Bloggers Are People Too

"Z" You Later!

2008-07-30T10:04:00.001-07:00

Yay, today's my last day at "Z" Frank Chevrolet. That means I'm ready to go back to Carbondale and resume my life as a student/sports writer at SIU.

And by ready I mean I'm totally not packed, yet.

The key word there is yet.

This is gonna be fun. Hope you're along for the ride.

New Layout

2008-07-10T09:24:00.002-07:00

You like?

I really don't care. It's stripped down and natural. The way I like it.

No homo.

(Did I do that right?)

Why Do All The Pretty Girls Smoke?

2008-07-10T09:06:00.004-07:00

Maybe it's just me, but doesn't it seem like all the pretty girls smoke?

There's nothing like going out and seeing a pretty little twentysomething at the bar and grabbing enough courage (liquid or otherwise) to talk to her ... just to see her go into her purse to grab a cancer stick and light it up.

Honestly it makes me cringe.

And it's not like I hate smokers. My parents are smokers and despite the government's hatred toward smokers (see the increasing taxes on cigs), I've turned out to be quite healthy. And I don't mind that you smoke, it's your prerogative. There's nothing wrong with it, other than some health effects that some people don't even feel.

Still, nothing makes me throw up in my mouth a little than the thought of kissing a girl fresh off a puff. The only time I've been able to do it was when I've been heavily intoxicated. Granted, I've been known to do a lot of things when I'm heavily intoxicated but that's another post for another day.

As my pursuit of the perfect woman continues, I've come to the conclusion that I might have to settle for a girl who smokes and I guess if she has all the other right qualities she's good to go ... still, the thought of a smoke kiss is making me cough right now (seriously I'm coughing as I type and am getting up to get some water after I finish this line.)

....

OK, much better!

...

In conclusion, it's not like I'm going to eliminate all girls that smoke from the pool of available women. Truth be told, if I found out Erin Andrews or Carrie Underwood or Eva Mendes were sexually and emotionally into me and smoked like a chimney I'd jump for joy and forget that I ever wrote this post.

Well, I'm done with that rant. Y'all take care now!

What's Happened To This Blog?

2008-07-09T22:44:00.002-07:00

If you're a regular reader of this blog (and to be honest I'm not sure who you would be at this point) you're probably wondering what's been happening with this blog.

And the answer has been nothing.

A lot of my energy (and postings) have gone over to The Big Dead Sidebar. The site has really popped off recently with the addition of photos, videos and links. Not to mention more posts by myself, Matt Hartwig and the addition of Jon Iaccino have also livened up that part of the blogosphere.

So expect this blog to get personal again. The day in the life of a guy named Lu. Stuff like that.

I was actually working on a post for this blog and it'll get done eventually.

Still expect it to be fun though....hopefully nothing too depressing....lol!

P.S. Go Cubs Go!

MMM....That Was Taste-y

2008-07-07T07:44:00.004-07:00

You know what separates Chicago and St. Louis (other than the fact that Chicago has two first-place baseball teams and St. Louis has none)?

It's the Taste of Chicago, that's what!

Seriously, all you need is one street, 60 of Chicago's finest eateries and a few million people to have a good time. And that's only the beginning.

Chaka Khan, Angie Stone, Stevie Wonder and the Plain White T's headline the music acts. The Blackhawks and White Sox were among teams that showed up at the Taste's Sports Stage to show some team and civic pride. And the pretty girls did their best to make the scenery even better!

Oh and did I mention the food?

Eli's turtle cheesecake, Harold's fried chicken, the Chicago Chocolate Company's chocolate-dipped fruit kabob, Ricobene's beef and sausage combo were all among the amazing foods digested at the Taste.

I can't wait 'til next year!

Happy Birthday To Me!

2008-07-01T00:49:00.002-07:00

Yay! I turned the big Deuce-Deuce today.

I've been 22 for only 49 minutes and the Cubs have already given me a birthday present.

Yay for the Cubs breaking their longest losing streak of the year (4!) Here's hoping they can win again before midnight, making it two (2!) wins on my birthday.

That'd be sweet!

Peace!

-LuDo

Oh, And By The Way

2008-06-30T23:44:00.002-07:00

I hope you like the new look. I like colors, pictures and videos.

I hope you do too because you'll be getting a lot more of that.

Peace!

NBA Draft Recap

2008-06-30T22:53:00.005-07:00

You wanted it? You get it! Sure, it's almost a week later but you're gonna get yourself some draft grades.

Void if sarcasm is withheld.

1. Derrick Rose, Chicago Bulls - Bulls fans hope D-Rose's homecoming is more like LeBron's staying home in Cleveland, less like Starbury's return to New York City.
2. Michael Beasley, Miami Heat - After the best player in the draft fell to the Heat at No. 2, Pat Riley began plotting against...what's his name...that coach he just hired.
3. OJ Mayo, Minnesota Timberwolves - Unable to send this talent to the Celtics, Kevin McHale settles for Kevin Love and Mike Miller from Memphis.
4. Russell Westbrook, Seattle Sonics - Westbrook introduces a new concept called "defense" into Sonics camped
5. Kevin Love, Memphis Grizzlies - The Grizz get a scorer in O.J. Mayo. Good luck to O.J. as he tries to market himself to the good folks of Memphis, Tenn.
6. Danilo Gallinari, New York Knicks - The only people that enjoyed this pick are Gallinari, D'Antoni, Italian-American New Yorkers and fans who hate the Knickerbockers.
7. Eric Gordon, Los Angeles Clippers - Not playing for the clippers is reason No. 1 why you should stay in school if you're a talented college hoopster.
8. Joe Alexander, Milwaukee Bucks - "Vanilla Sky" will be a great marketing tool for Wisconsinites in search of a player to market a new flavor of ice cream.
9. DJ Augustin, Charlotte Bobcats - Michael Jordan proves why Jerry Reinsdorf never gave him a front office gig by drafting a PG when the Bobcats already have Raymond Felton (a UNC like Jordan and Coach Larry Brown at that).
10. Brook Lopez, New Jersey Nets - Because someone's gotta grab the bricks Vince Carter throws up from the great beyond.
11. Jerryd Bayless, Indiana Pacers - It was a dumb pick 'til you see where I'm going with this in No. 13
12. Jason Thompson, Sacramento Kings - Who is Jason Thompson? Seriously.
13. Brandon Rush, Portland TrailBlazers - Poor Brandon goes from a nice situation in Portland to begging for minutes in Indy.
14. Anthony Randolph, Golden State Warriors - Anthony Randolph looks to add his name to talented big men that warm Don Nelson's bench.
15. Robin Lopez, Phoenix Suns - Lopez will be putting that Stanford education to good use as he will be used to spell Shaq when he's tired (or rapping).
16. Marreese Speights, Philadelphia 76ers - Personally, I would rather be a college student-athlete star in Gainsville, Fla. where the girls are blonde and pretty than a pro in Philadelphia where they booed Santa.
17. Roy Hibbert, Toronto Raptors (for Indiana) - If Hibbert can stay healthy, I guarantee he matches Jermaine O'Neal's productivity (if he's NOT healthy).
18. JaVale McGee, Washington Wizards - Teams in the NBA Eastern Conference have been blowing up former SIU forward Randal Falker's phone as they hope to land someone to stop McGee.
19. JJ Hickson, Cleveland Cavs - The Cavs needed a shooting guard who puts the emphasis in shooting. They didn't get him.
20. Alexis Ajinca, Charlotte Bobcats - First D.J.A. and now some French dude no one's ever heard of. Are we sure this guy isn't Fredric Weis?
21. Ryan Anderson, New Jersey Nets - Even though I don't agree with the player chosen (Darrell Arthur is still chillin' in the green room), now Lopez has competition to grab VC's bricks.
22. Courtney Lee, Orlando Magic - A former Duke star will lose playing time to a guy from Western Kentucky: whodathunkit?
23. Kosta Koufos, Utah Jazz - A tremendous upside pick for the Jazz, even though their front court is loaded like Lindsay Lohan on a Friday afternoon.
24. Serge Ibaka, Seattle Sonics - Another international player I've never heard of....don't the Sonics have rebuilding to do?
25. Nicolas Batum, Houston Rockets - This guy has potential down the line...so does my stock in Enron.
26. George Hill, San Antonio Spurs - This is where the Spurs usually pick a random foreigner who will shine in a few years. I didn't know IUPUI played basketball.
27. Darrell Arthur, New Orleans Hornets (for Portland) - Not only did he have to wait thru 27 picks, he has to sit behind Channing Frye, Lamarcus Aldridge and Greg Oden. One more year in Lawrence, Kan. makes him a lottery pick.
28. Donte’ Greene, Memphis Grizzlies - Hakim Warrick wins a bet with the Grizz' management. Drafts a guy who will watch Syracuse basketball with him and team against UConn teammate Rudy Gay.
29. DJ White, Detroit Pistons - While the White Sox own the idea of grinder ball in baseball, the Pistons own the concept on the hardwood. Calls by Kelvin Sampson were not returned.
30. JR Giddens, Boston Celtics - Does it matter who they picked? They just won the f*****g NBA title!

In closing:

WINNERS:

The Miami Heat for grabbing the most talented player in the draft and resisting the possibility of drafting local product Elian Gonzalez.
The Chicago Bulls' marketing department are the biggest winners of the draft after nabbing local kid with first pick. Because if there's anything more marketable than sex, it's a local product who might be the most talented young guard out there.
Italian-American New York Knicks fans who will be shouting "That's my guy!" in heavy New York accents when "Big Cock" lands in the Big Apple.

LOSERS:

The Charlotte Bobcats who were hoodwinked by Michael Jordan, who fooled the Bobcats executives into thinking Mike knew talent on the court. We all know he can spot it off the hardwood.
Mike D'Antoni is probably not a happy man right now. He could be leading the Bulls and Derrick Rose. Instead he's stuck in NYC with Eddy Curry, Zach Randolph, Jamal Crawford, Starbury and some Italian guy whose nickname is "Big Cock."
The Boston Celtics might be the biggest loser, after being unable to stick-up Kevin McHale at gun point and failing to acquire the rights to the No. 3 pick.

A Different Kind Of Monday

2008-06-30T20:01:00.003-07:00

It was a different kind of Monday for Chicago and its baseball teams.

A week after the Cubs swept the White Sox at Wrigley Field, the ChiSox returned the favor at U.S. Cellular Field.

I won't let the angry Cubs fan inside me or the inquisitive baseball mind analyze this series. Instead I'll let my alter ego, "Stat Boy," break it down.

Take it away...

The Chicago White Sox dominated all facets of this series. And that's putting it nicely.

The Boys from Bridgeport upped their home record to 28-11 while dropping the Wrigleyville Nine's road record to a dismal 19-23.

The Southsiders out-homered the Northsiders 7-3 in the series. The Cubs three homers came off the bats of Geovany Soto, Mike Fontenot and Jim Edmonds in the Game One loss. Unfortunately for the Cubs, no one was on base for the bombs.

In the Sox' Game Three victory, two run homers by Bryan Anderson and Jim Thome, along with Carlos Quentin's solo shot accounted for all of the runs scored by the Men In Black to secure the sweep.

The White Sox bullpen did not allow one measly run in 8.5 innings pitched. The Cub bullpen surrendered 5 runs (and two homers) in 8.2 innings. In fact, the entire Cubs pitching staff was out-pitched. The Sox whiffed 25 batters, while the Cubs pitchers only 'K-ed' 21.

And that's the tale of the tape here from Chicago, as I am out of nicknames for each team.

Crosstown Classic Preview Part Deux

2008-06-27T11:21:00.007-07:00

It's put up or shut up time for the Chicago White Sox.

Last week while their players, general manager, and field manager were shooting verbal insults at the Cubs' fans, their beloved stadium and the fact that they hadn't won the whole damn thing in 100 years.

And all the Cubs did was let their bats do all the talking as they swept away their cross-town rivals.

Now the series shifts to U.S. Cellular Field where the White Sox are 24-11. Conversely, the Cubs are a less than impressive 16-20 on the road.

However, the Cubs should be the LEAST of the Sox' concerns as the Minnesota Twins are 0.5 games out of first place.

That means a Sox loss and a win by the Twinkies takes away a little bit of the shine behind a series that pits a pair of first place teams against one another.

Nevertheless, this should be a fun series to watch. I will especially keep an eye on ESPN's Sunday Night Telecast.

Will Joe Morgan apologize to Cubs fans after creating a crock of crap and belittling the name of the great Ernie Banks?

Will Jon Miller, who is a much better announcer in MLB 2K8 than in real life, not sound like a monotonous piece of crap?

Will Morgan give himself another hard-on while analyzing Carlos Quentin's perfect right-handed swing?

Only time will tell. Until then, let's play ball!

P.S. GO CUBS GO!

NBA Mock Draft Lottery

2008-06-26T08:50:00.001-07:00

Making a mockery of the NBA Draft Lottery since May 2008 because I really don't care about how the NBA playoff teams draft.

Chicago - Derrick Rose, Memphis. The smart move would be taking the low-post presence this franchise desperately needs but we know how the Bulls love passing on the smart move, don't they?
Miami - Michael Beasley, Kansas State. Even though D-Wade + The Matrix + Beastley = NBA Playoffs, Pat Riley isn't sold.
Minnesota - O.J. Mayo, USC. Kevin McHale takes the best player available, then trades it to the Celtics in exchange for Glen "Big Baby" Davis, a championship ring and a full playoff share.
Seattle - Jerryd Bayless, Arizona. Luke Ridnour can't shoot and Earl Watson doesn't play defense. Bayless does both. And suddenly Durant has a point guard to feed him the rock.
Memphis - Brook Lopez, Stanford. He could turn out to be the safest pick in this draft or another waste of 7-feet. Only time will tell.
New York - Eric Gordon, Indiana. After the Knicks make their pick, expect Bucks assistant coach Kelvin Sampson to text Gordon in an effort to get him out of this commitment.
L.A. Clippers - Joe Alexander, West Virginia. Alexander made hay in the NCAA Tournament. His reward is landing on the Clips. Yeah, Joe, you probably shoulda stayed in school.
Milwaukee - Russell Westbrook, UCLA. In an effort to please the former sports editor at the Daily Egyptian, I'm hoping the Bucks pick Westbrook. Russ is the defensive minded guard the Bucks don't have.
Charlotte - Kevin Love, UCLA. Yeah, I still like this pick for the Bobcats. However, K-Love could go as high as No. 3. Scary, I know!
New Jersey - Danilo Gallinari, Italy. The Nets dip into the international pool. Geography experts like to call it the Atlantic Ocean.
Indiana - Anthony Randolph, LSU. The Pacers will select Randolph not because he addresses the void left when they traded Jermaine O'Neal for T.J. Ford. Instead, Pacers execs identify Randolph's lack of a criminal record as the No. 1 reason to draft the LSU forward.
Sacramento - D.J. Augustin, Texas. And even though Beno Udrih did wonders for my fantasy team, I wouldn't want him running the point for my team. Expect Augustin to hop on a Ron Artest remix in the coming months.
Portland - Donte Green, Syracuse. The ultra-athletic forward gives the Trail Blazers a formidable front court. Greg Oden's grizzled beard makes it intimidating.
Golden State - JaVale McGee, Nevada. The fun-and-gun offense is in search of a big man, and JaVale McGee isn't it. However, he and former top draft choice Patrick O'Bryant can reminisce about how they were owned by former Southern Illinois Salukis star forward Randal Falker. (Notice that I didn't change this.)

Speaking of The BMF, I can hear it now.

"And with the 51st pick in the NBA Draft, the Dallas Mavericks select RANDAL FALKER FROM THE SOUTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY!"

Why would they do that? Simple. Any time they'd run into the Warriors, all they'd have to do is throw The Big Mother Falker into the game and watch him go for 20 and 10 while the seven-foot softies (McGee and Patrick O'Bryant) get schooled by the former Saluki standout!

Besides, Mark Cuban owes me a favor before he buys the Cubs.

;-)

My Bulls Draft Prediction

2008-06-25T22:05:00.006-07:00

Please allow me to channel my inner Swami Murph as I play "I predict..."

Now, say it like you mean it.

I PREDICT...

...that with the first pick in the NBA Draft, the Chicago Bulls will select Derrick Rose, guard, Memphis.

Not that I necessarily agree with the idea of drafting the local product over the low-post scorer the Bulls have been searching for.

If the Bulls do select Rose with the No. 1 pick, I fully expect them to take a big man with their early second round pick (No. 39 overall). The Bulls could theoretically select forward Joey Dorsey in the second round, making it an all-Memphis draft night. Indiana forward D.J. White, a first-round talent derailed by injuries and being under Kelvin Sampson, will also likely be available at that point in the draft.

If GM John Paxson is reading this blog, has a stroke of genius and decides to choose Beasley, expect the Bulls to go guard in the second round. Maybe Beasley's Kansas State teammate Bill Walker, a 6-foot-6 shooting guard/small forward, would intrigue Pax. Washington State's Kyle Weaver, IUPUI's George Hill and Mississippi State's Jamont Gordon are other prospects that mgiht pique the interest of the Bulls' front office.

Joe Must Go!

2008-06-25T07:48:00.004-07:00

Count me in among those who want to take the ax to ESPN baseball analyst Joe Morgan.

The Hall of Fame second baseman is now known more for ignoring and mocking the importance of the statistical side of baseball that has come with the evil computers that supposedly are heading the front offices of Major League Baseball team instead of his Hall of Fame career.

Oh yeah, and there's a website named after him that is dedicated to poor sports journalism.

As for what put me over the top, let's take it back to Sunday's Cubs/Sox game when Eric Patterson made a friend for life when he smacked a two-run homer off Javier Vazquez to extend the Cubs' lead to 4-0.

"The basket was actually put there when Ernie Banks played and a lot of balls were hit that way and umpires had a problem with it. They actually started calling it 'Banks Boulevard' because he hit a lot of balls into that basket."

That one statement did a lot of wrong to a lot of people. Let's start with the idea that the statement implies that many of Ernie Banks' 512 home runs were cheap, basket shots. Next, Joe totally ignored the fact that the basket was really installed so fans wouldn't be able to jump out of the bleachers and on to the field, like they did when Ken Holtzman pitched his no-hitter.

And finally, the fact that Joe Morgan was absolutely WRONG with the statement because of the 512 home runs that Banks hit, only eight (8!!!!) were hit at Wrigley Field after the basket was put up in April 1970. Of the eight (8!!!!) I know that his 500th did NOT go into the basket because I've seen the video tape a million and one times.

And even if he hit the other seven into the basket (7!!!!), that would mean that 7 of his 512 home runs were basket shots. That's only 1.3 percent, not nearly the amount necessary to get the basket named after him.

Lost in this rant will be the fact that Joe Morgan should be reprimanded for this BIG TIME "mistake" and mistake is in quotes because the fact of the matter is that Morgan MADE THE DAMN THING UP OUT OF THIN AIR!

That's called lying. That's called fabricating a story. Talented writers such as Jayson Blair and Stephen Glass were canned because of that kind of thing.

I feel that Joe Morgan should be next in that firing line.

Morgan cubs
by bsap11

The Chicago Bulls Should Select Michael Beasley

2008-06-25T01:31:00.001-07:00

Bulls GM John Paxson shouldn't tempt fate. When his team won the NBA Draft Lottery despite a 1.7% chance, he should have taken the hint that the prayers of he and his fan base were going to be answered.

And those prayers were to draft Kansas State forward Michael Beasley.

Beasley is the inside presence that the Bulls and their fans have been clamoring for since the Paxson regime took over for "The Sleuth" Jerry Krause. Paxson would be foolish if he were to let this opportunity fly by.

The 6-8 forward is a natural born scorer who is blessed enough to be able to score in a variety of ways from power post moves to shots from beyond the arc. And statistically, he was better than his point guard counterpart.

"Beastley" averaged 26.2 points, 12.4 rebounds and shot 53.2% from the field and 37.9% from the 3-point line in his only season in Manhattan, Kan. After his first three college games, No. 30 proved to the world he was worth the hype, averaging 30 points and 20 rebounds.

While Rose dominated the little sisters of the poor...er...Conference USA, Beasley dominated the monsters of the Big 12, leading the Wildcats to a NCAA Tournament berth and a victory over O.J. Mayo's Southern California team.

Against the National Champion Kansas Jayhawks, Beasley averaged 32 points and 8.5 rebounds. He put up 30 points and 15 rebounds in his only appearance against the Texas Longhorns, who bowed out to the national runner-up Memphis in the Elite 8.

He had 13 games in which he scored more than 30 points. He had 2 games in which he scored more than 40 points, including a career-high 44 in a 92-86 loss against Baylor, another NCAA Tournament team.

Lost in all the scoring is the fact that he only had four games in which he didn't grab double-digit boards. In addition, there were only 5 games in which he didn't record a double-double. For those of you who are mathematically challenged (like I am), that means The Manhattan Man-Child posted 28 double-doubles.

That's not sick, that's ill!

In the end, drafting Beasley would allow the Bulls to build from the inside out. They could team Beasley with Joakim Noah and Luol Deng in the front court. They could deal Drew Gooden, Tyrus Thomas and Kirk Hinrich for a proven NBA point guard and keep Ben Gordon at the two-guard.

Speaking of Thomas, the Bulls chose him with the No. 2 pick over the back-to-the-basket presence of fellow former Big 12 star in Texas' LaMarcus Aldridge. Maybe Johnny Jumpshot should learn from his past mistake.

The Chicago Bulls Should Pick Derrick Rose

2008-06-24T10:33:00.007-07:00

After seeing what Chris Paul and Deron Williams did for their respective NBA franchises, selecting Derrick Rose with the No. 1 overall pick should be a no-brainer.

He fits the three phases the Bulls are lacking.

Statistically

In his only year at Memphis, he led the Tigers to a 37-win campaign while averaging 14.7 points, 4.7 assists and 4.5 rebounds per game. He also led The Boys of Beale Street within seconds of a national title and when it mattered the most Rose averaged 20.8 points, 6.5 rebounds and 6 assists per game in the NCAA Tournament while upping his field goal percentage to 51.8-percent.

He Fits One Of The Bulls' Needs

And even though the Bulls are loaded at the guard position, each of them is coming off down years and would be best suited as trade bait. Neither Ben Gordon nor Kirk Hinrich excels at running the point, but if they were put on the trading block Gordon's ability to fill it up and Hinrich's defensive skills could be valuable to some teams in need.

Rose would be the pure point guard that would instantly make everyone on the floor better. Imagine him feeding Thabo Sefalosha, Luol Deng, Tyrus Thomas and Joakim Noah. It makes you want to see it live, doesn't it?

The Ultimate Marketing Tool

Let's be honest, like any professional sport, basketball execs main concern is making the big bucks. Drafting Rose would instantly remove the Bulls from the back burner and place them as the headliner in the sports pages when the fall rolls around.

The promise of the Simeon grad coming home and running Vinny Del Negro's Suns-Lite offense could be pleasing to the eye, especially after last year's offensive debacle. Remember, it was former Suns head coach (who almost landed with the Bulls before signing with the New York Knicks) Mike D'Antoni who said Rose was Jason Kidd with a jump shot.

Combine that with the fact that his hometown team has the No. 1 pick and D-Rose can all but punch his ticket back to The City of Wind.

Crosstown Classic A Sweeping Success For North Siders

2008-06-23T09:17:00.007-07:00

On the field, the Cubs are the best in the bigs, so it should be no surprise that they are the best in the city.

Off the field, it was the Chicago White Sox acting like the ignored step-child, doing all the talking.

Manager Ozzie Guillen ranted about rats as big as pigs lifting weights in the right field batting cages. General Manger Kenny Williams wished the Cubs a "Happy Anniversary" and catcher A.J. Pierzynski called Cubs fans "idiots." Oh, and John Danks called Wrigley Field a [bleep] hole.

In the end, the Cubs let their bats do the talking as they belted nine home runs in the weekend sweep of the Sox.

Aramis Ramirez singlehandedly put the White Sox on their back with four home runs, including a pair of home runs (one of which was a walk-off winner off Scott Linebrink) in Friday's 4-3 come-from-behind win.

Former nemesis Jim Edmonds (who will be getting a blog entry in the coming days dedicated to him) hit two home runs in the nine run fourth inning of the Cubs 11-7 win on Saturday. And even though Ozzie didn't want to give Edmonds credit for the work he did against the Sox, you can't ignore Edmonds and his .311/.358/.511 slash stats he has posted since joining the Cubs.

In the sweep-clinching 7-1 victory, Ryan Dempster moved to 9-0 at Wrigley Field (and 9-2 overall) by limiting the Sox to one run on 10 hits in eight innings of work. On the other side, the strike-zone-challenged Javier Vazquez walked the first two batters on eight pitches and gave up homers to Ramirez and Eric "Don't Call Me Corey" Patterson, who already has a more successful Cub career than his brother.

The weekend series puts the Cubs at 48-28 overall (still the best record in the bigs) and 32-8 at the Friendly Confines. The loss drops the Sox to 41-31 who saw their lead in the AL Central shrink to 1.5 games over the suddenly streaking Minnesota Twins.

I can't WAIT 'til next weekend!

Crosstown Classic: Round 1 Preview

2008-06-19T22:27:00.004-07:00

For the first time since the inception of Interleague Play, the Chicago Cubs and White Sox are atop their respective divisions. And that's only one reason the city should be on heightened alert.

Yet, when I think of Cubs-Sox, this picture comes to mind.

The Cubs (45-28) enter the series with the best record in baseball.

Let it sink in. Best. Record. In. Baseball.

The Sox (41-31) enjoy the largest lead of any division leader and come into the series white hot (pun intended) after sweeping the Pittsburgh Pirates at U.S. Cellular Field.

To the three Sox fans that read this blog, let it sink in. Largest. Lead. Of. Any. Division. Leader.

Fans of both sides should expect some excellent baseball to be played despite the fact the first round of games will be without the star presence of Alfonso Soriano, Carlos Zambrano, Paul Konerko and Mark Buehrle.

The Cubs will look to take advantage of some home cooking in the three game set. At 29-8, the Friendly Confines is finally living up to its name for the team with white jerseys with blue pinstripes, blue numbers, blue shoes and blue caps. Conversely, the Sox are 17-20 on the road. But really, who isn't below .500 on the road this year?

Game One will feature dueling lefties to start the game. John Danks (4-4) takes the hill for the South Siders and he will be opposed by Ted Lilly (7-5.)

Rebounding right-handers will toe the rubber in Game Two. Jose Contreras (6-5, 3.24) is enjoying a bounce back year, while Jason Marquis (5-3, 4.24) is 2-0 since being railed by manager Lou Piniella after being pulled in a poor outing against the San Diego Padres.

Finally, ESPN gives the Yanks and the Sawks a rest and instead will feature the Battle for Red Line Supremacy's third game. Javier Vazquez (7-5, 4.13) will oppose Ryan Dempster (8-2, 2.76) who is almost unhittable at Wrigley Field (1.11 WHIP in 58.1 IP.)

In closing, I'll leave you some of the match-ups and in the comments section you can tell me who you'd take.

Let's get interactive people!

CATCHER: Geovany Soto (.286 12 HR 48 RBI) vs. A.J. Pierzynski (.306 4 HR 26 RBI)

FIRST BASE: Derrek Lee (.283 14 HR 44 RBI) vs. Nick Swisher (.230 8 HR 27 RBI

SECOND BASE: Mark DeRosa (.296 8 HR 30 RBI) vs. Alexei Ramirez (.289 4 HR 20 RBI)

SHORTSTOP: Ryan Theriot (.309 1 HR 21 RBI) vs. Orlando Cabrera (.273 5 HR 26 RBI)

THIRD BASE: Aramis Ramirez (.295 10 HR 45 RBI) vs. Joe Crede (.284 15 HR 44 RBI)

OUTFIELD 1: Matt Murton/Micah Hoffpauir (.299 0 HR 5 RBI in 50 ABs)vs. Carlos Quentin (.270 17 HR 56 RBI)

OUTFIELD 2: Jim Edmonds/Reed Johnson (.285 5 HR 50 RBI as Cubs) vs. Brian Anderson (.247 3 HR 11 RBI in 97 ABs)

OUTFIELD 3: Kosuke Fukudome (.295 5 HR 30 RBI) vs. Jermaine Dye (.286 12 HR 32 RBI)

BULLPEN: Carlos Marmol (63 K in 43 IP) and Kerry Wood (18 SV 2.65 ERA) vs. Scott Linebrink (16 HLD 1.29 ERA) and Bobby Jenks (16 SV 1.91 ERA)

P.S. Go Cubs Go!

And to add fuel to the fire, check out this youtube video!

Vinny Del Negro. Really?

2008-06-19T10:25:00.004-07:00

Vinny Del Negro might have a funny name, but the fact that he will be coaching the Chicago Bulls for the next two years is no laughing matter.

After more than 50 days of hunting the Bulls settled for Del Negro, who has never (ever) coached at any level of basketball. So tell me, when did Chicago become a place for on the job training?

Don't worry, I'll wait.

Hiring Del Negro was an irresponsible hire for a franchise that should be using the fact that it dominated the '90s with the best player to ever step foot on the hardwood and brought six championships to hire the best and brightest.

Bulls GM John Paxson really let his fandom down with this hiring. Remember when the search started and he promised a defensive minded coach who would resonate with the fans? I do. Remember how the Bulls were linked to the defensive minded Rick Carlisle? I do. Remember how the Bulls were close to landing the offensive juggernaut Mike D'Antoni? I do. Remember when the Bulls decided they were gonna take a ride in the way-back machine and hire Doug Collins? I do.

And while Del Negro might be a great hire down the line, he's not right for this team. He's not right for the city.

Let's get it straight, I don't hate Del Negro. I don't hate Paxson. I do hate the hire. I do hate how Paxson has teased us with Kevin Garnett, Pau Gasol and Kobe Bryant. I do hate how Ben Wallace was a total flop, even though everyone with a pulse in the basketball world new that was a bad idea.

I do hate how the best coach for this team is coaching 90 miles north of Chicago. I do hate how The Chairman has handcuffed Johnny Jumpshot to the point where Vinny Friggin' Del Negro will get on the job training for a city starving for a successful basketball team.

And yes, I realize it's easy to blame Jerry Reinsdorf because of his penny pinching ways but I calls 'em the way I sees 'em.

Good luck Vinny. You'll need it.

I'm Back

2008-06-16T22:11:00.003-07:00

The good news is that my vacation is over...wait, that's not good news at all. The bad news (?) is that I have sooo much to talk about!

Like...

Vinny Del Negro. Really?
Lil' Wayne's 'Tha Carter III'
Why Vegas was awesome!
Why the people at U.S. Airways deserve to be "R. Kelly'd on"
Speaking of Kells, I'm not surprised that he was let off the hook. And you shouldn't be either.

And much more.

I just gotta catch up.

Three Play Featuring The Chicago Sports Scene

2008-06-09T18:19:00.006-07:00

It's a day like this that the dirty sports reporter inside of me dies for. And if you are lucky enough to be a sports editor for one of the Windy City's newspapers, you've had yourself a newsday.

You'd also be lucky if you got the opportunity to go home with one of these girls.

Just sayin'.

BENSON BURNOUT

Cedric Benson's time in Chicago is up.

The lethal combination of poor performance on the field and poor decision making off it have cost Benson his job. The No. 4 overall pick in 2005 was released by the Bears Monday afternoon when coach Lovie Smith told Benson to go home when he showed up for practice.

Benson's career to this point has been star-crossed, to say the least. He never appealed to the fans, and how could you when you have a lengthy hold out before you've even taken a snap in the NFL. Then once in The League, Benson was out played by journeyman Thomas Jones mostly because Jones was willing to be a good teammate who had a history of being a gym rat. And when he did get playing time, Cedric was less than entertaining (did you see what I did there?) and would have likely ran second string behind second round draft pick Matt Forte.

Move over Cade McNown, Curtis Enis and Rashaan Salaam because No. 32 will likely go down as the No. 1 bust in the franchise's history.

MY ~~COUSIN~~ COACH VINNY

The Chicago Bulls have officially wasted all of the momentum and buzz generated by winning the No. 1 pick by taking the cheap way out.

Sources say the Bulls are close to naming ~~Mike D'Antoni~~ ~~Doug Collins~~ Vinny Del Negro as the team's next head coach. The former San Antonio Spurs guard (whose name loosely translates to "Vinny of the Negroes) has absolutely no coaching experience, but is currently the assistant general manager of the Phoenix Suns and has interviewed for the vacancies in Chicago and Phoenix.

A move like this just shows how cheap Jerry Reinsdorf is. The Bulls had a chance to bring in an offensive mind such as D'Antoni, a former Coach of the Year in Avery Johnson, a teacher such as Collins. But settled for Del Negro, despite the best candidate just might have been Boston Celtics defensive assistant Tom Thibodeau. (Yeah, I'm agreeing with Jay Mariotti. Deal with it.)

Del Negro's coaching career will be decided by whoever the Bulls choose as their No. 1 pick. Will the former point guard lean towards Derrick Rose or the front court beast Michael Beasley.

THE SECOND CITY'S FIRST PLACE BASEBALL TEAMS

Chicago's baseball teams aren't taking a back seat to anyone, whether it be in their own towns or in their respective divisions.

The Chicago Cubs sport the best record in Major League Baseball and are preparing to host the Atlanta Braves, who might be playing without All-Star Chipper Jones. Five days after being chewed out during his start against the San Diego Padres, Jason Marquis puts forth his best effort of the season.

Coincidence? I think not!

The Chicago White Sox ain't to shabby either. The South Sider's completed a perfect homestand with a 7-5 win over the second-place Minnesota Twins and are currently enjoying a 7-game winning streak while averaging more than 9 runs per game in that span. And to think, Ozzie Guillen was tired of watching this team.

Who the hell gets tired of watching a first-place ball club? Well, it's understandable if you have to do it from U.S. Cellular Field.

This is a hell of a way to end a short week of blogging. I'm going on vacation and will be away from my computer 'til at least Monday. But don't worry, I have stuff in the can that will be unleashed beginning next Tuesday. Hopefully.

Unfortunately, I won't be able to put out my unique spin on the Bulls coaching search which would have netted the team (presumably) its first player-coach, Michael Beasley.

Topics that might be touched on are as follows:

Where has Mark Prior gone?
Chicago's Olympic Hopes
Sleeping with the enemy (like when you're most hated rival joins your favorite team)
The statistical anomaly that was the 2005 Chicago White Sox
And hopefully a preview of the Crosstown Classic

That's it. I'm gone to pack. Take care!

Bi-Polar Betty Beats The (Other) Boys In Blue

2008-06-08T22:24:00.005-07:00

Five days after a rocky start against the San Diego Padres, Chicago Cubs starting pitcher Jason Marquis showed a nationwide audience why he has garnered the nickname "Bi-Polar Betty."

Marquis (4-3) threw 6.1 innings of three-hit ball as the Cubs beat the Los Angeles Dodgers, 3-1. Marquis outdueled Dodgers starter Brad Penny, who put forth a quality start for Joe Torre's gang. Penny's winless streak now moves to seven games.

The North Siders moved their ML-best record (40-24) ... remember, they didn't pick up their 40th win in 2007 'til July 1 when Marquis picked up the victory against the Milwaukee Brewers. Coincidentally (or is it ironically?) I was in Las Vegas for my 21st birthday where I put down a $21 bet on Marquis (who wears No. 21) which happens to be my favorite number.

Second baseman Mark DeRosa powered the defending NL Central champs to victory by going 3-for-5 with a home-run, two RBIs and two runs scored. "DeRo" was the only Cub to collect multiple hits in the game.

Reliever Carlos Marmol relieved Marquis in the 7th inning with the game on the line and proceeded to strike out Dodger outfielder Matt Kemp and retire third baseman Blake DeWitt to end the inning thanks in part to another Gold-Glove caliber effort by first baseman Derrek Lee. Closer Kerry Wood struck out two Dodgers en route to picking up his 18th save.

The first-place Cubs have Monday off before returning to action Tuesday night against the Atlanta Braves at Wrigley Field.

ChiSox Fans' Favorite Team Is Whoever Beats The Cubs

2008-06-06T09:56:00.005-07:00

On May 29, I ripped Cubs fans sitting down the left field line for their inappropriate behavior in a game the Cubs would eventually win.

And by "inappropriate behavior" I mean these idiots put their hands in the field of play as left fielder Alfonso Soriano ran towards foul territory to catch a fly ball.

You know, kinda like this guy. But Fonzie caught the ball, gave some menacing stares to the douches in the front row and the inning was over.

Fast forward to June 4, where after watching the Padres snap the Cubs' 9-game winning streak I wanted to see a potential Lou Piniella meltdown in his post-game press conference. However, I was treated to some free baseball, courtesy of the White Sox and the Kansas City Royals.

Let's set the scene, shall we?

It's the bottom of the 15th inning in a 4-4 tie and the South Siders' best hitter (Carlos Quentin) is at the plate. And (what's left of the) crowd is going wild. Ready for a pop quiz? What were the Sox fans chanting?

A) "LET'S GO WHITE SOX!!!!"
B) "CAR-LOS! CAR-LOS!"
C) "CUBS LOST! CUBS LOST!"

If you selected answer choice A or B, you're retarded and do not have your finger on the pulse of Chicago baseball. In fact, it's probably up your ass.

But if you chose answer C, then you're the winner! You're prize? You get to read the rest of this fabulous rant.

Ready? I am.

AND THIS IS WHY NO ONE RESPECTS THE FANS OF THE SOUTH SIDE PROFESSIONAL BASEBALL TEAM!!!!

Despite your team's 2005 World Championship, your primary focus in life still seems to be on what happens with the North Sider's. You're the idiots that care more if the Cubs lose than if the Sox win.

That's dumb, immature and to be honest I grew out of that stage of my life a long time ago. And maybe you should too. Why? Because the Sox are in first place in the AL Central, a division they were projected to be battling for the bottom with the Kansas City Royals.

Instead, you're in first. And your primary concern is that the Cubs lost for the first time in their last 10 games. What a bunch of losers.

And since I'll likely get ripped by Sox fans who read this, I might as well pile on.

Your manager is a loudmouth who rips his boss, players and coaches under the bus, despite the team being in first place. He attacks columnists, former players and Cubs fans because he suffers from "Little Brother Syndrome."

Your broadcasters are the second worst in baseball, because no broadcasting duo sucks more than Joe Buck and Tim McCarver.

While Hawk is busy reminiscing over his days in Boston, accusing every umpire of having an agenda against the White Sox and providing little-to-no play-by-play when things aren't going the Sox's way, DJ brings absolutely no analysis to the table.

Your owner is a cheap, pompous jackass who apparently doesn't believe in awarding those who helped you become who you are today. Jerry Reinsdorf would be an absolute L-7 Weenee if not for Michael Jordan, and don't you forget that!

The Sox have two things going for them. Radio analyst Steve Stone (who spent a long time educating Cubs fans everywhere) and the food. I can get my Stoney fix on WSCR 670 when he's on with Mike Mulligan and Brian Hanley. As for food, I'm not sure if you know that I am an awesome cook.

So take that and shove it Sox fans. See ya June 20 when the team with the best record in baseball is strokin' you at beautiful Wrigley Field!

The 2008 NBA Finals: Is 3 Better Than 1?

2008-06-05T09:44:00.002-07:00

While most of the pundits and experts will focus on the nostalgic Celtics-Lakers match-up that consisted of short-shorts and Bird v. Magic, I can't help but to look at this series and think that this series is reminiscent of the 1997 NBA Finals.

I know, it's a stretch. But hear me out!

The Lakers remind me a lot of that 1997 Chicago Bulls championship team. The Lake Show is lead by Kobe Bryant, playing the role of Michael Jordan as the best player in the game. He has been dominant all season and it has continued into the playoffs. Like Mike, Kobe can light it up anytime, anywhere. Again, like Jordan, he's got that championship drive and something to prove to the critics. While MJ was trying to prove that his retirement was the only reason the city of Houston has any championship to talk about, KB24 is out to prove that he can win the big one without Shaq.

Like the '97 Bulls, Kobe's got a talented supporting cast. Pau Gasol is in the lead assistant role and is the difference-maker in the low-post and his value is through the roof since center Andrew Bynum has been out. Lamar Odom runs the point forward and usually provides a match-up problem for the opposition. Point guard Derek Fisher runs the show and is a lights-out 3-point shooter that makes big shots in big games. Remember?

The one constant between Da Bulls and Da Lakers (yeah, I can't believe I just typed that either) is Phil Jackson.

Standing in the Lakers' way are the Boston Celtics, who sported the best record in the NBA this season.

The Celts are looking for their first championship since sometime in the '80s and are lead by a triumvirate of stars. Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen also have something to prove and finally are on the stage to do so. Each has been great individually, but have not been able to win the big games and get over the hump. Together, they hope to do just that.

The cloud that has surrounded the Green Squad all year has been the supporting cast that surrounds The Big Three. Rajon Rondo is a damn good contributor who will only get better as time goes on. But after that, the rest of the squad is underwhelming in my eyes.

Chicago native Glenn "Doc" Rivers is a hell of a coach, who got a raw deal in Orlando and was almost booted from Boston after a 24-win campaign in 2007. He isn't intimidated by the star power the Lakers have because he's got it on his side too. But will he crack under the pressure of keeping Coach Phil from passing Boston legend Red Auerbach in NBA Championships?

Here's hoping that this series will be an instant classic!

And for your viewing pleasure, a lil' bit of that 1997 championship magic.

Barack 'N' Rolling To The White House

2008-06-04T15:31:00.000-07:00

It's not often that I get political in my blogs. Because of its historic nature, this will be the exception.

Tuesday night, Barack Obama (D-Ill.) claimed victory and joined John McCain (R-Ariz.) as the main contenders to replace George W. Bush as the next President of the United States.

The big storyline from here on out is where Hillary Clinton stands in all this. The New York senator has been trading barbs with Obama and has been his top rival since Day 1. And while the question of the hour is if Hill-Rod would be willing to take a back seat and accept a Vice Presidential role is given, one must wonder if Hillary is the best choice.

After months of fending off Clinton's barbs, can Obama trust Hillary to be his VP? Would Hillary be the kind of VP that would undermine Obama?

Until Barack joined the party, it was supposed to be McCain v. Clinton. Then it turned to McCain v. Clinton v. Obama. Which in all reality, it was McCain & Clinton v. Obama.

If I were Barack, I'd be very careful with who I choose and how and when I choose them. Teaming Barack and Hillary could capture the minority and women's vote and probably the Presidency.

But is it worth it? Only time will tell.

"Kerry Wood Just Pissed On The Padres..."

2008-06-04T09:54:00.004-07:00

Kerry Wood is flat out filthy!

The Chicago Cubs closer struck out two batters as he converted his 16th save of the season in the Cubs 9-6 win against the San Diego Padres.

Moments after the save, I got this text message: "Kerry Wood just pissed on the padres and said no homo."

For those of you that aren't hip to the lingo, check out the accompanying video below which is taken from the movie "Killa Season" starring rapper Cam'Ron.

***SPOILER ALERT***

In the scene, "Killa Cam" busts some guy in the back of the head with a liquor bottle and proceeds to "R. Kelly" on him all while saying "no homo" because if you're pissing on a dude, it's apparently "homo."

I thought it was hilarious (both the text and the video itself.)

But let's take a further look at Kerry's numbers, shall we?

Wood has converted 16 of 20 save opportunities. The 16 saves puts Wood in a three-way tie for the NL lead with San Francisco's Brian Wilson and Houston's Jose Valverde.

In 32.1 innings Kid K has struck out 36 batters and is back to living up to the nickname he earned after fanning 20 Astros on May 6, 1998. He's only allowed six base on balls. That means his strikeout-to-walk ratio is 6-to-1, a significant improvement over his career 2.40-to-1 K/BB ratio.

His ERA is 2.78. That's a run-and-a-half better than Wilson and almost a run better than Valverde's.

The only thing keeping Woody from being an elite closer is the dreaded hit by pitch. He's already hit five batters this year and has 86 in his career. If he can pitch inside without hitting a batter, he'd be nearly untouchable.

With Wood pitching lights out in the 9th inning, the talk of moving Carlos Marmol into the closer's role has cooled. And it's not Marmol's fault.

"Marmolade" has a cool 2.43 ERA to go along with 55 strikeouts in 37 innings. Think of it this way: Marmol's 55 strikeouts ranks ahead of John Maine (54 in 64 IP), Derek Lowe (52 in 77.2 IP), Tim Hudson (51 in 83.2 IP), John Danks (50 in 63 IP), Jon Lester (49 in 76 IP) and Justin Verlander (44 in 71.1 IP.)

You know what all of those guys have in common???

They're all starting pitchers!!!!!

If that's not stat-of-the-day material, I don't know what is? And that's why they call me Stat Boy!

Alright, here's the video. Fast forward to the 3:06 mark.

Deal Or No Deal: D-Wade's Homecoming?

2008-06-03T09:48:00.003-07:00

The only thing that might prevent Derrick Rose's homecoming party would be the homecoming of a fellow Chicagoan.

One rumor suggests that the Miami Heat might package the No. 2 pick in the NBA Draft along with Dwyane Wade in exchange for the No. 1 pick currently held by the Chicago Bulls. From there, the Heat would select Rose.

Last week at The Big Dead Sidebar, I suggested that Bulls GM John Paxson explore all possibilities, including acquiring Rose and Beasley.

That deal might be just a pipe dream, but this rumor just might be the most tempting offer the Bulls will receive before draft day. Don't forget, Wade was the man Paxson wanted in the 2003 draft before Miami scooped him up, leaving Chicago to settle for Kirk Hinrich.

Wade, who starred at Richards High School and Marquette, grew up idolizing Michael Jordan and would be the Bulls' first superstar since Jordan last graced this city in 1998.

The deal would also allow the Bulls to select Kansas State forward Michael Beasley, presenting Chicago with the best case scenario of a star point guard and the low-post scorer Bulls fans have been craving.

Imagine the buzz that would come with teaming the former NBA Finals MVP with the guy who was college basketball's best player despite not winning the award.

How good would the Bulls lineup be if Wade, Thabo Sefolosha, Luol Deng, Beasley and Joakim Noah.

Imagine how much better that lineup could be if the Bulls could trade valuable pieces such as Kirk Hinrich, Ben Gordon and Drew Gooden

23 days 'til the Bulls are officially on the clock.

Defending Ozzie Guillen

2008-06-02T10:35:00.005-07:00

It's no secret. I do not like Ozzie Guillen.

I do not like the way he manages the game whether it's his bullpen or the way he throws on his "Sunday line-up" giving players a day off while handing the opposition a win. Off the field, he's loud and obnoxious as he throws out homosexual slurs at local columnists, slams his former players and feeds the fire that as White Sox fans suffer from something called "Little Brother Syndrome" while standing in the shadow of the Cubs despite the statistical anomaly they know as the 2005 World Series Championship.

With all that said, I am about to defend Ozzie Guillen.

After the ChiSox's 4-3 extra inning loss to the Tampa Bay Rays, Mt. Guillen erupted (again.)

"There's only one message I'm going to send ... Just be ready because I expect movement Tuesday. I expect Kenny [Williams] to do something Tuesday, and if we don't do anything Tuesday, there are going to be a lot of lineup changes. That's all I'm going to say about the offense.''

"It can be me. It can be [hitting coach] Greg Walker. It can be the players. It could be anybody. I'm sick and tired to watch this thing for a year and a half. I'm not protecting anybody anymore. [Bleep] it! If they can't get it done, Kenny should find someone to get it done. That's it. Another bad game. If we think we are going to win with the offense we have, we are full of [bleep]. I'm just being honest. I expect better from them, if they are in the lineup.''

The Chicago sports media is having a field day with Ozzie's latest rant, especially with the idea that Guillen is throwing his general manager under the bus.

Call me Out of Step Charlie, but let's take a closer look at Ozzie's statement.

"I expect Kenny [Williams] to do something Tuesday, and if we don't do anything Tuesday, there are going to be a lot of lineup changes."

I don't see where he's throwing Kenny under the bus. To me, that statement says that Williams is working on something, and if that something doesn't come Tuesday that Ozzie will change the lineup.

Ozzie has the right to be pissed off.

That makes sense a lot of sense to me because if something is not working you have to change it, right? And that's what Ozzie says he's going to do.

Oh, what about the second part of the statement?

"It can be me. It can be [hitting coach] Greg Walker. It can be the players. It could be anybody."

It's not like Ozzie's putting the blame on everyone but himself, he's putting it on everyone. Walker's gotta get in there and adjust something with the new guys like Orlando Cabrera and Nick Swisher or the vets like Jim Thome or Paul Konerko. If he can't get it done, you've gotta find someone that can get it done. It's as simple as that.

And while everyone in this town will continue to pile on Ozzie, I'll take issue with Kenny Williams.

The Sox could have dumped Paulie on the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in the off-season in a trade that was rumored to bring in speedster Chone Figgins and starting pitcher Ervin Santana but didn't.

As for the trades Williams did make this off-season, they haven't worked out too well. I'd call the Jon Garland for Orlando Cabrera trade a wash, seeing that Garland would not have been brought back and at this point Cabrera will suffer the same fate as well.

And while I reamed Cubs fans last week from not learning from past mistakes, Kenny Williams is about to feel the same wrath.

Hey Kenny, did you read 'Moneyball?' Oh wait, you didn't have to. You were the subject of Athletics GM Billy Beane's fleece fest and you fell for it again!

The White Sox acquired Swisher in exchange for pitching prospects Gio Gonzalez and Faustino De Los Santos and outfield prospect Ryan Sweeney.

Gonzalez ranked No. 72 in Baseball America's Top 100 prospect list in 2007 and Sweeney checked in at No. 55. De Los Santos, 21, went 10-5 with a 0.92 ERA between stops at 'A-ball' and could be the prized pig of the deal.

Swisher's numbers alarm me and make me believe he's a...dare I say...PEDophile. As in Performance Enhancing Drugs. In 2006, Swisher hit 35 home runs and drove in 95 runs. One year later, Swish saw his numbers drop to 22/78.

Oh did I mention he's across the bay from BALCO???? I'm not saying, I'm just saying.

It is Williams' job to provide Guillen with the best players available. It's Guillen's job to put those players in the best position to succeed.

If one isn't doing their job, the other fails. And despite all of that, the Sox are still in first place.

I hope Hollywood has got it's scripts ready.

Alfonso Soriano, Meet Moises Alou ... And Cubs Fans Still Haven't Learned

2008-05-29T08:28:00.003-07:00

This picture is why no one takes the Chicago Cubs (or their fans) seriously.

Sitting at 32-21, the Cubs have the best record in the National League and are tied with the Tampa Bay Rays (yes, the former Devil Rays) for the best record in Major League Baseball.

If All-Star Game voting ended today outfielders Alfonso Soriano and Kosuke Fukudome and catcher Geovany Soto would be voted in as starters with Derrek Lee, Aramis Ramirez, Carlos Zambrano, Ryan Dempster, Carlos Marmol and Kerry Wood have strong arguments in their favor to make the team.

Despite the Cubs' deficiencies in center field and at the end of the starting rotation, this might be the most well-rounded team I've ever seen.

With all that said, I've got beef with fans.

See this photo essay from SportsbyBrooks, who does the dirty work for me.

So long story short ...

HEY CUBS FANS, KEEP YOUR HANDS OFF THE F*CKING FIELD!!!!!

When you see your outfielder coming to catch the ball KEEP YOUR HANDS AWAY FROM THE F*CKING BALL!!!!

You idiots! That's why the we're the butt of every joke from every toothless Cardinals fan and homeless White Sox fan whose only baseball knowledge comes from Tony LaRussa's wine glass and Ozzie Guillen's racist rants.

And I'm not saying that Cards or Chi-Sox fans are dumb. However, I am saying stuff like THIS BULLSH*T fuels the fire of the idiots.

I'm done. Take my advice, or end up in witness protection like Steve Bartman.

Three-Play Starring Hamilton, Hookers and the Holiness of Fenway Park

2008-05-28T10:08:00.005-07:00

Welcome to the newest segment of "Three-Play" where I provide a picture of three hot chicks and take on three hot topics that probably deserve an entire blog of their own, but won't get it because of time constraints.

Alright, let's get into it!

First, where's someone who is proficient in photoshop when I need them? I ask the question because everyone who loves the Chicago Cubs as much as I do should be asking themselves how good would Josh Hamilton look patrolling center field in Cubbie blue pinstripes?

Hamilton, a former No. 1 overall pick by the Tampa Bay Devil Rays in 1999, was acquired by the Cubs in the 2007 Rule V Draft, but was sent to the Cincinnati Reds for $50,000. In his rookie year, Hamilton hit 19 home runs, drove in 47 runs and his slash stats (batting average, on-base percentage and slugging percentage) were .292/.368/.554.

In the off-season, the Cincinnati Reds flipped Hamilton to the Texas Rangers in exchange for starting pitcher Edinson Volquez. Volquez is leading the world with a 1.31 ERA pitching under the tutelage of Dusty Baker.

Don't worry Reds fans, Dusty's learned from the mistakes he made with Mark Prior and Kerry Wood. Oh wait, he hasn't.

So let's look at the big picture, shall we?

Josh Hamilton, who is batting .329 with 13 HR and 58 RBI, could (and should) be batting 5th in the already potent Cubs line-up, which would enable manager Lou Piniella to move right fielder Kosuke Fukudome's .406 OBP to the No. 2 slot.

Oh, so you're happy with the three blind mice playing center field now for the Cubs, who have combined to hit a paltry .203.

Well, then maybe you could find use out of Volquez who is 7-2 with 76 strikeouts in 62 innings pitched. He'd be the legit No. 2 starter missing from the Cubs starting rotation.

Ladies and gentlemen, exhibit A on why Jim Hendry should not be retained as general manager after his contract expires.

The man who should make that decision is prospective buyer Mark Cuban.

Cuban, who owns the NBA's Dallas Mavericks, has been quite vocal about wanting to buy the North Siders and has the support of most of Cubdom (which should go a long way, but won't.) Recently, Cuban made an appearance on Dan Patrick's radio show where he called the Cubs his hooker.

While it shocked some, I'm not one of them. I've always compared being a Cubs fan to being in a relationship with a woman. She looks good (see Wrigley Field.) She teases (see 1969, 1984, 1989 and 2003.) But damn, she's expensive (see ticket and beer prices.) But in the end, she's the greatest thing in the world (ask my opinion.)

If Mark Cuban has a little Pac Man Jones in him, he'd make it rain on Sam Zell with an offer he can't refuse.

While I wax nostalgic about Wrigley, Boston Red Sox fans do the same when it comes to Fenway Park. To the point where fans had their baby baptized at the yard.

Um, dude. That wasn't Holy water.

Alfonso Soriano, Meet Brant Brown

2008-05-25T14:37:00.004-07:00

It's a game like this that separates the Chicago Cubs from all the other teams in baseball.

And not in a good way.

Left fielder Alfonso Soriano dropped a routine fly ball that would have given the Cubs their second road series victory of the season. Instead, Alfonso Soriano did his best Brant Brown impersonation and allowed the Pittsburgh Pirates to tie the game 5-5.

The Pirates would eventually win 6-5 in 11 innings.

If you're not familiar with the Brant Brown story, check it out here.

But the more pressing issue here is that the Cubs absolutely CANNOT win on the road. If they can't beat the Astros and Pirates on the road, I cannot consider them serious contenders.

I don't care what the pundits say. I don't care what my mother says (don't tell her I said that, though.) I do not believe that the Cubs can win the World Series (let alone the NL Central) if they can't beat crap on the road.

And yes, I understand how hard it is to win on the road. But that is no excuse. The Red Sox would have beat the crap out of these two teams. The Diamondbacks would have beat the crap out of these two teams. Heck, even with their crappy offense, I'm tempted to say that the White Sox can beat that crap too.

The Cubs have a prime opportunity to do something special in 2008. This is one of the most talented teams I have ever seen at Clark and Addison. But do not even think about comparing this team to the great 1984 team that was a Leon Durham ground ball away from going to the Series. Or the 2003 team, whose starting pitching blew the rest of the league out of the water.

There are too many holes on this team to make them the odds on favorite.

After staff ace Carlos Zambrano, the rest of the staff is just above average.

Ted Lilly is a nice No. 3 starter and Ryan Dempster is showing the stuff that made him an All-Star as a starting pitcher with the Florida Marlins. Jason Marquis and Sean Gallagher aren't hurting you if they're the No. 5 starter.

The fact that this team is missing a No. 2 starter could possibly hurt them if they make the playoffs.

Also, the Cubs get no offensive contribution from their center fielder. And their best defender at that position is toiling away at Triple-A.

The rest of the team is solid. Kerry Wood, Carlos Marmol and Bob Howry are living up to the off-season's lofty expectations for the most part. Derrek Lee, Aramis Ramirez, Alfonso Soriano, Kosuke Fukudome and Geovany Soto are doing their part to score runs. Heck, even the scrappy Ryan Theriot is getting the job done in the No. 2 slot.

I'll take a step back for now, seeing that it's only one game. But if the Cubs want to be serious, they better get their act together on the road.

NBA Draft Mockery!

2008-05-23T10:57:00.004-07:00

It's only May, but everyone's doing it. So I'm gonna do it to. However, I'm just gonna mock the lottery because that's just how I do it.

Chicago - Derrick Rose, Memphis. Headline: Local boy does good. Seriously, D-Rose is going to revive basketball in the House That Jordan Built.
Miami - Michael Beasley, Kansas State. Teaming D-Wade, Shawn Marion and Beasley puts the Heat back in the playoff picture.
Minnesota - Brook Lopez, Stanford. The T-Wolves are going to have quite the frontcourt with Al Jefferson and the good Lopez twin.
Seattle - Anthony Randolph, LSU. This is a bad spot for the Oklahoma City Sonics. I'd trade the pick, but Randolph is a high-risk, high-reward guy whose rap sheet sounds like what I heard about Tyrus Thomas.
Memphis - Jerryd Bayless, Arizona. In search of a true point guard to run Memphis' Suns-lite offense, Bayless is the smart pick.
New York - Danilo Gallinari, Italy. The 6-10 small forward is the smart bet, knowing D'Antoni's history with the Italians. But I wouldn't be surprised to see O.J. Mayo go here.
L.A. Clippers - O.J. Mayo, USC. Chris Kaman is a nice center, but their backcourt is lacking. O.J. stays in L.A.
Milwaukee - Darrell Arthur, Kansas. The Bucks are loaded in the backcourt, so they should be looking for a frontcourt player to team with Yi and Andrew Bogut. Arthur might be that guy.
Charlotte - Kevin Love, UCLA. Teaming him with Emeka Okafor would get the most value out of No. 42.
New Jersey - DeAndre Jordan, Texas Tech. Devin Harris, Vince Carter and Richard Jefferson need a big guy to feed the ball to. Despite being a raw talent, Jordan is the best bet.
Indiana - Eric Gordon, Indiana. The Pacers are probably sick of drama, but since text messaging seems legal in the NBA, Gordon is the kind of scoring guard the Pacers have been missing since ... dare I say ... Reggie Miller.
Sacramento - Russell Westbrook, UCLA. The combo guard should stay in Cali, teaming with Beno Udrih (and Ron Artest?)
Portland - D.J. Augustin, Texas. The Trail Blazers are looking for a backcourt mate for Brandon Roy and might end up trading the pick to the Bulls for Kirk Hinrich. If they don't, they should land the undersized PG who starred with and without Kevin Durant.
Golden State - JaVale McGee, Nevada. The fun-and-gun offense is in search of a big man, and JaVale McGee isn't it. However, he and former top draft choice Patrick O'Bryant can reminisce about how they were pwned by former Southern Illinois Salukis star forward Randal Falker

Jackpot!

2008-05-21T09:41:00.003-07:00

If my name was Jerry Reinsdorf, I'd be buying 100 tickets to play the Illinois Lottery's Mega Millions game.

On the same night his baseball team beat Cleveland Indians starter C.C. Sabathia for the first time at Comiskey Park/U.S. Cellular Field, his basketball team won the No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft.

Despite the odds, which pegged the Bulls with a 1.7-percent chance to land the top pick, the Bulls leap-frogged from the No. 9 position all the way to the chance to grab the impact player of their choice.

So who do you want?

Kansas State forward Michael Beasley was an absolute beast in his one year on campus.

The 6-foot-9-inch future star averaged 26.2 points and 12.4 rebounds, leading the Wildcats to the NCAA Tournament. He shot over 53-percent from the field and showed a feathery touch from beyond the arc, making over 37-percent of his 3-point shots.

Beasley is the low-post presence the Bulls have been missing. He's a game-changer who I think will average better than 20 points and 10 rebounds and be a star in the league.

Then there's Memphis point guard Derrick Rose, the Chicago native that averaged 14.9 points and 4.7 assists per game in his only collegiate season.

In the NCAA tourney, Rose averaged 20.8 points and 6 assists for a team that was a few missed free-throws away from winning the NCAA title. If not for the heroics of Davidson's Stephen Curry, Rose would have been the face of The Big Dance, especially after hitting the shot of the tournament.

The Bulls need Rose, who would be next in the line of elite guards that are taking over the basketball world such as Chris Paul, Deron Williams and Steve Nash. His addition would allow General Manger John Paxson to package Kirk Hinrich and/or Ben Gordon in an off-season trade.

But the Bulls need Michael Beasley, too. Chicago's professional basketball team hasn't had a low-post presence since Elton Brand averaged 20 points and 10 rebounds in his two seasons in Chicago. Drafting Beasley would allow the Bulls to package either Drew Gooden, Tyrus Thomas or Joakim Noah in a trade.

The best thing about being No. 1 is that the Bulls can't lose!

I'm sure Mike D'Antoni is kicking himself as he looks forward to coaching the Knicks and working with Italian project Danilo Gallinari.

The future of Blogzilla

2008-05-20T12:16:00.002-07:00

As I move to balancing two blogs (again) I've contemplated what I'm going to do with this one.

I plan to keep everything on the same schedule.

We're talking hot topics: big picture, local focus (yeah, I stole that from the Daily Herald, and what?) We're talking about ridiculously hot chicks, and photo proof. We're talking about the life and times of L. Carlos Medina.

Yeah, I'm thinking that I should use that as my pen name.

However, with this blog I'd like to be more interactive.

More videos. More links. More photos.

I'll probably do some video blogging too. And some slideshows. I want to have fun with my life, and post it here on this blog.

Yeah, I'll post about the Cubs, Bears, Bulls, Salukis and others at this site. But there will be more than that.

Until that time comes, adios!

I'm back, and it's hustlin' season!

2008-05-19T19:10:00.009-07:00

Ladies and gentlemen, let the hustlin' begin.

Every summer, my friends and I create a theme to live our summers by.

A few years ago, it was "The Summer of Love," which didn't turn out the way I planned.

Last year, we had the summer in which we made it rain ... no official title ... but I turned 21, made it rain in Las Vegas and the Cubs made it rain on the NL Central.

This year we've decided to combine the two concepts by filing them under "Hustling."

Every summer deserves a soundtrack and the sounds of this summer will be forever known as "Hustlenomics: The Ultimate Hustle." And yes, I do know that Yung Joc's last album was called "Hustlenomics."

Whatever.

And while combining the summer of love and making it rain to make it hustle, we're adding the concept of Deuces Wild, my triumphant return to Vegas.

The storm clouds are headed west and this year we're adding two more ultimate hustlers to the gang. Expect a slew of heavy showers on the Vegas strip in early-to-mid June that will hopefully be assisted by Pac Man Jones, Tank Johnson and other pros.

What about the rest of the summer?

Well, I'll be working at Z-Frank Chevrolet as a garage attendant. It's not pretty or glamorous, but it puts enough money in my pocket to support that drinking habit I developed at SIU.

I plan on buying a car (hopefully the dealership can cut me a deal) so I can travel on my own schedule during the 2008-09 school year.

I also plan to keep my writing skills sharp. While I'll be commenting on aspects of my own life, my favorite sports teams and hot chicks at this site, I'll be contributing my views on the sports world's hot topics over at The Big Dead Sidebar with fellow Daily Egyptian sportswriter Matt Hartwig and Memphis Grizzlies broadcasting intern Mike Carter (and maybe others?)

When I'm not working or blogging, I'll be keeping a keen eye on my Cubbies. Hell, I'll even be at the game on July 27. Bleachers baby!

Where'd you go?

Now that I'm home and settled (kinda), I am back from my blog vacation.

It was a great semester at SIU, even though my grades (3 C's and 1 A) would say it was average, it was much more than that.

My passing grades have put me one step closer to graduation, and I'm excited about that. Sure, it's going to take five years to get that four-year degree, but it will be worth it in the end.

Without a doubt, my favorite thing about this semester was working for the Daily Egyptian, the student newspaper of Southern Illinois University Carbondale, where I work as a sports reporter.

It's been a long climb to the DE. I've applied every semester and have been shot down every time until this semester. Originally I signed on to be a correspondent, but when I got a call from the sports editor saying a spot at the sports desk opened up I had to take it.

It's arguably been the best thing to happen to me at SIU. In my first semester at the paper, I've written stories about swimming, track and field, tennis, golf, baseball and women's basketball.

There are so many more stories, catch them all here.

At the DE, I met so many wonderful and talented people that I'll never forget. The only downfall is that I'm not there with them this summer. I hope I get the opportunity to return next semester.

With school and work at the DE in the rearview mirror (for now), it is time to focus on "The Summer of Hustle."

And for your viewing pleasure, here's a sample of what we'll be doing.

Oh and a lil' bit of this too.

Oh and we'll be ballin' out this summer too, fa sho!

And finally, in October, we'll be doing this for the first time in 100 years. Book it!

I am where you should be

2008-05-03T14:45:00.000-07:00

The Cubs-Cards rivalry gets taken up another level this afternoon as I make my first appearance at the new Busch Stadium!

WOOT! WOOT!

Seriously, the Cubs better win today, especially after last night's debacle.

What's up with Rich Hill? Why can't he throw strikes any more? Why is he walking everybody? Why did he pick the game against the Cardinals to pitch like crap?

Kinda makes GM Jim Hendry look foolish for treating Hill as "untouchable."

...

Despite that, and his defensive blunder in the 7th inning, it was good to see Alfonso Soriano jack one out of the yard against Jason Isringhausen. I still think he has a 30-homer season in that bat of his, and I think he'll get better defensively as he gets back into the swing of everyday baseball.

He probably should have taken a rehab assignment or two, but according to my sources, he's seen what that has done for Lindsay Lohan and declined it.

And really, Skip Schumaker? I know the old adage is that you don't let their best player beat you, but I disagree.

I would rather lose on an Albert Pujols single than a Skip Schumaker home run.

Here's hoping the Cubs win today and tomorrow. The Cards have no business being in first place and the Cubs should be showing them why.

It's Theodore Roosevelt Lilly versus Kyle Lohse in game two. Here's hoping Mr. Neversmile gets his act together.

BREAKING NEWS: LOU PINIELLA HATES BAD SPORTS JOURNALISM!

2008-05-03T09:37:00.003-07:00

Mark Wegner: Jay Mariotti roxxx!!1!!!1!!11!!!!!1!!!!!11!!!!!!111!!!!!!!11111!!!!!
Lou Piniella: F*#^ that c#$!, and that piece of s#%& Rogers too!

I have a new supporter in my fight against bad sports journalism, and his name is Lou Piniella.

As reported by the Chicago Sun-Times Cubs blog, Piniella suggests that Jay Mariotti should be outsted from his role as "The Bright One's" top columnist.

"Take Mariotti out, he’s not writing a column today. Put in the third subordinate behind him .... Don’t use [Chicago Tribune baseball columnist Phil] Rogers on Sunday, use the third guy."

No word on who Piniella wants to replace either Mariotti or Rogers, but sources close to the situation say that "Sweet Uncle Lou" has his eyes on a certain sportswriter that goes to SIU.

Alright, so it's taken slightly out of context, but you get my point.

A rivalry renewed

2008-05-02T19:00:00.000-07:00

Don't believe the hype, the best rivalry in baseball renew acquaitances moments from now.

As explained in today's Sports Banter, I believe the Cubs-Cards series is the best rivalry in baseball.

Why?

Because it doesn't need the media hype Red Sox-Yankees gets from ESPN.

In fact, markets that do not have a direct correlation between Chicago or St. Louis will probably brush it off as a Midwest thing.

But that's the point.

Cubs-Cards divides friends, families and the state of Illinois. Cities like Springfield and Peoria are split 50-50, while college campuses like SIU or the University of Illinois have the same kind of split among the students, faculty and staff.

It's a fan thing, and really that's what matters the most.

The players will come and go. Managers will get hired and fired. But the fans will always be there.

Sure, this edition of the rivalry doesn't have the player rivalry that Sammy Sosa and Mark McGwire gave us.

It doesn't have the hate-filled managerial rivalry of LaRussa and Dusty Baker.

It doesn't have Steve Kline's hatred for Mark Prior.

But it does have two teams, battling for their constituents for bragging rights, and that's what a rivalry is all about.

An Ode To Ryan Rendleman

2008-04-29T20:00:00.000-07:00

Ryan Rendleman, you will be missed.

The things I write on this blog are easy to do. They're easy because it's just opinions about stuff that is trivial in the long run.

However, what I'm about to write is difficult, so excuse me if I ramble.

Ryan Rendleman, a journalist at the Daily Egyptian, was killed Tuesday in a four-vehicle accident on Illinois Route 127, south of Nashville.

Even though I have only known Ryan for a few months, he has definitely had an impact on my life. In fact, in a roundabout way, Ryan is the reason I'm writing for the DE.

He was the person I interviewed for my profile piece, which was the final part of the application process. With just a pen and a sheet of paper, I chatted with Ryan about anything and everything ranging from religion, to food, to what he wanted to do as a photojournalist or "visual journalist" as he told me in my interview. I knew then that Ryan was the kind of person that would go far in this business.

He embraced me as a new kid, and I appreciated it.

When I got the job, I worked with Ryan on several shoots, and I will recount a few of them.

I'll always remember the swimming shoot, where he climbed to the top of the highest diving platform. When I saw him there, I thought I'd say "hey" and when I got up there I told him "Ryan, why must you shoot from up here? I'm afraid of heights."

He told me that it was OK because the pool would break my fall. Then I mentioned I couldn't swim. He laughed, and said it would be alright.

He provided my track and field stories with some cool aerial shots of the athletes. And it seemed like every time he was doing a track shoot, he would ask "Who am I looking for?"

Wednesday, when I knew I had to do a track story, I hoped that I would get a call from Ryan asking "So, who am I looking for?"

I'm going to miss that phone call.

Then there was the story about the bird that would always wake him up in the morning, he hated it. We were looking up in the tree outside the COMM building and swore it was that bird. In turn, I told him the story about my buddy who accidentally shot a pigeon off a telephone wire in an alley in Chicago.

He laughed and said it was a great idea. I'll looked at that tree Tuesday night and laughed. There was no chirping bird.

My last encounter with Ryan was Friday at his place where he was cooking out. My editor, Jeff Engelhardt, called me, invited me over and picked me up to go to Ryan's place. To be honest, I almost wanted to say "No, I'm busy" because my room was a mess and have been trying to clean up for my move. I decided not to, because it was Friday and wanted to hang out with my friends.

I even called Ryan to say "Mr. Rendleman, what do I need to bring." He insisted that I needed to bring nothing. I insisted, so I brought a 2-liter of Cola and a 2-liter of Sprite or Ginger Ale ... I don't remember.

Anyway, at Ryan's I did much of the cooking and everyone there enjoyed it and it made me happy, to the point where I couldn't wait 'til the next Friday so I could possibly have him over at my place when I had my cookout where I would tell him more stories about my cooking expertise.

Unfortunately, that won't happen.

If I had two wishes, the first would be that Ryan would walk through the newsroom door, walk over to me and say "Luis, I'm shooting track, who am I looking for?"

The second, would be the ability to know him for just a bit longer.

Everyone at the DE has their stories about Ryan and even though I've only been here since January, I have my own.

Ryan, may you rest in peace. When we meet again, I've got a burger with your name on it.

Three-Play starring the Rocket, Riley and Retarded GM's Part One

2008-04-28T20:05:00.000-07:00

"Three-Play" ... now that's what I'm talking about!

"Three-Play" is the newest segment to "Bloggers" and will be un-officially sponsored by siuDE.com, because who knew that more people trust news written by a bunch of college kids over "professionals."

(Ha! Not with leads written like that!)

As for "Three-Play," let's introduce our players for this evening.

First, former Miami Heat head coach Pat Riley.

I was sitting at the sports desk, chillin', when I learned that Riley was reportedly leaving the team to go back to his comfy front-office position.

While this story will get swept under the rug by most journalist, I won't take it. Pat Riley is a quitter, and what he's doing now is no better than what Bobby Petrino did to Louisville ... or the Atlanta Falcons, for that matter.

He deserves to be absolutely reamed, but he won't because he's Pat Friggin' Riley. I'm sick of his greasy hair, pompous attitude, dirty players and his quittin' ass ways! He's only doing this to hire a Stan Van Gundy-redux, just so he can fire him when the team is about to take off and win another championship.

Shame on him, for thinking he would get this past any responsible sports journalist. But it's OK, that's why I'm here to stop the madness!

...

Enter stage left Roger Clemens, who allegedly had a 10-year fling with country star Mindy McCready.

A player with an extra-marital affair - no way!

What's newsworthy about this story is that the affair began when McCready was a 15-year-old aspiring country singer.

What's kinda sad is that no one ran with this story until the Associated Press ran with it. Again, shame.

Because it's not like there's another public figure who likes 'em fresh off the playground.

...

And finally, an editorial.

My team's favorite General Managers have failed me (part one.)

That's right, failed.

Let's start with Jerry Angelo, who put together a productive draft, but really failed to add any difference makers (other than former Southern Illinois quarterback Nick Hill).

I know they needed offensive line help, but that could have been addressed in the second round. And instead of getting into every draft pick, I'll give you what I would have done in rounds 1 thru 5 (because the 7th round is a crap-shoot.)

ROUND 1: Chris Williams, OL, Vanderbilt Rashard Mendenhall, RB, Illinois

ROUND 2: Matt Forte, RB, Tulane DeSean Jackson, WR, California

ROUND 3: Earl Bennett, WR, Vanderbilt Jeremy Zuttah, OG, Rutgers

ROUND 3: Marcus Harrison, DT, Arkansas Chad Rinehart, OG, Northern Iowa

ROUND 4: Craig Steltz, S, LSU Red Bryant, DT, Texas A&M (run stuffer)

ROUND 5: Zack Bowman, CB, Nebraska Kellen Davis, TE, Michigan State

ROUND 5: Kellen Davis, TE, Michigan State Trae Williams, CB, South Florida

As you can see, I disagreed with almost every pick.

Mendenhall would have provided the Bears with the home run hitting running back this town has been desperate for since Neal Anderson (yes, I went there.)

DeSean Jackson would walk into Halas Hall and be the best receiver on the Bears, without a doubt.

Zuttah and Rinehart are versatile linemen that will be productive in the NFL. Bryant is described as a run-stuffer and if you saw what Adrian Peterson did to the Bears, you'd thank me for that pick.

And finally, in drafting Trae Williams, you would have been drafting Mike Jenkins light. So you're not talking much of a drop off.

To add salt to the wound, the Bears passed on my favorite players that would have totally helped the team.

Mike Hart, RB, Michigan would have been nice -- and will likely have a better career than Matt Forte, Joseph Forte or even ESPN personality, Pat Forde.

Mario Manningham, WR, Michigan would walk into Halas Hall and be the best receiver on the Bears without even haven taken one NFL snap. But you can say that about almost every wideout in the year's draft.

Nick Hill, QB, Southern Illinois was thankfully signed to a three-year deal after the draft concluded. Go! Nick! Go!

Cubs in 1st. Pujols at 2nd. Who's on third?

2008-04-22T20:35:00.000-07:00

Today was a strange day in Midwest baseball.

The Chicago Cubs extended their NL Central Division lead over the St. Louis Cardinals to 1.5 games with the combination of the Cubs' win against the New York Mets and the Cardinals' extra-inning loss against the Milwaukee Brewers.

The Cubs have been on a scoring spree lately. The North Siders have scored 41 runs in their last five games, all wins.

Manager Lou Piniella is getting contributions from all 25 guys. Derrek Lee is playing like the MVP candidate he was in 2005. Ronny Cedeno is playing out of his mind, showing flashes of the player that posted a .900 OPS in what would amount to a full season at triple-A.

Carlos Zambrano is pitching much better this April (compared to last year) and the bullpen duo of Carlos Marmol and Kerry Wood are looking good out of the pen.

And even though the Cubs apparently missed an opportunity to acquire Mets ace Johan Santana, the Cubs are playing like they are the team to beat in the National League.

More on Johan in tomorrow's blog.

On second thought, I'm not sure why I'm even writing this. They're gonna screw it up in the end. Right, Marty?

As for Cardinals superstar Albert Pujols playing second base, it shows me that Tony LaRussa is dumb! Absolutely dumb!

Pujols has never played a professional game at second base, and even though it didn't cause the Cards the game ... LaRussa f*cking around with new infield combinations is dumb.

The smart move would have been putting Pujols at third base (where he's played before), Troy Glaus at shortstop (where he's played before) and Yadier Molina at first base (where he's played more than Jason LaRue who ended up at first).

Speaking of first baseman, Prince Fielder is totally not living up to his name. His power numbers are down and short-arming the scoop on what would have been a game-ending double play cost Eric Gagne another blown save.

Erin Andrews Watch:

This isn't breaking news, but I am in love with ESPN sideline reporter Erin Andrews. As for the pseudo breaking news: this will likely be a regular feature.

Today on The Watch, EA gets an opportunity to pen an article in Men's Health magazine about what she wants in a man.

Long story short, she wants me.

End of story.

Enjoy the rest of your day!

A note about your picture of the day:

From the left, it's starting pitcher Ted Lilly, utility man Mark DeRosa and closer
Kerry Wood. Awful Announcing has their create a caption thing and the winners were good, but click the picture to see which captions were good enough to win.

Step One: The Takeover

2008-04-17T19:17:00.000-07:00

First things first: your video of the day ... which is a day late and $81,000 short ... my guy PacMan!

Now, for your regularly scheduled programming:

As I said in this blog, whoever can conquer the recruiting mountain known as Chicago can and will take the mantra of best school in the state of Illinois.

By signing Ryan Hare, Southern Illinois is one step closer to that mantra.

Hare officially signed his letter of intent today and will join a stellar recruiting class which includes two of Missouri's top players, Anthony Booker and Torres Roundtree, and Illinois Mr. Basketball Kevin Dillard.

Hare fills one of two available scholarships after freshman Brandon Wood and sophomore Jordan Armstrong asked for, and were granted their release from their commitments.

In the linked release, Saluki coach Chris Lowery notes the importance of keeping tabs on in-state players.

"We want to make sure we protect and not let the best players get out of Illinois," Lowery said.

DING! DING! DING! Weeeeeeee have a winner!!!!!!

For a while there, I was scared, but it's evident that Coach Lowery gets it! If Lowery can succeed where every other coach in this state has failed in recent years, SIU will shed the label of "the next Gonzaga" and in fact be better than the Bulldogs!

Yeah, I said it, call me out on it. Want proof, here it is!

Illinois' Bruce Weber is a great coach, in fact, he might be the best X's and O's coach in all of college basketball. However, Weber is known for coaching up lesser talent and getting the best out of "average" players.

DePaul used to get the top Chicago kids, like when Bobby Simmons, Quentin Richardson and Lance Williams all came out at once. But those teams are long gone, and you can blame former coach Pat Kennedy for that.

See, Kennedy decided he would give a scholarship to King point guard Imari Sawyer -- who at the time was a badass PG, but was suspect off the court and in the classroom. Kennedy should have given the scholly to a kid from Richards named Dwyane Wade, who actually wanted to come to DePaul.

Sawyer dropped out early in his college career, and Wade is star in the NBA. Who would you rather have as a recruiting tool?

Northwestern, ha! I don't know if they'll ever field a decent basketball team as long as Bill Carmody is running the show for the Wildcats.

The rest of the in-state schools (Bradley, Illinois State, Northern, Western, etc.) get average-to-good players ... but no one as good as a guy like Dillard, or heck, even a guy like Justin Bocot who is waiting in the wings as long as he gets his grades in order.

However, I won't get too excited. I want to see if C-Lo can continue this positive start.

In other news...

Maybe I should stop this blogging business right now, because down the line I don't want to get fired because of it.

Tyreke Evans is bad news, I don't care how good of a basketball player he is. Guys like him shouldn't be given a full-ride to college. Hopefully the kid will turn his life around (I doubt it since he'll be under the scumbag known as John Calipari.)

And finally, Fire Joe Morgan (which has no agenda against JM) at its best!

Which pro athlete do you want to party with?

2008-04-16T20:45:00.000-07:00

While doing today's daily web searching, I stumbled across this picture at Deadspin of Golden State Warriors star Stephen Jackson drinking vodka, Dana Jacobsen style.

So, instead of running away from the issue, I've decided to embrace it. Which professional athletes would you like to party with? Here is my fave four.

Adam 'Pac Man' Jones. Pac Man is the clear-cut No. 1 on my list. Anyone who enjoys making it rain (to the tune of $81,000 no less) can be my wingman at the club any day.
Tank Johnson, NFL. Since Pac Man is bringing the cash, we're going to need some protection. Enter stage left the former Bears defensive lineman, who definitely stays strapped.
Matt Leinart. Now that we've got money and protection, we need some girls and there's no one I'd rather turn to than the Arizona Cardinals QB, who is still living out his college dreams, two years after leaving USC.
Mark Grace. OK, we've got money, protection and pretty girls, but now we need the final element -- more girls! The former Chicago Cubs first baseman made a career out of making Gold Glove plays, knocking doubles, and pulling drunk chicks in Wrilgeyville (which is my second favorite past-time behind making it rain.) Grace is credited with creating the term "slumpbuster."

After taking all of this into consideration, there is only one person I want to party with ... her name is Erin Andrews.

In fact, I had my opportunity with her ... she was my Valentine. :-)

I'll admit, I'm bordering an unhealthy obsession with blonde beauty from ESPN. She's perfect, absolutely perfect. She's cute, she loves sports (especially baseball) and she has a career. Erin Andrews is a woman! On top of that, she would be one of the few girls that would understand what it's like to be in the media --seeing that I am going to be the next great sports journalist.

Apparently, what makes EA weak in the knees is being in the presence of ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit.

What's even more notable is Andrews own admission that Kirk Herbstreit has a "Timberlake-like" following with college kids. She even says that while she was a spritely co-ed and wannabe sports reporter at the University of Florida, she got a little overwhelmed in the presence of Herbstreit's seductive aura: "My camera didn't work the first time I got a photo with Kirk Herbstreit and, oh my gosh, I'm freaking out..."

Let the record show, Herbie is an Ohio State ... sorry ... a graduate of THE Ohio State University and an all-around douschebag. If it's not about the Buckeyes, it's not worth a damn in his eyes. I hate homers on ESPN (especially when they go against my favorite teams.)

Well, this post accomplished a lot. Mostly because it mentioned three of my favorite things in life:

Making it rain!
Erin Andrews
Drinking

If I wait a few hours, I'd mention another one of my favorite things, the Cubs (who are currently beating the Reds 10-1 in the top of the 5th).

That's all for now.

Apparently, I should have gone to USC

2008-04-15T16:35:00.000-07:00

Four years ago around this time, I made the biggest decision to date, signing my letter of intent, committing to Southern Illinois University. No, I don't play ball, but I do make it rain!

OK, all jokes aside, after doing my daily web searching, I've come to the conclusion that I should maybe have tried harder in high school so I could have gone to the University of Southern California.

Note: USC is one of the schools I will constantly mention when it comes to completing the sentence: I should have gone to _____ for college.

Ladies and gentleman, I present to you Exhibit A.

Hey, even the Beach Boys wished they could all be California girls -- especially if they looked like this. And even though it's a 50-50 breakdown of the student body, I like my chances with ditzy Cali girls.

And you know what the sad thing is? That because these girls are smokin' hot, they buried all of my other ideas for today's blog story. Instead, you'll get some blurbs:

This story might explain a lot. According to someone with too much time on their hands, "sex is for winners" and that there is a direct correlation between a fan's sexual performance and the performance of his team. If that's tough news for Cubs fans, I guess you could say Yankee fans might want to go get themselves checked out.

In a story I will likely expand about tomorrow, Dusty Baker is making his return to Chicago and the Cubs are looking forward to it. There is no truth to the rumor that Kerry Wood and Mark Prior were plotting to jump Baker as soon as he got off the bus, but according to my sources, Reds pitchers Johnny Cueto and Edison Volquez are scheduled to meet with Wood to exchange numbers.

My favorite story of the day is Dodgers GM Ned Colletti is jumping on the blogging bandwagon. Colletti allowed bloggers to come and cover the team, following in the footsteps of my idol Mark Cuban. Hopefully when Cuban buys the Cubs, he will carry that policy over and allow me to cover the Cubs.

That's all for now. I can't wait 'til tomorrow. Hopefully I have some good stuff about signing day for the SIU men's basketball team, some good news from the SIU women's golf team and maybe (just maybe) some Dusty Baker insight.

Enjoy your Tuesday afternoon.

"Ala is coming..."

2008-04-14T23:40:00.000-07:00

UPDATE: Ala is NOT coming. Sorry, there goes the fun that will go with that name!

WARNING: This blog is highly sarcastic and full of smart-alack remarks. Reader discretion is advised.

Before I get into the seriousness, how about some irresponsible and almost racially insensitive.

Allah is coming to save the Southern Illinois basketball team. He said his mission here is to defeat the infidels (I think he is talking about Creighton) or anyone that is trying to enforce their heavily biased views on Saluki Nation (I think he's talking about ESPN.)

Alright, now for the seriousness.

Wednesday is the second coming of National Signing Day, and the Salukis will apparently be busy. The Dawgs already got a verbal commitment from Marshall (Chicago) guard Ryan Hare, and might be pulling a 6-foot-5 kid named Frank Henry-Ala, a JUCO transfer with tremendous athletic ability and a 7-foot wingspan.

So yeah, that's where I got the whole "Allah" thing...not to offend anyone...but I wanted to do it in a playful, joking way. Seriously, you can't get mad, especially when fools at this site refer to Kyle Cassity as Jesus Christ, in a 70-page thread no less.

Yes, the same Kyle Cassity that dominated southern Illinois basketball teams like no one has since - dare I say? - Kent Williams!!!???

No one will be Kid Kent, ever. I only saw the guy a handful of times, like when the Dawgs were in the NCAA Tourney, but he's one of the best in school history, without a doubt.

Besides, I think good ol' No. 33 would have found a way to get into the scoring column in a game between the best of Missouri and Illinois.

Now, allow me to get off my high horse and back to the program.

With two potential signees, that means that someone has to go. The rumor-mill has been whirling, saying guard Brandon Wood and forward Jordan Armstrong were leaving the team with the possibility that 6-foot-7 swingman Christian Cornelius might be on his way out too.

But wait there's more.

There's a chance that ~~Tyler~~ Ben Hansbrough could come to SIU as a transfer from Mississippi State. The 6-3 guard could give the Salukis a zone buster who might flourish at a "mid major" school...and he'll be closer to home (which is rumored to be the reason he is considering SIU). But he wouldn't be a factor until the 2009-10 season because of transfer rules.

But only time will tell. In fact, we'll find out Wednesday. Personally, I can't wait!

The Futures Market

2008-04-14T00:47:00.000-07:00

In a tale of two teams, which will have the better 2008?

Team A has:

Seven stars that are able to carry teams to victory
An award winning manager/coach known for his motivational skills
A fan base thirsty for another year of success.

Team B has:

A bevy of incoming young talent
An award winning/manager/coach known for his motivational skills
A fan base thirsty for another year of success

Basically you have the classic argument of proven talent versus potential. As for the teams: your 2008 Chicago Cubs and your 2008 Southern Illinois Salukis men's basketball team.

Cubs manager Lou Piniella has one of the most talented squads in the National League, evidenced by the former and future All-Stars that are up and down his line-up such as Alfonso Soriano, Derrek Lee, Aramis Ramirez, Geovany Soto and Kosuke Fukudome.

Oh, and you can't forget pitchers such as Carlos Zambrano, Kerry Wood, Ryan Dempster (yes, he was an All-Star with the Florida Marlins) and Carlos Marmol.

The Cubs have the talent to run away with the NL Central and hide. But they're the Cubs, so you know they'll make it interesting.

If they win, it will be because of the aforementioned talent. If they lose, it will be because of the lack of production out of center field and shortstop - the two positions the Cubs ignored as they tried to acquire second baseman Brian Roberts.

As for the Salukis, they will open 2008 hungry as ever after missing their first NCAA Tournament since 2001.

Coach Chris Lowery has a highly touted recruiting class coming in to Carbondale, which just might be enough to make up for the depatures of forwards Matt Shaw, Randal Falker, and guard Tyrone Green.

The Egyptian Hunting Dawgs are bringing in some of the best talent in the Midwest, including the best player in Illinois, point guard Kevin Dillard, and two of the best talents in Missouri, guard Torres Roundtree and four-star power forward Anthony Booker.

Joining Booker, Roundtree and Dillard is guard Ryan Hare, another Illinois All-State performer, from Chicago's Marshall High School.

Oh, and I can't forget about combo guard Justin Bocot. The slender lefty sat out last year, but has apparently stepped it up in the classroom to the point where he just might join in on the fun.

The Salukis biggest addition might have come not on the court, but on the sidelines. Former Saluki star Tony Young joins C-Lo's staff as a graduate assistant, while reports have Southern Methodist assistant coach Lance Irvin jumping on board as well.

Irvin is reportedly best known for his ability to recruit Chicagoland talent. If SIU can corner the market on "Chi-town's finest" and the best from "The Lou," the Salukis will be the best team in the state, hands down!

In either case, both of my teams should be fun to watch in 2008 (and beyond)

Oh yeah, and this guy is coming back for the Dawgs:

Oh and he did this to a National Champion:

Now, that's what I call good marketing!

2008-04-10T12:50:00.000-07:00

I'm not a big NASCAR fan, and for good reason. It doesn't appeal to me, at all. I know I'm stereotyping here, but it's a bunch of southern white guys driving cars in circles at high speeds.

I'm a guy...but I'm from Chicago and I'm Puerto Rican. So yeah, it doesn't appeal to my demographic. However, this does appeal to my demographic, fo sho!

A hot brunette in a blue bikini, go figure. And hey check out the background of the picture. If you look closely, you might be able to spot a couple of black guys.

Once again, proving that you can get me to do anything if you bribe me with a pretty girl.

While I'm on my soap box, let the record show that college is NOT LIKE THIS AT ALL!

Well, not at Southern Illinois at least.

And I'm not knocking SIU girls, because everyone knows Saluki girls know how to party. But had this list come out when I was a senior in high school (or anytime for that matter) I probably would have studied harder (and based my choices off which school had the hottest chicks, instead of the school that had everything I wanted in life).

Here's 1 thru 10 ... as for the schools I would have theoretically considered:

The University of Illinois was never on my radar, but after seeing these pics, maybe they should have been. I always thought U of I was a school that charged Ivy League prices for a Big 10 education. And the Frightened Illini stole Bruce Weber and won't play SIU!
Mizzou has always had a real good school of journalism, and everyone knows that's one of my top priorities. Another one of my top priorities, hot chicks! Too bad they probably have a lot of Cardinal fans. BOO!!!!
Indiana provides another top-notch school of journalism, and lots of cute girls. Dumb, but cute by all accounts.
Another Big 10 school makes my list, it's Michigan. Good law school, and yes, I wanted to go into law because I wanted to be the next Jerry Maguire when I was a kid. If I ended up as a famous sports agent, I could probably land girls like these.
Yeah, I'd consider Dook if I had endless amounts of money and wanted to go to medical school. I figure I have a chance with these chicks, I hear that their basketball team is a bunch of bitches!
The list begins with the University of North Carolina! Top-notch journalism school, famous alumni, great hoops squad (even though Kansas beat the Tar out of the Heels), Franklin St. (think the Strip in Carbondale but better) and oh yeah, BEAUTIFUL WOMEN! :-)
I probably should have put more stock into UNLV, especially when taking into consideration I travel there nearly every year. If the dorms were set up like the MGM Grand, I'd be getting straight-A's and be in the black. Oh, I almost forgot about the girls.
I probably should have also taken a closer look at Wisconsin, especially because of their party skills and obvious talent. And Madison is one of Chicago's most northern suburbs. Proximity is key.
And finally LSU. Let's take an objective look at the storyline of "Luis likes hot, blonde, southern chicks who talk with a twang." Ready? OK! They're hot (check). They're blonde (doesn't matter...blonde, brunette, redhead...check!). Oh and they can cook (BONUS POINT!) And the kicker...Mardi Gras. 'Nuff said. P.S. I have no clue what this school has to offer other than a good football team and hot chicks!

Dempster Diving

2008-04-09T22:11:00.000-07:00

I'll be honest, I've never really been a fan of Chicago Cubs pitcher Ryan Dempster.

WHY?

He's from Canada.
He made me nervous whenever he pitched the 9th inning.
I don't funny, but this one serious comment put him in my semi-good graces.

I used to joke that the Cubs moved Dempster to the rotation so when he gave up a bunch of runs in his first inning of work, the Cubs would have an entire game to recover.

After two starts, it looks like the joke is on me

With that said, Ryan Dempster is slowly, but surely gaining praise from me. How about this line for good ol' #46 in tonight's game against the Pirates:

7 IP 1 H 0 R 5 K 2 BB (ND)

Yeah, it's against the Pirates, but I'm still a little excited. His ERA stands at 0.69, and I know it won't stay there all year, but wouldn't it be great if it did?

Lest we forget he was an All-Star for the Florida Marlins in 2000, when he went 14-10 with a 3.66 ERA.

And yes, I realize the irony of Kerry Wood blowing the save in a game where Dempster, the former closer, delivered a quality start.

I'd be happy if he went 12-12 with a 4.00 ERA. Give me some league average No. 5 starter numbers and I'd be happy.

Tonight's You Tube video comes to you courtesy of Taiwanese baseball:

Translation: Lou Piniella, you ain't got sh!t on me!

"Rock. Chalk. Championship!"

2008-04-08T19:52:00.000-07:00

Kansas' 75-68 victory against Memphis in the national title game was one of the best I've ever seen. The Jayhawks' stifling defense, Derrick Rose's spectacular second-half play and Memphis' inevitable collapse at the free-throw line combined to make one helluva storybook finish.

But where do we go now? There are so many questions to be asked, thankfully, there is plenty of time to answer them. 'Til then, I'll answer my own three burning questions.

Where does Bill Self end up? Coach Self obviously gives a sh!t about Oklahoma State, or he would flat out tell the Cowboys and their billionaire alumni to shove it and find another coach. Instead, the rumor mill is a-runnin' wild with scenarios where Self ends up in Stillwater leaving his so-called "dream job" days after a national title. A move like that could set up another chain reaction like in 2003 that saw KU, UNC, Illinois and Southern Illinois swap coaches in one way or another.
Can the Tar Heels make the next step? I'm not the only one who believes that UNC will enter the 2008-09 season as the No. 1 team in the country. Not only will the Heels return everyone except back-up point guard Quentin Thomas, they will also welcome three Top-100 recruits. UCONN, UCLA, USC and Florida round out the rest of my early pre-season Top-5.
What about the Dawgs? An 18-win season is considered a disappointment in Saluki country, but an improvement is just beyond the horizon (especially if they can retain coach Chris Lowery.) SIU brings in a top-notch recruiting class including the best player in Illinois (point guard Kevin Dillard) and two of the best players in the Show-Me State (power forward Anthony Booker and shooting guard Torres Roundtree). The Salukis also have untapped potential in guards Brandon Wood and Justin Bocot, along with the possibility of adding a transfer student (can anyone say Ben Hansbrough???)

And finally, the best part of the tourney is 'One Shining Moment'..no ifs ands or buts about it!

Welcome, humble readers

2008-04-07T18:14:00.000-07:00

Hey I'm back in the blogosphere with a new attitude and a new blog.

Between school, working for the Daily Egyptian and losing my editing tools, I haven't been able to blog in a long time. And since I realized that my old blog was just...well getting better (but still on the bad side)...I thought now was a good time to start a new blog.

I've got lots on my mind and this blog is i. Expect more focused blogs, better sports coverage, and actual blogging. I know I've said this before but really, expect it to happen.

My goal in this blog is to combine the best of my favorite blogs into this blog. So you'll see a little bit of...

and features such as...

oh and the reason blogs were created...

to be an online journal!

'til we meet again, consider this an introduction to the my new blog.