Interesting Behind the Scenes Look at the Winter Meetings

Thanks to Jeremy Dombro for sharing this video....

http://hirejimessian.com/2008/12/07/winter-meetings-preview/

One Last Bears Rant

Busy holiday season and I didn't have a lot of time to come out here. Thanks to Dwarf for putting some new content out here. So I'm going to take one last time to rip the 2008 Bears here, just cause they deserve it. Lovie's bunch goes into their "one game" season last Sunday with one objective. It's a MUST WIN situation against a team that really has nothing but pride to play for. The Bears needed a lot of help to advance, but that should have had no bearing on the game plan. No bearing because without a win, they are spectators for the postseason anyway. They went out last Sunday proved how BAD they are. They get the help, but can't take care of business. Why am I not surprised?

So what happened? A lot of things happened and were magnified against the Texans in Houston. The defense isn't nearly as good as they think they are. The secondary can't cover a big time receiver like Andre Johnson. The defensive line is incapable of putting consistent pressure on a quarterback, or contain a running game. Oh they stopped the run against Tennessee, but ended up making Kerry Collins look like Peyton Manning. Other then that, the defense isn't bad. While were at it let's dump "Lovie" Babich, our very over rated defensive coordinator.

Now that high powered offense.....how bout them? If I hear one more person say that they would have been better if they had some legit receivers, I'll puke. I think we're all in agreement that their weak at that position, but it's not much different then what was there last year and all we heard about was how bad Rex was. Well guess what....Kyle isn't much better. I'll give you the fact that the receivers are bad. You got Davis who has no hands, Lloyd who has no heart, Booker who has no clue and Hester who has no experience. Couple that with a quarterback who can't throw more then 30 yards in the air and there isn't much hope for this team. Let me not forget the most clueless head coach in the NFL. Lovie would win an Oscar for best look of bewilderment if there were an award for that.

Let me give some credit, where credit is due. The Bears do have hope at some positions. Matt Forte looks like the real deal and made us all forget that huge waste of humanity Cedric Benson. The kicking game is solid with Robbie Gould and Brad Maynard. I actually thought Maynard may have been the teams MVP this year. The tight ends are pretty solid with Greg Olson and Des Clark anchoring that position. In reality the Bears could compete if there were some changes made for next year. They do play in the worst division in the NFC, so there is some hope. The question......will any progress made during the off season survive the bewilderment of Lovie Smith? Only time will tell. Rest in peace 2008 Bears, I won't miss you at all.

Commit to the Indian

This was sent to me by a fellow hockey fan. I thought I'd pass it along. Thanks Richie for sharing this.....
. . . .
In the middle of a grueling six game road trip where a very young hockey
team is away from home, the third game of the trip ends late on a cold
Canadian Saturday night. This is the only break on the trip and the three
days between games allow them the only break to get back home in their own
beds for a couple of days before going back on the road. A scheduled
commercial flight waits for them at Toronto's International Airport for the
short flight home; they could be home by midnight. This plane departs on
schedule, but without a single member of the hockey team.
Back in the locker room a vote was taken after the game was complete, and a
unanimous decision was made by this young team to skip this flight and stay
one more day. They make arrangements to check back in the hotel and on a
frozen Sunday morning charter two buses that have no heat and begin a
journey two hours straight north into a sparsely inhabited Canada, where
hockey is its passion. They arrive at their destination to the surprise of
the team's general manager who is there attending his father's wake.
After a few emotional hours, this team boards the buses and heads back on
the two-hour trip back to Toronto. On the way they ask the drivers to stop
in a tiny Canadian town because they are hungry. To the shock of the
patrons and workers at this small hockey town McDonald's, a professional
team walks out of two rickety buses and into the restaurant, which just
happens to have pictures of two members of this team on its wall.
The patrons know every single one of these players by sight, being fanatic
fans of hockey in these parts. One can only imagine the amazement of the
locals seeing an entire professional hockey team sit down and have a meal
in their tiny little town in the middle of a hockey season. After a while
they board the buses and catch their same flight 24 hours later, giving one
day to their general manager.
Have I made this up, is this an excerpt from some fictional book? No this a
true story of the Blackhawks on the night they decided to attend Dale
Tallon's father's funeral. It's amazing that such a good story can be
found almost nowhere on the internet, and not even mentioned in the Chicago
papers. Had one of the Blackhawks got into a fight and punched some
drunken loser in a Toronto bar it would be plastered all over papers and
the television.
This being said, its hard to imagine any professional football, basketball
or baseball team doing this, but the members of the Blackhawks claim any
hockey team would have done this, and I believe that to be true. This is
one reason I continue to be a big hockey fan, and another reason I am
excited about this Chicago team.
I thought I would share as this story appears to have gone mostly

As I watch the Bears slowly fall apart, I came upon the following article which was on Ed Sherman's Blog from Crain's. Perhaps the Cubs should field their marketing staff as they appear to have something closer to a killer instinct than Zombrano, Lee and Ramirez had in the last six playoff games. The Cubs seem to be employing the same advisers that told Blagojevich that the Senate seat was worth something. Cubs players complain that fans are no longer lovable. Could it be that as fans keep getting squeezed so they expect a win at every home game. This is NOTHING more than adding a $20 charge to all the other fees that fans pay when they purchase a ticket. Will the ticket brokers have the homeless sign up for the Cubs Club just as they have them wait in line for the first day single game tickets go on sale? This is on top of the Cubs raising single game tickets over the winter. With Toyota forecasting its first operating loss in 70 years, troubles in Detroit and numerous stories of consumers not spending as much this year, you have to wonder if all professional sports will see a slow down in 2009. This is not just directed at the Cubs but will many franchises see a slow down in '09. I hope Cub fans enjoy the oppurtunity to pay $249 to get a Cubs Club bumper sticker.



New Cubs Club sure to pack them in

New Cubs Club sure to pack them in
Posted by Ed Sherman at 12/22/2008 7:50 AM CST on Chicago Business
The Cubs have found another way to tap into the insatiable demand to be part of everything at Clark and Addison.
The new revenue stream is a repackaging of their on-line fan club, Cubs Club. Among the goodies for joining are a membership card, Cubs sticker, exclusive e-mails and web content.
And oh yes, there's one more thing: the ability to purchase seats for premium games before they go on sale.
Ding, ding, ding.
Every year in February, you see pictures of crazy fans lined up around Wrigley Field nervously waiting for the ticket windows to open for single-game sales. Now the Cubs are offering those fans a way to beat the cold.
For a fee of $249, the Cubs Club Marquee level gives the member a chance to purchase up to 12 tickets in a special Marquee level pre-sale.
For $129, the Cubs Club Ivy Membership levels allow fans to purchase up to four seats in a special Ivy pre-sale.
Do you think there might be a few fans who will sign up for the first crack at tickets for the White Sox and St. Louis games? It sure beats freezing your tail off or paying premium prices for a ticket broker.
The Cubs easily could sell out their entire season with an unlimited Cubs Club membership, but they are going to set limits to ensure tickets still are available to the general public. Matthew Wszolek, Cubs director for sales and promotions, said the cap would be from 4,000 to 5,000 members at the Ivy and Marquee levels.
"We're not talking about just games in April," Mr. Wszolek said. "You can get a Cubs-Sox ticket through Cubs Club. The value on that alone is considerable."
Yes, it is. It isn't difficult to imagine a number of Cubs Club members will be ticket brokers and/or fans looking to sell tickets to premium games to those brokers and make a quick profit.
"We're aware that possibility exists, but we truly feel this is something that Cubs fans desire, and it's an opportunity we want to provide," Mr. Wszolek said.
There is a cheaper option to join the club if buying tickets isn't a priority. For $19.95, you could receive the standard membership that includes the e-mails and other stuff.
At $129, in addition to being able to buy tickets in advance, Ivy members will have a special gate entrance at Wrigley Field.
If you go for the whole enchilada at $249, you'll get all the goodies plus a special non-game, on-field event for all Marquee members.
"We continuously heard from the fan base, I want as much Cubs content and information as possible," Mr. Wszolek said. "They're looking for more things to be associated with the team. We weren't doing that well enough. We want to give people more access."
Access to those ticket pre-sales will be the big driver here. It should ensure Cubs Club always will be full.

Bears Fall to.500 in Lovie Smith's 6 Game Season

Two weeks ago Lovie Smith tried a new brand of BS by looking at the remainder of the year as a 6 game season. As bad as the division is, a 4 -2 record in his 6 game season puts the Bears at 10 - 6 overall. In the NFC North, that could easily win the division. After an impressive win against one of the worst teams in football last week, things were looking up. Looking up until last night, when they were embarrassed by the Vikings in Minnesota. Once again the Bears proved they can't stop Adrian Peterson. Kyle Orton is showing all the signs of mediocrity that I thought he was capable of. The Bears secondary showed that they can give up 99 yards in one play after the Bear offense failed to gain 1 yard in four.

If there was ever a time to clean house at Halas Hall it will be after the final snap of game 16 this year. There's no need to worry about playoff tickets this year folks. The only playoff football the Bears will see, is from their LazyBoys. Apparently Ron Rivera was better then a lot of people gave him credit for. The Bear defense was still feared when he was in charge. The offense would be the laughing stock of the NFL if it weren't for rookie Matt Forte, who makes them look at least creditable each week. A bunch of bad receivers with a 'puss arm' quarterback is what we have to look forward to in the final four games of Lovies 6 game season.

Speaking of Lovie, I have to say I am amazed every week watching him on the sidelines. Talk about a robot for a coach. He could be up by 20 or down by 30 and it's the same hypnotic look on his face. When his coaching career is over, he should get on the World Poker tour. Nobody's going to be able to read him. Aces full or 4 - 7 off suit and it's the same look from the Lovemeister. He stands on the sideline listening to Beyonce or ordering extra pizza for after the game through that headset. You can't convince me that he's getting any kind of football information through there. So it's Jacksonville, New Orleans, Green Bay and Houston for the final four. Does anybody see 3 more wins in there, cause I sure don't. So as an end of season gift, let's all pitch in and get Lovie a new CD for next season. Something that might change the expression on his face.

Hatfield Hotdog Launcher Documentary

With Thanksgiving upon us, I think it is time to appreciate the technology that we now all benefit from. The following YouTube video, I think all the kids like the YouTube, is dedicated to the invention of the Hatfield Hotdog Launcher. The Launcher is used at Philadelphia Phillies games to launch encased meats into the stands at Citizens Bank Park. Is it coincidence that the Phillies’s are the current World Series Champion and at the same time possess hot dog launching technology? I think Chicago would greatly benefit from this type of technology. Instead of worrying about goats or signing the latest Cuban, I ask both of Chicago’s teams to come together to develop this jointly. Perhaps the launcher can be used to reach the roof tops across from Wrigley?

I enjoyed the video. What about you?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aW-ljrm7a6g

Finally.....a Team Worse Then the Bears

The Bears finally found a team worse then them. Don't be fooled by the mirage Bears fans, the team isn't "back" by any means. They just found a team that made them look half way decent. This is the same defense that couldn't stop the potent arm of Kerry Collins two weeks ago. That's right Kerry Collins. Doesn't exactly strike the fear of God in you does it? So they knock Mark Bulger out of the game on the first series and get a rusty Trent Green with an offensive line that that couldn't block for St. Lawrence high school.


I did see affirmation of a few things during this game. I do believe Matt Forte is a stud who will be a force to be reckoned with in the future. The Bears have totally messed up Devin Hester. He is not getting it done at wide receiver and I think his mind is messed up on returns. The one thing that he was REALLY good at and they mess with his head. Once again, Kyle Orton has proved that he is nothing more then a mediocre quarterback at best.


So Lovie Smith's team is undefeated in their new 6 game season. I wouldn't get to excited for the remainder of that 6 game season. Although they don't have a very tough schedule remaining, they don't have anybody quite as bad as the Rams. They'll have their hands full trying to stop Adrian Peterson next week, which they haven't done very well in the past. It's going to be a long rest of the season...even if it is only 5 more!

A Few Days Off and so Much Happened

Well, I've been pretty busy lately and haven't had a chance to post anything new. So much has happened in the week and a half. Let's take a look back and recap some of that news.

Hendry gets another four

Kerry Wood is no more

The Hawks retire number three

Pilote and Maggie make history

The Bulls rally against the Mavs

Then fall on their face against the Cavs

The Sox get rid of Swish

And look for a reliever who can pitch

Orton brings the Bears no luck

And that's because they REALLY suck

In addition to the Cubs bidding farewell to Kerry Wood and locking Jim Hendry up for another 4 years, they also inked Ryan Dempster for another 4 years. It's a little scary since Demp has only had one good year. For the sake of the Cubs, they better hope '08 was a breakout season. He did seem to find his stride as a starter. He definitely was not cut out to be a closer.

So the Nick Swisher era was as memorable as the Mark Bradley era. Maybe that's an unfair comparison. Swisher's personality made him pretty high profile, whereas Bradley was invisible with the Bears. It's just a shame that the Sox had to give up young talent for a guy that didn't pan out. Maybe one of those Yankee prospects will surprise everybody or Wilson Betimet will make unbelievable contributions in 2009. I have a feeling Kenny Williams is just getting warmed up as far as making changes is concerned.

The Hawks have hit a bit of a slump and have been kind of inconsistent as of late. Seems when they get solid goaltending they can't score. When they get the offense going they don't get the solid effort on defense. If they can get a little consistency going their going to be an exciting team the rest of the season.
It was nice to see them recognize both Pierre Pilote and Keith Magnason. It's a shame Maggie couldn't have seen it in person. I was lucky enough to see both play and they were both fun to watch, for very different reasons. Pilote was a small guy but a very talented player. Could move the puck well and until Bobby Orr came along, actually held the single season record for points by a defenseman. He wasn't afraid to drop the gloves with anybody and was capable of delivering a big hit.
Keith Magnason was quite different. Not the most talented guy in the world, but had the heart of a lion. Not a great puck handler or skater for that matter, but boy oh boy could he hit. Not just throwing his body around, but he never backed down from anybody. He was the policeman of his era for the Hawks. Nobody got away with picking on any of Maggies teammates without having to answer to Maggie. He may not have won many of his fights, but anybody that chose to tangle with him left knowing he was in a fight. Kudos to the Hawks for recognizing the achievements of these to former team captains.

The Bulls have been similar to the Hawks. They have a great comeback win against a team like the Mavericks and are only mediocre the next game. Lots of work left to be done with that team.

The Bears just continue to erode into one of the worst teams in the NFL. In my opinion, it's time for wholesale changes in the coaching staff. They ALL need to go starting with Lovie. There is no fire on the sideline and even less on the field. To many of these guys are suffering from heavy pockets. Hester, Urlacher, Briggs, Harris all get big money and combined, have yet to make a difference. The QB position is awful and the receivers are just as bad. Brandon Lloyd can take his show somewhere else next year. The sad part about it is that they still have a chance to win their division. How bad is that? There's a chance that a .500 record could win that division.

OK, enough for now. Hopefully my schedule slows up a bit and I can get back to some more interesting stuff....

More Bears Rant!!!

Another Sunday and another disappointing performance by the "Munsters of the Midway".....that's right Munsters. I know the defense played stellar against the run, but on the flip side, I think I could have completed 5 passes against them. The pass rush was horrific and the pass coverage was just as bad. How in the world can you keep letting teams convert 3rd and long and expect to be successful? The answer to that is pretty simple.....NOT TO OFTEN.

It's easy to point to Grossman and say he was terrible and that's why they lost, but truth be told, that's not the reason. I don't think it matters who's behind center right now. If you let a team that prides itself on the running game, turn around at halftime and turn a mediocre quarterback into the next coming of Bart Starr, your going to fail every time.

Another observation....is it just me or does Lovie Smith look like he's listening to an iPod instead of watching what's transpiring on the field? I'd like to see a little emotion every once in a while from a head coach. I'm still an "old school" type of guy who wants a little fire from the guys running the show on the sidelines. Give me a Mike Ditka, Jack Del Rio or Mike Singletary any day over a Dick Jauron or Lovie Smith. OK, now that my blood pressure is elevated, I better quit. Hey at least the Hawks are playing better!!!

Some Baseball "Hot Stove" Talk

OK...so we're just a week or so removed from the World Series and only half way through the NFL season, but it's never to early to start stoking the fire with baseball talk. There's a million scenarios floating around this time of year, but let's talk about the latest on Jake Peavy. It's almost guaranteed that the Padres are going to move him this off season. Right now the rumored most likely candidates are the Dodgers, Braves and the Cubs. It's unlikely he ends up in L.A. unless there's some sort of 3 way deal struck. Most teams don't like trading with division rivals. That leaves the Cubs and Braves as the top two. Peavy also has a clause in his contract that prevents the Padres from trading him to 14 teams. This straightens the Cubs and Braves position and may add the Cardinals as a sleeper. Most analysts don't think the Cubs have enough young talent to land Peavy. I'm thinking that it may not be all about talent as much as it is cost cutting by the Padres. Threes rumors that the owner is going through a messy divorce and may not want the team to be quite as valuable when settlement time comes.

So here's a scenario that could make sense from both a financial standpoint and maybe save face for the Padres as well. The Cubs send Fukudome, and two or three high end prospects (either Pie, Rich Hill , Angel Guzman or Sean Marshall) to the Padres for Peavy and Kahlil Greene. Sounds far fetched doesn't it? Maybe not as far fetched as you might think and here's why. Fukodome is signed through 2011 and owed $38 million. Peavy has an $8 million option for 09 and then $52 million guaranteed through 2011. The Padres aren't going to let him walk for free. He's way to marketable. They have to pick up the option, meaning they are into him for $60 million through 2011. Greene is only signed through 09 for $6.5 million. San Diego in essence sheds $28.5 million and comes away with some talented young players and one huge gamble in Fuludome. On the other hand Greene has been somewhat of a gamble for them already, so it may be a wash in that regard.

This would afford the Cubs a 1 year audition of Greene at shortstop. Greene is only a .248 lifetime hitter, but in his only full season, he hit 27 homers and drove in 97 runs. That's pretty potent power numbers for a shortstop. It would give the Cubs the opportunity to move Theriot to 2B and DeRosa could play right. Salary wise, there's a lot of questions about Dempster walking and maybe even Kerry Wood. Peavy would be insurance if Dempster did leave, and even if he doesn't who wouldn't want a former Cy Young winner who's only going to be 28 years old just after the season starts next year. The Cubs will also recoup a little over $9 million in salary after 09 when Marquis contract is done.

Who knows if any of this will happen or is even considered, but it sure is fun to play GM during the off season!!!

Down Goes Orton.....Here Comes Rex

Just when Bears fans were falling in love with Kyle Orton, he goes down with what looks like a relatively serious injury. Early indications are that the Bears starting QB will miss at least a month with a severely sprained ankle. Welcome back Rex Grossman. Actually Rex did a pretty darn good job coming off the bench. He did throw one interception, but it was a deflection that wasn't his fault. If anything was disturbing, it was the Bear defense once again letting a team complete 3rd and long plays all day. The worst part, is that it was the NFL's 29th rated offense that was doing it. With a quarterback whose name most people can't even pronounce. Don't get me wrong, we'll take the win, but once again this team scares me. When they have to go up against a team with a proven quarterback, I think their in trouble. Two games left against Green Bay, who gave an undefeated Tennessee team all it coupled handle today, will be a big test.

Back to Rex for a minute. For a guy who hasn't played all year, I thought he manged the offense pretty well. We have to take into account it was the Lions, but if he had to come into a game cold, I'm glad it was against them. He'll have to work pretty hard this week to get ready for his first start since who knows when. Let's hope he can manage he can play as mistake free as Orton has the first half. If so, the NFC Central is still up for grabs.

Huet to the Rescue

Wow, what a performance by Cristobal Huet Saturday night in Columbus. The usually anemic Blue Jackets peppered the Hawk goaltender with 51 shots through 3 periods and a 5 minute overtime. Looking at the line score in Sunday's paper doesn't tell half the story. The Hawks were shorthanded 10 times, only yielding 1 power play goal. They were out shot more then 2 to 1, but Huet kept them in the game.

Not only was he stellar during regulation and overtime, but he shut down all three shooters in the shootout, including Columbus sharp shooter Rick Nash. It's not to often that a team is out shot that badly, shorthanded that often and comes out a winner. Kudos to Jonathon Toews, as he scored his third shootout goals in as many chances. None bigger then this one, since it iced a road victory (Finally!!!) for the Blackhawks. Talk about stealing a win.....this was it.

Is the C Putting To Much Pressure on Toews?

It's still early and there's a lot of hockey left to play, but Jonathon Toews is off to a slow start. I don't think there's reason to panic yet, but if the trend continues a lot of fans will start to wonder about the added pressure of being named captain. There's been a lot of pretty dynamic players who have worn the "C" for the Hawks over the years, but most of them were seasoned veterans when they were awarded the honor.

I think back to when I was a kid and Pierre Pilote was the first captain I remember. A three time Norris trophy winner who was small in size but huge in stature. Pat "Whitey" Stapelton was another small guy who was a Blackhawk captain for years. A quiet guy who led by example and a rock solid defenseman. A more recent favorite of mine was Dirk Graham. God old number 33 was always there for his teammates and was just a solid player. A grinder that could deliver the big hit as well as the big goal.

I think Jonathon Toews has a very promising future. He's playing on a team that has so much young talent, it's ridicules. These guys have a chance to develop into something special. A chance to bring hockey back to the forefront of Chicago sports. Back to the days when it was standing room only every night at the "Old Barn" on Madison. I only hope that young Jonathon Toews doesn't let that C distract him. He just needs to go out and play hockey like he knows how and he'll be fine. I'm looking forward to playoff hockey in Chicago again.

Mega Enhancements to the Blog - Give it a Test Drive

I did a lot of work on the blog over the weekend. Added some great news feeds for all the local professional teams. Just click on your favorite team on top left corner to get the latest scoop on whats up with them. There's added website links to both the pro and college teams. An ESPN news feed and a real time NHL score update. When you have a chance you really need to check out the video tributes to the Chicago Sports venues. They are pretty cool. So let me know what you think of the enhancements.....

Is Orton the Real Deal?

There's been a whole lot of "buzz" this past week about locking up Kyle Orton to a long term deal and I just plain don't get it. The Bears are 7 games into the season 1 game over .500 and to be honest, I don't seem to see the same incredible talent in him that the masses seem to see. I'm not saying he's played poorly, but he hasn't exactly been tested by a real good defense yet either. If he were to light it up against somebody the caliber of Tennessee or Pittsburgh, then I might begin to rethink things, but for now, he's nothing more then an ordinary quarterback. On second thought.....maybe not quite ordinary yet. Let's let him get a full season under his belt before he's anointed as the savior.

I was listening to Doug Buffone and Hub Arkush the other day and Hub brought up a great example in relation to not being to quick to "lock up" Orton. Packer running back Ryan Grant was unstoppable the second half of last year. So impressive that the Packers signed him to a long term deal. Now in his second year and 7 games into the season he's averaging just over 3 yards a carry. Not looking all that good right now. Things can change, but I don't see the rush to sign a guy who isn't proven and Orton is definitely not proven anything yet. Let's see where his numbers are at the end of the season before the Bears sign the 'neck scarf' to any kind of long term commitment. I hope I'm wrong, but I just don't see him as being the solution.

Sorry...These Bears Aren't Very Good

OK....so their tied for the lead in the NFC Central almost half way through the season, but does anybody think the Bears can compete with elite NFL teams. I sure don't. Despite the fact they racked up 48 points against a Minnesota team that didn't impress me at all, the Bears were even less impressive. I know the secondary is banged up, but give me a break. They picked off Gus Ferrotte 4 times and the special teams scored 2 touchdowns and they STILL gave up 41 points. I'm sorry, I just don't see this team going anywhere. They may be good enough to win the NFC Central, just because it's so bad, but the Bears are a bad football team right now.

On the positive side, the defense didn't' completely choke away a 4th quarter lead this week. Oh...they tried, letting the Vikings convert a 4th and 16 in the waning minutes to eventually let them close the gap to 7 points. I don't understand how a defense consistently can let the opposition convert big plays like that. Let me get back to the positive points. Kyle Orton actually has played half way decent the last few weeks, and I say that with teeth clenched. I'm not a Kyle Orton fan by any stretch of the imagination. I can't like a QB who can't complete a pass he has to throw more then 25 yards in the air. However, in his defense, he has played well enough to win the last few weeks. The score probably would have been a bit more lopsided if Marty Booker could have hung on to the two TD passes he dropped.

I'll leave it at that for now. Next week is an off week and I think the Bears have what should be a SURE victory in store after the break against the lowly Lions. Let's enjoy the victory for what it's worth and hope the team can somehow find a way to separate themselves from a very mediocre NFC Central division.

A Reminder - The Fun of Being Young!!!!

I vaguely remember the days when getting a new pair of hockey gloves was the highlight of the week. There was nothing quite like the excitement of breaking in a new baseball glove, getting a new bat or pair of skates. Boy I miss those days!!! I'm lucky enough to be reminded of how fantastic that time of life was because of the enjoyment I see in my nieces and nephews when they get something new that invigorates them. Got this picture of my "surrogate nephew" Jeremy who was walking on air because of his new hockey gloves. Break them in well and enjoy Jeremy, because those days go by faster then you think!!! GO ILLINI......

Savard Gets Spin-o-rama From Blackhawks

What in the world happened with Denis Savard and the Blackhawks. A guy who is a legend in Blackhawk history finally gets a team of bright young talented guys and gets fired without really having a chance to nurture them. I'd love to have been a 'fly on the wall' to hear what really led to this. I just don't see the logic of firing a guy 4 games into the season. There has to be some underlying motive here, and I wonder if the ground work had been laid when the Hawks hired Joel Quenneville earlier this year. I heard some of the press conference and it was the typical "satisfy the media" answers to the obvious questions. Anybody out there have any ideas on what might have got "Savvy" the ax?

To Squib or Not to Squib, That is the Question

OK...Anybody that watched that pitiful Bears performance on Sunday knows what I'm talking about. I won't even get into the fact that we have a QB who can't throw an accurate pass over 20 yards and a head coach who looks bewildered throughout the game. I think Lovey has an iPod piped into those headphones. The defense shows signs of promise from time to time only to fall short when they need to step it up a notch.

But here's the big question. With only 11 ticks left on the game clock, playing indoors, why wouldn't you kick off as deep as possible? It's going to take more then 11 seconds to run it back all the way, so all you really need to do is cover that kickoff. I don't understand giving the opposition the ball in good field position with that damn squib. Then to top it off, how does your defense, allow the Falcons to gain the 25 yards they need to attempt a game winning field goal all within 6 seconds. It's piss poor execution and piss poor coaching. Lovie is the most overrated coach in the NFL.

So whats your thoughts???

Welcome Fellow Chicago Sports Fanatics

Well, here is my place to celebrate, vent, rejoice, complain and anything else that falls into the category of being a sports fanatic in the city of Chicago. We probably fall into the complaining and venting category more so then the celebration and rejoicing. We've had our few moments, but for the most part, this is a STARVED city busting at the seams, waiting for SOMEBODY to win something of importance. The White Sox did their part in 2005, but that doesn't satisfy the whole city. The 100 year deprivation on the north side continues and if this years NLDS was any indication, my beloved Cubs are nowhere near title town.

With that in mind, let's start looking at winter sports. We have a promising hockey team that is of to an 0 - 3 start. A basketball team that fell way short of expectations last year, and a 3 -3 football team that can't hold on to a lead in the 4th quarter. We're in for some fun times gang!!!