What's the deal, Baseball?

What's the deal, Baseball?

You know, I love baseball, it was the first sport I ever watched in person, it was the first sport I ever played, and I just wonder where it is heading. We are still going through the whole “steroid scandal” and attendance is up, as well as profits. The sport itself is growing in popularity, even with the issues that it has.

Baseball is just entering it’s “Winter Meetings” phase. This is the part of the year where rumors are flying rampant, this person is getting traded, this Free Agent is getting signed, it really helps to pump up the fans for the upcoming year. We’ve already had some big signings, like Torii Hunter leaving the Twins and signing with the Angels for 90 Million. This is the soon to be 33 year old Hunter. Then there are rumors of Johan Santana being traded. Why would the Twins trade the best pitcher in baseball? Simple….they can’t afford him. Who can? The Yankees or Red Sox, and maybe the Angels. This is the thing that really bothers me about baseball. Santana is arguably one of the best pitchers of this generation, and he won’t be able to play for the team he came up with because they just don’t have the money. To me, it’s pretty sad that this is what baseball has come down to. If you are a good high priced player, your options are severely limited on who you can play for, unless you are willing to take less than “Market Value.”

Does this bother anyone else? Will we ever see the Pirates, Royals, Devil Rays, Reds, or any other small market teams make it to the World Series? Sure, I know Colorado made it this year, but that team is about to be gutted. Matsui is already gone for more money, and how long can they hold on to players like Holliday, Atkins, Tulowitzki, and others when they are available for Free Agency? Those players will all end up on higher market teams that can pay them more money.

The small market teams that make it far in the playoffs still have players like those listed above that haven’t been able to hit the free agency market. When they do, they are gone. I can’t blame them either. Would you take 50% less income just to be loyal? Not many would.

Baseball needs to come together on the framework of a salary cap. I know it can’t be instituted immediately, but let’s at least work on something here. We already have a penalty that teams have to pay if they go over a certain amount, and that’s a good start, but we need more. The NFL has a salary cap, and look at the competitive balance you get out of it. Every team has the same beginning point, some strike out in the draft, but that’s just life…at least they have the same funds to get something done.

The Yankees $199 million payroll in 2007 was higher than the bottom 5 teams…combined! Something needs to be done, and it needs to happen soon or else everyone will keep seeing their favorite players end up in a different market. It’s sickening to have to view your team as a “Minor League” for the big boys.

I have no doubt that baseball can make it out of the “Steroid Era”, but I have many reservations that it can survive the “Outspend them” Era.

They're bringing Rexy back!

Sexy Rexy is back!

It's halfway through, and worse than I expected.

So, at the halfway point of the season for the Bears we sit at a very disappointing 3-5 record. How did we get here? We went from the NFC Champs, to being last in our division? Our starting QB gets benched, our 1st round RB isn't doing much, our O-Line got about 10 years older in the off-season, Urlacher's back is giving him problems, and we've placed most of our defensive backfield on IR.....it seems that way at least.

So, 1st we bench Rex. Was that the right move? I certainly think it was, our offense was absolutely pathetic with him out there. In the 3 games he started, he threw 6 interceptions and 1 TD. He couldn't keep a drive alive and he just looked completely lost at times. This kid just baffles me. He has a rocket arm, he has confidence in himself, and he proved he was a good QB at the beginning of last year when he was lighting everyone up. Greise comes in, and in 5 games he has 9 TD's and 10 INT's. Still too many turnovers, but at least he is getting us into the endzone. We are really going to have to get some help at this position in the off-season. When you analyze your franchise and you can honestly say that Erik Kramer was one of the best QB's your team ever had, that's a pretty big red flag that you need some help at that position.

We trade away Thomas Jones and give the job to Cedric Benson. The running game has been anemic this whole year, but to solely put the blame on Benson is not fair. Defenses have stacked against the run, and the O-Line isn't creating any holes. I see Benson getting hit in the backfield about every other time he gets handed the ball, and that just doesn't cut it. However, Benson does have to share the blame. He gets taken down way to easy at times, especially for a "power" RB. He also gets chastized for his nonchalant attitude. That doesn't really bother me if he's laid-back, as long as he brings it on Sunday. He's picked up his average over the last few games and better show something solid against a soft Oakland run D this weekend, or he could start losing more carries to the other Adrian Peterson.

Now to the defense. Not really "Monsters of the Midway" this year, are they? Urlacher was taking criticism for having a down year, so he revealed he has an arthritic back that causes him pain daily and may effect the longevity of his career. First things first, I care more about Urlacher the man, than Urlacher the player, but I really hope he can get something done and return to his old form. The defense really isn't the same without him wreaking havoc. We lost Mike Brown for the year, Vasher is still out with a groin injury, Tillman missed a few games, Payne is on IR, Archuleta missed a game, along with Briggs and Harris. The injury bug really bit into us on Defense, but I refuse to accept that as an excuse. Is it new DC, Bob Babich's fault? Why can't we tackle all of a sudden?

The above issues are exactly what the Bears went into the bye week facing. I hope they found out some answers, and I hope they have a new game plan. Part 2 of the season starts Sunday in Oakland, and if they want to make the playoffs, they better start it out with a win.

The Windy City Flier

He goes by many names and phrases:

• The Windy City Flier
• The Awesome
• Any Time
• Mr. Rediculous
• Second City Speedster

He already holds or shares 5 NFL Records, and he is only in his 2nd season:

• Longest play (108 yards)* - Against New York Giants on November 12, 2006
  Most touchdowns returns in a season (six) - 2006 season
  Most touchdowns kick and punt returns in a season (five) - 2006 season
  Most touchdown returns as a rookie (six) - 2006 season
  Most touchdown returns in one game (two)** - Against St. Louis on December 11, 2006

So what makes Devin Hester so special? He didn't have the best childhood, as his mother was severely injured in a car accident before he was a teenager, and his father died of cancer. Hester's stepfather and brother helped him get his life back on track when they got him invloved in football. He started exceling in both sports and acedemics. He got a scholarship to Miami and became friends with Deion "Primetime" Sanders. It was at Miami where Devin first got the nickname "Anytime" as sort a tribute to Sanders. He's a Christian, and is very involved in helping out the Youth and donating time and money.

He became the first person in NFL history to return the opening kick of a Super Bowl for a Touchdown. Hester is also the only person in history to be given a score of 100 on Speed in the Madden NFL video games. Jeff Joniak, a play-by-play guy for the Bears coined the phrase "Devin Hester, you are rediculous" and uses it quite often.

Teams have started kicking away from Devin on both Punts and Kickoffs, but the Bears are now also working him in at receiver, and he is already showing dividends with a long TD reception against the Vikings.

I was very young when Payton was in his prime, but I remember watching him play and I remember all the things my father told me about him. Payton will without a doubt always be the most iconic Chicago Bear, but I can truly appreciate how exciting it must have been to watch him play when I see Devin out there.

You never know what's going to happen when he gets the ball in his hands, but I am very happy that he's on my team, and not playing against me.

No matter what nickname you call him, it doesn't really matter to me, because I call him a Chicago Bear....and that's the most important name he can have in my opinion.

Presenting Your 2007 Chicago Bulls

The hopes were high last year, especially after the big signing of Ben Wallace. Outsiders were picking the Bulls to go far in the playoffs, and deep down, I was too. However when I would take off my Red and White colored glasses, I could see a team that was missing a scoring presence on the inside. Would Tyrus Thomas step up? Could PJ Brown offer enough of a presence? Those were my thoughts going into last year. I knew they could get far in the East, but if they could somehow make it to the Finals, the West would probably destroy them. Well, turns out they couldn't get past Detroit. They went up 2-1 in the best of 7 series, but would wind up losing 3 in a row to a much more veterand Detroit team. Let's not forget just how young this Bulls team is. That brings us to the 2007-8 season. I have on my Red and White glasses again, and with that comes great optimism and hope. So, here is my look at the 2007 Chicago Bulls:

PG: Kirk Hinrich: He's generally overlooked when it comes to Point Guards in the NBA, but if you look closely, he's improving his game steadily every year and becoming more and more of a leader on the court. He's increased his FG% every year, with last year being his high at 44.8%. He still sometimes tends to try and do a little too much if Gordon and Deng are struggling, but he has definitely proved his worth hitting many clutch shots last season and in the playoffs. Kirk is 26, and one of the few players that actually stayed in college perfecting his game.

SG: Ben Gordon: Gordon has become the "go to" guy for the Bulls, Mr.4th Quarter. I can't count how many games Ben has just taken over, and when he is on, no one can stop him. Gordon has struggled at times, and almost seemed more comfortable coming off the bench than he was starting. He'll be starting this year and the Bulls need him to show the same fire and passion in quarters 1 through 3 that he does in quarter 4. Don't forget, Ben Gordon is only 24 years old.

SF: Luol Deng: Deng really blossomed into a big time player last year, and showed everyone what he is capable of. He's only 22 years old, and his best basketball is still ahead of him. He started all 82 games last year, the only Bull to do so, and led the team in shooting percentage just under 52%. He is a very strong defensive pplayer as well, yet rarely commits fouls...only averaging 2 per game. He's a great person on and off the court, winning the NBA's Sportmanship Award that is voted on by NBA players.

C: Ben Wallace: In all reality, who doesn't know what Ben Wallace's game is all about? He's a defensive guy that brings great energy and heart to the floor, he just doesn't have an offensive game. He's a great shot blocker and he provides some verteran leadership on the court. He's getting a little up there in age at 33, but can still provide the defensive presence the Bulls need from the man in the middle. He's on the shorter side for an NBA Center at only 6 foot 9 inches, but when is AFro is in full effect, it makes him look about 7 foot tall.

PF: Here is where things get a little interesting. In all honesty, this should be Tyrus Thomas' job to lose. His athleticism and natural skill is unmatched by anyone on this team, he just has yet to show the heart and effort to put it all together. The also picked up veteran Joe Smith this off-season who should get some good playing time if his knees hold up. Then it brings us to two rookies, Joakim Noah and Aaron Gray. I have to admit, I wasn't happy with the drafting of Noah. I thought, we already have Tyrus Thomas, we don't need Noah. But Noah offers something Tyrus doesn't, and that's heart and hustle. Noah is an all-out energy type of player. If he had the athleticism and natural skill that Tyrus has, he would be unstoppable. Unfortunately, he has a shot that is uglier than Wallace's. Now, that brings us to Gray, who has really stepped up in the pre-season and has earned himself some playing time with great defense and even some offensive prowess. This will most likely be a platoon situation until someone steps up. I'm really pulling for Tyrus to show some fire, that kid can be special if he can put it all together.

So, that brings me to my prediction for the 2007-8 season. Can the Bulls win the East? Absolutely, I fully believe they could have last year, and they've only gotten better this year. Can they hang with a West team in the Finals? If I leave my Red and White glasses on, I say yes, and being the fan I am, I have to believe that. Their main competition in the East will come from the Cavs, Pistons, and maybe the Celtics with the big three they have now. This Bulls team is very young and has steadily improved every year, going further in the playoffs. They have a very talented and very young roster that continues to grow together. Thier coach, Scott Skiles, is a no-nonsense fiery competitor that seems to get everything he can from his players. It's taken a long time to get back to the top after the Jordan Era, but I believe we are just about to get there again.

I'm excited for this year, I can't wait for opening night.

Where did it all go wrong?

The Bears were coming off one of their best seasons in history. Everyone was returning, the offense was supposed to be improved and the defense was supposed to be just as nasty as it had been when it led them to a Superbowl. So what happened?

First of all, let me preface this by saying that this is the most disappointed I have been by a Bears team in a long time. I had huge expectations for them this year, first time I've really had expectations like this. So, let me breakdown on what I think happened.

1. Rex Grossman didn't grow into the QB that we all had hoped for. After his Nuclear start to 2006, everyone thought we finally found our QB. Then, he started turning in stinker after stinker....with a few decent games sprinkled in. It was okay that he wasn't that great because we had a scoring defense and Devin Hester to help cover up how Rex was playing. Instead of an open competition for QB this year, Rex was given the reigns, and stunk it up again. He was finally benched after the 3rd game of the year for Brian Greise.
2. Thomas Jones was traded to make room for Cedric Benson. Personally, I think Benson will start picking it up, but so far this move hasn't panned out. Not that TJ is doing anything special in NY. The O-Line has been horrible, many times Benson is being hit right as he gets the ball. With that said, there are also many runs that end to soon because he couldn't break a tackle. He is being questioned big time, and I think he'll start responding soon.
3. The Defense. To me, this is the biggest disappointment. Everyone had questions or reservations about the offense, but this D was supposed to be the best in the NFL. Well, they aren't even top 15 or 20 right now. We have so many problems it makes my stomach turn, but here are the biggest ones:

• Adam Archuleta. I wasn't too fond of signing him, and he has proved me right. He can't cover, he misses tackles, bounces off of people and finally got benched for a 7th round draft pick
• Danieal Manning. He's been moved around from FS, to SS, to CB, and honestly I just think the kid is confused. He's a gifted athlete, but never really had the chance to play and learn one position. Right now, he is lost.
• Mike Brown. Yet another season ending injury. This guy is the heart and soul of this defense, not Urlacher. When he is out, it kills us. He's a leader out there, and our secondary always looks lost when he is on the sideline.
• Nathan Vasher. Out with a groin injury for the past three weeks, and maybe a couple more. We don't have good depth here, and it's showing.
• Tackling. I know the coaches emphasize trying to strip the ball, but I lost count at how many of our players missed tackles. Tackling is essential, even above creating turnovers.

Can this year be fixed? I fully believe we can still make the playoffs, but the NFC Central is the Packers to lose. If we can fix our defense, start tackling, and get some players back we could still end the season with a 9-7 record and earn a wild-card birth into the playoffs. Greise and Benson are good enough as long as the defense starts showing up. Allowing 35 4th quarter points in one game is shameful, same as allowing a rookie RB to run for almost 200 yards and 3 TD's on you. This isn't the Bears defense that I know and love, and I sure hope the players recognize that as well. Show some heart boys, it's not too late to turn it around.

More Flag Football.....

Well, my son has played about 4 games of Flag Football now. He loves playing QB and RB, and he's learning how to use his stiff arm:He eventually got his flag pulled by another kid, but he had a good run. Later he missed the handoff to the Rb, so he took off running and got ahead of everyone for a TD!!
He's having a really fun time learning how to play the game and have fun with his teammates. They had their first loss of the year last week, so he's also learning how to deal with losing a game. He's starting to understand that as long as you play your hardest and have fun, that's what the game is all about.

His sister was very excited to learn about the TD!:

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Game # 2 - Flag Football

Well, my son had his second game on Thursday night. Either we had refs that didn't know the rules in the first game, or something....but we had new rules for this second game. Now we have four 8-minute quarters, and after a touchdown the team can get 1 point for running the ball in, or 2 points if they pass it in. I brought my camera, however my batteries lasted long enough to turn it on, then they decided to quit on me....serious bummer. On to the game:

We were on defense first, and on the first play their RB ran right up the middle untouched for a first down....I guess we were cuaght off guard. lol They go for the extra point, and we tackle them about the 1 yard line, but the official scorer gives them the extra point anyway! 7-0

We get the ball back and march down the field for a TD. # 5 got the TD this time, taking the handoff from my son. We get the extra point by going right up the middle. 7-7

We stop them on defense and take over at the 40 yard line. My son is at the RB position, he gets the handoff and runs around the end for a 40 yard touchdown. We miss the extra point on a double reverse....that was fun to watch, I'm not even sure our own team knew what we were doing. 7-13

The other team marches down and ties it on a 3 yard run. they get the extra point and go up 14-13.

It's the 4th quarter now and there is only about 2 minutes left, so a long drive with a TD should win it for us. So, my son hands off the to the RB who promptly runs it all the way for a TD....so much for burning the clock! we miss the extra point again, and the game is now 14-19 with about 1:30 left.

they take over and they are driving down the field, the get to about the 10 yard line and call a timeout with .08 seconds remaining....time for one play. This is nerve-racking Flag football at it's finest! The hand off and try to run around the end, and is forced out of bounds by one of our players....and time expired!

It's the first victory for our team! So far, the record is 1-0-1. With lots of smiles and happy kids.

A fun night out

Well, some things have got me down over the past few months, and luckily I have God, a great family and great kids that help me keep straight and help keep me happy.

About a month ago or so, a friend (John) emailed me that I hadn't talked to in a long time. We've gotten together a few times to watch TV, play some Playstation.....which I can totally kick his butt at, and we both have boys around the same age, so they play together. It's been a great time.

Last Friday we decided we wanted to go out and play some pool. So, we headed over to The Fox and the Hound and another friend (Jason) joined us. We soon found out that neither of us are pool sharks, but the food was good, and so was the company. We played for hours, just chatting about recent events and such. The highlight of the night? John backing up to sit in his chair and completely missing it and falling on the floor. I was laughing too hard to help him up, so someone at the table next to us asked him if he was okay. He lauged it off though and kept playing.

It was a great time, I hadn't laughed that hard in a very long time. We'll have to venture out for PN2 (pool night 2) sometime soon.

We are also in a Fantasy Football league together, and come week 5 I am going to steam roll his team....I'll write a nice recap about that one!

Tuesday Night Lights

Tuesday Night Lights



Tuesday was my son's first Football game. He has had several practices and scrimmages, but tonight was the real deal. He's in 1st grade, and this is his first year of Football. It's Flag football, although he desperately wanted to play tackle football....which he can't do until the 3rd grade.

He plays Quarterback and Running back on the offensive side of the ball, and Safety on the defense, and he wears # 3. In this first picture, he is getting the play from his Coach and then heading to the line of scrimmage.

The first play was a pass, a beautiful spiral that went about 10 yards, unfortunately the receiver only went about 5 yards....incomplete. The second play, he was the running back, and he took the handoff as you can see in the second picture:

He took the handoff and ran off the left tackle for a 45 yard touchdown run! He was excited, but rest assured their was no "sharpie" celebration, no "Hall of Fame Jacket" celebration, not even a Riverdance with his teammates. He just handed the ball to his coach, and headed back to his teammates, looking determined to help his team win. It was his first touchdown in a real game, I'm not sure how long he'll remember that first play, but I know that I'm going to remember it for a long time.

After a short time out and substitution, we started play back again. We kicked off (an 8 yard kick) and the other team had the ball for the first time.








So, next up was their first Defensive series. Let me remind you, he wanted to play tackle, not flag football. On the first play it was a handoff to the running back and he came around to the opposite side that my son was playing, so he followed him, the RB then turned around and got around the corner for a 20 yard gain until he was finally caught by one of my son's teammates.



The next play, he chased the kid out of bounds, and the kid "fell"...he promises he didn't touch him. lol



Then, on the next play the opposing team ran in for a Touchdown to tie the game at 6-6. They took over on the 35 yard line (it's an 80 yard field) and on the first play my son handed off to the RB and he took it to the house, which put us up 12-6 (no extra points in flag football). The other team tied the game on their next possession....as you can see, both teams struggle a little bit on defense.



The next possession my son hands off to the RB, and he runs about 15 yards. This kid is pretty good at cutting back and running right where the defense isn't. On the next play, my son faked the handoff and ran around the right side for a 25 yard TD. That put us up 18-12, with about 5 minutes left. The other team scored on their first play, to tie the game at 18-18. On our next series, we drove the ball all the way down to the 10 yard line with about 2 minutes remaining. We failed to get into the endzone this time, as one of our RB's was stopped at about the 5 yard line. The other team took over and was driving down the field. With about 5 seconds left, they snapped the ball and ran a reverse....totally faked out all of our kids, except one. He's #5, and I can't remember his name right now, but either he wasn't fooled by the reverse, or just didn't want to run to the other side of the field...lol. Either way, he was standing right there, waiting for the RB as he came his way. He grabbed his flag, which ended the game in a tie.



So, after a hard fought game, we ended up with a tie. The good thing is, no one went home with the feeling of losing their first ever football game. The whole team played great, and they really started to play better as the game went on. The offensive line started blocking, the defenders started playing their positions with a little more attention.

It was a great night for some football. Like I said earlier, I'm not sure how long he'll remember his first game, but Dad's never going to forget that first night under the lights.

McNabb's future is in Chicago?

Could McNabb be the next QB in Chi-Town?

We all heard the rumors last year, and there was a lot of validity as to the reasons why. Rex was struggling, Philly was growing tired of McNabb, and McNabb is a Chicago guy.

So, here we sit 2 weeks into the NFL season, and the rumors are already starting again. Grossman is "holding back" the Bears. McNabb is hearing boo after boo from his home crowd.

Now, a trade during the season has a 99.99% chance of not happening. In fact, a trade at all probably has a 90% chance of not happening. But here is what I do know:

• Chicago's window for the SB is open. Their weakest link is no doubt the QB position.
• McNabb is not happy in Philly, no matter what he says.
• Philly is not happy with McNabb, especially the fans.
• McNabb is a Chicago guy, and has already spoken highly of the Bears.
• Rex is in the last year of his contract, and doing nothing to warrant an extension.
• It makes perfect sense for both teams

McNabb is 31 years old, and the Eagles already drafted his replacement in Kolb. The Bears have Greise and Orton behind Grossman, nothing that really inspires confidence.

With every 2 interception game Rex has, the calls will continue to get louder. I've always supported Rex, but I'm grwing very impatient with him. He just doesn't make good decisions under pressure, and he could have easily cost us the game against KC if not for Devin Hester. How long can Chicago leave him in there? How long can the defense and ST keep carrying Rex?

I do know this; McNabb would be a HUGE updgrade, and all the Bears need is a QB that can intimidate teams, not one that gets intimidated.

I hate to admit it, but I think the Rex experiment is winding down. I wouldn't be surprised at all to see Greise get the nod very soon. I still have hopes for Grossman, he has all the tools, and hopefully he can still put it together, but it may not be in Chicago.

I'm not sure what the Bears would have to give up, probably a 1st rounder and something else, but I think it would be well worth it. Jerry Angelo is a great GM, and I have the confidence in him to get something done.

Will McNabb ever have an Orange "C" on his helmet...your guess is as good as mine, but I know it would look good.

What a week in the NFL!

The Browns and Bengals get together and score about 1,751 points....okay, maybe not that much but you get the point. Philly and NO drop to 0-2 and the mighty Texans reach 2-0 for the first time in their existence. The Boo calls are ringing down on Rex Grossman, Donavon McNabb, and Luke McNown. Could QB changes be in the forecast? I know of at least 1 starting RB who will start losing his job this weekend to an undrafted FA, and that guy is probably available in all of your Fantasy Leagues. Check out NLS for the Waiver Wire moves of week 2 to find out who you should be picking up for your teams!

It's very important to stay active on the Waiver Wire and on the trade market. Even if you are 2-0, that doesn't mean improvement can't happen. Always strive to be better, because I guarantee the other players in your league are doing just that.

All your Fantasy Football Needs

We have posted the Power Rankings, Cheatsheets, Waiver Wire information over at NLS.

Hop on over and check us out. Also, you can post questions asking you who should start/bench and get some good advice to help you pull out a win in Week 2.

Week 1 in Fantasy Football world is a rap! I'm in 13 leagues, (I know, I need help). I went 10-3 though, that's a pretty decent start. Check out this "rap" that's on YouTube:



Pretty funny stuff right there.

If you are looking for Waiver Wire recommendations, Cheat Sheets, Who to Bench and Who to Start....check us out at NLS. All YOUR Fantasy information is FREE to regitered members....and it's FREE to register!

First look at the 2007 American League ROY

The 2007 year is winding down to the playoffs. As many team have fallen out of contention, the talk now shifts to post-season awards. There are many players that are worthy, but I wanted to take a look at the top players, as I see them.

Rookie of the Year should be awarded to the most outstanding rookie player to enter the Major Leagues. Some of the past winners have gone on to do great things...Ichiro Suzuki, Carlos Beltran, and Derek Jeter to name a few. Some of them, Ben Grieve, Pat Listach, and Angel Berroa, have faded away just as fast as they arrived.

So who will it be this year? Will this player rise to an All-Star, or fade into Oblivion? Only time will tell, but here is a list of the players that I think should be in consideration for the 2007 American League Rookie of the year:

Brian Bannister, SP, Royals. He's 12-7 with a 3.16 ERA for the Royals this year. He's been a great addition to the staff and he seems to always come away with a quality start. They Royals got him in a trade in the off-season, and he has paid huge dividends giving the Royals a great young pitcher to go along with Gil Meche.

Dustin Pedroia, 2B, Red Sox. He's batting .329 with 6 HR's, and 45 RBI's. Plus, he's playing a very good defensive 2B with only 5 errors on the year. He's been very consistent for the Red Sox.

Josh Fields, 3B - LF, White Sox. He's batting .241 with 18 HR's and 54 RBI's. He leads all rookies in HR's, and he's only played in 80 games since being called up. He strikes out a little too often, but he's getting better. He supplies a lot of Pop to the lineup.

Daisuke Matsuzaka, SP, Red Sox. He's 14-11 with a 4.11 ERA. He's been consistent and fun to watch, but his numbers just aren't good enough for the ROY. His popularity may get him enough votes though.

Hideke Okajima, RP, Red Sox. He's 3-1 with a 1.54 ERA while setting up closer Jonathon Papelbon. Okajima has been a huge relief for the Sox coming into late game situations.

Delmon Young, OF, Devil Rays. Delmon has quietly put together a very impressive rookie year. He's batting .295 with 10 Hr's and 75 RBI's. He hasn't had the Pop they expected, but he's delivered in all other areas.

Alex Gordon, 3B, Royals. Alex started off very slow this year, but has really picked it up lately to bring his totals to .250 avg, 14 HR's, and 54 RBI's. If it wasn't for the slow start, he would probably be the frontrunner.

Reggie Willits, OF, Angels. He doesn't have any power, but the kid can hit and run. He's batting .292 with 0 HR's and 25 SB's. He's been consistent for the Angels and a pest on the basepaths, but that kind of production doesn't win post-season awards.

Well, those are the guys that I think are most deserving for the American League Rookie of the Year award. Lots of good young talent this year to choose from, although we will have to wait about a month or so before the actual winner is chosen. Any of these guys can win it still, especially if they have a hot September. Let's just hope that whoever wins the ROY of 2007 (and even those who don't) go on to many more great accomplishments in Major League Baseball.

NFL Power Rankings Week 1

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What is this I see?

Are you ready?

Can you feel it?

It's finally here! The regular season starts on Thursday with two high-powered offenses guaranteed to boost your Fantasy Teams scoring before the weekend even starts....either that, or it will boost your opponents scoring. A few things to remember as we kick of the 2007 NFL and FF seasons:

1. Watch the injuries. Be quick to notice if one of your guys goes down, the early bird usually gets the backup.
2. Watch out for one week wonders. Undoubtedly someone that is undrafted in almost every league will pop out of nowhere and have 100+ yards and a touchdown. This will lead to everyone in the league putting a waiver claim in on this person. If you drafted well, and the depth on your team is good, don't waive a solid player for someone who got lucky in week 1
3. Be active and pursue trades to make your team better. If you have a guy that is performing above average, don't be afraid to pull the trigger with someone to benefit the depth of your team.
4. Be active 7 days a week! News about players come out every single day, and if you don't pay attention you could end up starting someone that is injured or has a tough day ahead of them.
5. Be aware of matchups. Sure, you'd never bench your studs, but if you are stuck deciding between two guys of equal value and one is playing the Texans and the other is playing Baltimore....who are you starting?
6. Have fun! Fantasy Football adds a whole new enjoyment level to watching football.

Be careful out there in Fantasy Football world and always remember that I'm rooting for your team, as long as they aren't playing mine.

The Goodell reaction?

After Roger Goodell took over as the Commisioner of the NFL, he knew he had to do something about the image of the players. For the most part, everything in the NFL was going great. Every stadium selling out, it has become the most popular sport to watch, heck even the NFL draft is a highly watched TV event. This sport that plays for roughly 6 months of the year, was grabbing the attention of every fan throughout the whole year.

But Goodell knew that if he didn't take care of the fact that some of the "bad apples" were giving the NFL a bad name, all those good things could start to back off. Goodell has taken a hard stance on "conduct detrimental to the game". Adam "Pacman" Jones was suspended for a year after his altercations, Tank Johnson was suspended eight games for his actions, Chris Henry was suspended eight games for his actions, and now Mike Vick has been suspended indefinitely for his recent actions.

What does this say to players who are in the League? It tells them to grow up and act like adults. You don't need to be carrying guns into stripclubs, you don't need to be the owner of 100 guns, you can't be drunk driving, or doing drugs, and you can be taking part in dogfighting, gambling, etc. Hopefully the message is getting across and it makes for a better NFL for everyone involved. Kids of all ages look up to these guys, want to play like them, want to be succesful like them, and now they need to be shown you can't act like them.

Personally, I think this policy is working, and we are already seeing the benefits. Why do you think Lance Briggs left his brand new $350,000 car wrecked on the side of the road? Because he can replace the car, but if he were to be suspended, he can't get those games back. Leaving the scene is only a misdemeanor, but had he been caught drinking or driving carelessly, it could be a different story altogether. I don't condone leaving the scene of an accident, but it was probably Briggs best way out of a bad situation. And who's to say Goodell still won't do something?

Now, when a player makes a personal decision to do something, they know that it can and WILL alter their playing time. The Goodell ERA will be a great one in the NFL.

And now...Dad is sick

Well, my 18 month old daughter had a respiratory virus over the weekend, so she had a trip to the doctor....which she didn't like. She had a runny nose and was sneezing along with a very mild fever. She never lost her appetite, but you could tell she didn't feel good just by the way she was acting. She's doing a little better now, and hopefully will be over it shortly. Then yesterday, about 2 in the afternoon...I start getting a runny nose, start sneezing and getting body aches. Looks like Daddy is coming down with the same thing. Oh well, I prefer to think of it as me taking the sickness away from her! I'd rather me have it anyway.

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Future of the Sox

So the White Sox decided to move Josh Fields to Left Field for the rest of the year. What does this mean? Well, two things: Scott Podsednik's career on the Southside of Chicago is over, and Joe Crede's career on the Southside of Chicago will live on. Crede is coming back from back surgery, and the news is so good for him, that the White Sox have decided that he will be manning the third base position next year. So, the lineup will look something like this:


1B: Paul Konerko
2B: Danny Richar
SS: ???? (FA Pickup - Vizquel, Eckstein, Uribe at a huge discounted?)
3B: Joe Crede
LF: Josh Fields
CF: Jerry Owens
RF: Jermaine Dye
C: A.J. Pierzynski
DH: Jim Thome

I like this offense, but one thing really worries me: What to do about the SS position? Uribe has a team option, but no way do the Sox choose to pay him $5 million next year. There are only a few free agents out there, and of them I'd like to see Omar Vizquel the most. First of all, he is a great veteran presence for Richar to learn from. Also, he can bridge the gap until we can get a young guy in that position.

Ozzie's job is safe, and so is Kenny Williams. I look for them to try and add some quality guys to the Middle relief role, and maybe a pretty reliable bench guy.

Next year looks pretty bright for this team, which is hard to see right now as they sit in the bottom of the AL central with the Royals.

Trampoline fun!

Well, took my son and daughter over to my sisters house to play with their cousins. Their cousins also have a trampoline, which proves to much fun. My son is 6, and his two cousins are 7 and 10, and they have a ball on that thing. They'll ask me to jump them and send them flying in the air, it's a good time...not to mention a very cardiovascular workout! My daughter is only 18 months old, but she loves being on that thing. She wasn't feeling too well starting Friday afternoon. Had to take her to the Doctor and turns out she has a upper respiratory infection, which meant she had a runny nose and the sneezes all weekend! She wasn't feeling too well at all this morning, so after some medicine and a long nap, she saw everyone on the trampoline and wanted to go! So I got everyone off and put her on it. She doesn't jump, she just stands there and laughs. She'll sway back and forth some, and walk a little bit....she thinks it's hilarious. I'm sure as she gets older she'll jump, but right now she just has a ball being on it!

The New Kids can Play?

The White Sox have some fresh young faces that have gotten some extended playing time with the club due to a variety of reasons. These inlcude, Josh Fields at 3b, Jerry Owens in CF, Danny Richar at 2B, and two relief pitchers, Ehren Wasserman and Ryan Bukvich.

Josh Fields was rushed up after Joe Crede went down with back surgery. Fields was always thought of "the future" at 3b, especially since Crede's agent is Scott Boras and he only has 1 year left. Fields is not on the same level as Crede in the field, but he has made some pretty good improvements since arriving in Chicago, and should only get better as he gets more playing time. He struggled at the plate when he first came up and couldn't keep his average above .200. Then Ozzie told both him and Jerry Owens, "This is your job, no one is taking it from you this year, just relax and play." Well, that seemed to help out, Fields has been on a great run as of late and has his average up to .250 and now has 13 HR's and 41 RBI's in just 63 games. He still strikes out way too often, but that will cut down as he learns to handle big league pitchers better. He has a lot of power, and he is just starting to flex it with 4 HR's in his last 7 games and a .333 batting average. Josh is only 24 and has a bright future, but what do we do next year when Crede comes back?

This isn't Jerry Owens' first stint up from the minors, but it looks like he's finally turned the corner. He's got a lot of speed which has translated to 17 SB's in only 53 games, so he has the capability of being a 50+ SB guy. He also had a hard time hitting when he first came up, but he has gotten his average up to about the .250 range as well. He is showing more patience, and the Sox are boosting his confidence by letting him stay in the leadoff spot, and giving him the oppurtunity to succeed. The CF job is all his, unless he just can't hack it. Owens has exactly what the Sox want out of a leadoff guy, except he needs to get on base a little more frequently.

Danny Richar was basically an unknown at the time the team traded Tadihito Iguchi. The Sox acquired him in a trade earlier in the year from the Diamondbacks. The White Sox are really thin at 2B, and they probably rushed Richar up to see what he could do. Well, through 14 games he is only batting a meager .171, but has shown some speed and some defensive ability. Hopefully Richar will start hitting just as Fields and Owens have, or the Sox could be in a real bind when it comes to the 2B position next year.

The relief group that started the year was anything but a relief. After blowing lead after lead, Ozzie finally blew up and many changes were made. Along with those changes came Ryan Bukvich and Ehren Wasserman. Bukvich has appeared in 32 games and has a very respectable 2.83 ERA. Wasserman has appeared in 13 games with a 3.18 ERA. These ERA's are good for 1st and 3rd on the whole staff, respectively. Both of these guys look like they could be a big part of the bullpen in 2008, as they have helped get the ball to Bobby Jenks to close out games.

Well, 2007 isn't a World Series type of year.....or even a playoff year. But with the young kids comes hope for next year. The dream of winning another championship, celebrating once again. Because when it all comes down to it, when we play our first game next year we will be back at 0-0 with high expectations, and these kids have a lot to do with it.

An in-depth look at the Chicago Bears Defense

When the Bears decided to let Ron Rivera walk last year, a lot of people were concerned about the Defense, and what might happen. Bob Babich was quickly promoted to DC, as this is the position that Lovie has been grooming him for.

Babich and Lovie go way back….all the way back to Tulsa in 1984, where they were both position coaches. Babich was the LB Coach for Lovie since 2003, when Lovie was the DC for St. Louis. When Lovie took the Bears job, Babich was the first person he hired to come with him. A year ago, the Bills wanted to interview Babich for their DC position, but the Bears gave him a promotion to assistant Head Coach and he stayed with the Bears. Under Babich, the LB corps the Bears had thrived. Urlacher went to Pro-Bowl after Pro-Bowl, and Briggs soon followed in his steps. Even Hunter Hillenmeyer had very solid seasons playing the SLB position.

Many rumors about Rivera’s departure have been noted. Some say he wasn’t aggressive enough, as noted by Urlacher having 0 sacks last year. Some say he disagreed with Lovie on how the defense should have been run. Everyone has their own opinion, but the fact remains that Babich was Lovie’s guy since day one, and it’s now his time to shine. Babich is a much more aggressive coach than Rivera was. You will see many more blitzes out of Urlacher, Briggs, and even the DB’s. Since Lovie and Babich basically “grew up” together coaching, Lovie has an inherent sense of trust for Babich. Babich will be allowed to call his plays, his blitzes, etc. Lovie will have a say in the gameplan, but Babich will be running the show.

The Defensive Line:

Currently, this is the starting lineup: LE – Adewale Ogunleye, Alex Brown, DT – Tommie Harris, Darwin Walker, Anthony Adams, Dusty Dvoracek, RE – Mark Anderson, Dan Bazuin. We also have some more depth in the names of Isreal Idonije and Antonio Garay. Alex Brown lost his starting RE job to 2nd year man Mark Anderson. Now Brown is fighting for playing time behind each DE job. Brown is obviously upset at losing his spot, but in the NFL, you have to consistently work to be the best at your position, or you will be replaced. Now Babich will rotate guys in and out, so Brown will see plenty of playing time, he just won’t be starting. Harris is coming off a very severe hamstring injury, but from all reports seems to be back to 100%. He is practicing at full speed and should be a major factor this year. Last year, the Bears had 40 sacks in total, 36 coming from their lineman. I expect this group to get to the 40 mark this year by themselves, as long as the injury bug doesn’t hit too hard.

The Linebackers:

Here is the starting lineup: WLB: Lance Briggs, MLB: Brian Urlacher, SLB: Hunter Hillenemeyer. Behind them we have Jamar Williams, Rod Wilson, Micheal Okwo, and Brendan Ayanbedajo. Everyone knows about Urlacher and Briggs. Perennial Pro-Bowlers at the MLB and WLB respectively, it doesn’t get any better than these two. Hillenmeyer plays the much less glamorous SLB position, but he holds his own out there. Hillenmeyer is not as physically gifted as either Urlacher or Briggs, but he is a very smart football player with great instincts. Out of the three, he would be my first choice to be a coach someday in the NFL. This group had a whopping 2 sacks last year. Look for that to change to at least 8-10 sacks under Babich. All 3 LB positions will have blitz packages and they will be getting after the QB a lot more this year.

The Defensive Backs:

The Starting Lineup: CB’s: Charles Tillman, Nate Vasher, S’s: Mike Brown, Adam Archuleta. Behind them we have Ricky Manning Jr, Trumain McBride, Danieal Manning, Brandon McGowan, and Kevin Payne.Charles Tillman and Nate Vasher man the CB position and do it very well. The both have ball skills, and they both have the speed to play man-to-man coverage. Although, in the systemt he Bears run, they are rarely in man-to-man. Playing the Nickel is Ricky Manning Jr and S/CB Danieal Manning will also be there at times this year. Then you throw in rookie Trumain McBride, who is burning up training camp, and we have a surplus of guys that are very good at the CB position. Last year Ricky Manning JR and Tillman tied for the team lead with 5 interceptions. Vasher recorded 3, down from last year, but only because teams threw away from his side after last year’s performance. I expect to see the Interception # increase this year, if for no other reason than Mike Brown’s return from injury. He is the unquestioned leader of the DB’s, and it’s a whole other ballgame when he is on the field.

Look for the Bears to have a top 5 defense again this year, if not the top defense. They will give up yards, but scoring against them is where they excel. Also, look for them to be one of the top scoring defenses in the league. They have an amazing mix of veteran talent and young athletes just coming into their prime. They are an extremely fast defense, and an extremely physical defense. What else would you expect out of the Bears?

Football with the boy

Since my son starts Flag Football in a few weeks (as listed below), I've been playing in the backyard with him. He's fast and extremely competetive, so once I taught him about making people miss he's been quite hard to catch. I let him by me a few times to build up his confidence, and then after that he got by me twice with me giving my full effort.

Now, I know there aren't many passes in flag football...or even pee-wee football, but we did work on throwing the ball back and forth. He seemed to be afraid of the ball, because even though he would catch most of them, he would be turning his head away as the ball got there. I asked him why he was doing this and he finally admitted that the football is big and it would hurt if it hit him in the head. So I told him that he would be wearing a helmet when he played, so the ball couldn't get to his head. Unfortunately, I don't have a helmet that fits him, so we used a Catchers helmet and mask from his baseball supplies. Worked great! He stopped jerking his head around and was watching the ball all the way into his hands. Turns out he can throw pretty darn good as well. He has a competitive fire that drives him whenever he is playing a sport, and he'll keep at it until he gets it right.

It was a fun day, he was running little 5 yard curls and I would throw him the pass, he'd catch it and turn around heading for the "endzone"! Then he'd head back the other way and try to "Juke" his way around me....and many times he could. I'm so glad he loves playing sports, I'm even happier he enjoys doing it with me.

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A regular conversation with my Son

That's my son, playing shortstop in the ever-competitive T-Ball league. That's me behind him, coaching our team. It's a scanned picture, so it's not the highest quality, but it's one of my favorites.

This is part two (or three…I lose track) of my “Daddy” posts as I just started calling them a few minutes ago. Kids never cease to amaze me, or even teach me things that I never saw coming. I started blogging a few months ago, and I found out that it’s an easy way to let some of my real feelings out. Being a man, it’s sometimes hard for me to express my real feelings or let them show, but while blogging you can hide behind the pen….or in this case, the keyboard….who writes with a pen anymore? Anyway, on to the latest:

Two Saturday’s ago it was just me and my 6 ½ year old son. So, I asked him what he wanted to do. Apparently, he saw a commercial for a new Shrek game on Playstation so he wanted to rent it and play it. So we headed out to the Movie Gallery and picked it up. It’s a one player game, so we mostly just sat together while he played, and I helped him through some of the hard parts. The game was fun, but that wasn’t what was important to me, it was our conversations. How many in-depth conversations have you had with your children? Not a Father-Son conversation, more like Friend-to-Friend conversation? It was the most fun and eye-opening moment I’ve had in a long time. He was talking to me about baseball, swimming, and many other subjects. He had a hard time finishing off one level, so I took over and ended up doing this really cool move (totally by accident) to defeat the level. He looked at me and said “Nice move Dude!” and then gave me a high five. I started laughing after that…first time he ever called me Dude….then he started laughing because I was. After a minute, he stopped laughing and he asked me why we were laughing….priceless.

He just finished up his third year of playing baseball, so I asked him to tell me what he thought about it, if he had fun, and why he likes playing. He told me it was fun, because he likes winning! He also told me it was fun because I was coaching and he liked being out there with me. I told him I wouldn’t always be his coach, because as he gets older and continues to play, he will have different coaches. He told me “It’s okay, I’m getting older now so I think I can handle it, but I want you there to watch me.” I told him I wouldn’t miss it for any reason…not one pitch, not one at-bat. I then asked him about Football, he is finally old enough to play and he will start in a few weeks. It’s a Flag football team, he isn’t old enough for a tackle league yet. He’s very excited about this, although he was a little confused about it at first. He asked me “so do we all just race for a flag, and whoever gets it scores a touchdown?” Again….priceless. So I then explained to him that instead of tackling each other, you have to pull a flag that hangs out from their waist. He thought about it for a minute and then said “then can I tackle him?” I told him that there would be no tackling this year, but if he liked it, he could play again next year and be old enough to be in a tackle league.

After that conversation was over we had a very in depth conversation of “Teen Titans vs. Shrek”. He’s a huge fan of Robin from Teen Titans and went into a very detailed description of how Robin, although smaller, could defeat Shrek. He has a very imaginative and creative mind, and it really showed through this story.

Sure, we spent many hours playing that game that day, and we of course defeated the Mighty Prince Charming. But the thing that made that day really special, was just the time we spent talking with each other, father to son, and friend to friend.

Iguchi for who?

The Sox traded Iguchi earlier this week for little known Minor League pitcher Micheal Dubee. Dubee was 4-4 with one save and an ERA around 4 in the Class A division for the Phillies. My first thought was, who? I haven't ever heard of this kid, but who knows, maybe he is a gem that just needs a little polish? But, isn't Iguchi worth more than that? Iguchi has been a solid contributor ever since coming over from Japan. I know Kenny keeps working the phones and that he most likely isn't done, I guess I just expected more from the Gooch.


Now, many teams needed a 2nd baseman: Mets, Phillies, Dodgers, and others. But two things that comes to mind when I wonder why Kenny made this deal:

1. He had Danny Richar, who he desperatly wanted to play on the big league team for the rest of the year. The kid has good potential, and now has a chance to show it.
2. Remember the Freddy Garcia deal? After just a few starts, Garcia went down for the year. Now, the Phillies said he passed all the physicals and they have no ill-feelings toward the Sox, but part of me can't help but think that this was a little "sorry" from Kenny Williams to the Phillies. Neither team would ever admit it, but Kenny was just trying to make up for sending them a guy that got lost for the year.

I guess that could be the case, but we'll never know. Who knows, maybe this Dubee kid will become an integral part of our bullpen in the near future. Or maybe Kenny just helped himself stay in the good graces of the GM nation by giving the Phillies a fill in for Chase Utley.

I'm sure there will be more moves for my Sox, hopefully it will be a busy afternoon.

Previewing the Chicago Bears 2007 season

The Bears are about ready to report to training camp for the 2007 NFL season. We are returning as NFC North champions for the first time since we shuffled in 1985. We won't be overlooked this year, and everyone will be gunning to take us down. Perhaps that's why every team to lose the Superbowl in the past 5 years has a combined record of 33-47. Ouch. But this team isn't a one year wonder, or flash in the pan. In fact, I think we got there a year to early, so without further ado, here is my preview for the season.

I believe the Bears to finish with a 12-4 record, 1st place in the NFC North. I see them playing either the Eagles or Cowboys in Round 1, and meeting with New Orleans again in the NFC Championship game. Finally, this will be the year of the '85 Super Bowl rematch. The Patroits will be the team to square off against the Bears. Bears are victorious, but it won't be as big of a butt-whooping as it was back in 1985. I'm sure you are saying to yourself now, geez...what a homer, and maybe you are right. Sure every yahoo out there has their own predictions, but let me also provide some in-depth analysis of our team, position by position, to help give my prediction some backing.

QB: Weakest link first, right? Let's start at the bottom of the depth chart. Kyle Orton came out of college with a pretty good resume. He started many games for the Bears as a rookie, and won most of them. However, everyone gave credit to the defense, not to Orton's ability. That was two years ago, and Orton's grown a lot. Word out of mini-camps had him taking great leaps in decision making ability, and finding the open receiver much easier. He's a very solid 3rd QB, and has some very valuable game experience. Then, occupying the #2 seat, we have a grizzly veteran named Brian Griese. Most people know Griese from his time in Denver, where he had a decent career. Griese knows the offense and is more than capable of coming in and leading the team to victory, he has started 72 games in his career. He owns a 84.5 career QB rating, which is pretty respectable. He just has always seemed to have the ability to cripple his team late in the game, or late in the season....but doesn't every QB until they finally win the big one? And #1 on the depth chart, Rex Grossman. Rex "led" the Bears the Super Bowl last year for this first time since '85. Rex started all 16 games last year to the dismay of many a Bear fan. First of all, he stayed healthy and hopefully shook the tag of being "injury prone". Secondly, after a few of his games everyone thought he would be benched in favor of Griese. After all, the #2 QB is always the most popular guy on the team. Rex had many off games last year, with the Dec 3rd game against Min sticking out the most because of his 3 interceptions and 1.3 QB rating. But let's not forget the high either...week 2 against Det when he threw for 4 TD's, no INT's, and a 148 QB rating. So the question begs...wll the real Rex Grossman please stand up? I think Rex is somewhere in between those two examples. He has worked extremely hard in the off-season on footwork and pocket awareness, the two biggest areas of need for him. I rate this group a C+

RB: Thomas Jones is gone, and it's now the Cedric Benson show. We saw glimpses of what Benson can do, and you better believe he is out to prove everyone wrong. Benson fell out of favor last year, because he had a bad attitude or always seemed to say the wrong thing at the wrong time. Benson averaged over 4 yards per carry last year in a platoon role with Thomas Jones. Benson has shown he has the ability to run right through people. This is his third year, and will probably want to start talking contract next year, and if he has his breakout season, he'll get it. Adrian Peterson, no not the OU guy, is our #2 this year. Peterson has always been productive everytime he's been on the field, and is an outstanding teammate. And picking up the 3rd spot will be the rookie, Garrett Wolfe. Wolfe is small, but extremely fast and powerful. He catches like a WR and should see some playing time when the game situation call for it. I rate this group a B

WR: We have a veteran in Mushin Muhammed leading this group. Behind him we have the speedy Bernard Berrian, Mark Bradley, and Rashied Davis, and the newly converted Devin Hester. Mushy is the only guy that has more than 4 years experience in this group. They are a very talented group, and they will all push for playing time. Hester will be used as a decoy a lot, but they will get the ball into his hands plenty of times. Berrian exploded last year as a deep threat, which created a lot of room in the middle for the other guys. Look for that to expand this year with Hester creating Havoc for Defensive Coordinators. I rate this group a B.

TE: Desmond Clark did an admirable job last year at the TE position catching 45 balls for 600 yards and 6 TD's. With the drafting of Greg Olsen out of Miami, we are looking very good at the TE position. He has the speed to run right by Linebackers and has the ability to make the tough catch. These two guys working together should help out the QB when the rush is on. I rate this group a B+

OL: Probably the highlight of our offense last year. Anchored by Olin Kruetz, it just doesnt' get much better than this line. We have John Tait, Ruben Brown, Olin Kruetz, Roberto Garza, and Fred Miller. The only complaint about the O-Line is that they are starting to get a little long in the tooth, but these guys know how to play together and have been extremely successful. I rate this group an A-

DL: Mark Anderson pushed his way into a starting gig last year with an amazing rookie year capped off with 12 sacks. Adewale Ogunleye will start the opposite side with veteran Alex Brown and rookie Dan Bazuin rotating in to keep everyone fresh. Ogun needs to prove to everyone that he deserves to be the starter or he could be the one rotating in for playing time. This is a very athletic bunch at DE, and they know how to get after the QB. In the middle we have Tommie Harris and....and...Dusty Dvoracek? Antonio Garay? Anthony Adams? Harris is an absolute stud who looks to have fully recovered from a hamstring injury last year. With Tank Johnson gone, I look for Adams and Dvoracek to get the most playing time opposite Harris. I rate this group a B+

LB: Let's see, Brian Urlacher, Lance Briggs, and Hunter Hillenmeyer. Which one of these is not like the other? Hillenmeyer is often overlooked, seeing as how the Bears play a lot of 2 LB sets. When Hillenmeyer is in there, he is a very smart player and a great compliment to Urlacher and Briggs. Urlacher is a beast at MLB and Briggs is the top Wingman in the NFL. No other team can top this group. A+

DB: We have Charles "Peanut" Tillman and Nate Vasher at the corner spots, Ricky Manning JR at the Nickel, Mike Brown and Danieal Manning at the saftery positions. For depth we have Chris Harris, Adam Archuleta, Brandon McGowan, Dante Wesley and a couple rooks. This is a very solid group, and if Mike Brown can stay healthy, they will be one of the top DB groups in the league. Brown is the unquestioned leader of our Defensive backfield, it's just a matter of him making to the field each week. How many of you knew that no other CB duo had more interceptions over the past two seasons than Tillman and Vasher? I rate this group a B+

ST: Devin Hester, Brad Maynard, Robbie Gould, Patrick Mannely, Brenden Ayenbedajo, Dante Wesley, Adrian Peterson. These guys are the keys to our special teams. Everyone knows about Hesters ability to return kicks, especially the record keepers. Gould was as good as gold last year and Maynard had yet another solid season punting the ball back to give our defense a good starting spot. Mannely is probably not well known at all, but he is the long-snapper specialist. I can't remember the last time I saw a bad snap from this guy, he's amazing. The others, they are the "gunners" on kicks and punts. These guys are the first ones down the field looking to kill whoever catches the ball. I rate this group an A-

The coaching staff returns intact minus DC Ron Rivera. Bob Babich takes his place, but has been here since day 1 with Lovie. We have one of the best HC in the NFL, IMO, in Lovie Smith. He knows how to lead, he coaches with integrity and respect for the game and his players. He became the first African-American to lead his team to the Super Bowl last year, and his best friend became the first African-American to lead his team to a Super Bowl victory last year.

This team has a great blend of Veterans and Youth with great leadership in the coaching ranks. These are the reasons I believe the Bears are not a one year wonder, and will not suffer through the same letdown that past Super Bowl runner-ups have. Homer or not, this is a great team the Bears have assembled. This will be the year of the New Super Bowl Shuffle. But just so you don't forget the old one....here it is...one more time:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YRj76375kZ4

Role Models in Sports

I've been out of town for the last week, so I haven't had time to write much. Hopefully, I'll be able to post a lot more of my wandering thoughts from now on....to my latest thoughts:

I've heard a lot over the last few weeks and months about Sports players being role models for our youth. Heck, when I was growing up I wanted to be as good as Walter Payton, Ken Griffey JR, Frank Thomas, Jerry Rice, or Michael Jordan. I started thinking about how sad it is that our sports these days are mired in controversy. Where do I begin?

1. Micheal Vick's dogfighting situation
2. Pacman Jones various arrests and suits.
3. Tank Johnson's arrests and suspension
4. NBA Referee Tim Donaghy bets on games he called and has ties with the mob
5. Steroids in baseball

I could go on and on, but my stomach is starting to turn as it is.

When I first heard on the radio that these guys are being bad role models for our youth, I agreed. But then I started thinking about it; Should a prefessional athlete's be our children's role models? After a little thinking, I realized that statement is completely wrong. Sure, it's okay to want to hit the ball as hard as Barry Bonds, run as fast as Devin Hester, and catch as good as Jerry Rice, but that doesn't make them a role model. As parents, WE need to be the role models. WE need to teach our children the difference between wrong and right, not leave that up to an athlete. Sure, we probably can't play sports as good as their favorite athlete can, but we have a much more important job, we are their parent. It's not always an easy job being a parent, but it is easily the most rewarding job we could ever have. I know I won't ever be the athlete that my children watch on Television, but I also understand that I have more responsibility than that athlete does.

The Storm

My family is going through a rough patch right now, and I can feel just how easy it would be to lay down and let the situation take control of me. Many times in the past few weeks I've gotten very weak and started to slide. But each of those times, God was there for me. A family member calling, a friend calling, someone in my church family calling me, someone emailing me....things like that. I heard this song last week, and it really stuck with me. It's a song from Casting Crowns and it's called "Praise you in this storm"

I was sure by now,God, that You would have reached down
and wiped our
tears away,
stepped in and saved the day.
But once again, I say amen
and it's still raining
as the thunder rolls I barely hear You whisper
through the rain,
"I'm with you"
and as Your mercy falls
I raise
my
hands and praise
the God who gives and takes away.

And I'll
praise you in this storm
and I will lift my hands
for You are who
You
are
no matter where I am
and every tear I've cried
You hold
in your
hand
You never left my side
and though my heart is torn
I will
praise You in this storm

I remember when I stumbled in
the wind
You heard my cry to You
and raised me up again my
strength
is almost
gone how can I carry on
if I can't find You
and as the
thunder rolls
I barely hear You whisper through the rain
"I'm with you"
and as Your
mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise
the God who
gives and takes
away

And I'll praise you in this storm
and I
will lift my
hands
for You
are who You are
no matter where I am
and every
tear I've cried
You
hold in your hand
You never
left my side
and
though my heart is torn
I will praise You in this
storm

I lift
my eyes unto the hills
where does my help come
from?
My help comes from
the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth
I
lift my eyes unto the hills
where does my help come from?
My help comes
from the Lord, the maker of
heaven and earth

And I'll praise you in
this storm
and I will
lift my hands
for You
are who You are
no matter where I am
and
every tear I've cried
You
hold in
your hand
You never left my side
and though my heart is torn
I will
praise You in this storm

Meme: 8 things about me

Well, I was tagged by the people at newslimericks to post 8 things about me that no one knows.

Here we go...

1. I had long hair (very long) in High School.

2. I had gas one day in my Stats class at MSU. I thought it would be quiet, but it wasn't. Right afterward, I just gave a weird look to the person next to me, then everyone assumed it was him.....he was sleeping. Sorry man.

3. I used to work at U-Haul, and our initiation for new employees was to put them in an enclosed trailer and drive around the lot as fast as possible.

4. Head Cheese makes me gag. I used to work in a Deli, and if people would order it, I couldn't cut it. Nasty stuff.

5. I'm addicted to Fantasy Football. I have 10 leagues I am in. I will be starting an FFA class in the near future. (fantasy football anonymous)

6. My office is in a cave. No, I am not Batman.

7. My son wasn't watching where he was going at Silver Dollar City one day, and he ran into a cart. I then took a few minutes to teach him the importance of paying attention so he doesn't hurt himself or anyone else. I then promptly stood up, turned around and knocked over a guy walking the other way. You have to love Irony.

8. I can't get enough Peanut Butter. If it has Peanut Butter, I will eat it.

These are 8 things you may not have known about me.

The Big Hurt

Frank Thomas began his career in 1990 with the White Sox. He played in 60 games that year, and showed some definite promise batting .330 with 7 homeruns. He showed a keen eye for the strike zone, and the ability to remain calm at the plate no matter the situation. His first full year in 1991 he was third in MVP voting. He showed the ability to not only hit for power, but to hit for average as well. He crushed 32 HR's, drove in 109 runs and batted .318. I was 16 at the time and really into baseball, he quickly became my favorite player. My Dad was a Sox fan before me, I remember Harold Baines was his favorite player from the time I was 5. I liked HB to, but I never really had a favorite until "The Big Hurt" came along. I heard the announcers calling him the "Big Hurt", and I always thought that was funny. He was such a big guy, he just hurt that ball.

Frank was simply the man year in and out for the Sox. He would go on to drive in 100+ runs in 9 of the next 10 years. He's one of only two players to win back-to-back MVP's while playing First Base. He was in the top ten voting for MVP almost every year during that 10 year run. He was amazing to watch, he could hit any pitch. He could hit if he was down 0-2, or if he was ahead 3-0. Runners on base, bases empty, he was simply unstoppable with almost a .450 OBP over those 10 years. That means he was on base almost every other time he grabbed a bat, that is unbelievable.
In 1994 he had 38 homeruns, 101 RBI's, and a .353 batting average......in only 113 games thanks to the strike shortened year. The White Sox were in first place that year, and had everything rolling, and then the strike hit. Oh, what could have been that year. We had it all, pitching, defense, offense....and the Big Hurt.

Frank recently hit his 500th homerun the other day, and now sits at 501 for his career. And although he isn't a member of the Sox anymore, he will forever be a White Sox' in my heart. I have a poster in my sports room of Big Frank leaning against a bat smiling. While playing MLB07 the show this past weekend with my 6 year old son, he asked me about "that big guy" on the wall. I told him it was the Big Hurt, Frank Thomas. He asked why they called him that, and before I could answer he said "probably because the ball hurts after he hits it".....and I said, "yeah, I bet it does".

So I just want to thank Frank Thomas. Thanks for the memories, thanks for being a leader on the field, thanks for playing the game with integrity, and thanks for hurting that ball every year. I look forward to your HOF speech when you decide to retire.

Slammin Sammy hits # 600

So, "Slammin Sammy" hit his 600th homerun yesterday June 20th, 2007 of Jason Marquis of the Chicago Cubs. It was 18 years ago today, June 21st, that he hit his first homerun of his career, off of Roger Clemens. He was always smiling and having fun, he was a fun guy to watch.

Sammy has come a long way since he first broke into the majors with the Texas Rangers in 1989. He was traded to the White Sox later that year, and then was sent to the Cubs in '92 for George Bell. He played his most prolific years as a member of the Cubs, years that are easily remembered. His hop after a homerun swing, his kisses in the dugout, his homerun chase with McGwire. From 1998 to 2001 he hit an astonishing 243 homeruns, and won the MVP in 1998.

He became the man in Chicago, clobbering balls all over the place for the Cubs. When baseball resumed after 9/11 he ran onto the field carrying an American Flag that he had in his pocket. He was smiling, he was trying to have fun again after an awful tragedy. He left the Cubs via trade in 2005 and joined the Baltimore Orioles. He had a down year only hitting 14 Homeruns and the Orioles released him. Many thought this was the end of Sammy, as the Nationals offered him a minor league contract in 2006, but he turned them down. Then he signed a minor league contract with the Rangers before the 2007 season, and he had a very good spring training. He joined the Major league club and has been a start for the season.

Anyone talking about Sammy wants to bring up the "corked bat incident." The Cubs were playing the Devil Rays and Sosa's bat broke, revealing it was corked. Sure, there is evidence that corked bats don't offer any help, but why would he use it then? He said it was just a bat that he used during batting practice to put a show on for the crowd. Oh, and he has also sent at least 5 other bats to the hall of fame, all those were tested and none revealed a cork. Other people want to talk about Steroids. I understand that word will forever be a part of baseball now, but I want to focus on something here. Sammy has never had a positive test, and he has made a succesful comeback this year. He didn't look as bad as McGwire during the congressional hearings, and he hasn't been proved wrong like Palmerio has. Now, he is only batting .242 this year, which is below his career average of .270. But, he has 12 homeuns and 53 RBI's. He is on pace to hit about 30 HR's and drive in well over 100 runs. Those are good stats for a guy that everyone gave up on.

I don't know how many people enjoyed watching his 600th homerun, but I did. I told my son while watching Sportscenter, "You know, Sammy is only one of five players to ever hit 600 homeruns." He seemed intrigued, and then asked who the others were, and I told him they were Hank Aaron, Willie Mays, Babe Ruth, and Barry Bonds. Funny thing is, the only name he recognized was Babe Ruth. Watching Sammy round the bases, smiling, hearing the fans cheer for him, both dugouts giving him an ovation. It was a good day in baseball, and it was fun to watch.

To trade, or not to trade

That is the question that is facing my team, the Chicago White Sox. Just two very short years ago, they were celebrating their first World Series victory in about 500 years. Okay, I exaggerated that a little bit, but come on, anything over 85 years is unbearable....right Cub fans?

Now, thanks to a failing bullpen, a team batting average barely above the Mendoza line, and a bunch of youngsters that just may not be ready yet, we are in a bind. Anyone that follows the Sox knows that GM Kenny Williams is a wheeler and a dealer. He isn't afraid to make a trade, and he doesn't care who it is, as long as he thinks it's beneficial to the teams future. When he traded Freddy Garcia for Gavin Floyd and Gio Gonzalez, a lot of people didn't like the trade. I liked it, we got two young pitchers who could be in the rotation next year, or this year with the way things are going. He then traded "future stud" Brandon McCarthy for Jon Danks and Nick Masset. Brandon is 4-4 with an ERA of almost 6 this year. Meanwhile, Danks is 3-6 with a 4.30 ERA and Masset has struggled along with everyone else in the Pen this year.

I still believe those trades will prove to be beneficial for us in the long-term. So the question now becomes, what do we do at the trade deadline?

Mark Buehrle is a free agent at the end of this year, as well as Jermaine Dye and Tadihito Iguchi. Buehrle and Dye, if Kenny makes them available, could return some top talent from a team that wants to win this year. The Sox need a SS of the future, as I am sure they don't want to pay Uribe his $5 million dollar option next year. They also need a 2nd baseman, and a catcher. One place to look might be the Angels as they have both Brandon Wood and Erick Aaybar at SS, and Sean Rodriguez who has been playing SS, 2nd and 3rd.

The Sox are set at 1st with Konerko, 3rd with Josh Fields, but the middle infield needs some serious upgrades. I am not usually one who wants to blow up a team, but I have to be realistic. Buerhle probably isn't re-signing after this season. He wants to play in St. Louis, and I would be really surprised if he didn't end up there. Dye is great, but his career is winding down and re-signing him next year would just hinder players like Owens and Sweeney, that need time at the major league level.

I guess what I am saying is this: It will hurt, but I am willing to trade these guys to get some future prospects back. Our team needs some young offensive talent, and we have the bargaining chips to go get that talent. Buehrle has long been one of my favorites, so it will be sad to see him go.

Don't get me wrong, I am not bailing on this season. Buehrle is 3-3 with a 3.69 ERA, and Dye is batting .226 with 11 HR's. I have confidence that those numbers can be replaced with people in house. These guys have the history though, Dye is a World Series MVP, Buehrle is as consistent as it gets....and any team in the race would be better with them.

The trading deadline is about a month and a half away, so things are going to start getting really interesting. I'm ready Kenny, ready for the rumors, ready for the prospects. I'm ready for you to pull the trigger. We have no depth on the middle infield, and it's killing us. So go ahead, be bold, make a trade, and lets re-load this team.

You can't touch this

So far in this great baseball season we have witnessed two no-hitters. One by my boy Mark Buerhle on April 18th versus the Texas Rangers. The only man to get on base was Sammy Sosa via a walk. Here are some takes from the game:

"I probably was more nervous coming out of the eighth [inning] and going back to the ninth with the crowd going crazy," Buehrle said. "I could feel my knees shaking."

Buehrle said it was his first no-hitter at any level—"I pitched maybe two innings of a seven-inning one in high school"—and the first by a White Sox pitcher since Wilson Alvarez beat Baltimore 7-0 on Aug. 11, 1991.

"His stuff was the best I've seen in two years," catcher A.J. Pierzynski said.

Buehrle's no-hitter was the Sox's first at home since Joel Horlen beat Detroit 6-0 on Sept. 10, 1967. The last American League no-hitter occurred on April 27, 2002, when Boston's Derek Lowe beat Tampa Bay.

Buehrle, 28, struck out eight, including a called third strike on Matt Kata to start the ninth inning. He threw 66 of his 105 pitches for strikes.

Yes, Buerhle was a man on a mission in this game. And as the Sox continue to fall back in the Central, this game may be their defining moment for the 2007 season. Buerhle has always been a great guy off and on the field. During rain delays, he would come out and entertain the crowd by doing slides on the tarp. This however, has been outlawed by Management....but it was fun to watch.

Then we has Curt Shilling who had a no-hitter going with two outs in the 8th and then Shannon Stewart came up to the plate.

"We get two outs, and I was sure, and I had a plan, and I shook Tek off," Schilling said. "And I get a big 'What if?' for the rest of my life."

I can't believe he shook of his catcher, but I guess that is something he will think about for the rest of his life. He came so close, one out away, one pitch away from the elusive no-hitter.

Then last night, Jun 12, we have Justin Verlander who no-hit the Brewers. Verlander was ROY last year, and everyone was wondering if he would have a sophmore slump...well, he'll take a slump if that means pitching a no hitter. He was almost untouchable.

"It was the best thing that ever happened to me," he said.

The 2006 AL Rookie of the Year came back with the game of his career, striking out 12. He benefited from several stellar defensive plays, the best by Neifi Perez, who turned a possible single up the middle in the eighth into an inning-ending double play.

Not quoted there was a nice sliding grab by Ordonez in right field. Also, Verlander was still throwing over 102 MPH in the 9th inning...unbelievable.

Just goes to show you that we still have a lot be proud and happy with in baseball. So with all the milestones being reached this year we already have two no-hitters and one almost no-hitter....and we aren't even to the All-Star Break.

Can you feel the excitement?