the best ball of his career right now and has a good chance to be the first Bull to play on All-Star Sunday since Mike and Scottie 12 years ago. Joakim Noah and Brad Miller have held down the post, Kirk Hinrich has made a successful return to the starting lineup and Luol Deng has shown why the team wouldn't part with him two summers ago for the chance to acquire Kobe Bryant.

Suddenly the Bulls fans no longer have only this summer's free agency period to look forward to; there's actual basketball to divert attention. (As for free agency, I still say Chris Bosh should be priority No. 1, D.Wade 2 and Joe Johnson 3) If Rose keeps playing at this level, if Deng and Hinrich continue to be solid supporting scorers, if Noah can maintain his high energy on defense, if Tyrus Thomas focus' on his play and not his contract and if the front office can pull off one small move (maybe the Aaron Grey trade will be it), I think the Bulls can advance as high as the fifth seed in the conference. Is it likely? No. But stranger things have happened. Like the team winning three consecutive games out west.

Where's the drama?

2010-01-22T15:16:00.000-06:00

I want to be excited for this Sunday's NFL games. Championship Sunday isn't a normal NFL weekend, but it's as close to normal we'll have for the next eight mounts. So savor it while it's here, right? I wish. Instead, the following six facts have me fearing the worst:

Jets 24, Bengals 14
Cowboys 34, Eagles 14
Ravens 33, Patriots 14
Saints 45, Cardinals 14
Colts 20, Ravens 3
Vikings 34, Cowboys 3

Only two of the eight playoff games this year have been worth watching, which doesn't produce good odds that Sunday's will be must-see TV. There's a better chance Stephen Colbert actually competes in Vancouver this February than seeing two games on Sunday that come down to the final minutes. Do I want this to happen? Of course. Do I think it will happen? Not a chance.

So then the question becomes, Which game will be the blowout? The NFC game features the conference's 1 and 2 seeds, meaning it's expected to be a close game. Then again, the road team in that matchup has struggled outside of their building for the past month. In the AFC, it's a 1 seed with a future Hall-of-Fame QB versus a 5 seed with a rookie under center, which has the makings of a lopsided score. But that game features two physical defenses, ones that will make sure nothing gets out of hand.

In the past, championship weekend has always been a bit anti-climactic. Until last year's game, which was a nine-point Pittsburgh victory, only three AFC championship games had been decided by ten points or less since 1999. Only one of those, the 2007 Colts-Patriots game, came down to the final minutes. The NFC title game has been a little better. Last year's Cardinals-Eagles game was exciting down the stretch, and 2008's Giants-Packers matchup was an OT thriller. But before that, mostly snoozefests. While the Super Bowl has had a lot of all-time classics over the past decade, surprisingly the championship games have not.

Here are my predictions:

Jets at Colts

To beat Indianapolis, a team has to run the ball to keep Peyton Manning off the field, while at the same time containing the Colts high-powered offense. The Jets ran the ball better than anybody all season and have a defense that stopped San Diego dead in their tracks a week ago. I smell an upset. New York also knows they can beat Indy, having done in just one month ago when Jim Caldwell rested his starters. With a big game from Thomas Jones, a smart game from Mark Sanchez and the NY defense somehow baiting Manning into throwing a costly pick, the upset smell is getting stronger. A team that played on Wild Card weekend has made it to the Super Bowl four consecutive years. Make it five. Jets 23, Colts 18

Vikings at Saints

Minnesota's offense looked damn good on Sunday versus the Cowboys. They scored 34 points, rolled up 323 yards and didn't turn the ball over once. All of that was upended by what the Saints did against Arizona. New Orleans had 45 points, 418 points and also were turnover-free. Point is, it's going to take a monster effort from Favre, Peterson and the rest of the Minnesota offense to win at the Superdome on Sunday. With that crowd noise and with the way Drew Brees can pick apart a defense like Billy Madison playing dodgeball against first graders, I find it hard to believe that Brad Childress can come up with a gameplan to stop them. Saints 35, Vikings 17

Last week: 1-3
Season to date: 170-94

Go hard or go home

2010-01-15T14:00:00.000-06:00

Best football weekend of the year, no question. The eight best teams, four great games, with everything on the line. Last weekend produced three snoozers and an instant classic, as well as a 2-2 record for me. This weekend will be better, in both departments. I think I have a good feel for all these games, though we all know anything can happen in the playoffs. Here's my divisional round breakdown, by day.

Saturday

Cardinals at Saints: Remember last week, when I promised that the Green Bay-Arizona game would be the highest scoring of the weekend? It ended up being the most points scored ever in a playoff game. Here's my bold statement for this week: Drew Brees will have 100 or more passing yards than Kurt Warner. Gutsy yes, but I just don't see Arizona doing it two weeks in a row. (Though Mr. Warner does seem to pay his best in the playoffs) Three losses in a row to end the regular season halted New Orleans' momentum, but I see them jumping out early and then holding on for a victory. Saints 42, Cardinals 28

Ravens at Colts: Last time these teams faced off in the playoffs, it was an all field goal battle. That was the old Ravens, with Steve McNair (RIP) at quarterback and no threats to take it to the house. These are the new Ravens, with Ray Rice at running back and recent experience of winning big playoff road games. Indianapolis comes into this game having had the last three weeks off, and I think it costs them. Peyton Manning is amazing and the Colts D isn't too shabby, but I'll take momentum over a team that will be spending the first half trying to recharge their batteries. Ravens 27, Colts 23

Sunday

Cowboys at Vikings: Once again, I will be doing a live chat during the game, so go to NFL Blog Blitz to check it out. (While you're there, read my post on why I hate the Vikings) This is the most intriguing game of the weekend, because there are so many subplots. America's Team vs. America's QB, which is also America's Most Hated Team vs. America's Most Hated QB. Two coaches who looked as if they just awoke from a decade-long comas. Two fan bases who believe their moment for glory is upon them. Two ferocious pass rushes, two dynamic running games, two quarterbacks who NEED this win. I like Dallas for a couple reasons. One, Adrian Peterson hasn't been the real AP for a while now, with seven straight games under 100 yards rushing. That limits what the Vikes can do and increases the chances that DeMarcus Ware will carve up Fave like John Madden's Turducken. Two, because I don't see how the Vikings limit Miles Austin and Jason Witten while also stopping the Cowboys draw play, which has been their best weapon. Felix Jones will break a big one on the Metrodome rug and Tony Romo does enough to not blow it. Cowboys 31, Vikings 27

Jets at Chargers: Could New York be for real? They looked like a squad built for the playoffs last week in Cincinnati, with a fast and physical defense complementing an efficient running game. But that was the Bengals, this is the Chargers. San Diego has a fast and physical defense of their own, plus an efficient running game and a dynamic passing attack. New York can keep it close for a while, and if it gets to the fourth quarter with the score within three points, anything can happen. But I see to much Rivers, Gates, LDT and co. Chargers 28, Jets 17

Last week: 2-2
Season to Date: 169-91

Going or staying

2010-01-13T11:43:00.000-06:00

Took a trip to the United Center Monday night for Bulls-Pistons. Fun time, especially since Detroit ended up not making the trip and they sent the DePaul Blue Demons in their place. But watching it from the 300-level made me realize something that's been on my mind for a while: sports on TV and sports live are becoming two completely different experiences.

You're most likely thinking, 'Of course it's a different experience. Who are you, Mark McGwire, finally figuring out that it's no longer the mid-90s?' And yes, it has always been a different experience. But more so than ever, watching the game from your couch and watching the game from the stadium are polar opposites. I'm not sure which is better, and really, it doesn't matter. My question is, are these two unique experiences good for sports?

Growing up, I loved the rare opportunities of going to live sporting events. I attended my first Cubs game when I was four, my first Bears game at age seven and my first Bulls game was at eight. As I grew older, the trips to the stadium increased, peaking when I started working at Wrigley Field in July 2003. Being a part of the crowd allows a fan to really connect with his or her team, to really feel like they are making a difference with their support. Siting in a stadium seat allows one to feel the moment, to experience the buzz when a team is making a rally and the explosion of joy and delight when something really good happens on the field. Seeing a game up-close (or even in bad seats) provides a sense of authenticity, because you are watching the part of the game you want to watch, not the one that the TV cameras have decided to show.

Recent innovations have made the stadium experience better than ever (Everywhere except Wrigley). Larger scoreboards, spacious concourses and special giveaways make fans remember why it is so special to attend games live. Not to mention the rare chances to overhear athletes talking, seeing a zoomed in look at the facial expressions, and the chance to witness a 'I was there when so-and-s happened' game.

But it's not all good views and joyful applause at the stadium. There's the hassle of parking, the un-comforts of sitting in rows of chairs separated by only a few inches and constant distractions from the game itself. The personalized angle a fan sees is occasionally great, but many times it pales in comparison to the multiple views shown on TV. And of course at the game, fans must deal with any obstacle mother nature throws their way, from excessive heat to pounding rain to teeth-chattering cold.

At home, things have changed as well. High-def television allows fans to see clearer than ever before, and packages like Sunday Ticket and NBA Full Court allow fans to see more than ever before. Fantasy sports revolves around tracking players from multiple teams, so going to the game to see just your favorites no longer makes sense. And DVR allows fans to schedule games on their terms, fast forward commercials and take extra looks at an instant replay. Why pay lots of money to sit in the cold and watch your team lose when you can invite your buddies over, follow all the games and not have to wait in line for the bathroom?

Now more than ever, teams need fans to attend games live. Due to the economy's current state, teams are losing money left and right. Making sure fannies are in the seats is the #1 task the teams must deal with, or at least #1B after winning games. But more and more, it's becoming a difficult choice for fans to go or stay.

It's been a long time, I shouldn't of left you

2010-01-08T10:34:00.002-06:00

Wow, it's been a while. Sorry about that.

So much stuff has happened in the past month, I feel obligated to discuss it. But where to start? Here are just some of the things that have taken place since I last posted here on the blog, in no chronological or importance order.

Bears beat Favre on Monday Night Football, Cubs trade Bradley to Seattle, Bulls try to fire coach but can't, Gators lose SEC Title, Bears keep Lovie but fire Turner, Colt McCoy almost cost Texas chances of playing for National Championship, Colts don't go for 16-0, Saints lose three straight, Gilbert Arenas packs heat, Ingram wins Heisman, Tiger story gets crazier, Dawson voted into Baseball HOF, Bulls begin to get healthy and play better, Urban Meyer retires, Urban Meyer reconsiders, Urban Meyer returns, NU plays thrilling Outback Bowl but comes up short, I got a full-time job with Sports Illustrated, Chris Johnson tops 2K yards, I graduated college, Chris Henry RIP, the decade ended, 'Bama tops Texas for National Title.

OK, so all but one of those items is true...you're on your own to determine which one. The point is, I missed a lot. But I can make it up to you. How? With some awesome NFL playoff picks.

Jets at Bengals
Saw most of this game last Sunday and, um, wait, what happened? Cincinnati had nothing to play for, the Jets had everything to gain and the game was a snoozer. Don't expect a repeat. If both Indy and Cinci hadn't shut it down early to save themselves for the playoffs, the Jets would be on vacation right now. Instead they take a rookie QB into the Queen City to face a rested Bengals team who is not only playing for their pride and city, but also a fallen teammate. The Thomas Jones vs. Cedric Benson running back matchup intrigues me, but that's basically a draw. What's not even is the rest of the offenses. Even though the New York D is playing great right now, I like the Bengals, and I like 'em big. Bengals 27-7

Eagles at Cowboys
First off a promotional plug - follow this game with me during a live chat on NFL Blog Blitz on Sat. night at 7 central. What will you find if you tune in? One hell of a game. Each of the past four seasons, a team that played on Wild Card weekend has made it to the Super Bowl. My pick this year is whoever wins this game. The Eagles have an explosive offense, a solid secondary and extensive big game experience. Dallas has the ability to pound away with a solid run game as well as throwing to Miles Austin and Jason Witten. All year I've been picking against the Cowboys in big games, but I think they finally deserve a shot. Cowboys 31-28

Ravens at Patriots
Tough game to figure out, especially because this is the only game of the weekend that didn't take place last weekend. Baltimore is solid, but I can't say Joe Flacco is trustworthy on the road. Tom Brady is obviously trustworthy, but without much support on the Patriots offense. I like the Ravens for one reason: Ray Rice. The former Rutgers star can run through and past the average New England defense, at least enough to give Flacco room to throw. It almost seem sacrilegious to pick against Brady, Belichick and the Pats, especially in N.E., but that's exactly what I'm doing. Ravens 24-18

Packers at Cardinals
My most confident prediction of the weekend is this: Green Bay-Arizona will be the highest scoring game of the weekend. Just look at all the talent on that side of the ball for both teams. That being said, I'm not very confident on who to pick. Green Bay has been playing great lately (kills me to say that), including a blowout a week ago in Arizona. The Cardinals haven't been right since defeating the Vikings in early December. But I basically said the same thing a year ago, and then Arizona was within one or two plays from winning the Super Bowl. Can history repeat itself? I'm saying no. Packers 35-30

Regular season record: 167-89

All Q, No A

2009-12-04T01:27:00.006-06:00

I haven't blogged for a while, due to school, work, looking for work once I'm done with school, etc. All this time without writing though has put a lot on my mind. So to honor that, here are 10 questions that have been rattling around my skull the last few weeks. Please comment if you have any answers, though I admit that there are a few rhetorical ones. (And not all 10 are sports related)

Do the Bears really have to play the final five games of the season? We already know what they are, a team not talented enough to beat good teams with their offense or their defense. Lets just fast forward to the playoffs so that I and the rest of Chicago don't have to continue to suffer.
Why does McDonalds stop selling breakfast at 10:30 a.m.? Maybe on weekdays it makes sense, but on Saturdays and Sundays, they should extend it until noon. I have McDonalds breakfast maybe twice a year, and it's because the food is insanely unhealthy and it's impossible for me to wake up, get organized and go to Mickey D's before 10:30 in the morning.
Is Carlos Dunlap really that stupid? Getting busted for a DUI at 3 a.m. the week before the biggest college football game of the year. Dunlap may have an insane amount of talent and a high IQ on the field, but he seems to lack some intelligence off it.
Can Tebow do it again? I'm biased, but that won't stop me from saying yes. The Gators D, even without Dunlap, will hold down 'Bama enough for Tebow and whichever skill players show up to put up enough points to give Florida their second consecutive SEC Championship. My pick: Florida 27, Alabama 20
Does the most famous athlete in the world really have to start off a voicemail to his mistress, one he has texted about 300 times, with the phrase, "Hi, this is Tiger..."? Do that and you deserve to be caught.
Is there a funnier show out there than 'Curb Your Enthusiasm'? If so, I'd love to see it. Larry David may go down as the smartest/funniest/most influential person in television during my lifetime.
LeBron, DWade, Chris Bosh and I all want to know, is it the summer of 2010 yet?
Instead of making another album full of crazy sex songs, would it be possible for R. Kelly to just focus on making more chapters for 'Trapped in the Closet'? That would put a smile on my face for weeks.
How much more time until the Bears can fire Lovie, Jerry, Ron, Babich, the entire defensive line, most of the offensive line and anybody else associated with this horrible season? Like the President said, it's time for change.
Am I picking the Buffalo (already lost), Atlanta, Chicago, Cincinnati, Indianapolis, Denver, New England, Pittsburgh, New Orleans, Carolina, Houston, San Diego, New York Giants, Seattle, Minnesota and Baltimore to win this weekend? This one I actually have a response to: Yes. (Season to date record: 119-58)

Three's Company

2009-11-19T19:31:00.006-06:00

Thoughts on my three teams as we approach Turkey Day.

Bears: Despite what the newspapers or bloggers or radio talk show idiots or anybody says, it's still waaaaay too early to grade the Jay Cutler-Kyle Orton trade that took place in April. First off, this trade was about long-term success, not the first 10 games of 2009. Just like you don't evaluate a movie based on its opening scene, you can't judge a trade by such a small sample, especially a trade that was made for the long haul. Second, people need to realize what Cutler and Orton are each working with. Not only do the Broncos have better skill position players than the Bears, but their offensive line is far superior. And while a quarterback is supposed to be like a point guard and make everybody around him better, it is impossible when the QB can't even stand up for longer than a second. Just ask Aaron Rodgers. Yes the trade looks bad now, and it seems that Cutler will never throw a TD pass in the red zone. But be patient; things always turn out well for Bears quarterbacks. (Slamming head into wall)

Bulls: If the Bulls get Dwayne Wade or Chris Bosh, it made sense. But I'll say it again for the 100th or so time: Letting Ben Gordon leave hurts the team more than people realize. Not only was he a clutch shooter who wanted the ball at the end of games, but he was a player who teams had to watch and defend the entire 48 minutes. This season Derrick Rose has had less room to drive the lane, Brad Miller can't create plays from the high post and John Salmons can't shoot his fallaway from 18-feet (oh wait, yes he can). Gordon provided an element that the team sorely lacks this year, a reason the Bulls are 28th out 30 in both 3-pointers made a game and 3-point percentage.

Cubs: It's that time of year again. It's getting cold (boo), eggnog is back in stores (yay) and the Cubs are figuring out who they need to sign (groan). With new owner Tom Rickets still feeling things out, it's unlikely the team will make a big-time free agent signing in the mold of Soriano or Fukudome. Instead, I expect a lot of small moves and maybe a trade or two. Dealing Milton Bradley is step one, but here's what I want to see: A real center fielder, a second baseman, a few relief pitchers who can go in the seventh and eighth innings and some speed. One rumor has them looking at Detroit Tigers (and Chicago native) center fielder Curtis Granderson, which would be amazing. But these are the Cubs were talking about, so I fully expect there to be several holes in the lineup and pitching staff when spring training begins in February.

NFL Winners for Week 11: Carolina (already lost), Dallas, Detroit, Green Bay, Pittsburgh, Minnesota, New Orleans, Atlanta, Jacksonville, Indianapolis, Arizona, San Diego, Cincinnati, New England, Philadelphia, Tennessee

Gotta be the shoes

2009-11-16T15:02:00.003-06:00

I promise, there will be a real post coming later this week, but had to share a trio of videos with you. Watch the first two and then you'll understand the relevance of the third.

Ron Artest is now in the same prestigious group as Austin Powers' nemesis Random Task and an Iraqi journalist. What an idiot.

Gut check game

2009-11-12T13:33:00.002-06:00

I had planned on posting a mid-season evaluation of the Bears today, along with my selection of tonight's highly-important game against the 49ers. But annoying distractions like school and work seem to have gotten in the way, so instead, you'll have to settle for this mini-preview today and hopefully something more in-depth tomorrow.

When the NFL schedule was initially released back in April, this game caught a lot of people's attention. Not only because it was a mid-week game, which tends to be noteworthy, but also because of the opponent. San Francisco is coached by Samurai Mike Singletary (he stops 'em cold, part of the defense, big and bold), a Hall-of-Fame player and a legend in Chicago. He's trying to build the Niners the same way as Lovie Smith is trying build the Bears - to be a tough, hard-nosed team. Considering San Fran has lost four straight games and the Bears have been embarrassed two of the past three weeks, it seems to be working great.

Of course some team has to win this game. I'm taking the 49ers for two reasons. One, because they have Frank Gore and the Bears run defense has been dreadful since the bye week. Two, because they are at home and didn't have to fly across the country on a short week. That's the only thing that separates these two teams. Switch the home field and I take the Bears. Sit 'The Inconvenient Truth' and I take the Bears.

So I'll say 27-20 49ers in a game that won't be as ugly as last Sunday was...I promise. The Bears have to show some heart one of these weeks, and I think this is it.

November 4 will define Bears

2009-11-06T13:28:00.000-06:00

Sunday starts a tough four-game stretch for the Bears: home versus defending NFC Champ Arizona, at San Francisco on a Thursday night, home versus the other team in last January’s NFC Championship game, Philadelphia, on a Sunday night, and then a trip up to the Metrodome to face the first place Vikings. Four games, four challenges, but five possible outcomes for the Bears.

If the team runs the table (highly unlikely), they will certainly make the playoffs and may even win the NFC North. A 5-0 November, including last Sunday’s win versus Cleveland, would quiet all the Jay Cutler trade doubters…at least until the first loss in December. And there’s no doubt that the entire coaching staff would return next season, bar an epic collapse during the season’s final weeks.

Going 3-1 during the stretch would be an accomplishment as well. Considering the two thought-to-be tough stretches of the schedule at the start of the year were the first three games (at Green Bay, vs. Pittsburgh, at Seattle, which the Bears went 2-1) and this month, it would look good for Cutler and coach Lovie Smith’s resume that they navigated through each of them successfully. Assuming the Bears handle their business in December/January (vs. St. Louis, vs. Green Bay, at Baltimore, vs. Minnesota on Monday night and at Detroit, the team would play in the post-season.

I’d argue the most probable scenario is a 2-2 record, which would leave the Bears exactly where they stand right now - in the middle of the pack in the NFC. Considering of their three losses, two have come on nationally-telivised night games, losses to the 49ers and Eagles seem likely. That would mean though that the Bears beat Minnesota on November 29, which would make more than a couple of people smile for a variety of reasons. Like with the previous route, a 2-2 record would mean the December stretch is given extra importance.

A 1-3 record and the season’s likely over. It seems highly unlikely that the Bears could enter December at 5-6 and make the playoffs. Unless the one win is against the Vikings, combined with more Minnesota losses and an impressive end of season run, it will mark three consecutive playoff-less seasons following the Super Bowl appearance in 2007. So far, the common theme in all the losses for the Bears this season has been turnovers. If that continues, major questions will arise about why the Cutler trade was made in the first place.

Finally, there is 0-4. Lovie Smith, Ron Turner and the rest of the coaching staff is toast. So is much of the defense, which is getting up there in age. GM Jerry Angelo could be updating his resume as well if anybody in the McCaskey family is even paying attention at this point. Major criticism will land at the feet of Cutler, Matt Forte and all the other under-performers in 2009, especially since the Bears don’t have a draft pick in the first two rounds in next April’s draft.

So how’s it going to go? Not to seem predictable, but I’m guessing based on how the season has gone, 2-2 seems most likely. With the exception of the Cincinnati game, the Bears seem to play their opponents well. Against good teams - Green Bay, Pittsburgh, Atlanta - they play well and the game goes down to the wire. Against bad teams - Detroit, Cleveland - they don’t play particularly well, but still are able to get the job done. Arizona, San Francisco, Philadelphia and Minnesota are all good or really good teams, ones that will require the Bears to play as well as they have all season. I still say the December/January schedule sets up well, with home games against division rivals as well as contents with the pathetic Rams and Lions. Going 2-2 in November may not be preferable, but it doesn’t kill the Bears season.

Now of course are my Week 9 picks, with winners in bold.

Washington at Atlanta

Arizona at Chicago

Baltimore at Cincinnati

Houston at Indianapolis

Miami at New England

Green Bay at Tampa Bay

Kansas City at Jacksonville

Carolina at New Orleans

Detroit at Seattle

San Diego at New York Giants

Tennessee at San Francisco

Dallas at Philadelphia

Pittsburgh at Denver

Last week: 6-7
Season to date: 76-40

Are you ready for some overeactions?

2009-10-30T13:19:00.001-05:00

There are only 16 regular season games on each team’s NFL schedule. Only 16. That means unlike baseball, where there are 10-times that many, or basketball, with about five-times as many games, there is no waiting in the NFL. No adjustment period for new acquisitions to get comfortable, no time for a rookie to learn the playbook, no time to complain about injuries. With only 16 games, every Sunday is important.

And that actually is the best thing about the NFL. The limited number of games means that each week, there are matchups with playoff implications. As a fan, you can’t miss anything, because there’s only four months of actual (regular season) football compared to the seven months of football hype. Each game feels like a movie on limited release in theaters - there’s only a little bit of time to see it, so make sure not to skip it.

Having only 16 games is also the worst thing about the NFL. Because each game is an event, fans, coaches and the media take every little thing that happens and magnify it to Terrence Cody size. Overreactions are as normal in professional football as Brad Childress time management mistakes. It’s the reason team’s are either written in as Super Bowl contenders or written off as horrible failures so early in the season, and too often, these harsh predictions are confused with actual fact.

Take the Bears for example. Last week they laid an egg with an embarrassing loss at Cincinnati. Maybe the worst game of the entire Lovie Smith era. No excuse for that. But based on what people have written or said in Chicago this week, you’d think that the Bengals game officially ended the Bears season. One person I spoke with on the train said the Bears were set to lose four of their next five games. Another said the team would eventually get eclipsed by the Lions in the NFC North standings.

Did I miss something? Do games in southern Ohio now count for 16 games instead of one? Do the Bears still have 10 games to go - six of which are at home? Is the team still 3-3 with wins over the defending Super Bowl champs and on the road in Seattle? Yes, the Bears played like a middle school team last Sunday. Jay Cutler and Matt Forte couldn’t get anything going on offense, and the defense made Cedric Benson look like the player the Bears drafted with the fourth pick in the 2004 draft. It was 31-0 before halftime and everybody associated with the team should be embarrassed.

But it’s impossible to say that this game ends the Bears season. There’s just too much time left to play. Remember the 2006 Indianapolis Colts, the team that ended up beating the Bears in Super Bowl XLI? In a week 14 game at Jacksonville, Indy was absolutely shredded, losing 44-17. The Jaguars ran for 375 yards on 42 caries, an average of about nine yards per rush. Three Jacksonville players ran for more than 70 yards and the Colts allowed four rushing TDs. It was clearly a bad loss for Indianapolis, and afterward, analysts and fans alike all said there was no way the Colts could win the title because their run defense was too poor.

Then safety Bob Sanders returned to the lineup after an injury, and in four playoff games that season, the Colts never allowed more than 100 yards on the ground. Run defense - and Rex Grossman - were the reasons the Colts dominated the Bears in the Super Bowl. In week 14 Indianapolis was left for dead, and by week 19, they were the champions of the world.

Now I’m not saying the Bears are going to win the Super Bowl. Maybe the faults they showed in the Bengals game will persist all year long and the team goes from a very promising 3-1 start to a dreadful 6-10 finish. Perhaps Lovie loses his job (Ron Turner has to go as well). But before that happens, the team has 10 more games to play. Yes, there’s only ten left. Then we have to wait all the way until next September for more football. So lets try and enjoy it.

Here are my Week 8 picks, with winners in bold.

Houston at Buffalo

Cleveland at Chicago

Seattle at Dallas

St. Louis at Detroit

San Francisco at Indianapolis

Miami at New York Jets

New York Giants at Philadelphia

Denver at Baltimore

Jacksonville at Tennessee

Oakland at San Diego

Minnesota at Green Bay

Carolina at Arizona

Atlanta at New Orleans

Last Week: 7-6
Season to Date: 70-33

A very Tweet NBA Preview

2009-10-27T22:25:00.002-05:00

Twitter is the new craze these days, with millions of people describing their every thought, feeling, joke, outrage and up-to-the-second detail of their life, 140 characters at a time. While I’m not a user, mainly because I don’t really have the energy to update my life on a consistent basis, I do enjoy reading the accounts of a few people. It’s interesting to see how much - or how little - information one can share in that amount of space.

With that in mind, I wanted to see how well I could do communicating via Tweet. So here is my 2009-10 NBA Preview, with each team preview, awards pick and reasoning coming in the form of a 140-charachter rant.

EASTERN CONFERENCE

1) Cleveland: Shaq clogs the lane too much for my liking, but LBJ will be a monster in his contract year, even better than 08-09s 28/8/7.

2) Orlando: Losing Hedu hurts, but Vince and Brandon Bass added to D12, Rashard Lewis and Jameer Nelson make ‘09s East champs one powerful squad.

3) Boston: The return of KG, the addition of Rasheed and the emergence of Rondo make Boston an interesting team. But will all the pieces of the puzzle fit?

4) Atlanta: Young and exciting team is in a make or break year with Joe Johnson about to be a free agent. Adding Jamal Crawford really helps them.

5) Chicago: Losing BG will be costly at the end of games, but expect the jump to come from healthy Deng and improved DRose, JoNoah, Salmons.

6) Toronto: For selfish reasons, hope the Raps suck and Bosh wants to head to the Chi. But I like Hedu and love DeRozen, meaning the playoffs.

7) Washington: Love Gilbert, love Caron, love Jamison, but who knows if they can stay healthy or what affect Flip Saunders will have.

8) Detroit: By the end of year, I promise Piston fans will love BG’s shooting and hate his lack of defense/ball handling. Breakout player: Will Bynum.

9) Charlotte: Larry Brown teams always do well in year 2. Expecting big things out of one of my favorite recent college players, DJ Augustin.

10) Philadelphia: Still don’t get why they gave Elton Brand $82M if they want to run. Big question @ PG after letting Andre Miller go.

11) Miami: Dear DWade, please come to the Bulls. Please come to the Bulls. Please come to the Bulls. Please come to the Bulls.

12) Indiana: No clue what Bird is doing. Either knock the pieces down and get a top-5 pick or make a move for an elite player.

13) New York: I understand what they’re doing by clearing all their cap space, but they are really screwed if LeBron doesn’t show up in 2010.

14) New Jersey: DHarris, Courtney Lee and Lopez are all solid, and T-Will was a smart pick, but this team is going to lose a lot of games.

15) Milwaukee: Feel bad for Michael Redd. Not only does he have to spend his winters in Wisc. but this team he’s on is garbage.

WESTERN CONFERENCE

1) LA Lakers: I’m guessing by 1-1-2010, Phil will regret signing Artest. He’s selfish, an ego-maniac and doesn’t fit the triangle. Still, they have Kobe.

2) San Antonio: The best off-season in the NBA, which is saying something. Jefferson, McDyess and Blair all should be major help to the Big 3.

3) Denver: After a small taste of success in 09, big year for ‘Mello in 2010. Big as in top 3 MVP voting. Having Billups all season helps.

4) Dallas: Dirk + JKidd + The Matrix + Drew Gooden’s beard = Team I like.

5) Utah: If there’s one rule in the NBA, it’s don’t get on Michael Jordan’s bad side. Rule 2? Never under-estimate Jerry Sloan.

6) New Orleans: Picked NO to win it all last year. Not making that mistake again. Still, CP3 is too good to let them fall far.

7) Portland: Bunch of nice pieces, but maybe too many guys who think they need the rock to be successful. Big question once again is Oden.

8) Phoenix: If Amare stays healthy, if Nash can find his groove again and if they get a breakout year from somebody, the Suns can be dangerous again.

9) Oklahoma City: Really talented roster, but still a year away. Everybody’s got a crush on Durant - justifiably- but I love Russell Westbrook as much.

10) Golden State: It’s a shame the Steph Curry had to be drafted into this insane asylum. He’s still going to be fun to watch.

11) Houston: Yao-Out. TMac-Out. Artest-Gone. So it’s going to be tough. But this is a tough team who will be better than expected.

12) LA Clippers: They’d be higher if Blake Griffin was healthy. But he isn’t, and they’re the Clippers, so it’s back to the basement.

13) Memphis: I feel horrible for Rudy Gay. He’s the best player on the team, but with Mayo, Randolph and AI, he’ll never see the ball.

14) Minnesota: Would be more entertaining if Rubio had come over, but there’s some nice pieces on this team. Still need a scorer.

15) Sacramento: Tyreeke Evans is going to be a star. Can’t say many other nice things about this roster.

East Finals) Cavs over Magic: The addition of Shaq helps guard Howard, and LeBron will be more motivated than ever.

West Finals) Spurs over Lakers: I just like this matchup for SA. Duncan, McD, Blair and Bonner take care of LAs bigs, and Parker, Manu, Jeff and Mason do enough outside.

NBA Finals) Cavs over Spurs in 6: LeBron finally wins his ring, stays in Cleveland, mass drowning avoided in Lake Erie.

MVP) LeBron James: Kobe and ‘Mello will provide little competition for the King.

ROY) Jonny Flynn: Blake Griffin is hurt, Rubio’s in Spain and Curry's in hell, so it’s up to Flynn and Tyreeke Evans. I like the ex-Orange.

1st Team All-NBA) Wade, Kobe, ‘Mello, LBJ23 and Howard

2nd Team All-NBA) CP3, Pierce, Bosh, Dirk and Duncan

Close ones define Bears

2009-10-23T15:00:00.003-05:00

Bears-Bengals this Sunday. Also known as the Benson Bowl. Should be known as the Heart Attack Bowl.

The Bears have played five games, which have been decided by 6, 3, 6, 24 and 7 points. Take away the Lions game, and the Bears average result has been less than a six points.

The Bengals have played six games, which have been decided by 5, 7, 3, 3, 3 and 11 points. Take away last week’s game versus the Texans, and the Bengals are averaging final scores that are just over four points.

So you know that this Sunday’s game is going to come down to the end. It’s going to be up to either Jay Cutler and the offense or Lance Briggs and the defense to come up with the big play if the Bears are going to win. Last week’s meltdown in Atlanta was devastating for a number of reasons, but the main one was the Bears horrible execution in the fourth quarter. That can’t happen again if the Bears are going to win in Cincinnati.

As stressful as these games are, Bears fans should be used to it. In 2008, the Bears had 10 games decided by a touchdown or less. Their point differential that season was +25, which was 14 points fewer than the Packers, who won three fewer games than the Bears did. This year, through the first five games, they're on that same pace, at +20, while Green Bay again is at +39.

Close games are usually decided by three keys: coaching, turnovers and penalties. Though I've criticized him in the past, I think Lovie Smith is doing a good job this year at managing the defense. Considering there is nobody on the 53-man roster that I would valid NFL safety and the linebacking corps is more beat up that the Bluesmobile at the end of Jake and Elwood's adventure, it's difficult for me to hate on Smith's performance as the team's new defensive coordinator. My hope is that new defensive end Gaines Adams provides the consistent pass rush the team has lacked the last few weeks.

At -1 differential, it would seem that turnovers have been a minor deal, not a HUGE one. Wrong. While eight takeaways compared to nine giveaways isn't horrible, it has been the location of these turnovers. Too often the fumbles or picks have come in the red zone, such as last week's multiple fumbles by Matt Forte inside the five and Cutler's pick when the Bears were inside field goal range. Both losses, to Green Bay week 1 and Atlanta last Sunday, can be directly tied to giving the ball away when it mattered most.

And then the penalties. Against Green Bay, it was the risk of having 12 men on the field that forced a botched punt, leading to Packer points. Against Atlanta, the Bears did give Atlanta a first down because of 12 men on the field, and also moved a 4th-and-1 back to a 4th-and-6 on the final drive thanks to Orlando Pace's false start. Overall, the team only has 31 penalties for 266 yards, which both rank in the bottom third of the league. But like the turnovers, its been when and where they take place, not how many of them there are.

So expect another nail biter in Southern Ohio this Sunday. The Bengals don't blow people out, instead opting for physical games that are decided in the final minutes. The Bears don't blow people out, instead opting for games that are decided by turnovers and penalties. Which will prevail? See who I like in my Week 7 picks, winners in bold.

Green Bay at Cleveland

San Diego at Kansas City

Indianapolis at St. Louis

Minnesota at Pittsburgh

New England at Tampa Bay (in London)

San Francisco at Houston

New York Jets at Oakland

Buffalo at Carolina

Chicago at Cincinnati

Atlanta at Dallas

New Orleans at Miami

Arizona at New York Giants

Philadelphia at Washington

Last Week: 8-6
Season to Date: 63-27

Watch for a Wild Bear

2009-10-16T09:14:00.000-05:00

Major innovation comes along rarely in sports play calling, but when it does, it makes a big difference. Think of how much the pick-and-roll changed basketball: the point guard was cleared from his defender, switched onto another opponent, and given the option to either drive to the basket or dish it to a teammate. The pick-and-roll is one play - maybe the only one in all of sports - that when perfectly executed, it’s impossible to defend.

Last season, the Miami Dolphins had a football innovation. Well, sort of. They brought back an offense called the Single Wing, but they made some minor changes and re-named it the Wildcat. With running back Ronnie Brown behind center instead of a quarterback, it gave Brown the option of keeping the ball on a draw or handing it off to fellow back Ricky Williams. Opposing teams were thrown off guard by this formation, and Miami used it in its run to the playoffs last season.

A year later, the Wildcat has exploded onto the NFL scene. Nearly every team uses it, though still nobody does it as well as the Dolphins. In last week’s Monday Night game against the Jets, the ‘Phins ran for 103 yards out of the ‘gimmick’ formation, including the game-winning two-yard TD run by Brown with five seconds left.

This week, and this is one of the craziest predictions I’ve ever made on this blog, I’m predicting the Bears will use the Wildcat for the first time in their game against the Falcons. You want reasons why? Here’s three of them:

1) They’ve got the perfect player for it: Devin Hester. He’s no longer an elite kick/punt returner, but he would be dynamic in the backfield alongside Matt Forte. Hester is still good at finding a gap in the defense, and when he finds it, it’s over - six points. He’s also a versatile player, meaning he would know when to hand it to Forte, when to keep it, maybe even when to throw it on a trick play.

2) They are starting a six-week stretch of inter-division opponents. That means no Lions, Packers or Vikings until Nov. 29. It also means they are facing teams that are un-familiar with the Bears’ personnel. Adding a new package makes perfect sense at this time of the season, because it allows them to put more plays and formations on film for those final six weeks of the year, when the opponents know the Bears as well as anybody.

3) Atlanta isn’t a great run defense team, ranking 24th in the league with 127 rushing yards per game. Meaning they are the perfect squad to try something new against. If the Bears were playing say, Baltimore, maybe it’s not a great idea to give the ball to a wide receiver in the backfield. But a team that struggles tacking like Atlanta does is ideal for a squad trying out something new. I expect Jay Cutler to be out wide and Hester in the shotgun at least twice this Sunday.

But will the Bears win? We all remember last year’s game in the Georgia Dome, and now comes time for revenge. Find out who I like below in my Week 6 picks, winners in bold.

Houston at Cincinnati

Detroit at Green Bay

Baltimore at Minnesota

New York Giants at New Orleans

Cleveland at Pittsburgh

Carolina at Tampa Bay

Kansas City at Washington

St. Louis at Jacksonville

Philadelphia at Oakland

Arizona at Seattle

Tennessee at New England

Buffalo at New York Jets

Chicago at Atlanta

Denver at San Diego

Last Week: 9-5
Season to Date: 55-21

In the survival pool, I'm still alive after taking the Eagles last week. This Sunday, another green and white team, as I'm going with the Jets.

Couldn't resist

2009-10-09T12:09:00.004-05:00

Scroll down for my NFL thoughts and picks.

I had to share this picture. For anybody who roots for the Cubs and has had to listen to St. Louis fans talk about how their team is so great, how they have the most loyal and smartest fan base in the world, how guys like Pujols and LaRussa can do no wrong, how the Cardinals are the God's gift to Earth, all that crap, I present to you...

What a great way to blow a playoff game. One out to go, line drive to your new left fielder - the star acquisition that will put your team over the top - and he misjudges it. Ball hits him in the nuts, game continues, and then the immortal Mark Loretta winds up driving in the game-winner. As a Cubs fan, I would normally have sympathy for the team who choked. But it's the Cards, so I say, gag away.

I want the bye to go bye-bye

2009-10-09T10:00:00.003-05:00

Sunday in the fall is supposed to be about one thing: football. If one wanted to, they could spend 13 consecutive hours watching some type of football game, preview, recap, highlight or analysis. It’s what millions work all week for, the early afternoon shifting to the early evening to the darkness of night, all while on the couch watching grown men run around and hit each other.

That is, unless three letters get in the way: b-y-e. The dreaded bye week means your team isn’t playing, that those 53 players are most likely doing exactly the same thing you are - watching football. It’s like stubbing your toe. It’s not a big deal, next week you won’t even notice it, but at the time it happens, it really stings.

One of the four teams with the bye this week is the Bears. That means despite the fact that the team has won thee games in a row and have climbed up to second place in the NFC North, they must take the week off and force Chicagoans to do something else with their Sunday. They could rake the leaves, get some homework done, or do the next best thing to watching your favorite team, which is watch other teams. If that’s your strategy*, here are my picks for Week 5. Winners, just like always, in bold. And if you need a survival pick, go with the Eagles like I am.

*If that is indeed your strategy, I’m sorry. This week’s slate of games is just awful. I usually try to pick upsets, but this week, there was such a wide gap between favorites and underdogs, I almost went all chalk. Next Sunday will be better, I promise.

Cleveland at Buffalo

Pittsburgh at Detroit

Dallas at Kansas City

Minnesota at St. Louis

Oakland at New York Giants

Tampa Bay at Philadelphia

Washington at Carolina

Cincinnati at Baltimore

Atlanta at San Francisco

New England at Denver

Houston at Arizona

Jacksonville at Seattle

Indianapolis at Tennessee

New York Jets at Miami

Last Week: 11-3

Season to Date: 46-16

Can the Olympics play cornerback?

2009-10-02T00:01:00.002-05:00

It’s Olympic mania here in the Windy City. Everywhere you turn in Chicago, there’s a ‘We Support the Bid’ sign, a newspaper article discussing something to do with today’s announcement or somebody talking about our chances at the 2016 games. It’s the biggest day the city has seen in 11 months, since Nov. 4, 2008, when Barack Obama won the election and a half-million people, myself included, jam packed into Grant Park to watch him speak to his supporters. To put it simply, today’s decision will impact Chicagoans for many years to come.

But this is a football column, not an Olympics one. But that doesn’t mean we can’t borrow from the spirit of the games and translate it to pigskin. So without further ado, here are your medalists for the first three weeks of the Bears season.

OFFENSE

Bronze- Ron Turner, offensive coordinator

I’ve been critical of the Bears’ offensive play calling before and will continue to do so if Turner continues to be clueless on how to attack opponents. In last weeks game at Seattle, with the Bears down 19-17 during the fourth quarter, Turner called not one, not two, but three consecutive runs for backup running back Garrett Wolfe. I understand giving Matt Forte a breather, but do it earlier in the game and not when the team has a 3rd-and-2 and is trailing by two. With wideouts like Hester, Knox and Bennett (more on them later), and a tight end like Olsen, I’d hope Turner one day wakes up, realizes its 2009, and starts putting some spread offense principles in the Bears attack.

Silver- Jay Cutler, quarterback

When looking over Cutler’s stats, I can’t help but wonder one thing: Why is he so bad in the first quarter? In 2009, he’s thrown for only 126 yards during the game’s first 15 minutes, by far his lowest of the four quarters. He’s also thrown no TD’s and two picks during that time frame, a bad sign for a team that wants to get off to a good start. Yet for all that, he’s been great at the end of games these past two weeks, leading the Bears to consecutive come-from-behind wins.

Gold- The wide receivers

Before the Green Bay game, if you’d told me, Lovie Smith or anybody else that cares about football that Matt Forte would be rushing for 2.5 yards a carry and have no touchdowns through week three, the Bears bandwagon would be as empty as Karl Malone’s trophy case. Yet those stats are real and the team is 2-1. How? Because of the improved play of the Bears wideouts. Devin Hester has turned into a real receiver, not just a speedster who runs fly routes. That game-winning TD grab was a very difficult catch, as the Windy City Flyer had to reach behind his head for the ball, maintain his balance and then take off for the end zone. Earl Bennett has matured into a dependable option, both on the outside and over the middle. And every ones new favorite player is Johnny Knox, the fifth round pick who is looking more and more like a future #1 receiver every time he touches the ball.

DEFENSE

Bronze- The secondary

When a secondary makes Seneca Wallace look like a legit NFL quarterback for three-plus quarters, there’s trouble. Pass coverage was a concern for the team coming into the season, and it has proven itself to be an issue through three weeks. The safeties are constantly out of position on pass plays, and have been lucky that the last two weeks, the Steelers and Seahawks have had a case of butterfingers. Cornerback isn’t much better, with Zach Bowman, Nate Vasher and Corey Graham each struggling on one side and Charles Tillman looking like he’s at 75% health on the other. Also, here’s a suggestion for Peanut: I love when you strip the ball and force fumbles, but don’t do it unless you have the tackle wrapped up. The only Seattle TD was a result of you not tackling.

Silver- The line

They come to play every week, but only occasionally do they make big plays. And that’s a problem. Week one, it was Adewale Ogunleye. Week two, it was Alex Brown. Last week, Anthony Adams and Mark Anderson got into the act. If they can all play well at the same time, the defense will go back to their dominant ways. Also, has anybody seen Tommie Harris. Maybe he’ll dive across the line of scrimmage for old times sake this Sunday and remind everybody how good #91 used to be.

Gold- The linebackers

Brian Urlacher’s done for the year. Pisa Tinoisamoa has missed the last few weeks. Hunter Hillenmeyer is banged up. So far, none of that has mattered. Everybody on the second level has stepped their game up, so much so that I don’t even think the announcers mentioned Urlahcer’s absence until they showed him on the bench during the third quarter. Lance Briggs was all over the place, as usual, causing havoc and forcing turnovers. Nick Roach has played both inside and outside well, and Jamar Williams has shown some promise. It’s good to know that at least one unit on the defense is playing as well as they can right now.

Now onto week four picks, with my winners in bold. Last week I went 11-5, pushing my overall record to 35-13.

Detroit at Chicago

Cincinnati at Cleveland

Seattle at Indianapolis

New York Giants at Kansas City

Baltimore at New England

Tampa Bay at Washington

Tennessee at Jacksonville

Oakland at Houston

Buffalo at Miami

New York Jets at New Orleans

Dallas at Denver

St. Louis at San Francisco

San Diego at Pittsburgh

Green Bay at Minnesota

And in my survival pool, with the Saints, Redskins and Ravens no longer eligible, I’m going with a city that starts with C, ends with O and has HICAG in the middle. DAAA BEARS

Myth vs. Truth

2009-09-25T11:53:00.003-05:00

It has only been two weeks, but there already is a separation between what we thought about the NFL going into the season and what really is taking place. Here are five examples, followed by Week 3 picks.

What We Thought: That the Patriots would pick where they left off in 2007 when Tom Brady was last healthy and be un-stoppable.

What’s Really Going On: If Buffalo kick returner Leodis McKelvin decides to take a touchback instead of bringing a kick out in Week One against New England, the Patriots are 0-2. They were completely dominated by the Jets, and both their defense and running game seem to be lost. Brady’s numbers have been pretty good, but then again, he’s already thrown 100 passes (only two other QBs have thrown over 80 passes, only one other with more than 90), so big numbers should be expected. With the Falcons this week, Baltimore next and at the surprise Broncos following that, New England could easily be 1-4 by mid-October.

What We Thought: That San Francisco would be decent with Michael Crabtree and horrible without him.

What’s Really Going On: So far for the 49ers it has been no Crabtree, no problem. San Francisco is 2-0 with wins already against perceived NFC West favorites Arizona and Seattle. It’s isn’t that the team couldn’t use the former Texas Tech star, but since he has chosen to take the idiotic route of holding out because he thinks he should be paid like the fifth player chosen in the draft even though he didn’t go until ten, the Niners are moving on without him. QB Shaun Hill has been solid, but the main offensive threat has been running back Frank Gore. A win this weekend at Minnesota would show the rest of the NFC that Samurai Mike Singletary’s team is for real.

What We Thought: That the Colts would sorely miss the presence of Marvin Harrison.

What Really Going On: Why re-sign an aging future Hall-of-Famer when you have Pierre Garcon. Who? The receiver from Mount Union, who is less than a year older but about a half-second slower than me in the 40 (one of those two previous statements are true), has had a big impact on Indy’s offense. Versus Miami last week he caught only one ball, but turned it into a 48-yard touchdown. With Garcon on one side, All Pro Reggie Wayne on the other, Dallas Clark in the slot and some dude named Peyton at quarterback, the Colts don’t seem to be missing a beat despite the loss of Harrison.

What We Though: That the 2008 Falcons and Dolphins were just a flash in the pan.

What’s Really Going On: Miami and their Wildcat was indeed a flash in the pan; add some bread crumbs, olive oil and you got yourself some fried Dolphin. The Falcons actually are as real as it gets. Matt Ryan has continued his rise along the NFL quarterbacking ladder, proving he’s one of the best in the game. Adding Tony Gonzalez sure hasn’t hurt, with the star tight end grabbing 12 passes for 144 yards and two TD’s already in ’09. Atlanta has a really tough stretch coming up in their schedule - at New England, bye, at San Francisco, the Bears on Sunday night, at Dallas, at New Orleans, Washington, at Carolina and then at the NY Giants. That’s six road games in nine weeks, with all the matchups against potentially tough opponents. So the Falcons are for real right now, but check with me again as the season goes on.

What We Thought: That the addition of Jay Cutler would open up the Bears offense.

What’s Really Going On: New year, new quarterback, same old Bears. Sure, they throw the ball some more, but that has partially been because Matt Forte has never really been able to get going thus far in ’09. But with Ron Turner still calling the offensive plays (for some reason), the attack still sputters along like a little kid trying to learn to walk. Short pass, short pass, run on third down, punt. Or short pass, run, try and go deep, punt. The play calling has usually been along those lines during the first two weeks. Will Turner open it up some more to allow Cutler to make plays? Bears fans can only hope the pre-season prediction will eventually come true.

Now for my week 3 picks, coming off an 11-5 record last week, pushing my season mark to 24-8. My picks in bold.

Washington vs. Detroit

Green Bay vs. St. Louis

San Francisco vs. Minnesota

Atlanta vs. New England

Tennessee vs. New York Jets

Kansas City vs. Philadelphia

New York Giants vs. Tampa Bay

Cleveland vs. Baltimore

Jacksonville vs. Houston

New Orleans vs. Buffalo

Bears vs. Seattle

Pittsburgh vs. Cincinnati

Denver vs. Oakland

Miami vs. San Diego

Indianapolis vs. Arizona

Carolina vs. Dallas

And my survival pick of the week - New Orleans and Washington are gone - is Baltimore to whoop up the Browns.

A rightfielder leaves as a QB arrives

2009-09-21T14:57:00.001-05:00

I’ll give you five numerical reasons why Milton Bradley should shut his mouth: .257 BA, 12 HR, 40 RBI, 61 runs scored, 95 K’s.

And for good measure, here’s one more: 10

That last number? That’s how many games the Cubs trail St. Louis in the NL Central after their Sunday night win, sans-Bradley. It’s also how much money Bradley is making this season, adding six zeros to the end.

The right fielder was suspended by team management Sunday for the remainder of the 2009 after making some ridiculous comments. Most likely, Wrigley’s right field bleachers have seen the last of Bradley in Cubbie blue. He said Saturday in a newspaper interview, about the Cubs,” You understand why they haven't won in 100 years here." This comes after taking himself out of games, calling Cubs fans racists, constantly yelling at Lou Piniella, alienating teammates, losing track of the number of outs in a game and being ejected after his first-ever at-bat in a Cubs uniform. Oh, and putting up those stats above.

Even though I disagreed with the signing when it happened - scroll down to the bottom of this column for my Cubs thoughts - I tried my best to support Bradley. Didn’t boo him when he stepped to the plate, gave him a chance to prove me wrong, did all the things a loyal fan would do for a new acquisition.

But I quit doing that when Bradley quit playing hard. My theory since day one is that the fans will support you when you are playing well and turn on you when you struggle; it’s just how the human body is programmed. Nobody likes paying $75 for a ticket to a Cubs game to see the high-paid right fielder loaf around and not try to win the game. And since they can’t get their money back, the 41,000 do the next best thing - boo. And then Bradley turns around and insults the fans and organization, the same group of people paying him $30 million over the next three years to play baseball.

I say good riddance Milton Bradley. Take your selfishness, laziness and Neifi Perez-like batting average somewhere else. I’m not blaming all of 2009’s problems on Bradley, because there is plenty of that to go around. But I am saying that it may be 101 years and counting for the Cubs to win the World Series, but I’m positive the team is much closer to the trophy without Bradley than with him.

Football Thought of the Week

It’s tough for me to say the Bears deserved to beat the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday. Pittsburgh had more first downs, more total yards, more than twice the rushing yards, won time of possession and had fewer penalties. The Steelers also had a two-time Super Bowl winning quarterback, the most feared defense in the league and an opponent on the ropes in must-win mode.

Yet through all of that, the final score from rain-soaked Soldier Field read Bears 17, Steelers 14. A week after erratic play from Jay Cutler and a bone-headed special teams play cost the Bears a win at Lambeau Field, the QB’s Derrick Rose-like calm under pressure and a gift from the kicking Gods put the Bears into the ‘W’ column for the first time in ’09. It wasn’t pretty, but it worked.

There’s no question that the win came courtesy of Steelers kicker Jeff Reed, who shanked two fourth quarter kicks, putting Robbie Gould in the position of nailing the game-winner for the Bears. But just as he deserved blame last week, much of the credit has to go to Jay Cutler. Taking the Bears down the field twice in the fourth quarter, first on a TD pass to Johnny Knox (a breakout star in the receiving corps) and then on the game-winning drive, Cutler showed poise and confidence rarely seen by a Chicago signal-caller. He still hasn’t had the luxury of a good running attack - Matt Forte has a total of 84 rushing yards on the season - but Cutler seemed to do it all on his own Sunday.

Now 1-1, the Bears have one game left in their three-game gauntlet to open the season, at Seattle next Sunday. Qwest Field has always been one of the toughest places in the league for opponents to play, even when the Seahawks aren’t the greatest of teams. And with Matt Hasslebeck apparently out, they won’t be as tough as originally predicted. It helps that the team already has one win under their belt, and it was thanks to their key off-season acquisition that’s the case.

Even a broken clock is right twice a day

2009-09-19T21:05:00.003-05:00

I know it's only the third week of college football, so it's kind of early to be boasting about predictions. But I'm barely right about these things, so I'd like to remind everybody what I wrote on September 1, with a post-script in italics:

Both Texas and Oklahoma will finish the regular season with a loss, meaning whoever wins the Red River Rivalry will go down at some other point. This won't stop UT from winning the Big XII South and Colt McCoy from winning the Heisman, as voters feel bad for shafting the Longhorns and their star QB in 2008. (Oklahoma lost Week 1 to BYU)
Thanks to starting a talented freshmen quarterback, USC will both win and lose a game they shouldn't. (Note: That loss won't be to the Irish in South Bend) My predictions for the Trojans -- a loss at Cal, but a close win at Ohio State. And of course, another Rose Bowl victory. (USC's freshmen QB did lead them to a win at Ohio State. But he was out due to injury in their loss to Washington)
Speaking of Notre Dame, they'll go 8-4 in the regular season followed by another New Years Day Bowl loss. L's in '09 will come against Michigan (UM has to win that one), USC, Pittsburgh and Stanford. (The Irish fell to Michigan already, but are still 2-1 on the year)
Top 5 over-rated teams: Ohio State, Ole Miss, Oklahoma State, LSU and Florida State (The Buckeyes, Cowboys and 'Noles each have one loss)

Still plenty of time for me to be proven wrong, but so far so good.

Tough loss in cheese land

2009-09-18T01:53:00.004-05:00

Instead of a longer column, here are four expanded thoughts on the Bears-Packers game, one on the upcoming Steelers matchup, followed by Week 2 picks.

1) As much as the Green Bay loss stung - and it felt like a swarm of mosquitoes attacked after that game - the season-ending injury to Brian Urlacher was much more painful. Before the season began, a lot of writers talked about how the middle linebacker was going to have a career year. He was healthy, he was comfortable with Bob Babich as his linebackers coach and he’s surrounded by a pair of guys, Lance Briggs and Pisa Tinoisamoa, who would allow him to roam the middle of the field and make plays. During the first quarter, #54 laid a great hit on Aaron Rodgers, one of those classic Urlacher blows where he just slams into a guy like the train hitting the criminals’ bus in ‘The Fugitive’. But that hit is what probably messed up his wrist, ending his 2009 before it even began. The Bears will be OK without him, since Hunter Hillenmeyer and Nick Roach are serviceable players. But they could have been great with him, and it’s too bad that won’t happen.

2) Offensive play calling was one of the deaths of the 2008 Bears, and it appears to be happening again. Not enough blame was placed on Ron Turner for his horrendous plays in the fourth quarter, which ended up costing the Bears the win. Follow my logic here: After an impressive drive, Bears have 1st-and-Goal from the 5 with 3:48 remaining. Score is 13-12 Packers. What does Turner do? First down he hands the ball to Matt Forte, which makes perfect sense. Gain of one, making it second down on the 4. Note that Forte at this point had now rushed the ball on four consecutive plays. So what’s the second down call? You guessed it, #22 on a toss to the outside, a play that has a history of working roughly 0% of the time. No gain of course, making it third down from the four. Now Turner only has one choice, which is to throw. But Turner decides to call a play-action, which nobody wearing green & gold falls for, and sends only one receiver, Greg Olsen, out on a route. He’s surrounded, ball sails over his head, and now the Bears have to settle for Robbie Gould. A 15-13 lead could have been 20-13 (with a two-point conversion), which of course made a difference when Nate Vasher did his best Richard Pryor impression a minute later. (Get it, he got burned) If Ron Turner is smarter calling plays, the Bears may win that game, even with the late Packer TD.

3) Now onto the main topic of the week, Mr. Jay Cutler. Everybody had a prediction on how his season would unfold, but nobody predicted this. Four picks, including three in the first half, and one on the final drive of the game. Simply put, it was very Rex-like, but with the added disappointment of actual expectations. Some of the picks were the fault of receivers, some were nerves, some were just good defensive plays. And believe me, he’ll bounce back at some point this year, and he better considering the price the team paid for his services. But as Herman Edwards once famously says, ‘You play to win the game.’ As far as I’m concerned, Cutler’s 1:4 TD-to-interception ratio is no big deal compared to his 0-1 record as the starting quarterback of the Chicago Bears.

4) It’s been all complaining thus far, so it’s only fair to highlight a few guys who played well Sunday night. The clear #1 is the Prince, Adewale Ogunleye. Showing the speed and power that made him a consistent double-digit sack man earlier this decade, Ogunleye recorded two sacks to go along with five pressures versus the Pack. That kind of pass rush is exactly what the Bears need to succeed this season, because we saw later in the game that they don’t have a secondary that can sit back in coverage if the team chooses to blitz. A second player who shined under the Sunday night lights was wideout Johnny Knox. Despite only making two catches, the emergency #3 receiver - Devin Aromashodu was out with a quad injury - gained 82 yards through the air. That included a 68-yard bomb down the right sideline, where Konx blew by former Heisman winner (and still very fast) Charles Woodson. A go-to deep threat was something the Bears offense lacked in 2008, but if Knox and Devin Hester can continue to make plays on the long ball, it will elevate the offense as a whole.

5) The longer I think about facing Pittsburgh this Sunday, the better I feel. Which is a surprise, considering they are the defending Super Bowl champs and the Bears are already in must-win mode. But the Steelers are on nine-days rest, which is too long in my opinion when a team is rusty to begin with to start the year. It’s the home opener of the Jay Cutler Era, which means the lakefront will be jacked up with 61,000 of Bill Swerski’s Superfans. And did I mention already the Bears are in must-win mode. I’m still picking the Bears to lose - I thought Ben Rothlisberger was one of the three best QB’s in the league before his clutch win during Week 1 - but I see another close one that goes down to the end of the fourth quarter. Key will be getting a good performance out of Matt Forte, which didn’t happen versus the Packers.

Now for my Week 2 picks, following up a 13-3 performance in the opener. My picks in bold.

Carolina at Atlanta

Minnesota at Detroit

Cincinnati at Green Bay

Houston at Tennessee

Oakland at Kansas City

New England at New York Jets

New Orleans at Philadelphia

St. Louis at Washington

Arizona at Jacksonville

Tampa Bay at Buffalo

Seattle at San Francisco

Cleveland at Denver

Pittsburgh at Bears

Baltimore at San Diego

New York Giants at Dallas

Indianapolis at Miami

And my survival team of the week, after using up the Saints last week, is...the Washington Redskins.

Lane 'Volunteers' for a whoopin

2009-09-14T09:25:00.003-05:00

Don't worry, I'll get into Bears-Packers in-depth later in the week. Two quick thoughts:

1) Jay Cutler deserves as much blame for this loss as Nathan Vasher, Pat Mannelly, the receivers who stopped their routes, etc. You can't throw four picks and expect to win on the road versus a good team.

2) While the loss stung bad, the worst news was that Brian Urlacher may need wrist surgery. No telling how long he'll be sidelined (UPDATE: He's out for the year, which is HORRIBLE news), but the defense is completely different with #54 on the bench.

Football Thought of the Week

Last Saturday's college football action was everything a fan could have hoped for. In Ann Arbor, Notre Dame and Michigan traded big plays and points for three hours, putting on a roller coaster affair that ended with a last-minute drive orchistrated by a freshmen QB making his second ever start. In Columbus, USC and Ohio State put on a game worthy of their top-10 rankings, a thrilling afair which the Buckeyes dominated and the Trojans somehow won. And in Stillwater, the most-obvious overrated team in the land fell, as Houston took out Oklahoma State.

This Saturday's college football action should be everything that a University of Florida fan could ask for. That's because the Tennessee Volunteers head into Gainseville to take on the National Champs, and oh what a game it should be. Vegas lists Florida as a 25-point favorite, and based on the history of UF coach Urban Meyer, I'll take the Gators to cover...by halftime.

Last February, when he was hired as the Vols new head coach, Lane Kiffiin talked about how excited he was to have the job. Specifically he discussed a tradition he was looking forward to taking part in somewhere down the road.

"I'm really looking forward to embracing some of the great traditions at the University of Tennessee, for instance the Vol Walk, running through the T, singing Rocky Top all night long after we beat Florida next year," Kiffin said. "It will be a blast."

There's no doubt that Meyer is reminding his squad every day this week about that quote. Beating Tennessee has always been a priority for the Florida coach, a reason he's 11-1 during his Gators tenure against rivals Florida State, Georgia and Tennessee. The last two years, Florida has beaten the Vols by a combined score of 89-26. But extracting revenge is another priority. Every slight to the Gators is used as fuel, and there's no bigger slight than saying your looking forward to going into the Swamp and taking out Tim Tebow's crew.

Oh, and did I mention that Tennessee lost last week at home to UCLA and that the Gators return not only Tebow but all 11 defensive starters from last season's title winning team? 25 points should be nothing.

Honoring His Airness

2009-09-11T17:42:00.002-05:00

In honor of his Hall of Fame induction today, I wanted to have 23 interesting Michael Jordan links. Due to time constraints, that's not going to happen, so here are nine (His Barcelona Olympics number) must-read or must-see links

1) My MJ column for the blog Tremendous Upside Potential, run by my friend Ricky

2) Jordan's sit down interview with Michael Wilbon for ESPN

3) Even for Jordan, the HOF is a big deal

4) The Tribune's amazing special section on Jordan

5) Jordan's famous 1991 on Pat Ewing, accompanied by the great commentary of Red Kerr

6) Flu game highlights

7) Where does MJ rank among the greatest Chicago athletes?

8) The best Bulls writer ever chronicles The Last Dance

9) MJ's best commercial ever - or is it this one?

Scheduled mess

2009-09-10T10:09:00.002-05:00

There are two ways to examine the Bears' 2009-10 schedule. It's either the easiest in the league, as the average winning percentage of their opponents (.414) states. Or it is Darren Sproles-like, sneaky good, filled with teams that are capable of knocking the Bears off on any given Sunday. Opinions in the Windy City change as often as the weather does, and that greatly affects how to evaluate the squad. So what is the truth? There's no way to know until the games kick off.

2009 Chicago Bears schedule

On paper (or in this case, on a computer screen), the slate is tough but not impossible. Back-to-back national TV games kick things off, and three of the final four are against NFC North foes. Games against all four conference championship finalists (Pittsburgh, Baltimore, Arizona and Philadelphia) are as challenging an advanced algebra degree, while the two versus the Lions and matchups with Browns and Rams are first-grade arithmetic easy. (Ex: Lions + Bears = Oh my, two wins!) Anywhere between seven and 12 wins have been mentioned, depending on what people think of the other two contenders (Minnesota and Green Bay) in the NFC North.

Yet there's one thing to remember when examining the Bears schedule: there is one constant - the Bears. If Jay Cutler plays great and the defense returns to a dominant form, it doesn't matter who is on the opposing sideline. Conversely, if Matt Forte goes down week 1 with an injury and the holes in the pass defense never get plugged, the schedule looks a lot tougher. Back on Tax Day, when the slate was first released, I predicted an 11-5 record. Now, with the season only a few days away, I'll go with the same mark. Losses will take place in weeks 2 (Pittsburgh), 7 (Atlanta), 12 (Philadelphia), 13 (Minnesota) and 15 (Baltimore). The record will be good enough to win the NFC North and be the #2 seed in the NFC come playoff time.

Hope I’m write, probably am wrong, but really who cares. It’s football season!

Now it's time for my weekly picks. Two years ago, I went 165-102, which is good but not great. Then, like the Jaguars, Browns and Cowboys, I took a step back in 2008. A record of 160-107 last season didn't sit well wit me over the summer, so I'm back to do better in '09. Here's who I have in the opening weekend.

My pick in bold

Tennessee at Pittsburgh

Miami at Atlanta

Denver at Cincinnati

Minnesota at Cleveland

Jacksonville at Indianapolis

Detroit at New Orleans

Dallas at Tampa Bay

Philadelphia at Carolina

Kansas City at Baltimore

NY Jets at Houston

Washington at NY Giants

San Francisco at Arizona

St. Louis at Seattle

Bears at Green Bay

Buffalo at New England

San Diego at Oakland

I've also decided to bring back my survival pool, where I will pick one guaranteed winner each week, with the catch being that you can only pick a team once. This week's pick is...the New Orleans Saints.

Pigskin Madness, part II

2009-09-08T10:00:00.003-05:00

Football Thought of the Week

This is part II of my 2009-10 NFL preview. Here is part I.

AFC

East: 1) New England 2) Miami 3)Buffalo 4) NY Jets

Who knows if Tom Brady will stay healthy, but if they get any more than one quarter out of him this season, the Patriots will make their presence felt in the AFC. The Dolphins, who won the division a year ago, will take the standard step back that surprise teams tend to do with tougher schedules. Buffalo and New York each could contend, but I don't see enough defense from the Bills or offense from the Jets.

North: 1) Pittsburgh 2) Baltimore 3) Cincinnati 4) Cleveland

The Steelers were my pick to win it all last year, and sure enough, they did. I'm still on the Pittsburgh bandwagon, even though I see a bit of a downturn in '09. Their dominance over Baltimore gives them the division over to the Ravens, who I think could be even tougher this year thanks to the impressive running of Ray Rice. Based on Hard Knocks, I see the Bengals actually contending for a while before Carson Palmer gets hurt. That will leave them with about seven wins, four more than the Browns will grab.

South: 1) Indianapolis 2) Houston 3) Tennessee 4) Jacksonville

I'm as likely of nailing the correct order of these four teams through research as I would be picking the names out of a hat; they're just that even. Despite a new head coach, I'll take Peyton and the Colts to come in first, followed closely by the ever-improving Texans. If Houston can ever figure out how to win in the early part of the season, or Matt Schaub can stay healthy, they'll win at least 10 games. The Titans will see a slip from last season, even though their D and run game are still really good. And last is the Jaguars, who I actually think are underrated, but just not good enough to win the South.

West: 1) San Diego 2) Oakland 3) Kansas City 4) Denver

In the 2008 regular season, the Chargers went 5-1 in their division and 3-7 versus the rest of the league. Expect similar numbers this year. I think San Diego is talented but overrated, yet still light years better than the other three. The Raiders come in second, if their coaches can stop fighting each other. Look for Darren McFadden to have a big season. I'm interested to see what K.C. does with a new QB and reshaped defense. And last but not least are the Broncos, who I would once again like to thank for trading Jay Cutler.

PLAYOFFS

NFC

3) New Orleans over 6) Green Bay
5) NY Giants over 4) Seattle

5) NY Giants over 1) Philadelphia
2) Chicago over 3) New Orleans

5) NY Giants over 2) Chicago

AFC

3) Indianapolis over 6) Houston
5) Baltimore over 3) San Diego

1) New England over 5) Baltimore
2) Pittsburgh over 3) Indianapolis

2) Pittsburgh over 1) New England

SUPER BOWL

New York Giants 27, Pittsburgh Steelers 23

I can see you asking yourself, "Three consecutive road victories for the G-Men on the way to the Super Bowl? Again?" Yes, it's an almost identical road N.Y. took to the 2008 big game, and that turned out pretty well for them. I think the Giants' receivers will get better as the year progresses, and by playoff time, they'll be one of the most dangerous corps' in football. The Steelers come close to repeating, but Eli tops Ben in another classic Super Bowl.

NOTE: Here is the upcoming schedule for a busy week here on the blog.

Thursday: Bears schedule breakdown and Week 1 NFL picks
Friday: Honoring new Hall-of-Famer Michael Jordan

Pigskin Madness, part I

2009-09-07T10:00:00.001-05:00

Football Thought of the Week

After pouring through most of Sports Illustrated's mammoth NFL preview issue, reading up about every team online and watching a good share of pre-season action (as much pre-season action as one sane person can without getting paid for it), I believe it is time for my 2009-10 NFL predictions.

Before I get started though, there is one key word I want to emphasise: madness. Usually reserved for the great month of March, those seven letters are going to define September, October, November, December, January and the first Sunday in February this season. Example? Of the eight division winners last season, would anybody be shocked if seven of them didn't re-peat this year? Only San Diego seems to be a lock. Of the four teams that made it to championship weekend last year, all four seem to have gotten worse over the summer.

Tom Brady is healthy, Mike Vick is back and Brett Favre is too (though he never really left, unfortunately). There's no question who the best running back in the NFL is (AP), but there are about five guys gunning for that number two spot, none of whom are named Tomlinson. The NFC North is now QB Central, while Peyton Manning and the Colts may be the worst team in the AFC South. And of all things, a scoreboard has take Terrell Owens' place in Dallas as the must-mention Cowboys distraction. Welcome back to football, where this season is sure to be pure madness.

Today is part I, the NFC and awards. Tuesday will be part II, the AFC and playoff picks.

NFC

East: 1)Philadelphia 2) NY Giants 3) Dallas 4) Washington

The Giants run the ball, play great D and have an adequate QB in Eli Manning. What they lack though is a game-breaker on offense, something the Eagles possess in DeSean Jackson (and Brian Westbrook, and maybe Jeremy Maclin, and maybe Mike Vick). Philly's defense is a question, especially in the secondary, but I see them grabbing 10 wins, good enough for the division title.

North: 1) Chicago 2) Green Bay 3) Minnesota 4) Detroit

No question here, the Lions will be the most improved team in the entire NFL; they should eclipse last year's win total by Thanksgiving. The top of the division looks like the NFC's most competitive, with the Bears, Pack and Vikes all aiming for the playoffs. Call me a homer - you wouldn't be the first - but I like Chicago. A favorable schedule (G.B. and Minnesota both come to Soldier Field in December), a much-improved offense and a rejuvenated D should earn the Bears 11 wins, while the other two will fight it out for second place.*

*In-depth Bears breakdown coming later in the week.

South: 1) New Orleans 2) Atlanta 3) Carolina 4) Tampa Bay

For some reason, I'm always a sucker for picking the Saints. The combo of Drew Brees, talented receivers, a good running game and a defense that can't possibly be worse than the 2008 version has me thinking that N.O. can make a playoff run. The Falcons and Panthers each will see a drop-off from last year's post-season births, because I have my doubts if Matt Ryan and the Carolina run game can repeat their success.

West: 1) Seattle 2) San Francisco 3) Arizona 4) St. Louis

It's not because they lost the Super Bowl that I think the Cardinals will return to their rightful spot at the bottom of the division; it's because I don't think they are very good. Outside of Warner, Fitzgerald and Boldin, this team doesn't have many noteworthy players. And Warner seems doomed for a letdown year. Seattle won't be great, but the 'Hawks should be better than everybody else out West.

Award winners

MVP - Drew Bree, New Orleans - He should have won it in 2006 and maybe should have won it last year as well. It will be tough to deny him this year if he puts up similar numbers and the Saints make the playoffs.

Defensive POY - Ed Reed, Baltimore - Simply put, no defender impacts the game as much as Reed does as the center fielder for the dominant Ravens D. He was a beast last year and will do it again this season.

Offensive ROY - Knowshon Moreno, Denver - This is a random guess, but for the sake of my fantasy football team, I hope it turns true. With the skill guys on the Broncos, they'd be dumb not to give him the ball 25 times per game.

Defensive ROY - Aaron Curry, Seattle - Smart linebacker + already talented team + weak opponents = big numbers for the former Wake Forest star.

College kickoff 2009

2009-09-01T15:33:00.004-05:00

You feel that? That's September air we're breathing, which can only mean two things: 1) Going back to school and 2) Football season is upon us. High school football kicked off last Friday (at least here in Illinois it did), college football begins this Thursday and the NFL starts a week after that. With Tim Tebow's return, Jay Cutler's arrival and a horrible Cubs team, I am more than ready for some pigskin action.

Just as I've done the last few seasons, I will be posting my weekly NFL picks on the blog, along with a Monday 'Football Thought of the Week'. And just as I did with 'Thought of the Day' over the summer, the picks and football ramblings will be labeled, so that you can go back through the archives and see my wonderful prognostication skills. To kick things off, here are some predictions for the upcoming college football season.

Football Thought of the Week

Despite history saying otherwise, Florida will finish 14-0 and win the National Title. No team from the SEC has finished undefeated and won the National Championship since Tennessee in 1998 (Aubun ran the table in '04 but didn't play for the crystal trophy), but the Gators are so stacked, I don't see them falling in 2009. The offense will have sort through some kinks at first, due to the loss of receivers Percy Harvin and Louis Murphy. But with easy opponents early on, a dominating defense and of course Tebow, the Gators should be rolling by the time the meat of their schedule begins. One game to watch out for: Oct. 17 versus Arkansas. Coming off a tough game at LSU, the Gators better be ready for the Hogs.
Behind the steady play of Darryl Clark and ferocious defense, Penn State improves upon their impressive 2008 and runs the table in '09. Their toughest game isn't the November 7 showdown versus Ohio State in Happy Valley, but instead road games at Michigan (Oct. 24) and Michigan State (Nov. 21). Survive the Great Lake State and JoePa's squad will play for a National Title.
Both Texas and Oklahoma will finish the regular season with a loss, meaning whoever wins the Red River Rivalry will go down at some other point. This won't stop UT from winning the Big XII South and Colt McCoy from winning the Heisman, as voters feel bad for shafting the Longhorns and their star QB in 2008.
Thanks to starting a talented freshmen quarterback, USC will both win and lose a game they shouldn't. (Note: That loss won't be to the Irish in South Bend) My predictions for the Trojans -- a loss at Cal, but a close win at Ohio State. And of course, another Rose Bowl victory.
Speaking of Notre Dame, they'll go 8-4 in the regular season followed by another New Years Day Bowl loss. L's in '09 will come against Michigan (UM has to win that one), USC, Pittsburgh and Stanford.
Top 5 over-rated teams: Ohio State, Ole Miss, Oklahoma State, LSU and Florida State
Top 5 under-rated teams: Penn State, TCU, Kansas, West Virginia and Arkansas (and potentially Northwestern if they can find a reliable running back)
A few high-profile coaching jobs will open up this winter, most notably at Miami and Colorado. Also former rivals Bobby Bowden (Florida State) and Steve Spurrier (South Carolina) will both retire from college football.
Conference champs: ACC- Virginia Tech, Big Ten- Penn State, Big XII- Texas, Big East- West Virginia, Pac-10- USC, SEC- Florida
Heisman winner: Colt McCoy, Texas (Top vote getter besides McCoy, Tebow and Bradford is Penn State QB Darryl Clark
National Championship: Florida 31, Penn State 14

Waiving a white flag

2009-08-25T23:29:00.004-05:00

Usually I post my Most Valuable Cubs list later in the season: in both 2007 and 2008 the column went up on September 25. But with the team nose-diving faster than Brett Favre's legacy and football/work/school about to begin (priorities in that order), I felt it was best to get the list out of the way. So here they are, the 30 most valuable Cubs of 2009.

30- A 27-way tie between all the guys who were injured (Carlos Zambrano, Ted Lilly, Ryan Dempster, Angel Guzman, Rich Harden, Aramis Ramirez, Geovany Soto, Reed Johnson), not interested in playing baseball (Alfonso Soriano, Carlos Marmol), bad acquisitions (Kevin Gregg, Aaron Heilman, Aaron Miles, Milton Bradley, Koyie Hill, Joey Gathright, Tom Gorzelanny, Jon Grabow, David Patton) and just not very good (Bobby Scales, Mike Fontenot, Kouske Fukudome, Andres Blanco, Kevin Hart, Sam Fuld, Micah Hoffpauir, Jeff Samardizja).

3- Jake Fox-- The team's top prospect seemingly for the last five years, Fox finally got called up to the show and proved his worth. In 58 games (remember, there's still another 40 games left in the season), Fox has hit .305 with nine homers and 34 driven in; keep up that pace over 162 games and that's 25 homers and 95 RBI. Plus he has played all over the field (left, right, third and occasionally catcher) and hasn't really embarrassed himself. He is more of an American League-type player, but unless the Cubs can get some real value for him, I hope he's starting on Opening Day 2010.

2- Randy Wells-- Another player Cubs fans had heard about for a while, but never actually thought was a real talent until he came up to the Northside. Since his call up on May 8, Wells has gone 9-6 with an ERA under 2.85. And of those six losses, he only allowed more than four earned runs once. Wells should be back in the rotation next spring, most likely taking free-agent-to-be Rich Harden's job.

1- Derrek Lee-- It really is a miracle the Cubs were in the NL Central race for so long, considering Lee was the only hitter who was swinging the bat well all year. His power seems to have returned after an extended hiatus, as his 24 home runs lead the team and surpass the blasts he hit in both '07 (22) and '08 (20). Lee is also on pace to exceed his RBI totals from those years, even though the hitters in front of him have struggled. I was down on DLee when the year began, but his leadership and poise during this tough season have restored my support in one of baseball's most underrated, and best, all-around players.

Honorable mention- Sean Marshall, Jeff Baker and Ryan Theriot. Not bad enough to be in the tie and not good enough to get your own blurb.

I'm ready for some football

2009-08-24T15:48:00.002-05:00

Rufus T. Firefly: Awfully decent of you to drop in today. Do you realize our army is facing disastrous defeat? What do you intend to do about it?
Chicolini: I've done it already.
Firefly: You've done what?
Chicolini: I've changed to the other side.
Firefly: So you're on the other side, eh? Well, what are you doing over here?
Chicolini: Well, the food is better over here.

That had no connection to anything else in this post, other than it made me laugh. Here are some links I've enjoyed in the past few days...

-The great John Wooden still provides wisdom, even at age 99.

-My buddy Ricky breaks down the Bears pre-season victory.

-Slate analyzes SI's Peter King and his view of Brett Favre.

-My January post on advice for the new Cubs owner.

-Is DWade the best Chicago baller ever? Scoop investigates.

The return of Old Man Favre

2009-08-20T01:27:00.002-05:00

Flashback: Here's a Top Ten post I wrote for Top Ten Chicago Sports way back on May 8, 2009. Crazy how much of it still holds up...

Top Ten reasons Brett Favre to the Vikings is good for the Bears

Rumor has it that Brett Favre is out for revenge. Even though reports came out yesterday that he’s going to say retired, chances are he’ll change his mind by next week. John Madden’s man-crush was supposedly talking with the Minnesota Vikings about joining their team so he can get back at his old team, the Green Bay Packers, who told him to go away last summer. Which team benefits most from this? Da Bears. Here are ten reasons why Bears fans should be excited about the possibility of having #4 back in the division.

10. May lead to less rushing from Vikings

Adrian Peterson is a running back, probably the best in the NFL. If the Vikings and coach Brad Childress were smart, he’d get the ball to AP 30 times a game. Brett Favre is a quarterback whose best seasons were a decade ago. If the Vikings and coach Childress were smart, he’d throw the ball as little as possible. Thankfully Childress isn’t smart and signing Farve is sure to make Minnesota a pass-happy team.

9. Confused Packer fans

Imagine Derek Jeter suiting up for the Red Sox or Tyler Hansbrough slapping the floor at Cameron Indoor wearing Duke blue. That’s what it will be like if Favre plays for the Vikings. Green Bay fans won’t know if they should root for their favorite team or the greatest player in their franchise’s history. This may not help the Bears directly, but it will be hilarious watching the Cheese-heads argue with themselves about where their loyalty lies.

8. Takes pressure off Jay Cutler

Having Brett Favre back in the NFC North immediately takes the spotlight off the Bears new signal-caller. All preview stories on the division will lead with the Favre, with the second story being Green Bay’s reaction to Favre. The Bears biggest trade in decades will be pushed to the back, which means Cutler should be able to learn the offense and adjust to his new teammates without the pressure of intense media scrutiny.

7. Wasted draft picks

In the 2006 Draft, the Vikings took QB Tarvaris Jackson in the second round. A couple years later, they took another quarterback, John David Booty, in the fifth round. Then over the winter, Minnesota traded a fourth round pick for yet a third quarterback, Sage Rosenfels. That’s a lot of draft picks to use for a position that will end up going to a player that will turn 40 in October.

6. Interceptions

If you thought Rex Grossman was irritating throwing picks, take a peek at #4. No player threw more interceptions than Favre’s 22 in 2008, and only once since 2004 has he thrown more touchdowns than interceptions. That’s good news for opposing defenses, bad news for Minnesota wideouts Bernard Berrian and Percy Harvin.

5. He’s bad in cold weather

In four December games last year with the Jets, Favre threw a grand total of two touchdowns and eight interceptions; New York went 1-3. The year before, in a December game at Solider Field, Favre threw for only 153 yards and tossed another two interceptions. Call it a coincidence, but the Vikings visit to Chicago in 2009 is on the Monday night of December 28. Better pack your gloves Brett.

4. Makes NFC North must-see

The Bears trade for Cutler was the biggest NFL story of the off-season. The Lions drafting Matt Stafford #1 and giving him the biggest signing bonus in league history was pretty important too. Then you add Favre returning to the Vikigs, creating an Aaron Rodgers vs. Brett Favre / apprentice vs. teacher battle, and the black and blue division got a lot more interesting than it was when 2008 ended.

3. Brett vs. Lovie

People have this perception that Favre dominated the Bears over his career in green and gold. But since Loive Smith’s hiring in 2004, the Bears were 6-2 against Favre’s Packers. One of those losses was the 2006 season finale on New Years Eve, where the Chicago defense rested in the second half and Rex Grossman refused to prepare because he had to figure out where to party. Lovie may not be the most popular coach these days, but his ability to consistently beat the Favre counts for something.

2. Age

Of the eight division winning quarterbacks in 2008, only one - Kurt Warner - was over the age of 35. Favre is 39, set to reach the four-decade mark in October. Combine the age with the wear and tear of playing in 291 consecutive regular season and playoff games, and Brett Favre is John McCain old in football terms. If he has a season like Warner’s ‘08, the Bears are screwed. But if he acts like McCain in ’08, well, we all know how that turned out.

1. Gives us our enemy back

We might not like to admit it, but Bears fans kinda missed Favre last year. We missed the way he used to throw that bullet pass between two defenders for a Green Bay touchdown and follow it up by missing a wide open receiver and throwing a pick. We missed that little smirk of his when he would take a big hit and pretend like it didn’t hurt him. So having him back in the division will be good. Plus it buys some more time to build up hatred of Aaron Rodgers.

Five guys on my mind

2009-08-17T12:10:00.004-05:00

Thought of the Day

Five guys in the news these days, and my quick thoughts on all of them...

Usain Bolt: 100 meters in 9.58 seconds; are you serious? It takes that long for me to write and for you to read this very sentence. Last year in Beijing, people criticized the Jamaican star for showboating at the end of his gold-medal winning run, not hustling through the finish line. Maybe he did that not to show off himself, but to give everybody else a slight chance to hold the world record for a little while before Bolt destroyed it. Usually when world records like these are broken, its by a .01 of second or something. Bolt chopped .11 off the 9.69 he posted in China. I rarely cover track-and-field on this blog, but this is just too impressive to pass up. (Sorry, couldn't find a good video in English.)

Jay Cutler: Number 6 didn't have the most impressive debut I'd ever seen Saturday night (5 for 10, 64 yards, one pick against the Bills). Then again, it was preseason and the Bears' two best weapons, Matt Forte and Greg Olsen, didn't suit up. Still it would have been nice to see him complete some longer throws, look off defenders like I've heard he's been doing in training camp and not call out Devin Hester post-game for mis-reading a play. My excitement level for Cutler and the Bears this season is still 15 out of 10, but the Buffalo performance wasn't exactly one for the time capsule.

Tiger Woods: Just like anybody else in life, the world's greatest golfer is entitled to a bad day. Unfortunately for Woods, his bad day happened on the afternoon of the fourth round of the PGA Championship. Tiger only cares about four tournaments of the year: The Masters, the U.S. Open, the British Open and the PGA. This year he was a Aaron Miles-like 0-for-4. His 71 on Saturday was a bit of surprise, but the 75 he shot on Sunday cost him the trophy, giving it up to previously unknown Y.E. Yang. Tiger wants to be the all-time greatest, but his bad day last weekend may haunt him for a long while.

Mike Vick: I've said for a long while that Vick deserves a second chance to play in the NFL. He has served his time, paid his debt for society, and now should be allowed to put his life back together. So as you'd expect, I was pleased to hear that he'd signed with the Philadelphia Eagles. (I'd have actually prefered an AFC team for Vick, but you can't have everything) Going to a team with a stable option at QB, an experienced head coach and solid playmakers all across the field allows Vick to have a smoother transition back into pro football. He'll be a dangerous weapon for Philly, and I'd expect more than one team to regret not signing him as the season progresses.

Kevin Gregg: Nothing really to say here, other than I hate the Cubs closer more and more every time I see him pitch. Number one off-season priority for whoever owns the team this winter is finding a new closer. (And no, after the way he's pitched this season, Carlos Marmol is not an option.)

Steroid or title

2009-08-12T23:11:00.002-05:00

Another reason the Sports Guy is the true voice of the fan. I had actually discussed this with a friend about a month ago, and Simmons couldn't have recapped any better. Damn I hate you Alex Gonzalez.

Any Cubs fan will tell you they are still recovering from the Bartman Game. Any Giants fan will tell you they are still recovering from their team's unraveling in Game 6 of the 2002 World Series. The 2003 Cubs were led by Sammy Sosa. The 2002 Giants were led by Barry Bonds. Now, you'd think both fan bases would say, "Looking back now, it doesn't hurt as nearly much as it should given what happened with Sosa/Bonds after the fact. In a weird way, we are off the hook! We were saved from an asterisk title!"

Nope. They remain devastated. So crushing losses can't be de-tainted, but tremendous victories can still be tainted. Confusing, right? That's why I don't believe in asterisks. The Cubs and Giants fans would have switched places with the '04 or '07 Red Sox in a heartbeat. That isn't to completely forgive what happened. I will never watch a Manny/Papi highlight from 2004 or 2007 again without 0.0001 percent of my brain thinking ... you know. (The shadow again.) Would I do it all over again? Of course. Anything for a title.

-From Bill Simmons' column on ESPN.com on the David Ortiz situation

A little hoops talk

2009-08-07T18:01:00.003-05:00

Thought of the Day

Some notes -and a link- on the Bulls 2009-2010 schedule, thanks to Pro Basketball News:

The Eastern Conference team with the longest trip is the Bulls - not their six-game "Circus Trip" in November but a seven-game jaunt in January. Only four other East teams have one trip of six games.

The Hornets have a league-low 16 sets of back-to-back games, while the Bobcats, Bulls and Pistons all have a league-high 23.

The teams with the hardest schedules are the Clippers (22 back-to-backs, three long trips) and the Bulls (23 back-to-backs, two long trips).

Bulls 13 national TV games, nine on TNT and four on ESPN. ESPN viewers will never see the United Center; all those games are on the road.

The great Sam Smith breaks down the schedule

My opinion: The Bulls have a good, but not great, team. Losing Ben Gordon hurts, but a one through five of Rose, Salmons, Deng, Thomas and Noah is solid, and a bench of Hinrich, Miller, Pargo and Johnson isn't too shabby. Last year the Bulls finished 7th in the East at 41-41. This years team is better, but then again, so is nearly every team in the conference. I say going .500 again seems right about right.

Follow the LEEder

2009-08-03T22:44:00.005-05:00

Thought of the Day

25 games, 99 at-bats, .333 batting average, .417 on-base percentage, .556 slugging percentage, six home runs, 20 RBI, 15 walks.

25 games, 95 at-bats, .295 batting average, .364 on-base percentage, .663 slugging percentage, nine home runs, 27 RBI, 10 walks.

The first line? Those were Cubs first baseman Derrek Lee's stats for the month of June. The second? Those were his numbers in July. Which month was better? I'll take either of them, thank you very much.

Speaking of lines, the bottom one is that Lee has been an offensive savior for the Cubs, the Matt Forte of the baseball diamond. Remember last year when the Bears offense struggled to move the ball, but when in doubt, they could always get it to #22? That's how the Cubs have been, only difference being Lee wears #25.

Runner in scoring position? Lee will drive him in.

Need to start a rally? Lee will smack the extra-base hit.

Tie game in extra-innings? Lee will hit the home run (See last Saturday, though that was actually in August).

With the Cubs and Cards tied for first in the NL Central with two months to go, the North Siders need Lee now more than ever to keep up his hot bat. Aramis Ramriez has swung the lumber well since returning from the DL and Alfosno Soriano seems to be more comfortable in the bottom of the batting order. Milton Bradley is improving, Kosuke Fukudome is a patient leadoff man and Geovany Soto is expected to return to the lineup later this week. You know what to expect from Ryan the Riot and Jake Fox has been a nice addition. But it will be DLee who makes or breaks the Cubs offense for 2009.

Can't resist a list

2009-08-01T18:00:00.002-05:00

Last week ESPN published an article called 'The Bucket List for the baseball fan'. It listed 50 must-do tasks for committed baseball fans, with 10 of those in bold as the cream of the crop. I thought it'd be interesting to examine these 10, followed by a suggestion of my own. (I won't examine all 50, the reason being that I have no comment on most of them.)

These are in no particular order, as the list wasn't ranked.

Spend a week at spring training. Always wanted to this, or at least a couple of days. I tend to not love spring training as much as most big-time baseball fans, because during this time of year, I'm knee deep in March Madness prep. But for maybe the first week of March, just before conference tournaments, I'd love to watch the Cubs train and play.

Coach a Little League team. Another one I've considered doing, but not without some good friends as assistants. My favorite coaches as a kid in Little League were guys that weren't team Dads, so I think I'd be a good coach. Maybe next year after I graduate I'll have more free time.

Tour the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown. Done and I strongly suggest it to baseball fans of all types. Seeing the equipment and exhibits about the legendary moments in the game's history is fascinating. And then the Hall itself, with the plaques of all the greats, is even better. I'm not going back though until Ron Santo is in.

Attend a townball game in Minnesota (the smaller the town the better). Never done it, should have though when my buddy Marc lived up there for the past two years. Oh well.

Sing "Sweet Caroline" at Fenway Park. I went to Fenway when I was 11, but don't recall singing Neil Diamond. It's one of the few parks I have crossed off my list, yet is #3 on the parks I want to go to. (Behind only Baltimore and San Francisco).

Take a week-long road trip through the minors, the lower the league the better, and make sure to include a team owned by Mike Veeck. I've never actually been to a minor league game, though I may attend one next week (at Wrigley Field though). This would be a ton of fun, especially with my uncles and younger cousins. And anything Veeck-related is a must, the family is legendary and there was a great Gary Smith article about one the grand-daughters in the family.

Collect baseball cards. Done. For about six years, every cent I earned went to baseball or basketball cards. Because of that, I know have three large books, as well as a huge shoe box, filled with cards. Most are worth nothing, some are worth a bunch, I'm not giving (or selling) away any of em.

Catch a foul ball. And then hand it to the nearest kid. Halfway done, but not as a fan. As a vendor about a year ago, a ball came right at me and I reached out to catch it, but was bumped by a fan, causing me to miss the catch but not miss a giant bruise on my arm. Ball went to the bumper, who then gave it to his younger son. I would have given it to the same kid, but would have saved myself a lot of pain. Still waiting to catch my first foul ball as a fan.

Enjoy a beer in the bleachers at Wrigley Field on a sunny summer day. Done, and I couldn't recomend it enough. People all the time give Wrigley a bad name because of how popular it has become and how it's basically a giant bar where the fans don't watch the game. And some of that can be true. But I dare you to sit in the bleachers for a full game on a beautiful sunny afternoon, drink a couple Old Styles, and not have a blast. It's impossible. From the game to the people watching to the off-the-scale ambiance, there isn't anything better than the Wrigley bleachers.

See your team play in the World Series. Screw you ESPN.

My suggestion Eat for the cycle. Eat a hot dog, a bag of peanuts, a stadium specialty item (Italian beef in Chicago, crab cakes in Baltimore, fajitas in Texas, etc.) and some sort of ice cream in nine innings, as well as a couple beers (or pop for the U-21 crowd). Not only will you be unable to move for three days following, you will have a greater respect for what Babe Ruth did on a nightly basis for the Yankees.

Football on the North Side?

2009-07-29T09:55:00.004-05:00

Thought of the Day

People know that I support both the University of Illinois and Northwestern University. My Mom went to U of I, their basketball team is one of my passions and I have plenty of friends that were educated in Champaign-Urbana. NU is located in my hometown of Evanston, I grew up going to football games at Dyche Stadium/Ryan Field and it's fun being a Wildcat fan, because they are always enthusiastic for any additional support.

So the news that the Illini and 'Cats could square off in November 2010 at Wrigley Field was music to my ears. Two likable football teams, two likable football coaches (The Zooker at Illinois, Fitz at NU) and of course, my favorite venue in the world. Would I support a game at the Friendly Confines? Of course.

But there are some major questions. Is it safe to play football on a 96-year old baseball field? What will the fan breakdown be? (It will count as a Northwestern home game) Can all the players, coaches and equipment fit in the cramped Wrigley clubhouses?

So what will happen? There are still major discussions going on between the schools, the Big Ten and the Cubs. I think it's a really cool idea...if they can pull it off.

UPDATE: Hilarious article I read yesterday on Deadspin that I forgot to post this morning. Agree with #1, but Choco Taco should be second.

3 to chew on

2009-07-24T16:59:00.002-05:00

Thought of the Day

First off, new Jay-Z: Heard this on WGCI on the drive home and trust me, it's a banger. 'Ye smashes that final verse. Can't wait for Blueprint 3.

Next, props to my friend Ricky: Seeing a perfect game live is tight. Getting posted on Deadspin (and being ripped by the readers) - also tight.

Finally, why I'm not giving up: Had a discussion today about the rest of the Cubs season, following STL's acquesition of Matt Holiday. A buddy said with the Cardinals acquiring Holiday, after first getting Mark DeRosa, and the Cubs still missing Geo Soto and now Ted Lilly for TBD, it's going to be only the Brewers who have a chance of catching the Cards. I strongly disagree. With their win today (Cards hadn't played yet as I write this), the Cubs sit exactly one game back of St. Louis while having played four fewer games. This is despite the fact that Aramis missed eight weeks, Soto has/will miss the equivalent of eight weeks (including his April injury), Dempster's freak injury, limited production from Soriano, Bradley, Fukudome and Fontenot and the bullpen comes and goes like my cell phone reception. If the Cubs can continue their strong starting pitching (not a given, but I really like the way Z has thrown the ball lately and Harden has been solid in his past two night starts), Aramis can heat up (three X-tra base hits today), Lee stays hot (should have been NL Player of the Month for June) and we can get some production from the outfield, I have no doubts the team can give the Redbirds a run till the end of September.

New Hester Under Armour ad

2009-07-20T23:49:00.001-05:00

Thought of the Day

Links aplenty

2009-07-19T14:43:00.003-05:00

Thought of the Day

Links I enjoyed over the past few days, including a Jew baller, sports media and the funniest comedian in the world.

-Dude needs to holla at some Pita Inn.

-NBA off-season breakdown by Scoop Jackson. For the record, I'm not a big supporter of the Ron Artest to the Lakers move because a) he's a below-average offensive player who demands the ball and b) he's crazy.

-I have attended a game with a press box, I have done original reporting and yes, I would love a job with a mainstream media publication.

- Last week I had a talk/argument with a friend about what the best Chappelle's Show skit was. Then this article came out. For the record, my Top Five skits are, in order:

1-Racial draft
2-Black Bush
3-Mad Real World
4-Charlie Murphy's True Hollywood Stories: Prince
5-Tyrone Biggums on Fear Factor

Friday night thinking

2009-07-17T19:24:00.004-05:00

Thought(s) of the Day

It's Friday night, I'm watching the Cubs attempt to blow a game against the Double-A Nationals, and my plans for the weekend consist of a company basketball game on Sunday and, ummm, that's about it. It will be my second weekend off without working any of my jobs since the end of May. How to celebrate? Some random thoughts seemed to be make sense.

- I didn't feel it a week ago, but I'm starting to catch football fever. And can you blame me? My Florida Gators will be insanely good, with Tebow returning for his senior year, the great Urban Meyer coaching 'em up and 21 of the top 22 defensive players from last year's National Title team returning. There's no such thing as a guarantee in sports, but if the Gators are motivated to win the crystal trophy for the third time in four years, they could have an amazing season.

Then there's the Bears, who for the first time in about 60 years have a star quarterback who is actually in his prime. The D is aging and I still have my concerns about the Lovie/Turner/Babich coaching trio, but Cutler and Matt Forte should provide some good times in the NFC North.

-Strange connecting theme about my two teams...no proven wideouts. I'm actually not as worried about it as most Gators and Bears fans, because I feel if you have a good QB (both do), good runners (both do) and talented receivers (I hope both do), the players will elevate their game and make plays.

-Turning to baseball, and I just have about given up trying to gauge this Cubs squad. The starting pitching has its bad games, but for the most part, is consistently good. Same goes with Derrek Lee. The other 20 or so guys on the team, every day is a mystery. One day the lineup can smack out six runs on 10 hits, the next those numbers will zero and two. One day the bullpen will hold the lead for four innings, the next they'll allow five runs in a third of an inning. And the defense can look like Gold Glovers one day and T-Ballers the next. So will they make the playoffs? Today I say no, but my response could be different tomorrow.

-Is it just me, or do the Cubs lack players with good nicknames. Big Z, DLee and The Riot are all solid, but those are just re-worked ways to say their names. My vendor buddy Lou calls Kevin Gregg 'The Little Ticket' (Hoops fans will get that), which I like, and I've called Reed Johnson 'The White Rick Ross' (because everyday he's hustling). But guys like Milton Bradley (something about board games), Ted Lilly and Jake Fox could all use a good nickname.

-Finally, since I got a shout-out on her blog, I wanna direct everybody to my friend Jewels' blog, which is a daily must-read.

Baseball videos

2009-07-14T18:04:00.002-05:00

Thought of the Day

I was going to write something interesting and prolific today - maybe a Cubs mid-season report card - but I'm tired from working a day/night double header on Sunday followed by work these last two days from 9-5. So instead, a couple of cool YouTube's I found perusing the web.

1)

Found of Awful Announcing, this guy can do almost any batting stance of the last 20 or so years. I've always prided myself on my abilities to copy the stances of some Cubs over the years (my best is Moises Alou), but this guy is incredible.

2)

This is one of my YouTube favorites, thanks to the great Randall Simon. Love how serious the broadcasters are treating this, as well as the Pirates uniforms that game.

Why I love my job (Part 2)

2009-07-07T23:23:00.001-05:00

Thought of the Day

Saturday's Cubs game wasn't memorable because of what the Cubs did, but I did have a memorable encounter in the stands. For the first time in my life, I was able to shake hands and talk with a member of one of the Bulls championship teams. Here's my Facebook status following the game:

Eli Kaberon sold some Old Style's to Bill Wennington, and he and I discussed his game-winning dunk at the end of MJ's double nickel game.

Why I love my job

2009-07-05T19:57:00.004-05:00

Thought of the Day

There are a lot of perks to working at Wrigley Field. One of them is being up-close-and-personal for some pretty cool baseball moments. One example of that took place on Thursday night, when Cubs first baseman Derrek Lee smashed a grand slam in the bottom of the fourth inning.

Look next to DLee's left leg, where the bat boy and security guard are sitting. Now look over the security guard's left shoulder. See that?

I think besides Lee himself, on-deck hitter Milton Bradley, the bat boy and the security guard, I had the best view of the grand slam of the 42,000 people inside Wrigley Field that night. And I get paid to be there.

Baby do you remember when...

2009-07-04T00:27:00.000-05:00

...fireworks at Lake Michigan.

Happy 4th of July

Bye bye Ben

2009-07-03T00:46:00.002-05:00

An assortment of NBA thoughts, since the Cubs are too frustrating to discuss:

- The Bulls-Ben Gordon-Pistons situation is a tricky one, because there’s no clear winner with the exception of Gordon’s agent and financial advisor. The Bulls lose their best scorer, a man with ice in his veins who is never afraid to shoot, regardless if he’s 10-for-10 or 0-for-10. At the same time, they lose a player who was never interested in guarding his man and who had worse ball handling skills than my 11-year old cousin. Gordon goes from a starting role on a playoff team with the league’s top young point guard to a rebuilding franchise without a coach and a star already at shooting guard. And the Pistons have to pay a 6-3 shooter $55 million over the next five years while also giving Rip Hamilton $32 mill over the next three seasons. The move changes things in the Central Division, I’m just not sure yet which way they change.
- A lot of Bulls fans are banking on an improved Derrick Rose, a more mature Tyrus Thomas and Joakim Noah, a healthy Luol Deng and the same John Salmons that showed up in the Celtics playoff series to offset Gordon’s departure. If all that happens, well then losing BG is no big deal. But what are the odds of all that taking place? Rose improving makes sense, but I would put the other three (four if you count TT and Noah’s development separately) as 50/50 shots. Add in two rookies and remaining questions about Coach Vinny, and I say the Bulls as currently structured are no lock for the post-season, especially in the tougher Eastern Conference.
-Last thought on Gordon; how will the Bulls replace him at crunch time? Say what you want about Rose, who I love, and Kirk Hinrich, who played great in the post-season save for that jagged layup that almost cost the team Gm. 6, but Gordon was clearly the go-to guy with the clock running out. He almost single-handedly won Gm. 2 and hit his ‘cajones’ shot at the end of Gm. 4 extended the game to another OT, which the Bulls wound up winning. In the past, whenever the Bulls needed a bucket at the end of a game, they’d turn to Gordon, who more times than not delivered. It’s going to be weird to have a Chicago-Detroit game where #7 is knocking them down against the Bulls instead of for them.
-Best part about the signing: the cap space. The Bulls should have nearly $20 million next summer with a bunch of aspiring contracts, meaning they could potentially sign a DWade or Chris Bosh. Add in an already young team with some nice pieces, and the future looks bright on the West Side of Chi City.

-Other NBA moves, in rundown mode.

The Shaq to Cleveland trade is putting a band-aid on a major scar. O’Neal, at his age, is no more than a role player. Make that a space-eating role player. Putting him on the same team as LeBron James is the equivalent to putting Refrigerator Perry in the same backfield as Barry Sanders; the skilled player can’t do his thing because the big guy won’t be able to get out of his way. Unless they add a skilled wing player, and there aren’t many left, the Cavs will officially blow the opportunity to have the best player in the league play in front of his hometown fans for his entire career. (Yes, I’m saying if Cleveland doesn’t win the 09-10 title, James is bolting.)

Vince Carter to the Magic is genius. The fact that Orlando could get him without giving up any of their All-Stars makes them the favorite in the East next season. VC isn’t the player he was with Toronto early in his career, but he’s still one hell of a scorer and has even become more of a playmaker over the past few seasons. Team him with Jameer Nelson, Rashard Lewis and Superman Howard, and the Magic have one hell of a squad.

Ron Artest is now a Laker and Trevor Ariza a Rocket. What’s it mean? That L.A. is clearly the team to beat in 2010. With Kobe, Gasol, (I assume) Odom and now Artest, the purple and gold have no real weaknesses, unless Phil Jackson decides not to return. So I guess the question is, who’s their top competition? Boston should be a beast again (especially if they add Rasheed Wallace), Orlando as I mentioned is really good, and Cleveland will be tough in the East. Denver, Utah and Dallas should all be back at premier levels out West, with Portland and even Oklahoma City being much improved.

But the #2 team is clearly San Antonio. If Duncan, Parker and Manu are healthy, the Spurs are already tough. Add in a great fourth scorer in Richard Jefferson, the unexpected offensive lift of Matt Bonner and Roger Mason, and also two of my favorite players in the NBA Draft, Pitt forward DeJuan Blair and Miami shooting guard Jack McClinton, and the Spurs could give the Lakers all they can handle.

Watch what you say, it just may be true

2009-06-27T23:42:00.004-05:00

Thought of the Day

"My off-season grade thus far for the Cubs: C-. I don’t understand the Mark DeRosa deal, I’m not too sure about Milton Bradley and am confused on why they continue to discuss with San Diego on acquiring Jake Peavy. DeRosa, who finished fourth on my list of most valuable Cubs in 2008 and first in ’07, is obviously the big loss. A player of his versatility- he played 20 or more games at four different positions last year and has seen time at six spots on the field during his Cub career- shouldn’t be given away for three minor leaguers. There is no doubt in my mind that at some point in 2009, probably when Aramis Ramirez or Alfonso Soriano inevitably get hurt, that Lou Piniella will openly question Jim Hendry as to why they traded away the team’s version of a Swiss Army pocket-knife. As for Bradley, he is great under two conditions: he’s healthy and sane. History has shown when Bradley has to play the outfield and not DH, he has a history of injuries. And history has also shown that when he gets frustrated, he is likely to do something stupid. "

-From January 9, 2009, on this here blog.

I felt it was appropriate to post after the incidents of the last two days, which included Bradley going nuts and getting benched by Piniella, DeRosa being dealt to the rival Cardinals and a gut-wrenching loss to the White Sox.

Two new Bulls

2009-06-26T21:14:00.004-05:00

Thought of the Day

I'm no genius, but at the same time, I'm no idiot. Basically, for most of my life, I've been a B student. And because of that, I can relate to the Bulls draft class Thursday night.

Their first pick, Wake Forest forward James Johnson, is an athletic small forward who can also bang down low. He's been known to take some plays off, which will remind Bulls fans of Tyrus Thomas. He can also jump out of the gym, which will remind Bulls fans of (get where I'm going with this) Tyrus Thomas. I'm not expecting great things out of Johnson in '09-10, but if he can bring consistent energy off the bench for 15 minutes a night, including some time at the four, I'll be happy.

Pick number two went to USC big man Taj Gibson. Three causes of concern about Gibson: 1) He was coached by Tim Floyd, which as I mentioned earlier this month is a very dangerous sign; 2) He's 24 years old, which means he isn't going to improve much more over the course of his career; and 3) he's not DeJuan Blair, the Pittsburgh power forward who I wanted the Bulls to take first at 16 and then definitely at 26. Gibson is OK, but with Noah, Tyrus, Miller, Tim Thomas and now Johnson, when is he going to get minutes unless he proves to be an outstanding defender or rebounder?

So all-in-all, the Bulls did OK. Johnson should contribute, and Gibson - though he's not Blair - may not be that bad. It's not DRose in '08 draft, but it's better than the Chandler/Curry in '01 draft. And as I can attest to, earning a B aint that bad.

-Also, I have plenty of thoughts on the rest of the NBA Draft, all the trades going down in the Association and of course the Cubs, but I'm saving them for my 4th of July 12-pack of Random Thoughts.

My mimi NBA Draft preview...

2009-06-23T21:29:00.001-05:00

...so that in a few years I can either say "I told you so" or walk with my head down in shame.

Thought of the Day

Five guys I’m convinced will be studs

DeMar DeRozen - An athlete in the Vince Carter mold, though I’m slightly worried that one year under Tim Floyd may have ruined him.

Ty Lawson - Quicker than 99% of the NBA, plus he has a jump shot.

Blake Griffin - Duh.

Stephen Curry - Did you watch the 2007 NCAA Tournament?

Gerald Henderson - I see his skills translating much better to the NBA game than the ACC one.

Five guys who will be better than expected

Hasheem Thabeet - A lot of people say he’s going to be the next Shawn Bradley, but I don’t ever remember Bradley having the defensive timing that Thabeet does.

DeJuan Blair - Short for a four, but he’s a bruiser in the paint who can finish around the rim.

Tyler Hansbrough - All he did for four years was grab boards, go to the foul line and win.

Chase Budinger - With his outside shooting and athleticism, I see him very Rashard Lewi-like.

Jonny Flynn - Won’t ever be an All-Star with his size, but teams that pass him will regret it.

Five guys who will be busts

Jrue Holiday - Example A of a guy who should have stayed in school past his freshmen year.

BJ Mullens - Example B, even worse than Holiday because he wasn’t even average in the Big Ten.

Jordan Hill - It’s not that I hate his game, but he just doesn’t seem polished enough for me.

Ricky Rubio - This is my riskiest of all picks, especially since I loved watching him in the Olympics, but he seems to have major holes in his game.

Earl Clark - Maybe a solid player, but people really love him for some strange reason.

Two for the memory bank

2009-06-19T23:04:00.003-05:00

Thought of the Day

I don't really know how to describe what the Cubs did the last two days. If you didn't see it, you wouldn't believe it. And if you did see what the Cubs had been doing in the games before Thursday, you definitely wouldn't believe it.

On each day, Thursday and Friday, the Cubs won games where they trailed by four or more runs entering the eighth inning. On each day, the Cubs got huge contributions from guys who had struggled for the season's first 60 games. And on each day, the Cubs won in their last AB.
Two wins, neither of which anybody who wears a C on their cap would have imagined.

I'm not sure if the last two games will turn the season around, but if it does, I'll surely believe it.

Say it aint' Sosa

2009-06-17T23:08:00.003-05:00

Thought of the Day

Yesterday's news about Sammy Sosa was far from a surprise; everybody that follows baseball kind of knew that #21 was on some sort of PED. His huge power surge in the late-90's/ early-00's, the corked bat incident and of course, his complete joke of a Congressional hearing in 2005 where he essentially claimed he never knew how to speak English kind of gave away any secret he'd hoped to keep. Still, I am sad.

The summer of 1998 was one of my favorite as a Cubs fan. The team on the North Side was the best it had ever been in my 11 years of life, with a star rookie pitcher named Kerry Wood, a veteran infield carried by Mark Grace and of course my favorite player, Slammin' Sammy Sosa in right field. I clearly remember watching Wood's 20K game in early May, going to Wrigley in mid-June and seeing Sosa hit one of his 20 homers that month, staying up late every night to listen to the team on WGN push for the Wild Card in September. The one-game playoff win versus the Giants was probably the greatest non-Michael Jordan related sporting moment of my life at that time.

And Sammy was the key to all that. His swing, his hop, his smile; the way he'd hit his chest twice, kiss his hand and put up the peace sign in the dugout following a homer; the way he always seemed to respond to any challenge put in the Cubs way. Here was a guy who'd people always seen as a waste of talent hitting 66 homers and driving in 158 runs in one season. It was a blast. SI For Kids, which was my magazine at the time, had two commemorative Sosa posters that season; both still hang next to my bed.

Of course, things turned sour a few years later, after Sosa was beaned by a Solomon Torres pitch in 2003. After that he started backing up from the plate, hitting fewer home runs. Then came the corked bat, followed by Dusty Baker finally dropping Sammy from his usual #3 spot in the order all the way down to #7. Still, in the '03 playoffs, when the Cubs needed a bomb in the ninth inning of Gm. 1 versus the Marlins, it was Sosa who came through. But in 2004, Sosa struggled more, leaving Wrigley early on the last day of the season before saying goodbye to his teammates. That winter he was traded to Baltimore.

Now, in June of 2009, 11 years exactly after his epic, record-breaking month, it turns out Sosa was on PEDs. It's not a huge surprise, and generally when these things come out (like Clemens, A-Rod and Bonds), I don't blink an eye. But Sammy was my guy. 1998 was my summer. The Cubs are my team. It's sad that all has a stain on it right now.

I can't stand the rain

2009-06-16T22:49:00.002-05:00

Thought of the Day

I hate rain outs

Hit me, please

2009-06-15T20:55:00.003-05:00

Thought of the Day

3, 2, 3, 6, 7, 1, 1, 4, 0, 3.

That's the run totals for the Cubs in their last 10 games going into this weeks Crosstown Classic. 30 runs in a week and a half. And trust me, I'm shocked it's that many. The Cubs offense has been so pathetic, they fired their hitting coach in the middle of a weekend series. They are approximately 4 for their last 275 in at-bats with runners in scoring position. Every single hitter in the lineup - with no exception - is under performing. Since Aramis Ramirez went down, which seems like five months ago, not five weeks, the team has been in a huge funk. I could go on and on. The point is, the team is tough to watch right now.

Yet in their last 10 games, those same 10 games where they have scored less than three-dozen runs, they are 5-5. Despite stinking up the North Side worse than a gang of skunks, the Cubs are at .500 for the season, only 2.5 games out of first in the NL Central, still with 101 games left in the regular season. The starting pitching has been phenomenal (amazingly, the Cubs are still +8 in run differential on the year), the bullpen has improved, and the team will eventually get healthy. For as bad as the team has been at the plate, it could be a lot worse. Then again, talk to me after Cubs-Sox and I'll let you know if the mood has changed.

Good riddance

2009-06-10T17:54:00.002-05:00

Thought of the Day

I don't like seeing people fired, especially in this economy. Yet I couldn't help but crack a smile yesterday when I heard the news about former Bulls, current USC coach Tim Floyd's resignation. (That's in italics because there's no way in hell that he chose to step down. Dude was forced harder than Luke Skywalker.) Why? Because I hate Tim Floyd.

No need to go in-depth about the summer of 1998, but after Jordan, Scottie, Phil and the rest of the Bulls won one for the thumb, the Jerry's (Reinsdorf and Krause) decided to break up the dynasty and bring in Floyd, who'd been coaching at Iowa State. The idea was that he'd be able to rebuild the Bulls as he had the Cyclones. Whoops.

If you didn't click on that link, go there now, then take a cold shower. Yes you read that correctly, a .280 lifetime winning percentage in the NBA. (What's more shocking, that it's at .280 despite going 41-41 in his final year or that Floyd got not only one, but two chances to run an NBA team.) With the Bulls, his record was 49-190 (.210 winning), leading the team through its worst four years ever.

But that's not it. Even worse than his coaching was Floyd's role as a talent evaluator. It was his choice to bring in his former player, Iowa St. forward Marcus Fizer, with the fourth pick in the 2000 draft. Fizer was slow, lazy and had no interest in playing team basketball. That pick, along with the other mistakes Floyd and Bulls management made in the early part of this decade, led to the largest fall from dynasty to has-been in NBA history. And I blame all this on Tim Floyd.

Now he's out of a job for allegedly giving a handler for O.J. Mayo $1,000. No real surprise, based on the way that recruiting saga took place. No real surprise either that even with Mayo, the #3 pick in last summer's NBA Draft, USC didn't make it out of the first round. Lots of people saw them as a potential Final Four team. I saw a Tim Floyd team. Thankfully for USC fans - and me - that's no longer an issue.

Monday links

2009-06-08T19:10:00.002-05:00

Thought of the Day

Games 1 and 2 of the NBA Finals are in the books, with the Lakers holding a 2-0 lead. Things could have been different if the refs followed the rules, J.J. Redick could do in the Association what he did at Duke, or Courtney Lee could hit a layup with 0.2 left. But I won't harp on that. Instead, some links I've enjoyed over the past few days.

-Great story about Ryan Dempster and the work he's done for his daughter.

-I'm always going to give love to fellow Evanston alums, especially those who also work at Wrigley Field.

-One of my daily must-read sites, I was surprised to learn I'd never linked to it before.

-SI profiles the greatest collection of sportswriters one newspaper staff has ever seen. (I can't argue with the assessment, as I consider Fitzgerald, McDonough, Montville, Ryan and Gammons all great sports writers; to put them in one section is insane. But there's no columnist, regardless of subject, better than Royko.)

A best of 10 in a best of seven

2009-06-03T21:35:00.002-05:00

Thought of the Day

It's time to make my pick for the 2009 NBA Finals. So today, during a training session at my job that was, to say the least, about as interesting as the middle innings of a cricket game, I broke it down. I took the five positions on the court, plus benches and head coach, and graded the Magic and Lakers on a 1 to 10 scale.

But there's a twist. Each category is equal to 10, meaning the perfect score in this would be 70-0. For example, in the point guard matchup, Skip to my Lou Alston is better than the shell of Derrek Fisher, so it went 6-4 Magic. Let's just say it ended up being a lot closer than 70-0.

Point Guard: Derrek Fisher vs. Rafter Alston:

As I mentioned in the last paragraph, Derrek Fisher is about as visible as Bobby Fisher during these playoffs. He can no longer defend, he rarely knocks down his outside shot and he's barely even used in crunch time. Rafer Alston isn't much better, but at least he can knock down threes when left wide open. 6-4 Orlando

Shooting Guard: Kobe Bryant vs. Courtney Lee

It's not even worth the 100 words to explain this matchup. It's the best scorer in the world versus a rookie from Western Kentucky. 10-0 L.A.

Small Forward: Trevor Ariza vs. Hedu Turkoglu

A couple of very interesting players squaring off. No two players have seen their stock rise higher over the past six weeks than Ariza and Turkoglu. The Lakers swingman has shown he can defend and be an effective scorer, while the Magic star has proved to be quite the clutch player. Orlando gets the edge because of all the skills of these two, none is greater than Hedu's ability to score. 7-3 Orlando

Power Forward: Pau Gasol vs. Rashard Lewis

One thing that makes sports so fun to watch and dissect are mis-matches. Not mis-matches like the Kobe-Courtney battle, but ones like this, where neither player is comfortable playing the other. Gasol is a natural center, but since he is (to put it nicely) not the toughest of players, he move to the four. Lewis is also far from tough, but as a shooter, he's only a PF because Turk plays the three. Whoever can dictate this matchup, either Gasol forcing Lewis into the post or Lewis bringing Gasol to the perimeter, will give their team a huge edge. 6-4 L.A.

Center: Andrew Bynum vs. Dwight Howard

I've accused him many times of being a lazy wimp in the past, but the facts are, when Superman Howard tries, like he did versus the Celtics and Cavs, there's no big man even close to his talent level. Bynum's job in this series will be to force Howard to work for rebounds, limit his easy dunks and then put the All-Star on the free throw line. Good luck. 8-2 Orlando

Bench: Lakers vs. Magic

Each team uses their bench for more than just a breather for their top players. The Lakers reserves include Lamar Odom - their second best all-around player -, Shannon Brown - a better PG right now than Fisher - and Luke Walton, who perfectly understands his role in the triangle offense. The Magic bring Mikael Pietrus, the man they'll most likely have stick Kobe during crunch time and another accomplished three point shooter, off the pine. L.A. gets the slight edge, because Odom has the ability to take over a game, something no Magic reserve can do. 6-4 L.A.

Coach: Phil Jackson vs. Stan Van Gundy

Playoff records --- Jackson: 295-205, nine NBA Titles ; Van Gundy 34-23, never really won anything. 9-1 L.A.

Total Score: 40-30 L.A.
Prediction: Lakers in 6

Magic in the air

2009-06-01T22:37:00.002-05:00

Thought of the Day

This will not be one of my usual rants or YouTube videos or lists. Instead, an apology is in order.

All year long, I doubted the Orlando Magic. I said they shot too many threes, I said they were soft, I said that without Jameer Nelson they lacked play-makers, and of course, I have a natural bias against them because of the Nick Anderson play in '95 and since their nickname doesn't end in s.

But I was wrong. The Magic showed, first versus the 76ers, then against the Celtics and finally against the Cavaliers, that they are not the strictly outside shooting, soft, stand around team I thought they were. They cause matchup problems with their variety of long-distance shooters to go along with Superman himself, Dwight Howard. They can switch on all pick-and-rolls with their long, athletic guards and forwards. And coach Stan Van Gundy has shown that he knows what he's doing at crunch time, something that his former (and some current) players doubted.

I don't know if they can beat the Lakers in the Finals, my prediction will be posted in the next few days. But the Magic sure advanced further than I expected, and my perception of their squad has changed 180 degrees in the past six weeks.

Next they'll make a basketball training video with Mr. Wolff

2009-05-30T00:02:00.003-05:00

Thought of the Day

The Stanley Cup Finals begin this weekend, and as you know, we're all about hockey here. So to honor the Cup, here's my favorite hockey video from YouTube. (I promise, I didn't just search randomly for a hockey vid. This has been on my favorites list for months.)

Maybe he's crazy

2009-05-28T20:59:00.003-05:00

Thought of the Day

Carlos Zambrano, my favorite Cub for the better part of this decade, now holds the title for the best ejection ever. You disagree? Try telling that to Big Z's face.

Yesterday, after a Pirates runner was called safe at the plate following a wild pitch, Z argued that he shouldn't have been out. He protested, pointed at the plate, still not luck. Then he bumped the ump, earning an ejection. So what did Zambrano do? He gave the heave-ho sign back to the man behind the plate. Finally Z walked off the filed, but he was far from done. First a baseball was thrown into the crowd, and then, like his fist did to Michael Barrett's face in 2007, Zambrano's bat destroyed the Gatorade cooler in the dugout. The tirade earned him a six-game suspension, just as the Cubs are starting to play better. And you know what? I couldn't be prouder of my favorite player.

I pitty the fool who missed this interview

2009-05-26T00:05:00.002-05:00

Thought of the Day

Monday night's Cubs game was one of the worst I've ever worked for in terms of vending in my nearly six full seasons at Wrigley Field. Because the Cubs were traveling from San Diego, the Memorial Day game was actually a Memorial Night game, starting at 7:05. Night games are usually worse for vendors than day ones; night games at the caboose of a three-day weekend that signal the start of summer turns out are the worst. Nobody was eating, nobody was drinking, and who could blame them? All the fans had probably been maxing for 72 straight hours on hot dogs that cost less than $4 and beer cheaper than six and a quarter, I know I had.

The game did have one very memorable aspect to it though. After singing (more like yelling) 'Take Me Out to the Ballgame', actor/wrestler/icon/Chicago-native Mr. T had the normal post-stretch chat with announcers Len Kasper and Bob Brenley. Some highlights:

-Mr. T explaining how he booed the Pittsburgh Pirates players from his seat behind home plate, accompanied by Pirate sound effects.
-Mr. T explaining to Bob how he got kicked of college, the reasons being that he got straight A's, was Class President and missed his Momma. (It made even less sense when he said it)
-Mr. T laughing at the Pirates bullpen catcher who got hit with a foul ball (more Pirate sound effects)
-Len trying to be funny when Carlos Zambrano was pinch-hitting, connecting Mr. T, the A-Team and Big Z. Mr. T thought this was the funniest thing ever, and said he loves watching the team on channel 9 in Los Angeles.
-Bob congratulating Mr. T for having three kids, not realizing that the kids were all in their 30's or 40's.
-As Len tried to go to commercial and say goodbye to their guest, Mr. T cut him off to see that he will behave himself so that he doesn't disappoint Len and Bob. Brenley's facial reaction was priceless.

"Somebody took a shot"

2009-05-25T10:50:00.003-05:00

Thought of the Day

Since I try not to use profanity on the blog, I won't write about the Cubs offensive woes again today. Instead here's a hilarious video that's been making the rounds on the web since it aired Friday night. It's a Cleveland news team's reaction to the end of Cavs-Magic Game 2.

A few thoughts:
1) Who in Cleveland is watching the news during the fourth quarter of a Cavs playoff game?
2) How great is the guy in the far background jumping around after the shot?
3) It sure seems like the two news anchors, the man and woman in the two center chairs, are fair-weather fans. Not only do they claim the season being over, but then they don't even watch the final play. I guess they deserve the push they got from the sports guy when LeBron's shot went in.

Swiniging at air

2009-05-22T12:44:00.002-05:00

Thought of the Day

Another Cubs game, another evening of offensive offense. In 27 innings versus the Cardinals this week, the Cubs scored a grand total of two runs. I don't have much to say about this, because really, what is there to say? The pitching has improved - St. Louis only scored eight runs in the series - and the fielding isn't bad. But we're now eight weeks into the season, and guys like Geo Soto and Mike Fontenoet are still in horrible slumps. Baseball is a season of streaks, and right now, the Cubs are on a losing one. That can change at any moment, but it won't until the bats come alive.

Tell your old man to drag Walton and Lanier for 48 minutes

2009-05-21T13:21:00.002-05:00

Thought of the Day

I was going to write about Cubs vs. Cardinals today, but after a second consecutive offense-free game for the North Siders, I decided to dive back into hoops for a fourth straight afternoon. Instead of analysis though, I've found three videos that really get me pumped for the NBA Playoffs. Enjoy...

Michael Jordan scores 55 vs. the Bullets in 1997

Big Shot Bov vs. the Kings in 2002

And of course, what it means to play hard in the post-season

Who we gonna get?

2009-05-20T14:43:00.002-05:00

Thought of the Day

Last night was the NBA Draft lottery, which means the first official mock drafts are out. The Bulls have two picks, 16 and 26, thanks to the Thabo Sefelosha trade. Here's a peek at five mocks, with an examination of who they have pegged to join Derrick Rose and Co.

NbaDraft.net : 16) James Johnson, Wake Forest and 26) Taj Gibson, USC

Two frontcourt players, but no real center. I doubt the Bulls will do this, because with Noah, Tyrus, Salmons and Deng, they have their minutes filled at the 3 and 4 spots. Johnson is intriguing because he's a physical 6-8 player, but I'd like either a center or guard with the other choice.

SI : 16) Earl Clark, Louisville and 26) Wayne Ellington, North Carolina

This is more like it, filling two holes with the two picks. I'm not the biggest Clark fan, but he did produce at the 'Ville. And Ellington would be a perfect pick up if the Bulls decide not to re-sign Ben Gordon.

ESPN : 16) DeJuan Biar, Pittsburgh and 26) Toney Douglas, Florida State

My choice for the perfect draft for the Bulls. Blair is a beast on the boards, despite being only 6-7. He'd instantly be the physical presence the team needed versus the Celtics in the playoffs. And Douglas is a pure jump shooter who'd be able to score off the bench, being another solid replacement for B.G.

Fanhouse : 16) Demar DeRozan, USC and 26) Patrick Mills, St. Mary's

The fact that the Bulls could get DeRozan without having to sign Lil' Romeo would once again elevate them past Tim Floyd. In terms of talent, DeRozan is a lottery player, but he doesn't really have a position. I'm not against him, but if he's selected, the team can't go with another scorer like Mills with the second choice.

Hoops Hype : 16) James Johnson, Wake Forest and 26) Marcus Thonton, LSU

I already wrote about Johnson, but I like the pick of Thornton. Similar to Douglas, the former LSU Tiger is a straight-up scorer, and can put the ball in the hoop from anywhere on the floor. The Bulls have a bunch of those guys already, but without Gordon, it will become a huge need.

Down to the final four

2009-05-19T11:34:00.002-05:00

Thought of the Day

Here are my picks for my the Eastern and Western Conference finals, which begin tonight.

East: I've been convinced for a while that the Cavs are the best team in basketball and that the Magic are soft. The former thought has been proven correct in rounds one and two - Cleveland is 8-0, winning each game by double digits - but the latter has been questioned. First Orlando won the deciding game versus the 76ers without Dwight Howard, then they came back from down 3-2, winning Game 7 on the road against the Celtics. What's my thought of them now? Still got no chance. The LeBron's are too tough on defense and too smart on offense. The Cavs may finally see an L in this series...but not many of them. Cleveland in 5

West: L.A. vs. Denver is an amazing series on so many levels. The Lakers are the better team, but just got punched in the mouth versus Houston. The Nuggets were seen at first as a farce, but have come out and dominated the Hornets and Mavericks. Advantage Denver then, right? Well, I'm not ready to go that far. I don't think the Nuggets match up with the Lakers the way the Rockets did, because they don't have the quick point guard or the physical perimeter defenders. Chauncey Billups is a great player, but he is more the Deron Williams-type, whom L.A. slowed down in round one. This one will be competitive, and Carmello Anthony is a very underrated clutch player, but the NBA will get the dream Finals matchup they want. L.A. in 7

Lets get thinking on this one

2009-05-18T12:45:00.004-05:00

School is officially done, as is the Boston Celtics' reign as NBA Champs. What does one have to do with the other? They are the dual reasons I am starting my new summer project here at the Hot Dog Guy - the Thought of the Day. Since I will be starting an internship next week that has me working 9-5, Mon. through Fri., at an office an hour or so from my house, it seems unlikely that I'll have much time to write for this blog (or actually watch sports). So I've decided to start this Thought of the Day project.

The goal: To post something at least five of the seven days of the week, connecting to something to do with the world of sports. Maybe a paragraph, maybe a full column, maybe some links, maybe a YouTube, maybe something completely new. And as an added bonus, I'm going to start to tag the posts, so you can see a complete archive of all the Thoughts of the Day. Wish me luck, and keep checking back to the blog on a daily basis to see what I'm thinking.

Thought of the Day

I'm having a hard time figuring out how to judge the title defense of the Boston Celtics. Most are saying they did an admirable job in 2009, surviving an epic first round series vs. the Bulls before falling in seven to the Magic without their best player (KG) and best reserve (Leon Powe). And while that's true, it could also be seen as the Celtics lost a series they led 3-2 against a soft squad that had quit on their coach. They lost a Game 7 at home, which is the whole point of having home-court. And worst of all, they made Patrick Ewing look smart for the first time in his life. I give Boston props for fighting hard without KG, and it's not like they could beat the Cavs anyways. But I'm not about to call what Doc Rivers and Co. accomplished admirable when they should have accomplished more.

Panic in the air

2009-05-09T12:04:00.002-05:00

There’s only one thing for the people who say that it’s too early in the baseball season to panic to do: check the Chicago Cubs injury report. As of today, the report lists Carlos Zambrano on the DL with a strained hamstring, and nagging injuries to Derrek Lee (neck spasms), Milton Bradley (groin) and Geovany Soto (shoulder). It also will now be adding star third basemen Aramis Ramirez, who dislocated his left shoulder in Friday night’s game at Milwaukee and will be out four-to-six weeks.

If that wasn’t bad enough, the Cubs bullpen has been uglier than the patch in Rasheed Wallace’s head. The relief corps have an ERA of 5.02, have walked 55 batters in 84 innings and have almost half the team’s losses - six. Letting Kerry Wood leave for Cleveland in free agency has tuned out to be a bad move, which at least cough one person cough said at the time it happened. And - translate this sentence however you’d like - we still have 130 or so games to go.

So what should those who bleed Cubby blue do, jump ship or hang tight? The truth is, the baseball season is a long and winding road, and injuries are going to happen. It really is difficult that all the injuries are happening at the same time, but I wouldn’t go as far as calling it devastating. The Cubs still have some talent that shockingly isn’t hurt, such as Ted Lilly and Alfonso Soriano. And they have an easier than average schedule coming up, with the six games versus the Padres, as well as games against the Pirates and Manny-less Dodgers before May is over.

But I’m not off the ledge yet. The 2007 Cubs were a nice story but didn’t have enough to compete in October. The 2008 Cubs were clearly the best team in the National League before they decided to go Rip Van Winkle in the NLDS. The 2009 Cubs were maybe the last chance to make a run at a title before the aging talent passed its prime. Call it premature panicking, but the reason I follow the team so closely is because I want to see them win. All these injuries and all the garbage being thrown by the bullpen has me worried that that may not occur this year. And as any Cubs fan knows, it’s never too early to start worrying.

UPDATE: To prove I'm not the only one in panic-mode, here is a text message exchange from Sat. night during the Cubs beatdown by the Brewers between myself and the biggest Cubs fan I know, my good friend Brian. (Brian goes to school in Wisconsin, so he was probably surrounded by Brewers fans when this took place.)

B: Can Chad Fox just retire already?
E: Or die.
B: I swear he only faced 2 batters last year and the same thing happened. Heilman also needs to die.
E: This entire bullpen is shit.
B: Entire team.

Yes folks, we're aware its the second week of May. That's just how Cubs fans are.

Losing games, gaining faith

2009-05-04T00:24:00.002-05:00

There’s no such thing as a good loss, just like there’s no such thing as a good time to catch a cold. Coming out on the short end always stings, especially when it’s the last game of the season. The 2008 Cubs were swept in three games after having an amazing regular season, and that was tough to handle. The 2008 Bears fell on the final day of the regular season when a win would have earned them a playoff birth. And just yesterday, the 2008-09 Bulls lost in Game 7 of the greatest first round series ever. Three tough defeats, none of them close to qualifying as good.

That being said, this Bulls team gave me a lot more than expected. Before the season, I predicted Chicago to finish ninth in the East, behind current Lottery-bound teams Washington, Toronto and Indiana. I said that they lacked the post scoring and experience to make a post-season run, and that this season would be judged on how much Derrick Rose and Vinny Del Negro improved. Turns out I was just a bit off.

Success for the Bulls was pushing the defending NBA Champs, the Boston Celtics, to the edge of a cliff so far that several players probably barfed from the high altitude. Success was winning the most dramatic playoff game - Game 6 - the NBA has seen in years. Success was getting major performances out of guys whom that was expected (Rose, Ben Gordon) and those who surprised (Joakim Noah, John Salmons).

I’m not saying I’m glad the Bulls lost, far from it. The second quarter of Game 7, where everything slipped away and exploded like a greasy water balloon, still runs through my mind 24 hours after it took place. Those thoughts will persist in my skull for a good month or so before I’m over it. (You think I’m kidding? I seriously had Vietnam-like flashback of Game 6 of the 2003 NLCS for a good two years before I finally let it go) For the life of me I can’t figure out what Tyrus Thomas was doing on the bench most of the game while Brad Miller was on the floor stinking it up. And why was nobody ever within five feet of Eddie House?

But the way the Bulls fought this entire series against a team of guys with rings on their fingers was impressive. After the heart-breaking loss in Game 2 and the blowout in 3, the Bulls could have easily folded their cards, walked away from the table and saved their chips for next season. Instead they raised their bets, made the Celtics uncomfortable with the pressure and pulled out two amazing W’s (Gm’s 4 and 6). And even though they had their worst quarter of the season at the wrong time, the Bulls still clawed back and made it a four-point game with four minutes to go. If a team full of young, in-experienced players could do that (missing arguably their top player in Loul Deng), imagine how dangerous Chicago can be moving forward.

Celtics 109, Bulls 99 was not a positive. But eclipsing expectations and showing true grit are both positives, and while the defeat stings, it may wind up proving to be a turning point in Bulls history. Call it the best of a bad loss.

Two best words in sports: Game. Seven.

2009-05-01T01:48:00.003-05:00

The Bulls-Celtics series, which is now headed for a Game 7 after Thursday night's triple-OT classic, deserves way more attention than I'm giving it. Because of school - I seriously had an important paper due in each of my five classes this week - I haven't had a chance to blog about it. And because it is nearly 2 AM right now, I have to work two jobs tomorrow (technically today) and I just finished writing this, I won't have much to blog this evening.

But know this: If you haven't watched this series, you are not a sports fan. If you haven't jumped around in pure joy or sank your head into your hands in shocking disappointment, you don't have a working heart beat. If you haven't sweat bullets or shouted curses or smiled ear-to-ear or frantically called friends or poured your heart and soul into something you have no control over, then you can't understand it. Because what the Bulls and Celtics are doing on a nightly basis is truly one of the most beautiful things in all of life, and for a die-hard fan like myself, it's been the greatest of gifts.

Game 7 will be played Saturday night, and I promise, win or lose, I will blog about it Sunday. Let's hope my heart beat can make it that long.

With apologies (and major props) to Brad Miller's threes, John Salmons' drives and Derrick Rose's block, here is the play of Game 6 by Mr. Noah:

Drafting up some picks

2009-04-25T11:27:00.001-05:00

Didn’t have time, due to working on several school papers and working two jobs, to write much this week. But I wanted to offer five NFL Draft predictions now, before the first pick is officially made. Lets start inside the NFC North:

1) The backside of Matt Stafford’s Detroit Lions jersey shouldn’t have his surname, it should just say “WHOOPS”; this guy has bust written all over him. Let’s do the math: Horrible team with one skilled receiver and nothing else on offense + rookie head coach + not the greatest college stats + the biggest rookie contract in NFL history = Joey Harrington, Jr. As a Bears fan, I couldn’t be less worried about this guy entering the division. I’m not alone either, as apparently even Lions fans want their team to go in a different direction.

2) I know it’s strange, but I tend to fall in love with players who, you know, actually played great in college. Two years ago it was Adrian Peterson, last it was Darren McFadden and this year my guy is Michael Crabtree. Take a peek at these stats in two seasons at Texas Tech: 231 receptions, 3,127 yards and 41 touchdowns. I’ve never even put up those kinds of numbers on the Xbox, though I’ve always been more of a triple-option guy. Despite his leg injury, I can guarantee that any team the grabs Crabtree will be happy they did.

3) The news this week about my favorite college football player of the past three years, Percy Harvin, wasn’t a shock, but quite disappointing. Testing positive for marijuana is something that happens to athletes all the time, regardless of their talent level or where they play. But to test positive for it at the NFL Combine, the biggest job interview of your entire life and something that has been on the calendar for months, is just stupid. It would be like if President Obama woke up the morning of a debate and realized he hadn’t purchased a suit for the occasion. Harvin’s speed, agility and more speed will make him a dangerous player in the NFL. But doing something this stupid will clearly hurt his draft status.

4) You won’t see any post-draft grades here on the blog; I hate draft grades. Sure, maybe I’ll analyze the Bears picks at some point next week. But I’m of the belief that grading players who haven’t taken a single snap of pro football is ridiculous. Saying that a certain team reached for a player too high or that a different team grabbed a late-round steal sounds intelligent, but in the grand scheme of things, I generally trust NFL scouts more than Mel Kiper, Jr. Releasing grades for the draft class of 2006 makes sense, but doing it for ’09 is just wrong.

5) Speaking of those Bears, here are the three priorities: wide receiver, safety and pass rusher. I don’t care what order they go in, but those three spots need to be upgraded by Sunday night. If they can swing a deal by giving up the 49th pick for Anquan Boldin or Braylon Edwards, that’d be great. If they pick a solid second-round pass catcher (not Georgia’s Mohamed Massaquoi, guy drops more catches than Steve Bartman), that’d be great. And if Lovie {Smith} and Jerry {Angelo} decide to address the defense first, which has been their specialty in past drafts, that’d be great too. I think a solid draft this weekend, one that produces a couple of starters and a fringe contributor or two, would cement the Bears as NFC North favorites.

Good luck Bears, go Bulls, go Cubs!

When Rose's come to see me

2009-04-19T17:09:00.003-05:00

More Bulls thoughts coming later in the week, as well as a mini-NFL Draft preview.

The Hot Dog Guy: Where long rants happen

2009-04-17T00:12:00.004-05:00

Today’s post is a four-step process. First a link, then a homework assignment, then some predictions, and finally a YouTube. Enjoy

Step One: Go to TTCS and read the beautiful prose. Then come back here to read the rest of this.

Step Two: Currently for my sports reporting class, I’m working on a story about custom sneaker makers and buyers. I’ve been reading all about people who take regular shoes, usually Air Force One’s or some other type of Nike, and re-design them with new colors and patterns. Also I’ve visited a couple stores in Chicago, one of which (thus far) has allowed me to interview the manager and take some pics of the custom kicks, which will be all included in the sports reporting project.

This assignment is one I chose, and through a week of reporting, I’m glad I did. I’ve never really done a sports/fashion story before, as most of the sports reporting I do is either game coverage, opinion or profiles. This actually will be a combo of coverage and profile, but mixed together in a way that is (hopefully) a lot of fun to read. I’ll keep you posted via the blog on how it’s going, I still have about a month before the final product is due.

Step Three: The lasting memory of the 2008 NBA playoffs didn’t even take place during a basketball game. Instead it was after game six of the Finals, when Kevin Garnett leaned into a microphone, took a deep breath and yelled the first thing that came into his head: “Anything is POSSSSSSSIBLLLLLLLLE.”

Now as the ’09 playoff prepare to tip off, the question is this: The Bulls beating the Celtics, is it possible? Read my picks to find out what I think.

East
1) Cleveland vs. 8) Detroit
The past few seasons, this season has been a conference finals showdown, not a first rounder. But with the Pistons finally showing some age and the Cavs stepping up all year long, this looks to be one that Mr. James won’t have to worry too much about. Cavaliers in 5

4) Atlanta vs. 5) Miami
A couple of evenly matched teams, and since they play in the same division they know each other well. In series’ like this, I always take the team with the best overall player, and in this case, it isn’t too difficult to figure out who that is. Heat in 6

2) Boston vs. 7) Chicago
I really wanted the Bulls to face the Magic. I though they matched up a lot better with Orlando in terms of both personel and scheme, and I was even thinking of picking my boys. Now, even with KG out, I’m not so sure. Rajon Rondo can minimize Derrick Rose’s contributions and Pual Pierce should be too much for the Bulls to defend. Celtics in 6

3) Orlando vs. 6) Philadelphia
Of the 16 teams in these playoffs, I think the 76ers are the worst. Sure they’re athletic, but they play no defense and have horrible shot selection. As overrated as the Magic are, they shouldn’t worry too much about this one. Magic in 4

West
1) Los Angeles vs. 8) Utah
A compelling round one matchup, even just for the coaches squaring off. Obviously the Lakers have superior talent, but I think the Jazz are tough enough to make this a series. Just not a very long one. Lakers in 5

4) Portland vs. 5) Houston
It’s too bad these teams face each other in round one, because I want both of them to advance and give L.A. a tough series. Talent-wise the Blazers are superior, but for some reason, I have a thinking that this is the year the Rockets finally get to round two. Rockets in 7

2) Denver vs. 7) New Orleans
This one should be fun to watch, with a lot of offensive firewpower on both sides. Denver has actually improved their D over the course of the year, a reason the Nuggets won 54 games. Still, I don’t see as Carmello as a player who can put a team on his back and will them to victory, a quality I think Chris Paul has. Hornets in 7

3) San Antonio vs. 6) Dallas
The Spurs are banged up and tired, while the Mavs played well towards the end of the season. Then again, it is San Antonio we’re talking about, and they always elevate their game come playoff time. Dirk will give it a shot, but it won’t be enough in this Texas Showdown. Spurs in 6

Step Four
I don’t have a lot of hobbies, so anytime two of my favorites hook up, I’m a fan. It’s why my favorite Simpsons episode is a James Bond spoof and why I’d die of happiness if they ever came out with a Barack Obama Blizzard at Dairy Queen (No clue what it’d taste like, but I’d be first in line to try) In that respect, this video, an NBA Playoff promo featuring Kanye West, is a must-see.

Tax day thoughts

2009-04-15T09:40:00.002-05:00

Random thoughts on my three Chicago teams (sorry Hawks and Sox, never have and never will care how you’re doing):

Bears The ’09 schedule is out and Cutler-mania is out of control. Like I do every year, I will be going through the schedule and predicting the outcome. But this season, for an added bonus, I will be giving a one sentence reasoning for every homer-motivated selection.

* Primetime game (Either Thursday, Sunday or Monday night)

9/13 at Green Bay* W
Cutler isn’t losing the opener, and Lovie always (except for last year) has the guys ready for Lambeau.

9/20 vs. Pittsburgh L
Should be an interesting home opener vs. the SB champs, but the Steelers D is just too tough.

9/27 at Seattle W
In the league’s toughest opposing stadium, I think the Bears get by because of slightly superior talent on both sides of the ball.

10/4 vs. Detroit W
It’s the Lions for goodness sakes.

10/18 at Atlanta* W
Coming off the bye, the Bears get revenge for last season’s miracle Falcons win.

10/25 at Cincinnati W
The Bears D may have lost a step over these past few seasons, but I’m guessing they’ll find some energy to knock Cedric Benson around for 60 minutes.

11/1 vs. Cleveland W
They already traded Kellen Winslow and it looks like they’ll deal Braylon Edwards, which is strange, since the Browns have no other talented skill players.

11/8 vs. Arizona L
OK, so the Bears will be 6-0 versus teams that weren’t in the Super Bowl last year; I’ll take that.

11/12 at San Francisco L*
I don’t think Mike Singletary’s crew will be all that good, but flying cross-country to a stadium the Bears never win at on a short week is not the recipe for a victory.

11/22 vs. Philadelphia W*
This could be a make-or-break game for the Bears, and like they have the last few seasons against Philly, I like our boys to make it in a very close one.

11/29 at Minnesota L
Exactly the same as last year, the post-Thanksgiving clash at the Metrodome will be the most important game of the season.

12/6 vs. St. Louis W
Matt Forte should have 150 yards in this game…by halftime.

12/13 vs. Green Bay W
If we beat them up in Cheesehead-land, there’s no way were losing to ‘em on the Lakefront.

12/20 at Baltimore L
I feel the Ravens will take a step back from last season, but I still don’t see the Bears winning this game.

12/28 vs. Minnesota W*
Monday night, late December, temps in the negative teens, Bears/Vikings with the NFC North on the line; what could be better?

1/3 at Detroit W
It’s nice to know that if it comes down to week 17, the Bears won’t have to exert themselves.

Final Record: 11-5**

** Subject to change at least 350 times between now and September 13, 2009 at 7:14 p.m.

Cubs Can’t say too much bad about a 5-2 start that includes winning back-to-back series’ against division foes. But if there is something bad to say it’s this: I have no trust in this bullpen. The last few seasons (mainly ’07 and ‘08), the bullpen has taken some heat, but for the most part, they were trustworthy. You knew Eyre was going to work hitter and get them to make contact, you knew Howry was going to go with the outside heater until the hitter struck out and you knew Wood was going to work his fast and breaking balls into three outs at the end of the game.

Now there’s Luis Vizcaino, Aaron Heilman, David Patton and worst of all, Kevin Gregg. I’m not saying these guys can’t replace the Eyre/Howry/Wood trio, but I don’t want all the pressure on Neal Cotts and especially Carlos Marmol. Some of these new guys need to step up, because really good starting pitching is worth as much as a wooden nickel when the bullpen allows runs. Also, can we forget about him trying to start and bring Jeff Samardzija back. It’s not fair that I finally learned how to spell his name by memory only to see him get send down to Iowa to start the year.

Bulls Assuming the Bulls take care of the lowly Raptors and/or the Cavs can beat the 76ers so that Cleveland can tie an all-time NBA record for home wins in a regular season, the Bulls will be the six seed in the playoffs. Yes, the six seed. As recently as a month ago, most people would have laughed if you said that the Bulls were even going to make the playoffs. Now they are ahead of two other Eastern Conference squads on their way to the post-season. (NOTE: I’ll be breaking down the playoffs later this week when the official matchups, times and dates are announced.)

Credit for this turnaround can go in several directions, from the improved play of key youngsters Tyrus Thomas, Joakim Noah and Derrick Rose to new additions Brad Miller and John Salmons (and therefore credit to GM John Paxson) to the lights out scoring of Ben Gordon or the return of Kirk Hinrich. But I’m actually going to look to the bench on this one. The much maligned, barely respected Vinny Del Negro has actually bee a positive for this team the past six weeks or so. He’s done two things lately that he didn’t do at the start of the year: give everybody a defined role (which in turn leads to him not botching his substitution pattern) and calling more sets for Gordon and Rose. Both of these changes have increased the team’s play, as common sense would say that if your best players are on the floor more and your best scorers have the ball more, good things occur. I’m not nominating VDN for Coach of the Year or anything, but he does deserve some credit for this turnaround.

Opening a new season at Wrigley

2009-04-10T00:42:00.003-05:00

There are some things that no matter how many times you experience them, it never gets stale and boring. In sports, lots of examples apply. Listening to Gus Johnson call an exciting college basketball game always gets the goose bumps popping, no matter how many times you’ve heard him do it. Same with watching Barry Sanders run the football or Michael Jordan shoot a fadeaway. These things just don’t age.

Opening Day at Wrigley Field would also apply to that list. I’m lucky enough to work at the park and Monday will mark my fifth consecutive home opener. And believe me when I say this, but there aren’t more than five experiences in sports I look forward to more.

They say absence makes the heart grow fonder, and that is surely part of the reason Opening Day is so great. (It definitely aint the weather) It has been since the first week of October since baseball has been played on the heavenly corner of Clark & Addison, so stepping into the park and seeing the green field, the iconic brick wall and the thousands of people, young and old, male and female, decked out in Cubs gear, just puts a smile on my face.

But it’s also the uniqueness of Opening Day that enhances its lore. Since it’s the first game of the year at the park, the entire roster is introduced and brought out; that’s always neat. The ceremonial first pitch/7th inning stretch singer is always somebody important for that first game. And as a vendor, I like the opener because the fans are always in a spending mood.

People seem surprised whenever I say this, but I still feel a genuine love going into Wrigley every day, despite being there over 60 times a year for the past six summers. (Yes, this is vending year number seven for me, which is both shocking and disappointing.) I love Cubs/Cards, I love Cubs/Sox, I love playoffs. But I truly mean this that there isn’t a day on the schedule I enjoy being at the Friendly Confines more than Opening Day.

A few weekend links to enjoy

- First two from me: my Top Ten list and an article/site I worked on for a sports reporting class
- Sad story about the death of LA Angels pitcher Nick Adenhart
- Why MJ should be inducted- alone- to the Hall of Fame

Baseball picks and basketball champs

2009-04-06T11:29:00.002-05:00

Technically, baseball officially began last night. But there’s a reason everybody looks forward to Opening Day, not Opening Sunday Night. It’s because there isn’t much better than the first Monday in April, with first pitches and top prospects debuting all across the country, followed by the NCAA basketball title game at night. Personally I can’t figure out what I’m going to do around 8 p.m. this evening, when Cubs-Astros will be reaching the sixth or seventh inning and the Heels and Spartans are about to tip off. Oh, time will tell.

Anyways, before the 162 game marathon had its starting gun shot off, here are my baseball picks, with my obvious caution of not wanting to mock the Gods like the New York Times did. (Seriously, do you want to know why newspapers are dying? Because they have writers like Tyler Kepner, who ignore all intelligence and history by choosing the Royals to win the AL Central and the Cubs to win the World Series. Those picks would be the equivalent of the Miami Herald endorsing Ron Paul for President or my man Roger Ebert at the Sun-Times giving four stars to a movie staring The Girls Next Door.)

Also, scroll down for a brief NCAA title game preview.

AL
East- Boston
Central- Minnesota
West- Anaheim
Wild Card- Cleveland

Pennant winner- Anaheim

I’m not at all on the Yankees bandwagon: too many old players, too many innings on the arm of CC Sabathia, too much pressure to succeed in the new Stadium. Same with the Rays, who I doubt have the pitching to keep up with Boston out East. In the Central, I really like Cleveland’s team, but there is something about the Twins that always succeed (Oh yeah, it’s called not overpaying for players and filling holes with talented young guys instead of high priced vets), so I’m putting them both in the playoffs. The West should be Anaheim ’s, though watch out for the Rangers, if they ever get any sort of pitching, they could surprise due to their insanely loaded lineup. In the end, I really have no reason to pick the Angels, but it just seems like their time again (I’m banking on a huge year from third basemen Chone Figgins, one of my favorite players in the AL ).

NL
East- Philadelphia
Central- Cubs
West- LA
Wild Card- New York

Pennant Winner- Philadelphia*

*You know who I want to pick, but the jinx potential is too strong

First off, I’ll discuss the only real important division: the NL Central. Everybody and their mother is picking the Cubs to win this thing, and deservingly so. They won 97 games last year, had the league’s best lineup, one of the best pitching staffs, and in some ways, got better over the winter. Still, like any real Cubs fan, I have concerns. One, I’m hoping the seasons out of Ryan Dempster, Ryan Theriot and Geovany Soto were not just career years. Two, they need to make sure they escape the injury bug, because the loss of Mark DeRosa really kills their versatility. Three, they can’t be complacent, thinking that the division is theirs for the taking; they must earn it. I think Sweet Lou can handle the third one, but that doesn’t mean I’m not allowed to worry. Finally, beware of St. Louis and Cincinnati , I think both squads could be dangerous if their pitching is as good as advertised. The Brewers, who have no pitching, will not be a contender this season.

In the East, I’ll take the defending champs in a toss-up with the Mets. The edge goes to Philly due to the fact that New York has blown division leads twice in two years. Still New York should be strong, and the addition of 73-year old Gary Sheffield only helps. Out West I really wanted to take somebody other than LA, but I’m not sure anybody else is good enough. The Giants and D-Backs have pitching, the Rockies have hitting, and the Padres are just horrible. Because of that, the Dodgers take it.

World Series- Anaheim over Philadelphia

There hasn’t been any back-to-back World Series champs this decade, and I don’t see it starting now. Expect the Angels to pick up another key player at the trade deadline this year, carrying them to a championship. MVP of course is the monster, Vlad Guerrero.

NCAA Final:

Every bone in my body wants Michigan State to win. I support Big Ten teams, I’d be nice to see something positive related to the state of Michigan and oh year, I win my pool and like $120 bucks of Sparty pulls it off. So Go Green, Go White! Too bad I don’t think they got a shot. North Carolina is just so good on offense, there is almost nothing that a team like MSU, who is great on D, can focus on and say ‘If we shut so-and-so down, we win.’ You take out Lawson, Ellington (or as I say Michael Redd, Jr.) steps up. You take out Ellington, and Handsbrough does work down low. You take out Psycho-T, and Danny Green is hitting threes. Their offense is better than the ’05 National Champs, and that squad had four players drafted in the Lottery. Tom Izzo won’t let his team get blown out like what happened in the ACC/Big 10 Challenge, but at the end of the night, Roy Williams and his squad will have their One Shining Moment. North Carolina 78, Michigan State 70

Quick thoughts on the Jay Cutler deal

2009-04-02T17:15:00.002-05:00

First off, I'd like to say two words: About Time.

Bears fans have waited for years for a trade like this, one where Bears management finally rolled the dice and took a chance to get a franchise quarterback. Nobody knows how successful this deal will be, but isn't that the case with every trade? We do know that Kyle Orton could only take the team so far and that at least talent wise, Jay Cutler is a far superior option under center.

Giving up two first rounders, as well as a third, hurts a bit. But the truth is that GM Jerry Angelo- who deserves much credit for pulling off this deal- isn't the best of talent evaluators anyways. His previous first and third round picks like Cedric Benson, Garrett Wolfe, Chris Williams and Earl Bennett, haven't been too great for the Monsters of the Midway. Taking a chance on a skilled gun-slinger like Cutler is definitely a bet worth making. Will it cash? Time will tell. But I have no complaints about it right now.

Now the question is how the Bears approach the remainder of the off-season, including the draft. Offensive line is still a bit of a question mark, but with the signing of Orlando Pace today to go along with Cutler, that can be held off for a while in my opinion. The keys will be finding a receiver than can contribute immediately in round 2 (UNC's Hakeem Nicks, Ohio State's Brian Robiskie and Rutgers' Kenny Britt all may fit the criteria) and then a playmaker or two on defense later in the draft. By adding just a few more pieces around Cutler and Matt Forte, the Bears could have a team that is the pre-season favorite in the NFC North.

No fooling here, just the Final Four

2009-04-01T21:42:00.003-05:00

After some extensive research, I have found that the four teams remaining in college basketball all share some attributes:

-North Carolina and UConn are both one seeds, while Michigan State and Villanova both beat teams on the top line in their last game to reach the Final Four.

-North Carolina and Michigan State are the alma mater’s of two five of the greatest players ever, while UConn and Villanova are both from the Big East.

-North Carolina and Villanova were both expected to make it to Detroit based on the Hot Dog Guy’s bracket, while Michigan State and UConn were each supposed to exit stage left during the Elite Eight.

You may be wondering what any of that has to do with how these teams will play come Saturday, and the truth is not much; I just thought it was interesting. Here’s an actual breakdown of the two national semifinals to be played Saturday night at Ford Field.

Michigan State vs. UConn

Not many folks gave the Green & White much of a chance in the regional finals against Louisville, and that game was over with 15 minutes left in the second half. Those same doubters now say that Sparty will be dominated by UConn and shouldn’t even bother making the hour-long drive from East Lansing to Motown. But again, that might not be the case.

Talent-wise, the Huskies have an edge. With Mount Thabeet in the middle, Stanley Robinson and Jeff Adrien banging bodies in the post and AJ Price raining threes from the outside, this is the one college squad that I think could give the Sacramento Kings a run for their money. It doesn’t mean Michigan State has no chance though. Tom Izzo’s teams are always well-prepared and their man-to-man D can hang with anybody. Kalin Lucas is as good, if not better, than Price at the point, while Goron Sutton showed in the Louisville game that he can be a huge matchup problem for opposing big men.

In the end though, I think the Big Ten’s lone Cinderella will finally see the clock strike 12. The Huskies are so difficult to score on, and it’s not like the Spartans have Jason Richardson or Shannon Brown anymore. This might be different if forward Raymar Morgan was 100%, but he has been horrendous all season long. MSU will put up an honorable fight, but in the end, I’ll take Connecticut. UConn 71, Michigan State 60

North Carolina vs. Villanova

Only a few teams in the country can match the Wildcats in terms of athleticism. UCLA, Duke and Pitt, all highly respected teams filled with elite players, found that out the hard way, as ‘Nova beat them all on their way to the Motor City. The ‘Cats have quick guards like Scottie Reynolds, Corey Fisher, Corey Stokes and Reggie Redding, plus smooth big men Dante Cunningham, Dwayne Anderson and Shane Clark. It’s a better all-around squad the 2006 ‘Nova team, which is high praise from me since I really liked that squad and ended up picking them to win it all that season.

Problem is, their opponents Saturday qualifies as one of those few teams. And even worse, if I had started this preview discussing North Carolina, the opening sentence would have read ‘No team in the country can match the Tar Heels in terms of athleticism.’ Yeah, Roy Williams’ squad, the one with eight previous McDonalds All-Americans on it, is that good. For every great attribute that Villanova has, UNC has it, plus more.

I don’t think it will be a blowout; Villanova is too good for that. And if the Tar Heels fall asleep on defense for any stretch of time, like they did a year ago in this round versus Kansas, they will surely go down. But I can’t envision Tyler Handsbrough, Ty Lawson and the rest of the Heels coming this far again only to be denied. Coach Williams doesn’t have the greatest of track records in big games, but it’s hard to see him losing this one. North Carolina 88, Villanova 80

Another year in the books

2009-03-30T00:30:00.005-05:00

On March 30, 2006, a blog was launched called The Hot Dog Guy. Three years later, we’re still here.

What a better way to celebrate a birthday than by looking back at the last year of memorable writing. Here are some samples of the best posts I wrote (and videos I posted) over the past 365 days, as well as the links so you can re-read the entire posts again. Enjoy and get ready for another year (hopefully) of blogging.

-From April 24, 2008 "Cubs early surprise"

But by far the most impressive player has been Fukudome. Not only with his statistics, which have been outstanding (.351 average, 17 walks, 17 runs scored), but more so in the way he plays the game. It seems that he never swings at the first pitch, always works the count and makes the pitcher get him out. Plus he runs the bases hard and has a great arm in the outfield. #1 has already become #1 to the right field bleacher faithful, and amazingly, Ron Santo has yet to curse on the air attempting to say his name. If Fukudome, and the other 24 guys on the squad, keep playing at the level they’ve been at the past three and a half weeks, this hot start might translate to a completely hot season.

- From May 15, 2008 "Is the Hot Dog Guy posting again? Yep"

Bears running back Cedric Benson was arrested a few weekend ago, apparently operating a boat while intoxicated on a lake in Texas. Another charge was for resisting arrest, leading to all sorts of jokes around town of ‘How come Benson runs away from the cops faster than he runs away from linebackers.’ But now the question is: Do the Bears keep the big bust running back or let him follow Ricky Williams (who apparently was invited to go on the boat) into former UT Longhorns running back obscurity?

-From September 14, 2008 "Zambrano-no"

Zambrano was not only good on Sunday night, he was great. As in no-hitter great. As in, the first Cubs no-no since 1972. His fastball was perfect, painting the edge of the strike zone and blowing by helpless Houston hitters. His breaking ball wasn't any worse, making many Houston hitters look foolish in their attempts. Z finished with 110 pitches, ten strikeouts, one walk, one hit batter and one double play. Houston hitters grounded-out 13 times, struck out ten and only had four fly outs. That's how good Zambrano was---only four hitters actually got the ball out of the infield. Add to that the offense was good, Soriano's leadoff home run was great, and it was just a beautiful evening to be a Cubs fan.-

- From October 3, 2008 "Funeral for a friend"

The thing that separates baseball from the other sports in America is the time. A hardcore fan of a baseball team will watch as many games as he possibly can, lets say 150 of the 162. Three hours a game, and that’s 450 hours a season. Add to that about an hour a day, every day of the season, either thinking about, talking about, reading about or analyzing the team or their opponents. That’s another 180 hours. Totaled, that comes out to about 630 hours a year with your baseball team, or 26.25 days, or to go even more in depth, one full day every two weeks of the year. I’m guessing outside of sleep and working, following a baseball team is the most time-consuming thing many Americans do. And for us Cubs fans, the whole year is done in a span of 28 hours.

-From October 13, 2008 "Welcome to Atlanta where the Bears collapse"

This is one of those games that will only be put into perspective at the end of the year. If the Bears collapse and miss the playoffs, fans will look back on this loss as the turning point. Ten seconds away from 4-2, and the Bears give it away. On the other hand, if they turn it up, win the NFC North and make a post-season run, maybe we’ll see this game as what sparked the team to play a full 60 minutes, considering all of their losses have been in the come-from-behind variety. Whatever happens though, its unlikely that for the rest of the year, the Bears will be involved in a crazier game than what took place in Atlanta on Sunday.

- From December 2, 2008 "Andre Miller feels your pain"

-From December December 23, 2008 "Are they a team of f*%ing destiny?"

None of last night’s game made any sense, from why there would be fans that would go to a game in negative-five degree temperatures with their shirts off to how a team with a playoff birth on the line could come out so flat. The Bears were so bad in the first two quarters, it really seemed like the Packers were up 20 at the half. Yet it was only an 11-point lead, which was made up when Ron Turner finally realized that Matt Forte is the Bears only offensive option. But talk about luck. If a punt doesn’t bounce off a Packers blocker or Forte doesn’t get a first down by a half of a chain length or Alex Brown doesn’t block the Green Bay field goal at the end of regulation or the OT coin flip doesn’t bounce off of Brian Urlacher’s head or Robbie Gould doesn’t have ice in his veins, the Bears lose the game. Just an unbelievable ending, yet one that made no sense whatsoever.

- From January 9, 2009 "Gator Chomped"

The Florida Gators won the 2009 BCS Title 24-14 not because they had superior coaching and excessive speed, which were both true, but because they played much better D. Florida’s defense had a big fourth down stop of OU on the goal line, had a pick another time the Sooners were approaching the end zone, blocked a field goal, had a more consistent pass rush on Sam Bradford than anybody else Oklahoma played this year and a made a HUGE interception with 10 minutes left in the fourth quarter to protect the win. Tim Tebow and Percy Harvin will get much of the credit for the win, and they deserve it, because they played great. But there is no doubt it’s the defense that’s the reason UF is champs for the second time in three years.

Thanks again for supporting The Hot Dog Guy, and check back later in the week for Final Four and 2009 baseball previews.

Bracket mess

2009-03-27T13:46:00.003-05:00

Well my bracket is dead. Thanks to Memphis' lack of defense Thursday night, I have now gone four consecutive NCAA Tournaments where my champ failed to make even the Final Four. I should have known there was a problem picking a team that still can't make free throws, but I thought their great D and tournament experience would help carry them to the title. How wrong I was. Now I'm pulling for Villanova, because I've always sort of liked them and I went out on a limb (a little bit) by putting them in my Final Four.

Anyways, here are a few links I've enjoyed in the past week:

-I just finished reading a book about LeBron, and the one thing that stands out about the guy is that he's one of the rare athletes who was given tremendous hype and has actually exceed expectations.

-ONIONS, double order!

-An amazing race for an ESPN columnist

-My top 10 list of the week

Sweetest 16

2009-03-26T02:19:00.001-05:00

48 games down in the 2009 NCAA Tournament, 15 more to go. With the brackets top 12 teams still alive, as well as four others that are quite dangerous, college hoops fans might be seeing the Sweetest 16 ever assembled. Want proof?

Seven remaining coaches- Rick Pitino (Louisville), Bill Self (Kansas), Tom Izzo (Michigan State), Jim Calhoun (UConn), Mike Krzyzewski (Duke), Roy Williams (North Carolina) and Jim Boeheim (Syracuse)- have won National Championship rings and five others- John Calipari (Memphis), Jamie Dixon (Pittsburgh), Sean Miller (Xavier), Jay Wright (Villanova) and Mark Few (Gonzaga) would all be considered among the top 30 coaches in America. The other four schools still alive too shabby either, as Arizona (Longest active streak of consecutive tournament appearances), Purdue (Big 10 Tournament champs), Missouri (Considered to be best NCAA program never to reach the Final Four) and Oklahoma (Has the likely National Player and Freshmen of the Year’s on their roster) all boast impressive credentials.

With that said, all eight regional semifinals have a great chance of being outstanding games. The 16 teams are all here for a reason, and there is no game that doesn’t have the chance of being a classic. Here is a breakdown of the eight matchups, ranked in order my personal order of least-to-most intriguing.

8: UConn vs. Purdue

The Boilermakers have been impressive lately, but they don’t have the bodies that can contain the inside presence that UConn possesses. Unless JaJuan Johnson and E’Twaun Moore can get the Huskies big men in foul trouble, or Hasheem Thabeet magically shrunk, I see too many easy buckets for Purdue to overcome. The point guard matchup between the smooth AJ Price and the physical Chris Kramer will be fascinating.

7: North Carolina vs. Gonzaga

Both squads are stacked with talent, but only one of the two teams plays any defense. With a seemingly-healthy Ty Lawson (that toe didn’t seem to bother him much in the second half vs. LSU), Final Four experience, a heavy home court edge and that overwhelming D, the Tar Heels should be able to run, and run, and run some more over the ‘Zags.

6: Louisville vs. Arizona

Pitino versus Arizona in downtown Indianapolis; I think I’ve seen this before. But there’s no Miles Simon, no Ron Mercer and no 1997 National Title on the line this time. (Nor do I expect Pitino to take the Boston Celtics job after this game) The Wildcats have great individual talent, but the Cardinals have superior team skills I expect this game to be close for 25 minutes, but the ‘Ville will pull away in the final 15.

5: Memphis vs. Missouri
Mizzou like to run and press, pushing the tempo to maximize possessions. Memphis likes to attack opponents with their dribble-drive offense and man-to-man defense. So which Tiger will prevail? I’ll take the ones who haven’t done worse than the Elite Eight since 2006 and have the most electrifying player on the floor- Tyreke Evans. (That’s Memphis for those of you who don’t pay much attention)

4: Pittsburgh vs. Xavier

A win here would give the X-Men a third trip to the Elite Eight since 2004, which is pretty remarkable. But to get there, they’ll have to get through Pitt, a team that struggled in the first two rounds. If the Musketeers can knock down three’s, I think they have the depth and athleticism to make this a game. But too much Sam Young and DaJuan Blair for the Panthers makes that a tough task.

3: Michigan State vs. Kansas

There aren’t too many one-two punches better in college basketball then the Jayhawk duo of Sherron Collins and Cole Aldrich. Advantage KU right? The boys from East Lansing may not agree. Not many teams play better defense than Sparty, and with an equally quick point guard in Kalin Lucas, I like the green and white- barely.

2: Oklahoma vs. Syracuse

When the bracket is put together, the selection committee prays for title game’s this good, not Sweet 16 battles. On one side is the hottest team in the country, the team the survived six OT’s versus the #1 team in the country and lived to tell about it. On the other is the country’s version of The Incredible Hulk, Oklahoma’s Blake Griffin, who puts up 25 points and 15 boards without breaking a sweat. I like the 2-3 zone of the Orange, even though this Sooner squad reminds me of the ’03 National Champion Syracuse squad.

1: Duke vs. Villanova

Hate ‘em or love ‘em, the Dukies always seem to be in the center of attention. This matchup pits athleticism versus athleticism, and it should come right down to the wire. I picked ‘Nova, and after their beat down of UCLA Saturday afternoon, I was confident in my selection. Then the Blue Devils put on an amazing defensive performance that night versus Texas, and I started to question myself. I still like the Wildcats, but only by the slimmest of margins.

-I’ll be posting some links at some point this weekend before a special post comes up on Monday.

It's a mad, mad, mad, mad March

2009-03-18T01:34:00.005-05:00

I have a lot to be grateful for right now. I’m healthy, I’m receiving an adequate education, I’m employed (at two different places) and it’s my favorite time of the year. Life should be good.

But there is one thing that is infuriating me like a fresh batch of mosquito bites. You see, I scheduled my week so that I would be able to see as many NCAA hoops games as possible. By getting my homework done Monday through Wednesday, I’ll have nothing to do at the end of the week other than relaxing in Upset City. Because spring break starts as soon as the school-week ends, I’m going up to Minnesota to visit a fellow hoop-lover. And to maximize my basketball watching, I’m riding an overnight bus that leaves Chicago at 10:30 p.m. By doing that, I’ll be able to watch almost every first round game of the weekend. Strategy wise, it’s about the equivalent of the Bulls putting Scottie Pippen on Marc Jackson in the ’98 Eastern Conference Finals or Barack Obama using the word ‘Change’ as his campaign motto.

Only one problem: The only game I really NEED to see, the one involving my beloved Fighting Illini, starts at 9 p.m. Thursday. It’s the very last game of the day. Of all the times they could have been chosen to play at, Illinois ended up with the one that I can’t see. Since it takes 15 minutes for me to get to Union Station from my place, and the bus company requests riders arrive 15 minutes early, it means me leaving at like 9:50. So unless the Illini are up 20 with five minutes to go in the first half, I’ll spend the entire walk/wait/early part of the ride wondering how the orange and blue did.*

*That’s a lie. Regardless of the score when I leave, I’ll spend the entire time until somebody calls me wondering what’s going on. When I was in Spain in December during the final week of the NFL season, I spent an entire afternoon at a famous Spanish castle thinking about what Kyle Orton was doing in thousands of miles away. I just can’t train my brain to let stuff go. This Illin team especially can’t be trusted, they’ve blown too many games over the course of the season.

Anyways, if my bracket holds true to form, I’ll still be able to watch the Illini once more this season. And trust me, that is not something to be grateful for.

Speaking of my bracket, here once again (See 2007 and 2008) are my NCAA Tournament picks. Feel free to copy whatever you’d like, assuming you share 10% of your winnings with me and realize I haven’t picked the correct champion since UConn cut down the nets in 2004. Good luck.

Midwest

1- Louisville over 16- Morehead State
8- Ohio State over 9- Sienna
5- Utah over 12- Arizona
4- Wake Forrest over 13- Cleveland State
6- West Virginia over 11- Dayton
3- Kansas over 14- North Dakota State
7- Boston College over 10- USC
2- Michigan State over 15- Robert Morris

1- Louisville over 8- Ohio State
4- Wake Forest over 5- Utah
6- West Virginia over 3- Kansas
2- Michigan State over 7- Boston College

1- Louisville over 4- Wake Forest
2- Michigan State over 6- West Virginia

1- Louisville over 2- Michigan State

BREAKDOWN: Call this the region that chalk created. As you can see, I have only one upset in the entire Midwest, and a 3 vs. 6 game rarely counts as a shocker. Louisville has the most talent of these 16 teams, and with the attacking style of Rick Pitino, they should be able to run and press teams out of the gym. If I’m wrong with anything in this region, it’s the Sweet 16 game between the ‘Ville and Wake Forest. I really love Jeff Teague, and if they are draining outside shot, the Deamons Deacons could be Final Four-worthy.

West

1-UConn over 16- Chatanooga
9- Texas A&M over 8- BYU
5- Purdue over 12- Northern Iowa
4- Washington over 13- Mississippi State
11- Utah State over 6- Marquette
3- Missouri over 14- Cornell
7- California over 10- Maryland
2- Memphis over 15- CSU Northridge

1- UConn over 9- Texas A&M
4- Washington over 5- Purdue
3- Missouri over 11- Utah State
2- Memphis over 7- California

1- UConn over 4- Washington
2- Memphis over 3- Missouri

2- Memphis over 1- UConn

BREAKDOWN: Another region that Cinderella forgot, I am more sure about this Elite 8 matchup being correct than anything else in this entire bracket. The Huskies (UConn, not Washington) and Tigers (Memphis, not Mizzou) are clearly the two best teams out West and should cruise into this showdown. Expect another regional final like the one between UCLA and Memphis three years ago, when neither team scored more than 55 points. Both Connecticut and Memphis play great defense, putting points at a premium. I’ll take the Tigers, whose athleticism on D is downright scary, over the Huskies, who have the nation’s best shot blocker in Hasheem Thabeet.

East

1- Pittsburgh over 16- E. Tennessee State
8- Oklahoma State over 9- Tennessee
12- Wisconsin over 5- Florida State
4- Xavier over 13- Portland State
11- VCU over 6- UCLA
3- Villanova over 14- American
7- Texas over 10- Minnesota
2- Duke over 15- Binghamton

1- Pittsburgh over 8- Oklahoma State
4- Xavier over 12- Wisconsin
3- Villanova over 11- VCU
2- Duke over 7- Texas

1-Pittsburgh over 4- Xavier
3- Villanova over 2- Duke

3- Villanova over 1- Pittsburgh

BREAKDOWN: Once again, I like all four top seeds to advance to the second weekend. The Pitt-Xavier game should be a good one, but I’m not sure any Musketeer can handle DeJuan Blair and Sam Young down low. The other Sweet 16 game, Duke-‘Nova, will also be outstanding, due to the great perimeter play each team brings to the table. I think the Wildcats play better defense, a reason I like them advance. In the Elite Eight, it was essentially a toss-up, but I went with the Wildcats on the basis of their outside shooting and Blair’s problems with foul trouble against athletic teams.

South

1- North Carolina over 16- Radford
8- LSU over 9- Butler
5- Illinois over 12- Western Kentucky
4- Gonzaga over 13- Akron
6- Arizona State over 11- Temple
3- Syracuse over 14- Stephen F. Austin
10- Michigan over 7- Clemson
2- Oklahoma over 15- Morgan State

1- North Carolina over 8- LSU
4- Gonzaga over 5- Illinois
6- Arizona State over 3- Syracuse
10- Michigan over 2- Oklahoma

1- North Carolina over 4- Gonzaga
6- Arizona State over 10- Michigan

1- North Carolina over 6- Arizona State

BREAKDOWN: Don’t ask me how I came up with these upsets, I think it was part research, part me wanting to be a little bit different. I’m not 100% confident on all of them, but at the same time, I really like Michigan’s matchup with Oklahoma and I could see the Sun Devils giving Syracuse some problems. The key, as has been written on hundreds of other sites, is the health of North Carolina point guard Ty Lawson’s toe. If it’s 90-100%, the Tar Heels drive off to Detroit. If it’s lower than that, anything can happen.

National Semifinals

2- Memphis over 1- Louisville
1- North Carolina over 3- Villanova

BREAKDOWN: Assuming Lawson is good to go, the Heels will make life hell for Villanova. When teams try to run versus UNC, they realize rather quickly they can’t keep up, and I see the Wildcats having that problem. The other game will be an interesting chess game between two of college basketball’s shrewdest coaches: Rick Pitino and John Calipari. In the end though, I like the experience and explosiveness of the Tigers.

National Championship

2- Memphis over 1- North Carolina

BREAKDOWN: The Tar Heels are better at nearly every spot on the floor and like I said about their Villanova game, UNC is the very best at teasing teams intro running with them and then turning their Usain Bolt on and blowing right by. That being said, I refuse to pick favorites in the NCAA Tournament, and I think most people’s minds are Carolina Blue. So instead, I’m taking Memphis to cut down the nets after coming so close in 2008

If you wren't ready for March before...

2009-03-11T00:44:00.002-05:00

...this should do the trick:

I still get chills every single time I watch this video or other highlights from this game. Every. Single. Time. To this day, it's still the best basketball game I've ever seen, and I can't think of one that's even close. If we as basketball fans are lucky over the next four weekends, we'll get a few games that are half this exciting.

Better late than never

2009-03-09T17:00:00.003-05:00

It had been a thorn in my side for a year and a half, the fat-free donut to my Charlie Weis, a one-man climb up Everest (or Trashmore, you decide).

You see, since I moved into my current apartment in August of 2007, I have complained almost every single day to anybody who would listen about the horrible cable package in the building. (Yes I know that there are more serious issues out there than a stupid cable package, but just roll with it, all right?) The TV in my living room got around 40 channels, ranging from your normal MTV, Nick and Comedy Central to obscure, like Independent Film and the NFL Network. But never any ESPN.

Thankfully, that changed over the weekend. Why? Who knows. The fact is, when I went into work Saturday afternoon, my TV lineup didn’t include the Worldwide Leader. When I arrived home, after making some food, I flipped around the channels looking for something to put me to sleep and realized I was now getting ESPN-News. Thinking this was just a part-time thing, I spent the rest of the night watching the highlights and analysis I hadn’t seen in so long.

Sunday morning, in-between watching college hoops, I checked the channel again. Still ESPN-News. Proud of my Magellan-like finding, I watched some more Sunday night, getting highlights of the Cuba vs. South Africa World Baseball Classic game I never would have seen otherwise.

Then this morning, even greater success was reached. During a ride down my elevator, in the place where the day’s weather is usually posted (BTW, does that make sense to anybody, putting the weather report in the elevator? You’ve already left your apartment with what your going to wear outside, what’s the point of telling you then?) was a sign that said “ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN-Classic and ESPN-News now available on cable package”. I nearly punched a whole in the elevator wall, Andy Bernard style, only it wasn’t anger, it was sheer joy.

Now its true I have waited a year and a half for this cable package, and I recently decided I won’t be living in this apartment for next school year (partially because of my lack of ESPN). I missed all of college football and 95% of college hoops. And there will be no way of knowing if this change occurred because of my constant complaining and the fact every time we had to take a building survey, I would mention the bogus cable package before anything else.

But I say it's better late than never. Now if you’ll excuse me, Pardon the Interruption is on, and I can finally go watch it.

Spring thoughts

2009-03-03T10:55:00.004-06:00

In honor of spring training, here are nine random thoughts (with a 150-word max on all thoughts). If this post feels like it’s lacking some bite, it’s because I had my teeth pulled last week and my jaw feels like it went 15 rounds with Apollo Creed.

1- Baseball is back and to be honest, I couldn’t be less excited. Sure, Opening Day at Wrigley will be fun, its nice to have Sweet Lou back in my life and I think the Cubs have a very talented club this year. But the pain of last October still hasn’t worn off on me yet, and deep down in my heart I just know that heartache can return at any time. When the games start to matter, I’ll start to really care. Until then, I’m just checking every day to make sure there are no injuries. That being said, you’ll notice the next few thoughts deal with the hardball.

2- One of the most-talked about topics in Chicago dealing with the Cubs lately has been Alfosno Soriano and his spot in the batting order. Lou Piniella said when the team got to Arizona for camp that he was considering dropping Sori from leadoff man to somewhere in the middle of the lineup. Now I know I represent the minority, but I actually like #12 hitting first. Sure, it can be aggravating when he strikes out four times a game, but when he catches fire, which he does on a regular basis, the team needs to get him as many AB’s as possible. And if he can run more, which Soriano says is a good possibility this year, it makes perfect sense to bat him first. The only other candidate to hit leadoff is Ryan Theriot, who I think should be penciled into the #2 spot in the lineup.

3- Other batting order notes: If Soriano doesn’t lead off and that spot goes to Theriot, the lineup should be Theriot-Fontenot-Ramirez-Bradley-Soriano-DLee-Soto-Fukudome-Pitcher. Piniella has to drop Lee in the order after all his power outage and frequent double-plays last year, and the only reason they signed Bradley was to get a lefty bat in the lineup, so he has to break up all the right-handers. I almost feel bad about having Soto hit seventh, but there really is no other place to put him. If Kouske has improved, that lineup will be a murders’ row for opponents. Also, I’m assuming that Fontenot wins the second base job, but if not, then I guess Aaron Miles would hit second.

4- One last thing on the Cubs, before turning my attention to hoops. I was reading about the other five teams in the NL Central and their off-season moves, and it’s even more obvious to me that the regular season isn’t of vital importance in 2009. St. Louis and Houston could be dangerous, the Brewers are in despirate need of pitching, the Reds are still short on quality arms, while the Pirates are still the Pirates. If the Cubs don’t have this thing wrapped up by September 15, something is wrong.

5- I never posted my reactions to the Bulls trades a few weeks back, so I’ll recap that here in four words: Well done Mr. Paxson. It’s not like Brad Miller, John Salmons, Tim Thomas, the two scrubs and a late first-round pick are all that great, but for what they gave up, I couldn’t be happier. Andres Nocioni had worn out his welcome, and his high-energy play had almost become an act. Drew Gooden didn’t have a future in Chicago and Thabo Sefelosha, despite being in his third year in the NBA, still hadn’t developed any sort of offensive skills. Then there’s Larry Hughes, whose only future was hanging with Nelly out in St. Louis, because he wasn’t getting on the court for the Bulls. Considering what we gave away, what we got back isn’t too bad.

6- That all being said, do I think the Bulls will make the playoffs? It’s not out of the question with the way they’ve been playing lately, but I’m not sure if it even matters this season. As I’ve said since the day he was drafted, the goal of 2008-09 is to determine who plays well with Derrick Rose and who doesn’t. Playing four extra games- and that’s exactly how many it will be because the Bulls wouldn’t take a single game from Cleveland or Boston- wouldn’t be a bad thing, but it doesn’t define if this season is a success or not.

7- When it comes to college hoops, the Fighting Illini are truly an enigma (and I mean that in a good way). They play tough, aggressive, hand-in-the-jersey defense for 40 minutes, which is rare. With the Mike’s, Davis and Tisdale, U of I has two dependable inside scorers. And their bench can go at least four deep. Problem is, none of that matters when they can’t put the orange ball through the cylinder. Most NCAA teams are filled with shooters who can’t play defense and have an ego about playing time. The Illini’s problem is that they can’t shoot on a consistent basis. In terms of potential, I think the Illini could make a Sweet 16 run. But they are as likely to be one-and-done as they are to make it to the second weekend because their offense is so shaky.

8- One team that I will guarantee will not be one-and-done is the Kansas Jayhawks, who were the most impressive team I saw last weekend. Considering the National Champs lost all five starters from a year ago, their run to the top of the Big XII is incredible. My guy Sharon Collins is making a claim as the best point guard in America with his play lately, and coach Bill Self(ish) has his squad playing with energy and passion. It’s unlikely they can make the Final Four again, but KU will not go out easy the next few weeks.

9- Finally, a few links I've enjoyed recently: An interesting obituary to an unknown legend, Stephen Colbert's rap battle and a way-too early look at college football. (UPDATE: I had to add this Scoop Jackson column that was so good it almost brought me to tears. Seriously. I'll be back later this week with another post.)

RIP to Red and Norm

2009-02-27T08:25:00.002-06:00

I have a full post coming soon with thoughts about the Cubs in spring training, but due to yesterday's sad news on the death of Bulls legends Norm Van Lier and Johnny 'Red' Kerr, that will have to wait a bit. Check out Top Ten Chicago Sports to read my obit on the two all-time greats, and feel free to post your thoughts or favorite memories of 'Stormin' Norman and Johnny 'Red'.

Media mess

2009-02-23T00:46:00.003-06:00

As both an aspiring journalist who has been to press conferences like this as well as a big-time college basketball fan, I found this video to be interesting. If you haven’t seen it yet, do yourself a favor and click on the big triangle in the middle of Jim Calhoun’s head. (Then scroll down for my 730-word take)

Basically this reporter, who it turns out is a UConn law school student and freelance writer, questions the merits of a basketball coach making more money than any other state employee in Connecticut. That’s more than any professor, more than any dean, even more than the senators, representatives and governor. The reporter wants to know: Is this right? Does Calhoun, a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame, the proud owner of two National Championship rings and the current head coach of one of the top three teams in the country, feel bad about this? In these tough times, should he be taking a pay cut?

I can’t answer those questions, but in my opinion, the writer goes about getting his story completely the wrong way and ends up looking like an idiot because of it. There’s nothing incorrect with doing a story about this topic, in fact, I think it would be very interesting. “Outside the Lines” on ESPN and “Real Sports” on HBO always seem to cover issues like this, and in the past, Sports Illustrated has written pieces doing the same. That’s fine.

The problem is when and where the interview is taking place. A post-game press conference- for those of you who don’t know (I’m not trying to sound elitist here, I just want to paint the picture clearly)- is a pretty formulaic event. Coach gets to podium, says a few words on the game, takes questions from the media (usually the writers/TV people the coach has a good relationship with) and then walks away. The writers then take the generic quotes the coach has spilled out, write up their game story and notes, e-mail their editor and then go have a beer. Not too complex.

For a story like the reporter in question is doing, an outside interview needs to take place. Now maybe this guy called the UConn basketball office and was turned down, so he figured this was his only chance. But when Calhoun says, “If you want to talk to me outside, I’d be more than happy to talk to you,” the reporter should have taken him up on the offer. Sure, he’d only get five minutes of the coach’s time, but that’s better than what ended up happening. The coach was perfectly OK in my book asking the reporter his take on the game, and when no response was given, telling him to shut up. The reporter then did himself no favors in the future by calling out the other journalists in the room who are there to cover a college basketball game, not a budget crisis.

Calhoun also comes off looking good to me because of his closing comments. A lot can be made about how much the coach makes, how it’s insane that a person who coaches basketball can make a million and a half dollars a year, plus God knows how much in endorsements (I doubt Dunkin Donuts put their logo on the sign behind the microphone because they are proud at how well the average GPA at the University of Connecticut is this semester). But the truth is, no matter what they are paying Calhoun, or any other big time coach at any other D-I school, it’s plenty worth it. It’s not fashionable for school administrators to say it, but good basketball teams that are playing deep into March every year are the best recruiting tool a school has for all students. Would anybody know anything about UConn were it not for Husky hoops? I doubt it. The coach points out that the men’s team brought in around $12 million last year to the university, and they’ll probably exceed that in 2009. I remember when I went to the University of Maryland one time for a summer program and heard a speech from an administrator there. He said that the school had their largest freshman application pool and incoming class of all-time, and it was no surprise that this was coming off of a year where the Terps went to the Orange Bowl and then won the NCAA basketball title.

The reporter who confronted Calhoun might have an interesting story to write and understandably wanted to get the coaches comment. But there is no doubt that better timing and better research were required for this guy if he wanted to prevent making a fool of himself.

I wanna be like Mike

2009-02-17T16:29:00.002-06:00

Today, Michael Jordan turned 46 years old. #23 is now 23 times two. So how should we celebrate? MJ’s too old for cake and too rich for presents, so instead I got him what every aging person wants…a scrapbook to remember their youth. Here are a few YouTube videos that should have the birthday boy- and all his followers- smiling and hopefully wishing for more highlights like this to come for the Bulls.

His latest TV ad, which describes several qualities that MJ had and many of today’s NBA players lack.

It’s not #1, but this ranks among MJ’s three greatest all-time individual performances. The amazing part about this game is, he basically didn’t do anything in the second half and still re-wrote the record books.

Another of his top three games, this one shows his all-around arsenal. If you think this is impressive, try doing something every day for about a month, get really good at it, then take two weeks off and try it again. You’ll notice it takes you a long while to make the adjustment in getting back to your previous skill level. Then remember MJ sat out for 18 months, and this was only his fifth game back. Amazing.

And because he’s now 46, here is MJ’s best ever game in which he scored 46 points.

Hoopin it up

2009-02-16T16:03:00.001-06:00

Some pro basketball-shaped Random Thoughts bouncing around in my skull….

1- Overall grade for All-Star weekend: B-. Here’s a breakdown of the various events that took place.

-H.O.R.S.E. was fun for a while, but once the players stopped being creative with their shots, it lost its luster. Next year, they need to move it inside the arena as part of A-S Saturday Night and also allow players to use teammates as props. Watching Kevin Durant drain three after three wasn’t too thrilling, especially since he had done the exact same thing the night before in the Rookie-Sophomore game.

-The Skills Contest was good, for the sole reason that D-Rose took the title to Chicago. I can’t remember the last time a Bull was called the most skilled at anything, so that’s an achievement in itself.

-The dunk contest, one of my favorite events in all of sports, was a major downer for me. Eventual champion Nate Robinson’s jam over runner-up Dwight Howard was impressive, as was Howard’s lob of the side of the backboard that he tomahawked in. The defending champ also had a nice dunk on the 12-foot high rim, but it looked like he could have gone even higher. Other than that though, not much to discuss. I felt the judges were way too kind with scores on dunks that the players couldn’t execute on their first or second try, or on dunks where a certain player used another as a step (How is that impressive if the other player is making the dunk much easier?) Hopefully the rumors are true and next year we can see Howard and Robinson take on King James.

-Usually the game itself is fun to watch but not great basketball, and 2009’s was no exception. The East got off to a nice start thanks to LeBron and Paul Pierce, but in the end the West squad was too much, with former teammates/enemies Shaq and Kobe teaming up and eventually winning co-MVP’s. The two most memorable moments came courtesy of the Big Shaq-tus as he’s known now, this dance and this pass.

2- All the talk in the city of Chicago these days, when the topic is basketball, is the rumored trade between the Bulls and Phoenix Suns that would bring in power forward Amare Stodumire. My good friend Danny posted a Top 10 list today on why it’s a good idea, and I agree with him on most aspects. But what would be a proposed move by one of my favorite teams if I didn’t provide some doubt, and here it is. Amare doesn’t play a lick of defense, never has and most likely, never will. Can the Bulls afford, literally and figuratively, to trade for a player who won’t provide any help on the defensive end? Acquiring Stodumire will mean signing him to a max-contract, followed by signing Rose to max-deal as soon as the rookie’s contract allows him to. That’s two high-priced players who aren’t too interested in guarding anybody. Add in Luol Deng, who the team re-signed last summer for $71 million, and that’s a lot of cap space filled up with offensive-focused guys. Just something to think about.

3- Here are my rankings of the six teams I think still have a chance at winning the NBA Title:

6: New Orleans--- The Hornets have really struggled this season, most likely because I picked them at the start of the year to win it all. Still, in a short series, I wouldn’t want the task of stopping Chris Paul.

5: Orlando--- Losing Jameer Nelson really hurt the Magic, because he was their one perimeter player who felt comfortable driving to the basket. If he returns, or they can find a solid replacement at point guard, Orlando will be tough to top.

4: Boston--- Yeah, they are the defending chaps, and they still have the Big Three. But something just doesn’t seem right about them, most likely due to having Leon Powe and Big Baby Davis as their top reserves. Still wouldn’t be a shock seeing them winning it all.

3: San Antonio--- Don’t ever underestimate the Spurs. Duncan, Parker and Manu have all been there before and each can take over a playoff game with their unique skill-set. Add in Roger Mason, Jr., who is quickly turning into a new edition of Big Shot Rob (call him Big Shot Rog) and S.A. will be there at the very end.

2: Cleveland--- The way LeBron is playing right now and the way the fans at the Q seem to make noise seem to make noise from opening tip to final buzzer, it’d be foolish to pick against the Cavs in the East. Only thing that concerns me is at the end of the game, if James is being tightly defended, who can step up and make the important shot. Mo Williams should be that guy, but he disappeared in the two games this year versus the…

1: Las Angeles Lakers--- If they clinch home court throughout the playoffs, it’s over. Nobody is going into Staples and taking home the title like Boston did last year. Kobe is on a Jordan-level mission this year to redeem himself from last year’s disaster, Pau Gasol is improving every game, and role players Lamar Odom, Derrick Fisher and Luke Walton add the support that all winning teams need to have.

4- I have more thoughts, especially about college hoops, but no more time to write them. Expect another post later in the week.

What's the difference?

2009-02-11T12:05:00.003-06:00

Player One is 30 years old, one of the best players in his sport, is on pace to set all sorts of his sports records and plays for the most well known franchise his league has.

Player Two is 33 years old, one of the best players in his sport, is on pace to set all sorts of his sports records and plays for the most well known franchise his league has.

Player One hit a rough patch in his life, lost public support, but recovered and now is universally loved by his sport’s fan.

Player Two is now in a rough patch in his life, has lost public all supports, and is now wondering if he’ll ever be universally loved by his sport’s fan.

Player One is Kobe Bryant, the star shooting guard of the Los Angeles Lakers. In the summer of 2003, he faced criminal charges for sexual assault, supposedly having intercourse with a female hotel employee without her consent. Kobe’s sponsors left him, his team’s fans (and many of his teammates) wanted him out of town, and it appeared the league’s best player was going to spend the final decade of his career in a Colorado penitentiary. Instead, the victim dropped the court charges, Kobe went back to playing basketball in LA, and five-and-a-half years later, he is the reigning NBA MVP, the best clutch scorer in the sport and leads all players in jersey sales on NBA.com.

Player Two is Alex Rodriguez, the star third basemen of the New York Yankees. Considered by many to be the best player of his generation, A-Rod is an unbelievable hitter and fielder, and is on pace to smash Barry Bonds’ all-time home run record. (In my book, it’s actually still Hank Aaron’s record, but that is a topic for a different blog post.) For a long time, Rodriguez was considered the shinny gem in a pit full of dirty pebbles, the one clean and pure superstar of baseball who would re-write the record books with numbers not aided by performance enhancing drugs. To many, he was the last great hope.

Then last week, the shoe dropped on A-Rod. Sports Illustrated reported that they found results from a thought-to-be confidential drug test taken in 2001 that proved that Rodriguez had been found guilty of using Human Growth Hormones. The report stated that between ’01 and 2003, when Rodriguez was a member of the Texas Rangers, he had juiced up. Faster than an A-Rod home run leaving the park, the media storm pounced on Rodriguez. Some columnists said that with this news, Major League Baseball should just erase all the numbers from the 1990’s and 2000’s. Others said A-Rod should be suspended for part of the upcoming season. Even after Rodriguez admitted wrongdoing and apologized, the chance of him hearing anything other then “A-ROID, A-ROID” when he step up to the plate in Fenway Park next season are slim to none.

That leads to the big questions: Will Rodriguez get the same treatment as Bryant did? In a few seasons, will fans forgive the Yankees star like they did the Lakers star if A-Rod continues to put up big numbers? Can we still pencil Rodriguez in for the starting third basement of the AL All-Star team next July? Nobody knows the answers to any of these questions, and there are probably 50 more that could be asked without a valid response. But A-Rod should take note that in the span of five years, Bryant went from enemy #1 to hero. I’m not saying Rodriguez will do the same, but it’s not impossible.

Going deep

2009-02-05T15:47:00.003-06:00

For my sports reporting course this week, we were told to look at a variety of features and packages that newspapers have done over the years. Many of them were interesting to look at, but the one I found most captivating was this chart the New York Times did about the path to baseball's all-time home run record. Not only did the chart show the top 21 HR hitters of all time and track them through their age, but the piece also added little notes alongside various players and stats that were relevant. I would enjoy seeing more charts like this for all types of sports, such as the ages that the NFL's top running backs earned most of their yards, or tracking how outside air temperature affect some of the baseball's best pitchers.

UPDATE: Here are the links I promised yesterday

A beautiful piece about the late, great Walter Payton

My top 10 list this week about Michael, Kobe and LeBron

Tennessee football coach Lane Kiffin humiliates himself and his
school, and my Gators will make him pay for it

This should be fun (though the corporate sponsorship might ruin it)

If you are what you say you are, a Superstar

2009-02-02T15:43:00.007-06:00

A plethora of Random Thoughts on all sorts of subjects, starting with one super Super Bowl.

1-First and foremost, congrats to the Steelers. Championships are won by teams that look adversity in the eye, never blink, and proceed to take out their challenger. I watched it first-hand for many years with Michael Jordan and the Bulls, and I saw it again Sunday night with Pittsburgh. Every time the Steelers looked vulnerable, such as when the Cardinals had the ball inside the five near the end of the first half or after Larry Fitzgerald’s potential game-winning TD with just over two minutes left in the fourth quarter, the team wearing the black helmets, white shirts and gold pants responded. First it was James Harrison’s 100-yard pick six, the second-most memorable defensive play in my Super Bowl history after Mike Jones’ (who?) tackle on Kevin Dyson at the end of the Rams-Titans clash. Then, after the Fitzgerald score on a perfectly thrown crossing-route through the seam that carved up the Cover-2, Big Ben drove Pittsburgh down the field to win the game, eventually finding Santonio Holmes in the back-right corner of the end zone. Real champs don’t care about momentum or what happened in the past three quarters, their only concern is finishing the job. That’s what the Steelers did and it’s the reason they are hoisting the Lombardi Trophy.

2- Despite the loss, major props go to Kurt Warner and Larry Fitzgerald. I didn’t really give Arizona much of a shot heading into that fourth quarter, but those two guys turned it up and put the Cardinals in the position to taste victory. Warner stood in the face of constant pressure to make throw after throw, completing 10 consecutive passes at one point. And what is there to write about Fitzgerald that hasn’t already been published. The man has the hands of God, runs perfect routes and oh yeah, can jump pretty high for fade routes. He didn’t make a single memorable play in the games first three quarters and still finished with seven catches, 127 yards and two scores. Rarely have I been more impressed with players on the losing team than I am with Warner and Fitzgerald.

3- People love to hate on Ben Roethlisberger for whatever reason. He holds on to the ball too long, he takes a lot of sacks, he’s not the most accurate on the deep ball, blah blah blah. The fact is, the man wins football games and does it with his team on his back. He extends plays longer than anybody else in the NFL, one of the reasons he’s sacked a lot, but also the reason he finds open receivers eight, nine, sometimes ten seconds after the snap. The difference between Roethlisberger and Kurt Warner on Sunday was not large, as both quarterbacks played great games. But when Warner really needed to be careful with the ball, at the end of the first half, he ended up throwing an interception in the end zone that was ultimately a 14-point swing. Roethlisberger’s time came at the end of the second half, needing a score to either tie the game or take the lead. After taking his team from his own 12 to the Arizona six, Big Ben calmly kept the drive alive near the goal line, first throwing a pass that sailed through Santonio Holmes’ hands, then finding Holmes in the back of the end zone to give the Steelers the lead. It wasn’t as pretty as Joe Montana or Tom Brady, but Roethlisberger’s game-winning drive was every bit as successful as the others.

4-My personal rankings of the five best Super Bowls I’ve seen (every SB since Steelers/Cowboys in 1995), counted down in true Super Bowl fashion--with Roman Numerals.

V: Broncos over Packers, 1998: John Elway finally wins the big one with a fourth-quarter comeback. #7’s scramble and helicopter dive for a first down one of the all-time great SB plays.

IV: Rams over Titans, 2000: Kurt Warner’s big pass to Issac Bruce gave St. Louis the lead, and then Mike Jones made the game-saving tackle on the 1-yard line to win it all for the Rams.

III: Giants/Patriots, 2008: Going for perfection, New England is denied thanks to a great NY pass rush and some magic courtesy of Eli Manning, David Tyree and Plaxico Buress.

II: Steelers/Cardinals, 2009: Memorable plays from start to finish, and amazing performances from Roethlisberger, Holmes, Harrison, Warner and Fitzgerald. In my book, Holmes’ game-winning catch was as (and possibly more) impressive as Tyree’s last year.

I: Patriots/Rams, 2002: Coming out of nowhere, New England shocked the Greatest Show on Turf by using a combo of smart offense and tricky defense. Add to that a young QB named Tom Brady and clutch kicker Adam Vinatieri and the last-second win ranks as my all-time #1.*

*How crazy is it that Kurt Warner, who should go in the Hall of Fame for his accomplishments, is the losing quarterback on my two greatest Super Bowl’s ever?

5- Not a great year for commercials, but here was one of my favorites:

6- Moving to basketball, and it’s nice to see the Bulls finally playing well on the road. Three wins in a row, albeit against the weak defenses of the Clippers, Kings and Suns, is impressive for this young team. Derrick Rose got off to a great start in November and early December, fell off a bit at the end of 2008 and early ’09, but is starting to rise up again. Rose is obviously the key to this team, and the entire goal of this season- in my opinion- is to determine who plays well with #1 and who should hit the road. Coach VDN still doesn’t understand that all the way, one of the reasons I think he may be on his way out if there is no sense of progress at the end of the year. The win streak is unlikely to continue for much longer, with the Rockets, Hornets and Mavs all coming up on the road trip. But as long as #1 continues to mature as a player, the Bulls will be all right.

7- So I finally ended up seeing ‘Notorious’. Not horrible, but could have used some work. As expected, the movie sounds great, but then again, any movie using the instrumentals to “Machine Gun Funk”, “Hypnotize”, “Sky’s the Limit” and “Big Poppa” is going to sound great. The plot is predictable for anybody who knows Biggie’s story, though they made some minor changes to make it more movie-like. The actor who played B.I.G., Jamal Woolard, was respectable, especially since finding a 300-pound actor who has the grace and flow of the real Biggie is probably quite tough. My biggest problem with the movie was how quickly things done changed. (pun intended) Because the filmmakers wanted to cover his entire life in two hours and not just a certain section (either dealing drugs in Brooklyn or after he signed to Bad Boy or even the East/West beef after ‘Ready to Die’ came out), everything happens so fast. Based on the film, it appears Biggie went from A-student to drug dealer to underground rapper in about a week. He went from a meeting with Puff to the top of Billboard in two weeks. And he went from being good friends with Tupac to hating him in about ten minutes. ‘Notorious’ had some strengths- the concert scenes were cool and I liked Angella Bassett playing B.I.G.’s mother- but it didn’t add up to a great all-around movie. (Also, the guy who played Biggie’s friend Lil Cease distracted me, mainly because he was supposed to be the same age as B.I.G. but looked like he was 12.) I’d recommend it to fans of the late, great rapper, but wait for it on DVD.

8- No football for seven more months. March Madness, you can’t come soon enough.

I'm smarter than I look

2009-01-30T11:16:00.004-06:00

An old saying says that all good things must come to an end. The truth is, everything comes to an end eventually, no matter if it was good, bad, or somewhere in between. When I think back on the 2008-09 NFL season, there are definitely some lasting moments I’ll think back on (all the close Bears games, the winless Lions, New England going 11-5 without Tom Brady and Larry Fitzgerald’s playoff dominance, to name a few). At the same time, a lot of the season and even the playoffs were far from spectacular, mainly because what the media hyped up as big stories (the Cowboys, Brett Favre, the Giants going for back-to-back Super Bowls) ended up being Keith Traylor-sized disappointments. I’d call the season average, not great but not horrible. Still, with it coming to an end on Sunday, it’s fun to take a look back, and see how the season evolved. So before I make my Super Bowl pick, here’s a breakdown of my pre-season predictions.

*All of these picks can be seen on my September 1 post, “Guess who’s back?”

AFC:
East- My pick was the Patriots, because as I wrote then, “Even with Brett Favre coming to the division, the other three teams best 53 players couldn’t beat the Patriots.” Turns out, when Brady went down seven minutes into the year, the entire division was flipped 180 degrees. Miami, who went 1-15 a year ago, went onto win the division, while the previously 16-0 Pats and the Favre-led Jets failing to make the post-season.

North- I said Pittsburgh then, and in a rare genius moment, I was right. A lot of people were on the Cleveland bandwagon, but I didn’t trust Derrick Anderson. Turns out that the Steelers top competition was Baltimore, the team that Pittsburgh ended up meeting in the AFC Championship game.

South- The first sentence of my AFC South breakdown was: “I say this is the year the Colts go down.” Genius. Unfortunately I took Jacksonville instead of Tennessee to become the kings of South. Whoops.

West- I took San Diego based on the thinking that the other three teams in the division stunk. Turns out I was mostly correct, except for 80% of the season, the Chargers stunk as well. Phillip Rivers turned it around in time though for my pick to be correct.

Wild Cards- Five months ago, I said Indy and Buffalo (What was I drinking then to make me guess that?) Turns out it was Indy and Baltimore, so at least I got the first team and the first letter of the second one correct.

AFC Champ- This doesn’t happen to often, but read closely to what I wrote five months ago, because I’m about to look like a genius: “Pittsburgh Steelers--- The offense should be great, their defense is always good, and even though it happened a year ago, I don’t like the chances of opponents going into Heinz Field in January and coming out with a win.” If I had switched around the words offense/defense, is that not 100% correct?

NFC:
East- For some reason, I was drinking the Jerry Jones Kool-Aid in September and ended up picking Dallas. Apparently I and the rest of the football world forgot that they choke every season, this year handing the division to their arch-rivals from New York.

North- At least I didn’t take the Lions. Instead I went with Green Bay, which seemed like a smart pick for a month and a half, but in November, the Pack completely fell apart. As we all know, the Bears actually had a shot at winning this thing, but the crown eventually went to Minnesota.

South- Three of the four teams in this division were in playoff contention; I picked the fourth team. I said the Saints should easily handle the division, not knowing how good Carolina’s run game and Falcons QB Matt Ryan was going to be. Both those teams ended up making the playoffs, while New Orleans wasn’t even invited to the party.

West- “Arizona has a lot of talent, but then they remember that they’re the Cardinals and end up 6-10.” Can I really be blamed for this line of thinking? People forget, before 2008, the three guarantees in all of sports were that the LA Clippers, Arizona Cardinals and Tampa Bay Devil Rays would all suck. Turns out by Feb. 2009, only one them still holds true. I went with Seattle, who finished 4-12 or something like that.

Wild Cards- Choosing Philadelphia and Minnesota were my only smart NFC picks, as they both made the playoffs (The Vikings won their division while the Eagles were an actual wild card). If I had somehow known the Falcons would be good, I still probably wouldn’t have picked them.

NFC Champ- Took the Saints, ended up being the Cardinals. What ya gonna do?

Super Bowl- I said Steelers over Saints, which isn’t that far off. Kind of gives away who I’m picking for this Sunday though.

Final Breakdown- I ended up nailing five of the 12 playoff teams, which is pretty much right on par with what the Chicago Tribune’s NFL writers did. (BTW: Check out John Mullen’s NFC Wild Card picks. I really hope, for his sake, he wasn’t being serious. In any case, it may be the first time a guy picked the two teams drafting 1-2 to make the post-season.) Plus I nailed one of the two Super Bowl teams, something only one of their experts was able to do. Overall, not a great season, but I can’t say it was bad either.

So its clear I had a hand on the pulse of the NFL when I made my picks in early September. (more like a few fingers, but who’s counting) But will it help figuring out who is it going to be on Sunday? Both Arizona and Pittsburgh have made compelling arguments since the playoffs began, the Cardinals with their quick-strike offense, bend but don’t break defense and overall team resiliency; the Steelers with a smart and balanced offense, a frighteningly physical D and veteran know-how. I’m going with Pittsburgh- no surprise there considering I picked them at the start of the year- in a close for three quarters but too much at the end type of game. Hines Ward, my favorite Steeler and a guy I thought would always be perfect on the Bears, is questionable, which has me doubting this pick a little bit. But I see Big Ben throwing for a couple scores, Willie Parker runs one in and the black and gold defense seal it with a touchdown of their own. I feel bad for doubting the Cardinals this whole way when they have clearly been better than the respect I’m giving them. At the same time, can Kurt Warner hold up against this bone-crushing D? The last Super Bowl he was in, SB XXXVI (Rams versus Patriots), Warner had trouble figuring out New England’s 3-4 defense until it was too late. Even with all that talent around him, and there is lots of it, I’m not sure the Cardinals attack will be as explosive as it has shown the past month.

My prediction: Steelers 34, Cardinals 21 with Roethlisberger as MVP.
{UPDATE AT 2:26 AM, Sunday February 1- AFTER FURTHER THINKING, I'M NOT SEEING A LOWER-SCORING GAME. SO STEELERS 27, CARDINALS 18}

Playoffs record: 5-5
Regular season: 154-102
Overall: 159-107

A different way of looking at it

2009-01-28T12:35:00.007-06:00

As I mentioned earlier in the week, this blog will now be part personal writing practice, part a spot to vent about what's going on in sports and also, part homework assignment. For my advanced sports reporting class, we will be blogging about various aspects in sports for the next 15 weeks. And since I didn't want to confuse you, my loyal readers (yes, all three of you), I chose to keep make my in-class blog the same as my out-of-class blog.

In the class on Monday, we had talked about the most important moments in sports, both locally and nationally the past 13 months, from January 1, 2008 to today. All sorts of important moments were discussed, from Derrick Rose's homecoming to Tiger's one-legged US Open title. No doubt both were important stories, but one of the reason's they are remembered so well is that they made were as memorable for their off-field accomplishments as they were on.

Had Derrick Rose gone to any other city, and it would have been a big deal. Here's a guy who is the perfect point guard (assuming one day he improves his jump shot and man-to-man defense), a true team player and a flat-out winner. Yeah, that Memphis team he was on last year was really deep, but there was no question that in March, when the Tigers needed a bucket, they went to #23. So for any team to draft him #1, it would have made headlines. But for Rose to return to Chicago, a city that loves high school basketball and has been watching this guys every move since he was 15 years old, it was a HUGE story. Features showed up all over the place on how his homecoming will impact his old 'hood This is my favorite piece, because it's really well done and also the author was an instructor of mine who has helped me out a bunch) and how his arriving to the Bulls suddenly makes them a must-see team. There would be no story without the game of basketball, but basketball is not the only story.

Same with Tiger Woods. He has won so many important tournaments, that they just all run together. Nobody blinks an eye anymore when they are told Tiger won the Masters or PGA Championship, instead, they are shocked when he is defeated. So right off the bat, saying Tiger won the 2008 US Open is not a huge deal. But the fact he had to hit incredible shot after incredible shot on Sunday just to play in Monday's playoff was amazing. The fact that he was going up against a foe, Rocco Mediate, who nobody had ever heard of but suddenly everybody was rooting for was amazing. And the fact that we later learned Tiger was essentially playing the entire tournament on just one leg was the most amazing. The win is just another trophy, but the lasting legacy was the tremendous effort by one of the all-time greats.

The in-class discussion made me realize that the best games of the year (For me, it was either the Super Bowl or the NCAA basketball championship) aren't always the best moments of the year.

-On Friday I'll have my official Super Bowl preview up on the blog.