Five guys on my mind

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.)

A little hoops talk

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

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.

Football on the North Side?

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

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

Thought of the Day

Links aplenty

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

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

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)

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

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.

Watch what you say, it just may be true

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

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...

...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

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

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

Thought of the Day

I hate rain outs

Hit me, please

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

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

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.)