This Dude Has A Sweet Name

So I'm sitting here watching the Southern Miss vs. Cincinnati bowl game (sponsored by PAPA JOHN HIMSELF!) and they showed the kicker/punter/kickoff man for the Golden Eagles. His name, Britt Barefoot. Isn't your life plan pretty much set with a name like that? Great kicker, great soccer player, great at karate. I sure wouldn't like to get in a fight with him because I'm sure he could give me a swift kick to the balls! zing!

"Baseball Playa" Loves Playing With Bat and Balls...In Public!

So I know I haven't posted in a long time, but I've been spending the last two months trying to find a job (and someone finally decided to hire me!). Anyway, here's a link to a video describing a man known to the internet world as "Baseball Playa." I don't know if I'm disgusted or impressed with this guy. I mean, I'm disgusted...but at the same time, he hasn't received one complaint! Unfortunately for him, he got a bit overzealous with his accomplishments and now the cops are on to him.

LINK TO VIDEO - Man Exposes Himself At Mall

Put This Piece Of Shit In Jail

NNNNNOOOOOOOOO!!!! Joakim FUCKING NOAH?!?! FUCK! NO WAY!! GOD DAMNIT

We drafted this guy??? WHAT THE FUCK ARE THE BULLS THINKING???

This guy is going to be a terrible pro; do not fall into the trap of what Jay Bilas is talking about. He's terrible and will be terrible. I hope to all the powers above that they trade him before the season starts...because how the hell can I root for a team that has this guy. FUCK!



If you fast forward to where there is 2:55 left of this clip, you will realize how I felt when the Bulls picked Noah.

Now all of this was my initial reaction to the pick. It's still true that I hate him and some all of his antics, but I didn't like the Hinrich and Deng picks either, and look how those have turned out. Hopefully Paxson saw more than me, or maybe he was able to look beyond that hideous human being, but I am not looking forward to rooting for him. Not yet at least.

Um...Yea, I Think This Hurt Really Bad

I leave you with this video for the weekend. I'm sure it's been posted on a blog before, but I'm not about to search the thousands of blogs out there who have already posted it. So yea, enjoy this poor sap's meeting with the goal post.



Note: Now that I'm back at school, I look forward to hitting the blogging world heavy once again. So check back next week for better coverage.

Tony Batista Likes Scaring Japanese Pitchers

In response to the fight (or lack thereof) in the Cubs/Padres game today between Derrek Lee and Chris Young, I went searching some fights on YouTube. Not exactly sure what I was looking to find (especially since MLB has taken down a lot of MLB YouTube clips), but I stumbled across this video and found it to be pretty amusing. Also make sure to note the name of the team wearing the white jerseys.



So yea, who names a baseball team the Swallows?? Only in Japan.

You Just Got Swindled

This video clip is from the show Human Giant. It explains how to get free coffee everyday instead of spending an arm and a leg on coffee at places like Starbucks. Pretty funny stuff.

You Know What...I Liked The Sopranos Series Finale

It has been about 24 hours since I viewed the Sopranos series finale (sorry for not watching it on Sunday night, but I was hanging out with a Major League Baseball player) and given some time to reflect on the episode, I am pretty impressed. Just like everyone else I've talked to or read about, I thought the DVR service screwed up and cut out the last 10 seconds of the episode. I saw the credits the furiously found the rewind button hoping that it would show what I had missed. However, I watched it again and the screen went blank for the second time and I figured that that must have been the way it was ending.

Was I disappointed at first? You're God damn right I was. I wanted closure. I wanted someone else to die. I wanted blood to spill. I wanted that jaw dropping ending that I think most everyone else wanted. When I didn't get that ending, I wanted to find David Chase and punch him in the face for ending a series that I had followed since season one.

Now that I've had some time to reflect and read/listen to what others thought, I liked it. My number one theory is that Tony was shot in the diner and that is why the screen went black. As people have noted and as most Sopranos viewers remember, Tony had a conversation about getting whacked with Bobby out in the boat earlier in the season. He said when it (getting whacked) happens, you don't see it coming. You don't feel, see or hear it coming. The screen just goes black. And as we all know, the series ended with the screen all of the sudden going black; maybe because the shady character who had entered the bathroom moments before came out and ended Tony Soprano.

The second theory I heard and liked was David Chase used that "not seeing or hearing a thing, it just goes black" to whack the viewers. None of us saw it coming. Maybe he was ending the series to let the viewers know what it's like to be whacked.

No matter what happened, I think Howard Stern hit the nail right on the head yesterday during his show. He pointed out that during the last scene that most viewers were getting pretty nervous about what was about to happen to Tony. I know my heart began to beat faster. I know I was on the edge of my seat, just waiting. It gave the viewers the feeling of what it is like to be part of the mob. Always nervous and on edge, sleeping with one eye open.

No matter what really happened, I gotta admit I really liked it. That ending also left the door open for a Sopranos movie down the road, which is an idea I really liked. My final grade is somewhere between a B+ and an A-. Like I said, I really liked it. However, a jaw dropping ending that we actually got to see probably would have raised the grade to an A+.

This Talkshow Host May Be A Little Frustrated

Richard and Sal, the genius prank callers over at the Howard Stern show, have repeatedly been pranking some poor soul's Yankee's radio show on public access in New York...and quite frankly, it's hilarious. This guy really sounds like he wants to have a legit talk show and seems to still have the false hope that it might turn out to be a successful show, but Richard and Sal will have none of that. From the sounds of it, they are pretty much the only guys who listen to and call into his show.

In the following clip, Richard repeatedly calls in asking the radio show host about the weather. Sal just uses his calls for all sorts of funny comments. By the end of the clip you can hear it in the host's voice just how frustrated he is. Too bad though, because it's hilarious and I hope to hear more berating of this talk show host by Richard and Sal very soon.



Note: There are more clips of Richard and Sal calling in to this guy's show, I just felt this was the best clip. Either way, they're all pretty damn funny.

He Might Actually Be Howard Stern

So I was down at my brother's house last night and he showed me some clips from the new show The Next Best Thing. The show is modeled exactly like American Idol but instead of looking for the best singer/performer, they are looking for the best celebrity impersonator. There are some pretty damn good impersonators and there are some that are absolutely terrible. But this guy did his Howard Stern impersonation and I literally had to watch it four or five times to make sure it really wasn't Howard. I'll let you decide for yourself, but I'd be shocked if this guy wasn't in the final three contestants when the show is winding down to the end.

Mac Gs World -- Get Out Your F**king Checkbook

I was just introduced to the blog Mac Gs World yesterday, and so far, I have been nothing but impressed with this guy. I think I found a post of his linked via Deadspin and I'm glad I did. Here is one of the videos he put up this week and it's freaking hilarious. There's a lot of good stuff over there, so check it out, you won't be disappointed.

Note: This contains some NSFW (Not Safe For Work) language and also probably shouldn't be listened to around younger kids.

How Not To Act During a Sobriety Test

I hope none of you ever have to do a sobriety test after a night of drinking...because, seriously, it's not worth it. But if you do, don't do what this guy did because you'll be assured a DUI...and nobody wants that.

DUI confirmed

The Wheels Are Falling Off...FAST

Wow. That's all I can say about the Cubs and their play since they were 15-14 and looking to be heading in the right direction. Since reaching that 15-14 mark on May 6th, the Cubs have went an awful 7-15 and looked horrific doing it. They've been finding old ways to lose as well as new ways to lose. They can't hit and when they do, the bullpen blows it. They can't run the bases, and when they do they can't hit. They can't get good starting pitching, and when they can they can't hit. They can't make plays, and when they do they find another way to blow it. It's horrible, pathetic, disgusting and any other negative adjective all rolled into one. Their needs to be a new word created to describe the Cubs 99 years of disappointment because any word in the English language right now doesn't do their play and actions justice.

Anyway...to get to the point of this post. In the top of the fifth inning, the wheels really fell off for the Cubs. They had already made two errors which had cost them two runs and were looking to screw themselves over even more. Two runs scored on a double by Jeff Francoeur, which included the single worst relay throw I've ever seen by Jacque Jones. Cubs trailed 4-1 after that. The next batter hit a single to left-field and the Braves decided to test Soriano who threw a perfect strike to Barrett to gun down Francoeur for the second out of the inning. It looked as though they may get out of the inning only trailing 4-1 with some momentum. Boy was I wrong. During the sequence with the next batter, Zambrano threw a tailing fast ball that Barrett misplayed. However, to Barrett's credit, he was clearly expecting a slider. Anyway, the ball got away and instead of holding onto the ball and letting a guy get to third with two outs in the inning (something a smart player would do), he threw the ball into left field allowing another runner to score. Two more batters came to the dish (including pitcher Kyle Davies) and roped shots into the outfield increasing the Braves lead to 7-1. That's bad enough, right??

No, actually it got worse. After the break, the replays showed Barrett and Zambrano coming into the dugout. They got into a heated argument about who sucked worse and then it got physical. They pushed each other and tried to throw some blows, but none connected. It only lasted for a couple of seconds until the other players and managers got in the middle of it.

Today's game pretty much sums up how the Cubs have been playing the last three weeks. It's absolutely horrible and I don't see it heading in a positive direction anytime soon. What I would like to do is challenge the 40,000 people who will be at the games Saturday and Sunday to let them know exactly how shitty they have been playing. Or better yet, don't show up. Sell your tickets for half price and do something fun in Chicago. There's 8,000 other things to do in the city that won't leave you extremely frustrated and with a sour taste in your mouth. Why people (including me) continually spend $50 (or more) to watch that team play like complete garbage is beyond me. Find better things to do with your money because it's not worth watching those losers run out onto the field and make fools of themselves.

Here's the video of the fight in the dugout...and now it has been reported that they got into later in the clubhouse. What a bunch of babies.


(2nd Note: I really feel bad for guys like D-Lee, Theriot, Lilly and Marquis. Those guys care and play hard every day they're out there...too bad most everyone else on the team doesn't. Also, get Jacque Jones out of my face...he certainly isn't much better than Pie.)

Fantasy Players of the Week

Sorry to all of you who have been eagerly anticipating some new posts from me these past few weeks. The past two weeks have been very busy with celebrating senior week, walking at graduation, saying goodbye to friends and attending the most kick-ass graduation party (think My Super Sweet 16 but for a graduation party). However, I am now back and ready to role again with this thing and what better way to start than with the fantasy players of the week.

Position Player of the Week -- Justin Morneau, Minnesota Twins
The reigning AL MVP had one of those weeks that fantasy owners drool over. Morneau hit .400 this past week while belting four homers and driving in 13 runs. All four of his home runs came in victories for the Minnesota Twins and Morneau extended his hit streak to 10 games.

Pitcher of the Week -- Jake Peavy, San Diego Padres
Peavy, having two starts in one week, took full advantage of it. In his first start, Peavy shut down the Cubs, (which these days really isn't that hard) going six innings, striking out six and only allowing one run. For his second start, he went seven innings against the slumping Brewers while giving up only two hits and surrendering no runs. Peavy ended the week with two wins, 14 strikeouts and a razor-thin ERA of 0.69. If you have a pitcher with two starts against two teams from the "Comedy Central," then I would suggest urge you to start that pitcher (unless, of course, he plays for one of those joke teams).

On Vacation for Senior Week

Sorry to those who have come over here this week to find a few posts and the fantasy players of the week. It is Senior Week here at Notre Dame and I have been pretty busy getting drunk doing things with my friends and preparing for graduation. Yes I know I'm not officially graduating until December, but I am taking part in the graduation activities/ceremonies this spring. I will be back in full force on Monday.

Craig Biggio Could Have A Pretty Sweet Year

Houston Astros catcher centerfielder second baseman, 41 year-old Craig Biggio, is looking to reach one milestone and break another record this year. To date, Biggio currently has 2,963 hits; only 37 shy of the elite 3,000 hit club (currently at 26 players).

Also, Biggio has been hit by a pitch 283 times during his career in the majors. The current record of 287 HBP is held by Hughie Jennings, who played in the majors from 1891 to 1903. That means Biggio is four away from tying and five away from breaking his record.

I'd just like to make note that I'm not sure how legitimate his breaking of the HBP record should be. For as long as I can remember, he's been wearing that robo-arm padding which easily has helped him take some pitches off the arm. Then again, you still have to stand in there and let a ball coming at you at around 90mph hit you, which is not easy for anyone.

With that being said, good luck to Craig as he goes for both of those elite numbers this year.

Racism Study Among NBA Officials: Pointless and Stupid

There has been a lot of news as of late on the issue that the white referees in the NBA are using race as a factor for making foul calls. Personally, I think this study is stupid and really serves no purpose (but I'll get more into that in a second). What I found even more interesting is a little piece I read in the Chicago Tribune yesterday. Richard Jefferson (of the New Jersey Nets) asked an interesting question about the study. He said, "What if you are half-black, half white? Because there some mix in my family. I wonder how that works." Jefferson's teammate Jason Kidd was counted as black while Yao Ming was counted as white. Pretty ridiculous if you ask me. Also, the people who did the study did not know the racial identity of the referees making the calls, unless it was a crew of referees that were all the same race. Again, pretty ridiculous.

However, I want to step aside from criticizing the way the study was done, and instead move on to how studies like these continually remind us that race is always seems to be a factor in everything. In a country with so many races and ethnicities, isn't about time we stop doing surveys and studies to see how different races think? Personally, I am sick of hearing that white referees are racist or that more whites think Barry Bonds used steroids than blacks or whatever other study is being done to remind us that we are different colors.

Instead of pointing out that one race favors something more than another race, why can't we just take polls or analyze referees (or whoever) as a whole. We always want to use skin color or ethnicity to separate people, when in reality, we should be working to get rid of that mindset. We should be paving a path for the next generations to forget what race your neighbor, co-worker, classmate, etc. is and instead just acknowledge everyone for who they are as a human being.

I know this doesn't have much to do with sports, but it's something that has been bothering me for a while. And with that recent study of referees, it set me off. In the end, too many things come down to the issue of race/ethnicities and I would like to hope that we are trying to get past that. Unfortunatley, I don't think we are.

Fantasy Players of the Week

This past week was a very exciting week for Cubs fans everywhere. Like I mentioned in my previous post, the Cubs seem to be hitting their stride right now and I don't think the Brewers can keep this up all year. However, this past week was a great week for some Brewers players as well; which is why they have swept the fantasy players of the week for this week.

Position Players of the Week - J.J. Hardy & Prince Fielder, Milwaukee Brewers
These two both had tremendous weeks this week, helping the Brewers win 6 of 7 and hold steady their 5-game lead over the Cubs in the NL Central. Hardy hit .536 this past week with 2 HR's and 9 RBI's. His 15 hits during the week led the entire league. Fielder, Hardy's partner in crime, hit .440 over the past 7 days with 4 HR's (including 2 on Sunday) and 12 RBI's.

Pitcher of the Week - Jeff Suppan, Milwaukee Brewers
It's alwasy an advantage in fantasy for a pitcher to get two starts during a one week span. What's even better is when they take advantage of those starts. In his first start of the week on 4/30, he threw a complete game against the Cardinals scattering 8 hits while only giving up one earned run. His second outing didn't last as long, only 5.2 innings, but he only gave up 2 runs while giving up 8 hits again. His final stats for the week were: 2 wins, 1 complete game, a 1.84 ERA and 10 strikeouts.

So there it is. The first complete sweep of fantasy players of the week on this site. Let's see if some Cubs can do this next week.

Sweep and Read 'Em The Riot Act

The Cubs are on fire the past week and a half, winning games pretty much every way possible. From close games to comebacks to blowouts, the Cubs look to be hitting their stride. Today's comeback win is their 5th in a row and they've won 8 of their last 9 to propel themselves to back above .500 (15-14) for the first time since when they were 3-2.

The game today was most definitely a team effort with almost everyone contributing in some way or another, but my MVP has got to go to Ryan Theriot (aka The Riot). He only went 1-5 today, but his at bat in the bottom of the ninth was spectacular. With a count of 1-2, he had enough plate discipline to take a close pitch on the outside corner and follow that up with four straight foul balls, before finally delivering the game-tying hit to right field. Obviously, I'm not going to forget that Daryle Ward had two hits, including the game winner in the 10th, coming off the bench, but Theriot's approach in his last at bat was phenomenal.

I am getting more and more excited about this team as of late. You just have to love how they've been playing this past week and a half. They get to enjoy a day off tomorrow before the Pirates come into town for a three game set. I am happy to say I'll be in attendance on Wednesday night to watch the Cubs hopefully pin down their 7th straight win.

(Note: I was at yesterday's game too in the first part of the upper deck directly behind home plate and got a foul ball. I've now caught and thrown back an opposing player's home run at Wrigley and got a foul ball. Gotta love time spent at Wrigley Field!)

Boom Goes the Dynamite!!

I know this video is a couple years old and most of you have seen it at least a few times, but I just watched again for the first time in a year or so and died laughing. This is one of the all-time great meltdowns in television history; and for those of you who haven't seen it, well, get ready to laugh like you've never laughed before. And for the rest of you who are like me and who have seen it, take 4 minutes out of your day (especially if you're having a bad one) and laugh at this poor sole yet again.

Baw Wit Da Golf Clubs

A set of decent golf clubs these days usually costs somewhere between $300-600. So when a six sets of clubs were stolen from a high school girls golf team in Michigan on Monday, they were in a pretty big financial hole; that is, until Kid Rock heard about the incident. Rock (aka Robert Ritchie) called the coach of the team on Wednesday evening and offered to replace the stolen clubs with custom golf clubs.

After talking with the coach, Rock made a call to (his buddy?) John Daly and inquired about who he should get the clubs from. Daly suggested TaylorMade Golf. So Rock called up TaylorMade and they arranged to have the six sets of new clubs sent out to the coach and her team today.

This is a really great gesture by Kid Rock to help out some unfortunate high schoolers. The even better part of the story is how Rock called upon John Daly for advice. Does that mean that these guys are friends and party together? Because if they do, those are two guys I would love to party with because they definitely know how to party.

(Note: Kid Rock's Devil Without a Cause might be the greatest album ever created....it went platinum seven times.)

It Only Took a Month!

Considering I (and every other Cubs fan) have been waiting for this all year, I feel it deserves it's own post. Alfonso Soriano FINALLY HIT A HOME RUN!!! Soriano hit his first blast of the season just a few moments ago off of Tony Armas. I hope this is the start of a 6 or 7 game streak where Soriano goes yard.

Felix Pie Does It The Right Way

Edit: The video is working again! Hooray!

On Friday night, Chicago Cubs outfielder Felix Pie hit his first home run of his career. Pretty sweet stuff for a Cubs fan. But what's more is how he handled himself after he hit the ball and finally saw that the ball had cleared the fence in right center field. The video below is somewhat low quality (because all others of his first home run were taken off YouTube for copyright violations) but you can see what I am talking about.



I wish more players in the Majors handled themselves like Pie did. Granted it was his first home run, but I see this guy handling most of his home runs the exact same way. Running hard right out of the box and only slowing up (a little in Pie's case) when the ball actually clears the fence. Too many times I've seen major leaguers hit long drives that they think are home runs, only to see them wind up just short and see them held to a single or thrown out at 2nd or 3rd because they didn't hustle out of the box. Seriously, with all the money the get paid, is it that much to ask to run hard for 5-10 seconds once every 2-3 innings?

Now don't get me wrong, some players have the ability to hit absolute bombs and know when they're gone when they hit them. If you know it's gone, then I suppose you can watch it leave the yard. Gary Sheffield put it best last night after hitting his game-winning home run when he said, "I was always told by Dave Parker, when you hit it like that, you can look at it."

If you're 100% it's gone, then watch it. If not, run hard til it leaves the yard.

Don't Mess With This Fan

After viewing the video of the angry hockey mom over at The Postmen, I decided to see if I could continue the fun and find another video of an angry fan or two. Well everybody, you're in luck! After searching through the archives of YouTube, I was able to find something to fill that void. Hopefully none of you will ever have to sit next to this guy at a sporting event. And if you do, try not to get in an argument with him. And if you happen to get in an argument with him, don't stand up and turn your back to him, because, you know, the following might happen...

Fantasy Players of the Week

This week was another exciting week for fantasy players across MLB. The Cubs also showed some signs that they are indeed capable of winning and might just have a shot to put together a good streak and get back in the NL Central Division hunt.

But before we get into the fantasy players of the week, let me extend my sympathies to the Cardinals’ organization and fans after news broke early Sunday that relief pitcher Josh Hancock was killed in an auto accident. It is never easy for an organization to lose a player, especially right in the middle of a season. Here is a good write-up of what kind of man Mr. Hancock was.

Position Player of the Week – Magglio Ordonez, Detroit Tigers
Mags had a spectacular week at the dish. He hit .571 with 2 bombs and 11 RBI’s during his past six-game span, while adding an on base percentage of .654. He capped off the week with a 2-3 performance against Johan Santana and the Twins, including a 2-run blast to right field. Chase Utley came in a close second this week, hitting .444 with 2 homeruns and 10 RBI’s

Pitcher of the Week – John Maine, New York Mets
Maine’s week on the mound including two excellent starts for the New York Mets. His total stat line for the week was 14.2 IP, 10 H, 13 SO while only giving up 1 ER in his two starts. Maine pitched in dominant fashion yesterday; scattering only 3 hits in the seven innings of work in their 1-0 win over the Nationals.

Not that anyone really cares, but I feel it necessary to mention that my CBS Sportsline fantasy team led my league in scoring with 431 points. God I’m a genius!

Who Would Buy These??

I first came across this story today on Deadspin about the two University of Georgia students who purchased tickets to the 2006 Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl to watch their Bulldogs take on the Virginia Tech Hokies. One of the students got on Ebay, searched for some tickets and won an auction. No big deal, right? Well it wouldn't have been, except for the fact that it turns out the Virginia Tech student he bought them from was none other than Seung-Hui Cho.

Via the story that I read earlier, the junior Georgia student who bought the tickets (Casey Spivey) is planning on selling the ticket stubs and donating the money to a charity that has been set up for the families of the victim's in the shooting that took place last week.

I guess it's kind of a nice gesture to find a way to help out those who lost a loved one in the shootings (but seriously, would you really keep the money from selling those tickets...you'd have to be a complete douchebag to do something like that). But I gotta ask, who in the world would buy those ticket stubs? I cannot imagine someone wanting to look at those everyday and have to think about the events that unfolded the morning of April 16th. I can only hope that whoever buys those tickets decides to discard them in a way so they are never seen again. If I were more than a poor college student, I would look into buying those and then burn them so nobody has to see them again. It's not enough that this whole situation was grossly over-publicized (including seeing the kid talk about what he was going to do and seeing those crazy pictures), but now we have to hear about the unimportant things Cho did before the massacre and make a big deal about them.

Ughh...I am getting pretty sick of hearing his name. I wish they'd never release the names of the people who do this or the videos/pictures they send in. It will just create more of an incentive for some other person to think that people will see and remember him/her after doing such a horrible act.

Red Sox Bats Go Nuts

So last night the Red Sox decided to go insane and hit four consecutive homeruns in the 3rd inning of their win vs. the Yankees last night. The Yankee's starter, Chase Wright, was only making his second career MLB start. He had a 3-0 lead heading into the bottom of the 3rd inning; and then within a 10-pitch span, he had given up four straight bombs and lost his team's early lead.

Manny Ramirez started the party with an absolute bomb to left-center field that left the entire park. J.D. Drew, Mike Lowell homered in the middle of the fun and Jason Varitek capped it off with a solo-shot to left field. The back-to-back-to-back-to-back homerun marked only the 5th time in history where it has happened. The other four occurences are:

Milwaukee Braves vs. Cincinnati on June 8th, 1961 -
(Eddie Matthews, Hank Aaron, Joe Adcock and Frank Thomas)
Cleveland Indians vs. L.A. Angels on July 31st, 1963 -
(Woody Held, Pedor Ramos, Tito Francona and Larry Brown
Minnesota Twins vs. Kansas City Royals on May 2nd, 1964
(Tony Olivia, Bob Allison, Jimmie Hall, Harmon Killebrew)
Los Angeles Dodgers vs. San Diego Padres on Sept. 18th, 2006
(Jeff Kent, J.D. Drew, Russell Martin, Marlon Anderson)

Two names that stand out on that list include J.D. Drew and Tito Francona. J.D. Drew became the only player in MLB history to be involved in this amazing feat two separate times. Tito Francona is the father of current Red Sox manager, Terry Francona.

Anyway, enough with the history lesson. Here's the video if you stuck around long enough. Enjoy!

Fantasy Players of the Week

This past week proved to be a week for some amazing pitching performances. Considering all the players in the MLB, there will be weeks when multiple players will share the honors. So let's get right into it.

Position Player of the Week - Alex Rodriguez, New York Yankees
This is Rodriguez's second top honor in three weeks. It is really hard to make an argument against ARod right now. He's on a tear, leading the majors in some high profile categories. This past week, ARod hit .370 with 5 HR's and 13 RBI's ARod now leads the MLB in RBI's, OPS, HR's, Runs and SLG. percentage. Not bad for a guy who was almost ran out of town by those totally awesome Yankee fans. ARod edged out Carlos Beltran for this week's honor, who hit .448 this past week.

Pitcher of the Week - Mark Buehrle, Chicago White Sox
It's hard not to give the highest honor to a guy who threw a no-hitter. In his game last week vs. the Texas Rangers, he threw a complete game, no-hit shutout while striking out eight Rangers. It's also noteworthy that he only threw 106 pitches. As much as I hate the White Sox and would love for them to lose 100 games every year, I have to say I was rooting for him in the ninth inning. As other people have noted, there just really isn't anything like a no-hitter/perfect game in any other sport. So any time I get a chance to see one, I really don't care who is throwing or who he's playing.

Other Pitchers Worth Noting -
Cole Hamels, Philadelphia Phillies -- Rich Hill, Chicago Cubs
Hamels had a Kerry Wood esque performance on Saturday when he took the mound vs. Cincinnati. He threw a complete game, while striking out 15 Reds and only surrendering one run.
Rich Hill continued his outstanding start to the 2007 season on Thursday night against the Braves. He threw eight innings, giving up no runs while striking out seven. Hill has only given up one run in 22 innings of work this year which has pushed his ERA down to a razor-thin and MLB leading 0.41.

Great Weekend Ahead for Indiana

This weekend marks two very historic and significant events in the world of sports for the state of Indiana.

Here in South Bend, the Blue/Gold spring football game will give Irish fans a taste of what the 2007 Fighting Irish will look like. Most of the attention will surround early admitted, freshman phenom, Jimmy Clausen and fellow sophomore quarterback, Demtrius Jones. From what I have been hearing, they have both looked good this spring, but Clausen appears to be the front-runner for the starting job next fall. Clausen has supposedly been connecting with receivers on all types of routes; including the 50-yard bombs where he’s been hitting receivers in stride. I’m sure plenty of Irish fans will also have their eyes on the guys Clausen and Jones will be throwing to. With the losses of Jeff Samardzija and Rhema Mcknight, the new receiving core will need to step up next year.

The other historic event will be taking place about a 3 ½ hour drive from South Bend in Bloomington, IN (which the drive between the two may be the worst ever). This event is none other than the Little 500 bike race. This year’s race will mark the 56^th running of the 200-lap race (that is approximately 51 total miles) that takes place at Armstrong Stadium every April.

The buzz around the Indiana Unveristy campus that surrounds this wonderful week is second to none. Although the race takes place on a Saturday, the students begin preparing weeks in advance. From planning concerts at fraternities to parties get togethers, it is definitely something to look forward to every year. Oh, and the bike riders themselves, well they train year-round for this thing and take it pretty seriously.

As for myself, I will be heading down to the University of Indiana University shortly. However, this year I will not be attending the race as I will be driving back to South Bend early Saturday morning to catch the Blue/Gold game and the festivities that go along with it. I would normally take this time to wish my favorite frat, ATO, good luck this year…but unfortunately for the defending champions, they will not be participating in this year's race because they did not qualify *tear*. (Somewhere HAAANS is crying.)

Check back Monday for my recap of the two events and as always, my fantasy players of the week!

Crazy Umpire

This is a video I came across a while back. This umpire makes the right call (if you watch closely) but the way he handles himself is hilarious. Enjoy!

Fantasy Players of the Week

Before I give you my fantasy players of the week, I'd first like to show some sympathy for those who are currently involved in a fantasy baseball league over at ESPN. I can only imagine how frustrating it is to lose all your transactions, stats and whatever else that may have been lost. However, ESPN did offer refunds to all those who had paid for teams and Insider access. I know that doesn't make up for their mistake, but at least it's something.

Anyway, on to the fantasy MLB players of the week

Position Player of the Week - Ian Kinsler, Texas Rangers
Kinsler (the 2nd baseman for the Rangers) had an outstanding past 7 days. He hit .476 with 4 bombs, 8 RBI's while racking up a total of 7 runs. Kinsler edged out Aaron Hill and Rickie Weeks for this week's top honor.

Pitcher of the Week - Felix Hernandez, Seattle Mariners
Hernandez edged out Roy Halladay this week after throwing a gem at Fenway on Wednesday night. He threw 7 innings of no hit ball before giving up the lone hit of the game to J.D. Drew on the first pitch of the 8th inning. He ended the game with a one-hit, complete game shutout, striking out 6 while only surrendering two walks. It's also worth noting that he did this in Dice-K's Fenway debut.

I'd also like to make note of Chicago Cubs reliever, Michael Wuertz. He pitched 4 innings this week, giving up no hits and surrending only one walk while striking out 6. What was most notable about his week came on Friday the 13th at Wrigley (a game in which I attended). In the 5th inning, the Cubs had already given up 6 runs and the bases were still loaded and nobody out when Wuertz came in. He struck out the next three batters, keeping the Cubs only one run behind. But, of course, in typical Cubs fashion, they couldn't put one run across in the last four innings and lost 6-5.

Olympics in CHI? One Step Closer

The Olympic bid for the 2016 Olymips in the US came down to Los Angeles and Chicago. Yesterday, Chicago was selected as the city that will represent the United States.

The next process in the selection of the 2016 Olympic host city will come in October of 2009 when the International Olympic Committee members make their final decision. The cities that Chicago will most likely have to go up against for the bid will include the likes of: Rio de Janeiro, Madrid, Rome, Tokyo and Prague.

I have to say, being from the Midwest and loving the city of Chicago, that I am pretty excited about the possibility of the Olympics being in Chicago. However, I also realize that the Olympics aren't for another nine years and who knows where I'll be then. I'd love to be around Chicago then, but nine years is a long time. Either way though, I think Chicago definitely deserves the opportunity to host the Olympics...especially after originally winning the bid for the 1904 Olympics but then losing out to St. Louis.

Zach Johnson Is Taking Care of His Green Jacket

Zach Johnson has been extremely busy since winning the Masters on Sunday afternoon. After winning the Masters, he had to do the whole press thing and then celebrate his victory in Atlanta. He then had to jump on a plane to do the David Letterman show on Monday as well as various other visits to radio/television personnel.

Being that he has never won the Masters or actually believe he would be the Masters champion of 2007, he was unsure of how much he should be wearing the green jacket. While he was at the ESPN Zone in New York on Monday, he decided that he didn't want to overwear it and offend the members of Augusta National. This excerpt was pulled from the NY Times story today:

"Johnson arrived at the ESPN Zone in Times Square and hung it (the green jacket) on a chair with a white trash bag around it."

Come on Zach, you just won the Masters and you can't have someone run to a store for you and buy you a nice garment bag to hold that coveted green jacket? I mean I love Zach and all for his representin' of this great state, but seriously, buy something to keep that thing lookin' sharp. It kind of sounds like he has the same response that Happy Gilmore had to the gold jacket in the movie. "Gold jacket, green jacket...who gives a shit"?

Life Is About to Change For Masters Champion [NY Times]
Photo credited to Damon Hack of the NY Times

Sanjaya Malakar is AWESOME!!

While I was at home this weekend, my brother introduced me to Sanjaya Malakar and votefortheworst.com; and I want to take a moment to thank him. For those of you who are not aware, Sanjaya is one of the remaining eight contestants on American Idol this season....and he is absolutely terrible. Sure, he's a better singer than me, but that isn't saying much.

As for votefortheworst.com, it was started in 2004, and gained some popularity when it helped some less than stellar contestants advance further than they should have. Earlier this season, Howard Stern jumped on board and helped promote the site and the voting of Sanjaya and now the popularity of the site and its mission is at an all time high. I personally think this is a fantastic idea and would love to see Sanjaya crowned as the next "American Idol."

However, there are also numerous die-hard Idol fans out there who are not as fond of the site as I am. They claim it is ruining the entire show (which, in essence, it is...but I'm perfectly fine with that). There have also been threats of lawsuit against the site, but to this date, no pending lawsuits have been recognized. I headed over to the site to read some of the hate mail and came across the following entry. I must say, Idol has some of the most intelligent fans in the world.

"you really have no life. i hope you get sewed from that danielle girl. no one likes you . all of the american idol fans think your stupid. sanjaya malakar is not going to win this thing ill make sure of it. im gonna be so happy the day you get sewed." -AnimalLover3492

I can't say that I know what getting "sewed" is. Something to do with sewers?? Not really sure on that one. As for how this person is going to make sure Sanjaya doesn't win, good luck doing it one your own...

Anyway, back to Sanjaya. Yea, he's bad and everyone knows it. Here's a sample of one of his performances. You'll notice the girl in the video they keep cutting to. She may say she's a fan of his at the end, but we all know his singing/performance was the thing making her so upset. See for yourself...



So as you can see, Sanjaya is really, really good bad. However, I encourage all of you to visit votefortheworst.com and/or partake in voting for the worst, aka Sanjaya. The next showing of American Idol will air on Tuesday night at 8pm EST. The next voting will take place during Wednesday's showing, airing at 9pm EST. I encourage all of you to take some time during the next couple of months and help make Sanjaya Malakar the next American Idol!!

Fantasy Player of the Week

I am going to try and lead every week off here with the naming of the fantasy player(s) of the week for this baseball season. I will normally try and get it out before Monday afternoon, but with the Easter holiday and traveling back to Notre Dame to learn pointless crap, the naming of this week's fantasy player of the week was delayed until tonight. So, in response, I will use tonight's stats as well.

MLB Fantasy Player of the Week - Alex Rodriguez
This week's fantasy player shouldn't be a surprise to anyone. He's on a tear already this season and the Yankee fans will have to hold off booing him for at least a couple of days weeks. This past week, ARod hit .360 with an MLB leading 5 HRs and 13 RBIs. His game winning grand slam on Saturday, shown below, was simply ARod being ARod. That was his third career game winning grand slam in his career, tying a Major League record (which he will probably break).





(This month I will release my Ultimate Fantasy Baseball Team that will include a roster full of players from 1900-2007 that I believe would be the ultimate fantasy lineup...so check back frequently so you don't miss it!!)

New Wrigley? Let's Negotiate...

In Wednesday's Sports section of the Chicago Tribune, Rick Morrissey outlined his true feelings towards Wrigley Field. And you know what, I tend to agree with what he had to say. I mean, let's be honest, anyone who has been to Wrigley Field knows that it is basically a dump. Sure, a lot of you will look at what I just said as committing blasphemy, but in all reality, it is.

Now don't get me wrong, I love the Friendly Confines that have resided on the corner of Clark and Addison since 1914 (I even won a regional speech contest in 8th grade with a speech on why Wrigley Field is "An American place worth a visit"!!). I have spent roughly 30 games in the past six years with my fellow bleacher bums. I've lined the Wrigley walls two hours before the gates open so I could sit front row. I even accomplished a lifelong dream of mine by catching a Bobby Abreu homerun and throwing it back (to Nomar nonetheless).

However, I've been saying (along with my Dad) for years now that something needs to be done with Wrigley. Morrissey outlines basically what I've been saying for a while now:

"If I were king for a day—Thursdays work for me—I would keep the beautiful scoreboard, the outfield bleachers (including the ivy walls) and the field intact. I would salvage the red Wrigley Field sign on Addison Street. I would tear down the rest of it and rebuild, even if that meant fewer seats."

I agree basically 100% with what he says. If you think about it, those are the best parts about Wrigley. With this plan, you keep mostly everything that makes Wrigley Field what it is. Wrigley stays in the middle of neighborhood on the North side of Chicago. I believe it is even possible to redo the grandstand area, and not lose any seats. Upgrade it so there are no poles in the way and make it a much more pleasant place to watch from the 200 and 500 level seats.

There's one thing I feel Morrissey left out, and it's somewhat of a big deal when you think about it. Let me ask you, how many World Series Championships have the Cubs won since moving to Wrigley Field? When was the last time they were in a World Series? Well, if you guessed 0 and 1945, you'd be right. Don't you think it's about time that we shake things up a bit? We don't need a brand new ballpark; we just need a little bit of a new look and feel.

So let's do what the Bears did. Let's move the Cubs out to Naperville or somewhere for a year. Tear down the grandstands and rebuild. Move them back a year later and let's get back to a World Series!

Candice Who??

Yes, I know Candice Parker just won a National Championship last night,but who really gives a crap but this girl makes her "dunks" look like child's play.


Brittney Griner is a 6'5 sophomore at Nimitz high school in Houston and I can only imagine what dunks she'll have up her sleeve by the times she's a senior. And if that doesn't make you feel bad that you can't dunk, check out this guy over at We Are The Postmen, and he'll definitely make you feel bad that you can't dunk.

Cubs vs. Reds Opening Day Live Blog

4:47pm - This day belonged to Aaron Harang and Adam Dunn. Like previously mentioned, Zambrano did not have a very good outing. The Cubs bats also didn't look great and they left some men on base in crucial situations early with 2 outs. Lucky for us Cubs fans(or maybe bad for us) there's still 161 games left to be played. For those of all who checked this out (if there is anyone!) I hope you enjoyed it.

4:38pm - Very nice catch by Murton out in left. Great job taking a hit away from a cheater.

4:28pm - Murton just collected the hat trick for strike outs today. He's 1-4, but his only hit was an infield single. He hasn't impressed me at all today in the #2 hole. I still think I'd rather see DeRosa in that spot.

4:26pm - The bullpen has looked fairly decent so far. 2IP and no runs...can't complain about that. The Cubs have Murton, Lee and Ramirez due up right now. If they're going to come back, they should do it now.

4:14pm - Pretty weak effort by the cameramen for the first installment of the Bud Light Fan Cam. I feel it should be 75% hot girls (well, 100% but that's just not a realistic expectation) and then throw in whatever else you want for the remaining 25%).

4:12pm - I don't know if I like this "Season of Hope" campaign all that much. It is basically setting us all up for failure. We HOPE we can win, but if not, oh well...it won't be any different that the last 98 years.

4:00pm - Big Z is done for the day. Not a very good outing. 5IP, 6H, 5R, 5ER, 5BB, 2SO. Disappointing start for Zambrano, but he hasn't had a good opening day start now in three years so I guess I'm not too worried yet. Now we make way for Neal Cotts...hooray.

3:54pm - That guy from the latest Dairy Queen commercial (where he takes his kids Kit Kat blizzard) is a mix between Jack Black and Chris Farley.

3:49pm - Big Z is struggling this inning. 2 walks, a HBP, a little Texas leaguer, and a sac fly. 2 runs so far and the Reds still have two on with two out. Rough day for Zambrano's control. He's been all over the place and consistently missing spots.

3:39pm - Aramis Ramirez just grounded out to third - but he was only out by 3/4 of a step...nice to see him hustle out a ground ball...maybe Sweet Lou laid the smack down

3:36pm - Ryan Freel just misplayed a D Lee line drive and then threw it into the stands trying to get Murton at 3rd. Is he really better than Griffey in center? Reds 3 - Cubs 1

3:30pm - Every time I see that commercial with Keith Hernandez for Just for Men, I can't help but think of the famous Seinfeld episode. What a great show.

3:22pm - Just saw a commercial for 24 which made me realize that 24, Florida vs. Ohio State AND I Love New York (series finale) are all on at the same time tonight. Considering I only have one TV and one DVD recorder, what the hell am I going to do?!

3:20pm - Izturis pops up on the first pitch with the bases loaded. God damnit...be patient.

3:08pm - The White Sox are losing 9-2 at Comiskey (seriously, who calls it US Cellular)...God I love it when they lose.

3:01pm - Regarding the phrase, "if you're keeping score at home"...does anyone keep score at home anymore??

2:57pm - Adam Dunn launches his second homerun today deep (very deep) to right center field (and I didn't start him in my fantasy lineup this week...nice work idiot).

2:56pm - Wow...what a break for the Cubs. Tough play for Izturis, bad throw bounces right back to D Lee and they get Freel at second.

2:46pm - Mark DeRosa registers the first hit for the Cubs in the 2007 season with a single to center. He's batting 1.000!

2:36pm - Cubs go down in order again. 0-6 so far.

2:32pm - Pete Rose is in attendance today. The first Reds game he's been to since managing them. I wonder how much money he's got riding on the game today..couple hundred?

2:25pm - Adam Dunn just blasted one that I think left the yard in about 1.3 seconds. That guy is an absolute beast...probably on his way to a 50+ HR season.

2:20pm - I've never seen a ball called for a pitcher licking his fingers on the mound in an MLB game. Too bad D Lee was caught stealing on the very next pitch.

2:15pm - First pitch to Soriano as a Cub - swing and a miss. You know I always chuckle when Randy Marsh is announced as an umpire for a game I'm watching (Southpark anyone?) -- Weak groundout for Soriano...looks like we'll have to wait a little longer on that first homerun.

2:11pm - That may have been the WORST attempt at an opening day ceremonial first pitch I've ever seen. Sucks for people in Cincinnati to have a pansy for a mayor.

2:09pm - There's nothing like a tribute to Zambrano to the sounds of Christina Aguilera's "Ain't No Other Man." That shot of him breaking the bat over his leg after striking out, is, well, it's freaking awesome.

2:07pm - I'm taking the afternoon off today to watch/live blog the Cubs game today. Needless to say, I am pretty damn excited for Soriano's first at-bat and big Z's first pitch. Let's hope this is the start of something special and we see plenty of those emotions from Z today.

Wii Makes People Look (and Sound) Stupid

I couldn't decide between the two, so I had to post both of them...




The first video needs no explanation. As for the second one, I can't wait until I'm in my early 40s, boxing my buddy on Wii and telling him to, "suck on that buddy..yeahhh!"

2007 MLB Predictions

As I am in the middle of my first fantasy baseball draft of the year (Alfonso Soriano with my first pick!), I will go ahead and make my Division champion, NL and AL champion and World Series champions. These predictions probably don’t have much merit because I haven’t been keeping up with how every team has looked this spring. However, that may turn out to be a good thing because then I won’t over analyze anything…and when that happens, I’m usually better off anyway.

National League

East – Philadelphia Phillies
Central – Chicago Cubs
East – LA Dodgers
Wild Card – Arizona Diamondbacks

American League

East – Boston Red Sox
Central – Detroit Tigers
West – Texas Rangers
Wild Card – Minnesota Twins

ALCS – Red Sox over the Tigers

NLCS – Phillies over the Cubs

World Series Champion – BOSTON RED SOX

So those are my picks, conveniently made right before the season kicks off tonight. As far as I’m concerned, this seems to be one of the more wide open years for baseball. Of course I’m hoping for the Cubs to take the crown, but I’ve already experienced 21 years of “Wait ‘til next year”…why would the 22^nd year be any different?

It’s a Marathon That They Are Willing To Run

Merck and Co. is facing roughly 30,000 lawsuits after its COX-2 inhibitor drug, Vioxx, was pulled from the market in late 2004. Instead of taking on the cases at the same time or many of them at once, Merck has decided to take on every lawsuit on a case by case basis.

Merck’s defense strategy has looked good thus far. They have won 10 of their 15 cases to date; including a victory on Tuesday in Madison County (IL). Tuesday’s win was very crucial because Madison County has been referred to as the country’s top “judicial hellhole” because of the millions of dollars won by plaintiffs over the years.

There are mixed thoughts out there about how Merck’s decision to take on all the lawsuits on a case by case situation. However, I find myself agreeing with Merck’s current strategy. For starters, this strategy will prolong the cases; which will allow their new drugs to hit the market and help Merck combat litigation costs. Secondly, they will be able to build each case off of the previous cases to help improve and strengthen the defense for the lawsuits that follow. The most recent victory will also help them in moving forward by winning cases in many different venues. Every win will help in building case law that future judges will be able to refer to in future cases.

There are some major consequences in trying every case separately; most notably being that they could lose some big dollar judgments. Their strategy is definitely not fail-safe, but right now it looks like it is working. However, it is very early and these lawsuits won’t be settled anytime soon. Either way, though, some analysts are predicting that the lawsuits and legal fees could amount to anywhere between $20-50 billion. For Merck’s sake, they hope this strategy will keep them on the lower side of those predictions.

10th win for Merck on Vioxx [Chicago Tribune]

The Final Four

I want to start by giving a shout out to my boy Bohn who's down in Atlanta at the Final Four now...must be nice. It's been a few days since I've been here, but I've been really busy drinking doing homework and such. So let's just get right to the predictions.

(2) Georgetown vs. (1) Ohio State
This may be one of the most anticipated matchups in the history of the Final Four. With freshman phenom Greg Oden going head-to-head with Roy Hibbert, this could be the best showdown between two dominating seven footers. The one thing I'm afraid of is how these two are very prone to getting into foul trouble early. If there's one game where'd I'd like to see the refs let the teams play, this is it. Let these two big boys get after each other and keep them on the court as much as possible.
With that, I see Oden and Conley outplaying Green and Hibbert just enough to edge them in a close one...Ohio State 78, Georgetown 74.

(2) UCLA vs. (1) Florida
This is obviously another exciting matchup, given that it's the national championship game rematch of just one year ago. I think Florida has just too much for the Bruins and will pull away late in the second half to set up another Florida vs. Ohio State national championship game this year. They can definitely keep it closer if they don't leave this guy open like Oregon did, but Florida still gets the victory...Florida 84-UCLA 75

(Note: Bruce Pearl just said there's no way a #16 seed will EVER beat a #1 seed...even more proof that the guy is a complete moron.)

God Damn Cubs, Why Do I Still Love Thee?

The image you see next to this text was my computer background before the start of the Cubs 2004 season (although I don't know who that random black guy is). I was really, really confident after the Cubs came just five outs away from reaching the World Series. Of course the Bartman game hurt, (to this day I don’t blame him, I blame this guy) but with almost everyone returning to the roster, how could you not pick them to go all the way. I even remember going to the computer lab at school on a Friday morning in early March of 2004, signing onto 5 computers and praying that I could score some tickets to some games. I felt that I didn’t really need to worry about seeing a great pitcher, because odds were in my favor to see either Prior, Wood, Zambrano or Maddux. Boy was I wrong. Prior didn’t even wait for the season to start before he went on the DL and Wood went 8-9 and missed 2 months with strained triceps. Despite those injuries, the Cubs were only ½ game behind in the Wild Card standings with 13 games to play. But, in usual Cubs fashion, they choked down the stretch, going 6-7 in their final 13 games while watching the Astros reel off 7 straight wins to end the season and take the Wild Card.

In 2005, we saw the Cubs finish with a below .500 record and last year witnessed them finish in DEAD LAST (yes, behind the freaking Pirates). Now, here we are, in 2007…dealing with the same old stories with Wood and Prior. It was reported today that they are both probably heading to the DL (again) and neither will make the Cubs opening day lineup. To be completely honest, I am almost relieved these guys won’t be making the squad. Instead of having high expectations, I can sit back and expect nothing out of them and be perfectly content with that.

Instead, Cubs fans get the opportunity to watch some new arms in Jason Marquis, Ted Lilly and Wade Miller in this year’s rotation. I know some people have complained about the signings and money spent for Marquis and Lilly. However, last year, these two combined for 377 innings pitched; while Prior and Wood combined for a grand total of 63 innings! I’m sorry, but even though these guys may not be as talented as Cubs fans would have liked, they’re much more likely to go out every start and give the Cubs 5-7 innings consistently…rather than spending 2-3 months on the DL. I think the Cubs have the lineup this year to win those high-scoring affairs when the wind is blowing out in Wrigley.

So I guess what I am trying to say here, is, well…good riddance to Wood and Prior. Wood has never won more than 14 games in a season (and isn't even a starter anymore), which may make him one of the most overrated pitchers in recent memory. And although Prior has had flashes of greatness, it doesn’t appear that he will regain his once dominant form anytime soon. I would love to see them come back and dominate like they once used to, but I am done counting on/hoping for it. As far as I’m concerned, these two will never do anything productive in a Cubs uniform again…and I think it’s safe to say that I’m willing to accept that and move on. So should every other Cubs fan.

(Come back later this week for my MLB predictions and my World Series champion!)

These Were the Great Woodays

I remember coming home from school in 7th grade, flipping on WGN and watching the last three innings of Kerry Wood's 20 strikeout game. It's hard to believe it has been nine years since that record-tying performance.

I love Chip Caray's call of "here comes the hook!" Everyone in the ballpark, including Derek Bell, knew it was coming and there was nothing he could do about it. That's how dominate Wood's stuff was that day. Unfortunately, we may never witness that dominant stuff ever again (well, at least in a Cubs uniform).

(Note: I still wish Steve Stone was behind the microphone for Cubs broadcasts.)

The Briggsaga Continues

So I sit down today at lunch with my Chicago Tribune in hand and go straight to the Sports page hoping to find some good news for my beloved Chicago teams (except these queers). But instead of being greeted with some optimistic news or a good Rick Morrissey article, my eyes are instead met with Lance Briggs continuing his holdout threat and Kerry Wood on the DL again (what a surprise you pansy). For now, I want to focus on Briggs and later I’ll hit the Kerry “I get your hopes up every year, only to let you down” Wood article later.

So we all know the story. Lance Briggs is good, especially teamed up with this guy. I won’t deny that. But Lance, let’s be serious…you’re not going to sit out. Whether you’re aware of it or not, the Bears franchise is historically stingy and I seriously doubt that they will budge to meet your contract or trade demands. It’s evident to me that Briggs really, really loves money and when the reality hits that he won’t get a dime of that $7+ million (which is about 10 times what he made last year) if he sits out, he’ll pick up his pads and helmet and step on the field for another Pro-Bowl year.

And although I remain optimistic that Briggs will indeed suit up in a Bears uniform this upcoming season, there is still that small part of me that can see him missing out completely on potentially good season for Da Bears. With Drew “I make life miserable for teams” Rosenhaus as his agent, there is definitely still that possibility. And if the Bears have to ultimately decide on whether to move him or let him sit, I say let him sit. Make him watch the entire season from the sidelines, let his value drop and don’t let him see a dime the entire season.

(As for the potential Washington trade...as a Bears fan, I kind of like it. However, I cannot see why this is a good deal for the Skins. Who knows.)

A Great Season and a Bright Future

The Notre Dame Hockey team has come a long way since finishing 5-27-6 just two short years ago. A new coach, some new players, and a new attitude have brought a seemingly hopeless program into one of the most dominant programs in college hockey this year…and for the foreseeable future.

When Jeff Jackson was named head coach before the 2005-2006 season, the Irish knew they were getting a proven winner. In the early 90s, when he was head coach at Lake Superior State, he led them to three straight national championship games, while taking home two crowns. And after coming to Notre Dame, he made an immediate impact by guiding the Irish to 13 wins and giving the team the belief that not only could they compete on the highest level, but that they could WIN on that level.

This year, Jackson really got to show the Notre Dame community why he was the best choice to take over the helm as the head coach. The Irish quickly showed that this was going to be a special season by trouncing the then #1 ranked Golden Eagles of Boston College. The hot start wasn’t a fluke and by the beginning of February, the Irish were ranked #1 for the first time in school history. They maintained that #1 ranking the rest of the season while capturing two more program firsts; the CCHA regular season and tournament crowns.

The Irish went into the NCAA tournament as the hottest team in the country, earning them the #1 overall ranking. In their first round game, they won a thriller in double-overtime, defeating Alabama-Huntsville by a score of 3-2; with freshman Ryan Thang lighting the lamp for the game winner. Then on Saturday night, they faced off against rival Michigan State and dropped a heartbreaker 2-1, eliminating them from the tournament and giving them a final record of 32-7-3 (25 more wins than the 2004-2005 season).

Although they didn’t reach their ultimate goal of a national championship this year, the future of the program is as bright as ever. Their three top scorers (Erik Condra, Ryan Thang and Kevin Deeth) are all underclassmen and will be back together for a couple more seasons. The Irish do lose Hobey Baker finalist David Brown, but there are high hopes for sophomore goaltender Jordan Pearce.

I want to congratulate the Irish on their great season and amazing two-year turnaround and I look forward to more great seasons in the years to come.

(Note: The Hobey Baker award will be announced on April 6^th, 2007 @ 7:00pm EST)